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Ads for Diet on 2024-08-01

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1,953,692	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	No	2024-08-01 19:27	active	1203	671720621483364	Custom Gangster Teddy Bear Crown Metal Wall Art LED Light	💘 Personalized Gangster Teddy Bear Crown Metal Wall Art LED Light 😍<br /> buy now 🎁 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cororver.com%2FSK323&h=AT2bO-0t3oqCKpF0jui2HHW7YEnQkbNMtZJdldQOvKSTeNgsvchuJPKUD8VFIhzgUL0K_a_M4UpLTguXsBac8oWz2LA3D-znzJ9PteHO75eLYBCozlMn-y7sQT7QU_FzGReQCY7-5Gl61Q" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.cororver.com/SK323</a><br /> <br /> 💘😍 The perfect gift for your friends or family	SHOP_NOW	https://www.cororver.com/SK323	108356178578587	cororver.com	https://facebook.com/cororver	90	1	933,299,615,033,571	2024-01-01 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	0	0	Shop now	cororver.com	120201856882680176	cororver.com		NONE	image	Custom Gangster Teddy Bear Crown Metal Wall Art LED Light	https://www.cororver.com/SK323	2023-12-07 21:12	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406765145_846965440770851_7987024006552751142_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Six00_7AuEkQ7kNvgE8qKle&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AYDkeQZx1-eyxGM1L_RI7EYDEW5-OWsbHwQhQF83wQAr2Q&oe=66B205DC	person_profile	0	cororver.com	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/406797526_906835257116139_298018749460800476_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xlIPknjAvVoQ7kNvgFuZrGA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AYCM8ZCJMzw022bT_-5EKcrBr25Tmdg1pwBco1orXuYRMQ&oe=66B1E7D9	3	cororver.com	2023-12-28 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,952,559	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1952562}'	No	2024-08-01 19:12	active	1201	7888896101145908		None of the diets out there designed for women who struggle with binge eating and overeating.<br /> <br /> That's why I created a free training to help women retrain their brain so they can finally be binge-free.<br /> <br /> Click Learn More to grab your spot.	LEARN_MORE	https://www.kellylwellness.com/fbworkshop	542223866720017	Kelly L Wellness	https://facebook.com/Kellylwellness	3,407	1	710,773,831,192,548	2024-08-01 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Learn more	Kelly L Wellness	120212801464450036	www.kellylwellness.com		NONE	video		https://www.kellylwellness.com/fbworkshop	2024-07-31 17:53	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453251000_465453966295612_3497246082146469647_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=T5TLeaMli9MQ7kNvgECqE2n&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AYAefCkvxOWV61NugEXmT9wHdpvBfkqnYpumh77XNJo67g&oe=66B1E253	person_profile	0	Kelly Lyons, MS CPT \| Binge Eating Coach	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453536494_826420922928865_5704032448161912902_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7ARSgms80pEQ7kNvgFyv9LE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AYAKLDMjLlQrvJltPpsAbvdixr3hLoWw_F_KfTQK2te3vA&oe=66B1F0A9	3	Kelly L Wellness	2024-07-31 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,953,525	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1953591}'	No	2024-08-01 19:27	active	1203	1307419750708559	Aelfric Eden E-Gift Card	Check it out, fam! 😍 We've got some sick streetwear up for grabs at Aelfric Eden.✨ Shop now and slay your fashion game with us today!	SHOP_NOW	https://www.aelfriceden.com/products/gift-card?var	613553422342850	Aelfric Eden	https://facebook.com/aelfricedencom	74,863	0	0	2024-08-01 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	1	0	Shop Now	Aelfric Eden	120211841504850102	aelfriceden.com	2231	NONE	dpa		https://www.aelfriceden.com/products/gift-card?variant=13642427990077	2024-08-01 06:15	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453778457_3766601223596109_3482069861959348135_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Jtp6bKG5dVsQ7kNvgERzyyv&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AYCcWy0CEWe190MqYNpNODHQz_WxJq6Q918Nzpw1eMRcKA&oe=66B203B9	person_profile	0	Aelfricedenofficial	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453490918_1216307409727528_2230240290602697551_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zDZQe_0dgFIQ7kNvgHHSOay&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AYDODKIR-GQm10Dm3nPObSLB8iX9yMHMofAL_9xkHlFBLw&oe=66B203A1	3	Aelfric Eden	2024-08-01 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,952,996	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1953006}'	Yes	2024-08-01 19:12	active	1201	1923642504803637	Woman Sold Ring from Ex, Jeweler's Reaction Left Her Stunned	Woman Sold Ring from Ex, Jeweler's Reaction Left Her Stunned	LEARN_MORE	https://tworeddots.com/sells-ring-gifted-by-ex-eb/	163458637537591	Sportz Bonanza	https://facebook.com/100079776066180	33,501	1	1,210,397,503,710,683	2024-08-01 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Learn more	Sportz Bonanza	120210986521800103	tworeddots.com		NONE	image	Following a painful breakup, Melissa made the difficult decision to move on by selling the beautiful ring her ex had given her. With a mix of emotions, she entered a prestigious jewelry store, intending to sell the ring and possibly make some money. The jeweler inspected the ring closely and was ast...	https://tworeddots.com/sells-ring-gifted-by-ex-eb/	2024-08-01 06:10	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453434714_1867617707058246_5145294984003146097_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=tEuykQ9AWVEQ7kNvgHxNXdO&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AYAkhiAES8rOOQabGZfcnYClPCeuXP03q35gJ_U_P_arEg&oe=66B2097D	person_profile	0	Sportz Bonanza	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453319293_857275779185514_1363534324742912178_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=K76PNCjDOwMQ7kNvgEjBl7R&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AYCr1p3VJT1K52eEGsOSHWNVYUKnM0fnejMrfJ2z8NDlBg&oe=66B1FD85	3	Sportz Bonanza	2024-08-01 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,953,433	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1953368}'	No	2024-08-01 19:25	active	1202	453682120916397	😍Read the next chapters👉	Chapter 1:<br /> PROLOGUE:<br /> Our three-year marriage is facing many challenges, and growing up as an orphan, who am I to expect anything better?<br /> My husband, Carter Whitlock, is everything I’ve ever dreamed of. Strong, kind, and fiercely devoted, he’s swept me off my feet from the moment we first met. In his arms, I’ve found solace and belonging.<br /> My mother-in-law, Elmyra, always has a disapproving gaze that’s never far from my side. The other members of the Whitlock family, too, seem to regard me with suspicion and disdain, as if I’m an interloper in their midst.<br /> I long to earn their acceptance, to prove myself worthy of their family name. Each day, I strive to be the perfect wife for Carter, tending to his needs with care and devotion. Yet no matter how hard I try, it seems as though I can never quite measure up to their expectations.<br /> Even so, a sense of determination always stirs within me. I won’t be cowed by their judgment, nor won’t I allow their harsh words to dim the light of my love for Carter.<br /> I'll be strong and unwavering in my resolve, and I’ll make my husband proud.<br /> ------<br /> Hazel’s POV<br /> I have an unbelievable secret that I can’t wait to tell my husband.<br /> With our three year anniversary coming up, it’s about time we make our family complete. I hear the rumors being spread about me by his relatives; the whisper that I’m barren.<br /> I look down at the little pink plus sign on the test and I smile. It’s all going to change now. Carter will be so happy when I tell him.<br /> When I first met Carter at college, I had just stepped out of the campus coffee shop and a cyclist almost ran me over. Carter stepped in and grabbed me out of harm’s way. I instantly felt butterflies in my stomach.<br /> He has been my hero from the very beginning. He is the city's most famous bachelor. and an incredibly rich man. I never thought he would be interested in someone like me. I had nothing to give him. Because of that, I have always felt inferior to him in our marriage.<br /> Not everyone approved of the marriage from the beginning. The house staff is respectful, but I think it’s only because I am the mistress. Not because they think I deserve it. I see the judgment in their eyes when they look at me.<br /> Both my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law are constantly making comments about my appearance. They love to remind me that I represent the formidable Whitlock family. As if my looks and the way I dress will forever stain their family’s image.<br /> I wasn’t even allowed to make any decisions on my own wedding. I tried to pick out the flowers and I was told my taste was ‘too simple’ for a wedding to the most nobel family. I have also been told on several occasions that I should be ‘seen and not heard’ during family meetings. Nobody trusts my opinion, let alone asks for it.<br /> Carter’s mother, Elmyra, has always been distant and indifferent to me. She treats me like an outcast and every time she approaches me I get nervous. Her hair is always perfectly done up; her makeup and clothes flawless. She is an intimidating woman and she often makes me feel small.<br /> She knows exactly what to say to cut deeply too.<br /> “I suppose you are happy riding my son’s coat tails the rest of your life? What purpose do you serve if you can’t give him an heir?”<br /> “It’s probably for the best, dear. As an orphan, you wouldn’t know the first thing about being a mother anyway.”<br /> “I don’t know what my son was thinking when he decided to marry you. You aren’t strong enough to be the lady of this family.”<br /> But I know I can rely on Carter to protect me from her harsh words and actions when he’s around. He even defends me against his mother when she is hard on me.<br /> “I know you want to be a grandmother mom, but Hazel and I are happy. We will have a child when we are ready.” Then he turns to me and kisses me on the forehead.<br /> I don’t know why Elmyra hates me so much. It makes me feel bad about myself, like I will never be good enough for her son. But, from now on, everything is going to change.<br /> Even Elmyra will have to start treating me better once she hears the news. I have a husband who adores me, a beautiful home and now, after years of trying, a new addition on the way to make our family complete.<br /> Me, an orphan, finally getting a real family to call her own.<br /> Just then Carter walks out of the bedroom looking as handsome as ever with his dark blonde hair, piercing blue eyes and chiseled jaw.<br /> “Morning, babe. What’s for breakfast?” Carter asks as he strolls into the kitchen.<br /> He kisses me on the cheek and lightly squeezes my wrist as he walks past me to get his coffee.<br /> “Eggs and bacon,” I reply with a giggle.<br /> We eat our breakfast in companionable silence. I cherish every moment alone with my husband. I don’t care what his mother or his other relatives think. I just want his approval. The one person who has truly loved me and been there for me in my life.<br /> While I’m standing at the sink washing dishes, I feel a presence behind me suddenly. Something cold and heavy is placed on my heart. I look down at the most beautiful diamond necklace I’ve ever seen. It has a big cushion cut stone in the center and smaller stones wrapping up the sides of the necklace.<br /> “Carter! What is this for?” I ask breathlessly.<br /> “For being so beautiful,” he replies.<br /> He leads me over to a mirror on the wall and I gasp in surprise.<br /> “It’s stunning,” I say in awe.<br /> “Tonight I’d like you to wear it to dinner with that short black dress I like. And, when we get back I’d like you to wear only this,” he says suggestively.<br /> “Yes, sir,” I say softly.<br /> I tip my head back to allow him access to my lips. He kisses me deeply and caresses my body and I lean into him.<br /> “I wish I could stay in bed all day with you, but this meeting is important,” he moans and steps back.<br /> “I will be waiting for you,” I say with a coy look.<br /> “What would I do without you? You are the love of my life,” he replies.<br /> He gives me another quick kiss and then he’s headed towards the door. I sigh happily, thinking about how much I’m going to miss him today. We had already planned on going out to dinner, but now it's going to be special. I will tell him I’m with child tonight and surprise him.<br /> Out of the blue, my phone rings. I see that it’s my best friend, Lillian.<br /> I’ve been so focused on being the perfect wife for Carter that I’ve lost touch with many of my friends.<br /> But Lilian is different. She knows everything about Carter and me. She knows how my mother-in-law and the other family members treat me. She has always been there for me. She knows what to say to make me feel better about anything.<br /> -[“Hi, Hazel. How are you?”]- she asks.<br /> “I’m doing ok,” I say.<br /> -[“Your voice doesn’t sound ok. Spill it.”]-<br /> “It’s nothing, just had a visit from Elmyra.”<br /> -[“You really shouldn’t put up with her crap, Hazel. Talk to Carter about it, maybe he can get her to lay off.”]-<br /> “I appreciate that but I think that will just make me look weak to her. She’s a complicated woman,” I say.<br /> -[“She’s a shrew,”]-<br /> Lillian’s sarcasm makes me laugh.<br /> “Speaking of which, I have to get ready for this afternoon tea so she doesn’t have my head. Talk later?” I ask.<br /> -[“So you’ll be gone all afternoon?”]-<br /> “Yes, unfortunately. These ladies love to drone on about family traditions,” I reply and then add, “Why, do you need something?”<br /> -[“No, I’m ok. I was going to ask you to lunch but another time. I’m always here for you Hazel so if it gets too much give me a call.”]-<br /> “Thank you. You are such a great friend,” I reply warmly.<br /> I hang up with Lillian and feel a pang of regret. I’m going to make it a priority to dedicate more time to our friendship.<br /> My day is over quickly. The tea goes very well and I decide to head home early. Usually, I’d follow the women back to Elmyra's house for dinner. I always want to be part of them. But this time, I’m very tired.<br /> I walk into our apartment and set my bag on the counter. I hum to myself, excited about seeing Carter soon. I start to walk into the kitchen when I hear a noise. It sounds like a moan. I stop what I’m doing instantly.<br /> Fear creeps up my spine. I make my way back towards the sound and I hear it again. Then I hear a bang noise and I almost jump out of my skin.<br /> My heart is pounding and my legs feel shaky. Something is wrong. I know it in my gut.<br /> I start to push the door open slowly and it makes a small creaking sound. What I see makes me gasp.<br /> A woman is grinding on top of Carter and he’s moaning. He grabs her groin and looks up at her adoringly. I feel like someone has just ripped my heart out.<br /> My breathing becomes erratic. I start to panic. My knees feel like jello. I clutch the door frame for support.<br /> How could he do this to me?! This man who said I was the love of his life just this morning! This man who gave me a beautiful necklace and told me he hated leaving me!<br /> Just then, the woman turns to me with an evil grin. Like she’s enjoying making me watch in horror.<br /> I can’t believe my own eyes. I draw shaky breaths as tears fall down my face.<br /> My heart pounds mercilessly as I lock eyes with Carter—the man I’ve once loved, now a mere stranger before me.<br /> Everything I thought I knew about my husband. About my life. Destroyed in an instant.<br /> The sight before me shocks me to my core.<br /> Lillian and Carter.<br /> In our bed.<br /> Making love.<br /> <br /> Chapter 2: <br /> The man who says he loves me in the morning is now making love with my best friend.<br /> Carter's hands roam over Lillian's underdressed body, his lips trailing feverish kisses along her neck, while Lillian's laughter echoes in the room like a cruel taunt.<br /> My throat constricts. I want to curse, to scream, to lash out at them with every ounce of fury burning inside me. But my voice fails me, lost in a desert of despair.<br /> Finally, Carter and Lillian notice my presence, their affection abruptly extinguished like a candle snuffed out by a gust of wind. My tears fall unchecked now, hot and bitter against my cheeks. Carter scrambles to his feet, hastily pulling on his clothes.<br /> “Why are you here?” he asks.<br /> Lillian remains on the bed, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips, her gaze cold and calculating. She revels in my agony, relishing the destruction she has wrought.<br /> “It’s not what you think it is,” Carter says.<br /> My heart shatters into a million jagged pieces. I need to get out of here! I clutch at my ventricle, willing my heart to keep beating.<br /> Carter catches up to me, his hand reaching out to touch my arm, but I recoil from his touch as if burned.<br /> "Hazel, let’s talk," he demands, his voice raw with emotion.<br /> But I shake my head, my resolve hardening with each passing moment.<br /> “Talk about what?” My voice is a mere ghost of its former strength. “About how you slept with my best friend behind my back?”<br /> Now, I'm left shattered, questioning every moment of intimacy with Carter, every laugh shared with Lillian. Was it all a facade, a cruel illusion of love and friendship? The pain is unbearable, the disbelief suffocating!<br /> I make it back to our house after a hazy drive. I ascend to the master bedroom, my movements fueled by a desperate need to escape.<br /> With trembling hands, I begin to pull out my clothes and belongings from the cabinets and drawers, stuffing them haphazardly into a suitcase.<br /> I don’t care how messy it looks, don’t care about anything except getting away from all of it!<br /> "What’s gotten into you this time?" Elmyra calls out, breaking through the haze of my grief.<br /> I turn to her, standing in the doorway, her eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched. Her aura exudes mockery and arrogance.<br /> I manage to choke out, "I’m leaving."<br /> Elmyra hisses, as if wanting to curse at me. But before she can speak again, I brush past her, down the stairs and flee from the house, my suitcase clutched tightly in my numbing hands.<br /> I steady my breath, then climb into my car and start the engine, the roar of the motor drowning out the tumultuous thoughts swirling in my mind.<br /> I drive without direction; my subconscious takes control of the steering wheel and leads me to the only place I may feel safe - my parents' house.<br /> Mama is actually waiting for me at the threshold, I’m overwhelmed that I ignore the fact why she knows I’m coming.<br /> I walk in the doorway and papa, who’s reading a paper, frowns and asks, "Why do you look like that?”<br /> I sink onto the sofa, struggling to hold back my sobs.<br /> "What happened?" Mama perches on the edge of the sofa, her hand reaching out to brush away the tears that are staining my cheeks.<br /> I take a shaky breath, my heart constricting with pain. "I caught Carter and Lillian...together."<br /> I thought I'd have my parents’ support. But then, to my horror, their expressions darken, a look of apprehension crossing their faces.<br /> "Hazel," mama begins, her tone accusatory. "What have you done wrong?"<br /> Mama’s words suffocate me with its cruelty.<br /> “He is cheating on me–!That assho–”<br /> Slap! My head rears back from pain and shock. Papa just slaps me across the face! I hold my hand to my cheek.<br /> “Go back to Carter now, apologize for leaving, promise him that you won't do it again and that you'll stay by his side.”<br /> From the looks on their faces, I realize that they don't care about Carter's cheating. Only that I have brought disgrace upon them.<br /> Mama’s eyes are cold as she adds, "You must have done something wrong to cause Carter to cheat on you. Have you thought about what it would do to our family? Your brother's scholarship is still on Carter's dime. Your sister is about to out in the society and can't be dragged down by you. Now, do everything you can to not let Carter leave you.”<br /> This is my parents, my adoptive parents. I grew up pleasing them and being the best student in school, but they never look at me.<br /> Being adopted at a young age will do that. You are so grateful to the people who have taken you in. You are terrified of making a mistake that they may send you back to the orphanage and decide to adopt another child.<br /> A child that’s more obedient, smarter, better. So you bust yourself trying to make them proud of you. You stifle any part of yourself that may talk back or speak up.<br /> It wasn't until I married Carter that papa accepted me. The day we got married was the happiest day of my life. I thought mama and papa have considered me family all these years, now it turns out I was wrong.<br /> They don't care about me, at all.<br /> Papa says, "Have you had enough, I'm going to call Carter and have him bring you home. "<br /> I can’t take this anymore, this isn’t what I’m here for! This place can't provide the safety or even the comfort I desperately need!<br /> I turn on my heels and storm out of the house with my suitcase in hands before they can react.<br /> Humiliated, despised, and helpless… as I begin to acknowledge that I lost my husband and my family on the same day.<br /> <br /> Chapter 3: <br /> It all clicks.<br /> The late night calls, the flirtings, the unusual caring with Lillian - their chuckles in bed, my parents' coldness, Elmyra's sneers. My mind replays these scenes over and over again, like a broken record.<br /> I sit on the edge of the bed of the apartment I rented since last night, the weight of the world keeps pressing down on my shoulders.<br /> Just as I’m sinking deeper into the darkness of my thoughts, my phone shatters the silence. I jolt as I wipe away my tears. My hand trembles slightly as I glance at the screen. Then, my jaw clenches in anger when I see the caller ID—Lillian.<br /> “Really? You still have the guts to call me?” I hiss.<br /> -["Listen, Hazel, it's evident where his heart lies, and frankly, your dramatics won't change that. Just gracefully accept the truth and move on, like any sensible person would."]-<br /> Lilian says in her sweet voice, without a hint of remorse or shame.<br /> -[“We need to talk, Express Cafe, now.”]-<br /> My grip on the phone tightens, my nails digging into my palm as I fight to keep my composure. I force my anger down, steeling myself for whatever lies Lillian is about to spin.<br /> "Fool me once" I say courageously, “If you think…”<br /> -[“Don't you want to know why and when your husband cheated on you?”]-<br /> She's been my best friend long enough to know what will pinch me. She hangs up, the silence that follows echoing in the small apartment like a deafening roar.<br /> Express Cafe is just a few minutes' drive away. I slip into a corner booth and wait, quickly smooth concealer around my swollen eyes, as I watch the door with bated breath.<br /> Lilian comes in blushing like a woman in love, and ironically, her love has turned out to be mine.<br /> An awkward silence ensues and we stare at our respective coffee cups for a while.<br /> “Why, Lillian?” I finally ask.<br /> "Hazel, you need to face the truth. Carter loves me, not you. He's only with you because he wants an heir, a baby. Once he gets what he wants from you, he'll leave you for me."<br /> "Is that so?" I ask, my voice trembling slightly despite my best efforts to maintain my composure.<br /> A very faint smile plays at the corners of Lilian’s lips that she tries so hard to hide by tilting her head down as she reaches into her bag and produces her phone. With a few taps of her finger, she turns the screen towards me, revealing a string of text messages between her and Carter.<br /> "He's been seeing me behind your back, Hazel," Lilian says, her voice holding a tinged of a smug satisfaction. "He's been telling me everything. How he can't stand being with you, how he's only staying with you for appearance’s sake. He's using you, and you're too blind to see it."<br /> My breath dries in my throat as I read the messages.<br /> The Carter in the text messages is nothing like the husband I knew. I can tell by his texts that he is happy, which makes my heart ache even more.<br /> “But what does that have to do with why you betrayed me? You were my best friend,” I say, trying not to show how much these messages hurt me.<br /> “At first we were friends, but then I realized I could never really respect you. The way you let people walk all over you...I’m sorry but it’s just pathetic. And then I stayed close to you so I could be near Carter,” she replies.<br /> “He never loved you, I’m always his true love. He met me first. ” she continues.<br /> I swallow a lump in my throat and quietly take a deep breath.<br /> “How long has this been going on?” I ask.<br /> “Pretty much since the beginning. A few months into your marriage, maybe,” she says without remorse.<br /> My head is reeling with the idea that Carter has been cheating on me for so long. I’m shocked that Lillian has such a mean streak. She’s never my friend to begin with.<br /> How could I have let these kinds of people into my life, into my heart?<br /> Just then I hear the door jingle, prompting me to look up. To my shock, Carter appears.<br /> “You called Carter?” I ask Lillian in a horrified tone.<br /> “You two really need to talk. You need to think about your life choices, accept the reality and it's good for all of us.” she replies snidely.<br /> She gets up to leave and Carter takes her place in the opposite chair.<br /> "Come home with me. We had a good time, didn't we? We can still live the life we had before. It’s not like you don’t enjoy the things we do together,” he says.<br /> He tries to run his hand up my arm but I slap him away.<br /> “Don’t touch me. I only enjoyed them when I thought I was the only one you were doing it with!” I whisper between my gritted teeth.<br /> "I'm the only one who can stand you in bed, you know how boring you used to be in bed? I made you moan over and over. You know you still want me..."<br /> He stares at me with those cold eyes. The eyes I once loved. He’s finally stopped pretending.<br /> It’s all been an act. I see that now. Carter changes his personality to suit his needs. He manipulates people to get what he wants. He manipulated me before and he’s trying to do it again!<br /> I say nothing, trying to keep my anger in check.<br /> “I don’t know why you are fighting this so hard. Most women would die to be in your place. They’d be very happy to get even the tiniest scrap from me,”<br /> He pauses, waiting for my reply. But I keep my silence.<br /> “You agreed to my terms. I have your signature on the prenuptial agreement to prove it. So get over yourself and fulfill your duty to me. Then you can go on about your sad little life, while I rise to the top and make my family proud,” he boasts.<br /> “Did you ever love me?” I ask.<br /> "Love is too strong of a word.” He laughs out loud as if he has heard something ridiculous. “You have good breeding, your parents assured me like you would be an obedient wife, and all along you've done well. Why don't you keep it up? Come home now, before I run out of patience."<br /> He’s never loved me. His tone reminds me of the new racehorse he bought last month. A new, premium racehorse, presentable, brings him victories and can be bred to produce foals again. He never sees me as a wife, or even as a person.<br /> “Not a chance,” I say proudly.<br /> “Remember your prenup? If you don't bear me children, you will be ruined. Your family will be in debt for the rest of their lives. Don't you dare try to leave me.” His pupils dilate like that of a wild animal's, and he chokes me with his hand.<br /> I can barely breathe, I can feel he’s serious about hurting me, this man I had loved is literally taking my breath away.<br /> “I’m leaving you, one way or another…." With what strength I have left I try to remove his hand and finish the sentence with the last of my breath.<br /> My peripheral vision sees that people are already whispering and looking over at us, and some even take out their phones and start taking pictures of us.<br /> ”How are you…” He growls, low and dangerous.<br /> He notices the look in the crowd's eyes, and I'm betting he won’t dare make a scandal like domestic scandal in public if he wants to remain reputable. He stares at me with anger in his eyes.<br /> He then lets go and I can finally breathe heavily. I cough, calling his bluff. He finally breaks the stare and leaves in a huff.<br /> The look on his face is absolutely worth it. I may have to pay the consequences later. But for now, I feel free for the first time in my life.<br /> I will leave Carter, no matter the cost.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4:<br /> Read your contract - This should be on my tombstone.<br /> I dug out my prenup from when papa told me not to worry about anything, that they would protect me and all I had to do was sign it, and so I did. But now, I realize that every conditioning of this prenup is working against me.<br /> My parents sold me into marriage, and they’ll be furious with me for getting a divorce. They’ll be bankrupt and vulnerable to attacks without Carter’s protection.<br /> “If you want a divorce, you won’t get a penny from me. You will no longer be under my protection. Think twice, Hazel.”<br /> Those are Carter's words, which are burned in my memory.<br /> I just wanna brush off the agreement and his threat by not thinking too much about them. But then, they start to haunt me, making me understand the realness of it all.<br /> Escaping isn’t a possibility, and Carter proves that…<br /> The rain pours as I stand on the doorstep of my rented house, the water mingles with the tears I try so hard to hold back.<br /> “Your husband's men took your car. I was about to tell you while they’re here so you can talk to them about it, but they’re so aggressive and I got scared that they may hurt me,” my landlord says.<br /> A rush of anger and helplessness courses through me as I stare at the empty space of the parking lot where I last left my car.<br /> As if that’s not enough for Carter, he adds another unwanted surprise for me.<br /> “Also,” the landlord begins, pity and fear etched across her wrinkled face. "Your husband called through the cellphone of one of his men. He threatened me, said he'd ruin my business if I don't evict you. So.., I can't keep the house rented to you anymore.”<br /> The world seems to tilt, the ground shifting beneath my feet. "B-but, I have nowhere to go. Besides, I need time to find a new place."<br /> The landlord shakes her head, her face stern. "I can't risk it. The young Whitlock has too much influence. I can't afford to be caught in whatever marital problem you have."<br /> I wanna protest again, but she’s right. Carter may put her in a difficult situation like he’s doing to me now, and I don’t wanna be the reason for it.<br /> With a heavy heart, I pack my things, and drag myself and my suitcase out into the storm. I then head to the nearest hotel.<br /> Without cash, I rely on my credit cards. The clerk at the front desk shakes his head as he hands back my credit card to me. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Whitlock. Your card has been declined."<br /> My cheeks burn with shame. "Can you try again, please?"<br /> The clerk tries again,... and beep! Declined, again!<br /> Maybe this hotel’s POS machine isn’t working - at least that’s what I wanna believe in, though deep down, my inkling is telling me something else.<br /> I walk to another hotel, and approach the front desk, my hands shaking as I present my credit card.<br /> "I need a room, please," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.<br /> To my surprise, without even taking my credit card, the clerk shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Whitlock. We can't help you."<br /> “Why?” I ask with a little frustration.<br /> The manager, who looks uncomfortable, comes to the clerk’s rescue, and answers, “Mr. Carter Whitlock has banned you from our hotel."<br /> You’ve got to be kidding me? Where would I go now?<br /> There’s no refuge for me now. Carter’s reach is far and his influence powerful, making sure I’m isolated, vulnerable. He’s trying to force me back, cutting me off financially, stripping away my options.<br /> Soon I will be in debt and poor, which isn’t good, especially that I’m now going to be a mother.<br /> I have to find a way out of this, and the only temporary solution I can think of is to pawn my pearls and earrings for some cash.<br /> I quickly head to a pawnshop, and its owner eyes me as I lay my jewelry on the counter.<br /> "I need to cash these," I say.<br /> He picks up the pearls, turning them over in his hands, his eyes narrowing as he glances at my suitcase. "You left home?”<br /> “Y-yes, and it’s hard to find a place to stay. My credit cards have been declining, so I need cash.”<br /> The owner smirks as he says, “Nice pieces, but I can't give you much for them. Market's down, you see."<br /> My heart sinks. I know he’s lying, taking advantage of my desperation. But what choice do I have - haggling? Then what? Get another rejection? I don’t wanna face with that.<br /> "How much?" I ask, bracing myself.<br /> He names a figure that’s insultingly low, but I nod, swallowing my pride and the bitter taste of defeat. "I'll take it."<br /> At least I have money that'll last for a few days if I spend it wisely. That’s what matters for now.<br /> He counts out the bills with deliberate slowness while his eyes on me, a predator sensing vulnerability. When he finally hands over the money, I grab it. But I have to stay in the lobby for a moment, waiting for the rain to stop.<br /> Suddenly, my eyes flicker on the TV that’s currently showing a flash news with a caption; ‘The Divorce of the Century’. The wife, once vilified by the town, now stood vindicated by Marius Thorne, the town's most revered lawyer.<br /> “Marius Thorne,” I echo.<br /> Marius Thorne’s image flashes on the screen, a vision of confidence and success. His gold eyes, piercing, enchanting even.<br /> According to the news, he's a partner at the biggest law firm in town and he never loses in court.