5. An Alliance.

JAMES.

I groaned as the sunlight pierced through the curtains and hit my face. I hated mornings. Especially when they came with unwanted visitors. I heard my father's voice downstairs, talking to someone I didn't recognize. He said something about Alpha Tennyson and his daughter Chloe. I rolled my eyes. What did they want from me?

With big territory like mine, it came with many unwanted visitors and enemies. I knew this day wasn't an exception.

I dragged myself out of bed and threw on some clothes. I didn't bother to comb my long sandy brown hair or shave. I wanted to make it clear that I didn't appreciate being disturbed on a Saturday morning after a long night of hunting in the woods. I walked down the stairs and saw my father standing in the living room, smiling at a middle-aged man with gray hair and a beard. He was wearing a suit and a tie like he was here for a business meeting. He had a briefcase in his hand. He looked like a politician, not an alpha.

"James, there you are. Come and meet Alpha Tennyson of Winter Pack. He's an old friend of mine." My father said, gesturing for me to join them in the living room.

I nodded curtly and walked over to them barefoot. I didn't shake his hand. I didn't care if he was my father's friend. He was an intruder in my territory.

"Alpha James, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so much about you from your father." Alpha Tennyson said, smiling politely.

"I wish I could say the same," I replied, coldly.

Father glared at me, "James, don't be rude. Alpha Tennyson is here to discuss something important with us." My father said, giving me a warning look.

I sighed softly and relaxed... Even though my father was retired from running the pack, he still had a strong hold on the decisions I made concerning it.

"What is it?" I asked, impatiently looking over the wall clock. It was 6:30 am.

"Let's sit down first, shall we?" Alpha Tennyson said, motioning to the couch.

I sighed and followed him. I sat on the edge of the couch, ready to get this over with.

"Alpha Tennyson, what brings you here?" I asked, bluntly.

He cleared his throat and opened his briefcase. He took out some papers and handed them to me.

"I'm here to propose an alliance between our packs. A marriage alliance, to be precise." He said, calmly.

I looked at the papers. They were a contract, a marriage contract. Between me and his 18-year-old daughter, Chloe Tennyson.

I burst out laughing. I couldn't help it. This was a joke, right?

Everyone including my father knew I hated committing to any woman. Marriage was something not on my to-do list.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked, incredulously.

He shook his head. He was serious.

"I'm afraid not, Alpha James. This is a serious matter. Our packs have a lot in common. We share the same values, the same goals, the same enemies. We could benefit from joining forces. And what better way to seal the deal than by uniting our bloodlines?" He said, earnestly.

I stopped laughing. I looked at him with disbelief.

"You want me to marry your daughter? A daughter I've never met, never seen, never heard of? A daughter who's not even here?" I asked, angrily leaning into the chair.

"She's here, actually. She's in the car. I'll bring her in soon." He said, casually.

I felt a surge of rage. How dare he? How dare he bring his daughter here, like a piece of merchandise, and expect me to marry her on the spot? Did he think I was that desperate? That easy?

"I'm not interested," I said, firmly.

I threw the papers back at him. I stood up and walked towards the staircase to excuse myself from the useless meeting.

"James, wait." My father said, grabbing my arm.

I turned to look at him. He had a serious expression on his face.

'James, listen to me. This is a good opportunity for us. For our pack. Alpha Tennyson has a lot of warriors. More than we do. We could use his help. Especially now, when we have enemies lurking in the shadows. You know who I'm talking about.' He said, mind linking me.

I knew he was talking about the recent nonstop Rogue who had been attacking our borders, killing our people, stealing our resources. The ones who were led by a mysterious rogue king, who had a personal vendetta against me. The rogue king was hell-bent on destroying me and my pack.

I hated them. I wanted to wipe them out. But I couldn't do it alone. I needed allies. I needed an army like my father said.

But did I need to marry a stranger to get it?

I sighed softly, darting between my father and Alpha Tennyson.

'Father, I don't want to marry his daughter. I don't want to marry anyone. I'm fine on my own. I don't need a mate.' I replied via mind link, stubbornly.

My father sighed.

'James, you're not getting any younger. You're 28 years old. You're in your prime. You should have a mate by now. A mate who can support you, who can love you, who can give you pups. Don't you want to have a family? Don't you want to have an heir?' He asked, softly.

I looked away. I didn't want to admit it, but he had a point. I did envy those things but after what Jasmine did to me, I was skeptical about the whole essence of a mate and commitment.

I had made a solemn vow never to entangle myself with another she-wolf. Especially not with Alpha Tennyson's daughter.

