A Luna made in silence

Chapter 1: The Alpha King’s Choice “Mom, honestly, I don't like this. Why did you and Dad pair me up with the Alpha King?” I screamed at my mom. “Come on, Amirah, it's no big deal,” she said, trying to calm me down. “What? No big deal? Mom, I barely know him! In fact, nobody knows him!” I retorted, frustrated. “Okay, Mom, have you even seen him before?” “No…” she replied, unsure of herself. “Then how did you pair him with me?” I demanded. “I don't know, sweetie. Go and ask your father. He's in his office.” She turned away, busy with something else. I stormed off to Dad’s office, my heart pounding in my chest. Inside, I saw him with his Beta, Samson Smith. When Dad looked up and saw me, he smiled, like he already knew why I was there. “Dad,” I called, my voice tight with frustration. He smiled warmly, but I could see the hesitation in his eyes. “Ah, Amirah. I take it you want to talk about the Alpha King?” I nodded, my chest heavy. “Why? Why me?” Dad sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair. “You’ve come of age, my child. How old are you now?” “Twenty,” I answered, feeling a knot form in my stomach. “But Dad, I don’t love this guy! I barely know him! Why did you pair me with him?” Dad’s expression softened, but there was something guarded in his eyes. “Well, he came to me himself, saying he wanted to marry my daughter. And I only have one daughter.” I shook my head. “It’s not fair, Dad.” I could feel my tears starting to sting my eyes, but I fought them back. “It’s not fair. I never wanted this.” “My child, the Alpha King is a powerful figure. We have no right to question his authority.” My heart sank, and I could barely hold back the flood of emotions threatening to break through. “I hate this, Dad. Honestly, I hate it. But why me?” “I don’t know, Amirah. But I do know one thing,” he said softly. “You are getting married next week.” “No!” I cried, my voice trembling. “Please, Dad, can’t you do something? Please, there has to be something…” He looked at me with a mixture of fear and pity, as though he understood the depth of my pain but was powerless to change it. “I’m sorry, Amirah. There’s nothing I can do.” His voice was quiet, resigned. I ran out of his office, tears streaming down my face. I didn’t know where to go, so I found myself heading to the one place I always retreated to when I was overwhelmed: my favorite spot in the woods. It was a quiet, peaceful place, far away from the packhouse and the responsibilities that came with being the daughter of the Alpha. I stood there, breathing in the cool air, trying to make sense of everything. This wasn’t the life I imagined for myself. When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of becoming a vet, not marrying a stranger I didn’t even know. Oops. I haven’t introduced myself properly. My name is Amirah Anderson. My father is the Alpha of Diamond Stone Pack, and my mother is the Luna of the pack. She’s also the daughter of an Alpha, which makes her “Alpha blood.” As you can probably guess, I’m the only child of my parents, and yet… they’ve chosen to marry me off to someone I barely know. But enough about me. The real issue is that I need to get out of here. I can’t marry someone I don’t love. I won’t. So, my plan is to run away. But first, I need to say goodbye to my friends. I don’t know when I’ll see them again. Aiva, my best friend, is the daughter of our Gamma, Clark Stone. Peter, the other best friend I grew up with, was adopted into the Quinns when he was just a baby. My mom found him near the river and took him to the orphanage, where he was adopted into the Quinn family. I called both of them and told them to meet me at our secret spot in the woods. They replied almost immediately, saying they were on their way. When I arrived, they were already there. I felt a lump form in my throat as I looked at them. I may never see them again. “Hey, guys,” I said with a forced smile. Aiva looked at me, her eyes filled with concern. “Amirah, are you okay?” I nodded, but it wasn’t convincing. Aiva came forward and hugged me tightly, and so did Peter. I hugged them back like my life depended on it. After a long moment, we pulled away, and I looked at both of them. I didn’t know how to say it, but I could feel the tears threatening to fall. Peter noticed my sadness. “Amirah, something’s wrong. What happened?” I hesitated, but then lied. “Nothing, guys. I’m just tired.” Aiva frowned, but didn’t press the issue. “So, what do you think about going hunting in the woods?” Peter raised an eyebrow. “Hunting? You haven’t even seen your wolf yet. How do you plan on hunting?” I shrugged. “You guys go ahead and hunt. I’ll wait for you here.” Aiva smiled. “Okay, come on Peter. Let’s shift.” And just like that, they shifted into their wolf forms and dashed off into the trees. I stayed behind, feeling more alone than ever. I had never seen my wolf. I was supposed to meet her when I turned 18, but now I was 20, and nothing had happened. Mom and Dad told me that I’d probably meet my wolf once I found