Page 8 of Claimed By My Fiancé's Brother

Father’s jaw clenched, and faster than I could blink, he grabbed my hair and yanked me up, his lips curved into a vicious snarl.

“What the fuck did you just say to me, girl?”

I didn’t let myself show even a flicker of pain. I shoved down Lara’s whimper as Father’s alpha dominance pushed against us. I glared at Father, refusing to show any sign of weakness.

“You can hit me all you want, but I won’t mate with Dylan.”

I would not trade this prison for a more binding one.

I could run away from the Red Moon Pack once I had enough money hidden away to buy myself a place in a smaller, lesser-known pack, but if I mated with Dylan, there would be no escape. Wolves mated for life.

I refused to do that to myself.

“Do you think Alexander Hawthorne will choose you as his mate because you shamelessly threw yourself at him?” Father scoffed, his words dripping with derision. “That the Dark Alpha who rejected proposed mating alliances from every major pack would choose you?”

I nearly rolled my eyes. Of course I didn’t. Not even I was that delusional.

Besides, even if he wanted me, I wasn’t interested. At all.

“I don’t want to be Alexander’s mate, either,” I bit out, and Father looked like he was on the verge of hitting me again.

But to my surprise, he let go of me.

“Get ready for your bonding ceremony,” Father instructed, his face frighteningly calm.

“What?” I gaped at him. “Dylan will never agree to mate with me after he finds out that I was in his brother’s bed mere hours ago. You need to call off the engagement before he does.”

Father’s eyes narrowed.

“Was that why you did this? To force my hand and sabotage the alliance I’ve had in the works for years?”

My expression must have confirmed his suspicions, because Father growled and grabbed my arm so hard I knew it would leave bruises.

“You ungrateful whore.” He scowled. “This is what I get after all I’ve done for you?”

“All you’ve done for me?” I retorted, trying and failing to yank my hand out of his grip. I settled for meeting his gaze with the cocky smirk I knew he hated.

“Do you mean beating me within an inch of death for even the slightest mistake—hell, even mistakes Idon’tmake? Stop blaming me, becauseyouare the one whobetrayed your fated mate.”

I expected the slap this time. I threw my head back and laughed, despite the coppery taste of blood in my mouth. Father was so damn predictable.

I straightened, a smile on my lips.

“Go ahead, hit me again,” I said. “I’m not scared of you. You can’t make me throw away my future for your own selfish goals. If you want to be allied with the Hawthornes so bad, then fucking mate with Dylan yourself!”

Father hit me hard in the stomach, and I fell to my knees, gasping for air.

I knew he’d broken something because I couldn’t draw a full breath. Not that it mattered–thanks to the alpha blood in me, I’d be completely healed in half an hour at most.

My bedroom door opened, and I heard the soft pitter-patter of steps before I saw Elena and the two other maids, Gia and Diana, who’d been assigned to serve me during the preparations for my mating.

“Took you long enough.” Father gestured dismissively at me. “Get her dressed and ready for her bonding ceremony.”

I snarled at him.

“I said I’m not doing this!”

Father didn’t even look at me, his gaze boring into Elena instead.

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