Alpha’s Betted Bride Novel – My mother had just told me the news. I was standing in the dining room, and my father was sitting on a chair with his elbow leaning on the table. My mother had her hand on his shoulder and both of them were giving me nothing short of an ultimatum. ”Sweetheart, the title is yours, you will lead your pack but first you must take a wife,” My mother said and I saw the pleading in her eyes. She tilted her head down slightly and looked up at me with a certain mix of sadness and guilt. But none of that would change her mind. ”Gabriella is from a good family, her father spoke well of her and they do have a certain respect from other packs around the country.” My father said. That was all this was, a good business deal on their end.
”So do we, we have more respect and more alias than any other pack. I will not be taking a wife,” I seethed. ”It’s not a discussion, son. The deal has been made, she will arrive in two days and the wedding will take place right away.” ”She’s a spoiled bimbo who can’t get by without Dady’s money!” ”Language!” My mom scolded me and stepped forward. My dad stood up and heaved a sigh. ”This will be good, for all of us. They need this to keep their pack strong and you will become Alpha. It’s a done deal,” I was in the den, playing pool and thinking about driving the cue tup through my chest. With enough strength, it should be possible. I placed the cue in its position and narrowed my eyes on the ball. The rage that had built in me was surging out of my arms, down into my fingertips, and out into the cue tip. The tip hit the ball and it flew up, over the table, and nearly hit Cole in his face. ”Whoa!” He said and grabbed the ball an inch in front of his face. Too bad, I could’ve used the laugh.
”I’m guessing the meeting wasn’t to talk about the food arrangements for when you take over the pack?” He asked and placed the ball down on the table. ”No. It was to talk about the arrangements for my marriage.” His eyes widened a fraction and then the laugh came. ”I’ll shoot the ball again and this time you won’t be able to grab it.” I said and tossed the cue down on the table. It bounced and the balls rolled away. ”I’m sorry but what do you mean with ’marriage?” He asked. ”They’ve arranged for me to marry Gabriella Santos from the Trimoon pack,” Cole didn’t even attempt to hide his laughter and I hoped he’d choke on it. ”Dude, that spoiled bratty princess?” ”Uhu,” ”Well, I hear she’s hot though,” ”Do you think I care? She will do nothing but cause problems and in case you’ve forgotten, I already have a girlfriend.” I said and leaned my palms down against the table. Cole winced, and for good reason, when Samantha found out about this arrangement, all would break loose and I would be the one in the center of the flame. Not just me, but Gabriella as well, probably more so.
”So what, when have you ever backed down from a challenge?” ”How is tying my life to another in marriage, a challenge?” ”We have all heard the stories. The spoiled princess who is her daddy’s pride and joy, always gets what she wants and never takes a no for an answer. The challenge is to grab her feet and pull them back down on the ground. Break her, clip her wings so she doesn’t soar in the clouds, you will be her Alpha, make her submit to you.” I tilted my head back, rolled back my shoulders, and listened to what he said. The light from the lamp was flickering, it annoyed me and I grabbed the cue and lifted it. ”We’ll make it more interesting-” he said and grinned. ”- I bet you won’t be able to get it done before the end of the year,” ”I’ll have her submitting to me by the end of the month,” I said and tightened my grip on the pool cue.
”No no, not just submit. You have to have her wrapped around your finger, hopelessly and utterly in love with you by the end of the year,” I clenched my jaw and Cole stared at me, he leaned forward, the dude was a prick by a long shot but he was challenging me. ”How much?” ”Ten grand to whoever wins,” ”I get her to fall for me, you give me ten grand?” I said and raised a brow. ”Or you fail, which you will, and you owe me the ten grand.” I leaned forward, he reached out his hand and I grabbed it, squeezing a little harder than necessary and grinning as he groaned from his bones crushing under my grip. It’s important for people to know their place, especially when their ego is as inflated as he was. The lamp continued to flicker and as I leaned back, I raised the cue and smashed the lightbulb. The glass shards fell down on the table and Cole and I grinned as we both thought about our new game, and the game was arriving in two days.
