An Alpha Arrangement

Chapter 2

The lake was near the border, but since my father would be busy all day, he wouldn't notice my absence. I dove into the clear water, the chill of it bit into my skin. I swam under the surface, enjoying the silence, and stayed beneath the water until my lungs burned without oxygen. I popped above the surface close to the edge and a scent floated over me. I glanced to the side to see the same massive black wolf with its feet just barely in the water. I c****d my head to the side. The wolf dipped its snout in the water and used it to splash water at me. My laugh echoed across the water, and I shoved a handful of water back in its direction. The wolf seemed to c**k his eyebrow at me. The air was heavy around us and I looked at the sky. No storm seemed to be brewing. My eyes met the wolf's, he padded up the bank a few steps before lying down. His eyes never left mine as he turned his head to reveal his neck. Air rushed out of me, and I took careful steps out of the water. The wolf waited unmoving. I reached out and touched the top of the wolf's head. He pushed his head harder against my hand. My body hummed, it felt like there was electricity thrumming under my skin. The wolf suddenly whipped its head towards the path. The abruptness knocked me off balance and I fell, a rock slicing through my palm. Blood began to pour out and I winced. The wolf stood and released a small whine, his snout going under my hand.

"I'm okay, it's just a scratch." I said, tucking my hand back out of sight.

He stiffened and growled lightly in the direction of the path. He nudged his head under my arm and helped me to stand before bowing backwards and sprinting in the opposite direction.

A few minutes later, Jonathon came into view. He looked like he had just stepped off a photoshoot. Everything about him was flawlessly done. His hair gelled and styled, not a crease or wrinkle on his shirt, even his shoes shined in the sunlight. It was as if dirt didn't dare to land on him. Yet, here I was wet, muddy, and bleeding.

"A little cold for swimming."

"It's refreshing," I said. His eyes zeroed in on my hand.

"What did you do?"

"Oh," I looked at it, considering. "I tripped and my hand caught on a rock." Not the truth, not a lie. His nose wrinkled and he looked over to the bank I was just on with the wolf, sniffing.

"Anything of note happen this morning?" he asked, his tone rough.

I smiled. "Let's see, there was a beautiful sunrise."

"Mm, anything else?" Jonathon tucked hair behind my ear. His hand lingered against my throat.

"Oh, well, I did wake up to find a beautiful garden of flowers outside my door. Thank you." Dozens of purple rhododendrons, deep burgundy dahlias, orange lilies, and buttercups had flowed in front of the doors to my suite.

He looked at me contemplating before nodding.

"It was hard to find flowers as vibrant as you." He said, then glanced at the shore again and then at the blood still dripping.

"Was there anyone else swimming this morning?" He asked.

"Nope!" I said, a little too quickly.

"Your hand isn't healing." I folded my fingers over my palm.

"It's deep," I shrugged.

"I wanted to talk to you about the last time I was here," he said.

"I'd rather not." The hurt was still there on the surface.

"You need to know. I never would have accepted Carissa's advances if Grayson hadn't told me you wanted nothing to do with me. I was hurt. I tried to get over you by being with her, but I haven't gotten over you. I don't think I ever will. I want you to be with me. I want you to be my Luna, I want you to be mine." The end was nearly a growl.

Shock hollowed me out. Jonathon cupped my face.

"Say you will come back with me," he said.

I stuttered. "It's not that simple, my brother is gone now, I am the only heir my pack has. Plus, what about mates? What if one of us meet ours?"

Shock crossed his face. "No one has felt a mate bond in decades. Even if I did, she wouldn't be you. As for your pack, your father's plans aren't what you are hoping for."

"How do you know?"

"It's why I was invited." He said gently. "Your father's plan is a marriage alliance."

All feeling, all sense, drained from me, taking my legs with them. Jonathon caught me and held me to his chest.

"I'm sorry," he murmured into my hair, lightly pressing a kiss on the crown of my head. "He is announcing it tonight, I didn't expect… I figured you knew."

"All this," I waved my hand between us. "You don't want me. I'm a requirement." I shook my head, my spine steeled. I pushed away from Jonathon but his arms held against me in a vice.

"I have wanted nothing more than you for five years, Elaina. Your borders closed after the attack. I asked your father before it all happened, but after, your father didn't allow any visitors. Much less the nephew of the wolf who slaughtered your family."

