Page 2 of Rogue Alpha Prince

I knew he could not. It’s already going to hell even without modern means, but progress in technology will make it much worse. This arrangement is our last hope.

So, I spent these last few weeks praying passionately to the Moon Goddess to never meet my true mate. I would have to leave him for the good of my Kingdom anyway, which would hurt both of us unimaginably.

It's better to never have met.

Iwas chosen for this; he can't save me anymore. It's too late. I'm all we have to gamble.

My only consolation is that my true mate doesn’t know I’m with someone else and not waiting for him. He can think I’m dead instead of being a bond traitor.

I pick up the front of the ridiculous, long, dove-blue chiffon dress, with a sew-in bodice my father's advisers made me wear today and start running after him and his long legs down the corridor.

"Oh, sorry," Dad mumbles, looking at me over his shoulder, then slows down, "I thought you were already waiting by the doors."

"Nope."

"Don't swear in front of them," he says in a low, firm tone, not for the first time this week.

"I don't swear,” I say, running up after him.

He looks at me over his shoulder unamused—knowing in fact—I do swear like a soldier.

“Scared I forgot all the lessons you made me take?”

"Oh my Goddess, it was ten years ago. You will never let me live that down, will you?"

I finally catch up to him as he suddenly stops and shakes his head, looking down as if he isn't sure what we are even doing.

Well, that makes two of us, but it's too late to back out now. The Rogues are already here, and if I can believe my maid, there are a lot of them. Enough to fight.

She also said they are all very hot, but I swear she doesn't need much to say that. Everyone is hot, according to that girl.

"Come on, Your Majesty. If there ever is a situation when you cannot be late, it's now," I reach my hand to my father with a forced smile.

He ignoresmy hand and looks at me blankly. Fine, he can be late, but I won't be. I put my hand down with a sigh and start walking again.

"I can't believe my little girl is getting married like this," he whispers, quickly catching up with me.

"It's just a fake marriage. I'll be fine," I say. But to be honest, I can't stop thinking how not fine I have been since I heard about this whole nonsense for the first time a few weeks ago—at the meeting with the Rogue pack's Beta.

"It's arranged, not fake," Dad states simply before barging into the throne hall with strength and power that only the true Alpha of Alphas can possess.

This time, I halt.

Arranged, not fake.

I knew that, but… It hasn't truly sunk in that it will be a real marriage until now. I have no idea why I kept thinking about it like it would be some fake union for show—the proposition we agreed on was so clear. Marriage. It may be for show, but it will be valid and binding, and I will be hiswife.

It feels like I’m beingsold, not arranged to be married.

"Your Highness?" one of the servants by the door where I stopped looks at me worriedly, probably not used to me being shaken by anything.

I smile at him politely and go in after my father—who was my dad in that long corridor. But now, in that throne room, he is a King responsible for the good of the whole pack, first and foremost.

I stand on the podium to his left, with my back straight and head held high, and look around the big hall.

There is no furniture except the traditional gold and velvet throne my father is sitting on, as usual, but it's way quieter than I'm used to.

We are surrounded by the best of our royal pack warriors who all look in the same direction with narrowed eyes—the ceiling-high double doors on the opposite side of the hall.

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