3. Arranged marriage

Freya

I breathed in a harsh, quick breath as a streak of pain thundered through my skull, causing me to wince before opening my eyes, the light from the nearby window far too bright. I groaned slightly as I closed my eyes again and tried to get comfortable, when I heard my phone starting to go off.

My eyes flew back open, and it took me mere seconds to figure out that I was not in fact in my cushy, four post bed. And then I heard it in-between the rabid buzzing of my cell phone against the floor—soft snores coming from beside me.

I snatched my phone quickly from the floor, the screen inundated with a flood of messages and missed phone calls from both Raven and Lucy.

“Fuck,” I whispered to myself as I gathered my clump of clothes off the floor, shimmied into my panties, and threw the dress on. Sliding my fingers under the straps of my shoes, I tiptoed around the bed, and towards the door as I glanced back at the still sleeping Blake.

I’ve got to get out of here, I’d thought to myself as I snuck out the door, out of the house, and back through the woods and towards my house. Not wanting to get caught by some Blood Moon straggler and dragged off.

My phone buzzed again as I got to the clearing where Id run into Lucy, and I figured I should answer before she had a coronary.

“Where the fuck have you been?!” Lucy’s voice blared into my ear, sending a throb of pain into my temple.

“Calm down, please,” I groaned as I continue to trudge towards my house, glancing down at the time momentarily. “Well, I’ve been calling you all night and texting you with no response,” Lucy snapped.

“I was a little…busy.”

“You were supposed to just go outside and get some air,” Lucy said. “And what the hell could you possibly be doing that you couldn’t answer me?”

I stopped walking for a moment, and finally I was hit with a wave of embarrassment. The realization that he’s, in the heat of the moment, it had been the deepest act of rebellion. A hot, steamy, night that even to this day gives me chills. But it was also forbidden fruit, and o wasn’t sure how to explain things to Lucy… and I damn sure would never tell anyone back home.

“I may have screwed up,” I said, looking around nervously as I began walking again.

“What do you mean?” Lucy asked, her anger slowly creeping away. “Did you get into a fight with someone?”

“Mmm… I wouldn’t call it a fight,” I said, and the other side of the line went silent for a moment.

“Oh my gosh you little vixen! Did you hook up with someone?” Lucy asked, and instead of feeling like this amazing badass, this rebellious belle like I had the night before? Instead, I felt awful.

“I slept with Blake!” I wailed as I sat down for a moment against a tree, my eyes burning and blurry between the sun driving my hangover to a fever pitch, and my tears.

“Blake? As in birthday boy Alpha Blake?!”

“Yes,” I sobbed into the phone before spilling my guts about the whole thing. Every stupid little detail. Surprising myself even when I relived the night with her.

“That is fucking crazy, Freya!” Lucy replied with a surprised gasp.

“I know, I know,” I agreed. “I’m so fucking stupid!”

“Stupid?” Lucy asked. “Sounds like the both of you had an amazing time.”

“He’s my father’s like biggest enemy and instead of just walking away, I just couldn’t,” I explained. “He was so hot, and his scent was so amazing… I just had to be selfish—“

“—For one, Freya you are the least selfish person I know, to a fault,” Lucy insisted. “You are a loving, caring, amazing being. And two, didn’t your dad want to banish you to the shadow realm for just not being able to transform?”

“Well, yeah,” I replied, wiping my tears away. “But—“

“—He’s always treated you like garbage,” Lucy said. “Why should you care what that old fart thinks?”

“But…Raven went out of her way to make sure I still had a home,” I explained. “If they find out that I did that—“

“—Listen, Raven is a big girl and an such amazing sister that I am jelly, I’ll give her that,” Lucy agreed. “But I am proud of you.”

“Proud? What is there to be proud of?” I asked, confused.

“That you finally had fun, Frey! That you in your own way stood up to your dad,” Lucy explained.

“I wouldn’t say I stood up to him…”

“Baby steps,” Lucy sighed. “Are you home yet?”

“No, almost.”

“You better get moving before the maids come checking,” Lucy said, and I quickly glanced at the clock again.

“Shoot!”

“No worries, the window should be open,” Lucy said.

“Wait, how do you know?” I asked.

“When you didn’t answer, I checked if you were home and asleep,” Lucy replied. “I left it open.”

“You’re an angel,” I said with a smile as I stood back up.

“Call me later,” Lucy replied. “Love you!”

“Love you too,” I replied as I began to sprint back towards the house, dodging the gardeners as I made my way towards my window. I peered around, making sure no eyes were on me before I shakily pulled myself up into the room and ran to lock my door, hoping no one had come looking in there yet.

I changed out of my party dress and into a T-shirt and a pair of jeans before slipping under the covers, my eyes slowly blinking as I stared at the ceiling until at some point I drifted off. My dreams filled with images of the night before, and Blake’s handsome face.

***

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

A loud rapping at my door causes me to sit up with a start, the doorknob jiggling around. “Miss Freya? Miss Freya?!”

Ah shit, the maid, I’d thought to myself as I hurried to unlock and open the door.

