The Alpha's Bride

Chapter 6 - Becoming Luna

Alicia’s POV

I woke up in the early hours of the morning. I was so damn tired that I really didn’t want to get out of bed, but I had to get to the kitchen and get breakfast before Caspian showed up. Forcing myself out of bed, I got ready and rushed to the kitchen. I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked into my father’s room, but my relief didn’t last for very long.

“Oh, sweetheart!” My father exclaimed and he had tears in his eyes. “Caspian was just here and he told me the great news!” I was dumbstruck! I hadn’t even given him my decision yet, and he was already telling my father! “Have you decided on a date yet?” My dad smiled and he looked so damn happy that I couldn’t say anything. I just shook my head. I mean, I hadn’t even decided if I wanted this yet! Here he was giving my father hope when I hadn’t even decided if I wanted this yet! My father was rambling on, and I wasn’t really listening to what he was saying. I couldn’t let him down now, could I? Okay, say I agreed to this ridiculous arrangement, and my father did get better … Would I be able to get out … Ever?! After settling my dad down, making sure he ate properly and got all cleaned up, I was planning on going for a run to my favourite place here, but my mind was so all over the place that I had trouble putting on my damn trainers. My hands were shaking with fury at what Caspian had done! I eventually left the packhouse and headed in the direction of the waterfall, but on my way there, I felt someone coming closer and I stopped.

“I know you are out there!” I shouted, but whoever it was, they didn’t show themselves and I started running again, this time keeping all my senses open while I tried to figure out who the hell was following me. It wasn’t Caspian or my brother that much I knew. When they were around, I always got chills down the back of my spine, and the hair in my neck would stand up … I felt the energy come closer and I stopped dead in my tracks only to be jumped by a wolf! I didn’t recognize him and was in shock that someone would just attack me out of nowhere! My head hit the ground as I fell, and I turned just in time to watch him disappear behind one of the trees.

“I’m sorry!” Marcus’s voice came from behind the tree and two seconds later he stepped out wearing only a pair of trunks. “I didn’t mean to jump you like that.” He blushed bright red and helped me up as he explained that he didn’t mean to look like a stalker and that he wasn’t trying to stalk me, but that he thought it wasn’t safe for me to be out here alone and then I stopped so fast that he accidentally bumped into me. All I wanted to do was tell the poor guy to take a breath, and when he finally did, I burst out giggling. “Oh, great! Now you’re laughing at me.” I didn’t think he could turn even more red, but he did and I calmed down.

I thought about it for a moment and asked him if he would like to run with me. Thinking to myself that it would be nice to have someone with me for once that didn’t expect something from me, or at least, I hoped he didn’t. He seemed as if he was really nice and he really cared, and for a split-second I wondered if he could be my fated mate … Was that even possible? I had been gone from my life as a wolf for so damn long, I wasn’t sure if I even knew how it would feel! I shook my head, thinking that I couldn’t think like that right now. I had Caspian telling my dad we were going to be mated, and if that was happening out there, I couldn’t allow myself to get involved with someone … What the hell was I thinking?! I didn’t want to get involved with anybody! I wanted to get out of here as fast as I could!

I could feel my body strain as my thoughts moved along and by the time we reached the waterfall, I was cramping all over. I could see that Marcus could see something was going on, but he was probably too polite to ask. We made our way back, and my mind was still all over the place. Asking Marcus to run with me probably wasn’t the best idea I could have had to clear my mind.

“I told you to let me know if you leave the fu.cking packhouse!” Caspian’s iron grip snapped around my elbow as soon as we walked through the front door and my eyes grew wide at the anger in his. He glared at Marcus and, for a moment, I thought he would do something to him! I could see them talking through their mind link, and the thought crossed my mind that Marcus could have betrayed me and told Caspian where we were, but then Caspian wouldn’t have acted the way he did now. Knowing him, he would have come to get me and not waited for my return! “Get in there!” Caspian pushed me into his office and as I turned to look for Marcus, I caught just a momentary glimpse of his sad face before he walked away. “I’ve been waiting for your answer.” Caspian’s voice interrupted my thoughts as he closed the door behind us and I wished I went for my run alone. I hadn’t figured out a thing!

“YES! Okay, fine. I will do what you need so my father can have the treatment.” His eyes grew wide for just a second at my first response. I knew looking in his eyes would challenge him and I calmed down quickly to avoid whatever punishment he was probably already thinking of for me. “I mean, you’ve already told my father …” I regretted the words the moment they slipped out of my mouth and I saw the amused look on his face. “What are you getting out of this? You don’t even like me.” My mouth was just running in its own damn direction today! He glared at me for a moment before sitting down and I knew better than to take a seat.

