Chapter Two

(Lena’s POV)

It still didn’t register in my mind, what exactly did my father mean?

Married?

“This is all some kind of lie, isn’t it?” I asked and my mother shook her head.

“That’s why you’ve been summoned here”

“No, it can’t be true... father!”, I felt the panic rising, I knew my parents didn’t like me, but this was too far, exchanging me for money was cruel, even for them too.

“Remember you are doing this for the pack, for all of us, we would be free of the debts we owe the other packs”

“You have no right to marry me off to settle your debts, I’ll find my mate....”

My father stood to his feet, looking furious. “I am your father and your Alpha, I have every right to do so”

“But... but what about my mate?”

“Cut the Crap”, my mother said to me, “You didn’t find your mate when you turned eighteen, maybe he is out there with someone better or he is dead, sorry to break it to you, but you might never find him”

I didn’t know why it always came as a shock to me when I hear the hate in my parent’s voice, I should be used to this by now, but I wasn’t. When I turned eighteen just like every other girl, I had gone to the ball to find my mate, but never found him, I had also visited neighbouring packs but still nothing, my parents weren’t shocked, the subject about mates was one touching thing I never wanted to speak about and they knew it.

“My mate will find me, I would not marry Damien”

My father slammed his fist against the metal table separating us, creating a dent on it and I backed away.

“You should count yourself lucky Lena, that an Alpha wants you, you are nothing but a weak wolf, maybe that’s why you would never find your mate. I always wanted a male child, a child to take over as the pack, but what did I get?, you and I would no longer be able to have a child, you are cursed, you are the cause of everything, if only you never came to this world, our chances wouldn’t have been destroyed. Alpha Damien promised to take over the pack after I am gone if the need be, he would train our soldiers and unite our pack to his, you think this was what I wanted?, you think I want to hand over my pack?, I wanted a son, you have always been nothing but a waste, useless to the pack and in every other aspect and now you have this once chance to redeem yourself, to put yourself into use and still yet you greedily wouldn’t do it?”

“This is not greed, it is my life and you know he would kill me, you know what he does to women like me, I would not survive a week with him, you know that too and still yet you want to give me to him like some kind of payment?”

“So what?, you die for the pack, isn’t that a honour!” he was screaming now, but so was I.

“He killed his own mate!, what do you think he would do to me?” I cried out

“Those are only rumours, it might be false Lena”

“We both know this has nothing to do with the pack, you are the greedy one, greedy for power and money, that’s all this is all about and I refuse to marry a monster”

In the next second, I was against the wall, my father hands on my throat, choking me, somehow he had covered the distance and gotten to me before I could flee. My mother watched me with that ugly look on her face, she wouldn’t care if my father kills me here, I had learnt to stop calling out for her, hoping for her pity, I had learnt that if I would escape, I would have to do it all on my own, so I struggled with all the strength I had but of course that doesn’t even move him one bit, he watched me, a sick smile on his face.

“Weak and worthless”, he muttered before letting me go, I grasped at my throat, inhaling deeply, my father had hit me before, I remembered the first time he did lay hands on me, he had been surprised at his own act, but then a smile pulled on his lips- he had liked it and so he hit me again and again, behind closed doors and mother never came to my rescue. I knew why he wouldn’t hit me now, he didn’t want any mark on my face, not when I was finally going to be of use to him.

 “This is what would happen. Marry him, become his Luna and have the honour of your pack and also our honour or refuse and you would be banished from this pack. And trust me, out there is dangerous for a weakling like you, if you choose to disgrace me this one more time, I would make sure you regret it for the rest of your life”

“You can’t do that to me, I am your daughter” I cried, he didn’t need me mentioning that to him over and over, he regretted having me, so being his daughter changes nothing. 

“And that’s why you should marry him, that is your only choice, Lena”