The Beast's Bride

Selection

I just don't understand why I should have to look nice. If he picks me, it's against my will."

"Hush, Allison," she admonished as she finished tightening up the fastenings on her dress. Not quite a corset, but close. It had been special ordered by her aunt months ago, but she doubted she thought that this would be the occasion her dear niece would be wearing it for. "It would be a respectable position," she continued. "Do you know how many women want it? If you were picked, your father and I would never have to worry about you. If he picks you, then you will be willing. Do you understand? I'll not have my own daughter be the reason the pack punishes the entire town. We have a responsibility to them for their protection. You should be grateful."

Allison scoffed. "They're brutes, Mom. Even the females. I mean, have you seen the shape our men come back in after a night with them?"

Her mother turned her around to face her and started pulling her hair down and around her shoulders. "I've never heard one complain," she said with meaning.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's because they were probably threatened."

"I said, hush." Her mother's tone was crisp and sharp, indicating she was starting to get truly annoyed with her daughter. "So far, he and his pack have done nothing but protect us. What do you think the wall is for?"

There was a knock on the door. Dad. "It's time. All the others are gathering on the road. We're the last group to be looked over."

Like cattle, she thought to herself. Or slaves.

Her mother kissed her cheek. "It'll be fine, dear."

Allison walked away from her, not returning the sentiment. She stopped at her father's side in the doorway. "How can you be okay with this?"

His eyes turned regretful. He placed his hand on her cheek. "Allison, sweetie, it's not that I enjoy this. It's the price we have to pay for their protection. You know that. This is the only time the pack leader is choosing a mate. There's every chance it won't be you. This is a one-time thing unless the female dies."

With that pleasant thought, she roughly pulled away from her father and stomped down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she found that some of her bags had already been packed, just in case she was picked. A bad feeling clenched her stomach as she slid into her shoes. It didn't bode well. Whenever she'd gotten these feelings, they'd always turned out how she imagined them. Grinding her teeth, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and opened the door. Luckily it wasn't raining, but it was a cool night. So cool that the breeze raised bumps on her skin. The skirts of her white dress fluttered around her legs as she went to join the line of other girls ranging in ages from mid-teens to late thirties. All willing females.

Yeah right. A lot of the young ones looked terrified. Of course they were. They'd probably been shoved into their dresses and forced out here just like she'd been. Probably had the same speech as well. None of these girls or women were attached. All were single, or at least not married.

The girl next to Allison was shaking uncontrollably, and something told her it wasn't the weather. Her name was Jenny and lived not too far from here. Allison had seen her in the Book Cafe a lot. She was shy and quiet but always knew what she was looking for. Reaching over, Allison gripped the poor girl's hand, giving it a squeeze and what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

With the next breeze came whispers that the wolves were on their way. Girls lined both sides of the road, waiting. Jenny gripped Allison's hand as if it were the only solid thing she had to grab in the ocean. Allison went up on her toes to try to see down the road. Something moved in the growing shadows. The alpha and his pack? Of course it was. A shudder and silence descended on the group as the tall, darkly handsome pack leader strode forward. He stopped at the beginning of the group, inspecting them all as one entity before narrowing his eyes. Honestly, he'd probably want a less dominant mate, one more easily controlled. He was The Alpha, an alpha male. What male didn't want a submissive woman? Therefore, she made sure to keep her chin up, eyes away from the ground. As he came forward, she studied him. Again, he was handsome, looking no older than her own twenty years. But of course he was older. He'd been this pack's Alpha for ten years, if the rumors were true. And he carried himself as an older, more experienced man might. A man who'd been through some s**t only to come out the other side different, changed. Besides, he'd been infected as a teenager, so he had to be in his thirties, she guessed. After being infected, he would have had to have training, how to control the beast. Add a few more years of work experience to the resume and then the decade of being Alpha. Yep, thirties. Definitely.

He stopped at every female, closely inspecting her, but never touching. None of them would meet his eyes. At least he'd have his pick of females. And eventually, it was Allison's turn. She knew she was tall for a woman, five foot seven or so, but this mountain of a man towered over her. In his shadow, the air became cooler, making her shiver even more. Clenching her jaw, she held those shivers back by force of will and met his eyes defiantly. She wasn't weak. Never had been. Being a man's, human or otherwise, submissive toy was not on her to-do list. Under her glare, he c****d an eyebrow over his impossibly dark eyes that still managed to be brown instead of black. The most emotion she'd seen from him this whole time.

And then he couldn't seem to help his eyes skimming her body down to her feet and slowly back up before one more moment of eye contact. And then he was gone, quickly surveying the rest. Allison let out her breath and relaxed. Jenny gave her hand a squeeze and a small smile. Looking back over her shoulder, she could see her parents waiting at the edge of the trees. Her father was frowning, clearly not happy that a man his age was checking out his daughter. Her mother just nodded once. Figured.