Chapter 1
"Just a poor warrior girl," they laughed. Until HE showed up.
Marcus dumped me six years ago for money and status. Now he's back with his snake princess girlfriend, ready to humiliate me again. They force me to kneel, break my legs, tear my clothes—all for a stupid wedding dress.
"Your boyfriend can't save you," Seraphina hisses. "Nobody cares about trash like you."
Then the wall EXPLODES.
A massive black wolf storms in, golden eyes blazing with fury. When he shifts back to human form, every face in the room goes white with terror.
Turns out my "nobody" boyfriend is the most feared Alpha on the continent. Oops.
Lyra's POV
"I want this wedding dress!"
A sharp voice cut through the air behind me. I spun around to see a woman in an expensive snake-print gown looking down at me like I was dirt, her green serpentine eyes filled with pure venom.
"Sorry, this dress is already taken." I waved the receipt in my hand.
She barely glanced at it. "Taken? As if YOU could afford a designer wedding dress."
I'd come to Elgard City's most exclusive bridal boutique to meet my fiancé for dress fittings. Never thought I'd run into this kind of bullshit.
My silver-gray eyes locked onto hers, ice cold.
"Lady, I got here first. I've got the receipt right here."
"Receipt?" She looked me up and down with a nasty laugh. "Look at you—dressed like you crawled out of a dumpster. You probably can't even afford the cheapest dress in this place."
I took a deep breath. Yeah, as a wolf warrior, I stuck to simple combat gear. Didn't mean I was broke.
"What I wear is none of your fucking business."
"It IS my business! Trash like you doesn't belong in a place like this!" Her voice got shriller. "You know who I am? I'm Seraphina, daughter of Darius—serpent clan LEADER!"
Serpent clan leader's daughter? One of the big three powers in Elgard City. Not as strong as us wolves, but they'd been making moves lately, almost caught up with the bears.
A crowd started forming. The boutique staff saw Seraphina and backed off real quick. Customers from different clans whispered and pointed, some looking like they were settling in for a show.
"I don't care if you're serpent royalty—rules are rules."
"Rules?" Seraphina snorted. "Honey, we serpents MAKE the rules around here!"
"Doesn't give you the right to steal my dress."
"Steal?" She let out this ugly laugh. "My fiancé owns half this damn city! One word from him and you'll be begging on the streets!"
I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Who's your fiancé?"
"Marcus!" She practically purred his name. "Biggest trade lord in Elgard City! That bear clan boss who controls every supply line in town!"
Marcus...
Everything went dead quiet in my head. That name hit me like a punch to the gut.
"The Marcus from Elgard Warrior Academy?" The words just fell out of my mouth.
Seraphina's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, you've heard of my man? That's right—went from nobody to somebody. Now he's got this whole city by the balls!"
Jesus Christ. It really was him. That piece of shit who dumped me six years ago.
"What's wrong? Finally scared?" Seraphina was eating up my shock. "A nobody like you? My Marcus could wipe you off the map with a phone call!"
"Get on your knees and apologize. Say you don't deserve a designer dress, and maybe I won't destroy your pathetic little life!"
Her bullshit actually made me laugh. My warrior blood was boiling now, rage burning behind my eyes.
"Like hell I'll kneel. And I'm NOT giving up this dress."
"WHAT?" Seraphina's jaw dropped. "You worthless piece of trash DARE defy me?"
"Why the hell shouldn't I?" I straightened up to my full height. "I paid for this dress. It's MINE."
"You stupid BITCH!" Her face went white with fury. "Last chance—get out NOW or I'll have Marcus run you out of town!"
"Go ahead and try." I shrugged. "But this dress isn't going anywhere."
Seraphina completely lost her shit. "FINE! You asked for it, you little cunt!"
She lunged for my throat. I jerked back but she managed to snag my necklace.
CRACK—the chain snapped.
Blood-red crystals scattered across the marble floor, catching the light like tiny fires.
"Holy shit! Those are blood moon crystals!"
"Those things are worth a fortune!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Anyone with half a brain knew what they were looking at.
But this spoiled bitch had no clue. She stared at the crystals and sneered. "What's this cheap crap? Trying to pass off glass as real gems?"
Then she lifted her designer heel and ground it into the biggest crystal—the heart-shaped one.
"Fake jewelry for fake people!"
CRUNCH—the blood moon crystal shattered into pieces.
That was IT. That was Kael's engagement gift—sacred wolf clan crystals that only Alphas give to their chosen mates!
Pure rage exploded through me. Every warrior instinct I had went nuclear.
"You're DEAD!" I slammed into her, shoving her back hard.
Seraphina stumbled, eyes wide with disbelief. "You fucking peasant just TOUCHED me?"
"Damn right I did!" Dangerous heat flashed in my eyes.
"Marcus is going to DESTROY you!" She came at me like a wild animal, nails aimed at my face. "I'll claw your fucking eyes out!"
Big mistake. This pampered princess had no idea what she was dealing with. I was an elite Elgard City warrior—she was just another spoiled rich girl.
I dodged easy and grabbed her wrist mid-swipe.
"Let GO of me!" Seraphina shrieked, trying to break free.
I twisted harder, no mercy. She doubled over, crying out as my warrior strength crushed her delicate bones.
"Oh SHIT! They're actually fighting!"
"The snake princess is getting her ass kicked!"
The crowd pressed closer, some already recording with crystal orbs.
Seraphina went completely feral, clawing at my face with her free hand. I ducked sideways and slammed her ass straight to the ground.
"AHHHHH!" She hit the marble hard, her fancy dress now a wrinkled mess.
But the crazy bitch wouldn't quit. She scrambled up and charged me again. We went at it—me controlling the fight while she flailed around like a pissed-off cat.
"She's fucked! You don't mess with serpent royalty!"
"That warrior just signed her death warrant!"
The crowd's chatter buzzed around us, but I didn't give a shit. Nobody tramples on warrior pride, especially after destroying Kael's gift.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the boutique entrance.
A voice boomed from the doorway—one that made my blood freeze: "ENOUGH!"