<br /> “He may be who I need,” I murmur to myself, excitement surging within me.<br /> Once the rain stops, I begin searching for a new place to stay.<br /> With newfound determination and what little cash I have, I find refuge in a cramped flat that doesn't check documents.<br /> The landlord, a cold and distant old lady, lays down the rules; no pets allowed, no men allowed, before disappearing from my sight.<br /> In this tiny room, my troubled heart finally quiets down. For now, I’m safe, hidden from Carter's relentless pursuit.<br /> Through G****e, I search the name ‘Marius Thorne’, and quickly call the numbers on the law firm profile he’s working with. After a few rings, a female voice echoes from the other end of the line.<br /> -[“Counsel Commanders Law Firm, how can we help you?”]-<br /> “Hi! I’m filing for divorce and I need to make an appointment with Marius Thorne, is he available to speak with?”<br /> <br /> Chapter 5: <br /> Divorce is never as easy as I thought it would be.<br /> -[“I’m calling to inform you that Mr. Thorne has decided to NOT take your case. We can recommend good divorce lawyers if needed….”]-<br /> The woman’s tone is cool and reserved over the phone.<br /> Confusion clouds my thoughts, and questions race through my mind—why would he turn me away? Is he busy? Or does he find my case not worthy of his time?<br /> I quickly rush to the law firm, hoping to personally meet and talk to Marius Throne, but I’m told by his secretary that appointments with Marius Throne are currently lined up for a month from now.<br /> So, he’s busy. Even so,... I’m still hoping that he’ll have a change of heart and accept my divorce case if only he can understand my situation.<br /> It’s a good case, hard case to be exact - my prenup agreement is harsh and my husband was caught cheating red-handed. This may pique his interest.<br /> The bustling lobby seems to shrink in an instant as I, lost in my thoughts, collide with someone in a sharp, tailored suit. I stumble back, instinctively apologizing.<br /> "Oh, I'm so sor-!"<br /> But when the man speaks, I freeze mid-apology.<br /> "Hazel?" he says, his voice a mix of surprise and recognition.<br /> My brow furrows as I stare at him, trying to place the familiar handsome face.<br /> Then, it hits me.<br /> "Leslie?!" I exclaim, my confusion giving way to excitement. "It's nice to see you again!"<br /> Leslie returns my smile, his eyes lighting up with warmth. "It's nice to see you again too."<br /> My mind trips me back to our high school days, the laughter, the secrets shared, which were overshadowed by the years of silence that followed my marriage to Carter.<br /> "It’s been a long time,” I say. “What are you doing in a place like this?"<br /> A proud smile tugs at Leslie's lips as he proudly gestures around the lobby. "I work here as a Senior Legal Associate."<br /> Senior Legal Associate? - I echo inwardly with awe.<br /> Quickly, a glimmer of possibility shines through my uncertainty! And when Leslie asks the question back to me, I know I have to seize the opportunity.<br /> “How about you, what are you doing here?”<br /> In a heartbeat, I reply, "I'm divorcing my husband, and I need to talk to Attorney Thorne now. His secretary said he has many cases lined up for him. But he’s my only hope. Can you help me meet him, please?"<br /> As I wait for his response, I look into his eyes, praying for a lifeline.<br /> “Mr. Thorne is a troublesome boss, difficult to work with, and even harder to persuade,” he says.<br /> My stubbornness refuses to let doubt cloud my determination. I’m desperate. Despite the warning signs, I press on, my resolve unshaken.<br /> "Just let me talk to him. Then I'll decide whether I still want to trust my case to him or not... please?"<br /> Leslie's smile turns brittle. "Alright. I'll try to talk to him first about you. Follow me."<br /> I follow Leslie, then wait outside one of the doors that are lining the corridor as I watch him disappear into the room.<br /> I hope Leslie's charm will be enough to sway Marius Thorne, to at least grant me a chance to plead my case. And maybe, just maybe, if I can make him understand, I can turn the tide in my favor.<br /> After a moment of agony, Leslie finally emerges from the room, his smile radiant as he meets my eager gaze.<br /> “You may now go in,” he announces, his voice tinged with excitement.<br /> My heart leaps with anticipation, and I can't help but squeal with delight.<br /> With a grin, I say, “Thank you so, so much!”<br /> I waste no time in crossing the threshold into the room. As I close the door, my eyes quickly fall upon Marius Thorne behind the mahogany desk.<br /> He’s tall and he’s impeccably handsome too, more so than Leslie and even Carter himself. Clad in a printed suit, he exudes an air of impassiveness that sends chills down my spine. His jawline is sharp, his gold eyes are more piercing in person than they were on TV, and his dark hair perfectly groomed.<br /> Marius’ voice is devoid of emotion just like his expression. "My secretary and Leslie told me that you’re planning to divorce your husband, Carter of the Whitlock Family.”<br /> Surprised, I ask, "You know my husband?"<br /> Is Marius Thorne turning me off because of my husband?<br /> He dodges my question, and delivers his verdict instead. "I have a full schedule for the rest of the year to take on new cases. I can recommend good divorce lawyers to you If you need..."<br /> Disappointment and frustration foam in my heart, my hands clenching to my sides. "Is there anything I can do to change your mind?"<br /> Marius remains unmoved.<br /> Without a tiny hint of second-thought, he crashes me with a one-word answer, “None.”<br /> Pride becomes my shield from rejection. I’ve walked away from anyone where I’m unwanted. I did that from Carter and his family, from my parents, God, I can just walk away from this stranger too!<br /> With a forced smile, I turn to the door. But just as I reach the threshold, a hand grips my wrist with unexpected force. Then, Carter's angry face looms over me. I struggle to maintain my balance.<br /> "Carter, let go of me!" I demand, my voice trembling with fear and defiance.<br /> “What do you think you’re doing here?!” he asks back, his face red with beasty fury.<br /> Carter drags me aggressively. I try to get rid of him, shoving my wrist from his iron grip, but his strength is overpowering.<br /> Finally, we reach the lobby, where curious eyes watch our confrontation unfold.<br /> Carter releases my wrist, but my humiliation doesn't end there. In a voice sharp and cold, he unleashes a torrent of threats that makes my blood run cold.<br /> "I own half of this law firm. When my wife came to my firm looking for a divorce lawyer, You think I wouldn't notice that?——"<br /> My eyes widen in surprise… that’s news to me.<br /> Carter pinches my hand and says, “You didn't really think that you could find a lawyer who would dare take you on, did you?”<br /> My mind goes blank, could this be the reason why Marius Thorne kept refusing me? Is there any other divorce attorney in town who will take my case? Who’s not scared of Carter?<br /> Carter grabs my arm once again. “Stop defying me! You can’t just waltz out of our marriage without consequences. Didn’t I already make sure you know that? The hardship you’re going through now is just the tip of the iceberg of what else I can do to you."<br /> I try to let go myself, but it’s no use, Carter is much stronger than I am. He then tightens his grip on me, which prompts me to hiss in pain.<br /> “Carter, please,” I beg.<br /> Carter parts his lips, but before he can continue his tirade, a pair of hands intervenes, grasping both my arm and his.<br /> I look up, and see Marius standing before us.	LEARN_MORE	https://redtgb.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=12972&u	144939265372419	Indulge in story	https://facebook.com/61552702618591	665	2	815,926,847,186,478	2024-08-01 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	1	0	Learn more	Indulge in story	120211806536710694	redtgb.com		NONE	video		https://redtgb.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=12972&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}	2024-07-30 03:44	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453263593_1052536432963409_6802536408766949941_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mDw_j2m7dH8Q7kNvgETkhDZ&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AYDjPWLZXCKIiUYbYUtdQCM0mSdKEytaOyw-j8dSwv-e4w&oe=66B20F6F	person_profile	0	Indulge in story	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453404982_853096772934431_2995587446825137462_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=zj0DZ30brlMQ7kNvgFX2pMH&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AYDfn1uAOWd1DrdzK6TWuiMBHKs1WQDjZEvG8bzcqKZT-g&oe=66B1E2E9	3	Indulge in story	2024-07-30 02:00	View Edit Delete
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1,952,764	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1952738}'	No	2024-08-01 19:12	active	1201	843674300707316	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	The noise was coming from across the hall. The jubilant exclamations. "Oh yes! Oh Alpha!"<br /> <br /> It hit me with a waive of nausea. My husband, my mate... was sleeping someone else in his bedroom across the hall. By the sounds of things, the woman was enjoying it a lot more than I had. I grasped my phone, but there was no use in calling anyone now. I knew the sickness that I had could not be helped by any doctor. There is no cure for the pain of an unfaithful mate. I knew it. And he knew it. He knew exactly what he was doing to me. I curled up on the floor, but there was no way to get any relief. I heard his lover scream in desire, just as the pain became so unbearable that I lost consciousness.<br /> <br /> That is how I woke up. Fell on my bedroom floor, smeared with my own blood. The stabbing pain was over and gone, but the ache of betrayal remained. It didn't matter that he didn't like me and I didn't like him... there was a thing that bonded us together that was beyond our control. My poor wolf was crying , whimpering, traumatized.<br /> <br /> I had just barely exited the room, when I felt an iron grip bite painfully into my arm, and spin me into the wall. I found myself face to face with Nolan.<br /> <br /> "Let me make something perfectly clear," he growled. "I do not want you, and I do not need you. You are only here in this house because my father is an old-fashioned fool. I will marry you to fulfill the treaty contract, but you will never be the Luna, and you will never be my mate." As if to punctuate his rejection, he gave me an extra shove against the wall, and then he stalked off in the other direction... and I was left staring after him... my mouth open, my face pale, and my arm aching.<br /> <br /> It wasn't a real rejection, right? I mean if he was formally rejecting me he would have to say the words. "I Nolan Pierceson of the Gold Mountain pack, do hereby reject you Nina..." And then I would reject him back, and the bond would break. But he hadn't said those words, exactly. Still there was a pain in my chest like something was ripping away. It was powerful enough that I had to hold my chest and gasp for breath. A few other people were trailing out of the dining room now, casting curious glances at me, and I knew I had to get upstairs before anyone started asking me questions that I couldn't answer. I was tired now, and I didn't really care who saw me limp as I dragged myself to the stairs and made my slow, painful climb up three flights. "Are you all right madam?" someone asked. I didn't even look at them, just ground out, "I'm fine." and kept climbing. Once I was at my floor, my legs were so bad I could barely walk at all. My left leg dragged, and I used the wall to balance as I made my way down the hall to my own door. Once inside I turned the lock, and fell across downstairs.<br /> <br /> ...<br /> <br /> I knew it was bad news when Daddy called me into the office to talk. When we want to discuss something nicely as a family, we do it around the dinner table. We don't get called into the office unless we are in trouble. As I followed Beta Phillip through the pack-house, I felt that heavy sense of foreboding weighing me down. I saw a sort of pity in Phillip's face when paused to let me catch up, and glanced back at me. I was already searching my mind, trying to think of what I might have done to get myself in trouble... but I'm really a pretty boring girl. I couldn't think of anything that might have triggered my father so badly that he would call me into the office.<br /> <br /> We came to a stop in front of the heavy oak door. Phillip knocked twice, and my father promptly called, "Enter!" Phillip opened the door, and stood aside for me to precede him into the room. It was so formal, it felt all wrong. And then he closed the door again, shutting me inside with my father. Daddy was hunched at his desk, and he didn't look happy. His handsome face was haggard, and somehow, he looked older today than he had just a few days ago. "Sit down, Nina."<br /> <br /> I limped to one of the leather wing backed chairs that faced his desk. I didn't limp because I had any recent injury, I just had bad legs. I sank gingerly down on the leather, sitting on the very edge, because somehow it didn't feel safe to relax. Daddy wasn't looking at me... he was looking at papers on his desk. He cleared his throat several times, as if he was struggling to find the right words. When he looked up, his face had hardened, and when he spoke, he spoke with his firm Alpha voice. Not his Daddy voice. That made me shrink back further into the chair.<br /> <br /> "Nina, as part of the treaty negotiations with the Gold Mountain Pack, I have agreed to a marriage alliance. You, Nina Boyton, will marry the Alpha's son, Nolan Pierceson on the next new moon."<br /> <br /> I felt like someone had punched me, knocked the air out of me. "What? Daddy! How could you??" I ,whispered in shock. Arranged marriages were an archaic thing of the past. Nobody did that any more, did they?<br /> <br /> Daddy looked pained. "I did it for the sake of our pack, Nina. We are a small pack, and since your mother..." he couldn't quite bring himself to say the word "died"..."We are weak and vulnerable. We need the protection of a larger, stronger pack. This political alliance will ensure our safety and our survival."<br /> <br /> I felt so many emotions whipping through me, I couldn't grab a hold of them. "But... why me?" I had two sisters, one older, and one younger. Janice was smart and strong, one of our best warriors. And the younger, Hannah was the beautiful one. None of us had found our mates, we were all single and available. I was almost sure if the Alpha of Gold Mountain had ever seen the three of us, he would have picked one of them. Not me. I am the most ordinary, non-descript, and insignificant of the Alpha's daughters. And then it hit me like a slap in the face. Without my father answering me, I knew why he had sacrificed me. I'm the weak one. I'm the expendable one. I'm the one with the "bad legs".<br /> <br /> "Its not what you think, Nina." My father said quietly. "It has nothing to do with your... condition." He never knew quite how to refer to my inexplicably weak legs. The pack doctors hadn't been able to diagnose the problem, even the human doctors had shrugged me off after a battery of inconclusive tests. I waited for him to explain. But my father didn't elaborate further, and that irritated me.<br /> <br /> "Don't I get a say in this? Don't you need my consent before you sell me off "for the sake of the pack"? What if I refuse?"<br /> <br /> My father's face blanched for a moment, and then darkened. "If you refuse, I will disown you, and you will be exiled from the pack."<br /> <br /> His words hit me like a slap in the face. My own father would throw me out of the family and out of the pack and make me go rogue? Who was this man, behind the desk? Surely this wasn't my Daddy. He wouldn't have done this to me. I felt a hot tear run down my cheek, and I could only think, if Mama had been alive, she never, ever would have allowed him to do this to me. For a few moments I seriously considered the option of refusing and being exiled. I didn't really stand a chance, as a lone she-wolf without a pack. I wasn't physically strong enough, but more importantly... I couldn't stand the idea of being forever separated from the family that I loved. Daddy was doing something terrible at that moment, that broke my heart. His responsibilities as Alpha had to come first... even if it meant sacrificing his own daughter. Although everything inside me was raging against it, I had to obey his order. Not only for him, but for the pack that I loved.<br /> <br /> My shoulders slumped forward in defeat. I could no longer meet his eye, and stared down at my toes instead. I couldn't find the words to speak, so I simply nodded. I didn't see his face, but I could hear the relief in his voice. I wonder if he'd secretly been worried that I would actually choose exile over a forced marriage. But when he spoke, it was the heartless, stern, Alpha voice again. "You will pack up your things. You will leave tomorrow in the morning."<br /> <br /> My head jrked up. "So soon? But you said, on the new moon?"<br /> <br /> "I said the marriage would take place on the new moon. The alpha has requested you to come immediately. Gretta will come and help you pack." He shuffled the papers on his desk, as if they were suddenly more important than his daughter. "You are dismissed."<br /> <br /> Dismissed? I don't ever remember my father speaking to me like that... like I was some underling to order about. I made my way back to my room in a stupor, passing pack members in the hall but not really seeing anyone, or hearing their greetings. I shut the door in my room and managed to lean back against it before the strength left my legs and I sank to the floor. Being forced to marry a stranger was bad enough, but it had deeper, more far reaching implications. I would be forever tied to a man I didn't love, and I would never get to experience the joy and completion of finding my mate. That's what every wolf longed for, as soon as they came of age. To find your goddess-given soul mate, the magical person who would complete you and make you whole. All happiness and satisfaction was tied up in that one, fated person. And I would be denied it, forever. Great big tears of self pity rolled down my cheeks as I absorbed the unfairness of it all.<br /> <br /> After awhile a knock came at the door, and Gretta, a sweet little omega who worked in the pack house poked her head in. "I was told to come assist you, Miss Nina." I sighed and hauled myself to my feet. I might as well resign myself to my miserable fate.<br /> <br /> "I need to pack," I said dully. "I'm leaving in the morning."<br /> <br /> "Oh, of course." She was too submissive to dare to ask where or why. I wondered if my sisters knew already, or if they were being kept in the dark too. I wasn't sure I could face them right now. I pulled two suitcases out of my closet that I had only used once when mother took us on a trip to Mexico. "What exactly do you want to pack?"<br /> <br /> I sighed and pulled open my drawers. "Just the absolute essentials Gretta," I said, pulling out my favorite clothes and throwing them on the bed. I was a no-nonsense kind of girl when it came to fashion. I preferred comfort over style, and I didn't own many nice or fancy things. I pulled a couple of nice dresses out of the closet and tossed them on the pile, for formal occasions. I wondered idly if there would be a real wedding dress for this farce of a marriage, or if we were just going to stand before the officiant in our street clothes while it was made legal.<br /> <br /> I looked around my room, trying to gauge what other things I needed to take. I slipped my mother's delicate porcelain jewelry box into the bag, wrapped carefully in one of my sweatshirts. There was the picture of my sisters and I, taken several years ago, our arms looped around each other, smiling happily at the camera. There was my leather bound journal, and my laptop. Other things seemed too childish to take to your marriage home... like the old, worn stuffed bear that had graced my pillow since I was six years old. But I did finally take the fuzzy lap-blanket, printed with cheerful sunflowers and butterflies, and tuck it in the top of my bag. After adding in the practical toiletries and other necessities, I sighed and declared the work finished. I felt a little sad that the entire of my 19 years of life could so easily be condensed into two suitcases, and another fat tear rolled down my cheek.<br /> <br /> I'd never felt so worthless and unloved in all my life. But now I had to face the facts. My own father considered me expendable. The Gold Mountain pack had demanded a bride, and I had been, quite literally, thrown to the wolves. A part of me wanted to call my sisters, to cry to them, to tell them how scared and worried I was about this great unknown responsibility that had just fallen on me... but I couldn't. I suppose I resented them. They would go on with their normal, happy lives after I left. My fate didn't matter much to them, in the grand scheme of things. Their sympathy at this point would only make me feel worse.<br /> <br /> I thanked Gretta for her help, and quietly closed the door behind her. My suitcases were standing neatly by the door. I grabbed my old, well loved teddy bear and curled up on the bed, and tried to shut my mind to all the hurt and all the worries that were eating at me. My mother would have said, "Chin up, sweetheart. Face the world head-on." Thinking of my sweet mother only made me cry harder, until I fell into an exhausted sleep.<br /> I awoke to a timid knock on the door. Dawn was barely breaking outside my window, and I was still sprawled across my bed in yesterday's clothes. My eyes felt puffy and gritty from crying. I had never eaten dinner, and my stomach was complaining. "Miss Nina?" Gretta called timidly. "The Beta says you should be prepared to leave in one hour."<br /> <br /> One hour. Jeezus, they weren't wasting any time in shipping me out of here. I dragged myself to the shower. The pain and weakness in my legs was always the worst first thing in the morning. I braced myself against the sink while I stripped down, and turned the shower on as hot as it could possibly go. I scrubbed and scrubbed at my skin as if I could wash away whatever fault, whatever weakness had made my father choose me. When my skin was pink and irritated, I washed my long, dark hair, and stepped out in a billow of herbal scented steam. What were you supposed to wear when you were being traded off to another pack? I felt like I should wear something black and ugly. After all, I was mourning the loss of my life, my hope, my freedom. But I decided against the funeral garb, and opted for a sun dress that was pretty, but casual. The bright turquoise color went well with my dark honey skin, and made my eyes look more gold than brown. I pulled my hair up into a lose bun, and fastened my favorite turquoise beaded choker around my neck, with the dainty, matching earrings. I stared at my reflection critically in the mirror. No matter how flattering the clothes, or pretty the jewelry, the young woman staring back at me was still just... me. The epitome of ordinary. Neither tall nor short, fat nor skinny, pretty nor ugly. I was simply unremarkable in every way... unless today you counted the fact that my eyes were still red and swollen and I was more pale than usual.<br /> <br /> At precisely 7:00 am there was a sharp knock on my door. I opened it, expecting to see my father, but instead it was his gamma, Pedro. "Miss Nina, your father said I am to drive you to the Gold Mountain pack. Are you ready?"<br /> It was a two hour drive from our small pack to the much larger Gold Mountain Pack territory. But you know when you DON'T want to arrive somewhere, it seems like the journey goes in the blink of an eye. If I were looking forward to this meeting, the two hours would have seemed forever. As it was, Pedro drove silently. My father's third had always been open and friendly with me, so I wondered if my father had given him orders not to talk to me. That hurt. Hurt on top of hurt seemed to be the order of the day. And I was hungry. I never went down for dinner the night before, and I had been rushed out of the house before I had a chance to eat breakfast this morning. With every grumble of my empty stomach, my mood was growing a little darker.<br /> <br /> I'd never been into Gold Mountain Territory. I'd only heard stories of the notorious pack. They were big, and strong, and brutal. Their warriors were considered the best, the elite, and reportedly trained relentlessly. They had no mercy on their enemies, and had reportedly wiped out entire packs who had betrayed them in one way or another. But I always took these kinds of stories with a grain of salt. Every pack wanted to be known as the biggest and the baddest, and stories tended to be exaggerated to bolster that reputation. My impression as we crossed the boundary and entered into their pack grounds was of absolutely beautiful, wild looking gardens, and a huge manor that would have fit our pack house inside it four times. It was T shaped and sprawled out into three wings, a beautiful structure built from native stone, with big windows framed by black shutters. It was fronted by a huge veranda and two big ornate doors that opened into the main hall.<br /> <br /> Pedro parked the SUV, and for the first time in the whole trip, Pedro turned and spoke to me. He laid his big, rough hand on mine in my lap. "Stay strong, Miss Nina. You can do this." That is all he said. He climbed out, and came around to open my door, as if I were someone important. He pulled my suitcases out of the boot, and then he escorted me up to the veranda, where a handful of people were waiting for me.<br /> <br /> There was a huge man, and I mean HUGE, who seemed to be about my father's age. He should have been nearly seven feet tall, with arms like tree trunks. His ruddy face was framed by two overgrown sideburns and a crazy mop of hair that reminded me of the Wolverine from the X-men comics. His eyes were a piercing pale blue, and quite cold as they watched me approach. Beside him, in sharp contrast, was a dainty little sprite of a woman. She barely cleared five foot, and was so petite it seemed like a strong wind might blow her away. She had long, curling blond hair, and beautiful green eyes, and a wide, friendly smile. I was so happy to see at least one smiling face, it eased my tension a bit. The other people stood back a bit from this couple, and seemed to be lower ranking pack members. They stared at me curiously.<br /> <br /> I concentrated really hard on controlling my uneven gate. I did not want these people to see me limping, and if I worked really hard, I could pull it off, but it took a lot of effort, and I had to move slowly. Under the circumstances, I thought it would seem appropriate that I approached a strange pack and strange people with slow caution. The pretty woman danced down the steps, and folded me into a warm and unexpected hvg. "Welcome to Gold Mountain, dear. I am Caydence, and my husband, Bernhard." She gestured to the lumberjack-giant who still stood on the steps. She didn't refer to herself as Luna, or her husband as Alpha, but it was obvious enough that they were the leaders. I looked around and wondered where the son was, the Nolan I was supposed to marry.<br /> <br /> As if sensing my inquiry, the Luna shook her golden curls. "My sons are not here at the moment, but you will meet them soon. Come, lets get you inside and get you settled." She looped her arm through mine, and with one last, helpless glance at Pedro, I let her drag me inside. The great pack house was as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside, tastefully decorated and thoroughly modern. She lead me through a maze of rooms and corridors in a sort of whirlwind tour. "The conference room is there, and that is the entertainment room... and oh, that's the nursery for the pups... there is a guest bathroom here, and the kitchen is this way. Have you eaten?" She didn't even wait for me to answer, "I'm starving, lets go get some breakfast." She lead me into a huge dining hall, that easily could have seated a hundred people. She pulled me toward a table for two, and no sooner had our backside's hit the seat of the chairs than a uniformed waitress appeared. I recognized her as an omega, by her submissive posture.<br /> <br /> "Kelly dear, this is Nina Boyton, Nolan's betrothed." The waitress peaked up at me in surprise, then quickly looked back down at her order pad. "Nina, this is Kelly, one of our regular kitchen staff. So, what will you have?" Before I could answer, she was putting in her order. "I'll have a four-egg omelette, with Swiss cheese and mushrooms, a blueberry muffin, toasted with butter, and four sausage links."<br /> <br /> I blinked in surprise. How could such a tiny woman put away so much food?? Luna Caydence looked at me expectantly. "Um...I'll also have a muffin, and a cup of tea, please."<br /> <br /> When the waitress had scampered away, Luna Caydence reached across the table and placed her hand over mine. "I'm sure this is a very difficult and uncomfortable transition for you, my dear. But I want you to know that I am here for you, you are most welcome in this family, and I will do everything in my power to make you comfortable. But Nolan..."<br /> <br /> I swallowed... there was something ominous about that. But Nolan what? I was too afraid to ask.<br /> <br /> "Nolan can be... difficult." She said vaguely. "His father and I, we hope that he will settle down now, and take up his responsibilities."<br /> <br /> I frowned and fiddled with the silverware. Difficult? What did difficult mean? I wanted to ask more... I wanted to know more about what this future husband of mine was like. But I couldn't find the words, and I had a feeling that Caydence was done talking about her son. She had moved on, saying how happy she was to have a woman in the family, that she had heard so many nice things about me... well I was sure that was a bunch of baloney. I bet she knew absolutely nothing about me, beyond my name and my marriagablility. Still, I liked Caydence, I appreciated her friendliness. I tried to hide my smile as an enormous platter of food was set before the tiny woman, and she dug into her eggs with gusto. I was feeling very hungry, and probably could have put away nearly as much food, but I didn't want to seem like a glutton, so I tried to nible at my muffin and act lady-like.<br /> <br /> After we finished, (and yes, she finished everything on her plate,) she lead me up the stairs. I swallowed down my horror as I looked at the flights of elegantly curving staircase that I would have to traverse to get to my guest room on the third floor. Navigating stairs were very difficult for my heavy, clumsy legs, and it made them ache something fierce. Was it too much to hope that somewhere in this gigantic house there was a service elevator? Desperately trying to hide my pain and discomfort, I grasped the hand rail, and pulled myself up the stairs behind the spritely woman as fast as I could without falling flat on my face. When we got to the third floor, she looked back at me, struggling up the last few steps, and frowned, but said nothing. She lead me down a long hall, and opened the door to a beautiful guest suite, with a big bed, and a private en-suite bathroom. My suitcases had already been deposited inside. "Make yourself comfortable my dear. I'll send Daisy to you when she's done cleaning up from breakfast. If there is anything you need, she can be of assistance. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.." And just like that, she left me alone in the beautiful room, in the big, strange house.<br /> <br /> Daisy was a delightful young Omega who was assigned to be my maid. Not that I really needed a maid, mind you, but I was happy to have her as a companion. Her name suited her perfectly, because like the wild-flower, she was bright, cheerful, and sunny. Her smile was too wide for her little face, her nose turned up, and her dark blond hair was an uncontrollable riot of curls. Her blue eyes danced with good humor, and she just seemed like the kind of person that was genuinely happy right down to the core of her being. I loved her right away. She helped me unpack my few things, and then we sat together on the bed and we talked for a few minutes.<br /> <br /> "What is life like in the pack?" I asked her.<br /> <br /> She smiled (I don't think I'd seen her NOT smile, ever) "Oh its a good life," She said sincerely. "The Alpha runs a tight ship, we work hard, we train hard, but its a very fair pack, and we have a lot of fun too. We can't wait for your marriage celebration. I hear the Luna is planning a big party, and the whole pack will be invited. I love parties! Even if I have to work in the kitchen, we are allowed to take shifts so we all get to have a turn taking part in the festivities."<br /> <br /> I smiled. I already liked the way the Luna ran her household. In some packs, omegas were treated like slaves. I think at home we treated them fairly. They were paid wages for the work they did, but Daddy didn't exactly go out of his way to make them feel like they were valued members of our family. They were definitely looked down upon, and that had never really sat well with me. Not every member of the pack could be a warrior, and the omega's performed really valuable services by taking care of the children and providing domestic services that the hunters simply didn't have time for.<br /> <br /> "And what what about Nolan. What is he like?"<br /> <br /> For the first time, Daisy's perpetual smile faltered. She pasted it back on, but it wasn't quite as real as it had been before. "Oh he's very handsome." She said. "He's so tall, like the Alpha, but not so burly."<br /> <br /> "Okay, he's nice to look at, but what is he LIKE? What is his personality like."<br /> <br /> Daisy pushed herself off the bed. "I think its better if you get to know him for yourself, mistress. I don't want your impressions of him to be influenced by my opinions. I need to go see about preparing the food. If you need anything just call me." And she slipped away, quietly shutting the door behind her.