Alpha Asher

As the only child and daughter to the Alpha of the Red Ravens Brotherhood Pack, I should be living a life of luxury and comfort, surrounded by friends and loved ones. But unfortunately, my reality is far from that. My pack members bully and mistreat me, and my father, the one person I thought I could rely on for protection, only adds to my suffering.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to bring in my food late?" His words cut through the air like a hungry lion's roar, and suddenly, his hand clamps around my neck, squeezing tightly. I gasp, feeling the rough grip that makes me choke on my own saliva.

“I'm sorry, father,” I manage to whisper, my struggle evident as I attempt to release myself from his vice-like grip.

“Rita asked me to gather firewood for the fireplace.”

Of course, she did, a cunning move to set me up for trouble. That witch.

Despite explaining to my father why the food wasn't prepared promptly, his heavy boots persistently stomp on me, and his hands tighten around my throat as if intent on snuffing the life out of me.

Sharp, painful hits keep coming to my face, making the room feel like it's moving. I can taste my own blood in my mouth, and my eyes suddenly turned dark because my dad won't stop hitting me.

I feel everywhere getting dark, like I'm about to pass out and even though it hurts a lot, I can't cry anymore because it won't help.

“Then why didn't you go earlier?!” He roars. “You want me to starve to death as you killed your mother, huh?”

Another tear slips out of my eyes hearing those words. This is one of those days that I wish death upon myself– which is every day.

“I'm sorry Father,” I stutter to say as another sob escapes my mouth.

He huffs as he spits in my face with blood shot eyes. My apology doesn't mean anything to him but it rather fuels the anger raging inside of him.

“If you were truly sorry, you would have died at birth.” He grunts at me angrily with a scoff.

I held my palms to cover my face. No, not this terrible story again!

“You killed her by coming into this world, you can't hunt, and you can't even prepare my meal on time! How useless can you be?”

I sniffle another tears as I tried wipe my face with the back of my palm.

He is referring to the fact that my mother died while trying to give birth to me.

But it wasn't my fault for that incident to have happened. The doctors said the umbilical cord were wrapped around my neck in my mother's womb and to save me from the tough birth, a caesarean section was suggested but my mother couldn't make it out alive after the operation so she passed on.

My father has hated me since the very first day since I was born, even more as I grew up.

It was worst when he noticed I didn't have a wolf the day I clocked 13 and I was asked to shift for the very first time as the other kids in the pack. I remain stuck in a human-like existence, or perhaps something worse – a wolf without its vital counterpart.

“That's it,” he waves off. “You are going to be married to Alpha Asher in ten days!!”

My face freezes in disbelief. Alpha Asher? Does he want to marry me off to Alpha Asher?

The cruel and cold alpha of the Mountain high pack. I've heard he's very famous for putting fear into people and a rumor went on some time ago on how he threw an elderly man into jail because he wasn't able to pay back a loan he offered him and for this, I wonder why my father is sending me off to a heartless cruel man like that?

If he is trying to dish me away atleast it's best he send me on exile than send me off for marriage to a monster like Alpha Asher, the terrible and wicked cruel Alpha.

“Father, please!” I immediately fell on my knees. “I will be a good slave to you, I will work harder and try to make your meals in time! I'm your only child for gods sake, you can't do this to me, father. You're all I've got and even if you continue to treat me this way, I'll endure every pain you inflict on me but I'll never ever get married to that wicked Alpha!”

I tried to grab his leg, but he pushes me away and I fell on my face with a thud. My feelings and desires didn't matter to him. I was nothing more than a pawn in his game of politics and power.

“You are nothing but an omega. A wolf less wolf. You're even useless and you got no skills.  How then can I rely on you when I'm gone. Oh my goodness, I curse the day you were born. It would have been better you had died with your mother than live to make me see your terrible cursed face".

He lamented with a storm of his foot.

“Father, no!” I screamed with horror.

“Ten days!!!. Ten days is what I'm given you to prepare for your marriage with Alpha Asher or else?!!.” He reminds me with a threatening look that sent shivers down my spine as I watched him proceeded to the door but stopped and said,

“One more thing, don't even try to run away, I will always find you.”

He turns around finally and leaves through my room door.

*****

Now I'm alone with rita in the pack house who is in charge of the whole pack kitchen, and she is my worst nightmare and one of my worst bully.

I kept on sobbing as I pulled myself to my feet while finding my way to continue my duty in the kitchen.

Yeah the kitchen. It's where my father placed me to assist Rita everyday in making the pack's food.

Marrying Alpha Asher? This is going to be the worst experience of my life. What have I done to deserve this? I said to myself in my head as I began Washing the used dishes while I start making the next meal for dinner.

“Oh, poor, Sarah,” Rita says as she walked towards where I stood, minding my own business as I do my duty.

I didn't know she's been eavesdropping during the conversation with my father and I felt so bad because I know she will mock me about it.

“How long have you been away?”

She asked.

“Just for a few hours.” I tried to hide my face which was swollen with my puffy eyes.

“The food is almost ready. I'm trying to be really fast with dinner.”

She chuckled. “Like your father said, you should have worked faster in making every meals in this pack. Fool.”  She scoff as I watch her walk towards the big pot of food which I was preparing and was almost ready.

With a confused look on my face, I wonder what she was up to not until she grabs the big pot and spill it content all onto the ground.

"What?!!"

My jaw dropped in shock as I watched my hard work go down the drain.

My whole time wasted on the porridge I finally made perfect, and Rita just pour all of it away.

My jaws quiver, and I find my voice seize down my throat . No words could come out and I didn't even have the strength to cry . I just watch in disbelief only for her to say,

“Next time, don't waste my time.” She hisses.

“Better start cooking afresh meal. Or be prepared to hear from your father, again".

*****

Ten days came as fast as the breeze and it also falls into the annual festival period that happens yearly in our pack. And guess what? It's my 18th birthday today.

Other packs will come over to celebrate the annual festival and it's also when she-wolves will find their mate, same goes for Alphas finding their Luna too.

I felt really sad because I had to marry a man I hardly knew today, and it felt like a bad dream as I stood in front of the mirror trying to make a dress fit me. This dress is the only new one I've had in years, and even though I'm not happy about the reason I'm dressing up, the beauty of the dress makes me feel a bit better.

Father had made some of the maids in the pack apply makeup on my face and help me dress up for the first time ever because, I'll be send off to Alpha Asher for marriage when the celebration of the annual festival ends.

While one of the maids make my hair, she leans in and whisper in my ear,

“When the night comes and you both are together. He may wants to have sex with you, so I'll advise you turn off the lights so he doesn't see your wounds and your ugly scar body,” Sandra advises me with a scornful laugh that made my stomach cringe with disgust, but I chose to hide how I feel than show her I was defeated by her words.

“How long am I supposed to do that?” I responded with quivering lips.

“As long as it takes.” She mutters with a dry smile.

“Better hope he doesn't believe in hitting his wife, if not!.”

After they were done preparing me, I was left to myself while I find my way outside the pack house.

Everywhere was arranged and decorated for the events and a hand full of people where already seated. Some where just alighting from their cars while some came from different directions.

I tried to find a seat and succeeded while I tried so hard to hide myself from looking towards my father direction at where he was already seated, talking with one of the Alphas from another pack.

Just when I turned to look elsewhere, I came face to face with him.

Alpha Asher.