Gabriella POV ”Gabby, please look at me,” I was watching my three brothers outside, Edmund jumped in the new Benz that dad bought him for his first car. Nick was swinging his arm around his girlfriend and they walked off and Noah left with his friends. Me? I was being told that I had to marry a man I had never met, one who wasn’t my mate, because my father and the Alpha of the red moon pack decided it was a good idea. ”Sweetheart, I promise you that it is for the best, for all of us,” except me. He sighed and walked away. The door closed and I could finally let the tears fall. They slid down my cheek and I blinked a few times, helping them run faster. When had arranged marriages for the sake of power ever made the couple happy? None that I had ever heard of. My dad found his mate, and so did everyone in our family. My brothers would have the same privilege. They would be able to play around, go on dates, and wait until they found the one before they settled down. I got up and shook my head. Crying wasn’t going to help me but it was nice getting the feelings out.
We weren’t a very emotional family, except for my mom. I was raised with three boys but was never allowed to be boyish. My dad always saw me as his little girl and we would talk about my wedding, how he would walk me down the aisle and he always told me that no man would ever be good enough for me. I guess the question of whether or not he was good enough was more about the power our pack would gain from marriage. I pulled out my suitcase and tossed it open on my bed. Dad said he could have the Omegas come and do my packing for me but that would mean other people in my room and I wanted this last day for myself. They still hadn’t told my brothers about the arranged marriage and they forbade me from saying anything until the day I left. Tomorrow will show how they reacted to the news. The door opened up and I knew he was standing behind me. I continued packing my clothes, everything that fit anyways, whatever I couldn’t fit I would just buy. ”I brought you another suitcase. It’s Chanel like your other one, I know you like that brand,” he said and came over to me with it. He graced my arm with his hand and I jerked it away. ”You’re still my little girl, Gabby,” I turned around and looked into his eyes, hoping he could see the resentment I had for him. ”Really? Because if I had a little girl, no matter her age, I would never hand her over to a complete stranger.
Regardless of the power I would gain,” I talked slowly to make sure he heard every word. My father normally listened to what he wanted and closed out anything he deemed unnecessary. ”It is for the good-” ”Of our pack, yeah you told me.” I finished and walked into my closet. Whatever he had to say, nothing would ever make up for what he had done. I wasn’t even asked to marry this stranger, I was told to. Flashback… ”I’m not marrying anyone!” My mom was pinching the bridge of her nose as though I was being unreasonable. My father sighed and shook his head. He scratched his stubble and stood up. ”Sweetheart. This is for the good of the pack and as Alpha, it is my duty to make sure I do what is best for everyone.” ”By throwing your daughter into the arms of a stranger?” ”By making a deal with one of the most powerful packs in this country.” ”Give them money, warriors, land, or anything. Why do I have to go be somebodies wife?!” ”LOWER YOUR VOICE.” My father roared. ”This is the final decision. It is not a choice that we are giving you, it is information about a deal that has been sealed. You will marry Alpha Aiden and that is final!” He said and slammed his fist down on his desk.
My mom finally rose her head and looked at me. ”You will still have the same comfortable lifestyle. We’ll send money to your credit card all the time, you’ll be able to buy whatever you want. We can even raise your allowance by a few thousand a month,” she said and smiled, thinking that would make everything better. ”Money isn’t the issue.” My voice had lowered and I couldn’t talk louder of fear of my voice betraying me and shaking. ”Oh honey, it might not be the issue but some retail therapy will help.” She came up and placed some strands of hair behind my ear. I bit down and clenched my jaw. ”Do you want help packing your bags? I could help you,” she said and smiled softly. End of flashback… ”Your brothers will be told tomorrow, I don’t want you holding out for the hope of them changing this. It’s already been done.” He said and I heard the light tremble in his voice. He placed a wallet on my bed as I walked out of the closet. ”The credit card will be refilled every week. There’s also cash and emergency numbers for your car and such,” he put his hands in his pockets and turned uncomfortably in his spot. ”Maybe you wanna buy a new car? I thought we could do that before you left, I’ll go with you,” Something twinkled in his eyes. He wanted to make it easier on himself, this family had always been controlled by material possession. Whatever I pointed at, I got, the same with my brothers.
