Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Ava's POV

The Crimson Moon Hotel stood in the human part of the city, far from pack territory. I sat in my car for ten minutes, staring at the gleaming glass building and wondering if I had lost my mind. Yesterday was supposed to be my wedding day. Instead, I had spent it in bed, ignoring the hundreds of calls and texts from pack members who had heard about the cancellation.

My father had come by, furious about the embarrassment to our family. My mother cried. But neither of them seemed surprised, which hurt almost as much as the betrayal itself.

The mystery text had come again this morning: "Room 1408. Noon. Don't be late."

I checked my watch. 11:58.

Taking a deep breath, I got out of my car and walked into the hotel. The lobby was all marble and gold, clearly expensive. The elevator ride to the fourteenth floor felt endless. My wolf was alert, ready for danger, but also curious.

Room 1408 was at the end of the hall. I knocked twice.

"Come in. It's open."

The voice was deep, commanding. Familiar somehow, though I couldn't place it. I turned the handle and stepped inside.

The suite was massive, with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city. A man stood with his back to me, staring out at the view. He wore an expensive black suit that fit him perfectly. Dark hair, broad shoulders. There was something about his presence that made the air feel electric.

"Thank you for coming, Ava."

He turned around, and I gasped.

Marcus Stone. Garry's older brother. The one who had been banished from the pack five years ago for challenging the Alpha. The one everyone said was dead.

"Marcus?" I took a step back toward the door. "You're supposed to be..."

"Dead?" He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Sorry to disappoint. Though I'm sure my brother told everyone I was gone for good."

"Why am I here? Why did you contact me?"

He walked to a small bar in the corner and poured two glasses of whiskey. "Because we have something in common now. We've both been betrayed by people we trusted. Both been cast aside by the Moonvalley Pack."

"I wasn't cast aside. I was just..."

"Humiliated? Discarded for someone with a better bloodline?" He handed me a glass. "I know exactly what happened, Ava. I know about Sophia Blackwood. I know about the pregnancy. I know about my brother's betrayal."

I set the glass down without drinking. "How could you know all that?"

"I have friends in the pack. People who are tired of the current leadership. People who want change." He moved closer, and I caught his scent. Pine and winter storms. It made my wolf stir in a way she never had before. "People who think you were treated unfairly."

"And what does that have to do with you?"

Marcus smiled, and this time it was genuine. "I'm coming back, Ava. I've spent five years building my own power, my own connections. I'm stronger now than I ever was. And when I return, I'm going to challenge for Alpha."

"That's suicide. Alpha Blackwood is too strong."

"Not anymore. He's sick, though he's hiding it well. That's why he's stepping down next month. He knows he can't defend his title." Marcus stepped even closer, and I found myself unable to back away. "But here's the interesting part. According to pack law, if I challenge and win, I can choose my own Beta. It doesn't have to be Garry."

"So? What does that have to do with me?"

"Everything." His eyes flashed gold for a moment. "Marry me."

I nearly choked. "What?"

"A political marriage. You marry me, and when I become Alpha, you become Luna. Imagine the look on their faces. Garry, Sophia, everyone who laughed at you. The rejected bride returning as their Luna."

"You're insane."

"Am I? Think about it, Ava. They humiliated you. Made you look weak. This is your chance to show them exactly how strong you are." He circled around me slowly, like a predator. "Plus, there are benefits to being Luna. Power. Respect. No one would ever dare to hurt you again."

"And what do you get out of it?"

"A Luna who knows the pack, who has connections through her father's business. Someone who wants revenge as much as I do." He stopped in front of me. "And someone who has no illusions about love or romance. This would be business. Pure and simple."

I thought about Garry and Sophia, probably planning their own wedding right now. I thought about the pack members who had whispered and laughed. I thought about spending the rest of my life as the girl who got dumped the night before her wedding.

"What about a true mate?" I asked. "What if you find yours?"

"I won't." His voice was certain, cold. "That possibility died five years ago."

There was a story there, but I didn't push. "And if I find mine?"

"Then we dissolve the marriage quietly. No drama. No betrayal. Just a simple agreement between adults."

"I need time to think."

"You have twenty four hours. The challenge ceremony is in three days. If we're going to do this, we need to be married before then. Pack law states that a married Alpha candidate must have his Luna present at the challenge."

I headed for the door, my mind spinning. As I reached for the handle, Marcus spoke again.

"Ava. One more thing."

I turned back to look at him.

"Wear the dress. The wedding dress you bought for Garry. When we stand before the pack as Alpha and Luna, I want him to see exactly what he threw away."

The idea was petty. Vindictive. Perfect.

"If I say yes," I said carefully, "I have conditions."

"Name them."

"I want Sophia's position as head of the pack's charitable foundation. I want my father's business to have exclusive contracts with the pack. And I want Garry stripped of his Beta title."

Marcus grinned, showing teeth. "Done. Anything else?"

"Yes. I want everyone who knew about the affair and didn't tell me to be punished."

"That might be half the pack."

"Then half the pack gets punished."

He laughed, a rich sound that sent shivers down my spine. "I think we're going to work together perfectly, Ava."

I left without another word, but as I waited for the elevator, I already knew my answer. I was going to marry Marcus Stone. I was going to become Luna. And I was going to make everyone who had hurt me pay.

My phone buzzed. A text from Garry: "We need to talk. Please."

I deleted it without reading the rest. He had made his choice. Now I was making mine.