My Arranged Marriage with the Last Wolf King

Hampstead Heath, London – year 1830 “I can’t take it anymore, I’m leaving!” cries the damsel through tears, throwing the ring at her fiancé. Filled with rage, he yells: “Go already!” he shouts, slamming the door shut after the woman’s departure. The rain pours down outside and, once again, another candidate for the wife of the king of wolves has fled the mansion, ignoring the storm that lashes the place. With her go the hopes of a marriage. The man moves away from the foyer, pacing energetically back and forth, driven by anger and frustration. At that moment, one of the servants who has witnessed the scene from a distance, approaches the butler and asks: “What can we do, Campbell?” Campbell, the butler and confidant of King Alexander, adjusts his impeccable vest, unable to hide his concern. As best he can, he shows a serene face, approaching his majesty as if he were approaching a wild beast ready to attack. “Your majesty, your excessive anger is driving away all the ladies who come to the mansion. You must learn to control your temper and treat them better.” King Alexander turns to look at his butler. The lord of the mansion, with an imposing presence, possesses remarkable beauty: blond, tall, fair-skinned, piercing blue eyes, and a masculine appearance capable of captivating anyone if he only remains silent and at a distance. After giving Campbell a quick glance, he ignores him and continues pacing back and forth. Nothing seems capable of containing the burning fire of his rage, which seems to consume everything in its path. “I’ve had enough!” roars the blond, his voice echoing through the gigantic mansion. “I won’t marry; I give up; everything is lost!” Campbell sighs with weariness because he knows his king’s temperament, so he takes a cautious step back. “Your Majesty,” the butler swallows, watching as his lord runs his hands through his long blond hair, pushing it back. “I understand your frustration, but you must realize that your responsibility is to ensure the continuity of the dynasty. You are the last heir who can produce wolf descendants, and it is urgent that you marry and have children to preserve our lineage. Currently, only you can bring pure werewolves once more... if you don’t, we will become extinct...” A deep sigh escapes Alexander’s lips as he feels the weight he carries on his shoulders as an unbearable burden. The ancestral lineage and the need to keep the blood of the wolves alive overwhelm him more than he is willing to admit. “I know more than anyone the importance of my role, but no woman is enough! None is suitable! I’m tired; I feel like I’ve been at this for an eternity! You know what? Let us all perish, and the problem will be solved! The hunters would fulfill their damned task!” he roars with such force that for a moment, the servants observe how the king’s fangs and werewolf eyes appear while his voice becomes deeper. That shout is enough for the butler and the other servant present to feel overwhelmed by their king Alexander’s tantrum, who with one supernatural leap heads to the second floor of the mansion, going towards his room and closing the door with a powerful slam. When they are alone, the butler and the servant exchange worried looks while Campbell, the butler says: “We will not give up, Thomas,” Campbell tells the young man named Thomas. “If none of the noble ladies wish to marry our lord nor do women without a surname or prestige wish to marry him either, we must look further down the social scale.” “Further down, Campbell? Are you suggesting we find women from brothels for our lord?” “If this doesn't work, we will have no other choice; but we don't have to go to that extreme yet...” he says while running a hand through his hair as he moves away from the foyer where Alexander had been. “We must go immediately to the print shop and place an ad to be published first thing in the morning. We will say that we are looking for a young lady no older than twenty-one to fill the position of servant at Wolfsbone Mansion.” “Do you plan to deceive a woman in this way?” “Desperate times call for desperate measures...” says the butler with his head held high while the servant walks behind him.. The next morning: West India Docks - London An imposing ship from North America, more precisely from New York finally arrived at London shores. The crew stopped, loaded with their equipment while gray weather and a light shower couldn't dampen the joy of a young woman who with just a small suitcase descended from the ship— expectantly observing the place where fate had brought her. Her hat protected her brown hair from moisture although her shoulders were already slightly damp from the light rain which highlighted her simple light blue dress even more. “Well, welcome to London Emily; here begins your new life,” says the young woman to herself noticing that among all those disembarking she is the only one who has no one waiting for her. “Now; my next mission is to find a place to spend the night and then employment,” she says while using her suitcase as an umbrella to protect herself from intensifying rain. Determined,she begins to run in search of shelter feeling her heart full of excitement, having no idea that her life was about to take a radical turn in this unknown country where destiny awaits her. One she could never have imagined even in her dreams.