“Yes?”

“You’ve been summoned to the dining hall by Alpha Leopold, Miss,” the maid replied.

“Oh, uh, alright,” I stammered. Oh gosh, does he know? I’d thought to myself. “Tell him I’ll be there in a moment.”

The maid gave me a nod and I closed the door, rushing to my mirror. I quickly took a makeup wipe and began wiping the remnants of the makeup away from the night before, cursing myself all the while that I hadn’t taken a shower when I’d gotten back in. But to be fair, I hadn’t expected my father to want to see me at all let alone summon me.

I hurried as fast as I could with some basic makeup, fixed my sex tousled hair, and slapped on deodorant and body spray, hoping to mask the scent of the tryst from the night before. When I finally got to the dining hall, everyone was half done with their food, and next to my father was his beta, Victor.

“Sorry for taking so long,” I said as I slipped in next to Raven. “Not feeling very well,” I said as I looked down and my plate and once again found that it was lacking.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” my mother said as she wiped her mouth with her napkin.

“We have a pressing matter to discuss,” my father spoke before taking a sip from his wine glass.

Crap.

“Since you cannot transform, and you are to remain part of the family, we will need to find use for you elsewhere,” my father said, and I glanced over at Raven who shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Well, at least it’s not about Blake?

“Such as?” I asked.

“I have spoken to Matthew of the Dark Star pact,” my father said. “As you know, recently he lost his Luna.”

“I had heard that, yes,” I said, confused by why he would mentioned Matthew of all people to me. Dark Stars and Silver Moons weren’t the exactly enemies, but they weren’t besties either. And Matthew, well, let’s just say he wasn’t known for being a good man. “Very sad,” I said as I took a fork full of tender ribs and took a bite.

“Well, he needs a new Luna, and we need to remain allies,” my father replies. “So, we discussed it and we’ve decided to give him your hand in marriage.”

“You WHAT?!” I exploded with anger before I’d even had a chance to think about it.

“Freya, please,” Raven pleaded, putting a hand on my arm in an attempt to soothe me. But I could hardly see straight with as enraged as I felt in that moment, wishing I could transform, simply to rip my father to pieces.

“No! Absolutely the fuck not!” I yelled and my father’s eyes widened in shock.

“How dare you speak to your alpha that way,” Victor chimed in.

“Can it, Vic,” I said as I raised a finger to him, before directing my ire back at my father. “You are an asshole! You never loved me, you don’t love anyone, even your prized child Raven!-“

“—Freya!” my mother tried to interrupt.

“NO!” I yelled, shaking my head. I had had enough, and he was finally going to hear it. ”Everyone here is a fucking pawn to you, a part of your little game to try to stay on top. But you are nothing but a pathetic—"

“Silence!” my father snarled, his eyes flickering with anger as he smashed his wine glass onto the floor, sending splinters of glass every which way against the linoleum. “You will do as I say! Raven saved you from exile, and you will fulfill your duty to this pack in whatever way I see fit!”

“I will NEVER marry Matt,” I argued. “That womanizing prick can go to hell,” I said as I angrily pushed my chair over before stomping out of the room and back to my own, locking the door behind me.

I am not going to marry that creep. Even if it kills me.

***

It had been a week since my father decided that I was going to be handed off like some gift to Matt. A week of barely eating. I’d refused meals entirely to take a stand, only taking water from the maids, sneaking out to snack when everyone was asleep in the kitchen. Just enough to try to stave off the dizzy spells from the crying and lack of food.

Honestly in those days, the only thing that kept me sane was my thoughts about Blake and calls from Lucy.

The memory of His hands on me, the way he’d caressed my body and kissed my lips, the way he’d felt inside of me had been so sublime. It felt pathetic, but I’d realized in those moments, I had been the most loved I’d ever felt…even if it was just some one-night stand.

As I laid in bed, tears flowing, I heard a clamor outside my door. The sweet sound of a cool pitcher of water being set by my door clinking against the tile. Excited, I got up quickly, and headed towards the door only to hear the mumbles of maids outside my door.

“Did you hear?” one asked.

“Hear what?” the other queried.

“Alpha Blake from the Blood Moons came here this morning,” the maid said, and my heart skipped a beat.

“What could that mongrel possibly want?” the other maid asked, not so delicately asking the question I wanted to know.

Has he come looking for me?

“Well apparently he’s fallen for Raven,” the maid said.

Raven?! “How? They’ve never even met,” the maid replied.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “But he asked for Raven’s hand in marriage.”

“You’re kidding!” I heard the other maid say as their voices began to fade off, their shoes shuffling against the floor.

“I wish I was….they’re announcing the engagement next month at a big soirée!” the one maid tittered as I slid down the door, and sat there, stunned. Not able to cry, not able to breathe, unable to barely think.

This can’t be happening…

The man I’d slept with, the one that I’d been falling for and had felt that magnetic, longing for was marrying my sister…and I could feel my heart begin to break in that moment as I sobbed into my knees. Wanting to scream until the nightmare was over.