His Hidden mate in the Alphas Den

Aria’s Pov My name is Aria Duskbane, and in two weeks, I’ll be married to the Alpha of my pack… the Crystal Moon Pack. This was an arrangement done before I was born. Funny and pathetic how the fate of a child would be established even before the child takes her first breath. I was raised like all the other she-wolves in the pack. Our parents groomed us to be feminine, capable of taking care of our future mates and pups. I enjoyed my childhood because, as long as I remembered, there was nothing to worry about. I was like a free bird, happy and living, while hoping that it lasts forever. But that illusion shattered on my sixteenth birthday. It was the day my father handed me a file. Inside it, I found the truth that destroyed my innocence. It detailed how Alpha Zeba, ruler of the Crystal Moon Pack, spared my parents lives after they had secretly sheltered an enemy wolf. A crime punishable by hanging. They were caught, and death was certain, but my mother was pregnant.That pregnancy was me.They had pleaded with the Alpha, claiming that they would give him anything he desired as long as he spared their lives. And Zeba, ruthless, had looked at my mother’s belly and said, “If the child is a girl, I will take her.” That was the deal.Their lives for mine. I could feel my life shattering as I stared into the document. A wave of goosebumps spread across my skin as I fought back the tears that welled up in my eyes. Not wanting to believe what I had read, I ran up to my parents and fell to my knees. “Tell me it’s not true! Tell me this is a joke”, I had cried out, my voice cracking in pain. My dad lowered his head to the ground while my mum sniffed hard and started sobbing. “That agreement is why we are still alive. There was no way out”, my father noted, with a sorry look on his face. “If it wasn’t a girl, we would have been dead. Your coming saved our lives.” I couldn’t believe this. My head exploded at this point. “My coming? Are you both that selfish?” I had yelled out in rage. “The Alpha is ruthless! He is older than me too! How could you both do this to me? How could you rip off a future I’ve planned in my head? How?” I cried out, shivering as my new reality set in. Ever since that day, joy left my being. I lived almost like a ghost in the pack. I became a shadow in the pack, counting down the days until I would be handed over to a monster. No, I couldn’t escape. The Alpha King was known far and wide and even if I escaped, he would find me and kill me for going against his orders. Neighboring packs trembled at the mention of Alpha Zeba. He was like terror on the lips of anyone who mentioned his name. Everyone feared him and I was inclusive of them. And now I was going to be married to him soon? It was so hard to get used to this reality. Every day, I woke up with a burden in my heart, staring at the calender and counting down to my 18th birthday, the age signed in the agreement. I tried hating my parents, but it didn’t last. What they did was selfish… but they were still my parents. They did what they thought would save us all. *** A knock on my door pulled me out of my thoughts. I wiped off the tears that had formed in my eyes. My mother walked in, a solemn look plastered across her face. “We got a message from the Alpha King”, she dropped. My stomach twisted. I nodded, urging her to continue. “He… he wants to meet with you,” she whispered. “I’m not eighteen yet. The arrangement said that he would be married to me when I’m eighteen! Why is he asking for me?” I asked, clenching my fist in rage. My mother exhaled shakily and sat on the edge of my bed, eyes tired. “He’s the Alpha King, Aria. You don’t question him.” I nodded in acceptance. She was right. The truth remained that he was the Alpha King and his orders must be adhered to or else it would be a direct call for punishment. Without another word, I strolled out of the room and headed for the palace to meet with the Alpha king. *** The moment I got to the gate, I caught sight of a figure sitting in solitude close to the garden area. I recognized him instantly. Draven, the Alpha King’s son. He was tall and lean with shoulders that commanded space. He moved like a storm restrained, cool on the outside, but you could feel the tension ripple underneath. His skin bore the warmth of a sun kissed bronze, smooth but not delicate. His eyes were the color of a thunder cloud before a rain. A bright gray that seemed to see through every lie. Draven wasn’t just handsome. He was unforgettable! He could make every lady skip a heartbeat because of how breathtaking he looked and, well, I was among the ladies who gasped each time I picked sight of him. I steadied myself, drew in a deep breath and proceeded towards the door but the sound of someone clearing his throat behind me made me freeze. “And who are you?” The voice asked. I turned slowly, meeting the most stunning pair of eyes I had ever seen. For a brief second, I forgot why I was here… forgot that my future hung in the hands of a monster. At this moment, I was so drawn to the figure I saw that I slightly wondered how amazing it would be to love someone like him. But no! His father is the ruthless devil and he won’t be far from what his father is. With this new realization, I wore a big frown and swirled around, ignoring the question he had asked. “I’m talking to you! You can’t just walk out on me. Do you not know who I am?” He growled and grabbed me furiously, causing me to miss a step. I lost balance but before I could fall, a firm hand caught my waist. Draven. His arms were strong, his hold protective. Our eyes locked, and something strange passed between us… a jolt of heat that curled deep in my chest. For a heartbeat, the world faded. Still held in that position, we heard someone clapping his hands in amusement. Draven hastily pushed me off while I steadied myself on the ground. From the shadows emerged the man I feared most. Alpha Zeba. “I see you’ve met my new bride to be, Draven. We get married in the next two weeks”, Alpha Zeba announced as he walked over to us with a massive grin on his face. Draven froze in shock. And me, I felt my legs wobble in fear and anxiety. The mere presence of this man scared the hell out of me. How was I supposed to spend the rest of my life with him?