Chapter 5: Demanding for My Bride
Draven.
The Carter estate was less than impressive.
As the Beta of the Moonstone Pack, Gabriel Carter had built a reputation as a refined leader, a man of calculated strategies—but standing in his poorly managed courtyard, I saw nothing but mediocrity.
The stench of decay lingered in the air, and the guards at the gate were unfocused and undisciplined. The servants avoided eye contact, moving like ghosts in their own home.
Weak. All of them.
And yet, Gabriel had the audacity to stand before me now, shoulders squared, gaze unflinching, his expression barely masking his irritation.
"Alpha Draven." His voice was clipped, forced into formality. "To what do I owe this sudden visit?"
I scoffed inwardly. He was pretending he knew nothing.
"As I announced at the Lunar Ball last night," I said, my tone smooth but firm, "I've come to take Meredith to be my wife."
Gabriel's lips pressed into a thin line. "You must be mistaken."
A bold response. A dangerous one.