Chapter Three

YOU what?” Lucia shouted.

She grabbed the back of the chair in front of her father’s desk, her knees suddenly weak. What a perfect ending to an otherwise miserable birthday party. After their unexpected guest left, everyone else also cleared out and she’d been called to her father’s office.

“How many more times do I have to say it?”

“A couple more times, apparently, because I still can’t believe what I’m hearing, Father.” Lucia heard the words—they just didn’t make sense. Okay, strike that. They made sense, but she didn’t want to believe them. Mated… to that Lycan who was there last night—Solomon Romano. She couldn’t fathom it.

Alpha Salvatore scowled at Lucia. “Careful.”

She heard the warning, and those weak knees of her trembled, but why should she be careful when her father so obviously had not been? “So you’re telling me you took a loan ten years ago, right? From a Lycan who is basically a loan shark.” How messed-up was that?

“Yes.” Alpha Salvatore paced back and forth behind his desk.

“A really, really big loan.”

“That is correct.” Alpha Salvatore huffed.

“A loan you knew was going to come due in a ten years. A loan”—Lucia stressed—“you didn’t make any provisions to pay off.” It still boggled her mind, really. How could her Alpha let this happen.

Alpha Salvatore stopped pacing and stared at Lucia. Nonchalantly he waved his hand. “I don’t expect you to understand all the ins and outs of such things.”

Lucia crossed her arms. She was so tired of being treated like she didn’t have a brain in her pretty head. “I understand enough to know you don’t have the money.”

Alpha Salvatore growled, displaying his enormous fangs. “Watch what you say to me. I will not tolerate disrespect from my own pup.”

Lucia uncrossed her arms and quickly tilted her head to the side, displaying her throat in a sign of submission. She knew she’d been pushing and was surprised her father let her get away with as much as she had. Once her father was satisfied with her gesture, he quit growling. Lucia relaxed, then pinched the bridge of hrr nose. A headache was brewing.

She wanted to point out he would’ve had enough sense to put money back to pay off the loan, but decided she’d pushed her luck enough for one day. Her father never laid a hand on any of them—he really did love all his pups—and she didn’t want to start a new tradition now.

“I’m sorry, Father. Maybe I was being disrespectful, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m right.”

Alpha Salvatore bristled for a few more moments and then his shoulders drooped. “I-I shouldn’t have snapped at you. Without going into details, it’s sufficient to say I don’t have the money. You must understand, that Lycan has me by the balls. If he doesn’t get you and my three most profitable businesses, he’ll kick the pack off our land and take everything we own. I can’t let that happen.”

“Of course not, Father.” Of course he couldn’t.

They had a lot of members—then add in all their homes. All those families left homeless. Plus they had stores they owned through the Alpha. Then factor in all the land those homes and property sat on. Altogether, they were talking millions and millions of dollars that could be lost. So compared to all of that, what was one pup and three businesses?

God, how could this happen. Lucia suddenly felt so dizzy. She was afraid she was going to be sick all over her father’s fancy Persian rug.

“I don’t have a choice. Surely you understand that. The mere thought of having to start completely over at my age is terrifying.” Alpha Salvatore sat in a chair behind his desk. “It’s not like it was a hundred years ago, even. So much land has already been claimed and, well… I simply can’t.”

Then you should’ve been saving money. Lucia glanced around at all the wealth surrounding them—the expensive paintings and signed artwork. Had her father ever entertained the possibility of cutting back his expenditures or selling assets? Had he even tried to rein in his daughters and his wife? Hell, she was just as guilty. She ran her hand down her cashmere sweater. But she hadn’t known.

But then, that was only one problem on her plate. While she’d always known an arranged marriage might loom in her future, she’d never entertained the thought that her mate would be anything other than another werewolf. “If I do this—”

“If?” Alpha Salvatore snorted. “Do you really think you have a choice in the matter?”

Robbed speechless by her father’s arrogance, Lucia debated walking out of his office. Fuck yes, she had a choice. It wasn’t much of one, but by all the gods, it was a choice. Even though, she also knew that wouldn’t solve anything.

force

“I’m of age. You can’t force me into a match, especially a match with a Lycan.” Regardless of who I think he might be to me.

