Treaties and Traps
983 Words
Alpha Oscar – POV
"Alpha Oscar, I expect your answer by tomorrow—will you marry my daughter Jasmine or not? The peace treaty depends on it."
I hadn’t slept a damn second. Another night staring at the ceiling, thinking. My parents really signed a treaty with a marriage clause?
Seriously? I growled, dragging a hand through my hair. That old bastard, Alpha Draven, didn’t even try to sugarcoat it. He meant what he said—no wasn’t an option.
Maybe my parents thought they were being smart. Maybe they had foresight. Or maybe they just stuck me with this twisted "duty" because they could.
"You have a mate, Oscar. Take Mae. She’s your wife."
Jake, my wolf, always with the same damn line.
I blocked him out. Again. He only sees the bond, not what Mae’s done—not the choices, the danger, the politics.
An alert buzzed in my ear.
“Alpha, the tracker bug on Mae is active.”
Daniel. Of course.
“Thanks for the update,” I muttered.
A soft hum came from my watch. A tiny projector lit up, casting a video feed onto the wall. There she was—Mae—standing in the middle of a forest, waiting for someone. This little gadget felt like cheating. It was almost cinematic, like watching film footage.
She looked... tense.
“Oh, now you want to watch her?” Jake scoffed in my head. Don’t pretend this isn’t about her. You are a stalker.”
“Shut up, Jake,” I hissed. “I’m keeping an eye on a potential threat, not stalking her.”
“She was under a spell, Oscar. Faye confirmed it. You’re just being stubborn now. She’s not the enemy anymore.”
“I don’t trust her,” I snapped. My eyes stayed fixed on the projection.
Mae turned as a man stepped out of the shadows. Cloaked, masked—definitely hiding something.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“An acquaintance,” he replied.
“Cut the crap,” Mae shot back. “Why am I here?”
“To give you back your power.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Follow me.”
“No.”
She stood her ground. My wolf started growling again, restless. She’s in danger, Jake barked. Go to her. Now.
Nope. Another mental block this time stronger. I wasn’t about to let my emotions drag me into another mess.
The cloaked man tilted his head. “Let me guess… your wolf is weak.”
Mae tensed. Said nothing.
“I know you want answers. You want your real power back,” he continued. “But you don’t trust me. You won’t follow until you know who I am.”
“Damn right,” Mae said. “You called me out here. Tell me what you want. You’re not doing this for free.”
He laughed, low and dangerous.
“You’re sharp,” he said. “I like that.”
“I used to serve Hector Muller. Not anymore. I have my own following now—people who want to take him down.”
Mae looked torn.
“I’ll come with you,” she finally said.
I clenched my jaw. Bad feeling. Real bad. The man waved his hand, revealing some kind of hidden base—like a veil peeled back from the forest. She followed him in. I needed to talk to Faye. Soon.
A knock on my door yanked me back to reality. I stopped projection visiual.
“Come in.”
Jasmine stepped in. Brown hair, blue eyes—soft, but trying to stand tall. She looked more Omega than Alpha, but there was fire under the surface. Just buried.
“What brings you here? It’s late.”
“I wanted to talk,” she said. “Couldn’t do it in front of my father.”
She hesitated. Then came out with it.
“I want you to accept me as your wife.”
Straight to the point. I raised a brow.
“I like blunt people,” I said. “But don’t tell me what to do.”
She flinched. “I know you don’t trust my pack. I don’t want a war.”
“Then take over the Crimson Pack. Be the Alpha. Negotiate with me like an equal. We can draft a new treaty without a forced marriage.”
She looked away like I’d slapped her.
“I can’t,” she admitted. “My younger brother’s the heir. I’m not seen as strong enough to lead.”
I didn’t expect her honesty.
“So marry me,” she said again, voice quieter.
“Your father sent you, didn’t he?” I asked.
She nodded, meekly.
I turned, staring at a photo of my parents. Their smiling faces, their signatures on that damn treaty. I had no mate, no real love to hold onto—just duty. And here she was, an enemy’s daughter, practically begging to be my wife.
Still... she wasn’t like Mae. Not obsessive. Not unhinged. Just... trying.
“If you fail to convince me?” I asked.
“They’ll strip my title. And my power,” she whispered.
I groaned.
“How about an engagement instead of marriage?” I offered.
“I don’t have the authority to change the terms,” she said softly.
“Talk to your father. Let me know.” I didn’t wait for a reply. She nodded once, then left.
I turned the projector back on.
Mae was inside that hidden base now. The people there… they weren’t just rogue wolves. They were something else. Something darker. The way they moved, the way they carried themselves—it wasn’t normal. Mae… she almost looked like she belonged there.
The cloaked man was gone. Damn it—I must’ve missed something. Something important.
This could be a serious problem.
- Writer
