The name Alpha Dalton Winter, from Crescent Moon pack was infamous, he was the most dangerous and vicious Alpha in this realm.
Even three days and three nights wouldn't be enough to recount the extremities of his cruelty.
From how he killed his father to get to his position as the alpha, then shunning away his brother, who was supposed to be the next alpha of the pack, to how he conquered other packs and made them part of his own territory.
And now, the Crescent Moon pack was the biggest pack in the east, thanks to him and no one would be daring enough to even entertain the thought of messing with a member of this pack.
Meera Arcane, the daughter of Alpha Obel Arcane from the Riverside pack, had heard so many such tales in passing. And, like any other teenager around her age, she would be surprised and frown upon hearing Alpha Dalton's cruelty, but then she would go on with her life.
That would have been her reaction yet again if it was not for the fact she was to be sent to the Crescent Moon pack to be Alpha Dalton's bride.
"No!" Meera rejected that idea vehemently. "Why? Why should it be me?" She stood up from her seat, staring at her father with wide eyes.
Meera was not a confrontational person, she was a pacifist, but this news was simply too much for her to handle calmly.
"Meera," Obel called her name in a deep sigh, indicating that he would give her all the explanation that she wanted to hear and argue for as long as she wanted, but in the end, the result would not have any change and it was as clear as day. "Who should I send?"
Meera pressed her lips tightly when she heard that.
Alpha Obel had two daughters and two sons and Meera was his second child. She was his oldest daughter, while Meera's sister was only ten years old, there was no way Silvana could be sent in her stead.
"Is it because of the reinforcements that they sent to us when we were being attacked by Black Claw pack?" she asked in a low voice, but her father could hear her perfectly. "You can pay for the assistance according to what is written in the agreement."
The attack happened three days ago and if it was not for the assistance from Crescent Moon pack, they would have been done for. This pack would have ceased to exist in this realm at once as all the men would be killed while the women and children would be lowered to the status of omegas, just like any other battle, the losers would suffer an unimaginable loss.
"Meera, we can't afford the honorarium, you know that," Obel reiterated tiredly. He massaged his temple. "Forgive me for putting you in this position."
Yes, they indeed couldn't afford to pay that.
Even though they won the battle and their pack was safe right now, the aftermath of it was too huge, and so much more than they could ever imagine.
"We can't afford to pay them and we can't afford to wrong Alpha Dalton either," Obel stated curtly. He then stood up and approached his daughter, who was still in shock upon hearing this news. "Forgive your father for this." He pulled her closer and hugged her tighter.
This was not an easy decision to make. How could a father give away his daughter to such an Alpha?
Albeit, Obel didn't really believe those rumors about Alpha Dalton, he met him once a few days ago after the battle and somehow, he found he had no choice but to believe them then.
There was something dangerous and feral about him, he looked more like a beast than human.
As a shifter, you have to balance your human side and your feral side, but alpha Dalton, without a doubt, didn't have that kind of balance within him.
His beast side was too strong.
"Rumors said he killed his own mate…" Meera whimpered against his chest and this made Alpha Obel feel helpless.
Alpha Obel rubbed his daughter's back, but his hands were tied. If he were to back away from this and angered Alpha Dalton, it would only take five minutes for them to wipe out this entire pack. The risk was too high, many people would lose their lives in that battle.
"That's only a rumor, don't believe that," Obel said, but that just sounded like him trying to justify his actions and calm his own mind. "Not every rumor is true."
However, there could be no rumors without a cause. Because there would be no smoke without fire.
Obel didn't say his last statement out loud, because he wanted to believe his decision was right and he didn't want to scare Meera.
She was the most obedient child, someone who was always calm and very rarely gave him trouble. She could understand this, right?
=======================
Meera couldn't close her eyes, she didn't sleep even for a second, because this was her last night in this pack house, because once the sun appeared in the horizon, she needed to leave to the Crescent Moon pack along with Alpha Dalton, his beta and also a few of his pack members, while the rest would stay behind, until this pack was back to being stable.
Only then, Alpha Dalton would withdraw the members of his pack.
"Meera, are you awake?"
Her father's voice echoed inside the room.
Meera pushed herself up from the bed and then staggered toward the door. She felt her head aching so badly right now, she couldn't think straight.
When the attack happened three days ago, most of the people were evacuated to the hideout, including her mother, the Luna of this pack, along with her sister and her little brother.
While William, her older brother stayed behind to help their father.
"Yes, father?" Meera opened the door and saw her father looking at her with concern in his eyes, it was clear to see that he didn't have a good night's sleep either.
"Alpha Dalton wants to see you," he said.