CHAPTER 1: THE REPLACEMENT BRIDE
976words
"Aria, you will marry Alpha Dominic in three days. It's been decided." My father's voice echoed through his office, cold and final.
I stood frozen, hands trembling at my sides. The universe had a sick sense of humor. Here I was, twenty-one years old, with a college degree and my own Instagram account, and my father was still trading me like a Pokemon card.
"But Father, I—"
"Enough!" He slammed his palm against the mahogany desk. "The Blackwood Pack needs this alliance. Your sister Vanessa was supposed to be the bride, but her recent... condition makes her unsuitable."
Vanessa got knocked up by some random wolf, and now I'm the backup plan. Fantastic.
My stepmother Claudia placed her manicured hand on my father's shoulder, her smile as fake as her eyelashes. "Darling, it's a great honor. Dominic is the most powerful Alpha in the Northern Territories. You should be grateful we're offering you this opportunity."
*Opportunity?* Right. The opportunity to be a forty-year-old Alpha's broodmare. Just what I'd always dreamed of.
"I won't be a surrogate," I said, my voice stronger than I expected. "I won't marry a man who agreed to mate with Vanessa but will settle for me instead. What am I, the consolation prize? 'Sorry your fiancée's pregnant with another man's baby, here's her sister instead'?"
Father's eyes flashed amber—a warning that his wolf was close to the surface. "You are a princess of the Silver Moon Pack. You will do your duty."
I bit my tongue until I tasted blood. "May I be excused? I need time to... process this news."
Father waved dismissively. "Be ready for the dress fitting tomorrow. The seamstress will adjust Vanessa's wedding gown to fit you."
*Her wedding gown.* Of course. I was nothing but a last-minute replacement.
I walked out with my head high, but the moment the door closed behind me, I broke into a run. Tears blurred my vision as I raced through the corridors, ignoring concerned glances from the staff. I needed to find my brothers.
The training yard was where I found them—Rafe and Lucas sparring in the afternoon sun, their movements fluid and powerful. Rafe had Luca in a headlock and was giving him a noogie when they spotted me.
"Ari?" Rafe released Lucas immediately, his playful expression vanishing when he caught sight of my tears. "What happened? Did someone die? Please say it was Claudia."
I collapsed onto a bench. "They're marrying me off to Alpha Dominic. In three days."
Lucas's jaw dropped. "What? But he's ancient! And has the personality of a constipated grizzly bear."
"And the breath to match," Rafe added, wrinkling his nose.
Despite everything, I laughed through my tears. "What about Vanessa? She's been preening about that engagement for months."
"She's pregnant," I said flatly. "And not by Dominic."
My brothers exchanged a look I couldn't quite interpret.
"You can't marry him," Rafe said finally, kneeling before me. "Dominic has a reputation. He's ruthless, possessive—"
"And twice your age," Lucas added, his hands clenching into fists. "Plus, I heard he still uses a flip phone. A FLIP PHONE, Aria!"
I wiped my tears, grateful for their attempt to lighten the mood. "I don't have a choice. Father made that clear."
Rafe's eyes—so like mine—searched my face, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. "What if you disappeared?"
My heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
"What if Aria, princess of the Silver Moon Pack, simply... vanished?" He wiggled his eyebrows dramatically. "And someone else appeared instead?"
Lucas caught on immediately, snapping his fingers. "The Alpha Academy!"
I looked between them, confused. "The all-boys training school? What about it?"
"New term starts tomorrow," Lucas explained, excitement building. "Fresh batch of young wolves from all over the country, most of whom have never met each other."
Rafe nodded. "No one would question a new student. Especially one with the right paperwork."
"You want me to pretend to be a boy?" I asked incredulously. "And hide at the Alpha Academy? Are you seriously? I can't even open pickle jars without help!"
"It's the last place anyone would look for you," Rafe reasoned. "By the time Father figures it out, the wedding date will have passed."
My mind raced with possibilities. It was insane, reckless, and potentially disastrous.
It was also my only chance.
"I'd need to cut my hair," I murmured, touching my long silver-blonde locks that reached my waist. "And bind my... you know." I gestured vaguely at my chest.
Lucas grinned. "I can help with the hair. I've been cutting my own for years."
"That explains a lot," I muttered, eyeing his uneven locks.
"And Rafe can forge the documents—he did it plenty of times to sneak out when we were students there."
"There's one problem," I said, reality crashing back. "I don't have wolf strength like you do. The Academy is for Alphas and high-ranking Betas. I'm just an Omega. I'll be found out in the first physical test when I can't even do a single push-up."
Rafe's expression turned serious. "You're stronger than you think, Ari. And you're smarter than most of those knot-heads. Besides, first-years spend more time in classrooms than training yards."
I took a deep breath. Stay and be forced into marriage with an Alpha who saw me as nothing but a broodmare, or risk everything on this wild plan.
"If I'm caught—"
"You won't be," Lucas interrupted, placing his hands on my shoulders. "We'll make sure of it. And if anyone gives you trouble, just remember what I taught you about where to kick a male wolf for maximum damage."
A reluctant smile tugged at my lips. "The family jewels?"
"The family jewels," he confirmed solemnly.
The seed of hope bloomed in my chest. "Okay," I whispered. "Let's do it. Operation: Escape the Geriatric Groom is a go."
