Mated by Marriage

I step outside and stretch, yawning lazily. All around me, movers are bustling in and out of the house, hauling furniture and more into the giant truck parked outside our estate. I sigh loudly; no one's paying attention to me anyway. I packed a large suitcase full of my personal items and necessities, which is currently perched behind me on the porch. I grab the handle and shuffle it down the last step, making my way slowly towards the limo parked behind the moving truck. This sucks. Two days ago, I turned 21. There was no one to celebrate with, other than my wolf, I suppose, but it was a good day. I read, bought myself a little cake from a local bakery, and drank tequila for the first time. Too much, probably, because I don't really remember anything after that. And then yesterday, Mom finally came home from her work trip. I knew something was off when I woke up - the house attendants were all running around in a frenzy, I caught our personal chef crying in the pantry while I scrounged for breakfast, and Mom was in way too good of a mood. She caught me trying to sneak out of the pantry with a cereal bar and nearly suffocated me in a hug. That was merely seconds before she was shoving her hand and her obnoxiously large diamond in my face. Apparently, she met an Alpha from a neighboring pack while she was away at work, and they fell "madly in love" almost instantly. Her words, not mine. So naturally, less than 24 hours after telling me, our entire lives have been packed into roughly a thousand boxes, and we're on our way to his estate. I begged Mom to let me stay here. I even offered to buy our estate from her with the trust fund Dad left me. But she only waved me off and told me that my father left me that money to enjoy life, pursue my passions, and build something I'm proud of. I have no idea what she meant by that, considering she couldn't have possibly known what Dad wanted me to do with that money. His death was sudden and tragic. It changed her. She used to be home more often. She would spend time with me and the pack, cook dinner, and she certainly wouldn't have missed my birthday. I don't blame her for it, and honestly, when she came home with that ring, it was the first time I'd seen her genuinely smile in maybe years. It wasn't that fake socially polite smile I've gotten used to. So, I caved. I let it go and agreed to move without a fight. "Ms. Cartwright, please! Allow me to help you with that!" A voice snaps me from my thoughts. It’s the chauffeur. He looks disheveled and a bit panicked. I wonder if he's worried about losing his job or if the stress of the day is just getting to him. I let him take my suitcase and load it into the trunk. I slide into the limo reluctantly and find that Mom is already inside. "Meli, sweetie, isn't this exciting!?" Her voice is sweet and high-pitched, like she's truly thrilled. I cringe. She only started calling me "Meli" after Dad passed. It was his nickname for me. Before that, it was only ever Melissa. I groan quietly to myself and try to adjust my attitude. I don't want to ruin this for her. "Yeah, pretty cool, I guess. I mean, I'm excited to see the estate. You didn't actually tell me anything about this Alpha...or his pack, though. What's his deal?" Mom turns to me smiling ear to ear and immediately starts gushing. "Well, his name is Dallas Dixon. He’s the Alpha of the Silvermoon pack. He's got a very lucrative law firm as well and a son who's about your age. His name is Chase. I'm hoping you two will get along well enough. You could use some socialization, honestly." I suppress the urge to roll my eyes. The last thing I need is some billionaire's spoiled brat trying to play stepbrother and mentor to me. I'm fine on my own. Over the years, I've gotten used to being alone. My Dad was the Alpha of our pack, Ironmoon, and a scary one at that. As his daughter, people always walked on eggshells around me, and my Mom for that matter. They were afraid to offend us or hurt us, which meant I didn't have any sparring partners or any real friends. High school and college flew by in a blur of studying, dances spent alone at home, and social events skipped out on because I knew I was only invited as a courtesy. I graduated early, not because I was smart, but because I had every waking second to study and I needed to fill the time. Even after my Dad's passing, the pack continued to treat us like royalty. I know it was done out of respect, but all it ever did was isolate me. "It's a long drive, right? I think I'll take a nap. I