Unfavored

Chapter 1

The Unfavored Daughter

Fiona's POV

I was greeted with the kindest term my family ever granted me, "Unfavored."

My footsteps echoed through the shadowy corridors of our Alpha's residence, a place that felt more like a mausoleum than a home. The call to dine with my family was as rare as an eclipse, and I couldn't help but wonder if the invitation had anything to do with my 18th birthday just around the corner.

I entered the dining hall, where golden light spilled over the long table set with gleaming silver and crystal. My family was already seated, their expressions ranging from indifferent to slightly curious – none of the warmth I'd hoped for on such a personal milestone.

"Happy birthday, Fiona," my father said, his voice holding the same tone he'd use to discuss pack strategies. "Please, sit."

"Thank you, Father." I slipped into my designated seat at the far end of the table, noting the empty chair beside me. The absence of my mother, who had passed when I was just a child, lingered heavily in the air.

"Let us not delay," my father began, his gaze sweeping over his kin before settling on me.

"The reason we've gathered is to celebrate my ascent into full adulthood. And with that comes certain... responsibilities."

"Responsibilities?" I echoed, my fork pausing midway to my mouth.

"Yes, my dear," my Aunt Marlene, who has taken the role of my mother quite seriously and would not be questioned for it, interjected with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"You are to be wed."

"Wed?" My heart thrummed against my ribcage. The joy of being included in a family dinner evaporated.

"To whom?"

"Alpha King Quinton," my elder brother, Marlene's son announced, as though speaking of a business transaction rather than my life.

"Quinton?" I could barely hide my disgust. "The tyrant?" Memories of the ruthless leader filled my mind: his cold, calculating eyes, and the rumors of his cruelty that whispered through many packs.

"Your union will bring strength to our pack," my father stated flatly.

"But I don't want strength," I shot back, pushing my plate away, my appetite gone. "I want-"

"Want has nothing to do with it," my father interrupted, his tone final.

"Actually, it does." I stood up, feeling the weight of their stares. "I refuse this marriage."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table. Refusal wasn't something my family dealt with well. Especially if you are the unwanted member.

"Refusal is not an option," my father growled.

"Then make it one," I retorted, my hands trembling with a mix of fear and defiance. "Because I have someone else in my heart, someone I wish to be with, not some tyrant king."

"Silence!" my father thundered, slamming his fist on the table, making the silverware jitter.

I flinched but held his gaze. It was the first time I had dared to stand up to him, and the act laid bare the gulf between us. I may be the Alpha's daughter by blood, but in that moment, I felt more like a stranger-or worse, a pawn in a game of power I wanted no part in. "Love is for the weak," my mother scoffed from across the table, her voice dripping with disdain. "Duty to your pack is paramount."

"Is duty all you ever think about?" My words were a whisper, but they carried the weight of years of feeling like an outcast within my own family. "Can't you see I'm not just a piece in your strategy?"

"Enough!" My father's command cut through the room like a blade.

I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. I knew arguing was futile; my parents saw me as nothing more than a vessel for their ambitions. But I wasn't ready to surrender my dreams so easily.

"Quinton is not my future," I said quietly, my resolve hardening. "I won't marry him."

My family exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable. I braced myself for the onslaught I knew would come. The Alpha's will was law, and defying it was akin to treason.

"Very well," My father said after a moment that felt like an eternity. His calm was unsettling. "You may leave the table."

As I retreated from the dining hall, the dread that had settled in my stomach coiled tighter. I knew this was far from over. They would never let me be with my boyfriend, the one person who made me feel seen, valued, loved.

"Happy birthday to me," I muttered under my breath, the taste of betrayal bitter on my tongue. My footsteps echoed hollowly as I fled down the corridor, my heart a tempest of defiance and fear. The grandeur of the family manor, with its polished stone floors and ancestral portraits lining the walls, felt more like a prison than ever before, is this what a pack is supposed to feel like? I longed for the simplicity of my boyfriend's embrace, the promise of a life chosen rather than imposed.