Chapter 11: My Dear father

TALIA POV

I leaned against the table, my fingers gripping the edge as my eyes stayed fixed on Alpha Zane across the room.

My mate. The one who marked me, then why didn’t I feel anything?

No happiness, no excitement. Nothing at all.

A bitter thought crossed my mind, maybe my father just wanted to get rid of me. Maybe that was why he arranged all this.

I let out a quiet breath and grabbed a glass of juice, bringing it to my lips and swallowing quickly.

What kind of life was this?

Instead of a loving, caring family, I was surrounded by wolves who only saw me as a burden. They all looked at me like I didn’t belong… like I was something to throw away.

First it was Ryan, then Lea.

And now....my supposed fated mate.

I swallowed hard, my chest tightening.

“May I have your attention?” my father’s voice rang out.

I stiffened slightly.

He walked up to the stage, and immediately, all eyes turned to him, including mine. My fingers curled around the glass as I watched him, already knowing something was coming.

“I won’t take much of your time. You can all return to enjoying the party soon,” he began, his voice calm but commanding. “I have an important announcement to make.”

A low murmur spread through the crowd.

Even though I had a bad feeling about this… I couldn’t look away.

“As you all know, there have been rumors of my human daughter being marked by an unknown Alpha,” he continued.

My heart dropped.

I slowly lifted my eyes toward Zane, then then to Liam.

Zane stood tall, a faint smile on his face.

Liam… was unreadable.

“The mysterious Alpha who marked my human daughter is none other than Alpha Zane,” my father announced.

Gasps filled the hall, whispers spread like wildfire.

My grip on the glass tightened.

“When I learned that Alpha Zane had marked a human, I realized her presence could affect his power,” my father went on. “So I decided to accept her… and arrange their marriage.”

My breath caught.

“I am pleased to announce the union of my daughter, Talia… and Alpha Zane.”

Claps broke out instantly. Cheers followed.

It felt like the whole room was spinning.

My ears rang, my chest felt tight too tight.

Everyone started returning to their conversations, acting like nothing had just changed… like my life hadn’t just been decided for me.

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes.

Why do I feel like this?

I’m getting married to Zane… so why does it hurt?

My father had finally accepted the fact, so why did it feel like I was being thrown away again?

Maybe…

Maybe it was because he wasn’t the one I wanted.

My eyes drifted without thinking, I looked at Liam.

My heart clenched painfully, a tear slipped down my cheek.

I couldn’t breathe, I pushed myself away from the table abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. A few heads turned, but I didn’t care.

I rushed out of the hall, my vision blurring as tears streamed down my face.

The cool air hit me the moment I stepped outside, but it didn’t help.

Nothing did.

I stumbled to a stop near the wall, pressing my back against it as my legs weakened. My hands trembled.

I slowly slid down until I was sitting on the ground, pulling my knees closer as my shoulders shook.

Tears rolled freely down my cheeks, one after another.

I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to hold back the sob that forced its way out.

But I couldn’t stop it, not this time.

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, but they wouldn’t stop. They kept falling, one after another, blurring my vision.

I sniffed softly, trying to steady my breathing.

Maybe this was for the best.

Alpha Zane looked like a good man… maybe I could be happy with him. I wasn’t happy with my old life anyway.

Maybe this new one would be different.

I dragged in a shaky breath and wiped my face again, but then.... a familiar scent filled the air, my body stiffened.

It was the same scent I had noticed before… the one that confused me. But I still didn’t know who it belonged to.

Liam… or Zane.

“You must be trying to know who the scent belongs to.” The deep voice made my heart skip.

I turned quickly.

Liam stood a few steps away, watching me. My vision blurred again as fresh tears gathered in my eyes.

“Is Alpha Derek's daughter crying?” he asked, his gaze lingering on my face.

I quickly wiped my cheeks again, forcing my expression to steady.

“You must be mistaken,” I muttered, trying to sound firm. I even forced a small smile, though my lips trembled slightly.

He stepped closer.

“Are you crying because you found out you don’t get to choose your mate?” he asked, his tone calm but sharp. “Or because you wanted me instead of Zane?”

My breath caught.

A small, bitter laugh slipped from my lips.

“You?” I shook my head slightly. “I’m sure you’re an arrogant man who expects women to fall at your feet.”

His expression didn’t change.

“I’m a warrior Alpha,” he replied, his voice steady. “I don’t expect anything less.”

I folded my arms loosely, though my fingers still trembled.

“I have women around me,” he continued, his gaze steady on mine. “But they don’t add anything to my value. They’re just… there.”

I shook my head slowly.

“I should thank the Moon Goddess I’m getting married to your brother and not you,” I replied, my voice soft but firm. “You have such a low mentality.”

He didn’t react immediately.

“Don’t be surprised when you find out who’s smarter between me and Zane,” he said calmly.

“I already know he is,” I replied without hesitation.

His eyes darkened slightly.

“I’m here to tell you the truth,” he went on. “You’re fated to Zane, not me. He’s the one who bit you. I have nothing to do with you.”

My chest tightened again, but I forced myself to nod.

“I know that, Alpha Liam. Thanks for reminding me,” I said quietly.

He studied me for a moment.

“There’s something else you don’t know,” he added.

My brows pulled together slightly.

“What is it?” I asked.

He stepped a little closer, lowering his voice.

“Even though Zane marked you… your father didn’t agree to this marriage because of fate.”

My stomach dropped.

“He agreed because it benefits him,” Liam continued. “This marriage will strengthen his kingdom.”

My fingers curled into my palms.

“He’s using you to secure power,” he added, his voice steady but cutting. “Your father isn’t just marrying you off…”

He paused, his eyes locking onto mine.

“He’s selling you.”