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Arranged to the Alpha
Arranged to the Alpha
Author: Bella Lore

Chapter One

Author: Bella Lore
last update Last Updated: 2023-01-07 17:32:33

I stand there and watch in disgust as the neighboring pack's Alpha tours our camp. He walks through the woods and looks us females up and down as if we are something to be bought in a store. How could our leaders sell us out like this?

I guess I know how, though I don’t want to admit it. We all knew this was coming. We’ve all been waiting anxiously to see what our leaders would do to protect us from this threat.

This is what they’ve chosen.

Our pack is weak, or at least weaker than theirs. The neighboring pack had grown too strong, especially since this horrid new Alpha took over. They’ve slaughtered packs around us. We’ve come across bloody encampments, viciously torn apart by these monsters.

We know they can kill us any time.

So, they struck a deal: the neighboring Alpha won't kill us. But in return, he gets to choose whatever mate he wants. Apparently none of the other women he’s come across so far have been good enough for him. And this is how he’ll maintain his control.

He’ll keep someone from our pack at his side. And if the pack goes against him, that woman will be killed. If his mate goes against him, the pack will be killed. It’s a sick ploy to get us all to do what he wants.

But first, there has to be a lottery. If my name is picked, then I have to be one of the ten girls that lines up for him to inspect, like a prize a child might choose at a carnival or something.

And then he'll get to choose any one of us he desires.

I brace myself as our pack leader draws straws.

Please don't pick me, I think.

Please don't pick me!

Please don't...

Our Alpha draws a name.

Mine.

I stare at him, confused.

He looks back at me, eyes cold and merciless.

"Katia, come here,” he says.

I feel like I'm in a dream as I walk over to him, my eyes downcast.

"Lift your head. Look at me,” he instructs.

I look up at him. He's even bigger close up. I’ve always been taught to respect the Alpha, we all have. We all do as he says. He’s kind and just. He’s the perfect leader. But now, I want to run away from him. I can’t do this.

"You know what this means?" he asks. "You know what you have to do?"

I nod. "Yes, I know."

"Tell me."

"I have to go with him,” I mumble. “As his mate."

He nods. "Go, then. I’m sorry but that’s what needs to be done. We need to protect our pack. We all must make sacrifices."

"I don't want to go!” I protest.

He grabs my chin between his thumb and forefinger. "You have no choice,” he says. “It’s for the good of every single wolf in this pack. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

I turn to go. I'm terrified.

I just have to do what he says.

I have to try to give him what he wants.

I shudder as I walk over to the other Alpha. But the other Alpha beats me to it: he stops right before me and stares at me.

My heart is pounding.

"What's your name?" he asks me.

He's so close I can feel his breath on my face.

This is the worst thing that could have happened. I'm going to have to mate with a guy who's a total stranger to me.

And I'm going to have to let him do anything he wants to me.

But that's just the rule. It’s what I have to do to keep my pack safe. Or else we’ll end up like all of the rest of the wolves he’s killed.

We should fight instead. I want us to rise up against him. But we’re too weak. We wouldn’t survive. We’d die like all the rest.

I have to do this.

I take a deep breath.

"Katia.”

He looks down at me with a cocky smile and I hate him.

This jerk comes in here, looks over each of us like we're some sort of piece of meat, and then he gets to choose who he wants to take back to his den.

This is the way the world works.

We're in a dire situation. Our pack is in danger. And in order to survive, we have to give up the things that are the most important to us.

Still, I don't want to mate with this Alpha.

He holds my chin in his hand and pulls my face up.

"What's wrong?" he asks me. "You seem shocked that I picked you."

"Please don't choose me," I beg.

"Why not?" he laughs at me.

I want to slap him across the face.

"You're brave enough to stand up to me,” he says. “I like that. I like that a lot. Yet I see a deeper fear within you."

My eyes widen in shock. How can he read me so well? It gives him an advantage I don’t want him to have.

"I'm not afraid," I protest.

"That's not what I see," he says. "You are afraid of me."

"I'm not," I say, even though it's a complete lie.

I’m terrified of him.

None of these girls want anything to do with this despicable Alpha who has always threatened our pack. He's disgusting. I can't believe he thinks he can just stroll in here and pick out a mate.

He can though. That’s the most frustrating part.

As his warm fingers touch my face, I try to pull my head away, but he tightens his grip.

"I'm not your mate," I say.

"You'll learn to like it. I'll take this one," the Alpha says, staring at me.

My heart sinks like a stone at his words.

"She looks like a nice morsel," he says. "Too bad we can only take one. But everyone knows a wolf only has one mate. It’s tradition, and I lean into these traditions. I always respect them, as that’s what gives me power.