<br /> <br /> Oh boy. I stared at my hands, at the short trimmed nails that hadn't seen a polish since my thirteenth birthday. All the things that Daisy HADN'T said spoke more loudly than the words she DID say. If Nolan was truly a great guy, she would have been eager to extol his virtues, right? She would have said, "He's really kind. He's really gentle. He's really just." But she didn't say anything. I suppose it was commendable that she chose silence over lies, but I was growing increasingly uneasy. The Luna called him "difficult", and my new friend wouldn't call him anything, except handsome. But it wouldn't matter if he was the most handsome man in the world if he was a complete as hole.<br /> <br /> I felt a little nervous going down to dinner, knowing that I would meet my husband-to-be. I tried to pick out a pretty outfit, without being overtly over dressed. I brushed out my hair and left it loose, as the long chocolate colored waves were maybe one of my best assets. I even tried to put on a little make up, just to add some definition to my eyes. I sighed at my reflection, dissatisfied but knowing that it was the best I could do. I grimaced at the prospect of going down all those stairs, and reminded myself that I needed to ask Daisy if there was a service elevator in the house. The way how it was all decked out with modern appliances, it seemed like it must have a lift hidden somewhere. But then again, they probably hadn't figured in the possibility of a disabled werewolf when they designed the manor.<br /> <br /> I can't describe to you what an ordeal it is for me to navigate a set of stairs. I have to creep down one step at a time. Left foot down, right foot down onto the same stair. And then repeat. If I try to march down the steps like a normal person, alternating feet on alternating stairs, one of my legs is sure to collapse, and I'll take an ugly tumble down. Ask me how I know... I'm embarrassed to say its happened more times than I can count. So I have to go down the stairs like a little kid, clinging to the rail, one step at a time, praying that no one is watching me. Luckily I seem to be the only guest on the third floor at the moment, and I'm nearly at the bottom before I start seeing other people scurrying around in preparation for dinner.<br /> <br /> Daisy came around the corner, her face split in a smile, and her eyes lighting up as she saw me, "Ah there you are mistress! Luna had just sent me to go fetch you. The meal is nearly ready. You look very nice, I love that top." She bubbled cheerfully, and took my elbow to guide me back toward the dining room. Unlike this morning, when the room had been empty, this evening it was crammed full. I swallowed nervously and did my best to straighten my spine and walk normally. From every table, heads turned and looked at me, and people whispered, and I felt the blood rush to my face. I'm not normally shy, but I can't say that I really like being the center of attention either.<br /> <br /> "Nina darling, over here!" The Luna stood, and gestured to an empty seat at what appeared to be the Alpha's table. Daisy patted me on the shoulder and went back to the kitchen, while I made my way to the Luna. I reminded myself that from now on, this was my family, and these were my people. I sat in the empty seat, and looked around, but I still didn't see anyone "tall and handsome" that should be Nolan. There was a slim and slight black man sitting opposite the Alpha, and next to the black man, a pretty and slightly plump white woman. "Our Beta, Floyd, and his wife, Moira." the Luna made the introductions. The beta gave me a look. It was not a nice look. Somehow I imagined it was the look a spectator would give a condemned prisoner. His wife Moira gave me a small, friendly smile, and offered her hand. "Welcome to the family, dear." she said. She had a beautiful, lilting voice.<br /> <br /> The waitstaff started going around the room serving the food. "Its Italian night," the Luna explained, as bowls of salads, plates of meat and cheese lasagna, and carving boards of hot sourdough bread where arranged at each table. The food smelled delicious, and the Luna did not hesitate to compliment the kitchen staff on their excellent work. "Oh Berta, please come and meet Nina Boyton. Nina, this is Berta, she is the manager of our kitchen, an absolute genius with food and hospitality." Berta flushed happily and bobbed in a curtsy.<br /> <br /> "Thank you, Luna. Nice to meet you Mistress. Welcome. If you'll excuse me, the dessert..." and she hurried off again.<br /> <br /> There was the quiet and content murmur of a room full of people where were eating and enjoying casual conversations... when the door suddenly slammed open, and all conversation ground to an abrupt halt. Into the now silent hall, two young men entered... and I immediately felt a strange and dizzy sensation over take me. I held my head at the temples and peaked through my hands at what must surely be Nolan... and his brother William. Daisy was right. He was handsome. He looked like some Roman god, with his shoulders squared, his jaw set, his hair flowing around his shoulders, a little rough stubble on his finely carved jawline. He was all muscle. But his eyes... oh his eyes... even from across the room I could see the unique blue-grey color of his irises, and they were cold. Ice cold and furious. And somehow I just knew that that fury was directed at me. I felt the childish urge to slide down in my chair and hide under the table.<br /> <br /> At the same time, I was bombarded by the sweetest and most intoxicating aroma... of what? Was that his aftershave? A cologne? He didn't look like the kind of man who would douse himself in cologne, but he smelled really, really good. Like fragrant cedar and something sweet and musky. While I was on one hand tempted to hide from those cold, angry eyes... on the other hand I had the insane urge to run to him, to bury my head in his neck, and inhale that sweet, attractive smell. His mouth pressed into a flat, hard line... which totally ruined the effect of his full, sensual lips, as he stalked over to the family table.<br /> Belatedly, I noted his brother. Both the Luna and Daisy and mentioned that there was a younger brother, William. William seemed to favor his mother's genetics. He was not as big or as intimidating as Nolan, His blond hair was neatly trimmed, and he had a more willowy, graceful figure. His eyes were very blue, and very amused. As much as his brother had eyed me with hatred, I had the distinct feeling that this one was laughing at me, and I didn't like it. If there is one thing I can not tolerate, its being laughed at.<br /> <br /> I didn't worry about the younger brother for long, because the closer Nolan stalked, the stranger I began to feel. I felt like I couldn't get enough oxygen in my body, and I wondered if I might actually pass out. I'm not one of those weak, fainting girls. I've never passed out in my life. But at that moment I was seeing funny little black spots around the edge of my vision, and I was awfully dizzy.<br /> <br /> "Nolan," Luna spoke, a sharp edge of disapproval in her voice, "Its nice of you to join us. I want you to meet Nina..." Nolan jrked out a chair, and instead of offering me a hand, or a greeting or a good old-fashioned "nice to meet you," he growled at me.<br /> <br /> He growled at me, and my inner wolf whimpered. Mate. She whispered.<br /> <br /> No. Oh no no no. This cold eyed, impolite Neanderthal of a man could not be our mate. My mind fought it even as my body responded to that pheromone he was pumping out. I looked him in the eye and I saw that he knew it too. And he had absolutely no intention of acknowledging it. He must have a thing of a lot of self control to be able to shrug off the mate bond, and slather butter on a piece of bread like nothing else mattered.<br /> <br /> He hates us. He doesn't want us.<br /> <br /> I picked up my fork and tried to push my sluggish mind into some coherent thought. What were the odds that I get thrown into an arranged marriage, and the husband forced on me is actually my mate? Like one in a billion, right? But then what are the odds that I finally meet my mate, and he hates me? He hasn't said the words, but I can feel the aura of rejection wafting off of him almost as surely as I can smell his cedar-scent. How utterly cruel and unfair was that? Its like the universe having some great cosmic laugh at my expense. Well, what am I going to do? I'm not going to cry in front of all these people. Most importantly, I'm not going to cry in front of that insufferable man. I pushed my shoulders back, I shut off my whimpering wolf, I lifted my chin, and I looked him straight in the eye, as I took a bite of the lasagna. I'm sure it was as delicious as it smelled, but in that moment it tasted like dirt in my mouth. But I'd be doomed if I let that man know that I had lost my appetite over him. I chewed and swallowed, and washed it down with a swig of water.<br /> <br /> He met my eyes briefly, and then he turned to his brother and completely ignored me.<br /> <br /> His brother however, at least had the decent manners to greet me, and to welcome me to the pack. His keen blue eyes traveled back and forth between his older brother, then across the table to me, and back again. Then he shrugged and dug into his food. He made polite conversation with his mother, and sometimes he included me. "How are you finding it here, Nina? Is your room comfortable? Do you need anything?"<br /> <br /> "Oh yes, everything is great." I said, forcing more enthusiasm into my voice than I actually felt. Oh yes, everything is peachy. I've just been yanked out of my childhood home for the sake of some cute treaty. Yes, your home is very nice, and most of the people have been very friendly, but the man I'm supposed to marry is a total bad idea. Everything is great. I forced myself to eat mechanically, and made it through half the lasagna on my plate before I gave up and sat back in my chair. I stared at Nolan. He looks like Jason Mamoa I thought. Without the beard and with better hair. I wonder if he had any tattoos hiding under his clothes. My sisters would be jealous... until they realized that he's an absolute tool.<br /> <br /> Dinner plates were cleared away, and I was eager to excuse myself, but before I could push away from the table, a decadent dessert of tiramisu was brought out. I was no longer hungry. Even the prospect of sugar wasn't appealing at the moment, but I was painfully aware that I was new, I was a guest, and I needed to behave accordingly. I took a couple of bites, and really wished I had the appetite to enjoy the dessert, but I was far too aware of the man across the table. It annoyed me that he was completely unaffected. He shoveled in his food, carried on conversation, and acted like I wasn't even there. When our eyes did meet, I was met with icy, angry daggers and some silent warning that I didn't really understand.<br /> <br /> Finally, when I saw a few other people excusing themselves around the room, I saw my opportunity to escape. "Luna, thank you for a lovely meal," I said politely. "Please excuse me," I pushed back my chair, said goodnight to the rest of the table, and did my best to make a dignified exit, but it was getting harder and harder to walk normally and my stress and my exhaustion seemed to be compounding on me. But the absolute last thing I wanted at that moment was for that arrogant bad guy to see that I had a fatal flaw. He already hated me for no reason, how much more would he despise me for my weakness?<br /> <br /> I had just barely exited the room, when I felt an iron grip bite painfully into my arm, and spin me into the wall. If I hadn't had the support of the wall behind me, I would have fallen over myself. I found myself face to face with Nolan. Where his hand bit painfully into my arm, I felt the sparks. Oh Goddess the sparks that everyone made such a big deal over... they were magical, erotic, passionate, blah, blah. Well they probably never felt those sparks when their mate was squeezing out of their arm, and probably leaving bruises in the process. They probably never felt those sparks when their mate was staring down at you like you were a piece of trash they'd like to throw in the compactor. Being sexually attracted to someone who was clearly out to hurt me did not feel magical. It felt sickening.<br /> "Let me make something perfectly clear," he growled. "I do not want you, and I do not need you. You are only here in this house because my father is an old-fashioned pig-headed dummy. I will marry you to fulfill the treaty contract, but you will never be the Luna, and you will never be my mate." As if to punctuate his rejection, he gave me an extra shove against the wall, and then he stalked off in the other direction... and I was left staring after him... my mouth open, my face pale, and my arm aching.<br /> <br /> It wasn't a real rejection, right? I mean if he was formally rejecting me he would have to say the words. "I Nolan Pierceson of the Gold Mountain pack, do hereby reject you Nina..." And then I would reject him back, and the bond would break. But he hadn't said those words, exactly. Still there was a pain in my chest like something was ripping away. It was powerful enough that I had to hold my chest and gasp for breath. A few other people were trailing out of the dining room now, casting curious glances at me, and I knew I had to get upstairs before anyone started asking me questions that I couldn't answer. I was tired now, and I didn't really care who saw me limp as I dragged myself to the stairs and made my slow, painful climb up three flights. "Are you all right madam?" someone asked. I didn't even look at them, just ground out, "I'm fine." and kept climbing. Once I was at my floor, my legs were so bad I could barely walk at all. My left leg dragged, and I used the wall to balance as I made my way down the hall to my own door. Once inside I turned the lock, and fell across the bed.<br /> <br /> "I will not cry." I chanted. "I will not cry." And I didn't. Nolan Pierceson, I wasn't going to shed a tear for him, nor was I going to wallow in self-pity. He didn't want me? Well I didn't want his arrogant bottom either. My body wasn't strong, but when I set my mind to something, I had an iron will. And I had firmly set my mind against Nolan, and the mating bond. I would play nice until the new moon. When the marriage ceremony was completed, and all the pack alliances signed and sealed, I would reject him myself. And then what? What do you do with the rest of your life?<br /> <br /> Well, I would worry about the rest of my life another day. For today I settled for hot bath. I soaked my aching legs, and scrubbed the make-up off my face. I tried to dismiss Nolan from my thoughts, but I couldn't help but wonder what had made him hate me so much, right from the start. Was it me? Or was it the forced marriage? I mean, I know I'm not much to look at, and I've got a disability, but I don't think he even realized that yet. I hadn't even had enough time to truly piss him off yet. So what was it that had him in such a yank?<br /> <br /> I sighed and pulled the plug out of the tub, letting the water drain down. Men were like aliens. Who could understand them anyway? And who would want to? I slipped into my pajamas and crawled into the bed, totally overwhelmed with everything my brain had had to process in just one day.<br /> <br /> I awoke to a knock on my door. I was pretty sure I had locked it the night before, but still the handle turned and the door opened. I was expecting Daisy's smiling face, but instead it was William. "Hey," he smiled at me, and it seemed like a genuine smile this time. "Mama wanted me to come call you down for breakfast."<br /> <br /> "Oh," I said sleepily, propping myself up on my elbows. "I guess I overslept. Give me a few minutes to get ready"<br /> <br /> "Okay." Instead of leaving, he sprawled himself in the corner seat by the window and waited. I glared at him and wondered if it was entirely appropriate for your future brother-in-law to be making himself comfortable in your bedroom when you aren't even dressed. I thought about demanding he leave, but then changed my mind. Who cared if he saw me in my nightgown? It wasn't like I was indecent. And it wasn't like I owed his brother any kind of fidelity. I flipped back the covers and hauled my heavy body out of bed. I knew his keen eyes were seeing everything. He saw how I limped to the bathroom, and for once, I didn't care. Let him see. Let him see every god thing and report it back to his brother. I slammed the door to the bathroom just to punctuate my own cranky thoughts.<br /> <br /> I turned on the water to brush my teeth and wash my face, but I heard his voice over the faucet. "So that was pretty intense last night." He was commenting. I heard the door to my closet open. What, was he going through my things? "I've never seen anyone stare down my brother before." There was the definite sound of a drawer opening and closing. "This is going to be a very, very interesting marriage."<br /> <br /> I spit out my tooth paste, and yanked the door open to find that he had set out a set of clothes for me, along with clean underwear and a bra. "What are you doing in my clothes?"<br /> <br /> "No worries, just hurrying along. You have nothing to fear from me, peanut. You aren't my type."<br /> <br /> I narrowed my eyes, "And what exactly IS your type?"<br /> <br /> William sighed. "Tall, dark and handsome." I stared at him, not quite comprehending. "Men, Nina. I'm gay."<br /> <br /> "Oh." Was all I could say. Well, I suppose that probably explained his excellent fashion sense. I scooped up the clothes off the bed and retreated back into the bathroom to change. He continued to talk to me through the closed door. "Nolan didn't want to get married. Dad told him if he didn't get married, he would pass the Alpha title to his beta."<br /> <br /> "Why his beta?" I poked my head out of the bathroom again. "Why not to you?"<br /> <br /> William laughed, "Sweetheart, my dad seriously struggles with my sexual orientation. Mostly he just tries to ignore it. And besides, I don't want it. I don't have the constitution of an Alpha." I wondered exactly what that meant, but he didn't elaborate, and I didn't feel it was polite to ask. I did think it was pretty that his father would pass him up as Alpha because of his sexuality. The fact that William was kind of the black sheep of the family made me like him a little more.<br /> <br /> "So? I didn't want to get married either. Its not like it was my idea. What's he got against me?"<br /> <br /> "Nolan is always angry, don't take it personally. You just do you, and let him growl and snarl and spit all he wants. I'm sure he'll get over it eventually."<br /> <br /> "Right." He'll get over it eventually. That sounded so promising, I thought sarcastically. I dragged a brush through my tangled hair and sighed. "Okay, ready. Let's go."<br /> <br /> He held open the door for me, and I hobbled through. He held out his elbow like a gentleman, which was weird, but nice, and I took advantage of it. I waited for him to say something about my limp. But he didn't. I expected him to take me down the stairs, but instead he turned down a different corridor. "Um, where are we going?"<br /> <br /> "There is an elevator at the end of the wing. Its private, for the Alphas to access the 4th floor. But you are marrying the future alpha, so I think you are permitted to use it." At that moment I could have touched him. He produced a key from his pocket and handed it to me. "This is my key, but you can use it until you get your own. I can always take the stairs." You had to insert the key and turn it to call the elevator. Once the doors slid open, you removed the key and selected your floor. I breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator carried us down to the ground floor. It opened into an unfamiliar area behind the kitchens, but William led me through the maze of halls back to the dining room.<br /> <br /> "Ah there you are!" Luna Caydence called from the table.<br /> <br /> "I'm sorry Luna, I overslept."<br /> <br /> "Think nothing of it dear, but I wanted to go over some details of the wedding ceremony with you."<br /> <br /> Well, there went my appetite for breakfast. I didn't want to think about a wedding, let alone plan the details. "Your father sent over a dress," She was saying, and passed me a white box that was getting a little yellowed around the edges. I lifted the cover and felt tears burn behind my eyes.<br /> <br /> "Oh... my mother's dress." I whispered. I touched the delicate silk and lace. That was a strangely thoughtful and sentimental gesture on my father's part. Who forces their daughter into an arranged marriage, and then sends them a precious family heirloom? But it only made me feel more sad and distraught. I had dreamed that one day I would marry my soul mate, the love of my life, and I would wear my mama's dress, which had been HER mama's dress. It seemed wrong to wear such a special garment to a farce of marriage with a man who despised me.<br /> <br /> "Oooh, it was your mother's? How very special! Take it out dear, lets see it!"<br /> <br /> I didn't really want to take it out of the box, but I did. It was a simple and beautiful dress, with a fitted bodice, off-the shoulder sleeves, and a long, full skirt. The bodice was decorated with lace and tiny pearls, and the same lace edged the bottom of the long skirt. I was not as pretty or shapely as my mother, but we were a similar size, and I thought the dress would fit me well enough without needing any alterations. The Luna fawned over the dress. "Its very pretty, so elegent. You will look absolutely beautiful." She said kindly. I swallowed the knot in my throat and carefully folded it back into the box. Mama would have hated all of this. She would never have let this marriage happen, especially if she got a glimpse of the black-and-blue fingerprints that Nolan had left on my arm last night.<br /> <br /> I took a deep breath and set the box aside as breakfast arrived. I sipped my tea and listened as the Luna went over other details. Flowers and seating and ceremonial nuances. I didn't care, but I tried my best to act interested. When she asked me questions, I answered. "What is your favorite flower, dear?"<br /> <br /> "Sunflowers." I said without hesitation.<br /> <br /> "And your favorite color?"<br /> <br /> "Turquoise."<br /> <br /> She went on about bringing a stylist to do my hair and make up, and I swirled a spoon around in my yogurt. Really I just wanted this to be over. William came and sat and occasionally added his two cents to the conversation. The wedding ceremony would be on the back lawn, with seating for private guests only. The gazebo would be decorated out for the occasion. After it was all official, we would move to the pack meeting house, where we would be publicly celebrated, and Nolan would be presented as the new Alpha of the pack, and I would be presented as Luna.<br /> <br /> I choked on my tea. Nolan had said emphatically that I would "never be Luna." But it seemed that his parents had other ideas. What was I supposed to do? "Luna, I don't think--"<br /> <br /> The Luna gave me a hard look. "You are his wife. You will be the Luna. No matter what he says." That made me wonder if Nolan had already taken this argument to his mother. Would I still be the Luna after I rejected him? Would he divorce me once he had all his political ducks in a row? I wanted to bury my head in my hands. I gave William a pleading look, but he only shrugged back at me. So much for having an ally in the house.	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1,952,800	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1952755}'	No	2024-08-01 19:12	active	1201	1213828462981441	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"I told you baby, I'm divorcing her. I already have the papers drawn up..."<br /> I'm standing there and can't move, clutching the pregnancy test in my hands...<br /> I can't let him know that I know his plans...I need to get out of here.<br /> [A wife always knows. Sign them. Byebye.]<br /> I rub my flat belly. He can afford to wait, but my belly can't.<br /> <br /> ————————<br /> <br /> Im sitting here in shock as i sit here and look at 2 lines happiness and fear is going through me, happiness because im finally pregnant after 4 years of being married to richard and then the fear because he has never mentioned having kids with me and then there is the plan b he makes sure i take after we sleeping.<br /> I worked up enough courage to tell him and show him the pregnancy test and as im about to knock on his home office door i hear him talking in a hush tone. I told you baby im divorcing her I already have the papers drawn up in my desk you just have to give me time to break it to her and how to break it to her, yes baby our dinner plans are still on for tonight ill meet you there, i love you too and ill see you in a little bit.<br /> Im standing there and can't move clutching the pregnancy test in my hands with tears rolling down cheeks and i forced myself to move out of the front of his office door and walk to our bedroom hid the pregnancy test and jump into the shower to hide my tears. I guess I can put the blame on myself i knew who his childhood love is and i hoped that he would fall in love with me and forget about her but it doesn't look like the case and how dumb i feel.<br /> Im standing there under the water letting it hit my face and going over a plan in my head I've already made up my mind while he is gone ill pack up my stuff and sign the divorce papers in his home office then im gone. I was lost in my thoughts and didn't hear Richard get in the shower with me until i felt his arms wrap around me and pull me back into him.<br /> Showering without me are you? I felt so sick by his touch but I can't let him know that I know his plans and I need to get out of here. I went by your office and seen your door shut so I figured you was busy with work and didn't want to bother you, im never to busy for you darling. He turns me around so i will face him his hand is softly stroking my face while he stares at my face like he is taking a mental picture, he smiles then says you know i love you don't you? <br /> I mentally roll my eyes back into my head then smiled and said yes i know and do you know that i love you back? His smile reached his ears yes i do then he stars bussing me ever so passionly and it felt like to me that this will our last time.<br /> He throws me up against the shower wall and hikes one of my legs up to his side, lets make out in the shower its been awhile sense we have done this he said while nibbling on my neck, it has been awhile i said smiling while he slips inside of me. love this round was different we both knew it would be our last time together like this and he is taking his time like he is making a mental video at this moment. He has me pushed up against the wall and my legs are wrapped around his waste, richard im about to, i know darling i am too. <br /> <br /> He sits me down and makes me lean forward and put my hands against the wall then he pounds into me, the bathroom is filled with my moans and his grunts baby do you know how bad your tight little cherry drives me crazy when your getting off? Yes i do and i love that it drives you crazy, he starts stroking harder and faster and i know his release is coming, after he released himself inside of me he grabs me and pulls me close to him while leaving himself inside of me he has never did this before.<br /> He hurried and finished showering and i stay behind to finish up my shower, i came out and looked surprised when i seen him in his suit, going back to the office? Yea i have to finish up some work so ill be late don't wait up for me, you know its hard for me to sleep without you so hurry back as fast as you can and i gave him a warm smile, he walks over to me takes his thumb under my chin to make me look at him then he busses me ever so gently he takes the towel off of me and his hand goes straight to my belly i start to panic does he know? He pulls away and takes a couple steps back and just stares at me if i wouldn't have pulled away we would have went for round 2, so i say giving him a flirty smile after all we are husband and wife, he walks up to me softly stroking my face if i didn't have to be at the office we would definitely go for another round he busses me one more time then looks me in my eyes and says don't forget your plan b pill and don't wait up, i nodd and smile at him and walk over to my night then i hear the bedroom door shut.<br /> I sit on the bed listening to his footsteps fade away, wow he must be in a hurry to get to her because normally he would watch me just to make sure i took it, i walk across the hall and look out the window he is standing there typing on his phone then he slides into the back seat while the driver shuts the door. I grab my iphone log in with his information and read every iMessage between them my heart felt like it was stabbed over and over again he is talking about having kids with her something he has never with me i rub my flat belly don't worry little one mommy will make sure you have the best life i can give you we won't need him.<br /> I walk back to the room pack my things walk to his office to look for the divorce papers, i found them and read through them if i don't give him any trouble i get 50 thousand dollars and his name is already signed so i signed my name and faxed the papers to his lawyer. I laid the divorce papers on top of his desk and added a sticky note on top. A wife always knows and ive already faxed the papers to your lawyer after i signed them take care richard love tessa. I reset my iphone back to factory mode sign in on under his accounts and left the screen on his imessages with laura so that way when he picks it up that will be the first thing he will see and he can't track me if i don't have this phone if he wanted too.<br /> I remember to grab the pregnancy test and the box so i don't leave any evidence behind about my little one he didn't want one anyway at least not with me. I was able to sneak out without the maid seeing me walked down the road a little ways where the cab was waiting for me. I told the cab driver the address and sat back watching out the window I fought hard to keep my tears from falling down my cheeks he doesn't want me then i won't shed no tears for him. I had the cab drop me off at a little hotel where they would let me pay with cash and didn't ask for ID i can hide out here until that money goes into my banking account then i can get it all out and close my account down.<br /> <br /> Richards POV<br /> im stuck with a big dilemma between 2 women that i love except for one knows about the other when the other one don't, laura wants me to divorce tessa and that was the plan until i started having doubts, yes i may have already had the divorce papers drawn up and signed my name but that doesn't mean it's killing me on the inside. The shower love we had earlier was amazing heck every time we sleep its always amazing with tessa who ever thought a shy and quite girl like tessa would be so kinky? She is my type of women in the bed.<br /> I had to get one last look of her undressed body and one last taste of her before i break her heart tomorrow ive made up my mind ive missed laura like crazy while she was away with her dad for 5 years and was over joyed when she let me know that she is moving back I couldn't wait to see her. As twisted as this may sound I haven't touched laura sure we have bussed but out of respect for tessa thats all that has happened between laura and me.<br /> I called it a night with laura actually I couldn't wait to get back home to cuddle into tessa she thinks she is the only one that can't sleep without me but I can't sleep without her warm body pressed into mine it's going to be hard to sleep for awhile without her, am I really about to do this?<br /> I walk into the bedroom and see that the light is on but tessa isnt in the bed or in the room then i noticed that our wedding picture is missing from her night stand so i walk over to the bed and noticed a ripped up picture laying on the bed and its just me her side of the picture is gone, did she find out about laura? I walk to find the maid, have you seen tessa? She was in your office a little while ago faxing something sir, i nodd and ran straight to my office, is everything alright sir? Help me find tessa she isn't in the bedroom or in my office, i see her phone laying on my desk and i open it up and my heart sank when it was the messages between me and laura how did she find out how to do this?<br /> I sit back in my seat with her phone gripped tightly in my hands feeling numb all over when I noticed a sticky note that I don't remember leaving there and when i read it I didn't think it was even possible for my heart to sink any further until i read that she signed them and already faxed them my heart shattered. All I could do was imagine what she went through and is going through right now, where she went to? Is she safe? How could i have been so dumb? Why didn't she even put up a fight or even beg me?<br /> Im pacing back and forth at the foot of our bed imagining her laying in her spot looking so comfortable and sound asleep with me cuddle in behind her. i still see her undressed and standing there went i look in that direction, i still can see how the bottom of her belly was poking out a little and i started to imagine what she would look like with my baby in her and when my hand automatically went there it scared her, i know she isn't pregnant her periods came on time and she takes plan b after we sleep.<br /> I wasn't able to sleep last night so I went back to my home office before the sun came out thats when I noticed her wedding rings was laying there and i felt something I haven't felt in a long time running down my cheeks, it has been awhile sense i have cried I've actually been pretty happy with everything until now, i slid her wedding rings onto my pinky and just stared at them while tears are flowing down my face.<br /> I cant put out a missing persons report because our marriage was a secret I didn't want her to be noticed and live a happy and normal life without anyone knowing who she is. Ah ha she will probably be going to the bank soon to take out the money and ill tell them to notify me when she does, seeing how the bank is ran by my company they can't go against my orders.