1 - Darkness

Chloe Jane

Darkness has been my constant companion ever since the fateful day my sight was stolen from me. Six years old and not knowing any better, the ones I thought I could trust turned out to be my father’s enemies.

Kidnapped and blinded at a young age.

How does someone remain positive after a traumatic experience? How do you not feel sorry for yourself after your childhood is perpetually ruined? I suppose if it was anyone else other than me, then that would have happened.

But I’ve always been extremely positive in the face of adversity. My mother used to call it my gift from the Goddess, but from a young age I’ve just never been one to wallow or be sad. I knew losing my sight would hinder me, but it would also strengthen my other senses.

My hearing and sense of smell are a step above the rest. I can pick up on people not being truthful and condescending toward me, and I’ve helped out my father with a few people and allies lying to him.

Is my father a powerful man? Well, he’s an old Alpha of a small pack but he is still powerful and has pull when it comes to what he does for a living. No, he’s not a bigshot Alpha like Alpha Kai Volkov or Alpha Fenriz Vega.

My father’s pack may be small, but his vote in human and shifter matters counts more than that of a human president or senator. He’s known as the Sovereign.

Does this explain my kidnapping better? He was on the verge of establishing a silent bill that would give supernatural creatures better representation in human courts, especially Rogue shifters and Lone wolves who don’t have packs. The so-called ‘animal attacks’ during the full moon could have been explained and represented better as well.

But some humans who knew about these shifters as well as power-hungry Alphas, didn’t want this, so not only was I the unlucky consequence, but my mother lost her life. My father dropped the bill afterwards, but I know it’s been eating at him ever since.

I would like to say things changed from then on, but my father reduced our pack to about fifty people. People he trusted more than his brother, who was the one behind my kidnapping and my mother’s death.

So, that’s where my story starts, I guess.

A knock comes from my bedroom door, and I hear it opening. From the scent of the person entering, I can tell it’s my older sister, Kim, and I smile up at her. Roses and freshly baked apple pie; she smells like home.

She basically took over the role as Lady of the house after our mother died, and I couldn’t be more thankful to her. It’s thanks to her that the smiles and sunshines never left my life.

“I knew I’d find you here,” she says, her voice low as I hear her walking toward me. “There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

The smile on my face drops slightly and I pat the spot next to me while sitting up. “What is this about? Did something happen?”

There’s a spike of anxiety in her scent, but she masks it again. She’s gotten quite good at hiding her true emotions after learning I can read people better without my sight. At times she’s good at it, but not now for some reason.

She sits down next to me and breathes out a long sigh. “Nothing’s happened; well, nothing yet,” she says, then she takes my hand.

Her words, coupled with a tremble in her hands, cause my heart to beat faster. Nothing worries my sister more than thinking about my future, so something tells me that this can only be about me.

“What do you mean—”

“Daddy wanted me to speak to you about this because he somehow thinks me telling you will soften the blow,” she says, tightening her hold on my hand. “The son of one of his colleagues will be taking over the position of Sovereign Alpha when Daddy retires next year and…he’s asked for your hand in marriage.”

I hear her words, but the implications of what she’s just said, hits me so hard that I pull my hand back. “What?! How…is Daddy okay with this?” I ask…but her silence after this speaks volumes. “Kim?!”

“Well, Daddy said yes—”

“Without asking me?!” I exclaim and leap to my feet. “How could he do something like that?”

At times like these, I hate not having my sight or I would barge right into his office. What gives him the right to trade me away as if I’m some prize?! This makes no sense, seeing as my father is always open with me about things.

“CJ, you need to understand—”

“Take me to him. I want him to be the one who explains this to me, not you,” I bite out and stand my ground. “You shouldn’t be the one taking my anger, since he’s obviously the one who has set this up.”

It takes her a few seconds, but she eventually sighs and takes my hand to lead me to my father’s office. It’s not fair for me to be shouting at her when he’s the one who deserves my ire. Setting me up in an arranged marriage? Why would he do such a thing?!

Kim knocks on the door of his office and when she opens it, I barge inside. She sucks in a breath of surprise and I hear my father’s chair as it scrapes back.

“Chloe? What’s going on?” he asks, seemingly surprised.

“How could you do something like this, Daddy? Marrying me off to a stranger and for what?!” I exclaim, the anger in my voice coming through as tears slip down my face. “What good reason do you have for doing this?”

Another thing I dislike about myself: when I get angry, I cry.

I hear his footsteps as he walks towards me and immediately sense the sadness in him. He places his hands on my shoulders and breathes out a long sigh.

“Please don’t think I did this because I was selfish,” he says. “I did this to protect you, CJ.”

“Protect me? By giving me to someone I don’t know?” I ask. “How is that protecting me, Daddy?”

“Because the man I am giving you to is not only one I trust, but an Alpha as well,” he says, flooring me. “Not only that but he wants to pass the bill I gave up a long time ago, and he wants me to be his advisor. So the only place safe for you is at his side, in his larger pack.”

My heart leaps into my throat and I try to take a step back but I am rooted on the spot. This man…this Alpha wants to try to pass the law that got me blinded in the first place. As much as I want to argue with my father about this, I know what he’s saying is true.

I won’t have a choice in this, especially if this Alpha is dead set on passing that bill. 

“It’s been decided then?” I murmur as the anger completely dissipates, not thinking I would feel this defeated so soon. “I have no choice?”

“I’m afraid not, sweetheart. He’ll be coming around to see you tomorrow night, but I have set up a bodyguard for you while he runs this campaign and gets as many people to side with him. You’ll be getting married in six months' time, six months before he’ll try for the bill again.”

I hear his words, but nothing is sticking with me right now. So I simply nod and whisper a ‘thank you’ before I walk over to where my sister is waiting for me. She places an arm around my shoulders and leads me back to my bedroom.

So in six months time I will be someone’s Luna, someone I have never even met. I get where my father comes from, but why did this Alpha say yes to marrying me and why do I have an awful feeling about it?