Leah

Leah Sullivan had never wanted to slap someone so bad! She sat in one of the two black leather armchairs across from her father’s large mahogany desk, and stared at her father, King Marcus. The only outward sign that she was anything other than the calm, unaffected facade she presented was a slightly raised eyebrow.

She was pissed, but she would not show it. She was a dragon princess; the future queen and ruler of the Sullivan clan. She had to stay in complete control of her emotions. To show emotion is to show weakness, and a true leader must never show weakness. It leaves you too vulnerable to the enemy. Her father taught her that when she was twelve years old, and she took the lesson to heart.

Right at this moment, her father was the enemy and she would not show him weakness. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before addressing her father. “I'm sorry. I think I heard you incorrectly. Did you just say you were giving me to the Blackwell clan?”

King Marcus returned her stare with one of his own. “You heard correctly, Leah. This war must end. There have been way too many casualties and our clans can’t afford to lose anymore dragons. Queen Dominique and I have discussed it and we both agree that this is the best solution.” 

Leah quickly lost the internal battle of wills with her patience. She exploded out of her seat, the green of her eyes darkening and her dragon pushing to strike at the perceived threat.  “Have you lost your mind! I am not a piece of property for you to just give away! Did you even think to ask me what I wanted before going behind my back and -?”

Before she could finish her tirade, her father jumped out of his seat, his own green eyes darkening to match hers and dark blue scales began to sprout on his skin. “SILENCE!” King Marcus glared at Leah for a moment. When he was sure he had her undivided attention, he continued. “You will show some respect, young lady. I am still your father, and the king. Now, sit down and shut up!”

Leah was tempted to continue standing just out of spite, but decided not to incite her father even more than she already had. She could tell her father was two seconds away from tossing her across the room to show her who was the alpha. And, while she was an alpha as well, she wasn't The Alpha. She was not nearly as strong as her father, at least not yet. Paranormals grew stronger with age, and since they could live to be 1000 years old, Leah was still practically a baby at age 30. Occasional flares of temper aside, he would wipe the floor with her if she ever thought to really challenge him.  Putting her pride aside for the time being, she grudgingly retook her seat, but continued to glare at her father. 

Ignoring her small rebellion, he reigned in his temper and retook his seat. In a hard voice that brook no argument, he stated, “For the good of the clan, you will do your duty and mate with a member of the Blackwell clan. This will solidify the treaty as well as ensure the future of both clans, uniting us as one. Now, I have made my decision. If you have a problem with it, I suggest you keep it to yourself. Understood?” He narrowed his eyes at his daughter and waited for her response, as if daring her to object. When she nodded her head, he continued. “Good. I will be calling a clan meeting this evening to inform everyone of the treaty. You will be there and I expect you to be on your best behavior.” King Marcus turned to face the computer on his desk in front of him and got back to work drafting the treaty contract for both he and Queen Dominique to sign, dismissing Leah from his office as surely as if he had yelled, “Get out!” 

Leah stood up and left the office. It was obvious that she wasn't going to win this argument, so she wasn't going to waste her breath. She loved her father dearly, but he could be a real asshole sometimes. Ever since her mom died ten years ago, her father hadn't been the same. He used to be so different, more open with his affections. When her mom died, it was like he buried his heart with her. She tried to be understanding. Her mom was her father's world, his soul mate. Losing her was like losing a vital part of himself.