CHAPTER TWO

I feel like I'm about to pass out.

I don't know what to do. I don't know what to think.

I don't know what to say.

"I know you're upset," my father says. "But this is a good thing."

"No, it's not a good thing," I say, angrily. "It's a terrible thing."

"Don't do this to yourself," he says, angrily. "This is what's best for the pack."

"I don't agree," I say, angrily. "Marrying a man I don't love is not what's best for the pack."

"He's a great leader," he says. "And you will learn to love him."

I shake my head.

"I will never love him," I say. "Never."

"You will," he says.

"No, I won't," I say. "I won't."

"You have to," he says. "That's the way of the pack."

"I don't care about the pack," I say. "The pack can be run by someone else."

"You're the daughter of the Alpha," he says. "Your place is with Lucius."

"I don't want to be with him."

I'm getting no where with my father. I look to my mother next.

She has been silent this whole time, watching the whole scene unfold.

"Please, do something," I beg her, desperately. "Please, stop this."

"I love you, darling," she says. "But it's the way of the wolf. Your place is with Lucius now. Your father is right. This is what's best for the pack. You will learn to love him. I'm sure of it."

"No," I say, devastated. "I won't."

She kisses my forehead. "Your place is with Lucius." But I can see in her eyes that she too doesn't want this.

"I don't want this," I say. "I don't want to be with him. I don't want to marry him."

"Sometimes," she says, "we have to do something we don't want to do."

"No," I say, my voice rising. "There's always another way."

"There is no other way," my father says.

"I love Sebastian," I say, in desperation. "And I want to marry him."

"And we love you," mom says. "But this is the way of the wolf. You will learn to be happy. I promise."

"I will never be happy," I say. "Never."

I'm bitter. My voice is rising in anger.

My father is starting to look like he is losing his cool.

"Don't speak to us like that," he says. "Your mother and I only want what's best for you."

"How is marrying Lucius best for me?" I retort. "It is not! It's best for the pack, and you know it."

He doesn't respond.

"I don't want to be part of this," I say. "I could leave. I could leave and start a new pack. I could run away with Sebastian. I could start a new life."

"You would never," my father says, angrily. He does not like my threat.

But I mean it.

I could.

They do not control me.

"I don't want to marry Lucius. I don't want to spend my life with Lucius. I don't want to be Alpha. I don't deserve to be Alpha. I don't want to be Alpha."

That's enough," he says.

"No," I say, fighting back tears. "No, it's not enough. I love Sebastian. Please, don't do this to me. I'll do anything. Please, let me marry Sebastian. Please."

"I'm sorry," my father says. "It's too late for that."

He storms out the den.

"No," I say, with a tear running down my cheek.

My mother comes to me. Lays a hand gently on my shoulder.

"Why won't father listen to me?" I ask her.

"He is looking at the bigger picture. It is his job to. You know that."

"He cares more about the pack then his own daughter."

"That's not true," she says. "He just sees things differently than you."

"So he can't see how badly this is going to turn out?"

"It will be fine," she says. "It will be fine. You will see. You are strong. You can do this. You will be a great Alpha."

"I don't want to be Alpha," I say.

"You will get used to it," she says. "You will see. Lucius has many good qualities."

I can tell by the look on her face that she is lying.

I think back to everything my mother has always told me.

About how she thought the tradition of arranged wolf marriage was barbaric.

She hated it just as much as me.

But she was never in control.

My father was always in control.

And now, I'm about to be in Lucius' control.

"Why would he do this to me? I don't love Lucius. I don't want to marry him. I don't want to be Alpha."

"I'm sorry," she says. "I'm so sorry. But it's the way of the pack."

"I don't want to be part of this," I say. "I could go off and start a new pack. I could leave and live a normal life. I could run away."

"No," she says. "You can't."

"I could," I say. "I could."

"No," she says. "You can't."

"Why not?" I ask.

She doesn't reply. She is losing patience.

"Why not?" I ask again.

"You will be all right," she says, not answering my question. "You will. I know you will. Just give it time."

"Time?" I say. "Time will not change anything. I will always love Sebastian."

"Give it time," she says again. "You might surprise yourself."

I shake my head. I'm so upset. "I don't want this. I don't want this. I will do anything to not marry him. Anything."

She kisses me on the forehead.

"I can't do this," I say.

"Yes, you can," she says. "You can do this."

"I can't," I say. "I can't. I can't. I can't."

She squeezes my shoulder. "You can. And you will."

She kisses me goodnight and then she leaves.

I am alone in the den.

I am shattered.

I am heartbroken.

I lay down on the ground and curl up into a ball.

My life is over.