My father always thought money could solve every problem in the world. If I cried, he bought me a gift. If I was upset at school, he bought a gift. One month ago, when I didn’t pass a test in school, he bought me my first car. ”No.” I said and placed the clothes in the suitcase. ”Gabby,” ”Can you just leave!” I screamed as I turned and faced him. My face was burning up from the anger I felt and at the same time, I wanted to cry. I was an emotional mess and wanted to say a lot of things that were way worse than telling him to go. ”I just need you to understand-” ”I will never understand, dad! I will never in my life understand how you can hand over your daughter to a stranger in marriage, against her will. But that’s where we are now and you’ve made it perfectly clear that I don’t have a choice. But I’m not going to make it easier on you, I’m not gonna forgive you or make peace with this just so you can have a clear conscience.” I said and walked closer to him.
His eyes fell and he nodded his head. ”I will see you at dinner,” ”Have an Omega bring it up, I don’t see a reason as to why we should pretend to be a family for one last night.” I said and closed my suitcase. I saw the pain in my father’s eyes, his cheeks turned red and his lips were parted. It didn’t matter if my words hurt him. If they pierced his heart or caused him agonizing pain, he would never undo what had been done. I walked into the bathroom and grabbed all of my makeup products, perfumes, lotions, and creams. I put them in different necessity bags and tried squeezing them into my suitcase. I heard my brothers coming in laughing and boasting about the day’s events. There had been some party they went to where another kid said something and Edmund had punched him in the face. I smiled and pulled my legs up to my chest, hugging them as I listened in on their conversations. And Omega came up with dinner around eight and told me that my brothers had asked why I didn’t join them. My father had told them I felt sick, which wasn’t entirely a lie. Tomorrow was the day I left. Nobody knew except for my parents. I was about to marry a complete stranger, a guy who wasn’t my mate, and goddess knows what he’s like.
I was staring out the windshield the entire ride and my mom’s muffled voice was gushing over how pretty I was and what happy event we had in front of us. I just closed out her voice. And we drove the rest of the way in silence. ”We’re here.” My heart stopped in my chest and I pushed down the tears. The house was as big as ours. Three floors and a balcony in the middle overlooking the front of the estate. I gulped as I got out of the car. Everyone had already been seated inside, they didn’t want a big scene happening outside of the house as we arrived. The other car drove up and my brothers and my dad stepped out. No one else from our pack was coming, they didn’t want them here but would later go pack and share their idea of the happy news. ”Let me make one thing clear before we head inside,” Dad said and straightened his spine. He eyed each of my brothers before landing on me. ”There will be no scene, no talk of a rebellion and you boys will behave accordingly.” ”Or what?” Edmund asked. My dad’s eyes glowed and a low growl rumbled from him. ”Or nothing. I am your father but first and foremost I am your Alpha and you will obey orders.” He growled. ”Or. What.” Edmund asked, stepping forward. ”Or your sister is the one whose life will suffer as I will prohibit you from ever seeing her again.”
My heart clenched and the tears were dangerously close to rising in my eyes. I bit down on my inner cheek. He just said that, in front of me. All my brothers turned and looked at me. My back straightened and I raised my head before turning and walking toward the house. Someone’s hand grabbed a strong hold of my arm and I looked over my shoulder into the dark eyes of my father. ”Gabby, do you understand?” He asked and I pulled my arm back. I stared daggers at him, his face was not one I recognized anymore. Our family had issues, more than others, but never in my life would I expect him to become this person. This stranger ”I understand, Alpha.” I said and saw his eyes sink, hoping that his heart would sink with it. They had prepared a room for me to stay in until the ceremony. It was a guest room, there was a makeup table with a chair and a bed that had been made. I hoped that this would be where I slept, but I doubted it. A soft and gentle knock sounded on the door and I swallowed hard, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath before telling the person to come in. The door opened up and a woman of my mother’s age stuck her head inside. ”Is it okay if I come in?” She asked softly.
