Chapter 5 - Holly

"What?" I blinked, certain I'd heard wrong.

“Alpha Kaia has been visiting some of the pack’s families lately. She had a proposition for them, but none of the men wanted to offer their daughters.” Dad rolled his eyes “She didn’t have to ask us twice, though. She needs a young and healthy female for her son, and we’re going to offer her that.”

“She thought of me first, of course.” Violet said proudly “But Mom and Dad had to refuse. I would be very sad to disappoint Prince Cassian by accepting this marriage.”

“Wait, isn’t the groom Cassian?” Louis asked “But, if it’s the Alpha’s son, but it’s not him… Then, that only leaves…”

“Don’t play dumb, Louis.” Mother rolled her eyes “It’s exactly what you’re thinking. Your sister is going to marry Noah Silverheart.”

Hearing that name made me tremble from head to toe. Of course, I had never been threatened or harmed by our Alpha's eldest son. It would have been impossible, since he had been away at war for longer than I could remember.

There wasn't a wolf that didn't fear Noah Silverheart, not even me, who had never seen him before. The stories about him, however, made me want to stay as far away as possible.

He was a killing machine. The nightmare of our enemies on the battlefield. An uncontrolled man whom the Alpha kept away from us for our own safety. So that his bloodlust wouldn't end up hurting one of our own.

I remember once hearing my schoolmates say that Alpha Kaia threw him onto a battlefield the day he was born. That was all he was conceived for, they said. Alpha Kaia wanted an heir, and her first husband wanted a piece of his own pack forever in our territory.

But all they managed to create was a monster. That's what the rumors said.

That's why nobody called him prince, like they did with his younger brother.

They called him a Beast.

“Have you all gone mad?!” Louis gasped, trying to stand up, even though his legs clearly didn’t have enough strength “You can’t marry her off to Noah…!”

“Don’t talk nonsense, Louis. It’s for everyone’s best.” Mother scoffed “Ever since the First Prince was ambushed, all the council members doubt he’ll recover. Just like you, he’s no longer useful on the battlefield. However, the Alpha is still merciful, as always. Instead of exiling him to his father’s pack, she wants to find him a good wife who can take care of him and give him a family… Someone he can vent his frustrations on. Many frustrations, from what I’ve heard.”

Her words made my blood run even colder.

“Are you even listening to yourself?! Do you realize you’re talking about your own daughter?!” Louis growled “I was commanded by Prince Noah! He’s an honorable man, but the stories aren’t lying when they call him a beast. I don’t know how he’ll behave as a husband, and I will not allow my sister be the only one to find out…!”

“Allow it?” Dad repeated, furious “Who do you think you are to order people around in her house? You weren’t even wolf enough to heal yourself and stop your arm from being ripped off…” Seeing him get up from his chair and head toward Louis, I moved on impulse.

“No, Dad, please! Louis is still recovering! He can’t be hurt.” Even trembling, I still looked him in the eyes “Then please, I… I beg you… Don’t do this…”

“Do you think you have a choice here?!” Mother yelled, lunging toward me “Do you have any idea how much misfortune you’ve brought to our family?! We should have abandoned you in the forest to die years ago! But we didn’t, did we? We continue to waste a lot of food and expensive charcoal on you! The least you can do now is repay us!”

"But…"

Before I could even think about what I would say next, Dad's fist had already struck my face. My knees buckled and I collapsed on the floor, feeling a sharp pain spread through my nose. And, when I felt something warm moisten my hand, I didn't even need to look to know I was bleeding.

“One more word from you and I’ll get the belt, understand?” he yelled, making me shrink even more “You’re going to marry the Alpha’s son, and you’re going to do it in a few days, with a smile on your face. Understand?” The lump in my throat wouldn’t let me answer, so he yelled louder “You understand?!”

"Yes, sir." I murmured, feeling as if, this time, they had managed to break me beyond repair.

“Don’t worry about her.” Mother murmured, pulling him away from me “Not even she is crazy enough to disobey an order straight from the Alpha. Now, let’s go. We need to get new clothes for all of us. The sooner we set a date, the better.” I can hear a smile in her voice as the two of them leave the room and Louis gets up, stumbling over to me.

“Holly!” he whimpers, and suddenly it’s like we’re kids again, huddled in the basement, crying in fear that they’ll come back to continue the beating “Please, Holly, talk to me!”

“She should be crying tears of joy.” Violet says, and I can hear her footsteps around the room “It’s not like any male would want her, unless he’s forced to by the Alpha herself.”

"Shut your damn mouth, Violet!" Louis growls, but that only makes her huff.

“You know, Louis, you’re the only one who should be careful with your words. When I marry Prince Cassian and become your Luna, you might end up regretting siding with the Beast’s Wife.”

"You're condemning your own sister and you still dare to say something like that?!" Louis shouted "How could you?!"

“Mom and Dad protected you too much, you know? You should have seen with your own eyes how the pack look at us after Holly started talking about her shitty dreams to everyone. We were building something so good and, suddenly, because of her, it was all gone. Do you know how many years it took me to be known as more than just the cursed girl’s sister?”

“You…!”

“Are you afraid of death, Holly?” Her eyes suddenly met mine and Violet began to move closer “You shouldn’t be. There’s no way you can escape this time, like you did on the day of the fire.” She smiled as she bent down slightly toward me “When the Beast kills you after seeing the ugly wife we ​​got for him, don’t try to escape, okay? It’s a favor you’re doing to us all.”

"Get out of here, Violet!" Louis demanded "Now!"

“Of course. I need to choose my dress for the engagement party.” She shrugged, but at least stepped away “I have to be at my best. Prince Cassian needs to know that the most beautiful woman in the pack has been reserved for him.”

“Don’t listen to her, Holly. To any of them.” Louis sniffed, but I could hear the tremor in his voice “We… We’ll find a way. You’re not going to marry him.”

Hearing their words of comfort and knowing they were lies only made me cry more. Because there was no way to dissuade them. There was no escape.

Now, I was the bride of the Beast.

And soon, I would become his dead wife.