Caspian’s POV
The Astral Ball was nothing but a breeding ground for desperate fathers parading their daughters like livestock.
I had zero interest in this circus.
No patience for pathetic Alphas trying to force their bloodlines into mine through marriage contracts and political alliances.
But the second I walked into that ballroom with my beta and council members, everything shifted.
My wolf went wild inside me, clawing at my chest and forcing me to freeze mid-stride.
A scent slammed into me like pure adrenaline.
Raw.
Untamed.
Completely wrong.
The entire ballroom had gone dead silent.
Every single pair of eyes was locked on the girl in the center of the chaos.
She was sitting on the marble floor, her silver hair cascading around her shoulders like liquid starlight.
Her small frame was rigid with fury barely held in check.
Even from halfway across the room, I could see her violet eyes blazing with unshed tears of rage.
Then I noticed the scar.
A vicious, jagged line carved down her left cheek that should have healed completely if she had proper wolf blood.
My wolf stirred uneasily.
The whispers started reaching my ears.
“Beta Jaxon just rejected her in front of everyone.”
“She’s cursed.
No wolf at all.”
“Did you feel those wild pheromones she released?
Disgusting.”
My attention snapped back to the girl.
Talia Blackwood.
Her pheromones had been flooding the room moments before, but now they had vanished completely like someone had cut off a faucet.
That was impossible.
I moved forward, my eyes finding hers.
Her breath caught, and for one heartbeat, something primal and ancient roared through my blood.
Recognition.
Ownership.
Mine.
I shoved it down.
Ignored the way her scent wrapped around my lungs.
Ignored how my entire body coiled like it was preparing for battle.
Instead, I focused on the idiot standing beside her.
Jaxon Faulkner.
Future Beta of Moonstone Pack.
A man who had just signed his death warrant.
He stood there grinning like he had just won some prize instead of destroying his fated mate in front of a room full of witnesses.
I could snap his neck without breaking a sweat.
The thought was tempting.
Instead, I let my power roll through the room as I approached.
“What exactly is happening here?”
The laughter died instantly.
Wolves dropped their heads in submission.
Jaxon stiffened but stayed on his feet.
Bold.
But stupid.
I stopped just close enough to feel the heat radiating from Talia’s skin.
She stared up at me, fists clenched at her sides, bracing for another attack as she struggled to her feet.
She was clearly in pain but refused to show weakness.
Her eyes never left mine.
Fascinating.
“Jaxon Faulkner.” My voice could have cut glass.
“You rejected her?”
Jaxon’s grin widened.
“Already done, Alpha.”
Wrong answer.
Every instinct screamed at me to crush his windpipe.
Instead, I turned back to Talia.
She was standing tall now, defiant despite everything that had just happened.
The room expected me to walk away.
To dismiss her like everyone else had.
They were all fools.
I saw what they refused to see.
The power coiled beneath her skin.
The rage burning in her blood.
She was not weak.
She was a caged predator.
And caged predators were always the most lethal when finally set free.
So I made my choice.
And I torched their entire world with four simple words.
“Then I claim her.”
Complete silence.
Absolute, shocked silence.
Talia’s breathing stopped.
Jaxon blinked like I had just spoken a foreign language.
“What did you say?”
I barely glanced at him.
“You rejected her,” I said calmly.
“She belongs to no pack, which means she belongs to me.”
A collective gasp rolled through the crowd.
I stepped closer to Talia, watching her body go tense as a wire.
I expected terror, but got pure fire instead.
Her violet eyes burned with defiance.
“I am not some prize to be claimed,” she said, meeting my stare without flinching.
The ballroom went dead silent.
For the first time in years, I felt my mouth almost curve into a smile.
Little wolf, you have no clue what you really are.
But I kept that thought to myself.
Instead, I reached down slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wanted.
She did not move.
Perfect.
I picked up the torn pieces of her veil from the floor.
Carefully, I lifted it over her face, shielding her from their hungry stares.
Then I spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Tomorrow, I take you.
In two days, you become my wife.”
Another shockwave of gasps and murmurs exploded through the room.
Jaxon’s face twisted with disbelief.
“You cannot be serious.”
I turned my full attention to him, letting my power press down on his shoulders until his knees nearly buckled.
“Do I look like I make jokes?”
Jaxon went pale and stumbled backward.
The message was crystal clear.
Talia was mine now, and anyone who challenged that would face the consequences.
The room erupted into chaos.
Whispers, arguments, and shocked protests filled the air.
I expected this reaction.
Even welcomed it.
Werewolves worshipped their precious bloodlines and pack rankings.
A Beta rejecting his mate was scandalous.
But an Alpha King claiming a wolfless, cursed woman?
That was unforgivable.
I let the noise build, watching the weight of my decision crush down on their narrow minds.
Just as the whispers turned into full arguments, another voice cut through the chaos.
“Caspian.”
I turned as Sybil Sinclair stepped forward.
Her emerald dress caught the chandelier light, her green eyes sharp with barely controlled anger.
Unlike the others, she did not cower before me.
Sybil had always been calculating.
Tonight was no different.
“Are you certain about this decision?” Her voice was measured, careful.
Not quite a challenge.
I held her gaze steadily.
“You object?”
“I question your judgment.” Her eyes flicked to Talia, then back to me.
“This woman is cursed.
She has no wolf, no strength.
Her pheromones are wild and uncontrolled.
Look at her face.” She gestured toward Talia with obvious disdain.
“That scar will never fade.
Is this the Luna you want beside you?
The Queen you want representing our people?
You need a Luna who strengthens your position, not one who”
Weakens it.
That was what she meant to say.
I cut her off, my voice like ice.
“You think she makes me weak?”
A brief pause.
Then quietly, “I think you should reconsider.”
We stared at each other for a long moment.
Sybil was not my enemy, but she would never understand this choice.
I gave her a slight nod.
Acknowledgment, not agreement.
She exhaled and stepped back.
“I hope you know what you are doing.”
So do I.
Before anyone else could speak, another voice rang out.
“Caspian.”
I knew that tone.
I turned to see Thatcher Vanderbilt, my father, cutting through the crowd like he still owned this kingdom.
His steps were controlled, his expression unreadable.
When our eyes met, I saw disappointment instead of rage.
“What exactly do you think you are doing?” His voice was dangerously calm.
I straightened my shoulders.
“Choosing my wife.”
His gaze shifted to Talia, then back to me.
“You could have selected any female here.
Any strong, worthy woman deserving of a King’s mate.”
Yet I had chosen the most impossible option.
He breathed slowly, his tone final.
“Caspian, this was your last chance.
I ordered you to leave this Ball with a wife.
I expected you to make a choice worthy of our family name.”
I smiled coldly.
“Then you should be satisfied, Father.
I have made my choice.”
My father’s jaw tightened.
He had expected me to bend to his will.
I never had before, and I would not start tonight.
I turned back to Talia.
She was furious.
Confused.
Burning with rage.
She did not want me.
That was fine, because the moment I had looked at her tonight, the moment my wolf had recognized something dangerous within her—
She was already mine.