<br /> Laura has already called me this morning asking if i asked about a divorce yet i told her no because I didn't want to go straight into planning another wedding i still needed to find tessa I didn't want her to hurt.<br /> <br /> Tessa POV<br /> i haven't been able to hardly sleep at all, I wasn't lying to Richard when i told him I couldn't sleep without him but im getting used to it, its been 2 weeks sense i ran away and im about to run out of money so its time to empty my banking account and get the heck out of here so i can live freely and not only that i need to get my little one checked on and get the proper care that i need.<br /> My childhood friend is coming tonight and she is helping me escape tomorrow and we have a plan set up just incase he shows up I doubt he will sense this is what he wanted but its always good to plan ahead. Someone is knocking on my motel door and i know it isn't kelly because she will call my motel room when she gets here, i peek through the peephole and i see Richards assistant and Richard standing behind him with his arms folded across his chest and he doesn't look like she has slept good in ages, my heart drops to my feet has he found me? <br /> <br /> I almost opened the door when they stop someone walking by, excuse me sir have you seen this girl? He looks at the picture nope I can't say i have sorry, take this flyer and if you spot her give us a call and if you give us the right location and we locate her well will give you a great reward.<br /> Why is he looking for me? Is he having regrets? Does he know about the little one? Ive come to far im not turning myself in he probably wants me to get rid of little one if he knows it's coming and I won't take that chance no way. Kelly pulls in and they walk up to her car show her the flyer and i can tell she is trying so hard not to show it on her face, i see her shake her head no I can't hear what they are saying because they are so far away. They get into their vehicle and leave, i see her walking to my door and i hurry up and open it while hiding behind it.<br /> Girl do you know richard was just outside showing a picture of you trying to find you? Yes they knocked on my door but I didn't answer it, what is he wanting? I don't know i gave him what he wanted and he shouldn't know about little one we are the only ones that knows and i made sure to take the box and test with me, its a good thing you are getting out of here tomorrow that was way to close, yes it was I thought for sure he found me and came a hair of opening the door, don't you ever do something that dumb again, o im not promise.<br /> The next day kelly has me so made up that I don't recognize myself in the mirror, i have brown hair and she has me in a blonde wig a outfit that shows way to much of my body and my cleavage, i was just thankful I have a decent pair of flats i can run in if i have too. I put on a pair of over sized sunglasses and get on the bus and head to the bank, i walk into the bank go into the restroom and remove my wig stuff it in my big purse i fix my hair up into a messy bun and head to the tailors window. <br /> <br /> I show her my ID and my banking information i want everything out of my checking account and close my account, the tailor looks at me and smiles then whisperes i know who you are and im supposed to alert mr roads when you arrive to claim the money, please don't I just want to get my money and be on my way, don't worry i won't alert him until i see you walk out the door I can't stand laura she is making brags that she can't marry mr roads because you ran away before he could get you to sign the divorce papers, she hands me the money and i say i have signed the divorce papers and faxed the papers myself to his lawyer he is divorced and im not holding anyone up, <br /> <br /> I figured as much why else would he put 50 thousand into your checking account laura is just making up stories to make herself look good, ill be the run away wife I really don't care he is a free man what he does on his end is up to him, you better get going then before someone spots you, thank you so much she looks at me and gives me warming smile then winks.<br /> <br /> I step outside of the bank and take a last look around i plan not to step back into this city for years, i take one more big breath to calm my nerves down put on my sunglasses i start to take a step then i hear what sounded like someone slamming on their breaks, <br /> <br /> i thought someone was about to get ran over and i take a look to see what was going on when i noticed who's car it was i froze in my spot. Come on tessa get yourself together think of little one, i see a door open and richard gets out hollering my name, wait tessa i need to talk to you i shake my head no and turn around to take my steps away, tess please wait for me we need to talk, i turn to look at him and he is trying to dodge vehicles to get across the road to me and i spot my opportunity and took off running away from him and at this point instead of hollering my name he is screaming it.	LEARN_MORE	https://b.ficsworld.com/ad/Zmljd29ybGQvMjU4NDUxLzI	139299595929929	World002	https://facebook.com/61551823504143	88	1	342,526,152,244,833	2024-08-01 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Learn more	World002	120210534369970061	b.ficsworld.com		NONE	video		https://b.ficsworld.com/ad/Zmljd29ybGQvMjU4NDUxLzIwMjQwNzMxMTY0MjQ4L3BhZ2U=?adid={{ad.id}}	2024-07-31 03:50	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453384435_1593296394736115_8977961486105694297_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=17QhWSnhuTkQ7kNvgGGpSKi&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AYCCimRaMKwXMxwAnFib0bFe3KngDagYSOjyaVeO66AXKw&oe=66B1E880	person_profile	0	World002	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453258488_868076208502082_4931907227054440792_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=xMz2TceNhakQ7kNvgFfHJk7&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AYBnzjvFouKbE7ztY9U4S-jBY8MexaI8FEwpsiaR1kWokQ&oe=66B1F789	3	World002	2024-08-01 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,952,875	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	No	2024-08-01 19:12	active	1201	825562479688157	MAKE BEDTIME MAGICAL	Parents, are you looking for a magical way to transform bedtime for your kids? Listen up! For a short period, we're excited to offer our special line of kids' beds designed with your child's imagination and comfort in mind. Imagine a bed that not only ensures a restful sleep but also sparks joy and adventure in your child’s bedtime routine. That's what Purveyor 15 is all about. Why are we so confident? Because our beds are designed to be the heart of bedtime stories, ensuring every night ends in sweet dreams. Our team focuses on quality, safety, and innovative designs that make our beds a family favorite. Plus, for a limited time, each bed comes with a free a bedtime story adventure series about a young boy named Andy to make bedtime even more special! All you need to do is choose the bed that your child will love, and we'll take care of creating an enchanting bedtime experience. No hassle, just sweet dreams. Are you ready to say goodbye to bedtime woes and find a solution that combines comfort with creativity? Try Purveyor 15's kids' beds. Click on the link below to explore our collection of beds and receive your exclusive offer today! Remember, we're here to make every bedtime a beautiful adventure. So don't wait, this offer is for a limited time only! So, let's turn bedtime into storytime with Purveyor 15. Click 'Order Now' below and bring home the bed that dreams are made of!	ORDER_NOW	https://purveyor15.com/collections/all-products	238278819844992	Purveyor15	https://facebook.com/purveyor15	1,962	1	1,231,152,964,732,982	2024-08-01 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Order Now	Purveyor15	120211958091430392	purveyor15.com		NONE	dco	Kids Bed By Purveyor 15	https://purveyor15.com/collections/all-products	2024-08-01 09:12	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453609641_1023755172479446_7506818568819269088_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Jp8-epwISS8Q7kNvgFi4mkA&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AYCX5-nNpAZl6VAcA8Wl-jzf3aSoyjqvOLWXo284uba1Vw&oe=66B1F8B4	person_profile	0	PURVEYOR 15 BEDS \| Montessori Inspired Beds	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453183736_852269320118050_3145290504583263655_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FefJQ-WCCMUQ7kNvgFWY1Kr&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AYCRt5POgvgmELO4EKRWl8xNPot1wAnnR6CsAB5kIJENEg&oe=66B1E8C9	3	Purveyor15	2024-08-01 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,952,760	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1952723}'	Yes	2024-08-01 19:12	active	1201	810030964617632	Read with Your Ears➤➤	"I, James Rodriguez, soon to be alpha of Eclipse Pack reject you, Nikolina Reed as my mate and Luna. “ <br /> The pain was blinding for Nikolina. Her next words took both of them by surprise. She was anything but weak and she knew she deserved a lot better than some douche bag who was disrespectful towards his own mate. Alpha or not, he shouldn't be the one who gets the last laugh.<br /> ***<br /> Nikolina POV<br /> 4 hours earlier<br /> I woke up in a very good mood. I am finally eighteen and today is the day I find my mate. It actually depends on both sides. If they are of age, they'll find each other soon enough, seventeen is the youngest you can be when you find your mate.<br /> However, most of the time, the guy or the girl have to wait for their other half to come of age, which I think is a great idea.<br /> Yes, I'm a werewolf, specifically the current Beta's daughter and soon to be Beta's sister. The disappointment of the family. But that's okay; I'm not very inclined to make them proud or follow in their footsteps, but mostly they want Alex to do it.<br /> Don't get me wrong. I'm not abused or bullied; except for the occasional remarks, shunned from society, the usual stuff.<br /> They say I'm ugly, but I know better than to believe that. I could have been popular due to my blue eyes and gold speckles, blonde hair and hourglass figure. But I like to keep to myself. Plus my hair was naturally blonde unlike my mother's peroxide bleached hair that comes out of bottles and pricey extensions. Actually, dad and Alex both have brown hair so I don't know how I have blonde hair. For months, I even checked the roots of my hair to find some sort of discoloration to prove that even my hair was bleached. But in vain.<br /> My mom was the stereotypical cheerleader in high school while my dad was the “douche” and quarterback. Apparently they want me to be like them, and social hierarchy exists in packs as well. And my brother is following our parents footsteps, sleeping with more than half of the population, while I'm not.<br /> They revel in attention and bullying people who are lower than them, as they say. To the outside world, my family and I love each other. On the inside it’s an extreme hate relationship, something the pack is aware of except for the Alpha and Luna.<br /> If they knew the truth, my parents, Tiffany and Mark, would lose their respect and beloved Alex's position would be taken away from him. Which would obviously take his popularity down a notch. Horrifying for him. Entertaining for me.<br /> Anyways, today is also the soon-to-be Alpha's eighteenth birthday. James Rodriguez.<br /> Sometimes I wonder how someone as sweet and kind as Diana and George, produce a kid like James.<br /> In short, James is the snobby player. It’s actually really surprising how none of the girls are pregnant yet...<br /> Back to me, I dressed up with more care than usual. I wore a baby pink sundress with black gladiator sandals. I applied a bit of winged liner to make my eyes pop. I've always read stories about loving mates. Who knows how much of it is true? For all I know, it’s some made up fantasy to make mates seem like the ultimate endgame. Maybe one day, I would meet my mate and then we could run away towards the sunset............or something, I don't really care.<br /> Apparently, all mates are compatible with their other half. It’s like love at first sight and the males getting all possessive about their mates is very appealing and a turn on, or so I've heard.<br /> It's all hearsay. And I think it’s stupid. It’s like the males are all custom made robots. Why else would their behavior be so alike?<br /> And there was a paragraph about heat and shifting and marking. Maybe, my mate's gonna go all caveman on me and tear my throat out.<br /> I'm just kidding, morbid thoughts on my birthday are kind of my thing. And its wishful thinking. I don't care. He might even be an omega and I still wouldn't care. Even if he's a human, it wouldn't matter. And if he's not in this pack then..... Oh well... It's better for me. I don't want to stay in a pack where I have no respect and people treat me bad. Status had once mattered to me. But when you have parents like mine, you kind of start praying not to ever be like them.<br /> Not once did they look at me but of course, Alexander was doted on by everyone. Kids. Parents. Friends. You name it.<br /> Apparently, it's because he's a boy. And according to my mother, girls are good for getting screwed, getting hit on, obeying their men, acting flirty along, and popping out heirs.<br /> And lucky for you all, my mother happens to be exhibit A.<br /> You should all be jealous because it's not everyday that you have a live walking, talking example to show the word and tell them what a hoe your mother is.<br /> Third Person POV <br /> Nikolina walked to school as she was not allowed a car. Though Alex was the proud owner of a shiny Silver Volvo. Double standards were very common in the Reed family. She had always wanted her own car, something that was a stunning shade of bright canary yellow, but that dream was nowhere close to becoming a reality.<br /> All of a sudden, she smelt an amazing scent; peppermint and honey. Lydia purred and rolled around in happiness, barely able to contain her excitement.<br /> On searching for the source, her eyes met warm, hazel orbs. His eyes expressed lust and adoration as they raked all over her body.<br /> Realization finally hit her hard when she saw that James-freaking-Rodriguez was her mate! The next Alpha of Solaris Eclipse Pack. And he was Portia's long-standing boyfriend.<br /> You know what he did next? James went back to groping the head cheerleader. “Portia.... “ Oh, sorry. Rookie mistake. Portia Scott.<br /> Tears threatened to fall while her wolf Lydia whimpered, seeing her mate touch another...<br /> “Our mate is beautiful.” James's wolf, Jace said. Nikolina was more than just beautiful. Many males of the pack thought she was gorgeous but never mentioned it out loud due to the fear of facing Alex's wrath. Alex was the one to start it all: the petty insults, the hateful words and making an outcast out of her. Others had just followed his footsteps. And of course, some of the girls were shallow enough to find happiness by making Nikolina feel miserable, because they were insecure about themselves.<br /> But the main issue was, though James thought Nikolina was pretty, he would never accept her as his mate and Luna. Though she was Beta Mark's daughter and was of high status, both him and his ego considered her a nobody. He knew about the insults and he had done it as well. In his eyes, she was worthless and all everyone ever did was talk down on her and she never fought back.<br /> He couldn't have a... thing like that as his mate. Beauty just wasn't enough for him, being a ruthless woman was a requirement.<br /> “She might be beautiful but I don't want her. She's a nobody. If people know that she is my mate, I would become the laughing stock of my pack. Seriously, people walk all over her. She can never be my Luna.” That was the thought going through his mind as he sucked on Portia's neck hard enough to bruise.<br /> “Ow! You're hurting me, boo! You know Kelly has my concealer today.” Portia whined but still made no move to shove James away. She just proceeded to grind her lower body into James and trying to get as close as humanly possible without getting rid of her clothes in public.<br /> James finally pried Portia off his body and walked towards his mate. In some ways, Portia was like a bloodsucking leech or an annoying wart, never leaving without a fight.<br /> “Baby, where are you going? I need you!” Her voice was like a cat dragging its claws across a board.<br /> James just signalled her to shut up before walking towards his mate. He would do the right thing, of course, as the future Alpha of Solaris Eclipse Pack and give Nikolina what she deserves.<br /> He stopped in front of her and asked, “What's your name?”<br /> “Nikolina,” she stated. He soon noticed that she had no friends and no car and he felt the curious stares on his back as everyone's attention was on him.<br /> “I, James Rodriguez, soon to be alpha of Eclipse Pack reject you, Nikolina Reed as my mate and Luna. “ As he rejected her, Jace whimpered and cowered. And James felt bad but he knew this was the right thing to do for himself and the pack. From his perspective, Nikolina was someone who brought out the worst in people and Portia was way more deserving to be his mate and Luna, considering that she was fearless and wasn't afraid to fight dirty for her rights.<br /> James was an egoistic douche bag who mistook petty behavior for fearless but he was blinded by the greed for power and popularity.<br /> The pain was blinding for Nikolina. She would have collapsed if not for the anger that surged through her. She was furious. At James. The Moon Goddess. Not realizing how painful rejection was. Her fate. It was a never ending list.<br /> It felt like she was being drowned in liquid bleach, her lungs burned and she saw red. Anger took over the pain she was feeling and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how hurt she was.<br /> Her next words took both of them by surprise. She was anything but weak and she knew she deserved a lot better than some douche bag who was disrespectful towards his own mate. Alpha or not, he shouldn't be the one who gets the last laugh.<br /> “I, Nikolina Reed, accept your rejection as my mate and Alpha. I sincerely hope you get the clap!”<br /> With that, she turned on her heel and left the school premises.<br /> “Who needs a mate? Especially someone like James. People like him need girls like Portia by their sides, who cater to their whims and needs and whatever freaky carnal desire they might have.” Nikolina thought darkly. She wasn't going to give in to her pain and this rejection was the final push that encouraged her to chase after her freedom and break bonds with the family who had clipped off her wings.<br /> James felt a tiny bit of hurt realizing that she didn't even think twice before accepting the rejection and all he could wonder was how did she not burst into tears or grovel at his feet to take her back. Jace did not talk. He just whimpered, feeling the loss of his mate. Before James could think of it anymore, Portia dragged him to an empty classroom to distract her beloved Jamie boo. It seemed as if James wasn't the least bit affected by the incident with Nikolina, because his actions didn't falter as he hitched Portia's skirt up and ripped her panties, drilling her like an animal and releasing himself on her clothes and face as he left her alone to clean up.<br /> Nikolina POV<br /> “Well, he can go drill his toy as much as he wants.” I thought darkly while making my way towards home. All Lydia did was whimper. The moment I saw James, I knew something like this was bound to happen. You don't have any expectations when someone like him is supposed to be your destined mate. He was born with a big ego and he can just stuff it up his.<br /> “Maybe he regrets hurting us, you know.” Lydia whimpered.<br /> Before I could reply, searing hot pain flooded my senses. I felt myself fall on the pavement and the pain started to become more intense. It is obvious, isn't it? He's already drilling someone just minutes after rejecting me. It felt like my body was set on fire and the blistering flames charred my skin.<br /> I slowly got up and almost keeled over as my vision turned white. Dizziness washed over me. I had to clench my fists and dig my fingers hard enough to draw blood. Getting away from him and this stupid pack is my best bet. He was doing it intentionally considering the fact he knows that we're both connected unless one of us dies or gets marked by another. Walking never felt so strenuous and with every step I had to force myself to not curl up on the pavement and cry. I know I deserve someone better but I did want to cry my pain away.<br /> After what seemed like hours, the pain slowly ebbed away. Painful times ahead. The only problem is that the mate bond doesn't break even after being rejected. Only if the rejected is marked by the first mate or by another, or if one of the mates die, will the bond break.<br /> I entered my house and went to my room to pack my bags. You know, in every werewolf story the rejected mate writes letters before leaving. There's no logic to it. I mean, don't you get it? No one cares if you leave. No one cares if you die. No one cares if you slit your throat or get molested or murdered. That's the harsh truth. Why should I open my feelings on a letter make them feel pity? I can just run away and live my best life, away from them. It's not like they will send out search teams for you.<br /> I don't want pity. I can do better than that. I picked up my red lipstick and wrote in capitals before leaving. I know I'm dramatic but it serves them right. They'll remember this for years to come: women can walk away without feeling a twinge of guilt or regret.<br /> Showing vulnerability would only make me seem weak and I've let people walk over me way too many times.<br /> My mom was probably busy getting her hair done or something. That's the only thing she ever does. Or her nails. Or maybe she was out shopping with snobby people like herself. It's obvious that birds of a feather flock together. The only thing I ever liked about her is that she cooked for us, sometimes. Mom made a mean lasagna.<br /> Dad was probably with Alpha George. That's usually where he is. But then again, he also has this terrible habit of getting drunk during daylight hours. And once he even groped some other girl in front of the whole pack. Mom turned an ugly shade of red as she kicked him in the crotch. Those were the good days. It was fun when he laid on the couch with a bag of frozen peas on his groin and mom was nowhere around.<br /> Leaving was better for me anyway. Nothing was tying me down to this place. No friends. No proper family. I would be doing myself and them a favor.<br /> I took my dad's sleek black Porsche for my escapade. I might as well leave loaded and in style, besides it's high time I had a car.<br /> Just as I reached the pack border, I said, “I, Nikolina Reed, break all ties with the Solaris Eclipse Pack.” The patrol guards looked at me, but its not like they would stop me.<br /> The pack links broke and with that I revved up the engine and sped through the borders, driving towards my new life. A better life. It was a blessing that this pack did not care enough to stop me.<br /> <br /> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><br /> Keep the story going! Download our app and listen to the rest of the audiobook ID:99168.	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1,952,738	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	No	2024-08-01 19:12	active	1201	463649546529498	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	The noise was coming from across the hall. The jubilant exclamations. "Oh yes! Oh Alpha!"<br /> <br /> It hit me with a waive of nausea. My husband, my mate... was sleeping someone else in his bedroom across the hall. By the sounds of things, the woman was enjoying it a lot more than I had. I grasped my phone, but there was no use in calling anyone now. I knew the sickness that I had could not be helped by any doctor. There is no cure for the pain of an unfaithful mate. I knew it. And he knew it. He knew exactly what he was doing to me. I curled up on the floor, but there was no way to get any relief. I heard his lover scream in desire, just as the pain became so unbearable that I lost consciousness.<br /> <br /> That is how I woke up. Fell on my bedroom floor, smeared with my own blood. The stabbing pain was over and gone, but the ache of betrayal remained. It didn't matter that he didn't like me and I didn't like him... there was a thing that bonded us together that was beyond our control. My poor wolf was crying , whimpering, traumatized.<br /> <br /> I had just barely exited the room, when I felt an iron grip bite painfully into my arm, and spin me into the wall. I found myself face to face with Nolan.<br /> <br /> "Let me make something perfectly clear," he growled. "I do not want you, and I do not need you. You are only here in this house because my father is an old-fashioned fool. I will marry you to fulfill the treaty contract, but you will never be the Luna, and you will never be my mate." As if to punctuate his rejection, he gave me an extra shove against the wall, and then he stalked off in the other direction... and I was left staring after him... my mouth open, my face pale, and my arm aching.<br /> <br /> It wasn't a real rejection, right? I mean if he was formally rejecting me he would have to say the words. "I Nolan Pierceson of the Gold Mountain pack, do hereby reject you Nina..." And then I would reject him back, and the bond would break. But he hadn't said those words, exactly. Still there was a pain in my chest like something was ripping away. It was powerful enough that I had to hold my chest and gasp for breath. A few other people were trailing out of the dining room now, casting curious glances at me, and I knew I had to get upstairs before anyone started asking me questions that I couldn't answer. I was tired now, and I didn't really care who saw me limp as I dragged myself to the stairs and made my slow, painful climb up three flights. "Are you all right madam?" someone asked. I didn't even look at them, just ground out, "I'm fine." and kept climbing. Once I was at my floor, my legs were so bad I could barely walk at all. My left leg dragged, and I used the wall to balance as I made my way down the hall to my own door. Once inside I turned the lock, and fell across downstairs.<br /> <br /> ...<br /> <br /> I knew it was bad news when Daddy called me into the office to talk. When we want to discuss something nicely as a family, we do it around the dinner table. We don't get called into the office unless we are in trouble. As I followed Beta Phillip through the pack-house, I felt that heavy sense of foreboding weighing me down. I saw a sort of pity in Phillip's face when paused to let me catch up, and glanced back at me. I was already searching my mind, trying to think of what I might have done to get myself in trouble... but I'm really a pretty boring girl. I couldn't think of anything that might have triggered my father so badly that he would call me into the office.<br /> <br /> We came to a stop in front of the heavy oak door. Phillip knocked twice, and my father promptly called, "Enter!" Phillip opened the door, and stood aside for me to precede him into the room. It was so formal, it felt all wrong. And then he closed the door again, shutting me inside with my father. Daddy was hunched at his desk, and he didn't look happy. His handsome face was haggard, and somehow, he looked older today than he had just a few days ago. "Sit down, Nina."<br /> <br /> I limped to one of the leather wing backed chairs that faced his desk. I didn't limp because I had any recent injury, I just had bad legs. I sank gingerly down on the leather, sitting on the very edge, because somehow it didn't feel safe to relax. Daddy wasn't looking at me... he was looking at papers on his desk. He cleared his throat several times, as if he was struggling to find the right words. When he looked up, his face had hardened, and when he spoke, he spoke with his firm Alpha voice. Not his Daddy voice. That made me shrink back further into the chair.<br /> <br /> "Nina, as part of the treaty negotiations with the Gold Mountain Pack, I have agreed to a marriage alliance. You, Nina Boyton, will marry the Alpha's son, Nolan Pierceson on the next new moon."<br /> <br /> I felt like someone had punched me, knocked the air out of me. "What? Daddy! How could you??" I ,whispered in shock. Arranged marriages were an archaic thing of the past. Nobody did that any more, did they?<br /> <br /> Daddy looked pained. "I did it for the sake of our pack, Nina. We are a small pack, and since your mother..." he couldn't quite bring himself to say the word "died"..."We are weak and vulnerable. We need the protection of a larger, stronger pack. This political alliance will ensure our safety and our survival."<br /> <br /> I felt so many emotions whipping through me, I couldn't grab a hold of them. "But... why me?" I had two sisters, one older, and one younger. Janice was smart and strong, one of our best warriors. And the younger, Hannah was the beautiful one. None of us had found our mates, we were all single and available. I was almost sure if the Alpha of Gold Mountain had ever seen the three of us, he would have picked one of them. Not me. I am the most ordinary, non-descript, and insignificant of the Alpha's daughters. And then it hit me like a slap in the face. Without my father answering me, I knew why he had sacrificed me. I'm the weak one. I'm the expendable one. I'm the one with the "bad legs".<br /> <br /> "Its not what you think, Nina." My father said quietly. "It has nothing to do with your... condition." He never knew quite how to refer to my inexplicably weak legs. The pack doctors hadn't been able to diagnose the problem, even the human doctors had shrugged me off after a battery of inconclusive tests. I waited for him to explain. But my father didn't elaborate further, and that irritated me.<br /> <br /> "Don't I get a say in this? Don't you need my consent before you sell me off "for the sake of the pack"? What if I refuse?"<br /> <br /> My father's face blanched for a moment, and then darkened. "If you refuse, I will disown you, and you will be exiled from the pack."<br /> <br /> His words hit me like a slap in the face. My own father would throw me out of the family and out of the pack and make me go rogue? Who was this man, behind the desk? Surely this wasn't my Daddy. He wouldn't have done this to me. I felt a hot tear run down my cheek, and I could only think, if Mama had been alive, she never, ever would have allowed him to do this to me. For a few moments I seriously considered the option of refusing and being exiled. I didn't really stand a chance, as a lone she-wolf without a pack. I wasn't physically strong enough, but more importantly... I couldn't stand the idea of being forever separated from the family that I loved. Daddy was doing something terrible at that moment, that broke my heart. His responsibilities as Alpha had to come first... even if it meant sacrificing his own daughter. Although everything inside me was raging against it, I had to obey his order. Not only for him, but for the pack that I loved.<br /> <br /> My shoulders slumped forward in defeat. I could no longer meet his eye, and stared down at my toes instead. I couldn't find the words to speak, so I simply nodded. I didn't see his face, but I could hear the relief in his voice. I wonder if he'd secretly been worried that I would actually choose exile over a forced marriage. But when he spoke, it was the heartless, stern, Alpha voice again. "You will pack up your things. You will leave tomorrow in the morning."<br /> <br /> My head jrked up. "So soon? But you said, on the new moon?"<br /> <br /> "I said the marriage would take place on the new moon. The alpha has requested you to come immediately. Gretta will come and help you pack." He shuffled the papers on his desk, as if they were suddenly more important than his daughter. "You are dismissed."<br /> <br /> Dismissed? I don't ever remember my father speaking to me like that... like I was some underling to order about. I made my way back to my room in a stupor, passing pack members in the hall but not really seeing anyone, or hearing their greetings. I shut the door in my room and managed to lean back against it before the strength left my legs and I sank to the floor. Being forced to marry a stranger was bad enough, but it had deeper, more far reaching implications. I would be forever tied to a man I didn't love, and I would never get to experience the joy and completion of finding my mate. That's what every wolf longed for, as soon as they came of age. To find your goddess-given soul mate, the magical person who would complete you and make you whole. All happiness and satisfaction was tied up in that one, fated person. And I would be denied it, forever. Great big tears of self pity rolled down my cheeks as I absorbed the unfairness of it all.<br /> <br /> After awhile a knock came at the door, and Gretta, a sweet little omega who worked in the pack house poked her head in. "I was told to come assist you, Miss Nina." I sighed and hauled myself to my feet. I might as well resign myself to my miserable fate.<br /> <br /> "I need to pack," I said dully. "I'm leaving in the morning."<br /> <br /> "Oh, of course." She was too submissive to dare to ask where or why. I wondered if my sisters knew already, or if they were being kept in the dark too. I wasn't sure I could face them right now. I pulled two suitcases out of my closet that I had only used once when mother took us on a trip to Mexico. "What exactly do you want to pack?"<br /> <br /> I sighed and pulled open my drawers. "Just the absolute essentials Gretta," I said, pulling out my favorite clothes and throwing them on the bed. I was a no-nonsense kind of girl when it came to fashion. I preferred comfort over style, and I didn't own many nice or fancy things. I pulled a couple of nice dresses out of the closet and tossed them on the pile, for formal occasions. I wondered idly if there would be a real wedding dress for this farce of a marriage, or if we were just going to stand before the officiant in our street clothes while it was made legal.