The Alpha Postponed Our Wedding, So I Married Another

After my sister's marriage ended and she returned to the capital, Gavin Mercer—Alpha heir to the Redoak Pack and an official on the Royal Council—postponed our wedding for the third time. "Evelyn just finalized her divorce," he said. "If we get married now, it'll only upset her. People will say you have no regard for your own sister." I was silent for a moment, then I nodded. The first time, he said he was going to the Lakewood Pack for an advanced degree and stayed there with Evelyn while she recuperated for three years. After Evelyn got married, he applied for a transfer to the northern border, claiming he needed to build his career. In truth, he was only staying close to her as she followed her husband to his post. Three years, and then another three. I had gone from a sixteen-year-old girl to the biggest joke in the capital's high society. This time, I didn't want to wait anymore. I asked my grandmother to submit my name to the Royal Castle. Princess Helena was leaving for the Highmoor Royal Sanctuary to oversee a three-year national peace service program. She would choose ten women from the various Packs to accompany her, and once they entered the Sanctuary, they would not be allowed to return home for three years. On the day I left, I sent the papers dissolving our engagement to the Mercer family's private estate. Later, I heard that Gavin, a man who was always so calm and self-possessed, stood outside Highmoor's gates for an entire month, just for the chance to see me.