Damien

Damien had to leave home very early to meet the scheduled time with the father, who had finally agreed to give away his daughter. This decision was made on short notice; the man owed Damien a few thousand from a contract job, but it hadn’t turned out well.

However, instead of repaying the debt, the man decided to offer his daughter in marriage, a suspicious move considering he could have easily returned the money without hurting his finances. Damien was desperate for a wife, a mate who would bear his pup.

For hundreds of years, he had searched for his soul mate, but the longer he searched, the more painful it became, knowing the Moon Goddess had never destined a mate for him. His pack had been hidden safely for years, undetected by others. A witch from another realm had helped mask their scent, allowing them to live peacefully among humans without causing chaos.

Though Damien was a little behind schedule today, it didn’t diminish his potential to be a good husband. He hadn’t met the woman yet, but he hoped she would be at least somewhat presentable for his pack. His Beta shook her head in disagreement as they made their way to the car.

“I can’t believe you’re still going ahead with this outrageous plan of yours, with a man you know nothing about,” she said.

Damien looked at his Beta, Liam, and shook his head. “You just have to trust me on this. My instinct is always right, and everything will be fine,” he said assertively, making it all sound simple.

“She’s human, you know that, right?” Liam asked, stating the obvious fact that had been weighing on Damien since the beginning of the arrangement.

“I know,” Damien responded, then drove out of his garage toward the restaurant where they had agreed to meet. It was a silent drive. When they arrived, Damien found the perfect spot to park, and his Beta was the first to step out.

Damien got out, locked the car, dusted his suit, put on his eyeglasses, and made his way into the restaurant. His Beta was there for moral support and sat a few tables away.

As soon as Damien entered the restaurant, he spotted a miserable-looking man sitting impatiently at the end of a table. The man’s eyes roamed until they landed on Damien, who approached him. “Mr. uh… hmm…” Damien began, realizing he hadn’t bothered to memorize his soon-to-be father-in-law’s name.

“I’m not surprised you still can’t remember my name,” the man replied, shaking Damien’s hand. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it soon. It’s Mr. Frederick.”

They both sat down, and the waitress took their order—just water, as it was going to be a short meeting.

“I know I’m a little late, and I’m so sorry about that. Please forgive me,” Damien apologized.

“It’s fine,” Emily’s father replied, then continued, “I just wanted to make sure you’re not backing out of the marriage. I’ve informed my daughter, and my whole family is committed to it.”

Damien was curious about this daughter and why her father was so eager to marry her off to a stranger. “Why?” he asked.

The waitress returned with their water, so they waited for her to leave before continuing.

“Why what?” Mr. Frederick asked.

“Why are you so desperate to send your daughter off to a man you know nothing about? I could be a serial killer, a drug trafficker, or even a human trafficker!”

They stared at each other for a long moment. Damien’s wolf didn’t like the man, but it didn’t oppose the idea of marrying the girl.

“Are you?” Emily’s father asked, throwing Damien into confusion.

“Am I what?” Damien responded.

“A serial killer, drug trafficker, or human trafficker?”

Damien’s wolf laughed in his head, and his Beta, Liam, smirked.

“Hell no, I’m not,” Damien said.

Emily’s father smiled. “Then my daughter will be safe with you. Whatever reasons I have don’t involve my daughter not being good enough to be a good wife. I just want her to be safe, with a man who will care for her when I’m gone,” he said sadly.

Damien didn’t dwell on the sad emotions but decided to go along with it.

“If that’s the reason, then who am I to reject such an amazing offer?” They shook hands.

“Before I leave, we’re inviting you to dinner with the family this weekend. You’ll get to speak to your future wife and get to know each other,” Emily’s father said as they left the restaurant. “Bring as many gifts as possible for her and the family.”

Emily’s father wondered if Damien could afford those gifts, assuming he was just a small business owner with no high profile and no scandals.

“You don’t have to,” he added, “just come for dinner.”

Damien waited patiently for him to drive off. His Beta was still flirting with the waitress, so Damien mind-linked him.

“Come on, man. Don’t make this about yourself. Let’s head home.”

Liam rolled his eyes but eventually left the restaurant, muttering, “You’re such a showstopper.”

It took them only a few minutes to get back to the pack house. As soon as they entered, they were greeted with affectionate hugs from the children. This was their peace, and they intended to keep it that way for as long as they lived.

But Damien couldn’t stop thinking about the woman he was about to marry. He was eager to catch a glimpse of her before the wedding night. The countdown to the weekend dinner had already started—just three days to go.