Forced To Be His Bride. Fated To Be His Mate

Denali Ozera's life was never easy, and she always got the short end of the stick. From losing her mother at a young age to her father bringing home an abusive stepmother and sister, she only knew what misery. But after meeting Alexander, she thought things were looking up, that is, until  the day she finds him and her stepsister together.
Devastated and wanting a way out, Denali is given a task to marry the ruthless and cold-hearted alpha of Crystal Fang to help her pack join hands with his.
Thus begins Denali's life of deceit, hatred, and revenge.
Rosco Torres only ever had one goal in life, and that was to find the girl he fell in love with at the tender age of eighteen. However, when his father threatens to kill her if he doesn't marry the daughter of Emerald Moon, he gives up on that hope and does as he is asked. However, he soon finds that the woman and the wife are one in the same.
But what happens when he opens up to the woman and discovers that she has no interest in love and only wishes to do as she is required?
Will Rosco work to melt her frozen heart, or will he set her free of her burden?

***

Chapter 1 The Day Everything Changed
[Denali’s POV]
“Mommy,” I whimper, hanging on to my mother’s limp hand. “Please don’t go. Don’t leave me.”
Tears stream down my face as I stare ahead, taking in my mother, who lies motionless in the hospital bed. Behind me, I can hear my father speaking with the doctors about my mother’s recent diagnosis, but I try to block them out.
“You’re going to be fine.”
For years, my mother has been sick. Her illness was so constant that this was truly the only way that I knew her. For as long as I could remember, she was in and out of the hospital, and with each passing year, her stays grew longer and longer until finally, she wasn’t able to come home.
Six months had passed since that day, and no matter what the doctors tried, she just kept getting worse and worse until she was how she was now. In the end, she became a husk of the woman she once was, even when sick.
“Please, goddess,” I whisper, tightening my hold on her hand. “Please don’t take my mommy.”
How could I possibly continue on without my mother? No, I don't want to! She was the one who was always by my side, even when my father was too hard on me. As the daughter of an alpha, it was important that I be well versed in all things pack-related and stronger than the rest, but despite my best efforts, I wasn’t able to keep up with his teachings, and when I fell behind, I would be given harsh punishments or sometimes even locked away for a few days to rethink my failings. When this happened, my mother would always be there for me, convincing my father to stop what he was doing. And even if he was so harsh with me, he was always so gentle with her.
“Denali.” My father’s voice is even as his hand comes to clasp on my shoulder. “It’s time.”
“No!” I wail. “We can’t! She’ll die! How can you…”
I don’t get to finish my words before my father’s hand connects with my cheek and my head is snapping to the side.
With wide eyes, I meet his angry gaze as he glares down at me.
“Mind your words, Denali,” he warns, his eyes flashing with rage.
“But…” I begin, but stop as a promise flashes in his eyes. “Yes, sir.”
Swallowing down the arguments that want to come, I turn my gaze back to my mother and find that the doctor is already working on removing the machines that are keeping her alive. And once they’re gone, I am left to do nothing but slowly watch her fade away.
It was after this day that my life took a turn for the worse. Not soon after my mother’s passing, my father brought a woman and her daughter home. And despite hoping that she would fill the void in me that my mother left, I only received pain and suffering.
…