ALPHA’S HEART, My Haven

Episode-16

Chloe's Point of View

I stood up from where I was seated, my chair screeching across the floor, and walked quickly toward my mother. “I won’t go with him,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Chloe, you have to understand…” she began, but I cut her off.

“Understand what?” My voice rose. “That you’re forcing me to marry someone I don’t love? Someone I don’t even know?”

Father sighed heavily, his patience clearly wearing thin. “Lilian,” he said to my mother, “take Chloe to her room. I need to have a word with Damian.”

“No,” I snapped, my eyes moving between them. “If it’s about me, then I have the right to hear it.”

Damian stood up from his seat, his tall figure imposing. His expression was cold, and his voice was sharp. “If this is how your family treats their alliances,” he said, “perhaps this arrangement isn’t worth my time.”

For a moment, I thought he would leave, and this nightmare would be over. But then Father turned to me, his large hands gripped my shoulders.

“You’re being selfish and childish, Chloe,” he said softly, though his words hit me harder than if he’d shouted. “This isn’t just about you. This is about the pack. Damian will take care of you. He’s powerful and strong. You’ll learn to respect him.”

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “I don’t want him to take care of me,” I whispered. “I don’t want this.”

Mother placed her hand on my arm, her face a mix of pity and resolve. “Please, Chloe,” she pleaded. “This is for the good of the pack. You’ll understand someday.”

I shook my head, the tears streaming freely now. “I don’t want this, mother,” I screamed.

Father approached me. “Please, my daughter,” he begged. “This is the best way forward for all of us. You’ll grow to understand like your mother said.”

I wanted to scream, to push them both away, but Damian’s cold and calculating look froze me in place. He stretched his hand toward me, waiting. Father gave me a gentle push forward. My mother’s silent tears were streaming down her face already, as I slowly placed my hand in Damian’s. His grip was firm, just like iron. His guards followed as we moved out of the grand hall, and we set out for the journey.

“This is for the best,” Father said, more to himself than to me.

The ride to Damian’s territory was quiet, with only the sound of the horses’ hooves breaking the silence. I stared out the window, my head was spinning. Everything felt unusual. My home, my family, my freedom, I left them all behind.

When we finally arrived at the pack house, the atmosphere was nothing like what I expected. The guards at the entrance were dressed in heavy war gear, their faces hard and unwelcoming. Even the maids moved with precision, their eyes darting around as if expecting an attack at any moment.

This isn’t a home, I thought. This is a battlefield.

Damian led me inside without a word. The pack house was massive, but its cold, uninviting walls made it feel smaller than it was. There was no warmth, no laughter, just tension.

“This is Chloe,” Damian announced to the maids who had gathered in the living room. “She will be my wife. Treat her as such.”

The staff nodded silently, their faces unreadable. Damian turned to me, his gaze cold. “We will be married in three weeks, as you know. With you here, you’ll have time to adjust.”

He didn’t wait for a response, walking away and leaving me alone with the staff. I felt like an outsider, a stranger in a foreign land.

A woman with sharp features and a no-nonsense air stepped forward. “I’m Regina, the head maid,” she said. “I’ll show you to your room.”

I followed her up a flight of stairs and down a long hallway. She stopped in front of a door and opened it, revealing a large but sparsely furnished room.

“This is your space,” she said briskly.

I stepped inside, the emptiness of the room matching how I felt inside. As Regina turned to leave, I called after her.

“Why does everyone here look so tense?” I asked.

Regina hesitated, then said, “This is a place of war. We are always prepared for an attack.”

Her words sent a chill down my spine. She left without another word, and I sank onto the edge of the bed, my hands trembling.

This wasn’t what I imagined my life would be. I thought of Aria. If she were here, she’d have made this easier. She would have held my hand and found a way to make me laugh, even in terrible situations. And maybe even convinced Damian to be kinder. The thought of her brought fresh tears to my eyes.

But I quickly wiped them away. No, I won’t let this place break me. If Aria could survive her struggles, so could I.

I decided to make an effort, to try and fit into this strange new world. I took a shower and changed into one of my favorite dresses, a gift from my mother on my last birthday. The soft fabric gave me a small sense of comfort.

When I stepped out of my room, I noticed the maids and guards staring at me. Their expressions were a mix of confusion and curiosity, as if they had never seen someone dressed like me before.

Then Damian appeared at the end of the hallway. He froze when he saw me, his eyes widening slightly. For a moment, I thought I saw something close to admiration in his eyes, but it vanished just as quickly.

Before he could say anything, his expression changed. It was a mind link. He didn't waste any time, and he turned away abruptly.

“Prepare the warriors,” he barked at one of the guards. “Now.”

He strode away, his Beta, Gaius, was close behind him. The tension in the air thickened.

“What’s happening?” I whispered to one of the maids.

“There’s been an attack at the border,” she said quietly.

My heart sank. This was the life I was supposed to adapt to. A life of constant fear and violence?

I stood in the hallway, feeling the walls close in around me as Damian had disappeared.