The Wolves Of Boston

Leyla's POV  "Leyla, dear. Come! Sit!" My father was far too happy to welcome me into the formal sitting room. The only time he was this happy was when money was involved. He hadn't been this happy to see me since the day I turned 16 and he thought that I would find a powerful mate to bring him better business relations.  "Father, how are you?" I was polite with my greeting, kissing him on both cheeks before sitting in the chair he offered to me. Crossing my legs and arranging my skirts around my legs I took a steadying breath and waited for him to speak.  "I'm well my little gioia, very well! Come, Papa has news for you!" He sipped heavily from his cup of wine, taking the time to gesture around him in joy. Something had my father very happy, but with him it could be nothing good.  "You my little jewel will be getting married! Finally my little treasure you will bring prestige to this family." His announcement shocked me and I gripped at the leather beneath my thighs so hard I knew there would be nail indents long after I let go. How could he do this to me!  "But Papa, I haven't met my mate, how can I be getting married?" I tried to sound concerned and worried, but inside I was angry. I knew the answer, I knew that my time had run out. I was no longer a pup, but a woman, and without my true mate I was nothing but a pawn in a chess game between powerful men. The packs of Boston were friendly with each other on the surface, but our lives were a never ending game of strategy. Up until this moment I had been spared from the worst of maneuvering, but now I was in the middle of a game I never wanted to play.  "Oh come now, you've had plenty of time. You know that mates are rare and that we cannot afford the luxury. You are 40 now my little princess, 24 years from the age when you could have found your mate. True, you are young for our kind, and you have not aged a day since then, but it is time to put the thoughts of a child behind you." I bit back tears as his lecture confirmed my deepest fears, I had run out of time and now I would be sold off like a vacation property. "Besides, there is no guarantee your mate is even alive or not happy with another. If you were meant to be you would have found him by now. You will be happy with Antonio and he will bring connections we need to stay on top of our territory."  I drew in a sharp breath at the name of the man I would be marrying. I knew that I wouldn't be paired with another Alpha, but the cruel Beta of our enemy pack was not a man I had expected to be offered to by my parents. He was well known for being completely ruthless, running the pack he was responsible for almost like a gang. Their rules were some of the most old fashioned, making even my father look like a pushover. For us to marry it must mean that he and I would be given our own pack. With him at my side I would be an Alpha in name only, a Luna to a man who ruled with cruelty rather than a strong mind. The people I was responsible for would fear me and come to hate me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening.  "The wedding will happen in the spring, a wonderful time for visitors and an even better time for you to get with pups. I can have grandchildren for the next Christmas season and you can find your true place." My father kept talking, oblivious to my mounting horror. Marriage was enough of a worry, but having a pup so young was unheard of. Most werewolf couples were careful to avoid the most fertile periods of development and employed protection to ensure that there would be no pups until their place was cemented in their packs. To have heirs so early on meant that my father and my perspective mate didn't think that I or my husband would be around long. I was truly being sacrificed for the good of my fathers pack, replaced with new pups who could aid him with his plans in ways I had never been able to do.  "The delegates from the surrounding packs will come in the next few weeks, treaties will need to be amended and your engagement ball will need to be held. I expect you to be on your best behavior, do nothing to anger your husband. Do not mess this up for me Leyla." All signs of his previous intoxication were gone as he stared me down hard, his harsh eyes reminding me that he was still able to punish me as if I was a child. Over 400 years of life as an Alpha had shaped my father into a man who expected to be obeyed at all costs.  I nodded in agreement and excused myself, smoothing my skirts down and retreating to my rooms. Ignoring the maids who trailed after me, trying to soothe me. Meetings with my father never went well, even if they didn't know why I was upset, it was expected when I met with the man who had given me life. Normally I would let them comfort me, tell me that it would be okay, but this time it would not. This time there was no escape.  When I got to my rooms I shut the door behind me, dismissing the maid who had been cleaning my room before throwing myself on the bed and sobbing my heart out. Every plan and hope that I had made for a life with my mate was officially not possible. If some day I met my mate at some event, I would be a married woman. My husband would likely challenge him and ensure that he would cease to exist. A moment that would have been the happiest in my life previously would be one I would dread. It would be safer if I never met my mate, but if I did I would have to ignore him. Even before the wedding, Antonio wasn't known for being the sharing type.  I didn't know how long I sobbed for, but it was long enough for me to no longer have any more tears. My eyes ached and my black curly hair was matted down with salt. It was late, I knew that I had missed dinner, something that rarely happened. It seemed my father had made allowances today due to the news he had given me. I was grateful, but also worried as his thoughtful moments often came at the expense of my future happiness.  A maid brought up a tray with easy to eat foods and an herbal tea. A simple offering to show that they too were sorry for my plight. Antonio wasn't known for being kind to his hired help, Usually people who worked for him were scared and his maids were known to run away from their posts, not even returning to collect their final checks.  His appetite for violence was known in both human and supernatural circles, with rumors that he harmed most of the women that worked for him circulating freely. I was sure that within just a few days most of the women within our society would be feeling sorry for me. After all, being tied to a man known to make up for his lack of power with a strong appetite for brutality would likely mean a lifetime of pain for me.  I had once been my fathers favorite child, the only one among us born with alpha traits and with the same looks as my mother. It was only after I failed to find an advantageous mate that he started to pull away from me. Long gone was the man who would patiently explain our family business as he groomed me to take over. Now there was a man who would sell me off to someone he knew would hurt me. I had gone from his favorite to a drain on his resources. I knew that he would marry me off at some point, but I had never imagined that any love he had for me was this dead.  Still, I needed to be strong and be a good representative for the family. Tomorrow I would need to meet with my new fiance and find out what he expected of me, ensuring that I was the best wife possible would be the best way to save myself from his wrath.