Chapter 2: Contractual Marriage

Aria's room's half-drawn curtains let the early light slink in, softly goldening the faded blue walls. Sitting on the brink of her bed, her thoughts kept looping endlessly and painfully from the night before. Though the shock of Damien's rejection still lingered, the reality of the contract marriage she had accepted—that with Lucas Ashford—was beginning to weigh in.

Since the rejection, her wolf had been quiet, a far-off presence in the rear of her mind damaged by the mate connection that never had a chance to develop. Aria had been wondering whether she had made a bad mistake while much of the night she had been turning over. But the clarity of her choice also rose with the light. Now staying in the Moonstone pack was not an option; Lucas, for better or worse, gave her a path out.

She was taken from her ideas by a harsh tap on the door. Rising to her feet, she ran her hands over her simple grey dress and opened the door to see Lucas standing there looking just as perfect as always. His black hair was slicked back, and he wore a custom suit meant to accentuate the chill in his steel-grey eyes.

His voice serene, as if they were going to go for a laid-back walk and not to sign a contract binding them together for life. "Ready?" he said.

Aria nodded; her throat was too tight for speech. She reached for the little bag she had hurriedly packed and trailed him out of the little hut where she had lived for years. She turned without looking back. She had nothing left here, no reason to hang on to the memories contaminated by rejection.

Lucas said nothing as they strolled approached the black luxury automobile at the edge of the clearing. Aria appreciated that; she was not sure what to say to him anyhow. She had spent years envisioning her future with Damien, and now, in the space of one evening, that ideal had been dashed and replaced with something considerably more dubious.

The journey to Lucas's home was protracted and uneventful; the motor of the automobile hummed gently as they passed the deep forest separating Moonstone land from the rest of the planet. Aria gazed out the window, lost in thought as the trees blurring past her. She wanted to know if anybody in the group had noticed she disappeared. Certainly, rumors would begin soon enough, if they hadn't already.

Her fists tightly closed in her lap, the old knot of fear stranding her gut. When people discovered Damien had turned down her, what would they say? That her performance had been inadequate? The idea brought back her chest pain.

"Stop," Lucas's voice sliced through her ideas, crisp and forceful. "Stop considering them." You are no longer a part of that world.

Aria turned to study him, her brow wrinkled. "How know what I'm thinking?"

He looked at her, one corner of his lips half-smile flickering. "Your face is covered with it. You have to let go of any dreams about that pack carried with you. That was in the past now.

Not wanting to say how much truth his comments contained, Aria bit her lip. She had spent years trying to be the Luna everyone wanted her to be, fitting into the ideal partner for Damien. Now, however, none of it really mattered. She was entering a different universe in which she knew nothing about expectations.

As Lucas reached a curve in the road, his estate became clear. Breath caught Aria in her throat. Rising majestically against the heavens, the large stone house had towering, black windows shining in the sunshine. It was not at all like the Moonstone pack's basic homes and comfortable cottons. Personified were money, power, and domination.

At the front of the estate, the vehicle stopped smoothly, and Lucas got out first waving for Aria to follow. Her choice settled over her like a shroud, so she paused only a second before walking out into the cobblestone road.

Lucas responded, "Come," his voice devoid of any space for debate.

Following him over the great oak doors and the broad stone stairs, she entered a foyer that was both amazing and frightening. From the great ceiling, crystal chandeliers softly illuminated the marble flooring. The walls were covered with costly paintings, and a magnificent stairway gracefully rose to the second story.

Aria felt suddenly rather tiny and uncomfortable.

Rising from one of the side doors, a guy in a fine suit bowed modestly as they arrived. "Mr. Ashford, everything is set as asked.”

"Thank you, Roland," Lucas responded, waving his hand to discount the guy. He gazed at Aria. The contract is prepared. We will go over the terms; then you will sign.

Aria let out a harsh gulp. Just like that.

Lucas lifted an eyebrow. "Did you hope for something different?"

Not sure what she had anticipated, she ignored. Perhaps a minute to catch her breath and straighten herself before she signed away her future. Lucas, however, was not a guy who played sentimentally or with uncertainty. About him, everything screamed control and accuracy.

They walked inside a big office with floor to ceiling bookcases and dark wood furnishings. In the middle of the room was a large mahogany desk with a clean contract stacked upon top of it. Lucas moved to the opposite side of the desk and waved Aria to seat.

She grabbed for the contract, her fingers shaking as she settled gently. Her eyes went over the nicely printed sentences, but it was difficult to concentrate knowing what she was going to do. Lucas sat across from her, his keen eyes tracking her intently.

"The terms are simple," he replied, his voice calm and commercial. You will be my wife, in just name. You will reside here, at my side, and act Luna when called for. I will provide you safety, financial stability, and whatever else you might need in return. Our marriage will stay very businesslike. nor feeling anything, nor having any difficulties.

Aria turned over the contract and stiffened her throat. Everything was exactly set down, every provision, every detail. It resembled a commercial transaction more than a marriage. Even a section outlining what would happen should a divorce arise was included.

Looking up at him, she questioned, "And if I refuse?"

Lucas's facial expression stayed the same. "You won't.

She gave a response, bit back. Indeed, he was correct. She had what decision to make? She had no house, no pack, no future devoid of him. Should she object, she would be left to fend for herself and the thought of confronting the planet alone, without the safety of a pack, was more horrible than anything else.

She inhaled deeply then took up the pen to write her name on the dotted line.

Lucas nodded, pleasure blazing in his eyes as he accepted the contract and stashed it in a drawer. " Good. We agreed now, so you will be taken to your room. You have the day off and start your work tomorrow.

Aria nodded; the weight of what she had just done on her heart. She had written off her life, her independence, and for what? A loveless marriage with a guy she hardly knew. Cold. She convinced herself, however, that it was better than being thrown aside and forgotten as she followed Lucas's helper, Roland, up the great staircase to her new room. At least here, she had somewhere—even if it was only temporary.

Her showed room was large, including floor to-celling windows, a king-sized bed, and a balcony overlooking the vast estate grounds. Though everything was overwhelming, the richness of it all did not console her. It was only another reminder of how far she had fallen from the life she had once dreamed of for herself.

Aria strolled to the balcony and leaned against the railing when Roland departed, peering out at the well kept gardens below. She felt none of the golden brightness the lowering sun cast on the scene. She felt just the empty, frigid anguish of the future she had exchanged for an unknown lifetime.

Though it was still weak and still hurting from the rejection that had split them both, her wolf stirred barely. Aria wondered if she would ever be really whole again or whether she would ever recover from it.

She lacked options, however, just now. This was her way of life.

And it was just getting started.