Early the next morning, the Wolf Pack messengers delivered an entire room full of wedding gowns for me to choose from.

Each dress was a custom design by renowned international masters. The selection sparkled before me like the Milky Way itself.

I could not help but marvel silently—the Alpha certainly had deep pockets.

Even if the Alpha truly was as dark, obsessive, hideous—and even disabled!—as the rumors claimed, at least I would gain wealth and power.

That was the real prize of this bond—pure gold!

Just then, a sickeningly sweet voice suddenly came from behind me.

"Wow, what beautiful wedding gowns! I've never seen anything so luxurious in my entire life.

"Aurelia, are you using these to pressure Nate into bonding with you? I know I'm lowborn and can't compare to you, but I'm already carrying his beast egg.

"Please don't steal my beastchild's father! I'll even kneel before you!"

With that, she moved to kneel at my feet with tears welling up in her eyes.

Nathaniel carefully helped Grace up, his face twisted with disgust as he berated me, "Aurelia! You've gone too far! Grace is pregnant, yet you're still humiliating her! Apologize to her immediately."

I felt utterly bewildered. Grace had been talking to herself the entire time, yet I was somehow the one humiliating her.

This scenario had played out countless times before.

At first, Nathaniel would stand firmly by my side.

It was not until that day by the bridge, when Grace, who was alone with me, smiled and deliberately threw herself into the river.

I instinctively reached out to catch her, but Nathaniel had seen everything and appeared out of nowhere. To him, that became ironclad proof that I had pushed Grace into the water.

After Nathaniel rescued the dripping Grace, she cowered and begged my forgiveness.

"Ms. Sinclair, I'll never anger you again. Please spare me! I can't swim!”

"Aurelia, I never imagined you were this kind of person."

Nathaniel looked at me with complete disappointment. From that moment, his heart turned away from me.

Remembering this, I smiled mockingly. "These were sent to me by my fiance. I have no interest in fighting over a contaminated beastman!"

Nathaniel's chest suddenly tightened. He instinctively ignored the strange sensation in his heart.

He sneered. "Aurelia, stop being so stubborn! I don't like arrogant beast women! You should learn from Grace and become more gentle and kind."

Grace shot me a provocative smile, her gaze falling on the roomful of wedding gowns, greed flickering in her eyes.

She tugged at Nathaniel's sleeve. "Nate, could I try on those wedding gowns?"

Nathaniel lovingly patted her head. "If you like them, take them all."

He immediately ordered the servants at the door to move all the gowns before Grace for her to select from.

Grace's face lit up with excitement as she fluttered between the gowns like a butterfly, trying each one on.

I was furious and shouted at Nathaniel, "Nathaniel! Those dresses are mine!”

Nathaniel signaled to his subordinates, and several immediately pinned me to the ground in a humiliating position.

One of them kicked my knee. As I was about to collapse, Grace's eyes flashed with a cunning look as she kicked a thumbtack in my direction.

The tack pierced my knee, sending searing pain through me. A cold sweat broke out as I gasped soundlessly from the agony.

"Whatever Grace likes belongs to her. Did you really think you could force me to bond with you by wearing these?"

I smiled bitterly. Once, Nathaniel had transformed into his beast form and flown thousands of miles to the north just to bring me back a handful of snow because I had mentioned wanting to see northern snow.

He had not cared about the frostbite on his wings, and his eyes were as bright as the stars when he looked at me and said, "As long as you wanted it, Lia, I'd pluck the stars from the sky for you."

Now he was just the Eagle Clan heir and the father of the beast egg in Grace's belly. The beastman I had loved was long dead.

Grace admired my pain-twisted face and extended her foot. "Pregnancy makes it hard for me to bend over. Aurelia, please help me change my shoes."

This time, before the servants could act, I silently stepped forward to change her shoes. The moment I touched her foot, she threw herself backward.

"Ah! Aurelia, why are you pinching me? My beastchild!"

Nathaniel's pupils dilated in shock as he rushed to catch Grace. Finding me in his way, he kicked me aside without hesitation.

The blow struck my chest with brutal force. I spat blood and staggered backward into the coffee table. My forehead slammed hard against the corner, staining the wood crimson.

