Mated to My Intended's Enemy

Victoria

I never thought my eighteenth birthday would be the day I'd have to fight for my freedom, but here I was, in a nightclub called "Devil's Lair," searching for a man who could help me escape my fate.

My name is Victoria Howlthorne, a wolf-human hybrid born to the once-powerful Howlthorne pack. With my father's pure wolf blood running through my veins alongside my human mother's legacy, I should have been cherished. Instead, I became a commodity.

The bass pounded through my body as I navigated the crowded dance floor. The five thousand dollars I'd stolen from Enzo's secret stash felt heavy in my purse – a small price for the freedom I deserved.

"I still think this is crazy, Vic," my best friend Emma whispered, her eyes darting nervously around the club. "There has to be another way."

I took a long sip of my cocktail, feeling the burn slide down my throat. "There isn't. By tomorrow, I'll be shipped off to Alpha Moretti as payment for Enzo's gambling debts. I refuse to be a virgin sacrifice."

The truth was brutal but simple. Six years ago, my father and stepmother died protecting our territory borders. My half-brother Enzo – a child from my father's affair – somehow managed to claim the Alpha title despite his weakness. Now he was drowning in debt and had found the perfect solution: me.

"But Alpha Moretti..." Emma shuddered visibly. "The rumors about him... they say he's been cursed by the Moon Goddess herself. His mates don't survive his... appetites."

I knew the stories. Alpha Moretti's sexual sadism was legendary among wolf packs. Five million dollars in debt had pushed Enzo to offer me as payment.

"That's exactly why I'm here," I said firmly. "If I'm no longer pure, maybe he'll reject the deal. Either way, I refuse to let my first time be with a monster."

My eyes scanned the club until they locked on a figure at the bar. The sight of him made my breath catch in my throat. He leaned against the counter with casual confidence, but there was nothing casual about his presence. Broad shoulders stretched his black henley, the fabric clinging to defined muscles underneath. His jaw looked like it had been carved from stone, strong and angular, with just enough stubble to look dangerously sexy. From his profile, I could see a thin scar tracing down his cheekbone, adding character rather than detracting from his beauty.

But it was more than his looks that drew me in. Something primal emanated from him – a magnetic pull I couldn't explain.

"That one," I whispered to Emma, a sly smile on my lips,"He's perfect."

"Holy shit," Emma gasped, eyes wide. "He's gorgeous, but Victoria, he looks... dangerous."

"Good," I said, smoothing down my little black dress that barely covered my ass. "Dangerous is exactly what I need tonight."

I picked up my drink, walked over in my heels like a quiet cat, and slid onto the barstool next