Mara
I thought I’d enjoy my excursion into town with Rhoda, but I’ve been isolated for so long that all the people made me nervous.
Everyone seemed to know who I am. People stopped me to introduced themselves, welcomed me to the town, and asked me if I’m happy to be here, when the wedding would be, if I like the Alpha, and wanted to know who bruised me up. Who dared to touch a hair on our Luna’s pretty little head? Is your father happy with the new arrangement?
All questions I couldn’t answer, or didn’t want to answer
Rhoda was no help. She basked in the attention. Or perhaps people here are just like that and she’s so used to it that she didn't even notice. I couldn’t quite figure out which one of the two it was.
By the time we made it back to the mansion, I was exhausted and ready to crawl into a hole.
There was a time, not so long ago when I think about it, that I enjoyed going out. I was popular in school - no doubt because of my father's money - and I had no shortage of invitations to every party thrown by both humans and wolves. I loved being the centre of attention.
Today, it felt as if I tried to navigate a minefield. I wanted the earth to open up and swallow me whole.
In a weird way, I long to go back to my quiet, solitary house back at Red Ridge where my only company was the radio and vacuum cleaner.
Chad knocks and enters with my mountain of parcels. I haven’t shopped like that since I was eighteen and my father instructed me to get everything I needed for finishing school. He made sure that I bought the best of everything. It wasn’t for my sake. I realise that now. It was so he could show off his wealth to the Alphas.
The butler drops all my parcels on the floor, and says, “I’ll send an Omega up to-”
“It’s fine, Chad, thank you. I can put it away myself.”
My bedroom, which I figure won’t be my bedroom for long, is beautiful. I love the rustic interior. The bed frame and headboard are made from wood like everything else, and my window overlooks the town and the lake in the distance.
The antique wardrobe is in immaculate condition, as is the matching dresser and vanity. Even the bathroom is beautiful. The countertops are made from the most beautiful black granite which seems to sparkle in the light. The basin, made from some kind of stone, shower, and bath blends in beautifully with everything else.
It’s like living in nature without any of the inconvenience. The only thing that reminds me that I’m not inside a natural museum is the white toilet that stands out starkly against all the earthy colours.
“Supper is served strictly at seven,” Chad says and puts the last of my parcels on the floor. “Alpha Johnathan appreciates...punctuality,” the butler warns me.
It doesn’t happen a lot, but every so often, a glimmer of a warning shines through. Someone will mention something Johnathan doesn’t like, and everytime they do, I can see just the slightest hint of discomfort in their eyes, if not outright fear.
“D- does he dress for dinner?” I ask.
The butler’s entire face lights up as he smiles at me. “No. This is a home, not a palace. Alpha just keeps a strict schedule, that is all.”
I nod my understanding, and Chad quietly leaves my room.
My father always insisted that we dress up for dinner. I wore evening gowns from the age of thirteen, always dressing as if I was on my way to the prom. I never asked him why. I just assumed everyone did things that way.
When I moved into my own home, Lucas continued the tradition. I cooked every meal, but for dinner he expected at least a three course fare. There was never anyone to serve us, so not only did I have to dress up in slinky evening gowns every night, I had to serve my mate while wearing six inch heels and trying not to spill food on my expensive dresses.
Once, I accidentally upended an entire bowl of soup on a particularly expensive, red evening gown. Lucas grabbed me by the hair, and shoved my face into the tureen, almost submerging my head in the boiling hot soup.
He held me under until I blacked out. When I woke up, I lay on the floor, covered in soup, vomit, and blisters as big as my fist. The one on my forehead was so deep that I could see bits of my skull poking through the skin.
I shifted that night. Alone in my room. I was afraid I’d die if I didn’t.
Lucas came in to see my wolf, my beautiful Aria, and commanded me to shift back to human. I was healed, but it wasn’t worth the beating he gave me for shifting against his command.
I couldn’t walk for three days, and it took nearly two weeks for my broken wrist to heal - injuries that would have healed instantly if he’d let me shift.
And even then, he still wanted me to cook and clean for him. Broken hand and all.
Tears as hot as that soup burns the back of my throat, but I quickly swallow them away.
