Chapter 0003

Tia

"Tia!" my mother called me. Since the day they told me of the arrangement, I had remained indoors. I did not want anyone to see me. By now, the entire pack and country would have known that I was to be joined with Luke Moon, Lord arsehole. I had also been receiving a lot of threat messages from an anonymous number. I figured it was Luke's bitch that drove into the driveway the other day. I honestly did not care. Nothing she said got to me. If only she could make herself useful by keeping her promises or threats to me I'd respect her and be at peace that way. I was more worried about what my life would be with Luke. I guess it was easier for her to lash out at me than at Luke or Alpha Aesop.

I got up from bed, still wearing my pyjamas and headed downstairs; It was afternoon, but I did not care. I had cried so much that I had no more tears left to cry. I was numb in a way, and I embraced the numbness. It was much better than pain. Caleb and I spoke every night, and he said a lot of encouraging things to me that weren't helping. I wished he would just stop calling. I wanted him for so long, and now I will never have him. Calling me wasn't helping, but he did not know that. He was being a supportive best friend, and I could not fault him for it.

I sluggishly went down the stairs, and to my surprise, Alpha Moon and Luke were in our home. I disappointed my parents with how I looked and I hoped the Alpha would feel the same way and call it off. My eyes were swollen, quite alright.

"Good afternoon, Alpha, Mr Moon," I said, greeting father and son. Alpha Aesop was sitting on the couch, and his son sat next to him. The man did not look as old as everyone tried to make him seem. He was in his early fifties but looked like he was forty. He had dark hair and brown eyes, his beards were well kept. He was easily the most handsome man of his generation. I could see why women were still crushing on him. His sons had inherited their good looks from him. Luke on the other hand looked like a sex god. He had dark hair, clean beards and frosty blue eyes. His eyes could trap a soul. He had a hard gaze, and his jawline was pronounced. The shirt he wore hugged his body tightly and his tattoos and muscles looked sexy. He wasn't a giant, and neither was he small. He was perfect. The right amount of bulkiness. His skin was perfectly sun-tanned, and he looked hard. He looked like he was carved from stone.

I swallowed hard when I saw him. I had not seen him in a while. I was impressed by what I saw but, looks could not buy love. I could not lie to myself that he was hot and looked like a god, but I wasn't interested in the union. Unfortunately, my opinion did not matter in this.

"Tia," Alpha Moon said, and I responded as a gamma should. I stood upright and saluted Alpha Moon.

"Congratulations on your future position as Gamma, Tia. Woodclaw and Caleb are blessed to have you in the ranks." he commended, and I thanked him.

"Luke, I will give you time to know your mate. Why don't you take a walk together while the Lockwoods and I discuss the event." He ordered, and Luke stood up and walked outside. He did not say a word to me. I did not want to follow him since he did not ask me to come along, but I dared not disobey the alpha, so I followed Luke. The guy sat on the patio staring at the houses on the street. I did not want to sit next to him, so I remained standing.

"Don't get ideas into your head, little girl. I am not happy that my father has chosen to ridicule me like this, but I will never love you, and you will never be my true mate. I just believe you should know my stance so you do not get your hopes up after the wedding," He said in a deep masculine voice, and I cleared my throat. It was deeper and sexier than Caleb's, but the guy sounded too arrogant for me to find it attractive.

"Understood, Mr Moon. I am not looking forward to the wedding either, and I wished I could turn it down, but your father left my family and me no choice but to accept. It was either I say yes or rogue status. I do not expect love or affection from you, nor would I give it." I said to him with a voice that carried no emotion. He looked at me and then stood up, a bit confused.

"Don't fool yourself. My father is paying your folks a lot of money for this union. You and your parents are just like all the middle-class folks on this Island. Always ready with their shovel to dig for gold," He said, and I almost slapped him but controlled myself.

"A feisty one," he said with a smirk. He must have noticed the slight raising of my hand. "Quick-tempered too. I wonder how you made Gamma status. Must have fucked your way up. A lot of women do it, but you are the only one that succeeded. Caleb does not fancy you, so you chose to settle for me. It is all about the moon money and the power that comes with being a Moon. Trust me, all that glitters isn't gold," He said, and I did not know how to respond to his words. I did not know my parents sold me until then, but I could not let him have the last say, so I pushed to hurt him.

