Chapter 3:

Irene:

Silence hangs in the air and I take a glance at my father who has suddenly gone flustered, Alpha Enrique isn’t suppose to notice the difference, my twin sister and I are very much alike with our ginger wavy hair and sharp forest green eyes, we are nearly identical yet Enrique has manage to tell us apart.

He has never even met my twin sister, she was only betrothed as his bride nothing else. So why is it such a big deal?

My father, the once non-agreeable and cold man, is smiling, something he rarely does. If anything he seems scared of the man in front of him. The whole hall has gone silent, no one daring to say a word.

“You showed me her photos.” He growls at my father, fury burning like fire in those eyes, “She doesn’t look like this, does she?”

Alpha Vincent trembles and I can see the fear that washes in his eyes. “The thing is, my daughter got really sick, but this is her twin sister, they are really alike, you can’t tell the difference, her younger sister is too young to get married.”

We all watch as Alpha Enrique's dark eyes look over trembling Elva, he shifts his eyes away from her and back at my father.

My mother nods in agreement and I stare at her with hurt in my eyes.

Enrique’s eyes stare at me, and I feel small- so tiny under his gaze. “I can pretty much tell them apart, though this one looks quite curvy, don’t you think?” His voice is a rumble of something deep; his musky scent surrounds my nasals, but I don’t dare make eye contact with him.

His eyes then proceed to skim over my dress, his gaze stopping at my chest, anger curls inside of me. Who does this man think he is? Saying whatever he pleases? This man might be here, wearing normal clothes like anybody else, but the power he carries, the blazing fire in his eyes and the terrible things he has done to people will remain in the mind of others.

“What’s your name?” He says now, referring to me. His eyes stay on me waiting patiently for an answer.

“Aren’t you supposed to know?” I snap, my voice coming out rough. My mother gives me a pleading look not to insult him, my father’s eyes is a hard glare, if I mess this up, I have messed up the future fate of our failing pack.

“Irene. Her name is Irene.” My mother immediately says.

He grabs my hand and stares straight into my eyes, “You are expected to be my queen, and I will not tolerate any foul speaking from your mouth.” There’s no smile or humor in his velvety voice as he places a kiss on my knuckles. “We leave tonight.” He turns towards the men by his side. “Tyler, get the car ready.”

My eyes roam over to the man with shaggy brown eyes and deep gray eyes, we lock eyes together and I look away. The man bows before leaving the room, everybody’s eyes following him as he does so.

“You haven’t signed the contract yet.” My father says hurriedly, “The contract that entails your protection if I give you one of my daughters.”

“Though, this is not what our deal says, we agreed on a woman and not her twin sister, I consider this very wrong, but I can’t come all the way here to leave without nothing, right?” He gives me a stare before returning his gaze back to my father.

I cram my knuckles together, feeling my anger shoot out, still I keep it under control and stare at the arrogant bastard instead.

“Right, do you wish to sign the contract now?” Enrique nods and my father fetches a paper handwritten with a few notes, the pen is given to him and we all watch with our breaths held as he taps it on the paper.

Done. That's it. This will guarantee the pack’s protection, just like that, all my father's worries disappear leaving the beginning of my own sorrow.

“The party will be held at my pack. Say your goodbyes, we don’t want to be late.” He raises a brow, standing there.

My eyes rake over my younger sister, Elva and I give her a weak smile.

‘You shouldn’t have.’ She says through the mind-link. ‘I was going to do it.’

‘You safety matters more than anything to me, Elva, and if this is the price. Then, I will gladly do it for you,’ She embraces me, almost sobbing but my father warns her to pull away.

My mother gives me one of those knowing smiles, the ones that told me there was nothing she could do to stop it from happening. Alejandro just gives me a nod and I start to wonder if perhaps this is the household I grew up in.

The love we had for each other has withered away, everyone’s so desperate to gain power or some sort and I am just merely a pawn.

With a final sigh, I turn towards Alpha Enrique. “Let us go,”

He doesn’t bother commenting further, he just turns his back away from me and starts walking out of the hall. This is my fate now and I just have to accept it.

