Brutal Alpha

Future husband

~Rosie

As the daughter of the head of the Lupine council, I've attended insane parties, forced to smile and wave when I didn't want to, drank wines and term it exquisite when I knew for certain that it was pure bollocks, and even made friends who should be in a psychiatric home rather than be acquainted with. But nothing comes close to this dinner, and it surprisingly hadn't even started yet.

“Ah, there you are.” My father rose, a strangely triumphant gleam in his eyes upon seeing the Alpha. “Thank you for coming at such short notice. Don't mind my daughter; you're quite punctual.”

“How could I pass up the opportunity to meet your lovely daughter?” A hint of mockery tainted the word lovely; I wanted to slit the throat of this man. Whatever heat I felt in my veins before got doused immediately by ice. So much for the perfect match. Incredulous Alpha. It was clear that the Alpha was as thrilled about the dinner as I was.

“Rosie, say hello to our guest. You must know the Alpha of Moon Haven pack, Kael Darko. Your future husband.” My stomach lurched at the word 'husband'; this evidently rude man was going to become my husband.

"Yeah, I did." I couldn't even force a charming smile. I knew the man so well. He was always on the cover of every Werewolf magazine and on the lips of every mama because they were always trying to pimp their daughters to him, hoping he could pick a bride. It was surprising that he agreed to our union. He was rumored to have sworn to never get married. His style was apparently hoeing around. Something told me there was more than meets the eye.

The Alpha had little to gain from this union, but my father—my family at large—had much to gain. Everything was fishy about this. We weren't even the most influential family; the Lupine council was just a tacky organization that felt they could control Alphas worldwide. There wasn't much to it that would make an Alpha choose to marry the head's daughter when he could have numerous other Alphas' daughters at his disposal to strengthen his pack.

If my mother beamed any harder, her face would split in half. I half-expected her to prop her cheek on her hand and sigh dreamily like a fan girl with her favorite idol. I pushed the disturbing image out of my mind; the Alpha of Moon Haven pack was in our house, and I could understand the excitement.

I lifted my chin to appear bold, but I wasn't bold, not to this man's features. Thick brown hair, pale skin, and a slightly crooked nose enhanced his ruggedly masculine charm. This Alpha was devastation poured into a suit. Not handsome by conventional means, but so powerful and compelling that his presence swallowed every molecule of oxygen in the room like a black hole consuming a newborn star. There were generically good-looking men, and then there was him.

As if knowing I was checking him out, he smirked. My heart sank beneath the weight of my embarrassment. Impossible. There was no way he was going to be my husband. This had to be a joke; such a brazen man couldn't be someone I could plan a future with.

"Nice to meet you, Alpha Kael." I finally uttered when my mother nudged me stylishly to disguise her rebuke.

“Rosie Nadal.” I held out my hand. A beat passed before he took it. Warm strength engulfed my palm and sent a jolt of electricity up my arm. Ares also turned all excited. It would be horrifying if he noticed that. Really really horrifying.

“So I gathered from the multiple times your mother said your name.” He made the observation as a joke; the hardness of his eyes told me it was anything but. “Kael Darko. The pleasure is all mine.”

"So I gathered from all the numerous articles and rumors flying about." I returned the same energy with a straight face. Kael Darko, the young Alpha of the Moon Haven pack, was rumored to have slain his own father. He was raised by his mom in Russia until recently, when he moved to the United States when his father was on his sickbed. A few days after his arrival, his father passed on. Apparently, he was his father's only son, born from an affair. There was much about Kael Darko out there—the good, the bad, and especially the worst. He was thirty-two, a known f**k boy who had no intention of ever getting married but was agreeing to an arranged marriage? Definitely suspicious.

I could swear I saw his lips curled in amusement at my mockery, but it quickly returned to normal, like it was never there. Instead, our gazes held for a charged moment before he slid his palm out of mine and swept a clinical, detached gaze over my body. My hand tingled with warmth, but everywhere else, coolness touched my skin like the indifference of a god faced with a mortal.

I stiffened again beneath Kael's scrutiny, suddenly hyperaware of my Nadal family— approved tailored blouse suit, pearl studs, and heeled pumps. I'd even pulled my hair into a slick bun to look more sophisticated and elegant even though I would slay better in my straightened hairstyle. This was my standard uniform for visiting my parents, and judging by the way the Alpha's lips thinned, he was less than impressed. A mix of unease and irritation twisted my stomach when those dark, unforgiving eyes found mine again.

We'd exchanged only a handful of words, yet I already knew three things with gut certainty. One, this rude, brazen man was going to be my fiance and Ares was not immune to his charm. Two, he liked me just as much as I liked him – I hated him. Three, he was agreeing to this not out of his free will. So what could make him want to marry me?