<br /> <br /> I looked around my room, trying to gauge what other things I needed to take. I slipped my mother's delicate porcelain jewelry box into the bag, wrapped carefully in one of my sweatshirts. There was the picture of my sisters and I, taken several years ago, our arms looped around each other, smiling happily at the camera. There was my leather bound journal, and my laptop. Other things seemed too childish to take to your marriage home... like the old, worn stuffed bear that had graced my pillow since I was six years old. But I did finally take the fuzzy lap-blanket, printed with cheerful sunflowers and butterflies, and tuck it in the top of my bag. After adding in the practical toiletries and other necessities, I sighed and declared the work finished. I felt a little sad that the entire of my 19 years of life could so easily be condensed into two suitcases, and another fat tear rolled down my cheek.<br /> <br /> I'd never felt so worthless and unloved in all my life. But now I had to face the facts. My own father considered me expendable. The Gold Mountain pack had demanded a bride, and I had been, quite literally, thrown to the wolves. A part of me wanted to call my sisters, to cry to them, to tell them how scared and worried I was about this great unknown responsibility that had just fallen on me... but I couldn't. I suppose I resented them. They would go on with their normal, happy lives after I left. My fate didn't matter much to them, in the grand scheme of things. Their sympathy at this point would only make me feel worse.<br /> <br /> I thanked Gretta for her help, and quietly closed the door behind her. My suitcases were standing neatly by the door. I grabbed my old, well loved teddy bear and curled up on the bed, and tried to shut my mind to all the hurt and all the worries that were eating at me. My mother would have said, "Chin up, sweetheart. Face the world head-on." Thinking of my sweet mother only made me cry harder, until I fell into an exhausted sleep.<br /> I awoke to a timid knock on the door. Dawn was barely breaking outside my window, and I was still sprawled across my bed in yesterday's clothes. My eyes felt puffy and gritty from crying. I had never eaten dinner, and my stomach was complaining. "Miss Nina?" Gretta called timidly. "The Beta says you should be prepared to leave in one hour."<br /> <br /> One hour. Jeezus, they weren't wasting any time in shipping me out of here. I dragged myself to the shower. The pain and weakness in my legs was always the worst first thing in the morning. I braced myself against the sink while I stripped down, and turned the shower on as hot as it could possibly go. I scrubbed and scrubbed at my skin as if I could wash away whatever fault, whatever weakness had made my father choose me. When my skin was pink and irritated, I washed my long, dark hair, and stepped out in a billow of herbal scented steam. What were you supposed to wear when you were being traded off to another pack? I felt like I should wear something black and ugly. After all, I was mourning the loss of my life, my hope, my freedom. But I decided against the funeral garb, and opted for a sun dress that was pretty, but casual. The bright turquoise color went well with my dark honey skin, and made my eyes look more gold than brown. I pulled my hair up into a lose bun, and fastened my favorite turquoise beaded choker around my neck, with the dainty, matching earrings. I stared at my reflection critically in the mirror. No matter how flattering the clothes, or pretty the jewelry, the young woman staring back at me was still just... me. The epitome of ordinary. Neither tall nor short, fat nor skinny, pretty nor ugly. I was simply unremarkable in every way... unless today you counted the fact that my eyes were still red and swollen and I was more pale than usual.<br /> <br /> At precisely 7:00 am there was a sharp knock on my door. I opened it, expecting to see my father, but instead it was his gamma, Pedro. "Miss Nina, your father said I am to drive you to the Gold Mountain pack. Are you ready?"<br /> It was a two hour drive from our small pack to the much larger Gold Mountain Pack territory. But you know when you DON'T want to arrive somewhere, it seems like the journey goes in the blink of an eye. If I were looking forward to this meeting, the two hours would have seemed forever. As it was, Pedro drove silently. My father's third had always been open and friendly with me, so I wondered if my father had given him orders not to talk to me. That hurt. Hurt on top of hurt seemed to be the order of the day. And I was hungry. I never went down for dinner the night before, and I had been rushed out of the house before I had a chance to eat breakfast this morning. With every grumble of my empty stomach, my mood was growing a little darker.<br /> <br /> I'd never been into Gold Mountain Territory. I'd only heard stories of the notorious pack. They were big, and strong, and brutal. Their warriors were considered the best, the elite, and reportedly trained relentlessly. They had no mercy on their enemies, and had reportedly wiped out entire packs who had betrayed them in one way or another. But I always took these kinds of stories with a grain of salt. Every pack wanted to be known as the biggest and the baddest, and stories tended to be exaggerated to bolster that reputation. My impression as we crossed the boundary and entered into their pack grounds was of absolutely beautiful, wild looking gardens, and a huge manor that would have fit our pack house inside it four times. It was T shaped and sprawled out into three wings, a beautiful structure built from native stone, with big windows framed by black shutters. It was fronted by a huge veranda and two big ornate doors that opened into the main hall.<br /> <br /> Pedro parked the SUV, and for the first time in the whole trip, Pedro turned and spoke to me. He laid his big, rough hand on mine in my lap. "Stay strong, Miss Nina. You can do this." That is all he said. He climbed out, and came around to open my door, as if I were someone important. He pulled my suitcases out of the boot, and then he escorted me up to the veranda, where a handful of people were waiting for me.<br /> <br /> There was a huge man, and I mean HUGE, who seemed to be about my father's age. He should have been nearly seven feet tall, with arms like tree trunks. His ruddy face was framed by two overgrown sideburns and a crazy mop of hair that reminded me of the Wolverine from the X-men comics. His eyes were a piercing pale blue, and quite cold as they watched me approach. Beside him, in sharp contrast, was a dainty little sprite of a woman. She barely cleared five foot, and was so petite it seemed like a strong wind might blow her away. She had long, curling blond hair, and beautiful green eyes, and a wide, friendly smile. I was so happy to see at least one smiling face, it eased my tension a bit. The other people stood back a bit from this couple, and seemed to be lower ranking pack members. They stared at me curiously.<br /> <br /> I concentrated really hard on controlling my uneven gate. I did not want these people to see me limping, and if I worked really hard, I could pull it off, but it took a lot of effort, and I had to move slowly. Under the circumstances, I thought it would seem appropriate that I approached a strange pack and strange people with slow caution. The pretty woman danced down the steps, and folded me into a warm and unexpected hvg. "Welcome to Gold Mountain, dear. I am Caydence, and my husband, Bernhard." She gestured to the lumberjack-giant who still stood on the steps. She didn't refer to herself as Luna, or her husband as Alpha, but it was obvious enough that they were the leaders. I looked around and wondered where the son was, the Nolan I was supposed to marry.<br /> <br /> As if sensing my inquiry, the Luna shook her golden curls. "My sons are not here at the moment, but you will meet them soon. Come, lets get you inside and get you settled." She looped her arm through mine, and with one last, helpless glance at Pedro, I let her drag me inside. The great pack house was as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside, tastefully decorated and thoroughly modern. She lead me through a maze of rooms and corridors in a sort of whirlwind tour. "The conference room is there, and that is the entertainment room... and oh, that's the nursery for the pups... there is a guest bathroom here, and the kitchen is this way. Have you eaten?" She didn't even wait for me to answer, "I'm starving, lets go get some breakfast." She lead me into a huge dining hall, that easily could have seated a hundred people. She pulled me toward a table for two, and no sooner had our backside's hit the seat of the chairs than a uniformed waitress appeared. I recognized her as an omega, by her submissive posture.<br /> <br /> "Kelly dear, this is Nina Boyton, Nolan's betrothed." The waitress peaked up at me in surprise, then quickly looked back down at her order pad. "Nina, this is Kelly, one of our regular kitchen staff. So, what will you have?" Before I could answer, she was putting in her order. "I'll have a four-egg omelette, with Swiss cheese and mushrooms, a blueberry muffin, toasted with butter, and four sausage links."<br /> <br /> I blinked in surprise. How could such a tiny woman put away so much food?? Luna Caydence looked at me expectantly. "Um...I'll also have a muffin, and a cup of tea, please."<br /> <br /> When the waitress had scampered away, Luna Caydence reached across the table and placed her hand over mine. "I'm sure this is a very difficult and uncomfortable transition for you, my dear. But I want you to know that I am here for you, you are most welcome in this family, and I will do everything in my power to make you comfortable. But Nolan..."<br /> <br /> I swallowed... there was something ominous about that. But Nolan what? I was too afraid to ask.<br /> <br /> "Nolan can be... difficult." She said vaguely. "His father and I, we hope that he will settle down now, and take up his responsibilities."<br /> <br /> I frowned and fiddled with the silverware. Difficult? What did difficult mean? I wanted to ask more... I wanted to know more about what this future husband of mine was like. But I couldn't find the words, and I had a feeling that Caydence was done talking about her son. She had moved on, saying how happy she was to have a woman in the family, that she had heard so many nice things about me... well I was sure that was a bunch of baloney. I bet she knew absolutely nothing about me, beyond my name and my marriagablility. Still, I liked Caydence, I appreciated her friendliness. I tried to hide my smile as an enormous platter of food was set before the tiny woman, and she dug into her eggs with gusto. I was feeling very hungry, and probably could have put away nearly as much food, but I didn't want to seem like a glutton, so I tried to nible at my muffin and act lady-like.<br /> <br /> After we finished, (and yes, she finished everything on her plate,) she lead me up the stairs. I swallowed down my horror as I looked at the flights of elegantly curving staircase that I would have to traverse to get to my guest room on the third floor. Navigating stairs were very difficult for my heavy, clumsy legs, and it made them ache something fierce. Was it too much to hope that somewhere in this gigantic house there was a service elevator? Desperately trying to hide my pain and discomfort, I grasped the hand rail, and pulled myself up the stairs behind the spritely woman as fast as I could without falling flat on my face. When we got to the third floor, she looked back at me, struggling up the last few steps, and frowned, but said nothing. She lead me down a long hall, and opened the door to a beautiful guest suite, with a big bed, and a private en-suite bathroom. My suitcases had already been deposited inside. "Make yourself comfortable my dear. I'll send Daisy to you when she's done cleaning up from breakfast. If there is anything you need, she can be of assistance. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.." And just like that, she left me alone in the beautiful room, in the big, strange house.<br /> <br /> Daisy was a delightful young Omega who was assigned to be my maid. Not that I really needed a maid, mind you, but I was happy to have her as a companion. Her name suited her perfectly, because like the wild-flower, she was bright, cheerful, and sunny. Her smile was too wide for her little face, her nose turned up, and her dark blond hair was an uncontrollable riot of curls. Her blue eyes danced with good humor, and she just seemed like the kind of person that was genuinely happy right down to the core of her being. I loved her right away. She helped me unpack my few things, and then we sat together on the bed and we talked for a few minutes.<br /> <br /> "What is life like in the pack?" I asked her.<br /> <br /> She smiled (I don't think I'd seen her NOT smile, ever) "Oh its a good life," She said sincerely. "The Alpha runs a tight ship, we work hard, we train hard, but its a very fair pack, and we have a lot of fun too. We can't wait for your marriage celebration. I hear the Luna is planning a big party, and the whole pack will be invited. I love parties! Even if I have to work in the kitchen, we are allowed to take shifts so we all get to have a turn taking part in the festivities."<br /> <br /> I smiled. I already liked the way the Luna ran her household. In some packs, omegas were treated like slaves. I think at home we treated them fairly. They were paid wages for the work they did, but Daddy didn't exactly go out of his way to make them feel like they were valued members of our family. They were definitely looked down upon, and that had never really sat well with me. Not every member of the pack could be a warrior, and the omega's performed really valuable services by taking care of the children and providing domestic services that the hunters simply didn't have time for.<br /> <br /> "And what what about Nolan. What is he like?"<br /> <br /> For the first time, Daisy's perpetual smile faltered. She pasted it back on, but it wasn't quite as real as it had been before. "Oh he's very handsome." She said. "He's so tall, like the Alpha, but not so burly."<br /> <br /> "Okay, he's nice to look at, but what is he LIKE? What is his personality like."<br /> <br /> Daisy pushed herself off the bed. "I think its better if you get to know him for yourself, mistress. I don't want your impressions of him to be influenced by my opinions. I need to go see about preparing the food. If you need anything just call me." And she slipped away, quietly shutting the door behind her.<br /> <br /> Oh boy. I stared at my hands, at the short trimmed nails that hadn't seen a polish since my thirteenth birthday. All the things that Daisy HADN'T said spoke more loudly than the words she DID say. If Nolan was truly a great guy, she would have been eager to extol his virtues, right? She would have said, "He's really kind. He's really gentle. He's really just." But she didn't say anything. I suppose it was commendable that she chose silence over lies, but I was growing increasingly uneasy. The Luna called him "difficult", and my new friend wouldn't call him anything, except handsome. But it wouldn't matter if he was the most handsome man in the world if he was a complete as hole.<br /> <br /> I felt a little nervous going down to dinner, knowing that I would meet my husband-to-be. I tried to pick out a pretty outfit, without being overtly over dressed. I brushed out my hair and left it loose, as the long chocolate colored waves were maybe one of my best assets. I even tried to put on a little make up, just to add some definition to my eyes. I sighed at my reflection, dissatisfied but knowing that it was the best I could do. I grimaced at the prospect of going down all those stairs, and reminded myself that I needed to ask Daisy if there was a service elevator in the house. The way how it was all decked out with modern appliances, it seemed like it must have a lift hidden somewhere. But then again, they probably hadn't figured in the possibility of a disabled werewolf when they designed the manor.<br /> <br /> I can't describe to you what an ordeal it is for me to navigate a set of stairs. I have to creep down one step at a time. Left foot down, right foot down onto the same stair. And then repeat. If I try to march down the steps like a normal person, alternating feet on alternating stairs, one of my legs is sure to collapse, and I'll take an ugly tumble down. Ask me how I know... I'm embarrassed to say its happened more times than I can count. So I have to go down the stairs like a little kid, clinging to the rail, one step at a time, praying that no one is watching me. Luckily I seem to be the only guest on the third floor at the moment, and I'm nearly at the bottom before I start seeing other people scurrying around in preparation for dinner.<br /> <br /> Daisy came around the corner, her face split in a smile, and her eyes lighting up as she saw me, "Ah there you are mistress! Luna had just sent me to go fetch you. The meal is nearly ready. You look very nice, I love that top." She bubbled cheerfully, and took my elbow to guide me back toward the dining room. Unlike this morning, when the room had been empty, this evening it was crammed full. I swallowed nervously and did my best to straighten my spine and walk normally. From every table, heads turned and looked at me, and people whispered, and I felt the blood rush to my face. I'm not normally shy, but I can't say that I really like being the center of attention either.<br /> <br /> "Nina darling, over here!" The Luna stood, and gestured to an empty seat at what appeared to be the Alpha's table. Daisy patted me on the shoulder and went back to the kitchen, while I made my way to the Luna. I reminded myself that from now on, this was my family, and these were my people. I sat in the empty seat, and looked around, but I still didn't see anyone "tall and handsome" that should be Nolan. There was a slim and slight black man sitting opposite the Alpha, and next to the black man, a pretty and slightly plump white woman. "Our Beta, Floyd, and his wife, Moira." the Luna made the introductions. The beta gave me a look. It was not a nice look. Somehow I imagined it was the look a spectator would give a condemned prisoner. His wife Moira gave me a small, friendly smile, and offered her hand. "Welcome to the family, dear." she said. She had a beautiful, lilting voice.<br /> <br /> The waitstaff started going around the room serving the food. "Its Italian night," the Luna explained, as bowls of salads, plates of meat and cheese lasagna, and carving boards of hot sourdough bread where arranged at each table. The food smelled delicious, and the Luna did not hesitate to compliment the kitchen staff on their excellent work. "Oh Berta, please come and meet Nina Boyton. Nina, this is Berta, she is the manager of our kitchen, an absolute genius with food and hospitality." Berta flushed happily and bobbed in a curtsy.<br /> <br /> "Thank you, Luna. Nice to meet you Mistress. Welcome. If you'll excuse me, the dessert..." and she hurried off again.<br /> <br /> There was the quiet and content murmur of a room full of people where were eating and enjoying casual conversations... when the door suddenly slammed open, and all conversation ground to an abrupt halt. Into the now silent hall, two young men entered... and I immediately felt a strange and dizzy sensation over take me. I held my head at the temples and peaked through my hands at what must surely be Nolan... and his brother William. Daisy was right. He was handsome. He looked like some Roman god, with his shoulders squared, his jaw set, his hair flowing around his shoulders, a little rough stubble on his finely carved jawline. He was all muscle. But his eyes... oh his eyes... even from across the room I could see the unique blue-grey color of his irises, and they were cold. Ice cold and furious. And somehow I just knew that that fury was directed at me. I felt the childish urge to slide down in my chair and hide under the table.<br /> <br /> At the same time, I was bombarded by the sweetest and most intoxicating aroma... of what? Was that his aftershave? A cologne? He didn't look like the kind of man who would douse himself in cologne, but he smelled really, really good. Like fragrant cedar and something sweet and musky. While I was on one hand tempted to hide from those cold, angry eyes... on the other hand I had the insane urge to run to him, to bury my head in his neck, and inhale that sweet, attractive smell. His mouth pressed into a flat, hard line... which totally ruined the effect of his full, sensual lips, as he stalked over to the family table.<br /> Belatedly, I noted his brother. Both the Luna and Daisy and mentioned that there was a younger brother, William. William seemed to favor his mother's genetics. He was not as big or as intimidating as Nolan, His blond hair was neatly trimmed, and he had a more willowy, graceful figure. His eyes were very blue, and very amused. As much as his brother had eyed me with hatred, I had the distinct feeling that this one was laughing at me, and I didn't like it. If there is one thing I can not tolerate, its being laughed at.<br /> <br /> I didn't worry about the younger brother for long, because the closer Nolan stalked, the stranger I began to feel. I felt like I couldn't get enough oxygen in my body, and I wondered if I might actually pass out. I'm not one of those weak, fainting girls. I've never passed out in my life. But at that moment I was seeing funny little black spots around the edge of my vision, and I was awfully dizzy.<br /> <br /> "Nolan," Luna spoke, a sharp edge of disapproval in her voice, "Its nice of you to join us. I want you to meet Nina..." Nolan jrked out a chair, and instead of offering me a hand, or a greeting or a good old-fashioned "nice to meet you," he growled at me.<br /> <br /> He growled at me, and my inner wolf whimpered. Mate. She whispered.<br /> <br /> No. Oh no no no. This cold eyed, impolite Neanderthal of a man could not be our mate. My mind fought it even as my body responded to that pheromone he was pumping out. I looked him in the eye and I saw that he knew it too. And he had absolutely no intention of acknowledging it. He must have a thing of a lot of self control to be able to shrug off the mate bond, and slather butter on a piece of bread like nothing else mattered.<br /> <br /> He hates us. He doesn't want us.<br /> <br /> I picked up my fork and tried to push my sluggish mind into some coherent thought. What were the odds that I get thrown into an arranged marriage, and the husband forced on me is actually my mate? Like one in a billion, right? But then what are the odds that I finally meet my mate, and he hates me? He hasn't said the words, but I can feel the aura of rejection wafting off of him almost as surely as I can smell his cedar-scent. How utterly cruel and unfair was that? Its like the universe having some great cosmic laugh at my expense. Well, what am I going to do? I'm not going to cry in front of all these people. Most importantly, I'm not going to cry in front of that insufferable man. I pushed my shoulders back, I shut off my whimpering wolf, I lifted my chin, and I looked him straight in the eye, as I took a bite of the lasagna. I'm sure it was as delicious as it smelled, but in that moment it tasted like dirt in my mouth. But I'd be doomed if I let that man know that I had lost my appetite over him. I chewed and swallowed, and washed it down with a swig of water.<br /> <br /> He met my eyes briefly, and then he turned to his brother and completely ignored me.<br /> <br /> His brother however, at least had the decent manners to greet me, and to welcome me to the pack. His keen blue eyes traveled back and forth between his older brother, then across the table to me, and back again. Then he shrugged and dug into his food. He made polite conversation with his mother, and sometimes he included me. "How are you finding it here, Nina? Is your room comfortable? Do you need anything?"<br /> <br /> "Oh yes, everything is great." I said, forcing more enthusiasm into my voice than I actually felt. Oh yes, everything is peachy. I've just been yanked out of my childhood home for the sake of some cute treaty. Yes, your home is very nice, and most of the people have been very friendly, but the man I'm supposed to marry is a total bad idea. Everything is great. I forced myself to eat mechanically, and made it through half the lasagna on my plate before I gave up and sat back in my chair. I stared at Nolan. He looks like Jason Mamoa I thought. Without the beard and with better hair. I wonder if he had any tattoos hiding under his clothes. My sisters would be jealous... until they realized that he's an absolute tool.<br /> <br /> Dinner plates were cleared away, and I was eager to excuse myself, but before I could push away from the table, a decadent dessert of tiramisu was brought out. I was no longer hungry. Even the prospect of sugar wasn't appealing at the moment, but I was painfully aware that I was new, I was a guest, and I needed to behave accordingly. I took a couple of bites, and really wished I had the appetite to enjoy the dessert, but I was far too aware of the man across the table. It annoyed me that he was completely unaffected. He shoveled in his food, carried on conversation, and acted like I wasn't even there. When our eyes did meet, I was met with icy, angry daggers and some silent warning that I didn't really understand.<br /> <br /> Finally, when I saw a few other people excusing themselves around the room, I saw my opportunity to escape. "Luna, thank you for a lovely meal," I said politely. "Please excuse me," I pushed back my chair, said goodnight to the rest of the table, and did my best to make a dignified exit, but it was getting harder and harder to walk normally and my stress and my exhaustion seemed to be compounding on me. But the absolute last thing I wanted at that moment was for that arrogant bad guy to see that I had a fatal flaw. He already hated me for no reason, how much more would he despise me for my weakness?<br /> <br /> I had just barely exited the room, when I felt an iron grip bite painfully into my arm, and spin me into the wall. If I hadn't had the support of the wall behind me, I would have fallen over myself. I found myself face to face with Nolan. Where his hand bit painfully into my arm, I felt the sparks. Oh Goddess the sparks that everyone made such a big deal over... they were magical, erotic, passionate, blah, blah. Well they probably never felt those sparks when their mate was squeezing out of their arm, and probably leaving bruises in the process. They probably never felt those sparks when their mate was staring down at you like you were a piece of trash they'd like to throw in the compactor. Being sexually attracted to someone who was clearly out to hurt me did not feel magical. It felt sickening.<br /> "Let me make something perfectly clear," he growled. "I do not want you, and I do not need you. You are only here in this house because my father is an old-fashioned pig-headed dummy. I will marry you to fulfill the treaty contract, but you will never be the Luna, and you will never be my mate." As if to punctuate his rejection, he gave me an extra shove against the wall, and then he stalked off in the other direction... and I was left staring after him... my mouth open, my face pale, and my arm aching.<br /> <br /> It wasn't a real rejection, right? I mean if he was formally rejecting me he would have to say the words. "I Nolan Pierceson of the Gold Mountain pack, do hereby reject you Nina..." And then I would reject him back, and the bond would break. But he hadn't said those words, exactly. Still there was a pain in my chest like something was ripping away. It was powerful enough that I had to hold my chest and gasp for breath. A few other people were trailing out of the dining room now, casting curious glances at me, and I knew I had to get upstairs before anyone started asking me questions that I couldn't answer. I was tired now, and I didn't really care who saw me limp as I dragged myself to the stairs and made my slow, painful climb up three flights. "Are you all right madam?" someone asked. I didn't even look at them, just ground out, "I'm fine." and kept climbing. Once I was at my floor, my legs were so bad I could barely walk at all. My left leg dragged, and I used the wall to balance as I made my way down the hall to my own door. Once inside I turned the lock, and fell across the bed.<br /> <br /> "I will not cry." I chanted. "I will not cry." And I didn't. Nolan Pierceson, I wasn't going to shed a tear for him, nor was I going to wallow in self-pity. He didn't want me? Well I didn't want his arrogant bottom either. My body wasn't strong, but when I set my mind to something, I had an iron will. And I had firmly set my mind against Nolan, and the mating bond. I would play nice until the new moon. When the marriage ceremony was completed, and all the pack alliances signed and sealed, I would reject him myself. And then what? What do you do with the rest of your life?<br /> <br /> Well, I would worry about the rest of my life another day. For today I settled for hot bath. I soaked my aching legs, and scrubbed the make-up off my face. I tried to dismiss Nolan from my thoughts, but I couldn't help but wonder what had made him hate me so much, right from the start. Was it me? Or was it the forced marriage? I mean, I know I'm not much to look at, and I've got a disability, but I don't think he even realized that yet. I hadn't even had enough time to truly piss him off yet. So what was it that had him in such a yank?<br /> <br /> I sighed and pulled the plug out of the tub, letting the water drain down. Men were like aliens. Who could understand them anyway? And who would want to? I slipped into my pajamas and crawled into the bed, totally overwhelmed with everything my brain had had to process in just one day.<br /> <br /> I awoke to a knock on my door. I was pretty sure I had locked it the night before, but still the handle turned and the door opened. I was expecting Daisy's smiling face, but instead it was William. "Hey," he smiled at me, and it seemed like a genuine smile this time. "Mama wanted me to come call you down for breakfast."<br /> <br /> "Oh," I said sleepily, propping myself up on my elbows. "I guess I overslept. Give me a few minutes to get ready"<br /> <br /> "Okay." Instead of leaving, he sprawled himself in the corner seat by the window and waited. I glared at him and wondered if it was entirely appropriate for your future brother-in-law to be making himself comfortable in your bedroom when you aren't even dressed. I thought about demanding he leave, but then changed my mind. Who cared if he saw me in my nightgown? It wasn't like I was indecent. And it wasn't like I owed his brother any kind of fidelity. I flipped back the covers and hauled my heavy body out of bed. I knew his keen eyes were seeing everything. He saw how I limped to the bathroom, and for once, I didn't care. Let him see. Let him see every god thing and report it back to his brother. I slammed the door to the bathroom just to punctuate my own cranky thoughts.<br /> <br /> I turned on the water to brush my teeth and wash my face, but I heard his voice over the faucet. "So that was pretty intense last night." He was commenting. I heard the door to my closet open. What, was he going through my things? "I've never seen anyone stare down my brother before." There was the definite sound of a drawer opening and closing. "This is going to be a very, very interesting marriage."<br /> <br /> I spit out my tooth paste, and yanked the door open to find that he had set out a set of clothes for me, along with clean underwear and a bra. "What are you doing in my clothes?"<br /> <br /> "No worries, just hurrying along. You have nothing to fear from me, peanut. You aren't my type."<br /> <br /> I narrowed my eyes, "And what exactly IS your type?"<br /> <br /> William sighed. "Tall, dark and handsome." I stared at him, not quite comprehending. "Men, Nina. I'm gay."<br /> <br /> "Oh." Was all I could say. Well, I suppose that probably explained his excellent fashion sense. I scooped up the clothes off the bed and retreated back into the bathroom to change. He continued to talk to me through the closed door. "Nolan didn't want to get married. Dad told him if he didn't get married, he would pass the Alpha title to his beta."<br /> <br /> "Why his beta?" I poked my head out of the bathroom again. "Why not to you?"<br /> <br /> William laughed, "Sweetheart, my dad seriously struggles with my sexual orientation. Mostly he just tries to ignore it. And besides, I don't want it. I don't have the constitution of an Alpha." I wondered exactly what that meant, but he didn't elaborate, and I didn't feel it was polite to ask. I did think it was pretty that his father would pass him up as Alpha because of his sexuality. The fact that William was kind of the black sheep of the family made me like him a little more.<br /> <br /> "So? I didn't want to get married either. Its not like it was my idea. What's he got against me?"<br /> <br /> "Nolan is always angry, don't take it personally. You just do you, and let him growl and snarl and spit all he wants. I'm sure he'll get over it eventually."<br /> <br /> "Right." He'll get over it eventually. That sounded so promising, I thought sarcastically. I dragged a brush through my tangled hair and sighed. "Okay, ready. Let's go."<br /> <br /> He held open the door for me, and I hobbled through. He held out his elbow like a gentleman, which was weird, but nice, and I took advantage of it. I waited for him to say something about my limp. But he didn't. I expected him to take me down the stairs, but instead he turned down a different corridor. "Um, where are we going?"<br /> <br /> "There is an elevator at the end of the wing. Its private, for the Alphas to access the 4th floor. But you are marrying the future alpha, so I think you are permitted to use it." At that moment I could have touched him. He produced a key from his pocket and handed it to me. "This is my key, but you can use it until you get your own. I can always take the stairs." You had to insert the key and turn it to call the elevator. Once the doors slid open, you removed the key and selected your floor. I breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator carried us down to the ground floor. It opened into an unfamiliar area behind the kitchens, but William led me through the maze of halls back to the dining room.