I wake up to a loud knock on my door. I drag myself out of bed and open it to my mother’s famous oh so bright smile.
“Get dressed and come down to breakfast Arora. We have much to discuss.” She sounds chipper turning on her heels and walking away before I can even say anything. I throw on a black T-shirt and leggings with my favorite converse before heading downstairs. Sitting at the table are my father, mother, and Alpha Damon. I stop in my tracks.
“Sit down Arora we need to talk.” My father says to me. I hesitate for a moment looking between my mother and father trying to read their expression but they give nothing away so I pull out my chair at the table and sit down. “I have been up most of the night talking with Alpha Damon. He assures me the stories we have heard about him are far from the truth. I know you won’t be happy with this but you will be going with Alpha Damon. He has agreed if you still feel the same way about him after 6 months he will accept your rejection and you can come home.” My father finishes seeming pleased with himself for coming to this agreement. I stand up without a word the only sound being my chair sliding across the floor and leave the room. I can hear my mother yelling for me to come back but I go out the back to the lake again. It’s my favorite place in the palace and I need to be away from them right now. I sit in front of the lake for what seems like hours.
“Is running away your solution to everything?” Alpha Damon asks as he walks up to me
“Pretty much.” I say in a way that shows I’m not interested in talking.
“Princess, I promise you I’m not as bad as people make me out to be. I hope in time you’ll come to see that. I know it may not seem like it but I am very happy I’ve found you. I’ve waited 33 years to find my mate and I had given up on the hope she was out there.” He sounds sincere but I’m not falling for it
“All the Alphas that came to meet me last night did it because they knew being mated to me meant they would be turned into a Lycan. You didn’t know I was your mate when you came so I’m sure you had the same intentions as all the others. Don’t play sweet with me.” I turn away from him hoping to end the conversation.
I hear a sigh then his retreated footsteps. I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. I’m going to be leaving my home to go to the Dark Moon pack of all places. My brother is out of the country right now so I don’t even get to say goodbye. How could my parents do this?! They want me gone that bad they are willing to send me with him!?
“Arora, your parents have asked for you to come back.” I hear Iris’s sweet voice behind me.
“I’ll be right behind you Iris, thank you.” I turn and smile at her. No matter how angry I am I would never be mean to sweet Iris.
The walk back to the castle feels like I’m walking to my own demise. When I walk in I stop in my tracks at seeing all the boxes. They already have me packed to go?
“We had all of your things packed up dear, everything will be sent over in the next few days. I packed a suitcase for you to take with you.” My mother hands it to me the smile on her face never faltering.
“I want to see Kira before I leave.” I tell her without looking at her
“She’s waiting for you in the library, I figured you’d want to see her.” She smiles at me and tries to hug me but I push past her. She is crazy if she thinks I’m actually going to hug her.
As soon as I see Kira I start crying and fall into her. She sits and hold me as I cry stroking my hair and telling me everything is going to be fine.
“You are going to call me everyday and if you need me I will be there like that.” She snaps her fingers.
“I can’t believe my parents are sending me with him. And for 6 months, 6 months!” I yell.
“I wish I could go with you. I’m so sorry they are doing this. That dude is horrible” She scrunches up her face in disgust
“My father said they talked and he assured him the stories aren’t true. He’s an i***t, he just wants me gone. There’s no other reason he would send me with someone like Damon” I say.
My mother mind links me to tell me it’s time to go. Kira walks with me to the front doors and gives me a tight hug. When she pulls away I see tears running down her face.
“6 months. What’s 6 months to hundreds of years? Get through this and come home.” She tells me then hugs me again. “I love you, Rory. Promise you’ll call everyday.” I nod at her knowing she will kill me if I don’t.
“I love you too Kira, and I will I promise.” I give her a small smile.
When I walk out the door Alpha Damon is holding the back door to a sleek black SUV open and my parents are standing with him smiling like I’m going to the f*****g prom.
“Honey, we love you very much and if it doesn’t work out you will come home.” My father tells me squeezing my shoulder like it’s supposed to assure he means it.
I give him and my mother a nod and slide in the back seat. I can’t believe this is real. I can’t believe this is happening. I keep waiting on one of the to yell ‘Sike’ but that hope slips away when Alpha Damon slips into the back seat with me and we start driving away. Away from my home, away from my family and Kira, away from my life.
“I really think in time you will come to love my pack and me, Princess.” His words fill the silence.
I scoff and continue looking out my window putting as much distant between him and myself as I can. He’s out of his mind. If the stories I’ve heard about him are even halfway true then I want nothing to do with him.