"Anyway," he turns back to the Alpha of our pack. "You've got my answer. I'm taking her tonight."

The Alpha of our pack nods.

He walks off, and I immediately turn to my Alpha.

"How can you do this?" I ask. "How can you allow this to happen? How can you allow him to just take me away?"

"I have no choice," he says, some of the coldness fading to show his true feelings.

"Why?" I cry. "Why not?"

He shakes his head. "If I don't give this to him, he'll have his warriors attack us. That's what they do. That's how they rule. They attack. You’ve already seen the damage they’ve brought upon other packs.”

The whole pack looks at me with pitiful eyes.

"We all knew this was coming," my friend, Lily says, her voice dripping with disappointment as tears fall from her eyes. "We knew this was how it was going to be. We knew one of us was going to be chosen.”

They’re right. I knew this was how it was going to be.

I just didn't want to believe it.

"Fine," I say. "I'll go."

"You can hate me...” the Alpha looks into my eyes.

"I do,” I say.

"But I don't have a choice,” he protests. “I'm not going to allow my pack to be slaughtered."

My throat tightens as my eyes begin to tear up. I feel a lump in my throat.

"Katia, go," he says.

I stare at him, my eyes burning with tears.

But my throat is tight, and I can't speak.

He puts a hand on my back.

"This is the way things have to be," he says. "For now. It's for the good of our pack."

He pauses.

"Be careful," he says. "He's dangerous."

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    He’s dangerous. Our Alpha doesn’t have to warn me of this. I know. Danger radiates off him as I join the Alpha where he waits at the edge of our territory. I was among those who found the last pack he killed. Lily and I had been running through the forest, stretching our legs in the summer sun when we saw them. Or what was left of them anyway.Limbs were strewn over the ground, huge chunks of flesh taken out of them.They are cannibals, that much was clear. It’s a rumor that has been whispered about for some time now, but when I saw what they had done that day, I knew. This pack are cannibals and I can’t imagine what they will do to me and my pack if anything goes wrong. “Glad you finally decided to join me, Katia,” the Alpha says. “Now that I’ve chosen you, it’s time for a proper introduction. My name is Brandon. It’s charming to meet you.”It’s the first time I’ve ever heard his name. He’s only referred to as the Alpha among our pack. It’s just another one of his games he play

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    By the time we stop for lunch at the side of the lake, I don’t think it’s possible to hate Brandon anymore than I already do. I'm certainly not hungry enough to eat, too sick to my stomach to even consider it. But it seems like they don't have much food with them anyway. I look at them, confused."Time to show you what you're up against," Brandon smiles. "Just in case you ever think of running off."Brandon and his pack shift into their wolf form, then they start to run along the shoreline, following the scent of a nearby deer. Their speed and strength are beyond intimidating. This is what we're all afraid of. I stay in the trees with Lily, watching them go, thankful to get away from them for this moment. I’m not hungry and I’m not in the mood to hunt anything.Once they're out of sight though, my mind sees a chance to escape. I could make a run for it and take my chances in the woods. I could make a break for it and hope I can outrun them. Lily and I could go together.Bran

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    “Look,” he says. “Your new home!”People come out from various dens to see us as I’m led in front of my new pack. Their territory is much more impressive than ours. But it doesn’t feel like home. And I can tell from the moment I step in front of them that the people in this pack already loathe me. And I already loathe them.“This is Katia and she’s the one I’ve chosen for myself,” Brandon says. “After conquering many packs and sifting through the best, I’ve stumbled across her; someone who’s strong, feisty, yet cares in a way that’s detrimental to her but will be beneficial to us. “She is the one I’m looking for. She’s going to be my mate and your new Luna. I know she’ll make all of our lives better.”There are gasps in the crowd. And it doesn’t sound like they are in support of it.“This is stupid,” a young man says. “What are you thinking? Why would you choose someone from their pack when there are so many better choices here?”“She’s weak,” another says. “We don’t need her

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Latest chapter

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  • Arranged to the Alpha   Chapter Seventeen

    "I love you," he tells her."I love you too," she replies.It seems like their kiss goes on for hours as I watch them. It's clear to see he adores her.It breaks my heart to hear him say it to her. But it somehow gets worse from there.As I stand by the window, I hear Kaleb saying all these romantic things to Katia and it takes all of my self-control not to cry.He's my mate, not hers. He's supposed to love me. I love him.I've waited so long for him to be in love with me. And then I realize that it's not just the fact that I'm waiting for him that hurts. It's that he's in love with her. He's saying all of these romantic things to her.It's not fair. Kaleb is my mate, not hers. We're supposed to be together.Listening to them only makes me hurt more, but I can't stop myself. I wipe my eyes with the back of my hands.I can't believe that I'm crying about this. I can't believe that I care about this.I already knew that he wasn't going to choose me. I knew that from the moment I