Before blood completely obscured my vision, I saw Nathaniel tenderly rubbing Grace's belly with concern.

"Don't be afraid, sweetie. Daddy's here."

Watching this heartwarming scene, my eyes burned with unshed tears as I could not help but laugh bitterly. That single laugh completely enraged Nathaniel.

He stormed over and seized my throat, his eyes blazing with vicious fury.

"Aurelia! You're absolutely incorrigible! You won't even spare an unborn beastchild?!

"If I don't punish you properly now, God knows how you'll torment Grace and the baby once you're part of my household!"

With that, he hurled me to the ground like garbage, his voice utterly merciless as he spat, "Send her to the fighting pits. She won’t come out until she's learned her lesson!"

Without sparing me another glance, he turned back to comfort Grace. I dug my nails into my palms, feeling like I had plunged into an icy abyss.

He was actually sending me to the fighting pits?

The pits were underground fighting rings where rogue beastmen battled to the death. Every fighter had to sign a death waiver, making injuries and fatalities were no one's responsibility.

The arena was filled with desperate souls who valued money over life and brutal fighters. All matches ended in death or permanent disability. That place... was where I had first met Nathaniel.

Back then, I sat in the stands watching a young Nathaniel get his wing mangled by a Tiger Clan beastman. Every strike was intended to kill.

However, he refused to surrender, dragging himself up from the ground again and again until he somehow snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

I was captivated by those resilient eyes. I bought his contract and made him my personal bodyguard.

Under his devoted and meticulous protection, I fell for him. He became my ward, raised to be my future husband.

After he risked everything to save my life in a car accident, I accepted his proposal.

That day, he transformed into his beast form in pure joy, circling the sky countless times before landing at the Beast God Altar, where he knelt before the deity's statue.

He said, "Lia, you're the angel who saved me from hell. I will always love you and protect you."

Now, he was using his power as Eagle Clan heir to cast me into hell for the sake of another beastwoman.

At that moment, the cacophony of jeering spectators filled my ears. My frail figure stood on the blood-stained fighting platform, utterly out of place in this brutal arena.

The hyena beastman before me bared his fangs, his eyes gleaming with murderous bloodlust as he prepared to strike.

I touched my chest, feeling something inside me die completely.

The hyena lunged at me with savage force. With nowhere to retreat, I closed my eyes in despair.

Suddenly, a massive snow wolf descended from above, sweeping me onto his back.

Wind rushed past my face, and when I opened my eyes again, I was home.

Nathaniel and Grace were gone, but Grace's social media had a new video—footage of Nathaniel in his beast form, performing a mating dance for her.

My eyes burned with tears as I stormed into the bedroom and grabbed a hammer, smashing my bed that they had defiled into splinters.

The room was filled with everything Nathaniel had once given me.

Necklaces, porcelain dolls, handmade wind chimes... I hurled them all into the fire, burning every last reminder to ashes.

A week later came the day of my bonding with the Alpha of the Wolf Pack.

The Wolf Pack replaced all the wedding gowns and dowry gifts that had been stolen, promising they would seek justice for me.

I had just put on my wedding dress when Grace burst through the door, her voice sickeningly sweet as she said, "Nate, the baby's been so restless lately. I heard Aurelia dances beautifully, so I want her to dance for the baby."

"Of course, of course. Have her dance until the baby is satisfied."

Nathaniel's tender gaze darkened the moment it fell on my wedding gown.

"Aurelia! Wasn't your last lesson enough? How dare you wear a wedding dress again!"

I glared at them with undisguised irritation. "I told you, I have a fiance. Today is my bonding day. Stop bringing your bad luck here."

The pair burst into laughter as if they had just heard the most ridiculous joke.

Grace appraised my wedding gown admiringly. "Nate, Aurelia's dress today is even more beautiful than before."

Nathaniel waved his hand dismissively. "Strip that wedding dress off her. Since she won't learn, let her dance clothless! Give everyone a good show!"

His familiar subordinates approached to restrain me, their hands reaching for my zipper. Suddenly, they were sent flying back by a powerful kick.

"Quite the nerve you have, daring to bully my wife!"