Page 1

Chapter One

Fallon

February 6th

9:34 A.M

“What do you mean I’m getting married?”

I must have misheard. Or maybe I was dreaming—no, having a nightmare—because there was no way my mother had just informed me I was marrying a stranger or strangers in this case.

But Elizabeth Creed didn’t deal in jokes or absurdities. She sat behind her sleek, imposing desk, cool as ever. Her blonde hair was twisted into some intricate knot at the back of her head, not a strand out of place. Those icy gray eyes locked onto mine, sharp and unyielding. She had the typical Alpha build—tall, slim, all sharp lines, and controlled power.

She slid a thin envelope across the desk. The kind with the metal clasp holding it shut. I didn’t take it. My hands were clenched at my sides, nails biting into my palms.

Mom sighed, irritation flickering across her otherwise unreadable face. “In a week, you will be marrying into the Rosetti pack. You have no choice in this matter. A parent or guardian must sign off on an omega’s pack placement, and I will not be signing off on anyone else, Fallon. You will do this for our family and our reputation.”

The Rosetti pack?

Ice slid down my spine. My stomach dropped straight to the floor.

“Oh my Gods, you can’t be serious! The Rosetti’s are practically the mafia! Cold-blooded. Ruthless. I’m pretty sure they killed their last omega!” My voice shot up in pitch and volume, hysteria bleeding through the edges.

My mother barely flinched. “Don’t be ridiculous, Fallon. We both know you can take care of yourself. You are just as crazy as you claim them to be.” Her voice was clipped and measured. “And lower your voice. This is my office, and I won’t have you disturbing my employees.”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to knock everything off her desk and set fire to the damn contract. But she was right; I can, in fact, take care of myself.

Mom was the most successful defense lawyer in Chicago, a city that still treated Omegas like delicate little dolls incapable of independent thought. The law said I wasn’t stable enough to make my own decisions, that my hormones made me too fragile to function without an Alpha’s oversight.

I wasn’t even allowed to have a bank account in my name.

I had begged my mother to sign off so I could get my own apartment and my own life, but she refused. And now she was chaining me to a pack with blood on their hands.

This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t happening. But the envelope sat there between us like a guillotine waiting to fall.

The envelope slid closer, her manicured fingers tapping against the desk. “Inside is everything you need to know about your new pack. I want you to have as much information as possible.”

I didn’t reach for it. Couldn’t.

She sighed, her expression softening just enough to crack the armor she always wore. “Contrary to what you may think, I do love you, Fallon. And I do want you to be happy.” Her voice wavered for a split second before she steadied herself.

My eyes narrowed. The way she said it—weighted, desperate—sent a ripple of unease through me.

She hesitated, glancing at the polished surface of her desk as if looking for the right words. “I can’t tell you why,” she admitted. “Confidentiality clauses. But you must trust me.”

Something in her voice made me stop resisting just long enough to really look at her.

My mother didn't seem untouchable for the first time in my life. She looked exhausted. The dark circles under her eyes were carefully concealed with makeup, but up close, I could see the strain tightening the edges of her face. The fine lines near her mouth hadn’t been there before. The way her hands trembled—barely, but enough.

She wasn’t invincible. She wasn’t affected. I swallowed the lump in my throat, exhaling shakily. “Okay, Mom.” Her shoulders eased slightly.

I picked up the envelope as I stood, gripping it like it might bite. “I love you, too. So that you know. I don’t want this for myself,” I admitted, voice quieter now. “But I can see that you need this, and I will make the most of this.”

Her gaze flickered to mine, something unreadable passing through it before she nodded. “We need this, Fallon.” Her voice dropped back into that sharp, composed tone. “And don’t worry about anything. All the arrangements have been made. The only thing you need to do is find a dress.”

A dress.

Like that was the most significant issue here. Like I wasn’t about to be shackled to a pack of ruthless alphas who saw omegas as property.