my mate. But here I was, about to marry someone I didn’t love. I let out a sigh and looked around, my mind swirling with doubts. That’s when I saw them. A pair of glowing red eyes. They were watching me from the darkness of the trees. I couldn’t see the face behind them, just those eerie, unnatural eyes that seemed to stare into my soul. I turned around quickly, but when I looked back, they were gone. What? I thought. I was sure I had seen them, but now there was nothing. I took a cautious step forward, but before I could move further, the red eyes reappeared—closer this time, and they were moving toward me. I froze, panic clawing at my chest. Was it… was it coming for me? I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. All I could do was stare as those eyes got closer, glowing like fire in the dark. "Ahhh!" I screamed, but when I opened my eyes, nothing had changed. The air was still, and I couldn’t see anything in the dark. It was as if nothing had happened. My heart was still racing in my chest, but there was no sign of whatever I had seen. Then, suddenly, I heard footsteps rushing toward me. "Amirah, are you okay?" Aiva's worried voice cut through the silence. I shook my head, my breath coming out in shallow gasps. "No... I’m not okay. I think I just saw a rogue or something." "A rogue?" Peter asked, his voice skeptical. "It had red eyes. I couldn’t see its face, because it was so dark, but..." I trailed off, still shaken. "It was terrifying." Aiva and Peter exchanged a glance before Aiva stepped forward. "It’s okay, Amirah. Let’s take you home." I couldn’t shake off the feeling of dread that clung to me. Maybe I could try to escape tomorrow night, when everyone would be asleep. I would pack my things and leave as soon as possible. I couldn’t marry someone I didn’t love. I wouldn’t. But for now, I had to go home. I needed to get away from the forest and the fear that gripped me. --- When we arrived at the packhouse, my parents were already waiting by the door. The look of concern on their faces made my stomach twist. “What happened to her?” my mom asked Aiva, her voice tight with worry. Aiva hesitated before answering. “She saw a rogue in the woods.” “A rogue? In our pack?” Dad’s voice was sharp with disbelief. “That’s impossible! Why would a rogue be in our territory?” “I’ll order Samson to patrol the perimeter, just in case we missed something,” Dad added, his expression darkening. I felt my mother’s eyes on me. “Oh my gosh, Amirah!” she exclaimed, walking toward me with pity in her eyes. “You shouldn’t have gone out there knowing something dangerous could be lurking in the forest.” “And you two,” she turned to Aiva and Peter. “Why did you take her there, knowing she hasn’t even met her wolf yet? And she’s getting" “Mom!” I interrupted, my voice trembling with frustration. “Please, just stop.” She blinked, surprised by my outburst. I looked at her, my eyes pleading. “I’m fine, Mom. I didn’t hurt myself.” My mom seemed to read the urgency in my eyes. She sighed. “Take her to her room,” she told my father softly. I nodded, relieved that the conversation had been cut short. I couldn’t let anyone know about the wedding. Not yet. Not when I wasn’t ready. I was going to escape. I had to. Onyx Nightshade’s POV "F**k!" I slammed my fist against the desk, frustration boiling inside me. My Beta, Razer Slade, sighed and leaned back in his chair. "My King, what happened?" he asked, his voice calm despite the tension in the air. I ran a hand through my dark hair, my anger still simmering. "I was on my way to shift in the woods when I saw her my mate." I clenched my jaw. "But I scared her off... with my eyes." Razer raised an eyebrow. "How did you manage to do that?" I sighed, my anger turning to self-loathing. "I don’t know! I should have approached her, talked to her, but instead, I stood there like a damn fool. What kind of i***t scares off his own mate?" I ran my hands over my face, trying to calm myself down. "She’s so innocent. She didn’t deserve that." Razer’s voice was steady. "It’s not too late, King Onyx. You can fix this." I looked at him, my gaze hardening with resolve. “Yes, I know. I’ll go to her pack tomorrow and pay her parents the bride price. I’ll bring her here myself.” Razer nodded. “As you wish, my King.” He stood, ready to go. “I’ll make the arrangements.” I sat back in my chair, thinking about her. Amirah Anderson—the name echoed in my mind. She’s mine. And I’ll make sure she knows it. Amirah Anderson’s POV The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my mother opening the curtains in my room. “Mom?” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. She smiled, though it was strained. “Good morning, dear. How are you feeling today?” “I’m fine, I guess,” I replied, but the weight of everything pressing down on me made it hard to sound convincing. My mom sat down beside me on the bed, her expression filled with worry. “It’s time.” I blinked, still groggy. “Time for what?”She sighed, her voice trembling. “The Alpha King is here to take you home.