A deal with the Ruthless Alpha

Belinda was dying. She could feel her lungs giving way, the air in them finally exhausted. Her nerves had gone numb from the freezing temperature, and her hand ached from all that struggle to swim to the surface of the water. The cannonball at the end of the chain clamped around her ankle held her at the bottom of the river, however. She'd tried to free herself from the device, but she hadn't been strong enough. Nothing she ever did was enough.

Giving up on holding her breath, Belinda let the water flow into her from every opening in her body. How had she gotten here? That was right, she'd had this coming for a while now. It would have eventually ended this way—her life was a tragedy bound to be closed in misery. Could she remember the last time she had been happy? She could, but it was so long ago. Most of her memories were either tainted with misery or anger. Had she ever done anything to deserve it? Nothing she knew of.

As her body grew limp and stopped moving altogether, Belinda pictured the faces of her family in her mind. She imagined them laughing at her, their smiles cruel and murderous. They'd killed her, not just as they threw her into the river, but from the very earliest years of her life. They'd given her nothing but pain but had taken everything she held dear. Once, she could have forgiven them. Once, she could have lived her life without caring what they did. But that was before today.

She didn't just want them to pay anymore. She wanted them dead. She wanted a slow and painful death for them after she had destroyed everything precious they possessed. If she was given another chance, she would have her revenge.

Just before she lost consciousness, a burning sensation raced through Belinda's body. The heat clashed with the chill of the river, and Belinda gnashed her teeth as the pain in her chest intensified. The pain spread out to the tip of her fingers and the gums of her mouth, tormenting the nerves on its path. Her trimmed fingernails elongated into razor-sharp claws, and her blunt canines transformed into fangs.

The full moon shone brightly over the river, and Belinda's head snapped upwards as her silver eyes glowed.

A FEW HOURS EARLIER

Belinda sat in front of the mirror in her bedroom, staring steadily at her reflection. She looked beautiful, as she always did. Her pitch-black hair was tied in a loose bun, and her makeup had been limited to mascara and red lipstick. She'd picked a plain dress for the occasion because she'd wanted to look simple. That didn't take away from her beauty, though. It was just how gorgeous she was—she was always the most beautiful in the room.

From her mother, Belinda had gotten her tall height and slim curves. Aside from those, none of her other physical features were in the family. Her skin tone was two shades lighter than most people, her eyes were as silver as the moon, and her plump lips were a natural red color. Perhaps Belinda resembled her father. She wouldn't know, she'd never met him.

The room door clicked open and she closed her eyes in annoyance. She'd clearly stated that she wanted to be alone in these few hours before the event, but of course, her family never respected her wishes. It never mattered what she wanted, especially when their intentions were the very opposite.

Taking her time, because she planned to make whoever had disturbed her wait, Belinda brushed the loose strands of her hair into place, before getting up from her seat to face the intruder. Georgina Knight stood in an elegant green evening dress at the center of the small bedroom, her hands clasped at her front. Belinda met her gaze, and they were both reminded of how icy the relationship was between mother and daughter.

"You look good." Georgina broke the silence between them.

"Just good? My appearance doesn't please you?" Belinda replied coldly and watched with satisfaction as her mother squirmed.

"Well... it's... modest," Georgina admitted. She paused for several seconds before continuing. "You'll be a married woman by the end of tonight. This marriage is good for you. It might be a bit challenging as the wife of a beta, but if you keep your head low and stay away from anything too difficult, you should do okay."

"In other words, I shouldn't embarrass the Knight family more than I already have." Belinda's lips curved into a soft but vicious smile. "Don't worry, mother. I may be a failure but I'm not stupid. I'll survive."

Georgina didn't attempt to argue that Belinda had misunderstood because they both knew that was not the case. With years of practice, Belinda had perfected her ability to read the hidden meanings in her mother's words. Georgina never scolded or raised her voice at the children she'd had out of wedlock, but it certainly wasn't out of love. Belinda assumed it was out of guilt because even Georgina had to have realized she was a terrible mother to them.

With the message passed, the awkwardness in the air increased to a suffocating level. Georgina saw no reason to stay any longer. Clearing her throat, she turned to leave.

"And smile more. It's your wedding day." She said before closing the door behind her.

Belinda turned back to the mirror. She had to admit she wasn't the picture of a happy bride excited to get married to the love of her life. It wasn't something she could control—it was simply her personality. She always appeared emotionless, her facial expression blank. When everybody panicked, she stayed calm; when others cried, she remained dry-eyed; when people screamed in anger, she spoke softly.

It wasn't that she didn't feel emotions. No, Belinda was a person with a heart and feelings. She just didn't know how to express those feelings. There was a time when she could. She'd laughed freely, she'd cried when she was sad, and she'd yelled at those she was mad at. That sweet innocent girl had been crushed by her family. Years of oppression, cruelty, and abuse had turned her into the cold and bitter being she currently was.

She was counting on her marriage to change that. Belinda thought of her soon-to-be husband, Derek Wren, the beta of the Chicago Pack. She remembered the day 7 years ago when Derek had walked up to her and declared she was his mate. She had only been 18 then and had been surprised to discover she would be spending the rest of her life with him. He'd been so shy, rarely meeting her eye, so handsome with his disheveled blond hair and pretty hazel eyes... but she hadn't loved him.

She still didn't. Over the years, they had found an easy friendship and Belinda did care for him, but it wasn't the butterfly-in-belly, fire-with-every-touch feeling portrayed in movies and books. Belinda liked to think the problem was that she couldn't feel the mate bond, since her wolf had not yet awoken. The alternative was too terrifying. It would mean she was too broken to love—a woman far past saving.

The door clicked open again, and this time, Belinda knew exactly who it was. There was no mistaking the lively sound of heels clicking on the tiled floor. Belinda swerved to stare into the beaming face of her younger step-sister, Cecily Knight—the devil's incarnate if the devil was to wear lip gloss and open-toed pumps.