Chapter 2

I had never imagined fate would point to Ethan Fisher. Among the three alliance marriage candidates my father had chosen for me, one was a senior tribal physician, from an ancient noble family. Another was the Alpha of another pack, really knowledgeable, possessing unparalleled courage. And Ethan, although the Alpha of the Crimsonmoon pack, was also notoriously troublesome. Last year, at seventeen, he got into a brutal fight, wounding his opponent's wolf soul. Afterwards, he not only refused to apologize but barged into the injured party's hospital room, arrogantly threatening to beat him again. Ultimately, it was his family, the Fisher family, who quelled the storm with a hefty financial settlement. And the werewolf he injured had never publicly identified him since. After this incident, Benjamin, the previous Alpha of Crimsonmoon, was furious. He directly banished Ethan to the Duskhowl borderlands. There, alongside my father—Benjamin's closest friend—he defended against external threats, forced to temper himself on the most dangerous battlefields. Later, even after he inherited the Alpha position of Crimsonmoon, his reputation remained tarnished. Rumors swirled: he drank heavily, gambled, fought... he seemed to partake in every vice a gentleman should avoid. Father had probably included him on the list just to provide a contrast, making the other two seem all the more reliable by comparison. Ethan was certainly not a good match. But at least the Crimsonmoon pack had a generations-long alliance with ours. My father and Crimsonmoon's previous Alpha were sworn brothers. Even if Ethan was a blackguard, his family wouldn't mistreat me. Thinking this way... it didn't seem so bad after all. With my father critically ill, I had no other elders to arrange the marriage. So, I went alone to the Fisher family estate. When Madam Fisher heard my purpose, she could hardly believe her ears. "Sophia, you are an angel!" Madam Fisher exclaimed, her eyes welling up. "We had prepared ourselves for that boy never finding a mate!" The Fisher family matriarch was even more shocked. She grabbed my hand, "Did that rascal threaten you?" I was both amused and exasperated. The matriarch immediately took off her own family heirloom bracelet and slipped it onto my wrist. The entire Fisher family insisted I stay for dinner, constantly expressing their gratitude as if I were some kind of savior descending upon them. I felt a bit embarrassed and murmured, "This matter... we should also ask for his opinion." The Fisher elders all looked at me, momentarily stunned before comprehension dawned. "Oh! That boy!" Madam Fisher waved dismissively. "He'll definitely agree." I froze. Given Ethan's temperament, something as important as marriage didn't seem like something he'd leave entirely to family arrangement. Seeing my silence, the matriarch cleared her throat gently and explained, "That boy said before, matters of marriage would be entirely up to the family's arrangement." I was still skeptical, but the Fisher Matriarch was highly respected and never lied. Since it was an Alpha's Marking Ceremony, the wedding couldn't be arranged too hastily. We set the engagement banquet for half a month later and immediately sent word to Ethan, who was traveling elsewhere, ordering him to return promptly for the ceremony. After leaving the Fisher estate, I returned to the hospital. Just outside my father's room, I heard him sighing to Glen, "My daughter is already eighteen, and hasn't met her fated mate yet. Her mother passed early, her brother is gone... If I don't make it, in my condition... Her constitution is weak. Who will care for her?" Glen was pouring water for him, loyal and humble, yet he kept his eyes lowered, as if deliberately avoiding my father's gaze. "Alpha, the witch doctors said your condition is stable. There's no need to worry so much," Glen said, his voice low and restrained. "Sophia just came of age. There's no rush to find a mate..." I pushed the door open and interrupted him directly: "I already have an engagement candidate."