Rejected by her mate and discarded by her pack, Seraphine thought she’d hit rock bottom. She was wrong. Now, she’s been traded as a breeder to the ruthless Alpha of the Mistwood pack, Theodore Zain—a man whose legendary curse kills every bride he takes.

Theodore needed an heir, not another bride destined to die. But the omega forced on him is disarmingly innocent and maddeningly resilient. He’s a man resigned to his cursed fate, she’s a woman with nothing left to lose, and their forced union is a powder keg waiting to ignite.

Theodore makes the terms clear: this is a contract, not a romance. She will provide an heir and stay out of his heart. He’s built walls of ice to survive the curse, and he warns her to do the same.

But as her quiet defiance chips away at his control, a possessiveness he never anticipated awakens a desire that could be her death sentence. Will her light be enough to defy a centuries-old curse, or will she simply become its next victim?


"Lady Seraphine!" Aleena's voice rang through the corridor, breathless with excitement. "I've been searching everywhere for you this morning. You missed breakfast completely. Where have you been hiding? And why do you look so... feverish? Should I fetch the pack doctor?"


The barrage of questions made my already scrambled thoughts even more chaotic. After my unexpected encounter with Theodore, my mind felt like it was drowning in molten honey. I pressed my lips together nervously. "No, I'm fine! Just feeling overheated, that's all."


Aleena studied me with the intensity of someone examining a rare specimen. "It's barely above freezing outside," she said slowly, her brows knitting together in confusion. "Are you certain you're alright?"


I released a shaky breath, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "I happened to see—" But my confession died on my tongue as the kitchen door burst open with explosive force, and Theodore strode in.


Chapter 35 - Chapter 35 Someone Of Your Standing