<br /> <br /> "Ah there you are!" Luna Caydence called from the table.<br /> <br /> "I'm sorry Luna, I overslept."<br /> <br /> "Think nothing of it dear, but I wanted to go over some details of the wedding ceremony with you."<br /> <br /> Well, there went my appetite for breakfast. I didn't want to think about a wedding, let alone plan the details. "Your father sent over a dress," She was saying, and passed me a white box that was getting a little yellowed around the edges. I lifted the cover and felt tears burn behind my eyes.<br /> <br /> "Oh... my mother's dress." I whispered. I touched the delicate silk and lace. That was a strangely thoughtful and sentimental gesture on my father's part. Who forces their daughter into an arranged marriage, and then sends them a precious family heirloom? But it only made me feel more sad and distraught. I had dreamed that one day I would marry my soul mate, the love of my life, and I would wear my mama's dress, which had been HER mama's dress. It seemed wrong to wear such a special garment to a farce of marriage with a man who despised me.<br /> <br /> "Oooh, it was your mother's? How very special! Take it out dear, lets see it!"<br /> <br /> I didn't really want to take it out of the box, but I did. It was a simple and beautiful dress, with a fitted bodice, off-the shoulder sleeves, and a long, full skirt. The bodice was decorated with lace and tiny pearls, and the same lace edged the bottom of the long skirt. I was not as pretty or shapely as my mother, but we were a similar size, and I thought the dress would fit me well enough without needing any alterations. The Luna fawned over the dress. "Its very pretty, so elegent. You will look absolutely beautiful." She said kindly. I swallowed the knot in my throat and carefully folded it back into the box. Mama would have hated all of this. She would never have let this marriage happen, especially if she got a glimpse of the black-and-blue fingerprints that Nolan had left on my arm last night.<br /> <br /> I took a deep breath and set the box aside as breakfast arrived. I sipped my tea and listened as the Luna went over other details. Flowers and seating and ceremonial nuances. I didn't care, but I tried my best to act interested. When she asked me questions, I answered. "What is your favorite flower, dear?"<br /> <br /> "Sunflowers." I said without hesitation.<br /> <br /> "And your favorite color?"<br /> <br /> "Turquoise."<br /> <br /> She went on about bringing a stylist to do my hair and make up, and I swirled a spoon around in my yogurt. Really I just wanted this to be over. William came and sat and occasionally added his two cents to the conversation. The wedding ceremony would be on the back lawn, with seating for private guests only. The gazebo would be decorated out for the occasion. After it was all official, we would move to the pack meeting house, where we would be publicly celebrated, and Nolan would be presented as the new Alpha of the pack, and I would be presented as Luna.<br /> <br /> I choked on my tea. Nolan had said emphatically that I would "never be Luna." But it seemed that his parents had other ideas. What was I supposed to do? "Luna, I don't think--"<br /> <br /> The Luna gave me a hard look. "You are his wife. You will be the Luna. No matter what he says." That made me wonder if Nolan had already taken this argument to his mother. Would I still be the Luna after I rejected him? Would he divorce me once he had all his political ducks in a row? I wanted to bury my head in my hands. I gave William a pleading look, but he only shrugged back at me. So much for having an ally in the house.	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1,952,790	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1952728}'	Yes	2024-08-01 19:12	active	1201	1049189130540260	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	The noise was coming from across the hall. The jubilant exclamations. "Oh yes! Oh Alpha!"<br /> <br /> It hit me with a waive of nausea. My husband, my mate... was sleeping someone else in his bedroom across the hall. By the sounds of things, the woman was enjoying it a lot more than I had. I grasped my phone, but there was no use in calling anyone now. I knew the sickness that I had could not be helped by any doctor. There is no cure for the pain of an unfaithful mate. I knew it. And he knew it. He knew exactly what he was doing to me. I curled up on the floor, but there was no way to get any relief. I heard his lover scream in desire, just as the pain became so unbearable that I lost consciousness.<br /> <br /> That is how I woke up. Fell on my bedroom floor, smeared with my own blood. The stabbing pain was over and gone, but the ache of betrayal remained. It didn't matter that he didn't like me and I didn't like him... there was a thing that bonded us together that was beyond our control. My poor wolf was crying , whimpering, traumatized.<br /> <br /> I had just barely exited the room, when I felt an iron grip bite painfully into my arm, and spin me into the wall. I found myself face to face with Nolan.<br /> <br /> "Let me make something perfectly clear," he growled. "I do not want you, and I do not need you. You are only here in this house because my father is an old-fashioned fool. I will marry you to fulfill the treaty contract, but you will never be the Luna, and you will never be my mate." As if to punctuate his rejection, he gave me an extra shove against the wall, and then he stalked off in the other direction... and I was left staring after him... my mouth open, my face pale, and my arm aching.<br /> <br /> It wasn't a real rejection, right? I mean if he was formally rejecting me he would have to say the words. "I Nolan Pierceson of the Gold Mountain pack, do hereby reject you Nina..." And then I would reject him back, and the bond would break. But he hadn't said those words, exactly. Still there was a pain in my chest like something was ripping away. It was powerful enough that I had to hold my chest and gasp for breath. A few other people were trailing out of the dining room now, casting curious glances at me, and I knew I had to get upstairs before anyone started asking me questions that I couldn't answer. I was tired now, and I didn't really care who saw me limp as I dragged myself to the stairs and made my slow, painful climb up three flights. "Are you all right madam?" someone asked. I didn't even look at them, just ground out, "I'm fine." and kept climbing. Once I was at my floor, my legs were so bad I could barely walk at all. My left leg dragged, and I used the wall to balance as I made my way down the hall to my own door. Once inside I turned the lock, and fell across downstairs.<br /> <br /> ...<br /> <br /> I knew it was bad news when Daddy called me into the office to talk. When we want to discuss something nicely as a family, we do it around the dinner table. We don't get called into the office unless we are in trouble. As I followed Beta Phillip through the pack-house, I felt that heavy sense of foreboding weighing me down. I saw a sort of pity in Phillip's face when paused to let me catch up, and glanced back at me. I was already searching my mind, trying to think of what I might have done to get myself in trouble... but I'm really a pretty boring girl. I couldn't think of anything that might have triggered my father so badly that he would call me into the office.<br /> <br /> We came to a stop in front of the heavy oak door. Phillip knocked twice, and my father promptly called, "Enter!" Phillip opened the door, and stood aside for me to precede him into the room. It was so formal, it felt all wrong. And then he closed the door again, shutting me inside with my father. Daddy was hunched at his desk, and he didn't look happy. His handsome face was haggard, and somehow, he looked older today than he had just a few days ago. "Sit down, Nina."<br /> <br /> I limped to one of the leather wing backed chairs that faced his desk. I didn't limp because I had any recent injury, I just had bad legs. I sank gingerly down on the leather, sitting on the very edge, because somehow it didn't feel safe to relax. Daddy wasn't looking at me... he was looking at papers on his desk. He cleared his throat several times, as if he was struggling to find the right words. When he looked up, his face had hardened, and when he spoke, he spoke with his firm Alpha voice. Not his Daddy voice. That made me shrink back further into the chair.<br /> <br /> "Nina, as part of the treaty negotiations with the Gold Mountain Pack, I have agreed to a marriage alliance. You, Nina Boyton, will marry the Alpha's son, Nolan Pierceson on the next new moon."<br /> <br /> I felt like someone had punched me, knocked the air out of me. "What? Daddy! How could you??" I ,whispered in shock. Arranged marriages were an archaic thing of the past. Nobody did that any more, did they?<br /> <br /> Daddy looked pained. "I did it for the sake of our pack, Nina. We are a small pack, and since your mother..." he couldn't quite bring himself to say the word "died"..."We are weak and vulnerable. We need the protection of a larger, stronger pack. This political alliance will ensure our safety and our survival."<br /> <br /> I felt so many emotions whipping through me, I couldn't grab a hold of them. "But... why me?" I had two sisters, one older, and one younger. Janice was smart and strong, one of our best warriors. And the younger, Hannah was the beautiful one. None of us had found our mates, we were all single and available. I was almost sure if the Alpha of Gold Mountain had ever seen the three of us, he would have picked one of them. Not me. I am the most ordinary, non-descript, and insignificant of the Alpha's daughters. And then it hit me like a slap in the face. Without my father answering me, I knew why he had sacrificed me. I'm the weak one. I'm the expendable one. I'm the one with the "bad legs".<br /> <br /> "Its not what you think, Nina." My father said quietly. "It has nothing to do with your... condition." He never knew quite how to refer to my inexplicably weak legs. The pack doctors hadn't been able to diagnose the problem, even the human doctors had shrugged me off after a battery of inconclusive tests. I waited for him to explain. But my father didn't elaborate further, and that irritated me.<br /> <br /> "Don't I get a say in this? Don't you need my consent before you sell me off "for the sake of the pack"? What if I refuse?"<br /> <br /> My father's face blanched for a moment, and then darkened. "If you refuse, I will disown you, and you will be exiled from the pack."<br /> <br /> His words hit me like a slap in the face. My own father would throw me out of the family and out of the pack and make me go rogue? Who was this man, behind the desk? Surely this wasn't my Daddy. He wouldn't have done this to me. I felt a hot tear run down my cheek, and I could only think, if Mama had been alive, she never, ever would have allowed him to do this to me. For a few moments I seriously considered the option of refusing and being exiled. I didn't really stand a chance, as a lone she-wolf without a pack. I wasn't physically strong enough, but more importantly... I couldn't stand the idea of being forever separated from the family that I loved. Daddy was doing something terrible at that moment, that broke my heart. His responsibilities as Alpha had to come first... even if it meant sacrificing his own daughter. Although everything inside me was raging against it, I had to obey his order. Not only for him, but for the pack that I loved.<br /> <br /> My shoulders slumped forward in defeat. I could no longer meet his eye, and stared down at my toes instead. I couldn't find the words to speak, so I simply nodded. I didn't see his face, but I could hear the relief in his voice. I wonder if he'd secretly been worried that I would actually choose exile over a forced marriage. But when he spoke, it was the heartless, stern, Alpha voice again. "You will pack up your things. You will leave tomorrow in the morning."<br /> <br /> My head jrked up. "So soon? But you said, on the new moon?"<br /> <br /> "I said the marriage would take place on the new moon. The alpha has requested you to come immediately. Gretta will come and help you pack." He shuffled the papers on his desk, as if they were suddenly more important than his daughter. "You are dismissed."<br /> <br /> Dismissed? I don't ever remember my father speaking to me like that... like I was some underling to order about. I made my way back to my room in a stupor, passing pack members in the hall but not really seeing anyone, or hearing their greetings. I shut the door in my room and managed to lean back against it before the strength left my legs and I sank to the floor. Being forced to marry a stranger was bad enough, but it had deeper, more far reaching implications. I would be forever tied to a man I didn't love, and I would never get to experience the joy and completion of finding my mate. That's what every wolf longed for, as soon as they came of age. To find your goddess-given soul mate, the magical person who would complete you and make you whole. All happiness and satisfaction was tied up in that one, fated person. And I would be denied it, forever. Great big tears of self pity rolled down my cheeks as I absorbed the unfairness of it all.<br /> <br /> After awhile a knock came at the door, and Gretta, a sweet little omega who worked in the pack house poked her head in. "I was told to come assist you, Miss Nina." I sighed and hauled myself to my feet. I might as well resign myself to my miserable fate.<br /> <br /> "I need to pack," I said dully. "I'm leaving in the morning."<br /> <br /> "Oh, of course." She was too submissive to dare to ask where or why. I wondered if my sisters knew already, or if they were being kept in the dark too. I wasn't sure I could face them right now. I pulled two suitcases out of my closet that I had only used once when mother took us on a trip to Mexico. "What exactly do you want to pack?"<br /> <br /> I sighed and pulled open my drawers. "Just the absolute essentials Gretta," I said, pulling out my favorite clothes and throwing them on the bed. I was a no-nonsense kind of girl when it came to fashion. I preferred comfort over style, and I didn't own many nice or fancy things. I pulled a couple of nice dresses out of the closet and tossed them on the pile, for formal occasions. I wondered idly if there would be a real wedding dress for this farce of a marriage, or if we were just going to stand before the officiant in our street clothes while it was made legal.<br /> <br /> I looked around my room, trying to gauge what other things I needed to take. I slipped my mother's delicate porcelain jewelry box into the bag, wrapped carefully in one of my sweatshirts. There was the picture of my sisters and I, taken several years ago, our arms looped around each other, smiling happily at the camera. There was my leather bound journal, and my laptop. Other things seemed too childish to take to your marriage home... like the old, worn stuffed bear that had graced my pillow since I was six years old. But I did finally take the fuzzy lap-blanket, printed with cheerful sunflowers and butterflies, and tuck it in the top of my bag. After adding in the practical toiletries and other necessities, I sighed and declared the work finished. I felt a little sad that the entire of my 19 years of life could so easily be condensed into two suitcases, and another fat tear rolled down my cheek.<br /> <br /> I'd never felt so worthless and unloved in all my life. But now I had to face the facts. My own father considered me expendable. The Gold Mountain pack had demanded a bride, and I had been, quite literally, thrown to the wolves. A part of me wanted to call my sisters, to cry to them, to tell them how scared and worried I was about this great unknown responsibility that had just fallen on me... but I couldn't. I suppose I resented them. They would go on with their normal, happy lives after I left. My fate didn't matter much to them, in the grand scheme of things. Their sympathy at this point would only make me feel worse.<br /> <br /> I thanked Gretta for her help, and quietly closed the door behind her. My suitcases were standing neatly by the door. I grabbed my old, well loved teddy bear and curled up on the bed, and tried to shut my mind to all the hurt and all the worries that were eating at me. My mother would have said, "Chin up, sweetheart. Face the world head-on." Thinking of my sweet mother only made me cry harder, until I fell into an exhausted sleep.<br /> I awoke to a timid knock on the door. Dawn was barely breaking outside my window, and I was still sprawled across my bed in yesterday's clothes. My eyes felt puffy and gritty from crying. I had never eaten dinner, and my stomach was complaining. "Miss Nina?" Gretta called timidly. "The Beta says you should be prepared to leave in one hour."<br /> <br /> One hour. Jeezus, they weren't wasting any time in shipping me out of here. I dragged myself to the shower. The pain and weakness in my legs was always the worst first thing in the morning. I braced myself against the sink while I stripped down, and turned the shower on as hot as it could possibly go. I scrubbed and scrubbed at my skin as if I could wash away whatever fault, whatever weakness had made my father choose me. When my skin was pink and irritated, I washed my long, dark hair, and stepped out in a billow of herbal scented steam. What were you supposed to wear when you were being traded off to another pack? I felt like I should wear something black and ugly. After all, I was mourning the loss of my life, my hope, my freedom. But I decided against the funeral garb, and opted for a sun dress that was pretty, but casual. The bright turquoise color went well with my dark honey skin, and made my eyes look more gold than brown. I pulled my hair up into a lose bun, and fastened my favorite turquoise beaded choker around my neck, with the dainty, matching earrings. I stared at my reflection critically in the mirror. No matter how flattering the clothes, or pretty the jewelry, the young woman staring back at me was still just... me. The epitome of ordinary. Neither tall nor short, fat nor skinny, pretty nor ugly. I was simply unremarkable in every way... unless today you counted the fact that my eyes were still red and swollen and I was more pale than usual.<br /> <br /> At precisely 7:00 am there was a sharp knock on my door. I opened it, expecting to see my father, but instead it was his gamma, Pedro. "Miss Nina, your father said I am to drive you to the Gold Mountain pack. Are you ready?"<br /> It was a two hour drive from our small pack to the much larger Gold Mountain Pack territory. But you know when you DON'T want to arrive somewhere, it seems like the journey goes in the blink of an eye. If I were looking forward to this meeting, the two hours would have seemed forever. As it was, Pedro drove silently. My father's third had always been open and friendly with me, so I wondered if my father had given him orders not to talk to me. That hurt. Hurt on top of hurt seemed to be the order of the day. And I was hungry. I never went down for dinner the night before, and I had been rushed out of the house before I had a chance to eat breakfast this morning. With every grumble of my empty stomach, my mood was growing a little darker.<br /> <br /> I'd never been into Gold Mountain Territory. I'd only heard stories of the notorious pack. They were big, and strong, and brutal. Their warriors were considered the best, the elite, and reportedly trained relentlessly. They had no mercy on their enemies, and had reportedly wiped out entire packs who had betrayed them in one way or another. But I always took these kinds of stories with a grain of salt. Every pack wanted to be known as the biggest and the baddest, and stories tended to be exaggerated to bolster that reputation. My impression as we crossed the boundary and entered into their pack grounds was of absolutely beautiful, wild looking gardens, and a huge manor that would have fit our pack house inside it four times. It was T shaped and sprawled out into three wings, a beautiful structure built from native stone, with big windows framed by black shutters. It was fronted by a huge veranda and two big ornate doors that opened into the main hall.<br /> <br /> Pedro parked the SUV, and for the first time in the whole trip, Pedro turned and spoke to me. He laid his big, rough hand on mine in my lap. "Stay strong, Miss Nina. You can do this." That is all he said. He climbed out, and came around to open my door, as if I were someone important. He pulled my suitcases out of the boot, and then he escorted me up to the veranda, where a handful of people were waiting for me.<br /> <br /> There was a huge man, and I mean HUGE, who seemed to be about my father's age. He should have been nearly seven feet tall, with arms like tree trunks. His ruddy face was framed by two overgrown sideburns and a crazy mop of hair that reminded me of the Wolverine from the X-men comics. His eyes were a piercing pale blue, and quite cold as they watched me approach. Beside him, in sharp contrast, was a dainty little sprite of a woman. She barely cleared five foot, and was so petite it seemed like a strong wind might blow her away. She had long, curling blond hair, and beautiful green eyes, and a wide, friendly smile. I was so happy to see at least one smiling face, it eased my tension a bit. The other people stood back a bit from this couple, and seemed to be lower ranking pack members. They stared at me curiously.<br /> <br /> I concentrated really hard on controlling my uneven gate. I did not want these people to see me limping, and if I worked really hard, I could pull it off, but it took a lot of effort, and I had to move slowly. Under the circumstances, I thought it would seem appropriate that I approached a strange pack and strange people with slow caution. The pretty woman danced down the steps, and folded me into a warm and unexpected hvg. "Welcome to Gold Mountain, dear. I am Caydence, and my husband, Bernhard." She gestured to the lumberjack-giant who still stood on the steps. She didn't refer to herself as Luna, or her husband as Alpha, but it was obvious enough that they were the leaders. I looked around and wondered where the son was, the Nolan I was supposed to marry.<br /> <br /> As if sensing my inquiry, the Luna shook her golden curls. "My sons are not here at the moment, but you will meet them soon. Come, lets get you inside and get you settled." She looped her arm through mine, and with one last, helpless glance at Pedro, I let her drag me inside. The great pack house was as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside, tastefully decorated and thoroughly modern. She lead me through a maze of rooms and corridors in a sort of whirlwind tour. "The conference room is there, and that is the entertainment room... and oh, that's the nursery for the pups... there is a guest bathroom here, and the kitchen is this way. Have you eaten?" She didn't even wait for me to answer, "I'm starving, lets go get some breakfast." She lead me into a huge dining hall, that easily could have seated a hundred people. She pulled me toward a table for two, and no sooner had our backside's hit the seat of the chairs than a uniformed waitress appeared. I recognized her as an omega, by her submissive posture.<br /> <br /> "Kelly dear, this is Nina Boyton, Nolan's betrothed." The waitress peaked up at me in surprise, then quickly looked back down at her order pad. "Nina, this is Kelly, one of our regular kitchen staff. So, what will you have?" Before I could answer, she was putting in her order. "I'll have a four-egg omelette, with Swiss cheese and mushrooms, a blueberry muffin, toasted with butter, and four sausage links."<br /> <br /> I blinked in surprise. How could such a tiny woman put away so much food?? Luna Caydence looked at me expectantly. "Um...I'll also have a muffin, and a cup of tea, please."<br /> <br /> When the waitress had scampered away, Luna Caydence reached across the table and placed her hand over mine. "I'm sure this is a very difficult and uncomfortable transition for you, my dear. But I want you to know that I am here for you, you are most welcome in this family, and I will do everything in my power to make you comfortable. But Nolan..."<br /> <br /> I swallowed... there was something ominous about that. But Nolan what? I was too afraid to ask.<br /> <br /> "Nolan can be... difficult." She said vaguely. "His father and I, we hope that he will settle down now, and take up his responsibilities."<br /> <br /> I frowned and fiddled with the silverware. Difficult? What did difficult mean? I wanted to ask more... I wanted to know more about what this future husband of mine was like. But I couldn't find the words, and I had a feeling that Caydence was done talking about her son. She had moved on, saying how happy she was to have a woman in the family, that she had heard so many nice things about me... well I was sure that was a bunch of baloney. I bet she knew absolutely nothing about me, beyond my name and my marriagablility. Still, I liked Caydence, I appreciated her friendliness. I tried to hide my smile as an enormous platter of food was set before the tiny woman, and she dug into her eggs with gusto. I was feeling very hungry, and probably could have put away nearly as much food, but I didn't want to seem like a glutton, so I tried to nible at my muffin and act lady-like.<br /> <br /> After we finished, (and yes, she finished everything on her plate,) she lead me up the stairs. I swallowed down my horror as I looked at the flights of elegantly curving staircase that I would have to traverse to get to my guest room on the third floor. Navigating stairs were very difficult for my heavy, clumsy legs, and it made them ache something fierce. Was it too much to hope that somewhere in this gigantic house there was a service elevator? Desperately trying to hide my pain and discomfort, I grasped the hand rail, and pulled myself up the stairs behind the spritely woman as fast as I could without falling flat on my face. When we got to the third floor, she looked back at me, struggling up the last few steps, and frowned, but said nothing. She lead me down a long hall, and opened the door to a beautiful guest suite, with a big bed, and a private en-suite bathroom. My suitcases had already been deposited inside. "Make yourself comfortable my dear. I'll send Daisy to you when she's done cleaning up from breakfast. If there is anything you need, she can be of assistance. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.." And just like that, she left me alone in the beautiful room, in the big, strange house.<br /> <br /> Daisy was a delightful young Omega who was assigned to be my maid. Not that I really needed a maid, mind you, but I was happy to have her as a companion. Her name suited her perfectly, because like the wild-flower, she was bright, cheerful, and sunny. Her smile was too wide for her little face, her nose turned up, and her dark blond hair was an uncontrollable riot of curls. Her blue eyes danced with good humor, and she just seemed like the kind of person that was genuinely happy right down to the core of her being. I loved her right away. She helped me unpack my few things, and then we sat together on the bed and we talked for a few minutes.<br /> <br /> "What is life like in the pack?" I asked her.<br /> <br /> She smiled (I don't think I'd seen her NOT smile, ever) "Oh its a good life," She said sincerely. "The Alpha runs a tight ship, we work hard, we train hard, but its a very fair pack, and we have a lot of fun too. We can't wait for your marriage celebration. I hear the Luna is planning a big party, and the whole pack will be invited. I love parties! Even if I have to work in the kitchen, we are allowed to take shifts so we all get to have a turn taking part in the festivities."<br /> <br /> I smiled. I already liked the way the Luna ran her household. In some packs, omegas were treated like slaves. I think at home we treated them fairly. They were paid wages for the work they did, but Daddy didn't exactly go out of his way to make them feel like they were valued members of our family. They were definitely looked down upon, and that had never really sat well with me. Not every member of the pack could be a warrior, and the omega's performed really valuable services by taking care of the children and providing domestic services that the hunters simply didn't have time for.<br /> <br /> "And what what about Nolan. What is he like?"<br /> <br /> For the first time, Daisy's perpetual smile faltered. She pasted it back on, but it wasn't quite as real as it had been before. "Oh he's very handsome." She said. "He's so tall, like the Alpha, but not so burly."<br /> <br /> "Okay, he's nice to look at, but what is he LIKE? What is his personality like."<br /> <br /> Daisy pushed herself off the bed. "I think its better if you get to know him for yourself, mistress. I don't want your impressions of him to be influenced by my opinions. I need to go see about preparing the food. If you need anything just call me." And she slipped away, quietly shutting the door behind her.<br /> <br /> Oh boy. I stared at my hands, at the short trimmed nails that hadn't seen a polish since my thirteenth birthday. All the things that Daisy HADN'T said spoke more loudly than the words she DID say. If Nolan was truly a great guy, she would have been eager to extol his virtues, right? She would have said, "He's really kind. He's really gentle. He's really just." But she didn't say anything. I suppose it was commendable that she chose silence over lies, but I was growing increasingly uneasy. The Luna called him "difficult", and my new friend wouldn't call him anything, except handsome. But it wouldn't matter if he was the most handsome man in the world if he was a complete as hole.<br /> <br /> I felt a little nervous going down to dinner, knowing that I would meet my husband-to-be. I tried to pick out a pretty outfit, without being overtly over dressed. I brushed out my hair and left it loose, as the long chocolate colored waves were maybe one of my best assets. I even tried to put on a little make up, just to add some definition to my eyes. I sighed at my reflection, dissatisfied but knowing that it was the best I could do. I grimaced at the prospect of going down all those stairs, and reminded myself that I needed to ask Daisy if there was a service elevator in the house. The way how it was all decked out with modern appliances, it seemed like it must have a lift hidden somewhere. But then again, they probably hadn't figured in the possibility of a disabled werewolf when they designed the manor.<br /> <br /> I can't describe to you what an ordeal it is for me to navigate a set of stairs. I have to creep down one step at a time. Left foot down, right foot down onto the same stair. And then repeat. If I try to march down the steps like a normal person, alternating feet on alternating stairs, one of my legs is sure to collapse, and I'll take an ugly tumble down. Ask me how I know... I'm embarrassed to say its happened more times than I can count. So I have to go down the stairs like a little kid, clinging to the rail, one step at a time, praying that no one is watching me. Luckily I seem to be the only guest on the third floor at the moment, and I'm nearly at the bottom before I start seeing other people scurrying around in preparation for dinner.<br /> <br /> Daisy came around the corner, her face split in a smile, and her eyes lighting up as she saw me, "Ah there you are mistress! Luna had just sent me to go fetch you. The meal is nearly ready. You look very nice, I love that top." She bubbled cheerfully, and took my elbow to guide me back toward the dining room. Unlike this morning, when the room had been empty, this evening it was crammed full. I swallowed nervously and did my best to straighten my spine and walk normally. From every table, heads turned and looked at me, and people whispered, and I felt the blood rush to my face. I'm not normally shy, but I can't say that I really like being the center of attention either.<br /> <br /> "Nina darling, over here!" The Luna stood, and gestured to an empty seat at what appeared to be the Alpha's table. Daisy patted me on the shoulder and went back to the kitchen, while I made my way to the Luna. I reminded myself that from now on, this was my family, and these were my people. I sat in the empty seat, and looked around, but I still didn't see anyone "tall and handsome" that should be Nolan. There was a slim and slight black man sitting opposite the Alpha, and next to the black man, a pretty and slightly plump white woman. "Our Beta, Floyd, and his wife, Moira." the Luna made the introductions. The beta gave me a look. It was not a nice look. Somehow I imagined it was the look a spectator would give a condemned prisoner. His wife Moira gave me a small, friendly smile, and offered her hand. "Welcome to the family, dear." she said. She had a beautiful, lilting voice.<br /> <br /> The waitstaff started going around the room serving the food. "Its Italian night," the Luna explained, as bowls of salads, plates of meat and cheese lasagna, and carving boards of hot sourdough bread where arranged at each table. The food smelled delicious, and the Luna did not hesitate to compliment the kitchen staff on their excellent work. "Oh Berta, please come and meet Nina Boyton. Nina, this is Berta, she is the manager of our kitchen, an absolute genius with food and hospitality." Berta flushed happily and bobbed in a curtsy.<br /> <br /> "Thank you, Luna. Nice to meet you Mistress. Welcome. If you'll excuse me, the dessert..." and she hurried off again.<br /> <br /> There was the quiet and content murmur of a room full of people where were eating and enjoying casual conversations... when the door suddenly slammed open, and all conversation ground to an abrupt halt. Into the now silent hall, two young men entered... and I immediately felt a strange and dizzy sensation over take me. I held my head at the temples and peaked through my hands at what must surely be Nolan... and his brother William. Daisy was right. He was handsome. He looked like some Roman god, with his shoulders squared, his jaw set, his hair flowing around his shoulders, a little rough stubble on his finely carved jawline. He was all muscle. But his eyes... oh his eyes... even from across the room I could see the unique blue-grey color of his irises, and they were cold. Ice cold and furious. And somehow I just knew that that fury was directed at me. I felt the childish urge to slide down in my chair and hide under the table.