Betrothed to one fated to another

Stepmother’s Cruel Gambit Aria couldn't believe her ears. Her stepmother, Jezelle, had just given her the worst news of her life. "You've got to be kidding me, Jezelle. Please tell me it's a prank," Aria cried. "Do I look like I'm joking here, Aria? We're knee-deep in debt and our debtor is on my neck to get back his money. The best thing I could think of was to give you out to him in marriage," Jezelle answered, not feeling remorseful. "How could you set me up in an arranged marriage to someone I don't even know? Besides, you know Jordan and I are in a serious relationship. I can't marry whoever you've set me up with," Aria fought back. "Too late. Lycan Duncan is coming here tomorrow to pick you and take you back to his pack as his bride. I'm sorry but your fate has been sealed," Jezelle said and turned to leave. "Why didn't you give Sadia out in marriage? Why should it be me?" Aria asked. Without turning back, Jezelle smirked and answered, "You're the one he chose." With this response, she walked away, leaving Aria with her thoughts. Aria sat down on the floor in desperation. She didn't want to marry a stranger she hasn't even met. She thought and finally, an idea came to her. She got up from the floor and raced out of the house. Her destination was Jordan's house. When she got there, she saw him working. Jordan raised his head to see Aria panting in front of him. A smile appeared on his face. "Aria, what brings..." He tried to say but was cut short when Aria captured his lips with hers. She kissed him so deeply like her life depended on it. When she finally let go of his lips to catch her breath, Jordan, who was still surprised at her sudden visit and kiss, said, "Well, that was something. Are you feeling extra romantic or what? Today's kiss held a lot of emotions." "There's something wrong, Jordan," Aria said. The smile on Jordan's face wiped off. It was replaced with concern. "What's wrong, Aria?" He asked. "My Stepmother has set me up for an arranged marriage to a complete stranger," Aria replied. "What?" Jordan asked shocked. "What are you doing to do about it? Will you agree to the arranged marriage?" He continued after a short pause. "Hell no, that's why I came here. I want us to elope," Aria dropped the bomb. "Elope?"Jordan asked. "Yes, elope. Would you rather let me be married off to someone else?" Aria asked. "Aria, eloping seems a little extreme. Could we come up with another idea?" Jordan's brows knitted as he hesitated. "Jordan, there's no time for grand plans. Lycan Duncan is coming to get me tomorrow. It cannot be allowed to occur," Aria cried out, her desperation palpable. With a sigh, Jordan combed through his hair. "All right, let's run away. However, we must act quickly and covertly. I don't want to cause any unneeded problems." Aria agreed and nodded. "Jordan, I knew I could rely on you. We're heading out tonight, so pack a few necessities. Let's meet by the Acamore tree near the river in the next 2 hours," Aria said. Jordan nodded and with that said and done, Aria returned to her home to prepare for the elopement. As night began to draw closer, Aria's anticipation increased. An hour and thirty minutes later, she began to feel uncomfortable so she decided to go to Jordan's house so they could escape early. As she got to the entrance of Jordan's house, she heard two voices. When she listened closely, she found out that the two voices sounded so familiar. One belonged to Jordan and the other belonged to Sadia, her stepsister. Just as she was about to push the door open, she heard kissing sounds. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain on her chest. Tears formed in her eyes as she came to realize what had happened. Her boyfriend and her stepsister had been seeing each other behind her back and she had no clue until now. She turned around and began to walk away very slowly. As she made her way back to her house, she still couldn't believe she she had just found out. As she walked into the house, Jezelle couldn't help but notice the tears in her eyes. "Are you still sad about the arranged marriage thing? Don't waste your tears, girl. No matter how much you cry, it's still going to happen," Jezelle said. But instead of replying, Aria walked past her and went into her room. She lay in her bed and let the tears flow well. She didn't know when she slept off until she heard stones hitting her room window. She checked the time and saw it was midnight. She looked outside only to find Jordan throwing tiny stones at her window. Seeing him down there acting like nothing had happened a few hours ago, made her really upset. She went back to bed, ignoring the clicking of stones on her window. She waited for a while until she didn't hear the stones hitting her window again before going back to sleep. Very early the next morning, while she was doing her chores, Jordan boated again. "What happened last night, Aria?" He asked. Instead of replying, Aria ignored him and continued with her work. Jordan grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. "What's wrong? I waited for you all night but I didn't see you. What happened to our plans of eloping?" Jordan asked. "I changed my mind, Jordan," Aria replied with an emotionless expression. "What do you mean you changed your mind? Are you saying you want to get married to a stranger you know nothing about? What happens to a relationship then?" Jordan asked. "You should have thought about that before having an affair with my step-sister," Aria said, causing Jordan's jaw to drop.