“Want to bet? Tell me, how do you suppose you’re going to survive without the pack around you?" Alpha Salvatore growled.

Forget weak knees. They’d turned to water. As discreetly as she could, she dropped her butt in one of the chairs in front of her father’s desk. Surely she misunderstood. “Wh-what are you saying?”

“I thought it was fairly clear.” Alpha Salvatore’s doleful stare fixed on Lucia. “If you force me into having to relocate and start over, I’ll be doing it minus one pup.”

Lucia knew her father could be ruthless, but she never thought she’d be on the receiving end of it. No matter how she looked at it, it was a lose-lose situation… for him. “Would you really do that to me?”

Instead of answering, Alpha Salvatore glared at her. “Do you not understand what a privilege it is to be mated to a Lycan? They’re the top predator in the paranormal community. No one fucks with them. Quite honestly, as his mate, your position would be equal to mine.”

Then you mate him. She, of course, didn’t say that outloud. Nor did Lucia point out that her position as a Lycan's mate would make her higher than her father in the paranormal hierarchy. But hey, why borrow trouble?

“Not only that, he’s rich. Incredibly rich,” Alpha Salvatore said.

Dammit, money wasn’t everything. “I would assume so, since he’s a Lycan. Especially this one, since he’s basically nothing more than a modern-day moneylender.”

Everybody knew about their Kind. Once they got obsessed with something, there was no stopping them. They would do anything it took to possess whatever it was they wanted. Most Lycans collected gold and precious gems. But by the gods, she wasn’t a thing.

In the end, it didn’t matter what they collected. They were very possessive of their treasures.

“Lucia, I know you feel like I betrayed—”

The office door slammed open and bounced-back. Mandy slapped her hand on the door, keeping it from hitting her. Her eyes blazed. “You’re giving him to a Lycan? A Lycan? Was it that bastard who was here last night?”

Giving. Ha! Just slap a bow on me and call it a day. Lucia gazed at her sister in amazement, though. She didn’t know whether to shove her out of the room or hug her for her audacity. She sneaked a peek at her father, who also was looking on with an odd mixture of acquiescence and affection.

“Mandy—”

“No!” Mandy stormed into the office and smacked her hands on their father’s desk. She leaned over it. “Why? Why a Lycan?”

Lucia blinked in surprise. Fierceness rolled off Mandy. She’d seen her mad before, but nothing like this. The power surrounding her was impressive. Even she hadn’t known she was capable of this, and they were close.

Why didn’t her father see how perfect she would be as their Alpha? She glanced back at their father, who was now scowling. Oh man. Maybe she should try to defuse the situation before Mandy and their father ended up at each other’s throat.

Lucia exhaled softly. “Because Father owes him a lot of money and can’t pay. He took out a loan, and it’s come due.”

“Still,” Mandy said. “There must be another way to—”

“The choices are mating or leaving. Do you want to get kicked off our pack lands?” Alpha Salvatore demanded. “We would be homeless… all of us. Including you. I’d either have to fight another Alpha in a bid to take over his pack or try to find territory that was unclaimed and start over.”

Mandy straightened and crossed her arms over her chest. “But surely you could—”

“You can’t possibly comprehend how difficult that would be.” Alpha Salvatore paused, then lowered his voice. “I’m not a young wolf anymore, Mandy. I’m not… I’m not sure I could win a challenge now.”

Lucia’s mouth dropped open. Never in a million years had she dreamed she’d hear her father admit to such. She flashed a quick look at Mandy. She appeared to be as dumbstruck as she was. She had to stop this before it went any further.

Besides, it wasn’t like she had much of a choice, especially after she had gotten a whiff of that Lycan.

“I’ll do it.”

Both her father and Mandy turned to her in surprise. Quickly she continued while she had both of their attention on her.

“But, Father, if I do this, I want something in return from you.” Wasn’t there an old human saying about striking while the iron was hot?

Alpha Salvatore’s eyes narrowed. “That depends on what you want.”

“From where I’m sitting, it doesn’t look like you’re in position to bargain with me.”

Lucia knew she was taking a huge chance by saying that, but her father had to understand how serious she was about this.

Her Alpha’s eyebrows rose up until they practically met his hairline. “Is that so?”

