Bound To Three Alphas

Chapter 1

The Price of Survival.

Rheya's Point of View

Survival demands sacrifice.

These words, I had said in my heart over and over again that at this point it escaped my lips in whispers.

They were my father's words, the ones he had said like a parting gift after he announced to me that he was giving me out in marriage to the devil.

And since then I had held onto it for some sort of comfort.

Now, I was standing at the cathedral door, my arm hooked stiffly through my father's, the long aisle leading to my soon to be husband stretched in front of me.

“Smile, Rheya. This is a wedding not a funeral.” My father, Amos Dorkwood, said as he leaned closer to me, his loveless eyes looking into mine.

His voice was low and his breath smelled of the whiskey he had been drinking since dawn.

Getting married to Dominik Kade DeLuca could be likened to signing one's death warrant.

So yes, in all honesty, it was a funeral and not a wedding.

I knew it, my father knew it too but he had made up his mind and I knew that not even the coming of the president could change it.

“Yes, papa.” I replied and forced a smile. But all I could think about at the moment was why my father had chosen me to be the sacrificial lamb.

I had three other sisters. I was the youngest, the least experienced, the least likely to make a good wife for Dominik.

And yet, I was the one chosen.

Dominik stood at the altar, like a predator waiting for its prey. There was so much discourse around this man but the most popular one was that he was a devil who killed his first wife for disobeying him. Marina was her name, I'd heard, an angelic beauty.

He was ruthless, cunning and most of all untouchable. Infact, you could say he ruled the city.

And here I was, being offered up to him like I was one of my father's cattle.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to run.

But where? Back to the farm that could no longer take care of the family's expenses? Back to my father's wrath?

Just then, the organ began playing and it was time to walk down the aisle to my soon to be husband.

The weight of the veil seemed to increase as my father clutched my hand and we started walking.

“Rheya, keep your chin up. You shame me with that face. This is your duty” My father's voice, barely above a whisper, carried a hint of something I recognised too well - fear.

Ofcourse, But all I felt was anger at it.

He had a whole month, a whole month to cancel the wedding. But he had done nothing of the sort.

“Duty.” I whispered back, keeping my voice below the organ's mournful hum.

“You're the one he chose, Rheya. You know Dominik always has his way, one way or the other.”

His words were simply a confirmation of what I already knew. I was nothing more than a pawn. Something he could use whenever he needs to.

As we walked, my mind went back to the night that had sealed my fate, five weeks ago. I was scrubbing pots that night when I overheard my mother's trembling voice,

“Everything we've done, Amos, and it's still not enough. We've poured out blood into this and it seems we're not even trying. The bank's circling and…how did it even come to this?”

My father's voice came next, low, his words slurred, “I’ve found a way out. I spoke to DeLuca. He promised to wipe the debt clean.”

“Wipe it clean?” I could hear the fear in my mother's voice, “You owe the bank a hundred thousand dollars. And we both know Dominik doesn't give favours. What…what could you possibly offer that man?”

Silence followed and as I waited for a reply, my heart beat fiercely. I leaned closer to the pantry door, eager to hear whatever it was.

“Rheya.”

I gasped, my mother gasped. The pot I was scrubbing nearly slipped from my grip but I caught it in time.

“Rheya? Our daughter, Rheya?” My mother's voice was a mixture of disbelief and horror.

“It’s just marriage. He's not taking her as a slave or something. He marries her and the debt is gone. The farm's safe, we're safe.”

My mom's sobs were loud but it carried no fight, which was expected.

“He’s not a beast. He's a man with power. Rheya would be safe and we wouldn't need to worry about being bankrupt anymore.”

I had not fought either when he finally told me, standing in the doorway, drunk too, with no ounce of guilt on his face.

I knew what he wanted to say the moment I saw him.

“I’ve made arrangements. You're to marry Dominik DeLuca. It's the only way to keep the farm. To keep us alive.”

I only stared as he continued, “He’ll give you a better life than this, Rheya. You'll be his wife. You'll have everything.”

And now, here I stood. My gaze strayed from Dominik to the front pew where my mother sat, meek and trembling with her arms folded on her lap.

Her eyes, dulled by years of my father’s cruelty only met mine for a moment,

I knew she had had no say in this. My father had reminded her on several occasions with his fists that her place was on his bed and in the kitchen and now her eyes held a silent apology.

My sister, Elara was sitting beside her, her lips curved in a smile that was supposed to be reassuring but was doing its job poorly.

I remembered the words she had said earlier at the bridal chamber as she adjusted my veil, “You’ll survive this, little sister. You're not his first wife. You're clever. He may be dangerous but danger can be tamed. Seduction works like magic.”

When we reached the altar, my father gave my hand one final squeeze, not to encourage me, but to remind me of what would become of me if I misbehaved.

And as he turned and left, I came face to face with the devil.

His eyes were a piercing gray, sharp and merciless. He was incredibly attractive but I knew what stood behind that mask.

He looked at me with a smirk, like I was a conquest he had won, a piece on a board that he had mastered.

The priest turned to Dominik, “Do you Dominik Kade DeLuca take Rheya Dorkwood to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, until death do you part?”

Dominick's gaze held mine for seconds before he said, “I do.”

The priest then turned to me “Do you, Rheya Dorkwood, take Dominik Kade DeLuca to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, until death do you part?”

My body stiffened at his words. Dominik was looking straight at me, his eyes heavy with intent.

The congregation looked on expectantly but my mother's gaze was averted, as if she couldn't stand the scene. My sisters looked on with pity.

Survival demands sacrifice.

“Yes, I do.”

Dominik took my hand in his, his skin warm against mine and slid the gold band, with the De Luca crest on it, onto my finger. I was being branded; he was marking me as his.

He held out his hand towards me and I placed a matching ring on his finger then the priest raised his hands.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.”

The crowd applauded politely but it was nothing compared to the roar of my own heartbeat.

As the clapping swelled, Dominik leaned in close, his breath hot against my neck and ear, “You might want to smile, pretty bird.”