Chapter 1 - A wife for the Lycan

Lately Aram hated the visit of his uncle, in fact, he hated any visit that came to interrupt his successful and satisfactory ordeal of pain and self-pity. Yasmina had left for life beyond life, and he deserved all that suffering, for he had not protected her. The Moon Goddess had blessed him when she placed her in his destiny and he was not worthy of that grace, sometimes choosing to stay alive was much harder than dying.

Now he would have to live the rest of his days under the weight of having been indirectly responsible for her death and the pain of no longer having his destined Luna. To live his ordeal, he only needed to be alone, which was very difficult, since he was still the Alpha of that clan, despite coming for months neglecting his duties. He did not care to hear the many laments of his uncle, who came to bring news from the council of elders. The man told Aram that the elders were about to give up on him, and they were already looking for a way out of that situation.

— Aram, you need to react, the future of the clan is not a game. I understand you’ve been through a very bad situation, but you need to take back the command. You haven't been interested in anything in months other than a bottle of booze, everyone is commenting that the Alpha has succumbed to alcohol and tries to kill himself slowly. The people have many problems, they need guidance. Soon the winter will come and we will all starve. You know well what measures need to be taken to ensure that everyone has a way to deal with the colder months.

Aram listened to his uncle quietly, he kept satting at the kitchen table with a glass of cheap whiskey in his hands. The beard was grown, and his hygiene was not the best, he was the opposite of the Alpha that one day was. He spent most of the day drunk, unable to advise anyone, even less to settle the strife of his guardians. He would need help from the Moon Goddess if he had to engage in some melee combat or become a beast, because, since he wiped out almost the entire damn Boram clan, he had never transmuted or fought.

- They don’t need me, uncle, they need another Alpha. One who can protect them, one who can protect his wife.

He spoke with a voice full of bitterness.

— You’re their Alpha by blood’s right, everyone respects that. It’s been a long time and no one wanted to challenge you for leadership, but the situation is becoming untenable, you need to react my son. There are already rumors of people wanting to leave, whole families. Is that what you want? Women and children traveling during the winter, with few supplies and at the mercy of attacks on the roads? Can you handle that guilt behind your back?

The truth is, Aram couldn’t. Despite everything, he still felt responsible for those people, he couldn’t lose anyone else. Especially after his revenge on the pack, in which all the werewolves in the region were just waiting for an opportunity to attack a Lycan, or an entire village of them. When the winter was over he would decide what to do, but until then the uncle was right, he needed to react.

— I have something else to tell you. - Said the elder, approaching him more, and putting a hand on his shoulder. - You know you must support the clan to deal with the harsh winter to regain your morale with them. I know a way for you to achieve that. A female member of the pack you’re chasing was found wandering in the woods a few days ago, she said she was the only one left. A group of werewolves are in her possession, they would like to give her to you in exchange for a truce between the clans.

I advise you to take her as your wife, you need an heir, and a hybrid would eventually become a very powerful Alpha. The council approves this decision and thinks it is the best to do, your revenge was bloody Aram,  If something does not end it, much innocent blood will be shed.

For the first time, he lifted his eyes from the glass and stared at the older man with a contained fury in his eyes.

— Uncle, how can you even mention such a thing? I want this female, yes, but to destroy her as I did with the rest of the pack. I could never marry her.

— Don’t be naive, she’s just a girl. Just recently turned eighteen, she has nothing to do with the wolves who did that horrible thing. They made sure she’s harmless, just unlucky to be born into the wrong family.

- Eighteen? But she’s little more than a child, I’m already thirty-two!

 Aram didn't want another wife, even less one who was little more than a girl. His fated had died, there was nothing left for him in life. And the idea of marrying a werewolf, even more someone who belonged to the Boram clan, caused him nausea. He couldn’t live with himself if he did that, he couldn’t look in the mirror and respect himself.

However, the uncle was emphatic that he needed to retake his place and his power, he owed it to the people, the elders were already considering inciting a dispute for a new Alpha. Deaths would happen, at best many would leave the place for a very dangerous journey. He could no longer carry blood on his back.

He reflected that, at the moment, it would be best to accept the offer and make her his wife. He needed to remember that he was the mirror of the clan and everything depended on him. That union would add power to them, and he could subdue a she-wolf, showing that the Lycans were definitely more powerful, making her pay in several ways for what her pack had taken from him. He drank the rest of the drink that was in the glass in just one sip and poured more, which he also ingested from a single sip.

— All right, I’ll do it. But I don’t know if the pack’s gonna like it, I think this girl’s gonna have bad times around here, and I don’t have much patience with children.

The uncle smiled, relieved that he accepted the offer, that was the first step to retake control of everything.

— We’re counting on it, the idea is that she finds out fast why she’s here. I count on you to let her know every day, how superior we Lycans are at everything and hope she learns fast that her situation here is subservience. You can be sure, it’s just her walking down the street, that people won’t let her forget this. You made the right decision Aram, you can finish your revenge and we’ll have our trophy. But please go take a shower and change, you’re looking more like a beggar than the great Alpha I know you to be.

The elderly man finished speaking and withdrew, leaving him again alone with his much appreciated silence. Apparently those moments were about to end, very soon he would be a married man again, but this time not with the love of his life, but with a youthful she-wolf. The girl couldn’t have picked a worse time to show up, soon she’d figure it out on her own.