Chapter 4

“Excuse you?” I squeaked, “Did you just say I’m getting married?” My wolf perked up as she remembered the fiery eyes, jawline, and way the suit hugged – Not now, I told her, pushing her back.

“Yes, sweetheart, it is for the good of the Pack–”

“But Dad, I am Alpha-in-Waiting, this is my pack. Should I not get a say in this? You expect me to go to another pack and be a, what…a wife?” I spat like it was some rotten thing I had eaten.

“No, you are still Alpha-in-Waiting, but you are to marry Alpha Damien of Silverburn Pack. It is a marriage alliance, nothing more. You will each lead your respective packs, but will function as one. Together, you will have the strongest alliance between two packs ever because you will be joining them through the marriage bond as two Alphas. Alpha Damien and I have agreed that you may both seek mates outside of the marriage, but for all formal purposes, meetings, and pack business, you will appear together and united. You will also function, in some aspects, as Luna in Silverburn, but Alpha Damien knows your priority is to Iceclaw.”

“But, don’t I get a say in this? I have never wanted to be Luna, and it’s not how I was raised.”

“No, it is decided and will be announced tonight,” my wolf’s ears lowered and we both knew it was an Alpha’s command. There was nothing to be done, and I could not disobey. My father rarely used this voice with me. “Through Iceclaw Pack law, you cannot be an unmarried Alpha, and this will give you legitimacy and protection. It is for the pack, Katla, and I know you can see that.”

“How long have you known this?” I said, blinking back tears. “And I suppose as a wife, I’m expected to consummate the union and bear a pup or be used as a broodmare? Or have you even thought about that?” I spat.

“Katla, be reasonable–”

“No, you be reasonable! If Viti were Alpha-in-Waiting would you expect the same?” I blurted out incensed. “Tell me, would you expect that? Because this is bullshit. You have the power to change that law as Alpha, and you just won’t? You’ll just marry me off for optics?!” I wanted to continue to unload, but there was a knock at the door. The same curly haired man from earlier, was standing there watching with an amused smile on his face.

“What are you smiling at?” I yelled and ran past him to my room. “Why does he smell so delicious?” my wolf questioned.

“SHUT UP!” I screamed back at her.

I suppose that’s what my father and Viti had been discussing before. Maybe Viti was just as mad as I am now. Maybe there was some part of humanity in him where he said I couldn’t be married to a stranger.

I ran to my room, threw open my door, and slammed it one, two, three times, each time harder than the last. Then I sank to the ground with my back against the wall, curled my knees to my chest and let out a sob. To use the Alpha’s command hours before I became Alpha-in-Waiting was humiliating.

“Alpha,” I heard coming from my bed, “or do you prefer Mrs. Silverburn?”

I looked up through my lashes to see Viti sitting on my bed. “Get out of here,” I barked.

“No, your big girl voice doesn’t work on me,” he commented. “I wonder why?”

“It will in a few hours, you troll!” I barked.

“Whoa. Truce. Just hear me out. OK?” he asked.

“Fine. What do you want, Viti?”

“Katla Iceclaw, the best times in my life were when we were friends. Do you remember that?”

I stared at him, wondering why he was bringing this up. I nodded.

“When we were young, we spent endless hours together, then when my mother and I moved in, all that changed. Did you know that I could not wait to live here, with you. I imagined our life together, best friends, every night a sleep over, and then as we got older, maybe more.”

“Viti, stop, you can’t be serious right now–”

“Katla, I have loved you, truly loved you, for my entire life. You must have seen that. Didn’t you ever wonder why you got two cookies from our cook when I got none when we were pups? Or why there are fresh flowers put in your room every week? Or why none of the boys in the pack have asked to meet you under a Mating Moon yet? Or why Fenrir had to die? Katla, it was all for you. You are mine. You always have been. You must feel it, too? We can lead the pack together. It’s our destiny,” he said, standing up to cross the room. He extended a hand to pull me up off the floor and into a hug as I let his words wash over me.

“Y-y-you killed Fenrir,” I stammered, “But why?”

“Irrelevant, but you’ll understand soon enough. The point being that I love you, I will do anything for you, and you know you love me, too,” he titled my chin up to his and pressed me against the door. I felt his hardening press against my abdomen as his hot breath raked against my neck. “Just one little bite,” he breathed, and we will seal our fate. Chills formed on my neck and down my arms, as his lips glided to the space where my neck meets my shoulder.

“What the actual fuck?!” my wolf hissed, “His not our mate and will not mark us! He is a murderer.”

“Hear me out,” I thought, “this will mean that we don’t have to marry into Silverburn. Viti is better than that, right?”

“No, this will be far worse, “ she spat back, and then pushed her way to the front of my mind. “No!” I pushed Viti back, I knew she was right. “You killed Fenrir!”

“Prove it,” Viti backed up, smoothed his white linen shirt over his frame and adjusted his trousers. “You’ll regret this, Katla. Remember that.”