Aubrey and the cursed Alpha

Aubrey's POV I smiled giddily as the priest placed the thin coronet on the head of my future mate, pronouncing him as Alpha of my pack, Wildheart. The pack members present clapped politely as Oliver stood up from where he knelt, looking every bit the regal alpha he was. I waited for him to glance at me, to extend his hand and make me his Luna in front of the pack, to profess his eternal love for me. None of that happened. I looked around the large room and my eyes fell on my father's barely concealed scowl. Our eyes met and I hurriedly averted my eyes. I knew that Dad didn't approve of what I did with the pack he had entrusted to my care and leadership, but I hadn't had any other choice. Leading a pack alone was hard, and I needed a mate, needed the love and companionship. And Oliver...well, Oliver was simply wonderful. I trusted him greatly, and when I had complained about the workload, he'd stepped in and offered to help. Gratefully, I decided to make him the Alpha of my pack, so that he would make me his Luna. We were already going down the road of becoming mates, this seemed like such a small step. I smiled again, feeling my heart speed up. Any moment now... Finally, Oliver glanced at me. I smiled and he did too, but there was something wrong with the smile. It was harder than I was used to. I stood from my chair on the dias, meaning to go to him, when suddenly, men in dark, nondescript clothing poured into the coronation hall. People screamed as they began to shove people off their seats and force them to the ground. It was chaos. My father, the former alpha stood and let out a fearsome growl, and one of the men - whom I now recognized as rogues with a sinking feeling - pulled a gun from his pocket and fired into the air. The sound was extremely loud, especially in a room full of werewolves with sensitive hearing. The screaming in the room intensified, people clawing for the exits, and the gun was fired again. I knew without a doubt that it contained silver-coated bullets, capable of killing any werewolf instantly. With the second scream of the bullet, the room instantly quieted. My heart thundered in my chest as I stared at the people holding my pack members and my father at gunpoint. While no one was watching, a rogue had snuck up behind had and overpowered him, forcing him to his knees with a knee shoved in the centre of his back. The expression on Dad's old, weathered face was murderous. "Stop!", I yelled, trying to infuse my voice with as much alpha command as I could. "Stop this farce right now!" Some of the rogues looked me over and sneered, as though they had an inside joke about me. And Oliver... My eyes searched the chaotic room for my mate, silently praying he hadn't been hurt. What I saw was not what I ever expected I would see, not once in a million years. Oliver stood to the side, watching the proceedings with a proud smirk on his face, and I slowly let the expression of relief at his safety on my face bleed away as a slow realization came upon me. Rogues. Of course. In my quest to find true love wherever it might come from and not be judgemental, I had taken a rogue werewolf as my mate. Oliver. I tried not to let the panic dawn on my face even as I belatedly realized that a fast one had been pulled on me by an extremely smart mind. Oliver's mind. The rogue Alpha smirked at me from across the room, letting his eyebrow quirk up in silent question. "Oliver?", I whispered, knowing he would hear me from all the way across the room. His senses were that good. "So, the Luna finally figures it out, does she?", Oliver asked beratingly. My breath caught in my chest. "What...", I gasped. Oliver nodded smugly. "You know, you really are gullible. And stupid." He barked out a laugh, and the rogues laughed with him. "I mean, I have never met someone easier to scam. A scam of this magnitude would need a lot of planning and careful maneuvering, but with you? It was almost too easy. You were so desperate to love and be loved." "I...I wasn't", I stuttered. "You're not..." "Did you really think I would suddenly fall in love with you?" He scoffed. "Grow up, b***h. The real world isn't a fairytale." "Don't you dare talk to her that way!", My father barked. Oliver gave a wave of his hand and the rogue holding my father down slammed the butt of his gun into the back of Dad's head. "No!", I screamed as Dad suddenly fell forward, stunned. "Leave him alone!" Oliver laughed wickedly. "Oh, Aubrey. I would say your father deserved that. Among other things, he apparently forgot to teach you the dangers of blind trust. I mean, why exactly did I do to make you put such trust in me? Take you out a few times? Buy you flowers and help you with your ledgers and suddenly, you want to spend your life with me?" "We had a connection", I said faintly, my voice sounding as if it came from far away. "Sweetheart, there was no connection. That was all in your head." "Oliver..." "I daresay the old man even saw it." He gestured at Dad's still form. "I don't suppose he was pleased when his only daughter announced she was bringing in a strange man to act as the alpha of the pack he'd given her. Really, Aubrey, what were you thinking?" I swallowed, tears finally gathering in my eyes. "So it was all a lie? We were a lie?" Oliver snorted. "There is no we. There never was. Now, be a darling and stretch your arms out in front of you." "Why?", I sniffled, the severity of what I had just done catching up with me. What must my pack members think now? "Why what?", Oliver asked impatiently. "Why are you doing this?" "Because I can", he snapped. "And also because I've been given the shiitty end of the stick. You think I like being a rogue? Roughing it out when you other werewolves are nice and cushy in your warm beds?" "You wouldn't have been a rogue any longer!", I screamed. "I wanted you!" Oliver rolled his eyes. "Why would I want to live the rest of my days under the thumb of someone as spineless as you? For all your overbearing ways, you're the greatest coward I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Now, be a good girl and hold your arms out, please." "No!