"At least I amount to something in this pack. You will forever be the big brother of the Alpha and nothing else." I said, and he almost slapped me. He held his hands in the air, and they shook. I saw the rage in his eyes, pure rage and nothing else. I had struck a nerve. It did bother him. Placing his brother above him bothered him. I wouldn't have rubbed it in, but he started it. I almost flinched. He was a stronger Alpha than Caleb. He was domineering. If it wasn't for the innocent life he took, he would have been alpha. Where Caleb asked for respect, Luke commanded it. It was overwhelming that I flinched.

"We are not equals. You better watch your mouth Lockwood, or it will be ugly. I agreed to come here only to lay down some rules," he said and sat back down on the bench with me still standing.

"You will never be my mate, so do not ask for things that mates are entitled to. I have someone I love very much," He said, and I chuckled, remembering the bitch that came to yell at me and how she has been threatening me.

"As long as she respects herself and stays away from me, you have nothing to worry about. I do not care what you two do together." I told him, and he was silent a bit. I knew my responses annoyed him, but I was only telling the truth.

"We will be a couple in the public eye for the benefit of my father but never in private." He said, and I accepted.

"As long as you do not bully me, you have nothing to worry about. If what you say about buying me is true, then I will treat this as a contract. Once your brother becomes Alpha, You should be willing to release me," I said to him, and he laughed.

"That will never happen, Tia. I will have to claim you eventually for my father's and stepmother's benefits. We will be bound forever," he said, and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Instead of touching my chest, I flinched a bit.

"What about your girlfriend? How will she manage?" I asked him.

"I will never be Alpha, and honestly, I do not want the position. We will find a way to love each other, and she will bear my children," he said, and I sighed.

"I guess you have it all figured out for yourself then. What about me?" I asked him, wondering where happiness was for me in all this.

"What do you mean about you?" he asked me calmly. He wasn't angry anymore. It was amazing how his anger cooled so quickly. Maybe he thought I would object to his words, but I honestly did not care.

"I mean, you have everything figured out for yourself, what about me?" I asked, and he nodded.

"If you meet someone you like, feel free to screw them; just don't get pregnant and bring bastards home and don't get caught. I honestly don't care. I am sure you have a lot of boyfriends and officials you screw at the academy because no woman has ever finished at the top position before. You can continue your relationship with them; you will need to, so you can keep the gamma position because if another wolf that is stronger than you comes along, you will either be demoted or removed," He said, and I did not bother to say anything. I was a virgin. I had never been with anyone before. I was saving myself for Caleb, stupid.

"Well, since all that is ironed out. I guess we would have no issues living as husband and wife." He said, and I nodded.

"Do we sleep in the same room?" I asked him, and he shook his head.

"Not really. My room has a conjoined room. You will sleep in the one I am not sleeping in. I have fixed the place up for you. Be warned; it is a poorer wing of the mansion. My father does not dote on me as he does on Caleb." He warned, and I honestly did not care. I wish we would sleep in separate rooms completely. A conjoined room meant we would see each other, and there will be no door between us. Something told me I would not find it easy in that condition.

We returned to the house. Alpha Aesop had finished talking to my parents.

"I see the love birds have finished talking. I guess we will see at the wedding then," Alpha Aesop said, and my father shook his hand with respect.

"James, you and Amy have raised a beautiful and strong daughter. I wanted her for Caleb because she is Luna material, but I knew she would make more impact on Lukes's Life. Caleb is already gentle, Luke needs a gentle touch, and Tia is the sweetest girl I know that would be perfect to complement my son," Aesop said and hearing that, I hated myself some more. I should have been a bad girl. I would have been considered for Caleb.

"It is not about what you want, father. Don't lie to them," Luke said, and Alpha Aesop became angry.

"Luna Stacy was afraid Caleb would pick Tia, so she forced you to join us together. This is about what Stacy wants, and she does not want Caleb with a Lockwood. She wants Caleb with someone that has money, and we all know you are forcing this union. The Lockwoods don't even want this. You had to pay them for it. All so Stacy can be happy. Ruining my life and Tia's life, so Caleb can marry from a rich home and keep Stacy happy," He shot at his father and walked out. I was stunned by his words, and I now understood what had happened. Luke was bold and daring, but he was true and honest. He said exactly what was happening. Stacy Moon did not want her son to end up with me because I was middle class, and she wanted someone that came from money. Kimberly, perhaps. I never really stood a chance.