The Runt's Revenge

Episode1

The bowl of stew landed on the floor before Elara saw who threw it.

"Watch where you're standing, Runt." Someone yelled and the whole pack burst into laughter.

She ignored them, gathered the pieces of glass, and began wiping the mess from the ground.

"She's such a mess. Why does the Alpha even keep her around?" Tessa sneered. She was one of the higher-blooded daughters and Elara's childhood enemy.

"Careful, Tessa." Elara stood, stared her down for a second. “Mind how you speak to me or else–” She stopped there, dropping back to continue cleaning.

"Or else what?"

"I don't have time for this." Elara got up and walked away, behind her, Tessa's friend murmured something into her ear, and they both laughed hard. She added this incident to the long list of reasons she stopped bothering to make friends when she was little.

"Elara." Wren caught up to her at the corridor's end. "Tonight's the ceremony. Ryker's naming his mate in front of everyone." She gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"I know."

"Do you think he will pick you?"

"I don't even know what I think; my head is so full right now."

"You know how aggressive and witty he is. It would be awful becoming his mate."

"I know how he is." Ryker Voss, the Golden alpha — cruel and arrogant, the way people are when nobody's ever belittled them. But the bond didn't care how you felt about someone before mating you two together; it was destiny, after all. Elara still wanted him anyway.

"Elara." Wren held her by the hand before she could walk off. "No matter what happens tonight, you're not what they say you are."

"You don't have to say that."

"I mean it." Wren hugged her and left

The pack hall was full for the function. The Mating ceremony worked this way: everyone would gather in a circle, and the alpha would step into the center. The Bond spirits would whisper a name to him, which he was to say out loud; whoever he called would be his mate.

Alpha Damon Vance — her father — watched from the head of the circle as Ryker walked into the center.

He closed his eyes. Everyone went silent so he could focus.

“Say my name.” Elara thought to herself, imagining what it would finally be like to be chosen. “Can't wait to see the shock on Tessa’s face when he picks me”

"Elara Vance."

She couldn't believe her ears. “Wow, He said it.” This was the first time she felt happy and excited in a long time.

She took a glance at her new husband and immediately saw the look of disgust on his face as he stared angrily at her. She swallowed hard, wondering what went wrong.

"The runt?" he said. "Fate gave me the runt."

A gasp rippled through the crowd. Then laughter erupted, and Wren's voice was among them. Elara turned. Finding her friend with her hand half over her mouth, laughing because it was easier than standing apart.

That hurt Elara worse than what Ryker just said. Wren promised to stand by her no matter what, but now she knew exactly what that promise was worth.

"I reject you," he spat the words straight to her face. "I reject this bond. I will never claim a mate who is weak, ugly, and worthless. Elara Vance is nothing to me."

"Ryker!" her father snapped. Everyone knew it wasn't about his daughter but the public humiliation of the Vance name.

"What?" Ryker spread his hands, displaying to the crowd. "Would you rather I lied to her? Fate made the mistake, not me."

Elara dug her nails into her palms until the sting held her down. Something in her that had been asleep for long opened an eye and watched as he walked away.

The summons came by morning, before the ache of last night could clear from her head.

"Your father demands your presence immediately." The guard avoided her eye.

Her father's chamber smelled of parchment and pine smoke. He stood at the window and didn't turn when she came in.

"Sit."

She sat.

"Last night was a disaster."

"I never asked to be his mate."

"I know." He waved that away. "But a rejection that publicly leaves a stain on this pack. Ryker's father is already using it to push for more influence at the council. So I've made an arrangement."

"What arrangement?"

"With the Shadow Peaks pack. Alpha Kaelen Thorne is unmated. A marriage between our territories smooths over last night and buys us an alliance in the mountains."

"Kaelen Thorne?." She repeated in shock. Every pack in Aethelgard knew that name. Kaelen Thorne was the Alpha of the dreaded Shadow Peaks. Stories told about him where so scary mothers could use them to scare disobedient children into behaving.

"What do you know about him?" she asked.

"Enough. He took the title from his own father in single combat. His pack fears him. That's useful to me."

"Useful to you. What is he to me?"

"A husband. That's all you need to understand."

"You're handing me to a man they call a monster and telling me not to ask questions."

"You'll marry him. Within the week."

"You're trading me off."

"I'm giving you a purpose." He knew it was a lie even as he said it. "Be grateful. Besides, a runt like you was never going to make a good match here. At least this way you're useful."

"And if I refuse?"

Irritated that she'd asked at all. "You won't dare."

He was right, and that was the worst part.

She stormed off slamming the door behind her. Outside stood Maren, her mother, waiting with her arms wrapped around herself.

"Shadow Peaks," she said.

"You knew about this before now?." Elara felt betrayed.

"I heard the guard." Her mother reached for her hand, then stopped, glancing down the corridor first to make sure no one was watching. "Be careful. Whatever that pack believes about their Alpha, you don't know it yet. Don't walk in there believing anything until you've seen it yourself."

"I have to pack," Elara left for her room

What Elara, her father and mother never knew was that Kaelen Thorne hadn't simply agreed to take her off anyone's hands.

Three days' ride north, in a fortress carved into a mountain, Kaelen Thorne read the letter twice before letting out a smile.

*Alpha Vance requests an alliance. His daughter unmated, for your consideration.*

Dorian stood by the door with arms crossed. "Are you actually going to do this?"

"I asked for her specifically." Kaelen folded the letter, before setting it on the fire.

"Does Vance know why?."

"No." He watched the paper curl black at the edges. "He doesn't."

"You've waited a long time for this. You don't even know what she's like."

"I don't need to know what she's like. I just need her father spending the rest of his life regretting what he had just done to himself."

"And if she's innocent in all this?"

"Innocence isn't hereditary, Dorian. Not in that family." Kaelen went quiet for a while. "Her father made his choices a long time before she was born. She'll live with the consequences the same way I have."

"You're talking about a girl who's never even met you."

"I'm talking about the only leverage I've had against Damon Vance in eleven years. Don't confuse both."

"That's how I want it to stay." He looked at Dorian . "Send word back. Tell him I accept."

Dorian nodded and walked off, at the door, he stopped.

"You never told me why you asked for her by name." He looked toward the locked drawer beside the fire — the one Kaelen never opened in front of anyone. "Or why you keep that letter next to hers."

Kaelen dismissed the question. "Goodnight, Dorian."

Dorian left immediately. Kaelen sat alone by the fire for a long time, one hand resting on the drawer he hadn't opened in eleven years.

Somewhere south, a girl he had never met had no idea what she was about to walk into it.