"No, of course not; she'll be dressed in a suitable bridal gown," my dad quickly interjected to prevent Mr. Beret from becoming agitated. He then took hold of my elbow and assisted me in standing. He forcibly ushered me out of the room, where I was met by an elderly lady who regarded me with disdain. She sneered, "If only you hadn't been so promiscuous, you wouldn't be marrying someone so much older than you." "Just hand over the dress," I grumbled, catching her off guard with my response. "Now I understand why the Moon Goddess is punishing you," she muttered, shoving a white dress into my face. "Let's get you ready for the wedding," she grumbled, her irritation apparent. A Rogue wedding wouldn't take place in a formal setting, as is customary. After I donned this attire, they would transport me to a lawyer's office for the wedding ceremony. I took a shower reluctantly, having been ushered into the restroom. The only reason I refrained from protesting was for Flora's sake. She wouldn't be able to escape our father until she turned 18, so I needed to maintain a good relationship with him to ensure he treated her well. The simple knee-length white dress had a delicate net on the back. My hair had been elegantly curled, and the side braids were skillfully twisted back by the elderly ladies from the neighborhood. I looked beautiful, but I was far from being a happy bride. Having a mate who had brought me to this level of humiliation felt like a curse, one worse than any other. To make matters worse, I had three mates, and not a single one had come forward to rescue me from this impending disaster. The women had wrapped a white ribbon around my wrist, an attempt to divert attention away from the marks there, although everyone already knew what had happened to me. Before leaving the house, Mr. Beret was waving cash in my dad's face, and my dad was greedily trying to grab the bills. The sight made my stomach churn with sickness. I silently followed my father and the others to the courthouse. Thanks to my father, everyone knew that his daughter had been spending evenings outside, and the neighbors had taken to spying on us and gossiping about how disgraceful I was. Upon reaching the lawyer's office and facing everyone, I resembled a lifeless bride standing in the corner. "Are you happy with this marriage?" The lawyer barely needed to glance at my face to sense that something was amiss. "She looks weary. Just proceed with the ceremony," my dad hastily interrupted him, preventing me from voicing my unhappiness. But even if I had, it wouldn't have made much difference. At most, he could have halted the wedding, and then my father would either kill us sisters or sell me every night to fuel his addictions. My dad promptly handed over my birth certificate, while Mr. Beret did the same with his. There were no vows to be exchanged; it was merely a sealing ceremony. They would draw blood from our fingers and connect us by marking each other's birth certificates. I considered myself fortunate that the marking ceremony wasn't part of this wedding, or else everyone would have discovered that I didn't even possess a wolf. It was a feeble hope, but I looked at my father and prayed he would see the tears in my eyes and feel a pang of remorse for me, just once. However, he seemed more than excited for the money to even acknowledge me. The lawyer handed my father a needle, while Mr. Beret's eldest son did the same for him. As my father pricked my finger, it felt as if my soul was leaving my body. "Dad, please," I whispered, ensuring that only my father could hear my plea. "Just be quiet and let's get this over with," he hissed at me, gripping my hand tightly and urging me to open my fist. "I promise to do anything to get you some cash," I whispered again, trembling as he turned down my plea for assistance. In the end, I had to release my grip because he showed no signs of sympathy. "Wait!" Just as the sealing was about to proceed, a commanding voice interrupted our progress. "Mr. Holt!" My dad exclaimed as his friend's unexpected arrival left him baffled. Although my father wore a perplexed expression, I felt a wave of relief wash over me because I knew deep down that he was here to rescue me from this ceremony. "Who on earth is this guy?" Mr. Beret didn't appear too pleased about the interruption. He scowled and pointed at Zeon, whose unflinching green eyes stared right back at him, devoid of fear. Mr. Holt narrowed his eyes and declared, "Her mate!" as his words reverberated through the room, gasps of surprise rippled through the gathered crowd. "What?" My dad was the first to voice his shock, clearly taken aback by this unexpected revelation. He hadn't anticipated any of my mates stepping forward, let alone discovering that I had a third mate. "We need to have a private conversation about this. Excuse us," my dad firmly grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the office. Mr. Holt followed us slowly, releasing my arm from my father's grip. I had no doubt that my father wouldn't oppose him. Mr. Holt was immensely wealthy, which was all it took to gain my father's favor. "What's happening? Why did he interrupt the ceremony?" Mr. Beret wasted no time bombarding us with a barrage of questions, his gaze piercing Mr. Holt for asserting he was my mate. "I used to hold the position of Royal Beta among the Eclipse Warriors, and now I'm a Royal trainer in the same pack," Zeon declared, standing resolutely in front of us, shielding me from their scrutiny. I found myself somewhat surprised because Zeon had never mentioned his past as the ex-Royal Beta of Atticus' pack to me. "Mr. Holt, with all due respect, could you please explain your earlier statement?" my dad inquired, his curiosity now leaning more towards Zeon than Mr. Beret. "Your daughter is my second chance mate," Mr. Holt reiterated, sending a pointed look in Mr. Beret's direction. The latter gasped, appearing defeated, as he understood that he wouldn't be the one chosen as my husband now.