The Alpha's Contract

The Dalton's Estate

The Dalton Pack territory began where the forest grew thick and ancient. Even through the car window, I could feel the power of this land—old magic that had nothing to do with spells and everything to do with generations of wolves protecting their home.

"We're about twenty minutes from the main house," Alpha Dalton said, breaking the silence that had stretched for the past hour.

I'd spent that time reading the contract three times. It was surprisingly fair. I'd have my own room, a monthly allowance, and duties that mostly involved appearing at pack functions and meetings. The only concerning clause was about physical intimacy—"as needed for public appearances."

"The touching clause," I said, finding my voice. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Hand holding, a kiss on the cheek, things that make us look like a real couple in public. Nothing you're uncomfortable with. Despite what your brother might have told you about me, I'm not a monster."

His beta, who'd been introduced as James, snorted from the driver's seat. "Tell that to the rogues who attacked our border last month."

"That was different," Alpha Dalton said evenly. "They threatened my pack."

We drove through massive iron gates that opened automatically. The driveway curved through manicured gardens that gave way to a house that took my breath away. It wasn't just big—it was magnificent. Three stories of stone and glass that somehow looked both modern and timeless, lit warmly against the dark forest behind it.

"This is your home?" I whispered.

"This is our home," he corrected. "For the next year, at least."

People emerged from the house as we parked. Unlike at Marcus's pack, these wolves didn't look at me with disgust or cruelty. They looked... curious.

A woman approached first, and I immediately saw the family resemblance. Same black hair, same gray eyes, but her features were softer.

"You must be Maya," she said, surprising me by taking my hands. "I'm Sarah, Crew's sister. We've prepared a room for you."

"She needs to see the pack doctor first," Alpha Dalton—Crew—said. "Those ribs need attention."

"I'm fine—"

"You're injured," he cut me off. "And you're under my protection now. That means you get medical care."

The pack doctor turned out to be a kind older woman named Dr. Chen who tutted over my injuries like a disappointed grandmother.

"Three cracked ribs, various contusions in different stages of healing, malnutrition, and..." She paused, looking at something in my blood work. "Your wolf is severely suppressed. This isn't natural."

"My brother stripped most of her away as punishment," I admitted quietly.

Dr. Chen's eyes flashed with anger. "That's not stripping, child. That's poisoning. You've been given wolfsbane regularly. Small doses in your food, I'd guess."

The room spun. "What?"

"Wolfsbane doesn't strip a wolf away—it suppresses it. Keeps it locked inside." She looked at Crew, who'd insisted on being present for the examination. "With proper treatment, her wolf could recover fully."

"Do it," he ordered immediately.

"It will take time," Dr. Chen warned. "And it might be painful as her wolf fights to resurface."

"Whatever she needs," Crew said, then looked at me. "If that's what you want."

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. My wolf wasn't destroyed. She was trapped, just like I'd been.

Dr. Chen gave me the first dose of antidote, warning it would make me tired. Sarah showed me to my room while Crew handled pack business.

The room was bigger than the entire servants' quarters at Marcus's house. A massive bed with soft blue sheets, a bathroom with a soaking tub, and a wall of windows overlooking the forest. Clothes in my size filled the closet.

"How did you know my size?" I asked Sarah.

"Crew had us prepare weeks ago," she said, then seemed to realize she'd said too much. "I mean, he's been planning this negotiation with your brother for a while."

But that didn't explain why he'd prepared clothes for me specifically.

"Get some rest," Sarah said. "Tomorrow will be... intense. The pack will want to meet their new Luna."

Luna. The title felt wrong in my mouth, like wearing someone else's shoes.

I barely slept, despite the comfortable bed. Every sound made me jump, expecting Marcus to burst in and drag me back. When dawn came, I was already awake.

A knock at my door made me freeze.

"It's Crew. May I come in?"

I opened the door to find him in casual clothes—jeans and a henley that showed he was just as impressive dressed down as in a suit.

"How are you feeling?"

"Confused," I admitted. "This doesn't feel real."

"It will. Come on, let's get breakfast before the pack meeting."

