Alpha's Substitute Bride

“Ava, you will stand and marry Ethan in your sister’s place.” My father’s voice was stern and low. Standing at the end of my father’s desk, I clenched my jaw at his demands. “No,” I stood my ground. He rose from his chair and moved towards me, his steps slow and threatening. “Listen, Ava,” He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “With the pack disbanded, I have no money left. Not for charity, I can’t help you unless you help me first. If you want your mother to get the help she needs, this is what you must do.” “I can pay you back! I’ll go back to work,” I insisted. “Please, father, don’t make me do this.” “What will you do? Sell cakes?” He scoffed in my face. He leaned back against his desk and looked down at me. “Even if you bake a hundred a day, you will never make enough money to pay it back.” My chin started to quiver and I had to look up to keep myself calm. “Daddy!” Dora, my half-sister, suddenly burst through the door. She spoke like a child and sounded like a shrieking pheasant. My father enveloped her in a hug, his face softened considerably at her intrusion. She always was the favorite. “Dora, darling.” He smiled. “How are things with your wealthy boyfriend?” “It’s going incredibly smoothly,” Dora broke away from the hug, boasting as she continued. “He’s aware of the engagement, but said if we can get around it in some way, he’ll propose! I’ll be a Luna at last.” My father’s face broke out into a greedy grin, and then he turned to me. “You have no choice now, Ava.” He glared, there was no way he would take no for an answer at this point. “This is an amazing opportunity for someone like you!” Dora laughed, her head turned to give me a contemptuous look, “Ethan used to be the son of an alpha. Since you’re wolfless, this is a huge step in the social ladder for you. You should be so lucky to marry higher than you are.” There’s an exuberant amount of disadvantages for a wolf-less person in this world. Not only am I wolf-less, but I’m the illegitimate daughter of the alpha and his maid. My family always liked to throw that in my face whenever I needed anything. They considered me worthless, the black sheep of the family. It didn’t help that I looked almost nothing like my father or my sister. I must’ve taken more attributes from my mother. Dora, my half-sister, was the cruelest of them all when it came down to the way they treated me. She never lets me forget that I am below her in favor and status. She thinks of my misfortune as a game and teases me over my sick mother. She sometimes wouldn’t even use my name, referring to me only as ‘Daughter of the Maid’. My mother’s illness had progressed and confined her to her bed, there were stipulations to getting her the proper care she needed. “Are you really going to be so selfish, Ava?” Dora’s mother, Hellen, walked through the open office doors and gave me a stern look. Dora glared at me as she continued. “Don’t be such a brat and accept the proposal.” She sneered, watching me cruelly. “You marry Ethan and I will pay for your mother’s hospital visits and any medicine she could need with the money Dora will get from this match.” My father finalized. There was no more room for arguments, if I said no I would be sentencing my mother to death. I gulped, accepting that I had no choice.  “I can do that, but you have to swear you will do whatever you can to keep her alive and well when I do.” His face broke into a wide, toothy grin. I could see the cigar stains on his yellowing canines. Dora squealed and ran to her father in celebration. Her mother, Hellen, clapped her hands together like a giddy school girl. I took that distraction as my cue to leave. As soon as I was out the door, I called my best friend. It rang twice before she answered. “Sammy,” I breathed into the speaker. “What’s going on?” She asked. “Is it your mother?” “No,” I paused. “I’m engaged.” She gasped. “To Ethan, Dora’s fiance… ex-fiance.” I told her. “And you’re okay with that? He’s been unseen for years, and he’s poor. Did you know that when you got engaged? He went AWOL when his parents were killed by that rogue werewolf right in front of him. He took all the family money that was in the bank and split it with the members of the pack and ran off. Dude was only fifteen, it’s been ten years since anyone has seen him.” Sammy rushed out. Of course she would know, she sees and knows all. She’s a serial gossiper. I’m silent as she goes on. I realized this must be why Dora was so keen to get out of the engagement. “Ava,” My father came out to the hall where I was listening to Sammy’s rendition of the fall of the Purple Moon pack. “I’ve already contacted Ethan, he insists that you meet him. Tomorrow.” “What?” I dropped my cell phone. “That’s so soon!” “Go, do what you need tonight, once you’re married, you are out of this house.” He smiled cruelly. “Hopefully for good.” “Just remember what the deal is.” I seethe at the apathy exuding from him. He stood up a little straighter and looked down his nose at me. “Go.” I scooped up my phone and ran to the servants’ room my mother and I have shared since I was born. I needed to pack and say goodbye. The next morning, I waited in front of the house for my father. He was supposed to drop me off at Ethan’s house. The place where I would be living for the rest of my life. Dora came bounding down the stairs of the porch with him following suit. She was dressed in all designer brand clothing from head to toe. “Still waiting to meet the poor little orphaned alpha?” Dora teased, sporting a brand new luxury purse on her shoulder. It was an awful bright purple and green-ish yellow leather with gold accents and fur lining all around the edges. Suppose money can’t buy taste. Her attitude was completely different than the day before. Yesterday, she wanted to make the situation sound more enticing. Now that I had agreed to it, she used Ethan’s misfortune to tease me once again. “Father’s going to drop me off.” I rolled my eyes. “Actually, Ava, Dora needs a ride to her date.” He pat Dora on the shoulder. “You’ll have to find another way to meet him.” “He’s not picking you up? Broke, pathetic, and so unattracted to you he couldn’t be bothered to show up.” Dora sneered. “Not like my boyfriend. Did you see this purse he bought me? Lovely isn’t it? It’s real fur from-” She’s cut off by a long, black limo pulling up in front of the house. “That must be for you, darling.” My father smiled and waved to the man emerging from the driver’s side. “I’m looking for-” “Right here!” Dora jumped up and approached the chauffeur. “Are you Ava?” The man asked. “N-no…” Dora smiled awkwardly and glanced over her shoulder back at me. “Then step aside. Miss Ava?” The man asked again, this time with his eyes set on me. “Yes?” “Please, come with me. Mr. Ethan is waiting for you.”