“Yes. You admitted something I never thought I’d hear you say, but that also made up my mind. We can’t start over, and I won’t allow the pack to be destroyed over your bad judgment.”

The instinctive need to bare her throat swept through Lucia when her father growled again, but that growl was more one of displeasure than a warning.

“If I mate with this Solomon guy, our pack will be secure. But it still doesn’t answer the question of who will follow you as Alpha. You have the power to change our laws, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Good. Then in return for me doing this, I want you to change the law so females can fight for the Alpha position.” Lucia waved her hand at Mandy, who had dropped down in the chair next to hers. “Tell me, is there anybody else in our pack who’d have the balls to storm in here and confront you? Before you answer that, we both know the answer is no.”

“You… you have no idea… absolutely no idea what you’re asking,” Alpha Salvatore declared, horrified.

“Actually, I do. This won’t be easy for you, but what you’re asking of me isn’t going to be easy either. You need to do this. You know as well as I do she’s more than capable of leading our pack.” Lucia decided it was time to show a little submission to her father. “Please, Father?

Lucia sat quietly while she watched her father’s obvious struggle to come to terms with what she laid out. Mandy, bless all the gods, kept her mouth shut too. The last thing any of them needed was for her to further irritate their already aggravated father.

Finally her father spoke. “It’ll throw the pack into an uproar.”

Lucia wanted to cheer, but she knew better. “So would having to move,” Lucia pointed out, careful to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, although it was a fight.

Alpha Salvatore squinted at Lucia, almost as if he knew of her struggle. Lucia didn’t challenge her father by holding her gaze, but she did focus off to the right of her father’s shoulder instead of bowing her head. This was too important for her to back down.

Mandy crossed her legs and poked Lu6 with the tip of her shoe. “He’s the master of understatement.”

Lucia shot a sheepish look at Mandy, thankful for the lightheartedness she was trying to inject into such a tense moment. “If you want to get a little, you got to give a little.”

Her father chuckled softly, and the tension broke. “How have I missed this stubborn side of yours?”

“Oh, Lucia keeps it well hidden, trust me.” Mandy smirked.

“Says the most stubborn of us all.” Lucia rolled her eyes, then glanced back at hrt father. “Do we have a deal?”

Her father’s sigh was long and loud. There was a wealth of aggravation, but also pride, in that sound. “Very well. I’ll make the announcement before the pack this afternoon about the change to who can hold the Alpha position. In return for that, I want your word that you’ll mate with Solomon Romano.”

Lucia took a deep breath of her own and released it. “You have my word.”

Alpha Salvatore nodded, pleased. “Very well, then. I’m proud of you. You mark my words, this mating will be a profitable one.”

Like that was her main concern. Regardless, Lucia stood and bared her throat in a sign of submission. “Yes, Alpha.”

“Solomon will be here tomorrow afternoon at three to finalize the agreement. Are there any stipulations you want added?”

Lucia paused by the chair she’d been sitting in. “Um, jeez, that sounds rather… I didn’t know… ugh, you’ve kind of caught me off guard. Make it clear to him, though, I want to be able to see my family.”

Alpha Salvatore had opened his laptop and was fiddling with it, but he looked up. “That goes without saying. After he and I settle things, I’ll call you to come in so you can officially meet Solomon.”

Oh goodie. Well, at least she was getting to meet him before they mated. That was worth something, right? Obviously he had been dismissed. “Thank you. Good night, Father.”

“Good night,” he said as he typed on the keyboard.

Lucia walked out of her father’s office with Mandy hot on her heels. Before she could open her mouth, she put her finger up to her lips, shushing her. She grabbed her by the hand and dragged her toward the front door. Fortunately she stopped long enough to grab their coats and scarves on their way out of the house. Several blocks away there was a park their father had set up for pack members. Once they were there, Mandy dropped her hand, whirled, and bear-hugged her.

“Omph!” Lucia braced herself as she suddenly found her arms full of her slightly distraught older sister.

“Oh gods, oh gods, please tell me he didn’t force you into this.” Mandy reared back.

“You didn’t do this because of me, did you? I mean, you know how desperately I want to be Alpha, but please tell me you didn’t sacrifice yourself for me.” There were tears on Mandy’s cheeks.

