Promised to the Alfa's Son, Fated to Another

Casey froze outside the library door, her palm resting on the polished wood. Her wolf had already slipped away, shutting down the channel between them and leaving her utterly alone. It always happened when memories of the kidnapping surfaced—and tonight promised to rip them wide open again. Her parents wanted to speak with her. She knew what that meant. Tonight they would finally reveal the name of her fiancé. And deep inside, Casey prayed it would not be him. Not Elfie Satton. Not the Alpha’s heir. Not the predator whose gaze had once stopped her heart in the woods—a look so disturbingly similar to her kidnapper’s that even now, years later, it made her stomach twist and her wolf retreat in terror. She drew in a slow breath, straightened her shoulders, and pushed the door open. The familiar scent of leather-bound books and smoke from the fireplace filled her nose. The library always carried a heavy atmosphere, as if the walls themselves held on to secrets. Her mother sat in an armchair with perfect posture, every inch the dignified matriarch. Her ash-blond hair was pulled into a messy bun, but it only emphasized her natural elegance. Peyton stood at the fireplace, one hand resting on the mantel, his tattooed forearms exposed beneath rolled-up sleeves. His expression was unreadable, but the set of his jaw told Casey more than words. Something about this evening was wrong. “Darling,” her mother greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, her voice too warm, too rehearsed. “You look tired. But we have an important matter to discuss.” Casey nodded, though the air already pressed against her chest like a weight. She walked farther into the room, her boots sinking into the thick carpet. “We need to talk about your engagement,” Angely continued softly. The word hit her like a knife. Engagement. Casey felt the room tilt around her. Her heart pounded so loudly she was certain her brother could hear it. “I’m not hungry,” Casey said quickly, her tone sharper than she intended. “And I don’t see why this conversation can’t wait.” Peyton’s eyes flicked to hers, but he remained silent. His silence was louder than any protest. “The Alpha insists,” Angely pressed on, her composure cracking only for a second. “We cannot delay any longer.” Casey clenched her fists at her sides. “Why would the Alpha care who I marry?” she asked, her voice trembling despite her effort to steady it. “My life, my choices—what does that matter to him?” Her mother’s eyes faltered, sliding away from hers. That tiny movement—so rare, so unlike her—was worse than any answer. Angely never looked away unless the truth was unbearable. Casey turned to Peyton. He shifted uncomfortably, jaw tight, and finally spoke. “She deserves to know.” “Peyton—” Angely’s tone snapped like a whip. “No,” he said, cutting her off. “Enough secrets. She has the right to hear it.” The air in the library thickened, and for a moment, Casey thought she would suffocate under it. Her wolf remained silent inside her, no comfort, no strength—just absence. Before Peyton could say more, the door swung open. Eric McRory entered, tall and broad, every step radiating authority. His presence filled the room like a storm cloud. He didn’t bother to glance at his wife or son; his eyes locked directly on Casey, sharp and cold as steel. “The Alpha cares,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of command, “because you are to be engaged to his eldest son—Elfie.” The world cracked beneath her feet. Casey’s breath hitched, her throat closing. Her wolf recoiled deeper, vanishing into the shadows of her mind. A memory slammed into her: Elfie’s gaze, years ago in the woods, when she had been running, free for the first time since the kidnapping. He had appeared without warning, and when his eyes met hers, it hadn’t been the gaze of a friend. Nor of a future Alpha. It had been the look of a predator assessing prey. The same kind of gaze her kidnapper had given her. Her knees weakened, but she refused to fall. She would not show fear in front of her father. She swallowed hard, forcing the trembling in her chest into stillness. Not Elfie. Anyone but him. But her father’s face told her there was no way out.