The gates of the pack-house automatically open as the car zooms out, dozens of cars are trailing us behind. I am in the backseat with Alpha Enrique, watching as the pack-house disappears slowly from my sight.

“Is there anything I must know before we get to your pack-house?” I raise my brows, staring at him. Thousands of people may be scared of this man, but one thing is clear, I will never bow to him.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Irene. You aren’t the only woman who is in my life.” He fixes his eyes back on me.

“Do you have other wives?” It wasn’t an uncommon thing for Alphas to have more than more women, my father and my mother simply loved each other, that’s why he didn’t take in other women. The thought scares me having to meet his other wives, but I try not to show my fear.

“You can call them whatever you please, but you will be my queen, Irene, not my bed warmer, so I rather you start treating yourself like one.”

Something bothers me, out of all people, why did Alpha Enrique choose to wed into my family? Hell, he could have any woman he wanted, but why family? Why me?

I grit my teeth together angrily, coiling my knuckles into a fist, I keep my gaze ahead as the driver crosses the border and soon it’s as though we entered a new world, somewhere far different from my pack.

Unlike my pack, where the buildings are centuries old and almost falling apart, the markets here are bustling with energy, people are walking freely, kids are chasing each other around while giggling, stalls, buildings and residential houses line up everywhere, the thick wind bristling in my face. This pack is magnificent and glorious.

Soon we are driving into the opened gates, my gaze drops as I stare at the tall pack-house in front us, palm trees surround the white coastal house, the tinted white windows etched around each room.

There’s a gigantic golden wolf sculpture at the front of the pack-house that adds to the overall glamor.

The door of the car opens and I step out, still clearly shocked and astonished at what I am seeing, my pack-house does not look like this, at all.

“Let’s go in, Irene.” I hear his deep voice and I tense suddenly remembering that I am this man’s bride, not anybody's bride but Alpha Enrique’s bride.

He leads me inside the house and the vintage is even better inside, the floor of the hall is covered in white marble.

The hallway leads to so many doors, classic painting hung on the walls makes the hall more splendid to view. “You must be tired after the journey. I will see you tomorrow and I expect to see you in the dresses I have purchased for you, is that understood?” When I don’t reply, he grabs my hand and yanks me closer to him.

The burning fire returns in his darkened amber eyes. “You are my bride, Irene. You will respect and obey me, don’t make me teach you your manners.” He releases me and I feel a tingle down my spine.

Without saying a word, he turns and begins to walk away. I stand there, my chest heaving frantically; I turn my eyes towards the young woman with darkened braids.

“Hey, I am Reine, you are Alpha’s Enrique bride?” She asks with a smile and I have the urge to ask who she is. Is she one of his wives? Her dress does indicate nobility, I better keep my mouth shut if I don’t want trouble. “The Alpha has a reason for bringing you home as his bride.”

“A reason?” I ask with confusion, but she’s already walking ahead. I manage to keep up with her, still replaying the words in my head. What does she mean by connection?

“Let me show you to your room, the banquet is really important for Alpha Enrique tomorrow, he takes this very seriously,” I almost scoff, we walk together along the hall and I can still hear the loud thumping of my heart.

When we reach a room upstairs, she stops mid-way. “This is your bedroom, the formal introductions will be carried out tomorrow and you are expected to be at the breakfast tomorrow morning, do have a goodnight.” She doesn’t bow; instead she walks away, her chin high.

Sighing, I push the door and walk in, still mumbling to myself the fate I have come to accept, there’s no turning back now, it’s done. I am his bride, I am in his pack and I have to learn to deal with it, because this place isn’t the place for my sweet younger sister, Elva.

My bedroom is painted in deep hue colors, there’s a king sized bed placed at the middle, there’s a door at the end of the room so I am guessing it’s the bathroom.

Do I get to stay here? This place looks heavenly, even than the room I had back at home; everything here feels different and strange. Slowly, I drop on the bed, falling asleep through the gentle chirping of the night birds.