Chapter 2: Courtship gift
1605 Words
Chapter 2: Courtship gift
(Cassandra's POV)
Sarah's fingers dug into my arm as she steered me away from the grand hall, toward Alpha Marcus's private residence. Her grip was tight enough to bruise a real Omega.
"Walk faster," she snapped. "And fix your posture. You're embarrassing enough without slouching."
Her green eyes shot me a brief, sharp glare before returning to the path ahead.
She didn’t look at me as though I were her child. No, Sarah looked at me like I was a tool—a means to an end.
Jane hurried past us in the hallway. She didn't meet my eyes. Her relief at escaping the arranged marriage was written all over her face.
A tall Beta guard stood at the entrance of Alpha Marcus’s private residence. His sharp eyes flicked to me, his nose wrinkling slightly as he caught my scent.
An Omega’s scent. Weak. Obedient. Submissive.
He barely concealed his contempt as he bowed deeply to Sarah. "Luna Rivers."
Sarah swept past him as if the air belonged to her and tugged me forcefully along. Her movements were sharp—controlled and formal, like she’d practiced this moment a hundred times.
I caught the Beta’s sneer before the heavy wooden doors of the residence closed behind us. Though his bow was respectful, his disdain for me could have burned through the polished oak.
Sarah didn’t even glance back.
She practically shoved me into Marcus's study. The force would have sent a real Omega stumbling. I pretended to trip anyway.
The room reeked of power and privilege. Ancient books lined mahogany shelves, and a massive desk dominated the space. Sarah's perfectly manicured nails drummed against its polished surface as she cornered me.
Through the window, I could see my grandmother being helped to her quarters. Each step seemed to drain her strength.
The sight made my blood boil. They had done this to her.
Sarah turned to me, her hands finding her hips, and her face was colder than the deepest winter.
She didn’t sit in the leather chair behind the desk. No, she leaned against the desk edge, her nails drumming against the polished wood in a pointed rhythm.
One. Two. Three.
"You understand the stakes, don’t you?" she asked, her voice all ice and venom.
I blinked, my expression neutral. "You’ve made it very clear."
Her eyes narrowed, her green irises flashing dangerously in the dim light. She stepped forward until her presence practically loomed over me.
"You don’t seem to understand fully, Cassandra," she hissed, her voice sharp now. The claws beneath her perfectly manicured facade scratched just under the surface.
She crossed her arms and gave me a look that seemed designed to crush any resistance. "Your grandmother’s treatment costs more than you could comprehend. VIP hospital care is not a luxury given to charity cases."
The mention of Grace made my hands itch to curl into fists, but I forced them to remain loose at my sides. My body didn’t betray even an ounce of emotion.
"I’m grateful," I said simply. The words burned like bile in my throat.
Sarah didn’t stop. Of course, she wouldn’t stop.
"Good. Because if you embarrass me in front of the Stone Pack..." She let the threat hang in the air.
I kept my expression carefully blank.
My silence seemed to please her because the corners of her lips turned upward in the faintest mockery of a smile.
"Good." She turned away then, as if I wasn’t even worth her time, and walked back toward the desk.
"You’ll be staying in your old quarters until everything is finalized," she announced without sparing me another glance.
"You mean the servant’s quarters," I pointed out, my mouth forming the words before I could stop them.
Her gaze snapped back to me, her expression darkening in an instant.
"Remember your place, Cassandra," she warned, her voice low, dangerous.
Heavy footsteps interrupted her threats.
Alpha Marcus's powerful presence filled the doorway, surprising us both. He looked older than I remembered, worn down by his heir's death and the pack's declining status.
"Sarah," he said quietly. "That's enough."
Sarah stepped back, but her eyes promised future consequences. She wasn't used to being challenged, even by her Alpha.
"The girl has already agreed," he said, his tone carrying an unexpected note of paternal concern. He looked at me directly. "If this arrangement truly disturbs you..."
"I'll do it," I cut him off firmly. I didn't need his fake kindness. Where was his concern when Sarah abandoned me?
Both Marcus and Sarah turned toward the confidence in my tone, though I made sure my posture remained submissive.
