Layla’s POV
"Unless Ethan's dick is as good as the Alpha King's, I don't think any of this is worth it!" Amy shouted through my earpiece.
"Amy!" I almost dropped the candle in my hand. I was decorating the room. Tonight, I planned to propose to my boyfriend.
Tonight was my last chance. If I didn't get marked, I would become prey for every werewolf after tonight. Pack law was clear: an exiled she-wolf had four years to form a bond with a male wolf. If she failed, any wolf had the right to hunt her down.
Ethan had told me this morning that he'd come over later. His mark would give me more than a mate bond. It would give me the safety and stability I'd always wanted. Four years after my father kicked me out, maybe I could finally breathe again.
I had to hurry. Before Ethan arrived, I wanted to turn this room into the perfect place to propose. I wanted tonight to be about more than just getting his mark.
Amy had never liked Ethan. I thought she just didn't know him well enough. Tonight, Ethan and I would officially become mates. Then Amy would finally see she had been wrong about him.
And of course, I wouldn't talk about another man's dick while I was setting up my proposal.
"I don't care about King Damian's dick!" I quickly cut her off. My cheeks burned, even though she couldn't see me. "Not one bit!"
"Of course," Amy said slowly. "You don't care at all."
“I mean it. Half the unmated she-wolves on this continent drool over him. He’s probably used to women falling at his feet.” I adjusted two misaligned candles. “A man with that much power is bound to be an arrogant chauvinist.”
King Damian ruled all wolf and Lycan territories across North America. His face flooded news reports, official proclamations, and an absurd number of magazine covers. Powerful, cold, unfairly handsome.
Exactly the kind of man I went out of my way to avoid.
“Ethan is nothing like him,” I added. “Ethan is gentle and thoughtful. He respects women.”
“Right.” I could practically picture Amy rolling her eyes. “Of course he respects women.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’re hopelessly gone for him.”
“I’m not hopeless. I’m just in love.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
I ignored her eye roll and stepped back to examine the room. Dozens of candles formed a glowing heart around the bed, red rose petals blanketed the white sheets, and a bottle of champagne with two flutes waited on the nightstand.
The silver ring box in my pocket suddenly weighed a ton.
“What if he doesn’t like this?” I asked. “Did I lay down too many petals?”
“You’re about to propose to your fated mate in a candlelit bedroom wearing a wedding dress. Trust me, rose petals are the least dramatic part of this night.”
“I haven’t put the dress on yet.”
“Oh, thank goodness. That makes everything totally reasonable then.”
“Amy.”
“Alright, alright.” Her teasing softened. “It’s gorgeous, baby. If Ethan turns you down, he’s an idiot.”
My heart hammered hard against my ribs.
“He won’t.”
“He better not! If he dares reject you, I swear I’ll get Father to hunt him down like a criminal, rip his heart out, and feed it to the pack hounds.”
“Your dad is an elder on the pack council, Amy. He can’t murder someone just because he turned down his best friend.”
“He can arrest Ethan first. Then we can make the murder look official.”
A laugh burst out before I could hold it back.
“You’re insane.”
“And you love me for it. Go put on that dress and claim your man.”
“I will.”
I ended the call and quickly slipped into the wedding gown, staring at the candlelit room.
Amy’s threats were ridiculous. Nothing short of the universe exploding would make Ethan betray me.
Ethan was my fated mate.
He had recognized me as his mate at the pack border four years ago. He’d moved me straight into an apartment under his name and arranged for my grandmother to stay in a care facility.
Our bond had hardened like a city wall over those four years. When he needed a kidney after his injury, I’d given him mine without hesitation. I showed up for work the very next day with no rest. We needed money, and I had to push harder to repay him.
He studied for the Royal Warrior trials, and I was paying Grandma’s care fees along with his training and Alpha management courses. He’d promised that once he passed and became an Alpha candidate, we’d marry.
I had never dared to dream too far ahead these past years. My days revolved around paying bills, holding onto my job, and surviving until the day Ethan marked me.
But now I finally dare to imagine our future.
Maybe I could work fewer hours, sleep in sometimes, and stop panicking about being late while sick with fever. Once Ethan became an alpha, I could bring Grandma home to a bright, spacious apartment, so she would no longer live alone in the care home.
And tonight, all of it would stop being a fantasy the second Ethan sank his mark into me.
A violent pounding shook the whole apartment.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
I jumped, nearly kicking over a candle.
I glanced at the clock at once. Ethan was not due off work for another half hour.
Maybe he’d come home early.
Nerves melted into excitement. I checked my hair on my phone camera, wiped my sweaty palms on the skirt, and hurried for the door.