Alpha's Contract Marriage

Four: The Contract

The Contract

Four Caleb

I stand there staring at Ellie. The gangly girl I used to tease and pick on growing up. I know that it was wrong, but I never bullied her. No, I always stood up for her. It just pissed me off that she was always stuck to her brother’s side keeping our group of friends from doing many things that we wanted to do. Looking at her now. I’m surprised at how beautiful she has turned out to be. When my father announced that she had ranked Alpha at her ceremony yesterday really made me look at her. She is who I want as my Luna. She is beautiful and smart. She would be perfect for me. It helps a lot that I am very attracted to her.

“Your soon to be wife and your equal, Ellie.” I think over his words as a smile spreads over my face until I hear her cry out. “What, what do you mean soon to be wife?” Ellie screams jumping up from her seat, she starts to pace in front of the sofa that her and her family is sitting on. “I have a boyfriend, a life, there is no way I’m going to marry him!” She stops staring at me as my smile slowly washes off my face. I hear my father growl and put my hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

“You will do as you are told by your Alpha, or you and your family will be kicked out of this Pack to become Rouges.” My father stands as I look over to Ronin. He frowns at me, and I grind my teeth. I had no clue about this, how could he assume I knew. I can tell that is what he is thinking as I look away from him to see Ellie with tears rolling down her face. “Daddy.” She cries and I watch as Beta Miles stands and takes his daughters hands into his. “Honey, you were promised to Caleb when you were born. I’m sorry we should have told you before now, but I didn’t want to hurt you. I will let you decide, we will always stand behind you.” I watch the scene play out in front of me. I watch as she looks at her brother and her mom then her dad who is still holding her hands.

I watch in amazement as she straitens her spine and turns to my father and me. Looking my father right in his eyes. At that moment I feel pride in her for the courage she has inside. “What kind of marriage will this be?” she asks as my father motions her to sit back down. I watch as she sits back down like she is the Luna already, with grace and style. I gin a little bit and she flashes me a look of indifference. I watch as my father pulls his top drawer open and takes out a stack of papers. He hands one to Ellie and one to me.

I look over the paper and realize it is a contract that binds Ellie to me. Outlining almost every detail of what is expected of our marriage. I flip through the pages and notice at the bottom of the last page our parents had already signed and dates these papers over eighteen years ago. When I was two and Ellie wasn’t even born yet. I look up and see the tears in Ellie’s eyes as she looks back to me.

“The contract has certain hard rules inside. I want to ensure you understand the ones that can and will break the contract and leaves you and your family with nothing.” My father says as I grind my teeth. I don’t understand how my parents and hers could do something so underhanded to her or me for that matter. “In three weeks, you will marry under the full moon, mate and mark each other binding you two for the rest of your lives.” I hear Ellie gasp as she hurries and slams her mouth shut at my father’s glare.

“This will give you two weeks to get your affairs in order. The third week you two will go to our family cabin. You will spend that week getting to know each other. No cell phones or anything else to draw your attention from each other. When you come back and marry you will live together in the Alpha’s apartment. At this time, you both will start your training to take over the pack. I will train Caleb and my Luna will train you. This will happen six day a week leaving you Sunday to have a couple’s day.” My father finally stops to take a breath.

“Alpha what about Thad?” I hear Ellie ask. For some reason my hackles raise at her tone of voice. Just who in the hell is Thad I wonder as I watch Beta Miles grabs her hand and her mom’s eyes start tearing. “Thad who my dear?” My father asks looking at her. “Gamma Thad, Alpha, my boyfriend.” She says and I hear my father growl out. “As I said you have two weeks to get your affairs in order. However, if I hear of you sleeping with him from anyone from this moment on, I will cancel the contract, leaving you are your family rouges. Understand young lady. I don’t care if you are pure right now or not, but you will respect my son and this marriage contract.”

“I understand Alpha.” I hear Ellie say. I can tell she is holding back her tears and I really feel for her. I don’t want anyone who is made to marry me. It just doesn’t seem right for some reason, but I cannot say anything against my father while we have others in the same room. He would take it as a challenge, and I just cannot disrespect him in such a way. “However, I expect the same out of Caleb.” She says looking right at me. It makes me wonder if she knows about my excursions in college. I glance at Ronin, and he just smiles. I see out of the corner of my eye my father turns to look at me. I nod my head. “I agree with the terms.” I say looking back at Ellie who is red face in anger or embarrassment, I don’t know.