The kitchen was enormous and already busy. Pack members nodded respectfully to Crew, then looked at me with curiosity. He led me to a small breakfast nook away from the crowd.

"I need to tell you something," he said as we sat. "The pack thinks this is real. The marriage, I mean. Only James and Sarah know it's a contract."

"Why?"

"Because if word got back to the Council that it was fake, we'd both be in violation of pack law. The punishment for defrauding the Council is... severe."

"How severe?"

"Death or exile."

I dropped my fork. "You didn't mention that in the contract!"

"Because I won't let it happen. As far as anyone outside my inner circle knows, we fell in love at first sight. A whirlwind romance."

"No one will believe that. Look at me—I'm nobody. You're..." I gestured at him helplessly.

"I'm a man who saw a woman being abused and saved her. That's the story. The romantic details we'll figure out as we go."

Before I could respond, James appeared. "The pack's assembled."

The meeting hall could hold two hundred wolves easily. Every seat was full, all eyes turning to us as we entered. My wolf, despite being suppressed, sensed the power in the room. These weren't broken, cruel wolves like Marcus's pack. These were warriors.

Crew led me to a raised platform at the front. His hand found mine, warm and steady.

"Pack," he began, his voice carrying easily through the hall. "I present to you Maya Reed, your new Luna."

Silence. Then, from the back: "She's a Reed! Her brother—"

"Her brother is a traitor who abused her for six years for a crime she didn't commit," Crew said sharply. "Maya is under my protection and will be treated with the respect due to your Luna. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Alpha," the pack responded in unison, though I caught skeptical looks.

"Furthermore," Crew continued, "we will be investigating the death of the previous Reed Alphas. I believe Maya was framed, and I intend to prove it."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. An older wolf stood up.

"With respect, Alpha, why should this matter to us?"

Crew's eyes flashed dangerously. "Because Marcus Reed has been selling information to rogues. Information about all our packs, including ours. He's a threat that needs to be eliminated, but first, we need proof. Maya's innocence is just the beginning of unraveling his crimes."

The pack seemed to accept this, though I still felt their wariness. The meeting continued with normal pack business, and I tried to look like I belonged there, sitting next to one of the most powerful Alphas in the country.

Afterward, Crew gave me a tour of the territory. We walked through the forest, and I felt my wolf stir more strongly than she had in years.

"Why do you believe I'm innocent?" I asked suddenly.

He stopped walking, turning to face me fully. "The night your parents died, I was at an Alpha summit two territories over. Marcus was supposed to be there too, representing your father who was ill. But he left early, said there was an emergency at home."

"So?"

"The emergency call came after he'd already left. I checked the phone records. He knew something was going to happen because he was part of it."

My knees buckled. Crew caught me before I fell, pulling me against his chest.

"I'm going to prove it," he said softly, his breath warm against my hair. "We're going to prove it together."

Standing there in his arms, feeling safer than I had in six years, I wanted to believe him. But Marcus had resources, connections, and six years to cover his tracks.

"What if we can't?"

His arms tightened around me. "Then at least you'll be free of him. That's worth something, isn't it?"

It was worth everything. But as I pulled back to look up at him, I caught something in his expression—a flash of something deeper than just righteous anger about injustice. There was something personal here, something he wasn't telling me.

"Crew," I started, but a howl cut through the air. Then another. And another.

His entire body went rigid. "Rogues. They're attacking the border."

He grabbed my hand, pulling me back toward the house. "Get inside. Lock yourself in your room. Don't come out until I come for you."

"But—"

"Maya, please." The desperation in his voice stopped my protest. "I can't fight if I'm worried about you."

I ran for the house as he shifted mid-stride, his massive black wolf form disappearing into the forest. From my bedroom window, I could see wolves streaming toward the border. The attack looked coordinated, planned.

Then my phone—the one Crew had given me that morning—buzzed with a text from an unknown number.

"Did you really think I'd let you go that easily? This is just the beginning. Come home now, or watch your new pack burn. You have one hour. -M"

Marcus. He'd orchestrated this attack to force me back.

I stared at the message, my wolf snarling weakly inside me. Six years ago, I'd been helpless. But now...

Now I had a choice to make. And an hour to decide if I was brave enough to make it.