Pawn Luna for My Three Alphas

A Wolf's Howl

Athena's POV: 

‘How could this be happening?’ Everything I had meticulously planned, every risky move I made, was to push them away. 

I thought I had done enough to make them reject me, to force them to go against our father's decision. Yet here we were, on the brink of engagement, and nothing had gone according to plan. ‘Why hadn't it worked?’

I provoked Damon, knowing his temper would flare. It had worked—he was livid. I even went so far as to let his girlfriend strike me, playing the role of the weak, submissive werewolf, the one who couldn't possibly stand beside someone as powerful as him. I'd humiliated myself, counting on Damon to refuse the match. And yet, against all logic, he was here, still willing to get engaged to me.

‘Something is terribly wrong.’

‘Why are our families rushing this?’

If the situation was normal, this celebration would have been grand―befitting the union of two most powerful packs. But now, it almost seemed our families did not know anyone about this just yet. My gaze shifted to my stepmother, who was radiating joy. Her smile was wide and bright as if she had won some victory. 

Of course, to her, this was a dream come true—finally getting rid of me, the unwanted stepdaughter she could never stand. For years, I had been a burden she couldn't wait to offload, and now she saw this engagement as the perfect escape from me.

But why did the Toler brothers agree? Why were they still going through with it after everything I'd done to sabotage this? 

"Take a seat, Athena," my father said in that familiar, overly polite tone that never quite hid the coldness underneath. It was the voice he used when he wanted to appear in control, masking his true intentions. 

I obeyed without a word, quietly settling into the plush sofa chair, my eyes flicking briefly to the others in the room before landing on Damon.

His expression was hard, jaw clenched, and he looked... bothered. There was a storm brewing behind those sharp eyes, the usual arrogance replaced with something darker, more conflicted. 

"I think we should begin the engagement ceremony," George announced, breaking the silence.

"Of course!" Antony quickly agreed, signaling Veliciah to bring the rings. I was shocked that my family had already prepared the three rings while the Toler Family had prepared one for me. ‘How did they even get the size of my ring?’ 

"Stand up, Sister," my stepbrother said with a grin. He was more excited about my engagement than me. 

I left my seat, and so did the Toler Brothers. Unlike the previous times, none of them spoke against this engagement. Damon looked irked but was quiet. If he wasn't rebelling, there was no way the other two brothers would do it. 

I watched our families come forward with the ring boxes. 

My stepmother guided me: "Athena, start with Damon. " I picked up the ring with a trembling hand and waited for Damon to extend his left hand. 

"Damon," George said, reminding him. 

Upon his father's call, Damon showed me his left hand. I inserted the ring in his fourth finger. 

"You are going to pay for this," he hissed in my ear, and promptly, I met his gaze. I saw the apparent threat in his eyes when my father's voice told me to pick the second ring. 

I took a step toward Sebastian and made him wear the ring. "Do you think you can handle my curse? It’ll ruin you too," he whispered in my ear with a cold smirk. 

My life was already cursed. What worse could even happen? I just passed a small smile to him because I was still grateful to him for saving me on the day when Damon shoved me down the stairs. 

My gaze shifted to Zion, who was my friend. Seeing his expression, I could tell that he was upset with me. But I had no control over this. I picked up the last ring and pushed it into Zion's fourth finger. 

I heard our parents celebrating this while clapping together. But none among us four was happy or excited. 

"Sons, it's your turn to make Athena wear this ring," their mother, Marie Toler, said. "This ring was passed down to me by my mother-in-law. Now, Athena will become the daughter-in-law of the Toler Family. I want my three sons to complete this engagement with this," she asserted. 

Damon, Sebastian, and Zion touched the ring one by one before Damon picked it up. Sebastian and Zion kept their hands on his and reluctantly made me wear that ring. The green emerald stone gleamed as the ring fit me perfectly, and I looked at it in awe. 

Our families congratulated each other while the four stared at our rings, wondering how our future would unfold. 

"I'm leaving," Damon suddenly announced, surprising us all. My father tried stopping him, but he silently stormed out of the living room. I could understand his anger. 

But the fact that he hated me so much made my heart twist. 

Unlike his evil girlfriend, at least, I didn't trouble anyone. But then, these high-ranking werewolves found pleasure in pressing down the weak. 

"Alpha Antony, my eldest, acts like this sometimes. But don't feel upset about it. He is busy with college work these days. I hope you won't mind him," George said apologetically. 

"I understand, Alpha George," Antony said, letting out a fake smile. "Please, come this way. Let’s get started with dinner," he added.

"Sure," George replied, and they all headed to the dining room. 

My hands clenched into fists as I silently followed them. It was frustrating how no one cared what I wanted, how they were forcing me into this marriage without so much as a flicker of care, but I willed myself to be calmer.

'It's fine. I have one whole year to stop the marriage from happening,' 

‘We can’t marry unless I’m eighteen.’

~~~~

Finally, after everyone had left, I retreated to my room. Changing into my usual clothes, I wiped away the makeup, still feeling dreadful. 

‘What if I cannot change their minds?’ Nothing could be worse than facing the overbearing brothers every day. Even Zion, the only one who cared for me, made me feel terrible.

‘I want him to be with the girl he loves, not me.’

Shaking off the frustration, I went to the cupboard, unlocking it with swift fingers. Inside was my new set of bow and arrows—silent companions amid the chaos that had taken over my life. 

I knew I couldn't afford to let my training slip, not now. With a quiet determination, I slipped out of the balcony and made my way towards the woods, far from the house. 

The night air was cool as I pulled up my hood, blending into the shadows, walking through the familiar streets. Despite the late hour, this area was more known for its lively cafes, restaurants, and bars, not for the eerie growls that suddenly reached my ears.

‘A wolf's howl? Here?’

I hesitated for a moment, puzzled. Wolves were rare in this part of town. Shrugging it off, I pressed forward, the woods calling to me. 

But just as I reached the path that led into the thick forest, my eyes caught sight of a figure—a man—moving in the same direction. 

I kept following him and realized his steps were staggered as if he was drunk. Just then, a giant werewolf appeared in front of him. 

I gasped in shock, my heart pounding as the werewolf's dark red eyes gleamed menacingly. Blood dripped from its face, its growl vibrating through the air. In a brutal instant, it lunged at the man before me, sending him crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.

"Damon Toler!" I exclaimed, recognizing him through the dim light. 

He lay sprawled on the ground, his forehead bleeding from the vicious blow. Panic surged through me as the werewolf prepared for another attack, its claws raised to strike again.

Instinct took over. Without a second thought, I pulled out my archery set from my bag, my hands steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me. 

I pulled an arrow, aimed, and released it swiftly. The arrow flew true, striking the werewolf's right front leg. It howled in pain, stumbling to the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, I rushed forward, shooting another arrow at the wolf’s legs, forcing it to stagger back 

The wounded and unsteady werewolf scrambled to its feet and limped off into the woods, disappearing into the darkness.

I stood there, breathing heavily, watching until the forest swallowed it whole. 

I turned around and found Damon had his eyes half-closed. I got on my knees and whispered his name. "Oh my god! You are bleeding," I said in a worried tone. And just then, I got a strong alcoholic scent from him. 

He was drunk, ‘What an i***t! This is why you couldn’t defend yourself.’ I quickly called 911 and told them the location to send an ambulance. I stayed there until it arrived before disappearing since I didn't want anyone to find out that I had rescued Damon. 

It would feel nice to rub it on his face, but if Valiciah found out I was even mildly stronger than an ordinary omega, my life could be in danger.