*, I snapped through my tears. "You'll have to hold them out yourself." Oliver shrugged. "Very well." He gestured at a rogue behind me and the man roughly pulled both my arms out. I screamed. "Let me go!" I trashed, trying to tear my arms away from his iron grip, all the while still screaming. "Oh for god's sake, just hit the b***h", Oliver snapped. "And if she keeps up that annoying yapping, gag her." No sooner than the words were out of his mouth did the man holding me backhand me strongly across the face. I quietened instantly, whimpering softly as the man pulled out a string of thick rope from deep pockets and began to wind it around my arm. I fisted my hands so that I could have a little wriggle room when he let go of me, but he must've had experience tying people up or being tied up because he barked "Straighten your hands!" I scowled at him but did as he said when he eyed me menacingly. That done, he stepped backwards and bowed to Oliver, who turned to the still cowering people. "Alright, listen up!", He commanded. "As you all know, I am now your new alpha, and you are bound by law to obey me. This is my first order. Anyone who tries to follow or stop me will face consequences. Those being that your former alphas here will each receive a bullet in any part of the body I choose. Understood?" There was dead silence in the room as the people watched fearfully. Mothers clutched their children to their chests, and mates had their arms around each other. Oliver scowled. "I said, am I understood?" There were various murmurs of consent, during which Oliver nodded smugly. He turned to his rogues holding me and my father. "The basement of the pack house. Shoot anyone who tries to stop you." Dad was hauled to his feet, and I averted my eyes from the blood streaming down the side of his neck from the back of his head. He looked me over, checking if I was hurt and my heart broke afresh. Here we were in an inescapable mess caused by my own foolishness, and all he wanted was for me to be safe. We were dragged carelessly through the halls of the pack house, startling the few members still roaming about oblivious to what was happening. The door to the basement was shoved open, and unceremoniously, we were thrown inside. Dad fell and struggled to rise. I rushed to his side. "Dad! Are you alright?" I tried to prod at his head with my bound hands and he winced. "Just sore", he mumbled. "I'm sorry, Dad", I cried. "I should have listened to you." He shook his head sadly. "It's not your fault, darling." A snigger sounded behind us. "Of course it is!", Oliver said. "It's certainly not my fault." Dad scowled. An expression that I had once found formidable, but now seemed weak in comparison to what we were facing. "Shut up, mutt." "Watch who you call names, old man. I could knock out a few teeth of yours." "You can definitely try", Dad sneered. Oliver advanced towards him with an evil, anticipating smirk on his face. I scrambled in front of him. "Stop! Please, Oliver, don't hurt him!" "I'd listen to you because?", Oliver queried, yanking me out of the way. He shoved me towards one of his goons. "Give her a good place to watch." "Watch...Oliver!" He grabbed my dad by the collar, and Dad promptly threw a left hook at his jaw that had Oliver's head snapping backwards with a painful snapping sound. He recovered quickly and delivered a faster punch to my father. Dad staggered backwards and Oliver laughed. "You've got one hell of a punch on you, old man. Too bad I've got a stronger one." Dad wiped at a smidge of blood at the corner of his mouth. "Come at me again and I'll show you how strong a blow I can deliver." Oliver rolled his eyes again. "I see where your daughter got her flair for the dramatic from. However, I don't have time for this. See that chair over there?" He pointed at a heavy wooden chair with arms sitting in a corner. "Go sit in it right now. My men will tie you to it when you do." Dad opened his mouth to say something scathing but Oliver cut him off. "No. Don't argue. Just do it or Aubrey will lose her pretty little head." The man holding me drew a gun from his thigh holster and pointed it at my head, the sound of it c*****g loud in the quiet basement. Dad paled. "Don't do it Dad!", I protested. "He's bluffing. He won't do it!" Oliver raised an eyebrow at me. "Whatever gave you that delusion?" "You need me", I bluffed. Our captor stared at me quizzically as if he couldn't understand what I was saying. "Why?" I grasped at straws. "The pack members would never listen to you if I'm dead. I'm their alpha." Oliver snorted. "Right. Did you forget the little ceremony a while ago where you passed that title to me? Your pack members may not be happy about the new changes, but they saw you give me the position. They'll behave." He turned back to my dad who hadn't yet gotten into the chair. "Or I could force you into it", Oliver mused. "Either way, you're getting in the chair." Dad stayed stubbornly standing. "Ah, well", Oliver said, strolling towards me. "There's always an easier option." He pulled my bound hands towards him, watching my father with a smirk on his face. He selected the index finger of my right hand, and with a raise of his eyebrow, yanked it backwards until it snapped. c***k. The scream that left my throat could be heard for miles.