didn't sleep well. Wake me when we're there, okay?" Mom nods, barely reacting. She's glued to her phone, probably already knee-deep in new clients and work. I shrug and lean against the window, squeezing my eyes shut tightly. I hope the ride is long, and we get there late so I don't have to interact with anyone. With my luck, though, that isn't likely. Regardless, I find myself quickly drifting off to the sound of wind and gravel. ***** "Melissa, wake up, sweetie. We’re here. Let's get going!" My eyes flutter open, and I can see Mom sliding out of the limo elegantly. A ray of sunlight threatens to shut my eyes again, but I squint through it. "How long was I out? What time is it?" Mom giggles and leans back against the door. "Well, it's nearly sunset, so I'd say you were asleep maybe 5 hours? You were out like a light. I haven't seen you sleep that hard since you were a kid." I groan and try to wipe the sleep and grogginess from my eyes. Once the feeling returns to my legs, I shimmy out of the limo and trail behind Mom and the chauffeur. Looking around, I can see that this estate is significantly larger than ours was. There's a garden I can barely make out to the left, a pool to the right, and a scattering of buildings I can't quite identify - although one looks to be a greenhouse. The manor itself is towering and imposing. It's at least 4 stories, and it features enormous oak doors with intricate stone carvings and gargoyles at every corner. Just as I'm getting the lay of the land, the oak doors creak open. A man emerges wearing a midnight black suit. His hair is lightly tossed, dark and curly with a few dignified streaks of grey. As we get closer, I can see that he's a rather handsome man. His face is chiseled but kind in appearance, and he's sporting a soft twinkle in his eye. I follow his gaze to find my mother at the other end. I suppress a smile, if only out of spite. It looks like this might not be so bad after all. "Allison Cartwright, my beautiful, dazzling, perfect, fiancée. I am thrilled that you're finally here." His voice is deep and rich, his words sound decorative but I can sense that he's genuinely drinking in her presence. He extends his arms and Mom practically leaps into them, giggling and making doe eyes at him. I stand back, not wanting to interrupt their reunion. "Melissa, come here! I want to introduce you two!" Mom is still draped over his shoulder, but she turns towards me waving enthusiastically. I blow a strand of hair out of my face and wander over. "Dallas, this is Melissa, Melissa, Dallas." Dallas smiles brightly, and extends his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Melissa. It seems you've gotten all your mother’s good looks and none of her overexcitement. I appreciate that, not sure if I could've handled a mini version of her." He chuckles softly, and I can tell he's trying to make this whole encounter less strange. I appreciate him for it, even if the attempt was clunky. I meet his hand and give him a firm handshake, one fitting an Alpha of his station. "The pleasure is all mine, Alpha Dixon. I've heard nothing but good things about you from my mother." Dallas frowns. "Please, you can call me Dallas. We're practically family now. I'll have none of that formal bullshit around here. Speaking of which..." He trails off as he turns behind him. "Chase! Get your ass down here, we have guests!" Dallas turns back towards us and winks. A few seconds later, the oak door opens a little wider, revealing a man just about my age. He's tall and chiseled like his father, with equally dark hair and piercing green eyes. He's definitely good-looking and muscular, but his face is much darker and more serious than his father's. There's an air of annoyance on his face, and I wonder if he's going through all the same thoughts I had about this move. "Good evening, pleasure to meet you both. I'm Chase." His voice is just as deep and rich as Dallas’s, but his tone is neutral, neither pleasant nor rude. He turns his eyes on me for just a moment, and I see a flash of something I can't place in his expression. Dallas clears his throat abruptly. "Well then, let's get you two settled in, and then we can have our first family dinner. Which is absolutely mandatory, no ifs, ands, or buts." He darts his gaze towards Chase briefly, and I wonder if that comment is directed at him. Little does he know that I'm far more likely to try to ditch this dinner than anyone standing here. I'm resigned at this point, though, so I sigh internally and follow them all into the manor.