<br /> <br /> At the same time, I was bombarded by the sweetest and most intoxicating aroma... of what? Was that his aftershave? A cologne? He didn't look like the kind of man who would douse himself in cologne, but he smelled really, really good. Like fragrant cedar and something sweet and musky. While I was on one hand tempted to hide from those cold, angry eyes... on the other hand I had the insane urge to run to him, to bury my head in his neck, and inhale that sweet, attractive smell. His mouth pressed into a flat, hard line... which totally ruined the effect of his full, sensual lips, as he stalked over to the family table.<br /> Belatedly, I noted his brother. Both the Luna and Daisy and mentioned that there was a younger brother, William. William seemed to favor his mother's genetics. He was not as big or as intimidating as Nolan, His blond hair was neatly trimmed, and he had a more willowy, graceful figure. His eyes were very blue, and very amused. As much as his brother had eyed me with hatred, I had the distinct feeling that this one was laughing at me, and I didn't like it. If there is one thing I can not tolerate, its being laughed at.<br /> <br /> I didn't worry about the younger brother for long, because the closer Nolan stalked, the stranger I began to feel. I felt like I couldn't get enough oxygen in my body, and I wondered if I might actually pass out. I'm not one of those weak, fainting girls. I've never passed out in my life. But at that moment I was seeing funny little black spots around the edge of my vision, and I was awfully dizzy.<br /> <br /> "Nolan," Luna spoke, a sharp edge of disapproval in her voice, "Its nice of you to join us. I want you to meet Nina..." Nolan jrked out a chair, and instead of offering me a hand, or a greeting or a good old-fashioned "nice to meet you," he growled at me.<br /> <br /> He growled at me, and my inner wolf whimpered. Mate. She whispered.<br /> <br /> No. Oh no no no. This cold eyed, impolite Neanderthal of a man could not be our mate. My mind fought it even as my body responded to that pheromone he was pumping out. I looked him in the eye and I saw that he knew it too. And he had absolutely no intention of acknowledging it. He must have a thing of a lot of self control to be able to shrug off the mate bond, and slather butter on a piece of bread like nothing else mattered.<br /> <br /> He hates us. He doesn't want us.<br /> <br /> I picked up my fork and tried to push my sluggish mind into some coherent thought. What were the odds that I get thrown into an arranged marriage, and the husband forced on me is actually my mate? Like one in a billion, right? But then what are the odds that I finally meet my mate, and he hates me? He hasn't said the words, but I can feel the aura of rejection wafting off of him almost as surely as I can smell his cedar-scent. How utterly cruel and unfair was that? Its like the universe having some great cosmic laugh at my expense. Well, what am I going to do? I'm not going to cry in front of all these people. Most importantly, I'm not going to cry in front of that insufferable man. I pushed my shoulders back, I shut off my whimpering wolf, I lifted my chin, and I looked him straight in the eye, as I took a bite of the lasagna. I'm sure it was as delicious as it smelled, but in that moment it tasted like dirt in my mouth. But I'd be doomed if I let that man know that I had lost my appetite over him. I chewed and swallowed, and washed it down with a swig of water.<br /> <br /> He met my eyes briefly, and then he turned to his brother and completely ignored me.<br /> <br /> His brother however, at least had the decent manners to greet me, and to welcome me to the pack. His keen blue eyes traveled back and forth between his older brother, then across the table to me, and back again. Then he shrugged and dug into his food. He made polite conversation with his mother, and sometimes he included me. "How are you finding it here, Nina? Is your room comfortable? Do you need anything?"<br /> <br /> "Oh yes, everything is great." I said, forcing more enthusiasm into my voice than I actually felt. Oh yes, everything is peachy. I've just been yanked out of my childhood home for the sake of some cute treaty. Yes, your home is very nice, and most of the people have been very friendly, but the man I'm supposed to marry is a total bad idea. Everything is great. I forced myself to eat mechanically, and made it through half the lasagna on my plate before I gave up and sat back in my chair. I stared at Nolan. He looks like Jason Mamoa I thought. Without the beard and with better hair. I wonder if he had any tattoos hiding under his clothes. My sisters would be jealous... until they realized that he's an absolute tool.<br /> <br /> Dinner plates were cleared away, and I was eager to excuse myself, but before I could push away from the table, a decadent dessert of tiramisu was brought out. I was no longer hungry. Even the prospect of sugar wasn't appealing at the moment, but I was painfully aware that I was new, I was a guest, and I needed to behave accordingly. I took a couple of bites, and really wished I had the appetite to enjoy the dessert, but I was far too aware of the man across the table. It annoyed me that he was completely unaffected. He shoveled in his food, carried on conversation, and acted like I wasn't even there. When our eyes did meet, I was met with icy, angry daggers and some silent warning that I didn't really understand.<br /> <br /> Finally, when I saw a few other people excusing themselves around the room, I saw my opportunity to escape. "Luna, thank you for a lovely meal," I said politely. "Please excuse me," I pushed back my chair, said goodnight to the rest of the table, and did my best to make a dignified exit, but it was getting harder and harder to walk normally and my stress and my exhaustion seemed to be compounding on me. But the absolute last thing I wanted at that moment was for that arrogant bad guy to see that I had a fatal flaw. He already hated me for no reason, how much more would he despise me for my weakness?<br /> <br /> I had just barely exited the room, when I felt an iron grip bite painfully into my arm, and spin me into the wall. If I hadn't had the support of the wall behind me, I would have fallen over myself. I found myself face to face with Nolan. Where his hand bit painfully into my arm, I felt the sparks. Oh Goddess the sparks that everyone made such a big deal over... they were magical, erotic, passionate, blah, blah. Well they probably never felt those sparks when their mate was squeezing out of their arm, and probably leaving bruises in the process. They probably never felt those sparks when their mate was staring down at you like you were a piece of trash they'd like to throw in the compactor. Being sexually attracted to someone who was clearly out to hurt me did not feel magical. It felt sickening.<br /> "Let me make something perfectly clear," he growled. "I do not want you, and I do not need you. You are only here in this house because my father is an old-fashioned pig-headed dummy. I will marry you to fulfill the treaty contract, but you will never be the Luna, and you will never be my mate." As if to punctuate his rejection, he gave me an extra shove against the wall, and then he stalked off in the other direction... and I was left staring after him... my mouth open, my face pale, and my arm aching.<br /> <br /> It wasn't a real rejection, right? I mean if he was formally rejecting me he would have to say the words. "I Nolan Pierceson of the Gold Mountain pack, do hereby reject you Nina..." And then I would reject him back, and the bond would break. But he hadn't said those words, exactly. Still there was a pain in my chest like something was ripping away. It was powerful enough that I had to hold my chest and gasp for breath. A few other people were trailing out of the dining room now, casting curious glances at me, and I knew I had to get upstairs before anyone started asking me questions that I couldn't answer. I was tired now, and I didn't really care who saw me limp as I dragged myself to the stairs and made my slow, painful climb up three flights. "Are you all right madam?" someone asked. I didn't even look at them, just ground out, "I'm fine." and kept climbing. Once I was at my floor, my legs were so bad I could barely walk at all. My left leg dragged, and I used the wall to balance as I made my way down the hall to my own door. Once inside I turned the lock, and fell across the bed.<br /> <br /> "I will not cry." I chanted. "I will not cry." And I didn't. Nolan Pierceson, I wasn't going to shed a tear for him, nor was I going to wallow in self-pity. He didn't want me? Well I didn't want his arrogant bottom either. My body wasn't strong, but when I set my mind to something, I had an iron will. And I had firmly set my mind against Nolan, and the mating bond. I would play nice until the new moon. When the marriage ceremony was completed, and all the pack alliances signed and sealed, I would reject him myself. And then what? What do you do with the rest of your life?<br /> <br /> Well, I would worry about the rest of my life another day. For today I settled for hot bath. I soaked my aching legs, and scrubbed the make-up off my face. I tried to dismiss Nolan from my thoughts, but I couldn't help but wonder what had made him hate me so much, right from the start. Was it me? Or was it the forced marriage? I mean, I know I'm not much to look at, and I've got a disability, but I don't think he even realized that yet. I hadn't even had enough time to truly piss him off yet. So what was it that had him in such a yank?<br /> <br /> I sighed and pulled the plug out of the tub, letting the water drain down. Men were like aliens. Who could understand them anyway? And who would want to? I slipped into my pajamas and crawled into the bed, totally overwhelmed with everything my brain had had to process in just one day.<br /> <br /> I awoke to a knock on my door. I was pretty sure I had locked it the night before, but still the handle turned and the door opened. I was expecting Daisy's smiling face, but instead it was William. "Hey," he smiled at me, and it seemed like a genuine smile this time. "Mama wanted me to come call you down for breakfast."<br /> <br /> "Oh," I said sleepily, propping myself up on my elbows. "I guess I overslept. Give me a few minutes to get ready"<br /> <br /> "Okay." Instead of leaving, he sprawled himself in the corner seat by the window and waited. I glared at him and wondered if it was entirely appropriate for your future brother-in-law to be making himself comfortable in your bedroom when you aren't even dressed. I thought about demanding he leave, but then changed my mind. Who cared if he saw me in my nightgown? It wasn't like I was indecent. And it wasn't like I owed his brother any kind of fidelity. I flipped back the covers and hauled my heavy body out of bed. I knew his keen eyes were seeing everything. He saw how I limped to the bathroom, and for once, I didn't care. Let him see. Let him see every god thing and report it back to his brother. I slammed the door to the bathroom just to punctuate my own cranky thoughts.<br /> <br /> I turned on the water to brush my teeth and wash my face, but I heard his voice over the faucet. "So that was pretty intense last night." He was commenting. I heard the door to my closet open. What, was he going through my things? "I've never seen anyone stare down my brother before." There was the definite sound of a drawer opening and closing. "This is going to be a very, very interesting marriage."<br /> <br /> I spit out my tooth paste, and yanked the door open to find that he had set out a set of clothes for me, along with clean underwear and a bra. "What are you doing in my clothes?"<br /> <br /> "No worries, just hurrying along. You have nothing to fear from me, peanut. You aren't my type."<br /> <br /> I narrowed my eyes, "And what exactly IS your type?"<br /> <br /> William sighed. "Tall, dark and handsome." I stared at him, not quite comprehending. "Men, Nina. I'm gay."<br /> <br /> "Oh." Was all I could say. Well, I suppose that probably explained his excellent fashion sense. I scooped up the clothes off the bed and retreated back into the bathroom to change. He continued to talk to me through the closed door. "Nolan didn't want to get married. Dad told him if he didn't get married, he would pass the Alpha title to his beta."<br /> <br /> "Why his beta?" I poked my head out of the bathroom again. "Why not to you?"<br /> <br /> William laughed, "Sweetheart, my dad seriously struggles with my sexual orientation. Mostly he just tries to ignore it. And besides, I don't want it. I don't have the constitution of an Alpha." I wondered exactly what that meant, but he didn't elaborate, and I didn't feel it was polite to ask. I did think it was pretty that his father would pass him up as Alpha because of his sexuality. The fact that William was kind of the black sheep of the family made me like him a little more.<br /> <br /> "So? I didn't want to get married either. Its not like it was my idea. What's he got against me?"<br /> <br /> "Nolan is always angry, don't take it personally. You just do you, and let him growl and snarl and spit all he wants. I'm sure he'll get over it eventually."<br /> <br /> "Right." He'll get over it eventually. That sounded so promising, I thought sarcastically. I dragged a brush through my tangled hair and sighed. "Okay, ready. Let's go."<br /> <br /> He held open the door for me, and I hobbled through. He held out his elbow like a gentleman, which was weird, but nice, and I took advantage of it. I waited for him to say something about my limp. But he didn't. I expected him to take me down the stairs, but instead he turned down a different corridor. "Um, where are we going?"<br /> <br /> "There is an elevator at the end of the wing. Its private, for the Alphas to access the 4th floor. But you are marrying the future alpha, so I think you are permitted to use it." At that moment I could have touched him. He produced a key from his pocket and handed it to me. "This is my key, but you can use it until you get your own. I can always take the stairs." You had to insert the key and turn it to call the elevator. Once the doors slid open, you removed the key and selected your floor. I breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator carried us down to the ground floor. It opened into an unfamiliar area behind the kitchens, but William led me through the maze of halls back to the dining room.<br /> <br /> "Ah there you are!" Luna Caydence called from the table.<br /> <br /> "I'm sorry Luna, I overslept."<br /> <br /> "Think nothing of it dear, but I wanted to go over some details of the wedding ceremony with you."<br /> <br /> Well, there went my appetite for breakfast. I didn't want to think about a wedding, let alone plan the details. "Your father sent over a dress," She was saying, and passed me a white box that was getting a little yellowed around the edges. I lifted the cover and felt tears burn behind my eyes.<br /> <br /> "Oh... my mother's dress." I whispered. I touched the delicate silk and lace. That was a strangely thoughtful and sentimental gesture on my father's part. Who forces their daughter into an arranged marriage, and then sends them a precious family heirloom? But it only made me feel more sad and distraught. I had dreamed that one day I would marry my soul mate, the love of my life, and I would wear my mama's dress, which had been HER mama's dress. It seemed wrong to wear such a special garment to a farce of marriage with a man who despised me.<br /> <br /> "Oooh, it was your mother's? How very special! Take it out dear, lets see it!"<br /> <br /> I didn't really want to take it out of the box, but I did. It was a simple and beautiful dress, with a fitted bodice, off-the shoulder sleeves, and a long, full skirt. The bodice was decorated with lace and tiny pearls, and the same lace edged the bottom of the long skirt. I was not as pretty or shapely as my mother, but we were a similar size, and I thought the dress would fit me well enough without needing any alterations. The Luna fawned over the dress. "Its very pretty, so elegent. You will look absolutely beautiful." She said kindly. I swallowed the knot in my throat and carefully folded it back into the box. Mama would have hated all of this. She would never have let this marriage happen, especially if she got a glimpse of the black-and-blue fingerprints that Nolan had left on my arm last night.<br /> <br /> I took a deep breath and set the box aside as breakfast arrived. I sipped my tea and listened as the Luna went over other details. Flowers and seating and ceremonial nuances. I didn't care, but I tried my best to act interested. When she asked me questions, I answered. "What is your favorite flower, dear?"<br /> <br /> "Sunflowers." I said without hesitation.<br /> <br /> "And your favorite color?"<br /> <br /> "Turquoise."<br /> <br /> She went on about bringing a stylist to do my hair and make up, and I swirled a spoon around in my yogurt. Really I just wanted this to be over. William came and sat and occasionally added his two cents to the conversation. The wedding ceremony would be on the back lawn, with seating for private guests only. The gazebo would be decorated out for the occasion. After it was all official, we would move to the pack meeting house, where we would be publicly celebrated, and Nolan would be presented as the new Alpha of the pack, and I would be presented as Luna.<br /> <br /> I choked on my tea. Nolan had said emphatically that I would "never be Luna." But it seemed that his parents had other ideas. What was I supposed to do? "Luna, I don't think--"<br /> <br /> The Luna gave me a hard look. "You are his wife. You will be the Luna. No matter what he says." That made me wonder if Nolan had already taken this argument to his mother. Would I still be the Luna after I rejected him? Would he divorce me once he had all his political ducks in a row? I wanted to bury my head in my hands. I gave William a pleading look, but he only shrugged back at me. So much for having an ally in the house.	LEARN_MORE	https://a.topicksapp.com/ad/Y2hvaWNlcy8yNTgyNzcvMj	108277385665157	Picks001	https://facebook.com/100094268485917	48	1	1,620,014,572,182,451	2024-08-01 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Learn more	Picks001	120211692614710635	a.topicksapp.com		NONE	video		https://a.topicksapp.com/ad/Y2hvaWNlcy8yNTgyNzcvMjAyNDA3MzExNjE4NTIvcGFnZQ==?adid={{ad.id}}	2024-07-31 03:30	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453432712_1638031647053060_3653032086194391388_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=LhdlekGA3kAQ7kNvgGgBbMa&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AYDTlQ5ASatb8d8hnKnyOhy6M4VJ86Ca32QTo44RMJ4eBQ&oe=66B20863	person_profile	0	Picks001	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/453416296_1012747796986693_1314161199634876050_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kHOwSuTiaLcQ7kNvgEutVbc&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AYDtI8oIGrvM4qf1WChge_Nti759aluw9wg7544v7x25AQ&oe=66B1FAEA	3	Picks001	2024-08-01 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,952,773	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1952728}'	No	2024-08-01 19:12	active	1201	897344755538857	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	The noise was coming from across the hall. The jubilant exclamations. "Oh yes! Oh Alpha!"<br /> <br /> It hit me with a waive of nausea. My husband, my mate... was sleeping someone else in his bedroom across the hall. By the sounds of things, the woman was enjoying it a lot more than I had. I grasped my phone, but there was no use in calling anyone now. I knew the sickness that I had could not be helped by any doctor. There is no cure for the pain of an unfaithful mate. I knew it. And he knew it. He knew exactly what he was doing to me. I curled up on the floor, but there was no way to get any relief. I heard his lover scream in desire, just as the pain became so unbearable that I lost consciousness.<br /> <br /> That is how I woke up. Fell on my bedroom floor, smeared with my own blood. The stabbing pain was over and gone, but the ache of betrayal remained. It didn't matter that he didn't like me and I didn't like him... there was a thing that bonded us together that was beyond our control. My poor wolf was crying , whimpering, traumatized.<br /> <br /> I had just barely exited the room, when I felt an iron grip bite painfully into my arm, and spin me into the wall. I found myself face to face with Nolan.<br /> <br /> "Let me make something perfectly clear," he growled. "I do not want you, and I do not need you. You are only here in this house because my father is an old-fashioned fool. I will marry you to fulfill the treaty contract, but you will never be the Luna, and you will never be my mate." As if to punctuate his rejection, he gave me an extra shove against the wall, and then he stalked off in the other direction... and I was left staring after him... my mouth open, my face pale, and my arm aching.<br /> <br /> It wasn't a real rejection, right? I mean if he was formally rejecting me he would have to say the words. "I Nolan Pierceson of the Gold Mountain pack, do hereby reject you Nina..." And then I would reject him back, and the bond would break. But he hadn't said those words, exactly. Still there was a pain in my chest like something was ripping away. It was powerful enough that I had to hold my chest and gasp for breath. A few other people were trailing out of the dining room now, casting curious glances at me, and I knew I had to get upstairs before anyone started asking me questions that I couldn't answer. I was tired now, and I didn't really care who saw me limp as I dragged myself to the stairs and made my slow, painful climb up three flights. "Are you all right madam?" someone asked. I didn't even look at them, just ground out, "I'm fine." and kept climbing. Once I was at my floor, my legs were so bad I could barely walk at all. My left leg dragged, and I used the wall to balance as I made my way down the hall to my own door. Once inside I turned the lock, and fell across downstairs.<br /> <br /> ...<br /> <br /> I knew it was bad news when Daddy called me into the office to talk. When we want to discuss something nicely as a family, we do it around the dinner table. We don't get called into the office unless we are in trouble. As I followed Beta Phillip through the pack-house, I felt that heavy sense of foreboding weighing me down. I saw a sort of pity in Phillip's face when paused to let me catch up, and glanced back at me. I was already searching my mind, trying to think of what I might have done to get myself in trouble... but I'm really a pretty boring girl. I couldn't think of anything that might have triggered my father so badly that he would call me into the office.<br /> <br /> We came to a stop in front of the heavy oak door. Phillip knocked twice, and my father promptly called, "Enter!" Phillip opened the door, and stood aside for me to precede him into the room. It was so formal, it felt all wrong. And then he closed the door again, shutting me inside with my father. Daddy was hunched at his desk, and he didn't look happy. His handsome face was haggard, and somehow, he looked older today than he had just a few days ago. "Sit down, Nina."<br /> <br /> I limped to one of the leather wing backed chairs that faced his desk. I didn't limp because I had any recent injury, I just had bad legs. I sank gingerly down on the leather, sitting on the very edge, because somehow it didn't feel safe to relax. Daddy wasn't looking at me... he was looking at papers on his desk. He cleared his throat several times, as if he was struggling to find the right words. When he looked up, his face had hardened, and when he spoke, he spoke with his firm Alpha voice. Not his Daddy voice. That made me shrink back further into the chair.<br /> <br /> "Nina, as part of the treaty negotiations with the Gold Mountain Pack, I have agreed to a marriage alliance. You, Nina Boyton, will marry the Alpha's son, Nolan Pierceson on the next new moon."<br /> <br /> I felt like someone had punched me, knocked the air out of me. "What? Daddy! How could you??" I ,whispered in shock. Arranged marriages were an archaic thing of the past. Nobody did that any more, did they?<br /> <br /> Daddy looked pained. "I did it for the sake of our pack, Nina. We are a small pack, and since your mother..." he couldn't quite bring himself to say the word "died"..."We are weak and vulnerable. We need the protection of a larger, stronger pack. This political alliance will ensure our safety and our survival."<br /> <br /> I felt so many emotions whipping through me, I couldn't grab a hold of them. "But... why me?" I had two sisters, one older, and one younger. Janice was smart and strong, one of our best warriors. And the younger, Hannah was the beautiful one. None of us had found our mates, we were all single and available. I was almost sure if the Alpha of Gold Mountain had ever seen the three of us, he would have picked one of them. Not me. I am the most ordinary, non-descript, and insignificant of the Alpha's daughters. And then it hit me like a slap in the face. Without my father answering me, I knew why he had sacrificed me. I'm the weak one. I'm the expendable one. I'm the one with the "bad legs".<br /> <br /> "Its not what you think, Nina." My father said quietly. "It has nothing to do with your... condition." He never knew quite how to refer to my inexplicably weak legs. The pack doctors hadn't been able to diagnose the problem, even the human doctors had shrugged me off after a battery of inconclusive tests. I waited for him to explain. But my father didn't elaborate further, and that irritated me.<br /> <br /> "Don't I get a say in this? Don't you need my consent before you sell me off "for the sake of the pack"? What if I refuse?"<br /> <br /> My father's face blanched for a moment, and then darkened. "If you refuse, I will disown you, and you will be exiled from the pack."<br /> <br /> His words hit me like a slap in the face. My own father would throw me out of the family and out of the pack and make me go rogue? Who was this man, behind the desk? Surely this wasn't my Daddy. He wouldn't have done this to me. I felt a hot tear run down my cheek, and I could only think, if Mama had been alive, she never, ever would have allowed him to do this to me. For a few moments I seriously considered the option of refusing and being exiled. I didn't really stand a chance, as a lone she-wolf without a pack. I wasn't physically strong enough, but more importantly... I couldn't stand the idea of being forever separated from the family that I loved. Daddy was doing something terrible at that moment, that broke my heart. His responsibilities as Alpha had to come first... even if it meant sacrificing his own daughter. Although everything inside me was raging against it, I had to obey his order. Not only for him, but for the pack that I loved.<br /> <br /> My shoulders slumped forward in defeat. I could no longer meet his eye, and stared down at my toes instead. I couldn't find the words to speak, so I simply nodded. I didn't see his face, but I could hear the relief in his voice. I wonder if he'd secretly been worried that I would actually choose exile over a forced marriage. But when he spoke, it was the heartless, stern, Alpha voice again. "You will pack up your things. You will leave tomorrow in the morning."<br /> <br /> My head jrked up. "So soon? But you said, on the new moon?"<br /> <br /> "I said the marriage would take place on the new moon. The alpha has requested you to come immediately. Gretta will come and help you pack." He shuffled the papers on his desk, as if they were suddenly more important than his daughter. "You are dismissed."<br /> <br /> Dismissed? I don't ever remember my father speaking to me like that... like I was some underling to order about. I made my way back to my room in a stupor, passing pack members in the hall but not really seeing anyone, or hearing their greetings. I shut the door in my room and managed to lean back against it before the strength left my legs and I sank to the floor. Being forced to marry a stranger was bad enough, but it had deeper, more far reaching implications. I would be forever tied to a man I didn't love, and I would never get to experience the joy and completion of finding my mate. That's what every wolf longed for, as soon as they came of age. To find your goddess-given soul mate, the magical person who would complete you and make you whole. All happiness and satisfaction was tied up in that one, fated person. And I would be denied it, forever. Great big tears of self pity rolled down my cheeks as I absorbed the unfairness of it all.<br /> <br /> After awhile a knock came at the door, and Gretta, a sweet little omega who worked in the pack house poked her head in. "I was told to come assist you, Miss Nina." I sighed and hauled myself to my feet. I might as well resign myself to my miserable fate.<br /> <br /> "I need to pack," I said dully. "I'm leaving in the morning."<br /> <br /> "Oh, of course." She was too submissive to dare to ask where or why. I wondered if my sisters knew already, or if they were being kept in the dark too. I wasn't sure I could face them right now. I pulled two suitcases out of my closet that I had only used once when mother took us on a trip to Mexico. "What exactly do you want to pack?"<br /> <br /> I sighed and pulled open my drawers. "Just the absolute essentials Gretta," I said, pulling out my favorite clothes and throwing them on the bed. I was a no-nonsense kind of girl when it came to fashion. I preferred comfort over style, and I didn't own many nice or fancy things. I pulled a couple of nice dresses out of the closet and tossed them on the pile, for formal occasions. I wondered idly if there would be a real wedding dress for this farce of a marriage, or if we were just going to stand before the officiant in our street clothes while it was made legal.<br /> <br /> I looked around my room, trying to gauge what other things I needed to take. I slipped my mother's delicate porcelain jewelry box into the bag, wrapped carefully in one of my sweatshirts. There was the picture of my sisters and I, taken several years ago, our arms looped around each other, smiling happily at the camera. There was my leather bound journal, and my laptop. Other things seemed too childish to take to your marriage home... like the old, worn stuffed bear that had graced my pillow since I was six years old. But I did finally take the fuzzy lap-blanket, printed with cheerful sunflowers and butterflies, and tuck it in the top of my bag. After adding in the practical toiletries and other necessities, I sighed and declared the work finished. I felt a little sad that the entire of my 19 years of life could so easily be condensed into two suitcases, and another fat tear rolled down my cheek.<br /> <br /> I'd never felt so worthless and unloved in all my life. But now I had to face the facts. My own father considered me expendable. The Gold Mountain pack had demanded a bride, and I had been, quite literally, thrown to the wolves. A part of me wanted to call my sisters, to cry to them, to tell them how scared and worried I was about this great unknown responsibility that had just fallen on me... but I couldn't. I suppose I resented them. They would go on with their normal, happy lives after I left. My fate didn't matter much to them, in the grand scheme of things. Their sympathy at this point would only make me feel worse.<br /> <br /> I thanked Gretta for her help, and quietly closed the door behind her. My suitcases were standing neatly by the door. I grabbed my old, well loved teddy bear and curled up on the bed, and tried to shut my mind to all the hurt and all the worries that were eating at me. My mother would have said, "Chin up, sweetheart. Face the world head-on." Thinking of my sweet mother only made me cry harder, until I fell into an exhausted sleep.<br /> I awoke to a timid knock on the door. Dawn was barely breaking outside my window, and I was still sprawled across my bed in yesterday's clothes. My eyes felt puffy and gritty from crying. I had never eaten dinner, and my stomach was complaining. "Miss Nina?" Gretta called timidly. "The Beta says you should be prepared to leave in one hour."<br /> <br /> One hour. Jeezus, they weren't wasting any time in shipping me out of here. I dragged myself to the shower. The pain and weakness in my legs was always the worst first thing in the morning. I braced myself against the sink while I stripped down, and turned the shower on as hot as it could possibly go. I scrubbed and scrubbed at my skin as if I could wash away whatever fault, whatever weakness had made my father choose me. When my skin was pink and irritated, I washed my long, dark hair, and stepped out in a billow of herbal scented steam. What were you supposed to wear when you were being traded off to another pack? I felt like I should wear something black and ugly. After all, I was mourning the loss of my life, my hope, my freedom. But I decided against the funeral garb, and opted for a sun dress that was pretty, but casual. The bright turquoise color went well with my dark honey skin, and made my eyes look more gold than brown. I pulled my hair up into a lose bun, and fastened my favorite turquoise beaded choker around my neck, with the dainty, matching earrings. I stared at my reflection critically in the mirror. No matter how flattering the clothes, or pretty the jewelry, the young woman staring back at me was still just... me. The epitome of ordinary. Neither tall nor short, fat nor skinny, pretty nor ugly. I was simply unremarkable in every way... unless today you counted the fact that my eyes were still red and swollen and I was more pale than usual.