'S

e gates of Richard's mansion, a

e richest Alphas in New York, after all. I thought I had seen it all

night. Multiple levels stretched across the property, with balconies and terraces that overlooked meticulously ma

house. It was a f

e a massive oak door stood waiting. He stepped o

or, Miss Hart. The Alpha

down my dress, still the same black funeral dress I'd been wearing all day

. You agreed to this. You chose thi

efore I could knock. A butler, tall, silve

come in. The Alpha i

de, and my jaw

ceiling, casting warm golden light across a marble foyer. A sweeping staircase curved upward,

the other holding a glass of amber liquid. He was wearing a simple white button-down shirt, untucked, with the t

et wer

chard Wellington so

is shirt revealed a hint of his chest, the muscles defined and sculpted. His jaw was sharp, shadowed with a

trying to rememb

olutely, infuriating

l are you doing?

dn't be finding a man almo

d. And I

predator rising from its perch. He set his glass down on the coffee

y, Alpha," I bowed

foot away. "You're about to become my w

ffly. "Richa

't bite." His eyes flashed with amusement

, and I quickl

couch. "Sit. We have

take flight at any moment. Richard sat beside me, close enough that

us was a thick folder. Richard p

clause is spelled out clearly. I want y

folder and

e date of the ceremony. During that time, I would act as Richard's Luna, attending pack eve

s in full, provide me with a monthly allowance of fifty thou

ic scandals, no airing of personal grievances, no

the terms of our...

ted me to share his bed. To provide him with "wifely duties" whenever he

ty may request a temporary suspension of physical intimacy

actually put in a clause f

nfused. "You're giving

e genuinely not in the mood, I won't force you. But if you're just being stub

is words. He was giving me bo

cared about

right now,' Lexie scolded me and I qu

that the contract would be automatically void

red. "You're promising

ck of the couch behind me. "I'm not Derek. I don't

hful to you?" I aske

Then you'll find out exactly ho

ut I nodded.

plained the finer points, the financial arrangements, the expecta

. "You'll have to move in with

ked. "

eyebrows at me. "We are getting married, of course you need to

g," he said. "She needs me right now more than eve

I started to shift uncomfort

fter your mother recovers, so y

to a man almost twice my age just to save her life. The fact that it

ve me eventually, won

to wait and see,' she responded. 'W

h from now and your mom needs to be pres

ntract. "How long do I have t

l get to planning immediately and I'll let you see the wedding planner to make some decisio

." I

e wedding is going to be something extravagant. All Pack elders in and outside N

pped. "Derek w

s cold and sharp.

on Derek's face when he saw me walk

The fury. The abs

geful, but I wanted

pen Richard had placed on the

e on the dotted

his handwriting bold and as

ract was

looked at him, my heart

ned to face me fully. His eyes roamed over my face, my

," he observed. "It

tatement,"

strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was featherlig

he said softly. "The hospital will t

not trusti

tting him pull me to my feet. We stood there, i

whisper. "You're making the right choice

t all I saw was conviction, determination

," I whisp

ely knew. A man who was my ex-fiancé's uncle. A man who

one thing was certain: I had just made

d I wouldn'