Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One
Chapter 58: Threatening

Chapter 58: Threatening

Hailee’s POV

"And what?" I asked, my heart already racing like I already knew he was about to drop another bomb. There was a long, tense pause on the other end of the line before Peter finally sighed.

"You’ll be getting married to your fiancé once you get back."

I froze.

Then the words hit.

"What?!" I exploded, nearly dropping the phone. I stood to my feet, pacing in anger. "Peter, are you out of your mind?! I’ll be just eighteen! I’m not doing that—I will not marry some stranger!"

His voice came through the line calm but weary. "Hailee, I know. I really do. I wish I could stop it, but... you know I can’t."

"I’m not ready for marriage!" I snapped. "And I don’t even know who the hell he is! He could be some creepy old man for all I know!"

Peter chuckled under his breath. "He’s not old. He’s twenty. And he’s... well, he’s actually pretty handsome. He’s a Lycan. The heir to the Eastern Lycan Kingdom."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You’ve met him before. Years ago, during one of the alliance meetings. You probably don’t remember. You were little."

"I don’t care if he’s a Lycan prince or the Moon Goddess herself!" I said fiercely. "I don’t want to marry someone I don’t know. I’m sure I have a mate out there. Once I get my wolf, I’ll be able to feel him. I want to be with my mate. Not someone chosen for me."

Peter went quiet for a moment. Then he said softly, "You know he doesn’t believe in mates, Hailee."

"Yeah, well, I do," I muttered.

"He thinks it’s all fairy tales," Peter added with a sigh. "To him, alliances are what matter. Not love. Not bonds."

"And what do you believe in, Peter?" I whispered.

His silence said enough.

I sank back onto my bed, clutching the phone tighter. My chest felt heavy. My heart felt caged. My life—my future—was being bargained away, and I hadn’t even shifted yet.

"He didn’t even tell me himself," I muttered. "He sent you to do it. Like I’m some package being delivered."

Peter’s voice was barely a whisper now. "He told me to make sure you come home quietly... once the two months are up."

Peter stayed quiet for a moment. I could hear the faint sound of him exhaling deeply through the line—like whatever he was about to say next weighed even heavier than the rest.

"There’s... one more thing," he finally said.

I closed my eyes, bracing myself. "What now?"

"This one’s important, Hailee. You have to remain a virgin."

I sat up straighter, my heart thudding. "What?"

Peter’s voice was serious now. "The Lycan heir only marries a virgin. It’s a strict tradition in their court. If you break that rule... the entire deal falls through. And he’ll consider it an unforgivable betrayal."

I was stunned into silence.

He continued. "He said I should warn you. If you do anything—anything ’silly’—and ruin this... you can forget ever getting your wolf. He’ll make sure of it."

My chest tightened so painfully I could barely breathe.

"I’m so sorry, Hailee," Peter whispered. "But this is it. This is the path he’s chosen for you. There’s no way out."

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t.

I just sat there, the phone pressed to my ear, feeling like every door around me was being slammed shut—one after another—until I was trapped in a life I didn’t want, with a fate I never asked for.

"Hailee, I have to go. Take care." With that, the call dropped.

I sank back onto the bed, and Lila moved closer to me.

"Did they arrange a marriage for you?" Lila asked, her voice tense—almost afraid of the answer.

I didn’t even look at her. My eyes were fixed on the ceiling, my body frozen, but my heart... my heart was on fire.

"Yes," I said flatly. "They did."

Lila gasped softly beside me. "Oh my Goddess..."

Then the dam broke.

I shot up from the bed, my fists clenched at my sides as anger surged through me like wildfire. "I’m not doing it!" I screamed. "I’m not marrying anyone! Not some prince, not some heir, not some stranger picked out for me like I’m a f*cking token in their stupid alliance games!"

Lila flinched, but she didn’t stop me. She knew I needed to let it out.

"They can’t control my life!" I shouted, pacing the room. "They can’t just hand me over to some man like I’m property! I haven’t even shifted yet! I haven’t even lived my life!"

Pain exploded through my entire being.

"What are you going to do?" Lila asked softly.

I stopped, my breathing ragged. "I don’t know," I whispered, defeated. "I really don’t."

And that was the scariest part.

I had no idea what to do.

No plan. No way out.

Lila stood up and pulled me for a hug, and I relaxed in her arms as I slowly let the hot tears that had been gathering in my eyes fall.

"It’s okay," she whispered again, her fingers gently stroking the back of my head. "You’re a smart girl, Hailee. You always find a way. You always do."

I wanted to believe her.

I wanted to hold on to that hope she so easily had in me. But right now, I didn’t feel smart. I didn’t feel strong or clever or brave. I felt small. Powerless. Like a pawn in a game I never asked to play.

I pulled back slightly and wiped my face, forcing a shaky breath. "He said... if I ruin this, if I don’t follow their stupid rules, I won’t get my wolf. He’ll make sure of it."

Lila’s brows knit in horror. "What? He can’t—he can’t actually do that, right?"

I nodded slowly. "You don’t know him the way I do. If he says it, he means it."

She looked as if she wanted to scream too, but instead she just bit her bottom lip and sat beside me. "That’s cruel. It’s beyond cruel."

I sighed and sat on my bed, wishing my life was never this way.

All day, Lila stayed by my side until night fell and she had to return home.

After saying goodbye to her, I lay on my bed and shut my eyes, trying to force myself to sleep. But then—like a phantom—I felt a presence.

My eyes flew open and went wide when I saw the shadow of someone outside my window.

My brows knitted together as I scrambled to switch on the bright lights in my room, needing to see properly. When the light flicked on, my breath caught. instantly. Without seeing the face, I knew it was Nathan.

"What the hell!"