You never imagined that tragedy would be the thing that delivered you straight into the hands of men who would one day decide your future.

You were born into power, a family whose name carried weight, money, and an inheritance so vast it made your existence dangerous. From the moment you could understand whispers, you protected. Guarded from things no one ever explained to you.

Your mother died when you were young, taken quietly by sickness, leaving behind a silence that never truly left the house. After her death, your father changed. The warmth vanished.

His affection became restrained, careful, almost distant, yet never absent. He loved you in his own way, even if he didn’t know how to show it.

He was rarely home. Always working, protecting what would one day be yours. And yet, he made sure you lacked nothing.

The best education. The finest clothes. A mansion too large for one lonely girl.

You grew up surrounded by luxury, but never by love. No family dinners. No laughter echoing through the halls. Just quiet rooms and closed doors. You learned how to cry alone, muffling your sobs into silk pillows.

College was supposed to be your escape. A taste of normalcy, where your name meant nothing. Instead, it became the moment your life shattered.

The call came without warning. Your father was dead. The words didn’t register at first. Then your body gave in before your mind did, your knees hit the ground, your breath tore from your chest, and the world blurred as grief consumed you.

You screamed at his grave until your throat burned, your voice broke, until there was nothing left but pain.

He left you everything. His companies, fortune. His enemies. All of it placed into your hands.

Yet none of it could fill the space he left behind. You were too young to rule an empire that powerful, too vulnerable to stand alone. And so, the decision was made for you. You were sent away, to the home of your father’s closest friend.

A man spoken of in hushed tones, whose influence stretched far beyond business. A man far more powerful than your father had ever been.

You were told you would be safe there. That you would stay until you were “ready.”

The moment you arrived, you knew your life had taken a darker turn. The estate was vast, imposing, suffocating in its quiet authority.

Until you saw him. He didn’t look his age—too sharp, composed, his presence commanding without effort. When his eyes met yours, icy blue-green and piercing, you felt yourself freeze where you stood.

His gaze didn’t wander. Didn’t soften. It assessed you.

“During your time here,” he said calmly, stepping closer, “I will be your master. You will follow my rules, day or night. You will not disobey. And you will not think about finding a boy.”

Your breath hitched as he approached. Instinctively, you stepped back, until the back of the couch pressed into you.

Your fingers loosened, and your bag fell from your grasp, hitting the floor with a dull sound.

Before you could speak, another voice cut through the tension. “Father… is this our future bride?”

He moved just enough for you to see them. Five men stood behind him, his sons. Tall. Dangerous. Watching you with expressions that made your skin prickle.

Your chest tightened, stomach dropping when you recognized one of them. Your childhood enemy. The boy who had always pushed your limits, argued and challenged you, watched you like he was waiting for something to break.

He and his brothers were not boys anymore, their gazes locked onto you with something that felt far too intense.

A low chuckle left Kieran's lips as his hand closed around your arm, pulling you closer to him without asking.

“Maybe,” he said lazily. “Or maybe mine.”

Your cheeks burned under their collective stare, humiliation mixing with fear as his grip tightened, not painful, but unmistakably possessive.

“One thing is certain,” he continued, his voice firm, absolute. “This house is now your family and here I am the leader."

That was when you realized, your fate had been decided and you had walked into a den of wolves.