ALLIANCE TOKEN

River stood before the mirror, her blue-patterned dress a stark contrast to her pale face. She had been summoned to the throne room, and her father's unusual warmth on her birthday only heightened her anxiety.

She rushed down to the throne room where her father usually hosts guests. Nothing seemed out of place until her eyes landed on a stranger sitting beside her father.

“What took you so long, River? Come closer.” Cecilia, her step mother, rushed up to meet the hesitating River, whose steps had faltered as she looked at the seventy year old wolf, on the right side of her father. She wondered if he was the one they wanted her to marry.

“Come sit here, Daughter.” Her father, Alpha Raymond, lovingly beckoned to her as he patted the seat to his left. River started sweating, her heart in her mouth, she felt like fainting but willed herself against it. Something was terribly wrong. Her father had never called her daughter in public, he definitely had never have her sit beside him. Was she being sold? She tightened her fists, swallowed hard and focused on her father, as she quickly obliged.

“River, greet Alpha Malcolm Thunderhoof of Lunar pack.” Her father instructed.

River quickly got to her feet and bowed, “Greetings, Alpha Malcolm. Hope your journey was smooth?”

Alpha Malcolm smiled at River and nodded. “It was smooth, thank you.”

River automatically smiled back at the kind Alpha before she realized that she shouldn’t. What if she was being sold to the old wolf? What if he wanted her to be his breeder? What if… Her thoughts were interrupted by her father’s voice.

“This is my dutiful daughter, River, she is the elder of my daughters.” He proudly declared.

But River knew the truth, his pride in her was forced. Alpha Raymond was just acting the role of an auctioneer about to sell a piece of art to the highest bidder. She knew better than to be happy and she clamped her lips together, waiting for the gavel to sound: Sold.

“I like her already. She will make a good daughter-in-law.” Alpha Malcolm said and smiled at River.

Wait, what? Daughter-in-law? Not wife, not breeder? Things seemed to be getting better. River now confidently smiled back at the kind Alpha. Maybe, just maybe, this could be her way of escape from her present hell.

“River, our Nightshade pack is considering an alliance with the Lunar pack and the token of the alliance is your marriage to Thane, Alpha Malcolm’s son.”

Thane… that name rang a bell. River tried to remember where she had heard of him recently.

“Alpha Malcolm,” River began, “if Thane is your son, he must be the future heir of your pack. I’m afraid I cannot be his mate because I am…” She was interrupted by Cecilia.

“River, as a dutiful daughter, you will leave the decision to the elders. It is your duty as the alpha’s daughter to help the pack. This alliance would enlarge the coasts of our pack and give us trade rights with the Lunar pack.”

Cecilia knew what River wanted to say. They had hidden the fact that she was wolfless to Alpha Malcolm and the feisty girl wanted to spoil their plans.

River nodded and sat down as the two alphas continued to discuss the terms of the alliance. Lily led in the maids with a platter of food for the guest. She discreetly dropped a note on River’s lap as she passed by her. River grabbed the note and opened it without others noticing and her face turned white.

The Wolfless and the Cripple: what a great match!

That was when River remembered. Thane Thunderhoof, the dynamic future alpha of Lunar pack! He was wounded in battle a year ago, which affected his legs and he had been condemned to the wheelchair for life. Rumors had it that his fated mate rejected him because of the wheelchair and he had become depressed. She knew it. Her father could never wish her happiness.

She must spoil his plans to condemn her to a terrible future. She would not go down without a fight. River stood up and faced the Lunar pack alpha.

“I cannot marry your son because I am wolfless.” She expected the alpha to cancel the alliance. Of course her father and stepmother would be mad at her, as usual. But she would escape the eternal trap. To her amazement, Alpha Malcolm smiled at her, again. Her father and stepmother scowled at her, ready to beat the daylights out of her.

“An honest girl. You just won another point with me.”

“What?” River exclaimed. “You know already?”

Alpha Malcolm turned to Raymond and Cecilia, who were still in shock. They quickly comported themselves and gulped water from their cups.

“I did my research before proposing the alliance. My son, Thane, was hurt in battle and is presently confined to the wheelchair. What he needs most is a good companion, not an energetic mate, one that could easily get bored by his immobility. You qualify, River.”

River simply nodded and pretended to listen to the discussion going on around her. At a point, she couldn’t bear the political talks again and asked to be excused. She wanted to go to her room to think out her future, but she saw Lily, standing as sentinel there, ready to throw jabs at her. River made a swift turn and kept walking, till she reached the stairs leading to the attic.

River had not been in the attic for years and, in order to escape Lily’s torments and her parents’ impending rebuke she opened the door of the attic, slid in and bolted it from inside. She just wanted to be alone. Her life was about to change and there was nothing she could do about it.

The first thing that River noticed was a big portmanteau at the center of the attic. She approached it with a rag, ready to clean it and sit on it for her pity party. But, as she cleaned the top, she saw a name engraved on the iron box: Catherine. Her late mother! The box belonged to her mother, the one that died when River was not up to one year. If only she was here to guide her at this crucial moment of her life.

River tried to open the box but found that it had a password number combination. She thought for a moment and arranged the numbers into her birthday and click, it opened. River lifted the lid of the portmanteau and began to explore. She saw books, journals, letters and a jewel box.

She opened the first letter, yellowed with age, bearing a faint scent of vanilla, her favorite perfume. That must have been her mother’s favorite too. She inhaled the faint scent and imagined holding her mother’s hands through the letter. If only she could remember her face.

River shook off her feeling of nostalgia and began to read the letter. Few lines into the beautifully written piece and River yelped! There was a reason she was wolfless! She quickly scanned through the letter.

River's heart pounded as she read on, her mind racing with questions. Would she find a way to reclaim her wolf? And what lay ahead for her, now that her life was intertwined with the Lunar pack?