Davina POV:

Kaelen's malicious voice hung in the air. Every muscle in my body went taut, like a bowstring pulled to its breaking point.

The hall was a sea of expectant faces, all focused on the drama unfolding before them.

Kaelen's gaze slid from me to a dark, forgotten corner of the hall, as if he were pointing out a piece of trash.

"Since Miss Ramsey so desperately seeks a faithful, singular bond," he said, drawing out the words with theatrical cruelty, "I propose we grant her wish. Marry her to my 'illustrious' uncle, Hartwell Monroe."

Hartwell Monroe.

The name was a boulder dropped into a silent pond. Gasps echoed through the hall. The whispers of the nobles became a tidal wave.

"Gods, the crippled war god?"

"He was ruined three years ago. They say the silver poison has left him less than a man."

"Prince Kaelen is too cruel. This is a fate worse than death."

The words were knives in my ears. My mind raced, pulling up the information I'd gathered on the royal family.

Hartwell Monroe. The King's own brother. Once the kingdom's most celebrated Alpha warrior, the "God of War." Three years ago, during a battle with Rogues, he was struck by a silver-laced weapon. Since then, he'd been paralyzed, confined to his gloomy estate, a forgotten relic of a glorious past.

He was considered a living dead man. A royal shame.

Kaelen savored the look of horror he expected to see on my face. His smile deepened. "A country Omega for a crippled Alpha. It's a perfect match, isn't it?"

His words were a calculated insult, aimed not just at me, but at his own paralyzed uncle.

I understood his game. He was retaliating for my rejection in the most vicious way possible, shoving me into a pit far more miserable than being his concubine.

I looked at his face, twisted with triumph, and the emotion that rose in me wasn't fear. It was a cold, calculating rage.

My choices were few. Submit to Kaelen, or be thrown into Hartwell's fire pit.

But my surgeon's soul knew there was always a best option in a crisis. A living dead man was far more manageable than a prince who could crush me at any moment. At the very least, a cripple couldn't force me to do anything.

I made a decision. It was insane.

As Kaelen waited for me to break down and beg, I smiled. A calm, almost unnerving smile.

I met the deep, assessing gaze of the Alpha King on the throne. He had been watching everything in silence.

I took a step forward. My voice wasn't loud, but it carried through the silent hall. "I would rather be the sole mate of a paralyzed Alpha than the secondary plaything of a healthy Crown Prince."

My declaration was a bomb. The hall fell into a stunned, deathly quiet once more.

Kaelen's smile froze solid. He never imagined I would accept his insult, let alone turn it back on him as a weapon.

My words had just branded him a philanderer while elevating the status of the "cripple" Hartwell.

Kaelen's face turned a shade of purple. He pointed at me, sputtering, "You... you insolent..."

I ignored him, keeping my eyes fixed on the Alpha King, waiting for his judgment. I had thrown the ball into his court.

The King's gaze was sharp as a hawk's. He studied me for a long moment, so long I thought my heart would beat its way out of my chest.

Finally, he spoke, his voice a low, authoritative rumble. "As you wish."

He turned his gaze to Kaelen, a flicker of displeasure in his eyes. "Kaelen, your proposal is granted."

Kaelen blinked, then a look of manic glee spread across his face. The outcome was what he wanted, even if the path was twisted. He shot me a triumphant look that screamed, You're dead.

The Alpha King's voice boomed again. "I command it. From this moment, Davina Ramsey is to be paired with Hartwell Monroe. The ceremony will be simple. The order is effective immediately."

Davina POV:

The King's command settled over me like a lead shroud. The tense atmosphere in the hall dissolved into a strange, settled quiet.

The nobles now looked at me with a new mix of pity and the morbid excitement of watching a train wreck.

Kaelen strode up to me, his voice a low, triumphant hiss only I could hear. "Congratulations, Miss Ramsey. You got the 'sole' mate you wanted."

His breath, hot and sickeningly sweet, ghosted across my face. "My uncle hasn't been with a woman in three years. I hope you... survive his bed."

The vicious curse made my stomach clench, but I just stared at him, my face a cold, blank mask.

I knew any reaction would only feed his disgusting ego. I chose to meet his childish cruelty with silence.

He seemed disappointed by my lack of response, letting out a small huff before turning on his heel and stalking away, a preening rooster who'd won a fight.

The ceremony was over. The nobles dispersed in small groups, still chattering about the day's drama.

I was left standing alone in the center of the vast hall, an abandoned offering on a cold altar.

I had no idea what would happen next. Would they drag me straight to that crippled Alpha's manor? Would my foster father, Preston, even show his face?

My maid, Zoe Foster, scurried to my side. She was an Omega girl from the countryside like me, and her face was pale with terror.

"My lady, what are we going to do?" she whispered, her voice trembling on the verge of tears.

I patted her hand, forcing a calm I didn't feel. "Don't be afraid, Zoe. It's not the worst it could be."

I said the words, but I had no foundation for them. In this world, I was utterly alone.

Just as I was about to lead Zoe away from this suffocating place, the sound of steady footsteps approached from behind.

I turned to see a middle-aged man in the formal attire of a royal attendant. His face was impassive, his eyes empty.

He stopped before me and gave a slight bow. "Miss Davina Ramsey."

I noticed he had no wolf scent, no presence in that way. He was a wolfless. In this world, those born without an inner wolf were often relegated to specific servant roles within the palace, unable to participate in the pack's core abilities like the mind-link.

"I am Jasper Reynolds, attendant to the Alpha King," he introduced himself. "I am here on His Majesty's order."

He held a scroll bearing the royal wax seal.

My heart skipped a beat. So soon.

Jasper unrolled the scroll and read in a flat, emotionless tone. "Alpha King's Command: Davina Ramsey is to depart immediately for Blackwood Manor to complete the pairing with Hartwell Monroe. There will be no delay."

An Alpha King's Command. It was the highest decree, carrying the force of law. To defy it was treason.

Jasper rolled the scroll back up and handed me a small, lumpy cloth pouch. "Your dowry. Elder Ramsey had it sent."

I took the pouch. It was pathetically light. My dear foster father was truly generous.

Jasper gestured towards the grand entrance. "The carriage is waiting. Please, Miss Ramsey. You have no choice."

His words were calm, but they held the crushing weight of absolute power. This was monarchy.

Zoe gripped my arm, her body trembling.

I took one last look at the gilded, treacherous hall, then turned my back on it for good.

Stepping outside, the bright sunlight made me squint. A plain, black carriage stood at the bottom of the steps, flanked by two stone-faced guards.

This was my wedding carriage. No flowers, no blessings. Only a cold command and an unknown fate.

I took a deep breath and walked down the steps, each one feeling like a step onto a blade.

I had to go face the legendary crippled Alpha.