  • Arranged to the Alpha   Chapter Sixteen

    I manage to avoid the pack for the rest of the day, but I know I can't avoid them forever. By the next day, I leave my room to get to know the people I'll be living with at least for now.Ina comes up to me right away."I was wondering if you were ever going to come out again," she says. "I was getting worried about you.""I'm sorry," I tell her. "Yesterday was just…a bit of a shock. It’s all a huge adjustment.""I know," she says. "It’s going to be a lot to get used to. But I'm glad you're out of your room now.""I just need some time to get used to this, to get used to everything.""I understand," she says. "I'm not going to rush you into things. I know this is a lot. But I think you'll really like it here. How about I show you around?”“I’d like that,” I say.If I can focus on my life here, maybe I can manage to be here while still having to cope with seeing Kaleb with someone else. The way this pack has built a life with nature appeals to me. Ina and I run, taking in the

  • Arranged to the Alpha   Chapter Fifteen

    I lay on the bed and try to decompress. I'm sure Kaleb is out there, talking to the others. I wonder what he's saying about me."Hello, Katia," a voice says as footsteps enter my room.Evie walks in with a smirk. "Hello," I say, not too friendly. I know I should try to be nice, but I hate her already. I hate her for having him. She looks down at me and I know she hates me too.I wish I could tell her not to worry. I'll never try to take Kaleb from her because I know he'd never choose me."You should know that Kaleb and I are mates," she says.He has already chosen."Then I hope you have a good time together," I say. It sounds stupid but I don’t know what else to say. All rational thoughts have left my mind."We have a great time together because we're meant for each other.""I'm glad you're happy,” I reply through clenched teeth. I don’t even want to think about them having a great time together. I don’t want to even consider what they do together. I just want her to leav

  • Arranged to the Alpha   Chapter Fourteen

    I've enjoyed talking to Kaleb so much that I'm a little disappointed once we reach his pack.Time has simply gone by far too quickly and I want more time for just the two of us so I can get to know him better. I want to know everything about him.I know he's my mate. The way I feel about him is unlike anything I've ever felt for anyone else."I know you'll love my pack," Kaleb assures me. "And they'll love you too. You'll fit right in."I'm a little nervous, but I also feel a little silly for being nervous. I just want to fit into his world. I want a place to belong more than I’ve ever wanted anything else. "Are you ready to meet the rest of my pack?" he asks."Yes," I say. "I'm ready."He smiles at me, and I have to fight the urge to reach out and touch him. I want to run my fingers through his hair. I want to touch his face. I want to hold him in my arms.The whole pack comes out to greet Kaleb as we step onto their territory, but they all seem surprised to see me there wit

  • Arranged to the Alpha   Chapter Thirteen

    “I’ll keep you safe,” I say.“I know you will,” she smiles. I suspect she knows everything, though I’m trying to hide it.The first moment I met Katia, I knew I was in trouble. She's beautiful, of course. Stunning. But there's something more about her.Her soul speaks to me. It looks into my soul. It touches me.I feel her.And she feels me.So, I try to keep my distance as we talk. Yet I can't help but be fascinated by her."A butterfly," she says, as it lands on her finger. Even after all she's been through, she looks at it with such delight. As if the world is innocent and beautiful. I want to see the world through her eyes."I've never seen a butterfly this color," she says, smiling at the silver stars against its dark blue wings. "So, it can't be a regular butterfly. Maybe it's a magical butterfly.""It's a fairy," I say, surprised that something so playful has come from my mouth. “Magic.”I smile at her, and she smiles back. “Here,” she says, holding her finger up

  • Arranged to the Alpha   Chapter Twelve

    At first, I'm scared of him. I haven’t had great luck with guys so far. But after a while, I relax. He has no intention of hurting me. And even considering everything else I’ve gone through, I already trust him to a strange degree.     There's relief as we start walking away from those who want to hurt me. But I'm still afraid. What if the distance I put between us won't be enough?After walking in silence for a little while, I turn to him."Don't you want to know my name?" I ask. He shrugs."Only if you want to tell me," he says. "I don't care what your name is to be fair. I'd try to protect anyone like this. It’s just the kind of person I am."It hurts a little. I want to feel like I'm special to him. I don't know why. It’s also nice to know though. It’s sweet that he’s the kind of person who cares about other people."My name is Katia," I say. "Katia." He works over my name, despite not wanting to hear it. He seems to like the way it sounds. "I'm Kaleb."Kaleb. I like t

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