Ellen was reading a book in her room when a knock came on her door. "I thought Anna said she had something to do" she thought as she made her way to the door.
She twisted the doorknob and doing the door open thinking it was Anna but to her surprise, it was Gina, the head maid of the palace.
"The Alpha asks to see you" she spoke with the same disgusted time that everyone used when speaking to Ellen.
"I'll be right there" Ellen replied and slammed the door on her face before she could say anything else.
"Dad wants to see me?" She thought, she hasn't spoken with her father in a long time as he also believed that she murdered her own sister.
Nevertheless, she dismissed her suspicions and quickly got dressed to see her father. She wore a pink gown that her father used to love on her. He would always shower her with complements anytime he saw her in the dress and she hoped that this time would be no different.
She quickly left for the throne room so as not to keep her father waiting, there she met him with the council of elders.
She knew that something serious must had happened for her father to have called her on the presence of the council of elders. "Could it be because of what of what happened at the remembrance?" She thought but quickly dismissed the thought as that was not a good reason for them to request for her presence.
She bowed respectfully in front of the Alpha and kept her eyes low so as not to lock gaze with any of the hateful stares that were being thrown at her by the elders.
"You called for me" she said when no one seemed to talk. "Yes I did, we have good news" the Alpha paused to study her expression but that was hard to do since she had her head bowed and even if she didn't, she had become hard to read these days.
"We got a proposal from the Lunar Pack", Ellen recognized the pack to be the one from which her sister's mate hailed.
He and her late sister were madly in love and he was one of the people who had demanded that she be killed for murdering her sister.
Sometimes Ellen wondered why her father still kept her alive when though he didn't have an atom of love left for her.
"He wants the two packs to form an alliance" the Alpha started firmly and paused as if to give her time to process what he had said.
Ellen knew what an alliance was, it was when two packs joined force together thereby making their affairs one. One pack's problem would be the other pack's problem and their battle the others battle.
But Ellen also knew that an alliance usually came with some kind of item that would be a symbol of both pack's unity. 'is father planning to marry someone from the Lunar Pack?' she thought.
When she saw that her father made no sign of explaining further, she raised her head and asked "but what does that have to do with me father?".
She heard an elder scoff and another say that she was rude but that was the least of her problems. She just wanted to get back to her room and finish reading the book she left on her bed.
"To seal the alliance, I have agreed to give up your hand in marriage to Alpha Garret" her father dropped the bomb causing her to choke on nothing.
She opened her mouth to prettiest but the Alpha got her off by saying "and just so you know, it's an order, not a request".
Ellen felt wronged, how would her father marry her off to her sister's mate, someone who a year ago was demanding that she be killed. What would people think of her. "She should be happy, she's finally going to get what she has always wanted" Elder Evans said to Ellen's hearing.
"But Alph-pha, it's wr-rong" she muttered, her voice cracked from the tears that she was struggling to hold back.
"I'm sure I made myself clear that you have no say in this!" The Alpha snapped. "THIS IS ABOUT ME! HOW CAN YOU DAY THAT I HAVE NO SAY IN IT?" Ellen didn't realise when she raised her voice.
Everyone including the Alpha was shocked at the sudden outburst. "Remember who you're talking to, I'm an the Alpha and whatever I say is final!" The Alpha retorted.
Ellen just glared at him, unable to say anything more. What was there to say? Nothing she said would change her stubborn father's decision.
She spun on her heels and ran out of the hall ignoring the Alpha's calls. "What a rude girl, walking out on the Alpha!" One elder said. "Isn't this forced marriage enough of a punishment?" Elder Ali asked and rolled his eyes.
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Ellen ran out of the palace, she ran as fast as her legs could go not minding the stares that she was getting from passerbys.
She stopped in front of a bar and wiped her tears off her face before going in.
The bartender was shocked to see her walk in. "One shot of vodka" she ordered and dropped a bundle of cash on the counter.
The bartender grabbed the cash from the counter and got to work, he returned with a shot of vodka.
Ellen gulped down the vodka and ordered another one, then another until she was so drunk that she could no longer feel her face.
She began to mumble incoherent words and sob silently. Everyone watched her, no one daring to move closer to her.
She ordered yet another shot of vodka and the bartender passed it to her. She gulped it down and was about to place another one when she realized that she didn't have enough money to pay for another shot.
"I hate you Ellen" she muttered and placed her head on the counter.