All of that is behind me now. Lucas is no longer my mate, he has no claim to me. He abjured me in front of witnesses, and even if he wants me back at some point in the future, he’ll need my permission this time because my father disowned me. Douglas Smith has no say over my life anymore.
I glance at my watch and realise, in horror, that dinner is only an hour away. I still have to shower, and I desperately need to change out of the wrinkly green dress. It’s starting to smell.
Alpha Johnathan may not have a dress code, but I’m fairly certain he’ll want me to look at least presentable when I join him for our evening meal.
Forty-five minutes later, I’m ready. I did my hair a little, curling it so it falls in golden red curls down my back, and dressed in a comfortable, but I hope suitable, dress that covers me from my neck to my toes.
I tried my best to hide my bruises with my limited supply of make-up, but I can still see the different shades of green, blue, and purple that colour my face.
I sigh loudly and decide to let it go. If I don’t leave now, I'll be late for dinner, and I do not want to upset my future mate before I know what kind of man he is. Many men make all sorts of promises until they trap you in a marriage, and then it’s game over.
It’s only when I leave my bedroom that I realise I’ve made a catastrophic mistake.
I have no idea where the dining room is. and time is ticking away.
With Aria being asleep, I have no way to track it down by smell. I’m practically human at this point.
There’s no one around to ask for directions either. When we came back up, the pack house was bustling with life, but now it’s as if the whole staff upped and disappeared into thin air.
Bile pushes up into my throat and my stomach cramps spasmodically. He said he doesn’t beat women….unless he has to. What if that ‘has to’ is to correct their behaviour?
“Mara,” Jonathan says from the bottom of the stairs.
I almost burst into tears when I see him.
“Why are you just standing there?” he asks.
He did dress for dinner to some degree. He changed out of his shorts into linen trousers, replaced his t-shirt with a button down shirt, and he's wearing shoes.
“I- I don’t know where the dining room is,” I answer
To my utter relief, Jonathan smiles. “It’s a big place. I know. I am just heading there myself. Come. I’ll show you.”
For a moment, I am frozen, unable to move. What if he’s only pretending to be nice? What if I join him and he sucker punches me for being too stupid to find the dining room by myself?
“Mara!” Jonathan snaps. “Right now. I don’t like being late.”
That gets me out of my frozen state. “Sorry,” I mutter.
Jonathan waits for me as I descend the stairs, his face pulled into a disapproving scowl. “I like things a certain way, Mara.”
Feeling bold I say, “I thought you said there are no rules. That I must merely conduct myself with the dignity of a Luna.”
“I told you that I don’t have specific rules for you. I never said that there are no rules. Imagine the chaos if I had no rules or laws.”
“Will you tell me the rules now?”
“No,” he says as we start to walk through the many hallways. “You’ve had a long day, so I decided that it can wait.”
“But what if I accidentally break a law?” I ask, hating how timid and scared I sound, but simultaneously unable to stop it.
“Then I will inform you, and correct you.”
Correct me. Those words leave me terrified.
I escaped Lucas and his abuse. I should be happy. Ecstatic. But I’m more afraid than ever before.
