The Contract
I have always been an early riser. I am used to being up before the sun is fully above the trees. The air is crisp with the sudden change in temperature. The leaves cracked and crunched under my feet with every stride. I was about to pass the 10th mile marker when I got a link from my dad.
Hey son, when you have a moment, I need to see you in my office.
I stopped momentarily on the trail. Dad's request wasn't outlandish, but his tone was off. He was normally much more calm and collected. His voice almost sounded frantic. I decided to finish up this last mile and head straight there.
I nodded my head as I passed several pack members on the way to the house. I took the stairs two at a time, whatever dad had to talk to me about, it couldn't wait.
I gently knocked on the door and waited for the signal.
"Come in, Anderson!"
I took a deep breath and pushed passed the door. Dad didn't look up from the stack on his desk right away. He lingered on the page, as if finishing his thoughts. I waited a moment longer, he closed the book with a loud clap and finally looked up. He huffed loudly, again out of character for his easy-going personality. I watched carefully as he lowered his glasses off of the bridge of his nose and rubbed his skin.
"Come have a seat Andy."
He gestured to the chair across from his desk and I obliged.
"Please tell me that nobody died." I cracked a small smile, expecting him to reciprocate, but it didn't appear. I knew that this was serious.
I crossed my right ankle over my left knee and leaned further back into the plush, leather armchair. Surprisingly, dad stood and started pacing behind his desk. I have never seen him like this before. My stomach instantly knotted at the tension in the room.
"I have to tell you something. I don't know how you will react. Just know that your mother and I are not particularly happy with the situation."
I urged him with my eyes. "Tell me. I'm sure it's not as bad as you think it is."
Dad stopped pacing and muttered under his breath. It sounded something like, "we'll see about that."
He turned to face me and put his hands down on the top of his desk. "I just got off the phone with Alpha Robert, from Red Moon."
My heart dropped momentarily, there was a reason why we avoided Red Moon like the plague. They were not the most caring of wolves and had a reputation for their extreme violence and lack of compassion. They may not have started many wars over the centuries, but they were known to finish them. They were a ruthless pack that didn't take kindly to strangers. They were one of the few packs in this century that still believed in contractual marriages. They never matched and mated outside their own pack, they did this to keep their bloodlines "pure." They were extremely old-fashioned and their views and values were more than archaic.
I swallowed the large lump in my throat. "And what did he want?" I asked out of pure curiosity, although I didn't know if I wanted to know the answer. It must have been dire if Alpha Robert reached outside his own pack for help.
"That's the part that you're not going to like."
"Wait, this has something to do with me?"
Dad stared at me, but didn't say anything. My mind was reeling about what it could be. What could I do for them? Other than...
fuck.
Dad knew that I was suddenly clued in and nodded his head. I shot up from my seat, "you have to be f*****g kidding me!" I was being louder than I ever had before. All the blood went straight to my head.
"Dad. Marriage? I thought we didn't believe in s**t like that. You and mom always wanted us to find our fated mates. There has never been an arranged marriage in our pack... ever."
"I know. I know. But do we really want to f**k around and find out? Especially with Red Moon? They have no mercy. They can destroy us. Their numbers may be small but they are fierce."
Now it was my turn to pace around the room. I was seriously thinking about this. I knew that I wasn't ready for a mate. I had so much to learn about being Alpha. I have only been in my new role for 6 months, and I was still on probation. There was so much more that I wanted to learn and accomplish before I threw someone else's feelings into the mix. However, having a contract in place would take some of the pressure off. I shook my head quickly, I couldn't believe that my conscious was actually considering the possibility of a chosen mate. I wasn't one for convention and never even thought of having a family of my own. Not yet anyway.
I finally turned towards my father. "Do I have a choice?"
Dad's eyes fell to the floor, it took him a minute to finally respond. "I am not sure what will happen if we turn this offer down."
I felt the heat rise in my cheeks and Apollo was close to the surface. I tried my best to keep him down, but I was quickly losing the battle. My anger was coming from nowhere and I knew that it was about to be directed at the wrong person. Dad didn't ask for this, and I knew that he was thinking about the pack as a whole. There was no reason to cause trouble when we had lived in peace for so long. Although, I can't quite call it peace when we have ignored them completely for centuries. I couldn't help but think about how spoiled this girl would be. I prayed that she wouldn't live up to her father's reputation.
"Do we know who this girl is?"
"Yes, we do. Her name is Thea. I hear that she is quite beautiful."
I tried to hide my eye roll. "Beauty is only skin deep dad. What if she is a spoiled, temperamental brat?"
A look of disappointment settled into his face. "You and I both know that we can't judge a book by its cover. Who knows, she may be the complete opposite of her father."
I couldn't hold in the huff that came out. I was already expecting the worst. With Red Moon's reputation, there was only one kind of person that it could create.
"Do I get to meet her at least?"
"Yes, you do. Her father plans to send her to us for the summer. I don't think that she knows why, but we will have a chance to really get to know her."
"When does Alpha want an answer?"
"As soon as possible. They will be here within the week."
My body language changed suddenly, and I felt all the air leave my lungs. I needed to breathe, "May I be excused?"
Silence filled the air around us and I begged for father to say the words.
"Yes, we will talk about this later. We have a party to get ready for."
I nodded sharply and headed for the exit. My head was cloudy as I headed for the stairs up to my apartment. I hadn't moved into the Alpha penthouse just yet. Mom and dad weren't quite ready to leave yet. I could understand why, they have run this pack longer than I've been alive.
At 26, I was considered to be old already. Most wolves married and mated young. All of my childhood friends had at least three kids or more by now. I was severly lacking in that department. I was lucky that my parents didn't have to hurry off to retirement. I have been assisting dad since Bryce and I turned 16. I may not have full control yet, but I have felt dad step back a little in the recent years, allowing Bryce and I to get more comfortable in our roles.
I know that he is not a big fan of this marriage contract, but I know that deep down, he wants me to find a mate and start working on those heirs. He understands that not everyone finds their fated mate right away, but I know that he is growing slightly impatient with the Moon Goddess. Now, we didn't need to worry about it. Someone had been selected for me.
My mom on the other hand, she is so go with the flow, she reminds me not to rush these things. She had no idea that she would meet her mate the same night of her shifting ceremony, let alone all the tragic s**t that followed. But she always laughed and said that the Moon Goodess is the one that is truly in charge and to not stress the little things. She has always been a firm believer in, 'what happens, happens.'
I tried to shake myself free from the negativity, but it kept creeping up on me. I felt Apolla bursting at the seams and I knew that we both needed some fresh air. I took the stairs two at a time and headed straight for the treeline.