'Father, I can't do this. I can't marry her… remember what happened to you and mother." I remembered why my mother left us when I was 10 with another man.

My father shook his head.

'James, you're being stupid now... What happened between your mother and me was something different... You can't hold off marriage over something that may never happen. You have to make the best of what you have. You have to do what's best for your pack. You have to do your duty. As an alpha. As a son. As a man.' He said, sternly.

His gaze pierced through me, sending a chill down my spine. He may have stepped down as the Alpha, but he still ruled over me and the pack with an iron fist.

I heaved a sigh.

'James... Do this for me and our pack please.' He pleaded.

I felt a pang of guilt. I loved my father. I respected him. I owed him. He had raised me, trained me, taught me everything I knew. He had made me the alpha I was today. He had always supported me, always protected me, always cared for me. He had given me everything. He had never asked me for anything in return.

Until now.

I looked at him. I looked at Alpha Tennyson. I looked at the papers on the table. I looked at the door.

I made a decision.

I hated myself for it.

"Fine," I replied, reluctantly.

"Fine?" Alpha Tennyson asked, hopefully.

"Fine. I'll marry your daughter. I'll sign the contract and form an alliance with you. But don't expect me to treat her as anything more than a business partner." I said, bitterly.

Alpha Tennyson smiled. He didn't seem to care about my words. He only cared about my answer.

"Thank you, Alpha James. Thank you for your cooperation. Thank you for your generosity. You won't regret this. I promise you. You'll see. My daughter is a wonderful girl. She's beautiful, smart, kind, loyal, obedient. She'll make you a great mate. A great Luna. A great mother. You'll be very happy with her. I'm sure of it." He said, enthusiastically.

He got up and walked towards the door. He opened it and ran outside. He came back a few minutes later, carrying a girl in his arms. A girl who was unconscious.

He laid her down on the couch and smiled at me.

"Alpha James, meet princess Chloe Tennyson." He said, proudly.

I looked at her and immediately felt drawn to her and her delicious citrus-honey-dipped scent as she lay there looking absolutely fucking hot. I tensed.

'Mine,' I felt my wolf take over for a split second, but I took back control and gazed at my new bride-to-be.

She was stunning, with long blonde hair, fair skin, rosy full lips, and thick lashes. She wore a black tracksuit that concealed her curves, making her look more like a burglar and not a princess.

'Wow, she is beautiful, ' My wolf, drooled.

I immediately snapped out of my mini daze and quickly reminded myself that I felt nothing for her or any other woman at that.

But then again I wondered why she was brought in unconscious. I wondered what he had done to her.

"Why is she unconscious?" I asked Alpha Tennyson, looking at the limp body of the woman he had presented as my bride.

He chortled nervously while fidgeting with his hands. "She is just tired from the long trip, that's all," he stuttered, avoiding my gaze.

I hummed softly in response, not convinced by his explanation.

Oh, goddess, I wonder what I have gotten myself into with this man.

I sighed softly, grabbed the marriage contract he had brought with him, and signed it in haste so that I could tend to more important issues than this.

"Ahem, Alpha James, before you leave, when is the wedding likely to happen so that I could be in attendance?" Alpha Tennyson asked smugly and I scoffed.

This man was in a hurry to marry off his daughter. "A month from now," I replied firmly and his eyes widened.

"A month? Isn't that too long seeing that my daughter is here to stay? I propose a week, then I come back for the wedding," he suggested, and my breath hitched as I was caught off guard by his statement.

"Why is she here to stay now before we wed?" I asked Alpha Tennyson.

He fidgeted with his hands as he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead," Oh Alpha, she is your bride-to-be and I strongly suggest she stays so that you get to know each other before the wedding, " he stuttered nervously.

I frowned... Something was definitely off about his urgency to marry off his daughter.

Suddenly my father chimed in excitedly."A week is fine for them to get to know each other. That's a great idea, Tennyson,"

My heart skipped a beat at how fast everything was moving as I barely had a say in all this because I had to please my father and the pack.

"That's wonderful news, congratulations," Alpha Tennyson handshaked my father with a wide smile.

"Congratulations to you too dear friend," Father replied in a cheerful tone.

I scoffed inwardly, immediately excusing myself from the excited men who would probably plan my entire wedding and honeymoon...

It's for the benefit of the pack and not me, I repeatedly told myself so that my wolf would keep it together.

But he didn't. My wolf whined and it gave me a headache, I hastily made my way to my bathroom and got ready for the day.