The edges of Marcus’s expression softened faintly. He stared at me for a moment longer, then nodded once.
"Very well," he said.
None of them suspected that behind my Omega facade lay The Shadow Healer, the most powerful Alpha female in existence and leader of the mysterious Shadow Pack.
He left as calmly as he arrived, the solid thud of the door leaving me alone with Sarah once more.
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she exhaled sharply through her nose.
"Show her to her old room," she ordered the Beta.
David grabbed my arm roughly and dragged me up the stairs. "You should be grateful," he growled. "An Omega like you, marrying the Stone Pack heir."
I stumbled on purpose, playing my role. "I am grateful," I whispered.
The room they gave me was small and dusty, clearly unused since my departure years ago.
Perfect. They thought putting me in a servant's room was a punishment. They had no idea it would make my work easier.
I waited until the Beta's footsteps faded, counting to a hundred to be sure. Then I pulled out my ancient crystal.
The crystal pulsed with soft light as I activated it, establishing a secure connection to my pack. Emma's familiar presence filled my mind immediately.
"My Alpha," she whispered through our link. "I have the intelligence reports about the Stone Pack heir and his curse. You won't believe what I found."
Emma had been fiercely loyal since I saved her life during a rogue attack years ago.
She had been just a scared young wolf then, cornered by rogues who wanted to take her territory.
Now she was my most trusted Beta.
"Tell me everything," I commanded softly. "Leave nothing out."
"The curse is unlike anything I've seen before," Emma reported. "I've been studying the medical records. The black thorns don't spread like normal curses. They seem to react to his emotions, growing faster when he's angry or in pain."
"Send me the details," I said, keeping my voice even.
"Yes, Alpha," Emma replied immediately.
The crystal dimmed as the connection broke.
I stayed like that for a long moment, my eyes staring at the faint cracks in the ceiling as my thoughts shifted to the Stone heir.
Thinking of Alexander Stone, hatred burns in my heart.
No one knows that Nathan Rivers, the dead heir of Rivers pack, was my mate.
He gave me all the love and support when I was at my lowest.
When everyone else saw me as just a weak Omega, Nathan saw my true strength.
But a few months ago, everything changed. One day, I suddenly felt our mate bond shatter.
The intense pain and sadness overwhelmed me. It felt like part of my soul had been ripped away.
Rivers pack only announced his death to the public. They never said how or why he died. They buried the truth along with my mate.
I mobilized all the power of Shadow pack to investigate. But I could only find out that he died in a mission, and this mission was related to Alexander Stone.
This is why I accepted the Rivers pack's request for a replacement marriage. This is why I agreed to marry Alexander Stone.
This is the best way for me to get close to him, to find out what really happened to Nathan.
---
(Alexander's POV)
The setting sun cast long shadows through my window, its dying light reflecting off my obsidian mask.
I stood at the window, enduring the pain of the black thorns burning in my body. Each pulse felt like fire spreading under my skin.
Two years. That's all the time I had left.
I had visited all the famous doctors and witches across the territories. They all said the same thing - they couldn't solve the curse. The black thorns would eventually reach my heart.
"Alpha." My Beta Theo's voice broke through my dark thoughts. "The Rivers pack... they've changed their offer."
I turned to face my Beta.
"They're not offering Jane Rivers anymore." Theo's voice was tight with barely controlled rage. "They want you to marry an Omega. The Luna's daughter from before she married Alpha Marcus."
He handed me a document. "This is Cassandra's identity check record."
"They're humiliating us!" Theo paced the room like a caged animal. "An Omega from a disgraced bloodline. The pack won't accept-"
"Enough," I cut him off, touching my mask thoughtfully.
I calmly flipped through the documents. It looked like an omega who grew up in an isolated village. But the background seemed oddly incomplete, with strange gaps.
"Have the ancient healing texts delivered to her as a courtship gift," I said, picking up one of the worn volumes.
Theo blinked, clearly caught off-guard. "The healing texts? But those are—"
"They’re a courtship gift," I interrupted, my tone brooking no argument. "I'm curious to see how she responds."
His reluctance was obvious, but he nodded. "As you wish, Alpha."
- Writer
