Chapter 1

My name is Evelyn Blackwood. I am the only daughter of the Blackwood Pack and mom Margaret's sole chosen heir.

The territory of Greyhaven, the family assets, and those deeply rooted ancient alliances—they would all fall onto my shoulders sooner or later.

To secure my future reign and shut the greedy mouths of our branch families, mom brought back three boys from a rogue shelter.

She spent a fortune grooming them, all for the singular purpose of picking the strongest among them to be my future mate.

She even declared publicly at the pack gathering that as long as I nodded, whoever I chose would co-inherit everything in the Blackwood name.

But to Damien, Lucas, and Julian, those words sounded like a death sentence.

On the surface, they were obedient and respectful. Behind my back, they despised my unyielding nature. To them, I was a drawn blade, nothing like the submissive Luna they fantasized about.

The most absurd part? These three men, who had reaped endless benefits from my family, had unanimously fallen for a fragile Omega named Cecilia Ward.

"Don't think your Blackwood money can force us to marry you."

"The only one fit to be our mate is Cecilia."

"A cold-blooded, ruthless woman like you? You are nothing compared to her."

Those words were like silver chains lined with barbs, wrapping tightly around my heart.

Utterly shattered, I turned around and accepted the marriage proposal from the Ashford family.

——

Holden Ashford was the young Alpha of the wealthiest pack in the North. Five years ago, during a bloody territorial war, silver poison had trapped him in a deep coma, his wolf spirit nearly extinguished.

Outsiders said he was nothing more than a vegetable.

But I would rather marry a comatose Alpha heir than force myself on those three ungrateful wretches.

When mom heard the news, the glass in her hand nearly shattered against the floor.

"Evelyn, are you out of your mind? Yes, Holden Ashford is of noble blood, but he hasn't woken up in five years!"

She stared at me, her brow heavy with anger and worry.

"Marrying him means sentencing yourself to a lifetime of widowhood while he still breathes!"

I looked up at her, my voice steady.

"Whether he wakes up or not doesn't matter. What we truly need is the absolute military might and the pack army of the Ashfords. Once the bond is sealed, those restless hyenas in our branch families will have to bow down."

My mother fell silent for a long time before finally letting out a sigh.

She reached out and stroked my hair, spoiling me just as she did when I was a child.

"If you ever regret this, I will stand by your side unconditionally. As for those three candidates I picked for you... since they swore the mate's oath, they should keep themselves pure for you."

I shook my head, a bitter smile touching my lips.

After my father died in a territorial clash years ago, mom carried the entire pack on her shoulders and never sought another mate.

It was out of heartache for me that she bestowed such supreme glory and resources upon those three boys.

But she didn't know that their daily obedience and doting looks were nothing but a theatrical performance to swindle our resources.

In private, the way they looked at me was colder than the blizzards in Greyhaven.

The moment mom left the estate, the three of them cornered me in the hallway, like three wild wolves finally shedding their disguises.

Damien was the oldest and the fiercest warrior among them. He was also the one I had poured the most effort into.

I chased him for three years. I accompanied him to pack gatherings, suppressed the doubts of the branch families for him, and even stayed awake for two straight nights guarding him when he was injured.

Yet, he remained an unmelting iceberg, polite but entirely detached.

Now, he took the initiative to approach me, but only to interrogate me.

"Evelyn, did you go crying to your mother again?"

"If you have a problem, come at me. Don't use your despicable tricks on Lucas and Julian."

As he spoke, he instinctively shielded his two younger brothers behind him, as if I were about to lunge and tear them apart.

The three of them shared a deep, childhood brotherhood, leaving me looking like the sole outsider.

I let out a mocking laugh.

"Relax. Once I'm married, you three will be free. I'll give you a sum of money and let you leave the Blackwood territory."

But they didn't appreciate the gesture.

Damien glared at me, his eyes brimming with disgust.

"After all this, you're still trying to force me to marry you?"

"You know I have no feelings for you, yet you're willing to stoop this low?"

Furious, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

The crisp sound instantly silenced the courtyard.

"Damien, do you even have a heart?"

I stared at him, my voice trembling.

"The Blackwoods fed and raised you for twenty years. I chased you for three. And this is how you see me?"

Damien wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a stubborn smirk forming on his lips.

"Who cares about being a Blackwood puppet? Did you think that just because you gave me a last name, I'd sell my life to you?"

Lucas and Julian immediately swarmed forward, each violently shoving me.

I crashed heavily onto the ground, my palms scraping against the gravel, burning with pain.

They glared at me fiercely.

"Who gave you the right to hit Damien?"

"We'd rather sever the bond right now and get the hell out of Greyhaven than put up with your spoiled temper for another second!"

Using the wall for support, I slowly climbed to my feet, a cynical sneer on my lips.

"If you didn't want to stay with the Blackwoods, you could have said so earlier. Why bother playing the loyal dogs in front of mom?"

A flash of guilt crossed their eyes simultaneously.

Damien, acting out of spite, suddenly declared.

"If you're going to force one of us to marry you, then we'll all leave the territory today!"

I pointed at the main gate.

"Then you can get the hell out right now."

But none of them moved.

Lucas started trying to persuade the other two.

"Damien, Julian, don't be impulsive. If we just leave like this, what about Cecilia? If she stays in the estate alone, Evelyn will definitely target her."

I offered them a clear path.

"You can take her with you."

Instantly, the three of them shook their heads and sighed, their faces turning increasingly ugly.

Without the status of Blackwood's adopted sons, without the family's protection and resources, what could they possibly give Cecilia?

A drafty, leaking shack? Or a promise that could be torn to shreds by rogue wolves at any moment?

My heart grew so cold it turned into a laugh.

So, they could talk all they wanted about having a backbone, but deep down, their feet knew better than anyone else: leaving the Blackwoods, they were absolutely nothing.