Becoming my husband's best friend

I thought about running away. I wanted so desperately to run and never look back. To not worry about what the people I considered close to me would think. But the thought of doing that to them, running away when I knew what the consequences of that would be, stopped me in my tracks. Even though these very same people didn’t hesitate in sacrificing me for the greater good of everyone else. The once great Bellmore pack brought down to their knees. All because of the love story shared between the alpha and his mate. Because of them I was now the only ‘savior’ for the pack. They had all celebrated in the wake of my devastation. Not one person asking if I was okay with my now new lot in life. Allocated to me by the one who should have fought for all of us equally. Where one didn’t have to be sacrificed for the rest. Calm music filled the air, as my dress whispered in the breeze. I stood by the balcony staring out into the sunlight doing its best to almost blind me. I welcomed the warmth to my skin. My insides shivering at what awaited me. I could barely believe today was the day I was going to be sold for the betterment of the pack. One life in exchange for hundreds of others. The thing was, though, I wanted to feel wanted by them. I wanted not to be the one being thrown out of the pack. They may have dressed it nicely, said it wasn’t that way, that they would still consider me pack. But let’s face it. This was in essence the last day of me being a part of the house Bellmore and from the moment I say ‘I do’ I’ll be a part of a vampire horde. I didn’t want that. They said he was a good person. That he would take care of me. But would he really? These were the same people willing to send me into a place not one single werewolf had been in before. I may be human but that didn’t make me any less of being one of the pack. It hurt so bad being discarded this way. As if my own thoughts and feelings weren't something to be considered during this farce. Tears threatened to fall but I had already been scolded by Theo about what would happen to me if she had to redo all of her effort again. “Martine, it’s time,” said Clara, the alpha’s new mate. I wanted to hate her. Things changed as soon as she had arrived. But I was powerless. My parents wouldn’t do anything to help me, and everyone else in the pack accepted me leaving so willingly and with such joy. No one even bothered to ask if I was okay with the alpha's plan. It was just a given, I was a pawn in his pack used as a commodity. Pity the rest of the pack didn't see it the way I had. If he could do this to me there was no stopping him from using any one else as a tool to gain more power. I took one last deep breath in and swung my body around. The dress I was wearing was an a-line one so I didn’t need help with moving around. I really hadn’t liked it but that choice as well was taken out of my hands. I had to use a hand me down from Flora, hers was the only dress that would fit me 'properly' out of all the dresses I'd tried from previous brides in the pack. I hated it but the pack had no money to spare and neither did my parents. So of course I had to make do. I sighed and nodded my head towards Claire. I really didn’t want to go through with this but I had to. I grasped the lace dress in my sweaty hands and walked calmly towards her. My back as straight as I could make it and my head high. The last thought in my head as I left the opulent room was that I wished for someone that for once would always take my side. ~*~ “I do,” The band slid onto my ring finger as I stated at it in disbelief. I was married. To the stranger I could barely see standing in front of me still holding my hand in his large, rough ones. I could feel the warmth in his fingers belying the fact that he was one of the dead. Another myth to disregard. One of many I was sure to soon be introduced to. The first being he could actually walk in sunlight. Something even us werewolves had not known until today. It seemed as if it should have been a secret, one this man had graciously shared with us. On the outside that’s what it seemed. In actuality what it really meant was that there was no noticeable vulnerabilities that the pack could use to their advantage. The wedding was a show of peace, a helping hand if you will. More one for the pack than for me, what it brought to the vampires was something that worried me as I stood there trying to hold the barely there tremors at bay hoping this man wouldn’t notice it as he lifted my veil to reveal us to each other for the first time. Neither of us had met previously, this was the definition of an arranged marriage. A female being sold for the betterment of family, pack. I squeezed my eyes shut as he lifted it. Took a shallow breath in and then slowly opened my eyes when I felt the breeze of being exposed to the air, the stifling veil removed. My breath caught in my chest as I stared up, up, up. The man was tall. A lot taller than me even with my nine inch heels on. He had a strong angular face, stubble on his dusky cheeks, a prominent nose, and eyes a kaleidoscope of colours. So many colours spinning in and out and around his irises. It was beautiful. His soft lips quirked in a harsh smile outlining his equally as harsh beauty as I stared entranced. He lifted one dark eyebrow up as if asking permission as he bent forward for the kiss that would seal our lives as husband and wife forever. I tilted my head up in response, knowing I had to do this. Knowing also I would be chained to this man for the rest of our long lives together. Even if he found his soul mate I’d still be locked to him, he had paid for me, for whatever reason. My freedom was no longer an option. ~*~ “Watch your step,” strong hands grasped my shoulders as I almost slipped down the marble stairs. Those stairs almost blinded me with how brightly the lights reflected off of their shiny surface. Hence the almost falling into the arms of my new husband's apparent best man. Said husband, however, was no where to be seen. He had silently accompanied me to the car after we had completed the wedding part and left the hall. No party was to be had by both sides of the wedding reception. Both sides having decided that it would be better if they celebrated on their own. How that would even work was beyond me, but that was the mandate signed between both my previous alpha and new husband. My husband had then left me alone. He had given me a long calculating look and closed the door of the car in my face. I had watched him give his men orders as the car slowly turned away from the wedding premises. No further words had been exchanged between us and I didn't know how to feel about this situation let alone the man himself. My thoughts whirled all over the place until we had stopped in front a palacial mansion and who I now recognize as the best man helping out of the car when we got to the end of the manicured gardens and in front of the house. "Let's get you safely into your new home my Lady," "Thank you," I smiled wanly at the man, looking up at him for the first time. He was handsome. Probably more towards the conventional Italian type. All lean muscles and sharp bone structure along with that Roman nose. Stubble having grown out a bit since his last shave probably. He looked the hairy type. He had a head full of golden locks and he smiled warmly back at me. Weird. "Allow me to be the first to welcome you home my Lady, may you live a happy and long life among us," I don't know what about those words that sent chills down my back but it did and I could barely control the shiver that raced through me. He held out his crooked arm for me to place my hand on and slowly escorted me to the mansion. My new home he had said. My prison, I thought as I passed the threshold of what could be called a palace in standard society as the newest bride to the Csar of the one the most notorious and oldest vampire hordes in the world.