I didn't want to go back, but the thought of Vivian's whip left me no choice. As I pulled up to the house, I could hear music and laughter spilling out onto the lawn. The last thing I wanted was to face a crowd, but I had no choice.
I made my way upstairs to change, pausing outside Clara's room. The door was ajar, "Oh, baby, you're amazing, I love you so much. Yes, just keep sucking on it." The voices from inside made my blood seem to freeze, it was Loki, my boyfriend, no, my ex-boyfriend. Immediately after, my sister's moans were heard.My stomach churned.
Suddenly, a presence bloomed in my mind – warm, comforting, and distinctly lupine. Phoebe? I thought, scarcely daring to hope.
Hello, Freya, came the reply, tinged with exhaustion but undeniably there. I'm sorry I'm late.
Joy surged through me, momentarily eclipsing the pain of the day. You're here! You're really here!
I am, Phoebe confirmed. And that boy in there? He's not your mate. You deserve far better.
Before I could respond, Phoebe's presence faded, leaving behind a faint warmth. She was still weak, still developing, but she was mine.
Buoyed by this new development, I changed quickly and made my way downstairs. The living room was packed with pack members, all offering congratulations that felt more like condolences after the disastrous ceremony.
I was picking at a plate of food when Clara sidled up to me, her eyes glittering with malice. "Oh, Freya," she cooed. "I hope you're not too upset about Loki. But really, what did you expect? A strong wolf like him, settling for someone like you?"
I opened my mouth to retort, to tell her about Phoebe, when my father's voice boomed across the room.
"Everyone, may I have your attention please?" The room fell silent as Salazar raised his glass. "Today, we not only celebrate Freya's graduation but also a new chapter for our family and our pack."
My heart sank as Vivian stepped forward, a predatory smile on her face. "Freya," she said, her voice sickly sweet. "We have wonderful news. You're to be mated to Alpha King Fenris of the Shadowfang Pack!"
The room erupted in gasps and murmurs. I stood there, frozen in shock, as Vivian continued. "Your father has arranged everything. This union will save our family's standing in the pack. Isn't it wonderful?"
"No," I whispered, then louder, "No! I won't do it!"
The room fell silent once more. My father's face darkened with anger. "You will do as you're told, girl. This isn't up for discussion."
"But why?" I pleaded, looking around the room for any sign of support. "Why me?"
It was Vivian who answered, her voice dripping with venom. "Your father gambled away our status, you ungrateful brat. This is the only way to save us from exile. You should be thanking us for this opportunity!"
"Opportunity?" I laughed bitterly. "To be sold off like cattle? I won't do it. I refuse!"
The slap came out of nowhere, my father's hand connecting with my cheek with enough force to send me stumbling. "You will do as you're told," he growled, his eyes flashing with anger.
Before I could recover, Vivian was on me, her claws digging into my arm as she dragged me toward the basement door. "Perhaps some time to think will change your mind," she hissed.
I tightly grabbed the doorknob, "No, no, I'm an adult, I have the right to decide my own affairs." The response I received was a clear crack of a whip, of course, lashed across my forearm. "Even though you're an adult, you still have to listen to me." Vivian sneered. One, two, three, my arm was quickly disfigured. I couldn't hold back and let go of my hand.
The last thing I saw before the door slammed shut was Clara's smug face, victory written in every line of her body.
The darkness of the basement was suffocating, but not as much as the weight of the future that had been thrust upon me. Three days had passed since I'd been locked away, my stomach a hollow pit of hunger and despair. I'd refused all food and water, my silent protest against this forced mating.
Phoebe, my newly awakened wolf, whimpered weakly in the back of my mind. We need to eat, she pleaded.
No, I thought back stubbornly. I won't give them the satisfaction.
But as the hours ticked by, my resolve weakened along with my body. On the third day, my vision began to swim, the cold concrete floor rushing up to meet me.
I awoke to the feeling of a cool cloth on my forehead and the worried face of my father hovering above me. We were in my bedroom, sunlight streaming through the open curtains.
"Freya," he said, his voice gruff but tinged with concern. "You're awake. How do you feel?"
I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness forced me back down. "Weak," I admitted. "How long was I...?"
"Three days," he replied, helping me sip some water. "You fainted in the basement. I... I shouldn't have let it go on so long."
I studied his face, searching for any sign of the coldness I'd grown accustomed to. Instead, I saw worry lines etched deep around his eyes and mouth. "Why did you let me out?" I asked cautiously.
He sighed heavily, running a hand through his graying hair. "Because you're my daughter, Freya. And I... I've failed you in so many ways."
The admission stunned me into silence. For years, I'd longed to hear any kind of acknowledgment from him. Now that it had come, I didn't know how to respond.
"I know this arranged mating isn't what you want," he continued. "But please understand, it's our only option. The Shadowfang Pack is powerful, and this alliance could save us all."
I wanted to argue, to rail against the injustice of it all. But the genuine concern in his eyes stopped me. For the first time in years, I felt a flicker of the fatherly love I'd been starved for.
"But I promise," my father's eyes were filled with love, "if you don't want to, I will try my best to mediate this matter. Before you agree, I will never let you go."
In the next few days, I rested in my room to recover. My father came to see me every day, bringing me pineapple pie that he had made himself. He said it was my mother's favorite dessert, though I don't remember it. I was only one year old when she passed away.
But that day,as I finished the last bite, a strange heaviness settled over me. The room began to spin, and I struggled to focus on my father's face.