The image of the red wolf flashed through my mind. He had used his alpha status and a guard let him pass through. On business, he had said, a message of upmost importance for my father.

We were having dinner in the alpha suite. We did it once a week just the four of us. Alpha Jarrod had brought wine, my brother and I were so excited to be allowed to partake. We weren't of age but our parents said just this once. There were cheers and laughs, stories and memories, we welcomed him to the table, and before we knew it, he grabbed my mother. A silver knife was pressed against her throat. I screamed. We tried to shift but we couldn't. My father knelt and begged for his wife's life. Brandon and I called out for help, no one came.

Jarrod was ranting, saying my mother should belong to him.

"I am finally taking what is mine" he screamed into the air.

My mother broke into a sob, Brandon rushed towards Jarrod, holding nothing but a dinner knife. He managed to wrestle my mother away but Jarrod shifted and a claw raked through my brother's throat. He fell with a deafening thud to the ground. My mother crawled to my father. He stood taking her with him and backing away from the room. I couldn't move. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Jarrod snarled.

He lunged for me and his teeth dug into my bicep. I twisted my arm and tried to run to my mother. She reached out for me but my father pulled her back. Jarrod's claws raked down my back then his mouth twisted in my hair and pulled me to him. He dragged me from the room. As I was pulled through the packhouse there was blood everywhere. Bodies of pack members, sentries, guards, friends, filled the space. I could see a handful of men slaughtering more of my pack. My mother raced after us, begging for him to release me. My father roared at her to stop.

Jarrod's men grabbed her.

"Let my daughter go," her voice broke, "and I will go with you."

Jarrod shifted back, "that's what I want to hear, my love." My eyes swung to my mother. Regret lined her eyes. My father had been subdued, without being able to shift, he couldn't get to us. To her I amended mentally.

I looked up into my mother's eyes. "Don't," I begged, but she walked to him. Even bloodied and tattered, she was the epitome of grace and beauty. I grabbed her hand, she smiled softly at me and placed a kiss on my cheek, her lips came away blood red.

She tucked in close to Jarrod and whispered in his ear, "You will never have me."

It was uttered with such venom as she brought a blade up to slice across his throat. He was faster though, and fought for the knife. She fell and it sliced through her neck. Two roars filled the air, one soaked in anguish and one of erupted fury . I glanced to see my father break. Every bone in his body seemed to dissolve, all his fight gone.

It was my turn to fight. Fight for him, for this pack, for my family. I picked up the blood-soaked knife. Jarrod was unmoving, his gaze locked on my mother's limp body. I plunged the knife into him, all the way to the ornate hilt.

Jonathon wiped tears I didn't realize were falling from my cheeks. He lightly pressed his forehead to mine.

"Give me a chance, just visit me. If you don't like it, after a few weeks. I won't agree with your father, but I don't want to be without you."

I searched his eyes, his face, they were so sincere. With nothing else to do, I nodded.

Jonathon kept me tucked into his side. We were just inside the house when Gray pushed Jonathon back.

"What did you do?" He roared.

Jonathon lunged forward, and I stepped between them.

"He did nothing," I said coolly. "Although, I don't need anyone speaking about my feelings other than me."

Gray's gaze locked onto Jonathon's, fire filling them.

"Excuse me, and stay away from each other." I said.

The walk up the flight of stairs to my father's office was slow. Every step felt excruciating. I knocked lightly on the door.

"Not now." His voice rumbled.

I opened the door. "Yes, now."

He sucked in a breath, presumably to order me out.

"When were you going to tell me I was a barter? You let me believe I was going to lead this pack."

"It was never your place to lead this pack, it was Brandon's."

"And he is gone." Grief edged into my voice.

"You're lucky I picked someone who likes you. I could have picked any pack."

"I have done everything for this pack." My voice was quiet.

"You didn’t save it's Luna." He cut me off. His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "What happens when another pack finds out you're wolfless? What happens to the pack then? I'll tell you, it gets raided and sacked."

"You've done just fine being without a wolf." My voice lashed out. Tears burned in my eyes but I wouldn't let them fall.

"For now. A marriage alliance will happen. You can let it be with Jonathon, or I will make the agreement with someone else. The decision is final." The threat loomed in his words.