MaraThe dining room is one of the smallest places I’ve seen so far. It’s big enough to hold a six-seater table, carved by hand like everything else, a sideboard and serving trolley piled high with food and plates.There’s enough room to move around, but no one’s going to throw any lavish parties in here. I get the feeling that it’s Johnathan’s private dining room, but somewhere in this massive mansion there must be some kind of reception hall for parties. Wolves love to throw parties.Preston is sitting at the end of the table with a lovely blonde woman next to him. She’s dressed comfortably in a strappy sundress. I remember when I was able to wear clothes like that. Jealousy tucks at my heart - not because the girl is a hundred times more beautiful than I am, but because she has the kind of freedom I’ve forgotten.“Hello,” she chirps and sits upright. “I’m Ally, Preston’s mate. You are Mara right?”I nod and smile at her. Like everyone else in Haven’s Crest, she’s almost uncomforta
MaraI climb the steps to my father’s mansion with heavy legs. Haley, my best and probably only friend, dropped me off at the gate because Lucas, my mate, won’t allow me to drive.The guard refused to let Haley in, and I was forced to walk up the kilometre long driveway, while my bruised and battered body screamed out in agony.I haven’t been home in two years. Today is my twenty-first birthday, and my father wanted to see me for the first time since I married Lucas Mattfield - the future Alpha of Red Ridge.I am in a sad state. I’m only allowed to eat once a day - Lucas wants a hot wife - and last night I took a particularly brutal beating. It was one of the worst he’d ever given me, and he laughed the whole time. I think it’s one of the reasons my father refuses to see me. I’m always covered in fresh and healing bruises now, and he can’t stand to look at the thing he had done to me.On the night of our wedding, Lucas took me into the bond room - the place where newly wed couples h
MaraI wake to the sound of tyres humming softly on the tarmac, the woodsy scent of Beta Preston’s cologne in my nose, and the more flowery lavender scent of a woman. Frowning, I sit upright and look out of the windshield of the moving SUV. Ahead of us is a long, deserted road and the setting sun.I have no idea where we are. Red Ridge must be far behind us. I’ve never seen anything so empty and desolate in all my life. The world here is flat, with nothing but the road and grasslands as far as the eye can see. How long was I out?“Hello lovely,” a chirpy voice says from the front seat. “Did yeh have a good sleep?”I look over at the platinum blonde sitting in the passenger seat. She’s in her mid-twenties. Her make-up is heavy, and she’s dressed in a tight, red dress that leaves little to the imagination. All I manage in way of an answer is a croak.“Give her some water,” Beta Preston says, his voice deep and even.He’s a handsome man, with salt and pepper hair, hazel eyes, and a be
MaraI stare in wonder at the winding road ahead of us. It disappears around several bends, leading all the way to the top of the mountain, and the town of Haven’s Crest.Who the hell builds an entire town on the top of a mountain?We crawl up the road. There’s literally nothing between us and a sheer drop into the canyon below, but it’s idyllic, with the green mountain rising up against the bright blue sky. Cotton candy clouds drift in the azure heavens.As we round one of the many dangerous bends, a waterfall comes into view. Rainbows dance in the misty water that vanishes into the pond below. “Wow,” I gasp.“Pretty, ain’t it?” Rhoda says with a soft laugh.I can’t tear my eyes away from the beautiful scenery. It’s like a postcard sent from some exotic place I never knew existed. Far below and in the distance, a blue lake glimmers in the bright sun. At long last, we reach the top. A massive white and black sign welcomes us to *Haven’s Crest - A home for every soul.*I smile wryly.
Mara“Your father asked me to take you off his hands,” Jonathan says in a straightforward, almost bored voice. “Actually, he put you on the open market. There was a fierce bidding war for you.”My eyes almost bulge out of my skull and fresh tears burn my throat. How could my father do that to me? He did not put me on that market to sell me to an Alpha. It’s a slave market where wolves sell their used up wives or unwanted daughters. Most end up as breeders or prostitutes in the wolf pleasure houses.“Everyone thought you came with an inheritance and that you were worth the investment,” Jonathan goes on.I have no idea how much he paid for me, but my father would not have settled for anything less than the compensation Kysan and Lucas demanded. “My father disowned me,” I whisper. “You won’t get your money back.”“I know. Preston told me.” His eyes slide over my ravaged face. “That is not why I bought you. You do not need to fear me,” he says and leans over to take one of the drinks. “I
JohnathanI take out my phone and pull up the listing for Mara. She has been removed from the site, but I screenshot it right before the auction came to an end.I spent roughly half the money in my bank account on her. It’s way more than I can afford to waste on a she-wolf. I did not need someone like Mara. Technically, I can take any mate and declare her my Luna for my pack to be recognised by the council. But I wanted Mara.Establishing a new pack takes a lot of money. Money I don’t have. The modern world destroyed a lot of packs. Humans are encroaching on our territories, and to keep the unknowns, as we call them, out, we have to buy the land that has been our homes for centuries. The human authorities who are aware of our existence also keep increasing our taxes. They are convinced we’re rich even though most of us don’t even have a pot to piss in.Douglas used the word heiress in Mara’s listing, knowing that a lot of Alphas are struggling to get by now and would jump at the chan