The Alpha's Unwanted Bride

Elsa I sat alone in my room, feeling completely lost and overwhelmed. My mind was racing, and I didn't know what to do. The memories of the recent horrors were still so vivid, like fresh wounds that refused to heal. I couldn't believe that our lives had come to this. The sight of blood, the screams, the chaos—it all played on a loop in my mind, tormenting me day and night. The loss of my friends weighed heavily on my heart, and I couldn’t shake the overwhelming grief that threatened to consume me. My father was struggling too, more than I had ever seen him before. Our pack, once so strong and united, had been shattered. The Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, the pillars of our community, were gone, brutally killed, along with their entire families. It was a m******e, and the only reason we had been spared was because my father had surrendered. Even now, I could see the pain and guilt etched into his face. Our pack was drowning in sorrow, and I couldn’t imagine how we would ever find the strength to move on. I was only nineteen, too young to carry such a heavy burden, yet here I was, my world crumbling around me. As I sat in my room, lost in my grief, my father quietly entered. I knew he had something important to say, but the words seemed to be caught in his throat. He looked at me with a mixture of love and sadness, struggling to find the right moment to speak. "Elsa, how have you been holding up?" he finally asked, his voice gentle but laced with worry. He settled on the couch in my room, his eyes searching mine for an answer. I felt a lump form in my throat, and tears welled up in my eyes. "All my friends are gone, Daddy. I don’t have anyone left. I might never find my mate because our pack has been destroyed. This… this is a nightmare," I said, my voice breaking as I spoke. The reality of it all crashed down on me, and I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. I started to cry, deep, wrenching sobs that shook my entire body. My father moved to sit beside me at the foot of my bed, wrapping his arms around me in a comforting embrace. I cried harder, clinging to him as if he were the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely. The memories of that horrible day flooded my mind, and the pain was unbearable. "I know it’s hard, and I wish I could tell you it will get easier," he said softly, his voice full of sorrow. "But I can’t promise that, my child." I cried even more, feeling the depth of his words. The pain, the loss, the uncertainty of our future—it all felt like too much to bear. My father sighed deeply, and in that moment, I could feel the weight of his exhaustion. He was tired—so incredibly tired. I knew he had been ready to face death, to fight until his last breath, but he had surrendered because of me. A part of me didn’t know whether I should be grateful for his decision or resentful. How could I ever reconcile the two? Many in the pack were thankful to him; his decision to surrender had saved all our lives. The Eclipse pack had taken control, and though our lives were spared, nothing was the same. I had heard stories about their Alpha—Adam, they called him. He was ruthless, never smiled, and ruled with an iron fist. He was wealthy beyond imagination, owning vast territories, and our land was just another trophy to add to his collection. I couldn’t imagine him seeing any value in us beyond what he could take. Would he even bother to treat us as more than slaves? I doubted it. My heart sank as I thought about the bleak future ahead. My father’s voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. "I hate to be the one to tell you this," he began, and the tone of his voice sent a chill down my spine. I knew whatever he was about to say would be something I didn’t want to hear, but I listened intently, bracing myself for the blow. "For Alpha Adam to fully absorb our pack, to ensure our surrender is seen as genuine, I have to marry you off to him," he said, his words landing like a punch to my gut. The shock hit me so hard that I pulled away from him and stood up, my heart racing. "What?" I gasped, trying to make sense of what he had just said. Marry me off to Alpha Adam? Was this some kind of nightmare? I was only nineteen. I was a virgin, I hadn’t even met my mate yet. I hadn’t lived long enough to experience life, to find love, or to even know who I was. And now, my life was being traded away like some kind of bargaining chip. Panic surged through me, my breath quickening as the walls of my room seemed to close in around me. "You need to calm down, Elsa," my father urged, his voice pleading but firm. "This is completely beyond my control. He was the one who demanded this. I know he did it to test my loyalty. If I had refused, it would have been a clear sign that we hadn’t truly surrendered to him." He tried to explain, but his words only made my fear and anger swell. I shook my head, backing away as if I could escape the reality of the situation. How could he ask this of me? How could he expect me to accept such a fate? My entire world was crumbling, and I felt utterly powerless to stop it.