Chapter 5
1098 Words
Melody's POV
"Care to explain why?" Andrew, my father, asked, his voice calm yet firm.
I swallowed hard, gripping the hem of my dress. "Father, I don’t want to be engaged to Jay," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
I wanted to tell him the truth, that this was my second chance at life, that I had already made this mistake once before. But how could I? He would never believe me.
"Princess!" A familiar voice called out.
I turned, and my heart sank as I saw Agatha, my stepmother, entering my father’s office with Mr. Hall trailing behind her. Her smile was warm, but I could see through it now. It was fake, just like everything else about her.
"What’s wrong?" she asked sweetly. "I heard you saying you don’t want to be engaged to Jay. What do you mean? You already agreed."
I clenched my fists at my sides. In my first life, I had been naïve enough to believe she cared for me as a daughter. But I knew better now.
"Mother," I said, keeping my voice steady, "I will not mate with Jay, nor will I marry him."
"Melody…" Agatha began, but my father interrupted her.
"Okay," he said simply.
I blinked in surprise. "Okay?"
He nodded, though I could see the discomfort in his expression. "It’s your choice who you marry."
Tears welled up in my eyes. Even in my past life, when I had made terrible decisions, when I had trusted Jay and suffered for it my father had always stood by me. I had taken his love and loyalty for granted, and I had paid the price for my foolishness.
"It’s not too late to call it off, is it?" I asked hopefully.
But before my father could respond, Agatha’s voice cut in. "I already sent the invitations."
My heart dropped.
The entire kingdom would know by now. The engagement ceremony was set to take place in just a week, and hundreds of guests had been invited. The laws and traditions of our kind were strict, especially for alphas.
Canceling the engagement wouldn’t just embarrass my father, it would force him to issue a public apology and pay a considerable sum to Jay as compensation. But knowing Jay as I did now, I was certain he wouldn’t settle for a mere fortune. He wanted more.
My father’s pack was one of the strongest and wealthiest, while Jay’s was still small. Marrying me meant absorbing my father’s influence, solidifying his position.
I gritted my teeth. I couldn’t let that happen.
Reliving this life, I refused to drag my father into my mess again. There had to be another way.
I took a steadying breath. "I’ll handle this, Father."
He hesitated, concern flickering in his eyes. "Melody, if you don’t want to be engaged to him, if you don’t want to mate with him..."
"I’m just being silly," I interrupted, forcing a smile.
Agatha’s expression immediately brightened with relief. "Of course," she said with a knowing smirk. "It’s just nerves."
I didn’t respond. Instead, I turned away, my mind racing.
If I couldn’t call off the engagement publicly, I would have to convince Jay to back out himself. And I knew exactly how to do it.
A sharp knock echoed through the room, and before anyone could respond, the door burst open.
Mr. Hall, my father’s secretary, stepped inside with a composed yet urgent expression. "Alpha Jay is here," he announced.
My father exhaled slowly, his face unreadable. "Send him in," he said.
The moment Jay entered, he walked straight toward me with a sense of urgency, his grip firm but not forceful as he lightly grabbed my arms. His deep brown eyes were filled with concern.
"Melody, what happened?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.
My stomach twisted with disgust, but I didn’t pull away.
"What happened?" he repeated, his brows furrowed. "You were supposed to meet with the designer today for your engagement gown."
I lowered my gaze, feigning remorse. "I’m sorry," I said softly. "I forgot."
I lifted my eyes to meet his, adding a slight pout to my lips, playing the role of the innocent and scatterbrained fiancée.
"You still have such a childish personality," Agatha remarked, her voice dripping with condescension. Agatha looked at Melody with a calculating smile. "Maybe it would be best if Jay started assisting with Madison Pack as well," she said smoothly. "And if Andrew retires, perhaps merging Madison and Merlot Pack would be the best option - especially since you’re not yet mature enough to handle it on your own."
My father stiffened, and I saw the flicker of anger in his eyes. He was holding his tongue.
"Mother," Jay said in a low, warning tone. He was annoyed, but not for my sake. He didn’t want Agatha drawing unnecessary attention to our dynamic, didn’t want her making comments that might raise suspicions. I looked at my stepmother in the eye. "There's no need for that," I said with a smile. "I will be the future Alpha of this pack."
I could fell everyone staring at me in shock at my words. I couldn't blame them. it was not the kind of confident statement I would have made before. In my previous life, I had asked my father to turn over our pack to Jay, making him the Alpha of my family’s legacy. I had believed it was the right choice, but I had been wrong, terribly wrong.
But now, in this life, I would never allow Jay to take control of my father’s pack. This time, I would be the one to lead. I would be the Alpha.
"What suddenly changed your mind, Princess?" Agatha asked, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. Her voice was gentle, but I knew better than to trust her sweetness.
She sighed, then continued, "You always refused to learn how to be an Alpha. You know nothing about leading a pack. So what’s wrong with letting Jay help you?"
The first time this happened, I had been too naïve - too trusting. I had handed over all the power to Jay without hesitation, convinced it was for the best. My father had resigned at my request, believing it was what I wanted.
But not this time.
I took a small step back, looking up at Jay as I slipped from his hold. He watched me, his expression unreadable as I met his gaze head-on.
"I want you to call off our engagement." The bombshell slipped from my lips with eyes fixated on him.
- Writer