Her tone stumped me. It was diligent and warm. ”Sure,” ”I’m, Marie, Aidens mother,” she said and extended her hand. I flew up on my feet and stepped toward her, but her arms shot out and she shook her head. ”No, don’t, it’s okay. Sit,” I took a shaky breath and sat back down. ”I’m so sorry, I had no idea it was you,” I knew nothing about the Alpha family or the pack for that matter. ”No worries, I thought I would come in and check on you before the wedding. You look beautiful, how are you feeling?” Did she really care or was it a ploy from my father so I wouldn’t make a scene? ”I feel great,” I said and bit it down. The thought of not seeing my brothers again was enough to scare me. ”I could either pretend and go along with your lie or you could be honest and tell me how much you’d rather run the other way.” She looked regal as she stood tall a meter away from me. I tilted my head back to look up at her. ”I’m fine.” I said and forced a smile. Marie smiled and nodded her head. ”Trust takes time to build, perhaps one day you’ll feel safe enough to be honest with me,” Who was this woman? Her voice was warm and comforting and it made me feel weird. I was used to my mother’s cool, cold persona, not this.
”Is everyone ready?” I asked. ”They are but I thought we’d just make a few last-minute touch-ups if you want.” She said, making sure I knew that there was a choice, but I didn’t know her yet and I had too much to lose in saying no. I nodded my head and she came behind me, undoing my hair and re-fixing it. My mother would freak out when she saw me. ”What are you smiling for?” She asked me with an amused look on her face. ”You’re undoing my mother’s masterpiece, I’m just imagining her face when she sees it,” I said. Marie giggled, she didn’t say anything against my cynical words. ”There, all done,” she said and stepped away. She looked at me through the mirror with a loving gaze. She had taken down the makeup, so I didn’t look like a pageant doll and braided my hair instead of the curled bun that my mom had done. I recognized myself much better now but it didn’t stop the dread from washing over me, because now came the hard part. ”You will grow accustomed to living here, your family is welcome at any time and so are any friends from your old pack,” she said calmly. When I didn’t answer she placed a hand on my shoulder. ”You’re parents can stay for a few days if you’d like.”
My jaw clenched and I pushed away from the table, standing up. “I’d rather they didn’t,” I said and forced a smile. The door opened up and a man stepped inside, he clasped his hands behind his back and looked at us with a serious, dead cold look on his face. ”They’re ready for you.” He said in a monotone voice. My heart sank but I just had to get through it and then one day at a time. This was it, I would longer be able to find my mate, I wouldn’t be able to date and get my heart broken only to find the right one. No flings or first busses. This was the first step into my new life, one I had no say in. I walked out with Marie beside me. She grabbed my hand before we walked out of the aisle and looked at me in the eyes. There was something brimming in her eyes, something unspoken but whatever it was would remain so. ”I’ll see you at the end of the aisle.” She said and gave my hand a light squeeze. I nodded my head and watched as she walked away.
My stomach clenched and I swallowed time after time to keep the tears down. I could hear the quiet chatter going on behind the double doors and at the end of the aisle, the man I had never met would wait for me. I couldn’t imagine him being much happier about this arrangement than I was. After all, he didn’t have much of a choice himself. The doors opened and I saw the rows of people turning their heads. There was a balcony that went all around the room where more people were seated. My father walked up to me, circled his arm in mine and we began to walk. The aisle was long but felt like an infinity. People were gushing and some were glaring. I couldn’t imagine it being easy on the girls hoping to be mated to the Alpha, I wish they could know how desperately I wanted to switch places with them. At the end of the aisle, I saw him, standing in his tux, his dark hair was waved back and he looked as happy to be wed as I felt.