“From this day forward both of you will have a guard following you. If either of you try to slip your guard, you will be punished accordingly. Do you agree with the terms stated in the contract?” I watch as a defeated look comes over her face. “Yes, Alpha.” My father then turns to look at me. I bow my head. “Yes, Alpha.” I say as I rise my head and see the tears once again rolling down Ellie’s face making me feel like sh*t. Maybe I can talk my father out of this contract after everyone leaves. I don’t want her to hate me. But then again even if we are not contracted to marry, she still cannot be with her boy toy as he is a Gamma, and she is ranked an Alpha.

“Good, then you have two weeks to get everything in order and pack. You will be moving into Caleb’s apartment with him in two weeks. On that day you two will go to my family’s cabin with guards for one week. You both will come back the day before the night of the full moon.” My father says making notes on a piece of paper. He looks up and hands it to Ellie. “You are dismissed.” I watch as everyone gets up and leaves my father’s office except for Ronin. I walk around my father’s desk and take a seat next to Ronin.

I look over at Ronin who has a raised eyebrow at me. Sh*t is all I can think. I will have to ask and it kind of scares me confronting my father. I have to word everything right or risk disrespecting him which is something I never want to do. “Dad what is the deal with this contract?" I hear my dad sigh as he throws down his pen and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Unfortunately, son it is something that cannot be undone. This was in the making when I was contracted to marry your mother and she came with her best friend with a contract to marry my beta.” I look at him not knowing what to say. I never knew that my parents were contracted to marry.

“I still don’t understand. I thought contracts like this didn’t happen anymore, in this day and age.” I say trying my best to understand. “They do still happen but mostly only to Alpha’s to strengthen the packs.” Ronin says as he looks over to me with a small frown on his face. I turn to see my father nodding his head. “Your Beta is right.” He sighs standing and walking to his window looking out over our training fields. “Ellie is an Alpha. She will make a strong partner and good second Alpha to this Pack. Keeping them safe and fed.” My dad stops to look at me. “There may not be love right now but it will come. Mating and marking her will help you to understand her and her to understand you.” He says looking back out the window. “Your mother hated me when she first met me. It didn’t take long for me to change her mind. I had feelings for her when I first saw her. I also know you feel the same way about Ellie.” He says turning to me.

I shake my head, but my dad just smiles at me. “Yes, son I know. I had the same look on my face when I first met your mother. You cannot hide it from me.” I sigh out and just stare at my feet. “Is there anything I can do to free her from this contract?” I ask as I don’t look up. I don’t want my father to see the hurt in my eyes knowing that he is right. I fell hard for her when I first seen her, and it hurts that she doesn’t want me. She is the first and only woman who didn’t want me upon seeing me. The only woman who said no instead of prepositioning me for s*x right off the bat.

“If it could be son, I would have made sure it was done a long time ago. Like I said the contract is linked to mine and her parent’s contracts. It is something that was recorded and entered into the Elders Council to combine our family lines. It was either you marry her or Ronin.” I look over at Ronin and shake my head. “Sorry man I just can’t you’re really not my type.” I say as Ronin punches my arm. “Okay then I guess I will make the best of it and somehow make her fall for me. How hard can it be.” I say as I hear Ronin laugh.

“Do you not remember how hardheaded she is. No one not even my parents can make her do something that she doesn’t want to do.” He claps his hand on my shoulder. Come on we have a party downstairs to attend and a party tonight to go to. Oh” he says getting up and looking over at me. “Just so you know Ellie is coming with us tonight also.” I raised my eyebrow at him, and he chuckles. “I asked my parents if I could take her out when I got home. To celebrate her graduation and ranking ceremony.”

I nod my head. “Well, I guess the sooner I start wooing her the better.” I say making Ronin laugh again as we walk out of my father’s office. As soon as we enter my room, Ronin comes in and I look over at him. “What are you going to do Caleb?” he asks me as I just stare at him. “What do you want me to do Ronin?” I ask understanding that this is not an ideal situation to be in. “Find a way to get my sister out of this contract.” He says pointing at the contract in my hand. I sigh and look at him. “What if I don’t want out of it?”