The government as we knew it hundreds of years ago no longer exists. Each town has their own leader who upholds laws and rules that have been put into place after the government fell years ago. In the new world, women have no choice as to who they marry. The choice lays solely on the man. Once a man has come and claimed a woman, they are bound to the man who chose them forever. I wanted the sweetheart down the road to be the one to claim me. We got along great, had many of the same hobbies, his parents loved me, and my parents loved him. I swore there was something there, but he never showed any interest. My hopes and dreams were dashed the moment that Dane walked into my bedroom and told me that I was now his. Dane is the leader of our town. He is ruthless, cutthroat, and not the person I would have ever chosen for myself. Now I'm married to the leader, and everything is changing so fast. I didn't think life could get much worse after Dane claimed me. I was wrong. So wrong. My name is Delphine Parker and this is my story.