Lucia’s shoulders slumped. She could count on one hand how many times she’d seen her oldest sister cry. “Not just for you, no.”

“Lucia —”

“Look, I had a choice to make, and I made it. Father said if I didn’t mate with that Lycan, she’d kick me out of the pack.” she hurried through her speech when she saw Mandy clench her fists. “But that’s not the reason why.”

Mandy growled. “Then why?”

“You were in there. You must have seen what I saw. I love our father dearly, even though he can be an arrogant ass, but I can’t remember ever seeing him look—”

“Afraid,” Mandy said softly. “Truly afraid.”

Lucia nodded. “Yes. Afraid. I’ve never thought about how hard it would be to not only uproot a pack of our size, but then search for unclaimed territory. And why would I? We’ve never been in a situation like this. I can’t imagine how overwhelming that would be, not to mention disruptive. Stressful. Even frightening.”

“Or challenging another Alpha for his territory.”

“Which would come with a headache of its own if our father won. He’d have to combine that pack with ours. Those kinds of transitions are never easy, or so I’ve heard.”

“No, I don’t imagine it would be,” Mandy said. “There would be a lot of resentment. Come on. Let’s go sit down.” She walked over to a bench and sat. “Still, are you sure you want to do this?”

Lucia sat next to her, and the chill of the wood promptly soaked through her pants. “It really doesn’t matter what I want, does it? It’s done.”

Mandy hugged her again, just as fiercely as she did the first time. “Thank you. Thank you for stipulating the change in pack law. I almost swallowed my tongue when you started bargaining with our father.”

Lucia looped her arm around Mandy’s shoulders, chuckling softly in remembrance of the look on her father’s face. “He did look kind of surprised, didn’t he?”

Mandy laughed softly, then sat up, shoving her hair out of her face. “I’ll say. It was almost worth all this to see the shock on his face. Seriously, maybe if he spent more time with us, he would know us better.”

“Honestly, though, we can’t really complain. He’s never mistreated any of us,” Lucia said. Well, short of selling me off, but hey, that’s what arranged marriages are all about.

“No, he hasn’t.” Mandy stared across the park. “But status is too important to him also. I wish he’d join this century and get with modern times.”

Personally, Lucia agreed. She also looked out across the park.. “Hey, I got him to promise he’d change pack law. I would say that’s a huge step.”

“You’re right, he did do that.” A slight smile crossed Mandy’s face. “I about fell out of my chair when he said he would.”

“Now that would’ve been worth seeing.”

Mandy snickered but then got serious again. “Are you going to be okay?”

Lucia shrugged. “Aren’t I always?”

They talked for a little while, until finally Mandy decided to return home. Lucia wasn’t quite ready to go back, so she stayed behind—she needed some time alone. What she hadn’t told Mandy, and what she’d struggled to hide, was her fear of this mating. The Lycan was her mate, but still.

She couldn’t remember the last time a werewolf paired with anything other than another werewolf or a human, though. This was unprecedented, and if that wasn’t bad enough, her father was right in the respect that Lycans were the top predators. Often said to be unyielding, harsh, and cold, they were basically Alpha werewolves times ten.

Lucia didn’t want such as a mate. Hell, she didn’t want any mate, but especially not a Lycan. She dreamed of someone who would sweep her off her feet, give her the romance she so desperately wanted. Was it too much to ask to be wined and dined?

She wanted flowers, sweet words, soft music, and rose petals on silken sheets. Then she blushed as she thought about that last request.

While werewolves were sexually active—and didn’t have the hang-ups about sexuality the humans did—Omegas were kept virgins until they mated. She wasn’t exactly sure why, but it had to do with some silly belief stemming back to the Middle Ages. Supposedly their virginity increased their value as a mate, or some silly nonsense.

Lucia rolled her eyes as she stood and walked home. That was so yesterday. She’d chafed at the restrictions set by her parents, but she’d honored their wishes.Oh, she’d snuck out and played around some, experimenting with blow jobs and hand jobs, but that was all. Which was why, when she dreamed, she dreamed of romance and a knight in shining armor.

Never once did it cross her mind that she’d be getting the Lycan instead of the knight.

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