“I need a Luna, and as you may or may not know, when a man has been on his own for a while, women don’t find him attractive anymore. With you by my side, they will again.” He smiled, looking very happy with himself, and I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. If that really was the case, surely asking Sophia would have been the better option, wouldn’t it? But something told me that just mentioning her name would make him angry and that was the last thing that I needed right now.

“So, this will only be a temporary thing until you find someone more suitable?” I frowned feeling confused, but when he nodded, I breathed a sigh of relief. “How long would I have to pretend?” I took a seat feeling slightly more confident.

“Until I find someone.” He grinned and I hated that he had the upper hand, but at least it was only a temporary arrangement. I could fake it until he found someone. It was going to be tough, but I could fake it … “There will, of course, have to be some changes …” I hated this already! “I will have you and your father moved up to the Alpha floor …”

“I’m not sleeping with you!” I jumped out of my chair, crossing my arms, immediately feeling defensive and was ready to rip his damn eyes from his sockets when he started laughing.

“I will ask that they prepare the Luna’s room for you. Nobody has slept there in years.” He looked relaxed for the first time since I arrived. It was strange to see him like that. I nodded, and he stood up and walked me out, telling me to get our stuff packed while he arranged for the move.

An hour later, I was busy unpacking my father’s things when Caspian’s parents walked in to say hello. I was a little stunned at this development, since I hadn’t seen them since I arrived. I didn’t know them to be people who cared. I mean, they cared, but not about their people. They cared about their image. How things looked to the world outside. We talked for a little while, and I wasn’t entirely sure if they were happy with Caspian’s choice to make me the Luna. I couldn’t tell from their behaviour or even what they were saying, and I sure as hell wasn’t even going to ask. Since I had no idea how much he told them, I would hate to jeopardize my father’s treatment by saying the wrong thing.

Finally, leaving them to speak to my father alone, I went to the Luna’s room, which was about four times the size of my previous room. It didn’t take me very long to unpack my stuff and I realized I might have to go back home to get more clothes. I didn’t think I was going to be here that long in the first place. I had hoped, but things were turning out differently to what I had hoped and I needed more. I would also have to call my boss and all I could do was hope that he would be okay with my new plan. Since I had no idea how long I would have to stay … I had no idea how he would react. I needed my job. I needed to be able to pay my rent or I would lose my apartment in the city. I had been supporting myself the past couple of years and didn’t take any money from the pack, so to suddenly become dependant on them again would just break my self-esteem entirely.

I rubbed my eyes as the real impact of my decision sunk in. This really wasn’t what I wanted! But I had no other choice. Caspian did say it was only temporary … Oh, my goddess! What if he found his rightful Luna before my dad was better?! Would he kick us out?! My mind started to race and my heart felt as if it wanted to jump out of my throat. The world around me started to spin and that familiar ache in my arm started to pound. I threw out the bags I still had to unpack, looking for my medication, but I couldn’t find it anywhere!

“Looking for this?” My heart stopped at the sound of Caspian’s voice and as I spun around, I saw him with the little bottle of pills in his hand. I jumped to grab it from him, but he moved his arm so quickly that I lost my balance and fell against his chest. “I spoke to your doctor.” He did what?!!! My doctor wouldn’t have told him anything, would he? “You won’t need these anymore.” I pushed away from him and felt the sting of his grip on my wrist as he pulled me back. “I’m telling you! You won’t need these anymore.”

“Give me my damn meds!” I shouted and grabbed the bottle from him. I had just enough time to open it and pop one tablet into my mouth before he grabbed me and forced my mouth open. I swallowed and felt the tablet go down the back of my throat. I was glaring at him. Challenging him to do what I could feel him wanting to do. He closed his eyes and stepped back, throwing me for a complete loop, as he took a deep breath.

“I will not have a drug addict for a damn mate!” He said between clenched teeth and opened his eyes. “I will help you find healthier ways to work through whatever you need to.” I could have sworn I saw a flash of regret in his eyes for a split-second, but it disappeared so fast that I wasn’t sure if I had seen it.

“I’m not an addict.” I sighed. “I’m under treatment.”

“What for?!” He demanded and I felt even more defensive. How was I going to tell him it was because he had bullied me all my damn life?!