Unwanted Marriage

Shanella Anderson

I woke up to the sound of pounding fists on my door, followed by my father’s angry voice. My heart raced as I opened my eyes and saw the sunlight filtering through the cracks in the curtains. It was early, much too early, and I was already dreading the day ahead. I pulled the blankets closer to me, hoping to ignore the harsh reality waiting outside my door.

“Shanella!” Alpha Ethan’s voice was sharp, filled with authority. “Get up. Get ready. Now!”

His words were like a slap to my face. I froze. I knew what this meant. I knew exactly what was coming, and I hated every part of it. I felt tears start to well up in my eyes as I reluctantly pushed the blankets off and sat up. My father had already made it clear what he expected of me. I was nothing more than a tool in his plans, a pawn in the game of power he was always playing.

I stood shakily, my legs trembling, and walked toward the door, hoping somehow I could escape this reality. But when I opened it, I found Alpha Ethan standing there, his face twisted in anger. His eyes burned with fury as he stared down at me.

“Why are you still lying there?” he snapped. “Do you think I’m going to let you hide away from your duties? You will marry Alpha Terence, and you will do it willingly. This is for the good of the pack, do you understand?”

I could feel the lump in my throat grow bigger, and despite myself, tears began to fall. I knelt on the floor in front of him, unable to hold back the sobs that wracked my body.

“Please, Dad,” I begged, my voice breaking. “I don’t want to marry Alpha Terence. Please, I can’t.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them, and I hated myself for sounding so weak. But I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to marry him, not when he was so much older than me, not when he made me feel so disgusting just by looking at me.

Alpha Ethan’s face grew darker, his lips pressing into a tight line. “This is not about you, Shanella. This is about the future of the Moon Crest Pack. Our pack will grow stronger when we merge with the Green Eyes Pack. This union is necessary.”

I tried to ignore the way his words made my stomach churn. I was nothing but a pawn in his scheme, a piece to move around on a chessboard that had no regard for my feelings.

“But he’s seventy, Dad!” I protested, my voice barely above a whisper. “He’s old, and I’m just eighteen! I don’t want to marry an old man!”

Alpha Ethan’s expression turned into a sneer, and before I could even react, his hand struck across my face. The slap was hard enough to make my head spin, and my face burned with the sting. I gasped, my breath catching in my chest, but I didn’t dare cry out.

“You are useless like your mother,” he spat, his words venomous. “You can’t be Alpha, not with that weak, feminine nature of yours. So you will do what you’re told. Marrying Alpha Terence is your only use to me now. You will become his Luna, and you will do it without complaint!”

I felt my heart break at his words. He never had anything kind to say to me. He never saw me as anything more than a tool to further his power. He’d never loved me the way a father should love his daughter.

Tears streamed down my face as I knelt there, unable to find the strength to stand.

“I don’t want this,” I whispered, my voice hoarse. “Please, I can’t do this. I’m not a piece to be traded.”

But Alpha Ethan didn’t care about my feelings. He never had.

“Enough!” he shouted. “Get ready and go to the meeting room. Now!” His voice was final, leaving no room for argument. Then, he slammed the door behind him, the force of it shaking the walls.

I stayed on the floor for a long moment, my body shaking with sobs I couldn’t hold back. I felt like everything was falling apart, like my entire world was slipping through my fingers, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Lily and Paula, two of the maids, entered the room quietly. They had tears in their eyes, too, but they didn’t say anything at first. They knew better than to try to comfort me now. They only helped me as best as they could, knowing it was the only way to keep me from being punished further.

“Miss Shanella, you have to get ready,” Lily whispered, her voice gentle. “Alpha Ethan will punish you again if you don’t hurry.”

I didn’t want to move. I wanted to lie there and let the world fade away. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t let Alpha Ethan hurt me again. So, I stood up slowly, wiping my tears away.

Lily and Paula helped me take a quick bath, and as they dressed me in a fine gown for the meeting, I could feel their sorrow, their helplessness. They couldn’t do anything for me, but they were doing what they could. I knew they cared, but I felt so alone.

Finally, a pack guard knocked on the door. “Alpha Ethan asks that Miss Shanella join him in the meeting room. Alpha Terence has arrived.”

My heart sank. I didn’t want to face him, not after the things he had said to me, not after how he’d looked at me with such hunger in his eyes. But I had no choice. I wiped my tears away and nodded silently, taking one last look at the room that had been my home for as long as I could remember.

I stepped out of the room, my legs weak and trembling, and made my way toward the meeting room. The air felt thick, suffocating. As I entered, my eyes immediately found Alpha Terence standing by the window, his gaze focused on me.

When his eyes met mine, a shiver ran down my spine. He looked me up and down with such an unsettling, lustful gaze, making me feel sick. Without a word, he reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling it toward his lips. He licked my hand, and the sensation made my stomach churn.

“You’ll be my Luna tomorrow,” he said, his voice smooth and cold. “Tomorrow, you’ll be mine.”