<br /> <br /> At precisely 7:00 am there was a sharp knock on my door. I opened it, expecting to see my father, but instead it was his gamma, Pedro. "Miss Nina, your father said I am to drive you to the Gold Mountain pack. Are you ready?"<br /> It was a two hour drive from our small pack to the much larger Gold Mountain Pack territory. But you know when you DON'T want to arrive somewhere, it seems like the journey goes in the blink of an eye. If I were looking forward to this meeting, the two hours would have seemed forever. As it was, Pedro drove silently. My father's third had always been open and friendly with me, so I wondered if my father had given him orders not to talk to me. That hurt. Hurt on top of hurt seemed to be the order of the day. And I was hungry. I never went down for dinner the night before, and I had been rushed out of the house before I had a chance to eat breakfast this morning. With every grumble of my empty stomach, my mood was growing a little darker.<br /> <br /> I'd never been into Gold Mountain Territory. I'd only heard stories of the notorious pack. They were big, and strong, and brutal. Their warriors were considered the best, the elite, and reportedly trained relentlessly. They had no mercy on their enemies, and had reportedly wiped out entire packs who had betrayed them in one way or another. But I always took these kinds of stories with a grain of salt. Every pack wanted to be known as the biggest and the baddest, and stories tended to be exaggerated to bolster that reputation. My impression as we crossed the boundary and entered into their pack grounds was of absolutely beautiful, wild looking gardens, and a huge manor that would have fit our pack house inside it four times. It was T shaped and sprawled out into three wings, a beautiful structure built from native stone, with big windows framed by black shutters. It was fronted by a huge veranda and two big ornate doors that opened into the main hall.<br /> <br /> Pedro parked the SUV, and for the first time in the whole trip, Pedro turned and spoke to me. He laid his big, rough hand on mine in my lap. "Stay strong, Miss Nina. You can do this." That is all he said. He climbed out, and came around to open my door, as if I were someone important. He pulled my suitcases out of the boot, and then he escorted me up to the veranda, where a handful of people were waiting for me.<br /> <br /> There was a huge man, and I mean HUGE, who seemed to be about my father's age. He should have been nearly seven feet tall, with arms like tree trunks. His ruddy face was framed by two overgrown sideburns and a crazy mop of hair that reminded me of the Wolverine from the X-men comics. His eyes were a piercing pale blue, and quite cold as they watched me approach. Beside him, in sharp contrast, was a dainty little sprite of a woman. She barely cleared five foot, and was so petite it seemed like a strong wind might blow her away. She had long, curling blond hair, and beautiful green eyes, and a wide, friendly smile. I was so happy to see at least one smiling face, it eased my tension a bit. The other people stood back a bit from this couple, and seemed to be lower ranking pack members. They stared at me curiously.<br /> <br /> I concentrated really hard on controlling my uneven gate. I did not want these people to see me limping, and if I worked really hard, I could pull it off, but it took a lot of effort, and I had to move slowly. Under the circumstances, I thought it would seem appropriate that I approached a strange pack and strange people with slow caution. The pretty woman danced down the steps, and folded me into a warm and unexpected hvg. "Welcome to Gold Mountain, dear. I am Caydence, and my husband, Bernhard." She gestured to the lumberjack-giant who still stood on the steps. She didn't refer to herself as Luna, or her husband as Alpha, but it was obvious enough that they were the leaders. I looked around and wondered where the son was, the Nolan I was supposed to marry.<br /> <br /> As if sensing my inquiry, the Luna shook her golden curls. "My sons are not here at the moment, but you will meet them soon. Come, lets get you inside and get you settled." She looped her arm through mine, and with one last, helpless glance at Pedro, I let her drag me inside. The great pack house was as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside, tastefully decorated and thoroughly modern. She lead me through a maze of rooms and corridors in a sort of whirlwind tour. "The conference room is there, and that is the entertainment room... and oh, that's the nursery for the pups... there is a guest bathroom here, and the kitchen is this way. Have you eaten?" She didn't even wait for me to answer, "I'm starving, lets go get some breakfast." She lead me into a huge dining hall, that easily could have seated a hundred people. She pulled me toward a table for two, and no sooner had our backside's hit the seat of the chairs than a uniformed waitress appeared. I recognized her as an omega, by her submissive posture.<br /> <br /> "Kelly dear, this is Nina Boyton, Nolan's betrothed." The waitress peaked up at me in surprise, then quickly looked back down at her order pad. "Nina, this is Kelly, one of our regular kitchen staff. So, what will you have?" Before I could answer, she was putting in her order. "I'll have a four-egg omelette, with Swiss cheese and mushrooms, a blueberry muffin, toasted with butter, and four sausage links."<br /> <br /> I blinked in surprise. How could such a tiny woman put away so much food?? Luna Caydence looked at me expectantly. "Um...I'll also have a muffin, and a cup of tea, please."<br /> <br /> When the waitress had scampered away, Luna Caydence reached across the table and placed her hand over mine. "I'm sure this is a very difficult and uncomfortable transition for you, my dear. But I want you to know that I am here for you, you are most welcome in this family, and I will do everything in my power to make you comfortable. But Nolan..."<br /> <br /> I swallowed... there was something ominous about that. But Nolan what? I was too afraid to ask.<br /> <br /> "Nolan can be... difficult." She said vaguely. "His father and I, we hope that he will settle down now, and take up his responsibilities."<br /> <br /> I frowned and fiddled with the silverware. Difficult? What did difficult mean? I wanted to ask more... I wanted to know more about what this future husband of mine was like. But I couldn't find the words, and I had a feeling that Caydence was done talking about her son. She had moved on, saying how happy she was to have a woman in the family, that she had heard so many nice things about me... well I was sure that was a bunch of baloney. I bet she knew absolutely nothing about me, beyond my name and my marriagablility. Still, I liked Caydence, I appreciated her friendliness. I tried to hide my smile as an enormous platter of food was set before the tiny woman, and she dug into her eggs with gusto. I was feeling very hungry, and probably could have put away nearly as much food, but I didn't want to seem like a glutton, so I tried to nible at my muffin and act lady-like.<br /> <br /> After we finished, (and yes, she finished everything on her plate,) she lead me up the stairs. I swallowed down my horror as I looked at the flights of elegantly curving staircase that I would have to traverse to get to my guest room on the third floor. Navigating stairs were very difficult for my heavy, clumsy legs, and it made them ache something fierce. Was it too much to hope that somewhere in this gigantic house there was a service elevator? Desperately trying to hide my pain and discomfort, I grasped the hand rail, and pulled myself up the stairs behind the spritely woman as fast as I could without falling flat on my face. When we got to the third floor, she looked back at me, struggling up the last few steps, and frowned, but said nothing. She lead me down a long hall, and opened the door to a beautiful guest suite, with a big bed, and a private en-suite bathroom. My suitcases had already been deposited inside. "Make yourself comfortable my dear. I'll send Daisy to you when she's done cleaning up from breakfast. If there is anything you need, she can be of assistance. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.." And just like that, she left me alone in the beautiful room, in the big, strange house.<br /> <br /> Daisy was a delightful young Omega who was assigned to be my maid. Not that I really needed a maid, mind you, but I was happy to have her as a companion. Her name suited her perfectly, because like the wild-flower, she was bright, cheerful, and sunny. Her smile was too wide for her little face, her nose turned up, and her dark blond hair was an uncontrollable riot of curls. Her blue eyes danced with good humor, and she just seemed like the kind of person that was genuinely happy right down to the core of her being. I loved her right away. She helped me unpack my few things, and then we sat together on the bed and we talked for a few minutes.<br /> <br /> "What is life like in the pack?" I asked her.<br /> <br /> She smiled (I don't think I'd seen her NOT smile, ever) "Oh its a good life," She said sincerely. "The Alpha runs a tight ship, we work hard, we train hard, but its a very fair pack, and we have a lot of fun too. We can't wait for your marriage celebration. I hear the Luna is planning a big party, and the whole pack will be invited. I love parties! Even if I have to work in the kitchen, we are allowed to take shifts so we all get to have a turn taking part in the festivities."<br /> <br /> I smiled. I already liked the way the Luna ran her household. In some packs, omegas were treated like slaves. I think at home we treated them fairly. They were paid wages for the work they did, but Daddy didn't exactly go out of his way to make them feel like they were valued members of our family. They were definitely looked down upon, and that had never really sat well with me. Not every member of the pack could be a warrior, and the omega's performed really valuable services by taking care of the children and providing domestic services that the hunters simply didn't have time for.<br /> <br /> "And what what about Nolan. What is he like?"<br /> <br /> For the first time, Daisy's perpetual smile faltered. She pasted it back on, but it wasn't quite as real as it had been before. "Oh he's very handsome." She said. "He's so tall, like the Alpha, but not so burly."<br /> <br /> "Okay, he's nice to look at, but what is he LIKE? What is his personality like."<br /> <br /> Daisy pushed herself off the bed. "I think its better if you get to know him for yourself, mistress. I don't want your impressions of him to be influenced by my opinions. I need to go see about preparing the food. If you need anything just call me." And she slipped away, quietly shutting the door behind her.<br /> <br /> Oh boy. I stared at my hands, at the short trimmed nails that hadn't seen a polish since my thirteenth birthday. All the things that Daisy HADN'T said spoke more loudly than the words she DID say. If Nolan was truly a great guy, she would have been eager to extol his virtues, right? She would have said, "He's really kind. He's really gentle. He's really just." But she didn't say anything. I suppose it was commendable that she chose silence over lies, but I was growing increasingly uneasy. The Luna called him "difficult", and my new friend wouldn't call him anything, except handsome. But it wouldn't matter if he was the most handsome man in the world if he was a complete as hole.<br /> <br /> I felt a little nervous going down to dinner, knowing that I would meet my husband-to-be. I tried to pick out a pretty outfit, without being overtly over dressed. I brushed out my hair and left it loose, as the long chocolate colored waves were maybe one of my best assets. I even tried to put on a little make up, just to add some definition to my eyes. I sighed at my reflection, dissatisfied but knowing that it was the best I could do. I grimaced at the prospect of going down all those stairs, and reminded myself that I needed to ask Daisy if there was a service elevator in the house. The way how it was all decked out with modern appliances, it seemed like it must have a lift hidden somewhere. But then again, they probably hadn't figured in the possibility of a disabled werewolf when they designed the manor.<br /> <br /> I can't describe to you what an ordeal it is for me to navigate a set of stairs. I have to creep down one step at a time. Left foot down, right foot down onto the same stair. And then repeat. If I try to march down the steps like a normal person, alternating feet on alternating stairs, one of my legs is sure to collapse, and I'll take an ugly tumble down. Ask me how I know... I'm embarrassed to say its happened more times than I can count. So I have to go down the stairs like a little kid, clinging to the rail, one step at a time, praying that no one is watching me. Luckily I seem to be the only guest on the third floor at the moment, and I'm nearly at the bottom before I start seeing other people scurrying around in preparation for dinner.<br /> <br /> Daisy came around the corner, her face split in a smile, and her eyes lighting up as she saw me, "Ah there you are mistress! Luna had just sent me to go fetch you. The meal is nearly ready. You look very nice, I love that top." She bubbled cheerfully, and took my elbow to guide me back toward the dining room. Unlike this morning, when the room had been empty, this evening it was crammed full. I swallowed nervously and did my best to straighten my spine and walk normally. From every table, heads turned and looked at me, and people whispered, and I felt the blood rush to my face. I'm not normally shy, but I can't say that I really like being the center of attention either.<br /> <br /> "Nina darling, over here!" The Luna stood, and gestured to an empty seat at what appeared to be the Alpha's table. Daisy patted me on the shoulder and went back to the kitchen, while I made my way to the Luna. I reminded myself that from now on, this was my family, and these were my people. I sat in the empty seat, and looked around, but I still didn't see anyone "tall and handsome" that should be Nolan. There was a slim and slight black man sitting opposite the Alpha, and next to the black man, a pretty and slightly plump white woman. "Our Beta, Floyd, and his wife, Moira." the Luna made the introductions. The beta gave me a look. It was not a nice look. Somehow I imagined it was the look a spectator would give a condemned prisoner. His wife Moira gave me a small, friendly smile, and offered her hand. "Welcome to the family, dear." she said. She had a beautiful, lilting voice.<br /> <br /> The waitstaff started going around the room serving the food. "Its Italian night," the Luna explained, as bowls of salads, plates of meat and cheese lasagna, and carving boards of hot sourdough bread where arranged at each table. The food smelled delicious, and the Luna did not hesitate to compliment the kitchen staff on their excellent work. "Oh Berta, please come and meet Nina Boyton. Nina, this is Berta, she is the manager of our kitchen, an absolute genius with food and hospitality." Berta flushed happily and bobbed in a curtsy.<br /> <br /> "Thank you, Luna. Nice to meet you Mistress. Welcome. If you'll excuse me, the dessert..." and she hurried off again.<br /> <br /> There was the quiet and content murmur of a room full of people where were eating and enjoying casual conversations... when the door suddenly slammed open, and all conversation ground to an abrupt halt. Into the now silent hall, two young men entered... and I immediately felt a strange and dizzy sensation over take me. I held my head at the temples and peaked through my hands at what must surely be Nolan... and his brother William. Daisy was right. He was handsome. He looked like some Roman god, with his shoulders squared, his jaw set, his hair flowing around his shoulders, a little rough stubble on his finely carved jawline. He was all muscle. But his eyes... oh his eyes... even from across the room I could see the unique blue-grey color of his irises, and they were cold. Ice cold and furious. And somehow I just knew that that fury was directed at me. I felt the childish urge to slide down in my chair and hide under the table.<br /> <br /> At the same time, I was bombarded by the sweetest and most intoxicating aroma... of what? Was that his aftershave? A cologne? He didn't look like the kind of man who would douse himself in cologne, but he smelled really, really good. Like fragrant cedar and something sweet and musky. While I was on one hand tempted to hide from those cold, angry eyes... on the other hand I had the insane urge to run to him, to bury my head in his neck, and inhale that sweet, attractive smell. His mouth pressed into a flat, hard line... which totally ruined the effect of his full, sensual lips, as he stalked over to the family table.<br /> Belatedly, I noted his brother. Both the Luna and Daisy and mentioned that there was a younger brother, William. William seemed to favor his mother's genetics. He was not as big or as intimidating as Nolan, His blond hair was neatly trimmed, and he had a more willowy, graceful figure. His eyes were very blue, and very amused. As much as his brother had eyed me with hatred, I had the distinct feeling that this one was laughing at me, and I didn't like it. If there is one thing I can not tolerate, its being laughed at.<br /> <br /> I didn't worry about the younger brother for long, because the closer Nolan stalked, the stranger I began to feel. I felt like I couldn't get enough oxygen in my body, and I wondered if I might actually pass out. I'm not one of those weak, fainting girls. I've never passed out in my life. But at that moment I was seeing funny little black spots around the edge of my vision, and I was awfully dizzy.<br /> <br /> "Nolan," Luna spoke, a sharp edge of disapproval in her voice, "Its nice of you to join us. I want you to meet Nina..." Nolan jrked out a chair, and instead of offering me a hand, or a greeting or a good old-fashioned "nice to meet you," he growled at me.<br /> <br /> He growled at me, and my inner wolf whimpered. Mate. She whispered.<br /> <br /> No. Oh no no no. This cold eyed, impolite Neanderthal of a man could not be our mate. My mind fought it even as my body responded to that pheromone he was pumping out. I looked him in the eye and I saw that he knew it too. And he had absolutely no intention of acknowledging it. He must have a thing of a lot of self control to be able to shrug off the mate bond, and slather butter on a piece of bread like nothing else mattered.<br /> <br /> He hates us. He doesn't want us.<br /> <br /> I picked up my fork and tried to push my sluggish mind into some coherent thought. What were the odds that I get thrown into an arranged marriage, and the husband forced on me is actually my mate? Like one in a billion, right? But then what are the odds that I finally meet my mate, and he hates me? He hasn't said the words, but I can feel the aura of rejection wafting off of him almost as surely as I can smell his cedar-scent. How utterly cruel and unfair was that? Its like the universe having some great cosmic laugh at my expense. Well, what am I going to do? I'm not going to cry in front of all these people. Most importantly, I'm not going to cry in front of that insufferable man. I pushed my shoulders back, I shut off my whimpering wolf, I lifted my chin, and I looked him straight in the eye, as I took a bite of the lasagna. I'm sure it was as delicious as it smelled, but in that moment it tasted like dirt in my mouth. But I'd be doomed if I let that man know that I had lost my appetite over him. I chewed and swallowed, and washed it down with a swig of water.<br /> <br /> He met my eyes briefly, and then he turned to his brother and completely ignored me.<br /> <br /> His brother however, at least had the decent manners to greet me, and to welcome me to the pack. His keen blue eyes traveled back and forth between his older brother, then across the table to me, and back again. Then he shrugged and dug into his food. He made polite conversation with his mother, and sometimes he included me. "How are you finding it here, Nina? Is your room comfortable? Do you need anything?"<br /> <br /> "Oh yes, everything is great." I said, forcing more enthusiasm into my voice than I actually felt. Oh yes, everything is peachy. I've just been yanked out of my childhood home for the sake of some cute treaty. Yes, your home is very nice, and most of the people have been very friendly, but the man I'm supposed to marry is a total bad idea. Everything is great. I forced myself to eat mechanically, and made it through half the lasagna on my plate before I gave up and sat back in my chair. I stared at Nolan. He looks like Jason Mamoa I thought. Without the beard and with better hair. I wonder if he had any tattoos hiding under his clothes. My sisters would be jealous... until they realized that he's an absolute tool.<br /> <br /> Dinner plates were cleared away, and I was eager to excuse myself, but before I could push away from the table, a decadent dessert of tiramisu was brought out. I was no longer hungry. Even the prospect of sugar wasn't appealing at the moment, but I was painfully aware that I was new, I was a guest, and I needed to behave accordingly. I took a couple of bites, and really wished I had the appetite to enjoy the dessert, but I was far too aware of the man across the table. It annoyed me that he was completely unaffected. He shoveled in his food, carried on conversation, and acted like I wasn't even there. When our eyes did meet, I was met with icy, angry daggers and some silent warning that I didn't really understand.<br /> <br /> Finally, when I saw a few other people excusing themselves around the room, I saw my opportunity to escape. "Luna, thank you for a lovely meal," I said politely. "Please excuse me," I pushed back my chair, said goodnight to the rest of the table, and did my best to make a dignified exit, but it was getting harder and harder to walk normally and my stress and my exhaustion seemed to be compounding on me. But the absolute last thing I wanted at that moment was for that arrogant bad guy to see that I had a fatal flaw. He already hated me for no reason, how much more would he despise me for my weakness?<br /> <br /> I had just barely exited the room, when I felt an iron grip bite painfully into my arm, and spin me into the wall. If I hadn't had the support of the wall behind me, I would have fallen over myself. I found myself face to face with Nolan. Where his hand bit painfully into my arm, I felt the sparks. Oh Goddess the sparks that everyone made such a big deal over... they were magical, erotic, passionate, blah, blah. Well they probably never felt those sparks when their mate was squeezing out of their arm, and probably leaving bruises in the process. They probably never felt those sparks when their mate was staring down at you like you were a piece of trash they'd like to throw in the compactor. Being sexually attracted to someone who was clearly out to hurt me did not feel magical. It felt sickening.<br /> "Let me make something perfectly clear," he growled. "I do not want you, and I do not need you. You are only here in this house because my father is an old-fashioned pig-headed dummy. I will marry you to fulfill the treaty contract, but you will never be the Luna, and you will never be my mate." As if to punctuate his rejection, he gave me an extra shove against the wall, and then he stalked off in the other direction... and I was left staring after him... my mouth open, my face pale, and my arm aching.<br /> <br /> It wasn't a real rejection, right? I mean if he was formally rejecting me he would have to say the words. "I Nolan Pierceson of the Gold Mountain pack, do hereby reject you Nina..." And then I would reject him back, and the bond would break. But he hadn't said those words, exactly. Still there was a pain in my chest like something was ripping away. It was powerful enough that I had to hold my chest and gasp for breath. A few other people were trailing out of the dining room now, casting curious glances at me, and I knew I had to get upstairs before anyone started asking me questions that I couldn't answer. I was tired now, and I didn't really care who saw me limp as I dragged myself to the stairs and made my slow, painful climb up three flights. "Are you all right madam?" someone asked. I didn't even look at them, just ground out, "I'm fine." and kept climbing. Once I was at my floor, my legs were so bad I could barely walk at all. My left leg dragged, and I used the wall to balance as I made my way down the hall to my own door. Once inside I turned the lock, and fell across the bed.<br /> <br /> "I will not cry." I chanted. "I will not cry." And I didn't. Nolan Pierceson, I wasn't going to shed a tear for him, nor was I going to wallow in self-pity. He didn't want me? Well I didn't want his arrogant bottom either. My body wasn't strong, but when I set my mind to something, I had an iron will. And I had firmly set my mind against Nolan, and the mating bond. I would play nice until the new moon. When the marriage ceremony was completed, and all the pack alliances signed and sealed, I would reject him myself. And then what? What do you do with the rest of your life?<br /> <br /> Well, I would worry about the rest of my life another day. For today I settled for hot bath. I soaked my aching legs, and scrubbed the make-up off my face. I tried to dismiss Nolan from my thoughts, but I couldn't help but wonder what had made him hate me so much, right from the start. Was it me? Or was it the forced marriage? I mean, I know I'm not much to look at, and I've got a disability, but I don't think he even realized that yet. I hadn't even had enough time to truly piss him off yet. So what was it that had him in such a yank?<br /> <br /> I sighed and pulled the plug out of the tub, letting the water drain down. Men were like aliens. Who could understand them anyway? And who would want to? I slipped into my pajamas and crawled into the bed, totally overwhelmed with everything my brain had had to process in just one day.<br /> <br /> I awoke to a knock on my door. I was pretty sure I had locked it the night before, but still the handle turned and the door opened. I was expecting Daisy's smiling face, but instead it was William. "Hey," he smiled at me, and it seemed like a genuine smile this time. "Mama wanted me to come call you down for breakfast."<br /> <br /> "Oh," I said sleepily, propping myself up on my elbows. "I guess I overslept. Give me a few minutes to get ready"<br /> <br /> "Okay." Instead of leaving, he sprawled himself in the corner seat by the window and waited. I glared at him and wondered if it was entirely appropriate for your future brother-in-law to be making himself comfortable in your bedroom when you aren't even dressed. I thought about demanding he leave, but then changed my mind. Who cared if he saw me in my nightgown? It wasn't like I was indecent. And it wasn't like I owed his brother any kind of fidelity. I flipped back the covers and hauled my heavy body out of bed. I knew his keen eyes were seeing everything. He saw how I limped to the bathroom, and for once, I didn't care. Let him see. Let him see every god thing and report it back to his brother. I slammed the door to the bathroom just to punctuate my own cranky thoughts.<br /> <br /> I turned on the water to brush my teeth and wash my face, but I heard his voice over the faucet. "So that was pretty intense last night." He was commenting. I heard the door to my closet open. What, was he going through my things? "I've never seen anyone stare down my brother before." There was the definite sound of a drawer opening and closing. "This is going to be a very, very interesting marriage."<br /> <br /> I spit out my tooth paste, and yanked the door open to find that he had set out a set of clothes for me, along with clean underwear and a bra. "What are you doing in my clothes?"<br /> <br /> "No worries, just hurrying along. You have nothing to fear from me, peanut. You aren't my type."<br /> <br /> I narrowed my eyes, "And what exactly IS your type?"<br /> <br /> William sighed. "Tall, dark and handsome." I stared at him, not quite comprehending. "Men, Nina. I'm gay."<br /> <br /> "Oh." Was all I could say. Well, I suppose that probably explained his excellent fashion sense. I scooped up the clothes off the bed and retreated back into the bathroom to change. He continued to talk to me through the closed door. "Nolan didn't want to get married. Dad told him if he didn't get married, he would pass the Alpha title to his beta."<br /> <br /> "Why his beta?" I poked my head out of the bathroom again. "Why not to you?"<br /> <br /> William laughed, "Sweetheart, my dad seriously struggles with my sexual orientation. Mostly he just tries to ignore it. And besides, I don't want it. I don't have the constitution of an Alpha." I wondered exactly what that meant, but he didn't elaborate, and I didn't feel it was polite to ask. I did think it was pretty that his father would pass him up as Alpha because of his sexuality. The fact that William was kind of the black sheep of the family made me like him a little more.<br /> <br /> "So? I didn't want to get married either. Its not like it was my idea. What's he got against me?"<br /> <br /> "Nolan is always angry, don't take it personally. You just do you, and let him growl and snarl and spit all he wants. I'm sure he'll get over it eventually."<br /> <br /> "Right." He'll get over it eventually. That sounded so promising, I thought sarcastically. I dragged a brush through my tangled hair and sighed. "Okay, ready. Let's go."<br /> <br /> He held open the door for me, and I hobbled through. He held out his elbow like a gentleman, which was weird, but nice, and I took advantage of it. I waited for him to say something about my limp. But he didn't. I expected him to take me down the stairs, but instead he turned down a different corridor. "Um, where are we going?"<br /> <br /> "There is an elevator at the end of the wing. Its private, for the Alphas to access the 4th floor. But you are marrying the future alpha, so I think you are permitted to use it." At that moment I could have touched him. He produced a key from his pocket and handed it to me. "This is my key, but you can use it until you get your own. I can always take the stairs." You had to insert the key and turn it to call the elevator. Once the doors slid open, you removed the key and selected your floor. I breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator carried us down to the ground floor. It opened into an unfamiliar area behind the kitchens, but William led me through the maze of halls back to the dining room.<br /> <br /> "Ah there you are!" Luna Caydence called from the table.<br /> <br /> "I'm sorry Luna, I overslept."<br /> <br /> "Think nothing of it dear, but I wanted to go over some details of the wedding ceremony with you."<br /> <br /> Well, there went my appetite for breakfast. I didn't want to think about a wedding, let alone plan the details. "Your father sent over a dress," She was saying, and passed me a white box that was getting a little yellowed around the edges. I lifted the cover and felt tears burn behind my eyes.<br /> <br /> "Oh... my mother's dress." I whispered. I touched the delicate silk and lace. That was a strangely thoughtful and sentimental gesture on my father's part. Who forces their daughter into an arranged marriage, and then sends them a precious family heirloom? But it only made me feel more sad and distraught. I had dreamed that one day I would marry my soul mate, the love of my life, and I would wear my mama's dress, which had been HER mama's dress. It seemed wrong to wear such a special garment to a farce of marriage with a man who despised me.<br /> <br /> "Oooh, it was your mother's? How very special! Take it out dear, lets see it!"<br /> <br /> I didn't really want to take it out of the box, but I did. It was a simple and beautiful dress, with a fitted bodice, off-the shoulder sleeves, and a long, full skirt. The bodice was decorated with lace and tiny pearls, and the same lace edged the bottom of the long skirt. I was not as pretty or shapely as my mother, but we were a similar size, and I thought the dress would fit me well enough without needing any alterations. The Luna fawned over the dress. "Its very pretty, so elegent. You will look absolutely beautiful." She said kindly. I swallowed the knot in my throat and carefully folded it back into the box. Mama would have hated all of this. She would never have let this marriage happen, especially if she got a glimpse of the black-and-blue fingerprints that Nolan had left on my arm last night.<br /> <br /> I took a deep breath and set the box aside as breakfast arrived. I sipped my tea and listened as the Luna went over other details. Flowers and seating and ceremonial nuances. I didn't care, but I tried my best to act interested. When she asked me questions, I answered. "What is your favorite flower, dear?"<br /> <br /> "Sunflowers." I said without hesitation.<br /> <br /> "And your favorite color?"<br /> <br /> "Turquoise."<br /> <br /> She went on about bringing a stylist to do my hair and make up, and I swirled a spoon around in my yogurt. Really I just wanted this to be over. William came and sat and occasionally added his two cents to the conversation. The wedding ceremony would be on the back lawn, with seating for private guests only. The gazebo would be decorated out for the occasion. After it was all official, we would move to the pack meeting house, where we would be publicly celebrated, and Nolan would be presented as the new Alpha of the pack, and I would be presented as Luna.<br /> <br /> I choked on my tea. Nolan had said emphatically that I would "never be Luna." But it seemed that his parents had other ideas. What was I supposed to do? "Luna, I don't think--"<br /> <br /> The Luna gave me a hard look. "You are his wife. You will be the Luna. No matter what he says." That made me wonder if Nolan had already taken this argument to his mother. Would I still be the Luna after I rejected him? Would he divorce me once he had all his political ducks in a row? I wanted to bury my head in my hands. I gave William a pleading look, but he only shrugged back at me. So much for having an ally in the house.	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