CHAPTER THREE: THE ALPHA I HATE
914 Words
LIZZY HANK
It was the woman I had seen him with.
"Hi, little b***h," she said, and walked straight past me into the room, looking around like she owned it. "This place stinks. Alpha Patrick only kept you here to show you he doesn't want you. If not for the contract between the werewolves and humans he wouldn't let someone like you set foot in his pack."
She looked at me slowly. "Don't think this marriage is taking you anywhere. It's me, Lydia, that he wants. After the wedding, consider yourself gone. He will end you and I'll have him all to myself. I can't wait for tomorrow to be over."
I folded my arms. "I hate him too. I hate you and your mate both. You can have him. I didn't want to be here in the first place. Honestly I'm relieved he already has someone like you.”
Lydia grabbed my neck before I could react.
"How dare you talk to me like that, you useless human. You better watch your back." She shoved me and I stumbled but caught myself.
"Get out of my room," I said. "Before I take your precious Alpha away from you. But you know what, he's not even my type. You can have him for free. He's a monster just like you and you both deserve each other."
Lydia grabbed the tray and sent it crashing to the floor. Food scattered everywhere. Then she turned to the clothes laid out for tomorrow and messed those up too. Then she started to change, not fully, just halfway, her fingers stretching, her teeth shifting, and fear shot through my whole body. I genuinely thought I was going to die right there in that room.
Then Patrick walked in.
He grabbed Lydia and pulled her back, stepping between us. "Stop it Lydia. You're crossing the line. You know the rules of this pack. She is not a werewolf."
"Patrick, she started it." Lydia's voice shifted immediately, soft and wounded, squeezing out tears. "You didn't hear what she said to me."
"I don't need to know what she said. Leave this room. Now. And don't ever do something like this again."
Lydia opened her mouth.
"Lydia." His voice dropped. "I said leave."
She looked at me once, long and sharp, then walked out.
Patrick turned and looked at the food all over the floor and the ruined clothes. Then he looked at me. I kept stepping back until my back hit the wall and he kept coming until he was close enough that I could feel his breath.
My heart was going fast but I held still.
He reached out and removed something from my clothing. Then he stepped back.
"The maid will clean this up." His voice was flat and even. "You better behave yourself and stop walking around looking for trouble.”
Patrick left the room but something about the way he had looked at me stayed with me.
He kept staring like there was something he wasn't saying. Just like the first time he saw me. I pushed the thought away. He had his mate. Whatever it was it didn't matter and nothing was ever going to happen between us.
"Oh. What happened here?"
I looked up. A woman was standing in the doorway. Her voice was warm and her face looked familiar in a way I couldn't place immediately.
"Hi, I'm Maya. I'm Patrick's sister. You must be our new Luna." She looked around at the mess on the floor and sighed. "I saw Lydia walking away from this direction. I already know she's behind this. Never mind her, that's just how she is. I'll get you new clothes."
She was nothing like her brother. Friendly, easy to talk to. She stayed in my room for hours telling me stories about how difficult and annoying Patrick could be sometimes and I found myself actually listening.
I fell asleep without noticing. When I woke up the next morning she was already gone.
It was 8am. The maid was beside my bed.
"Luna, it's time to prepare. The Alpha is already getting ready."
I sat up. "I'm not your Luna. My name is Lizzy. Just call me Lizzy please."
I got up and walked past her toward the bathroom.
"Princess Maya brought replacement clothes for the wedding."
After I finished in the bathroom I dressed and walked down to the wedding ground. Everyone's eyes turned when I arrived. They were all werewolves. Patrick was already at the altar and when I reached him he put on a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
As the priest began the vows Patrick leaned down to my ear.
"This is just a contract marriage. You will never be my Luna so stay within your limits, little human."
I waited until the priest was still talking then leaned toward his ear.
"We were both forced into this. You already know I hate you. There will never be anything between us."
He said nothing.
"You may kiss the bride."
Every eye in the room landed on us. Patrick and I leaned in and the kiss was quick and meant to be nothing. Just for show. Just to get through it.
But somehow in those few seconds something strange passed through me. A feeling I couldn't name or explain. I pulled back and kept my face still.
This was just a contract. Nothing more.
“But why do my heart beat so fast?”
- Writer
