AMARIS STORME
"This is what you are meant for as a woman, to get married and breed heir, now wipe that fucking scowl off your face and be happy you weren't auctioned off,"
Those words echoed in my head all through the journey to Gravemoon pack, those were the words of my beloved father who had just sold me off to be married to an Alpha twice my age.
I took in a deep breath, this couldn't be possibly worse than the life I had in the stormshadow pack with an abusive father, five narcissistic brothers and a pack who had no regard for women at all. At least now I would get to be Luna.
I know this looked like a death sentence but for me this was freedom. In whatever shape or form.
"We will be arriving at the Gravemoon pack in five minutes Luna Amaris Storme," the chauffeur who had been sent to pick me up by the Gravemoon pack announced in a cold tone.
I took in another breath, this time deeper. I would soon be Luna, to a man I know nothing about other than he is feared by everyone in the realm because of his power and influence. A man I have never seen but heard cautionary tales about how he slayed and decapitated people for simply just going against him. A man who had agreed to marry me because my gambling addict father owed him a lot of money and it was either me or lose his pack.
Of course my father picked to sell me off. Apparently Alpha Corvin needed a Luna because his fated mate died years back and it wasn't customary for an Alpha to stay without a Luna.
"We are here Luna Amaris,"
I glanced ahead and the sight before me was breathtakingly beautiful; magnificent to say the least. The Gravemoon Pack was stupidly beautiful. Not the cute kind. The intimidating kind.
Stone, glass, endless green, everything lined up too perfectly, like even the grass had performance anxiety. I grew up around money, but this was a different flavor of rich which didn't brag because it already knows it can buy the bragging rights.
The car screeched to a stop in front of what I could define as a fairly tale mansion where one of those ball gown wearing princesses waited for Prince Charming to come save them. My jaw dropped at the sight, at the essence and aura this place possessed.
Well, being Luna in this castle didn't sound bad at all. The chauffeur opened the door to the passenger seat and I stepped out, straightening the floral dress that I had worn which had wrinkled during the course of the trip and gave him a polite smile as he took my hands. The soothing atmosphere hit me, even the air smelled like money.
"Thank you," I said to the chauffeur as I stood firmly before this heaven-like estate.
Wow. This is my new home. It felt all real to me now. I am now Luna. For the last couple of days, I had thought about this like a death sentence but now it didn't seem so bad.
I have heard that men who were of age knew how to treat women better and they were also good in bed, but I wouldn't even know what that would be like because I had never been with any man before.
What would he expect of me? Would he be disappointed due to my lack of experience in fulfilling my duties as his mate.
"Luna Amaris Storme," I heard my name being called out, startling me from my crazy thoughts.
I saw a man with black suit and orange tie approaching me, he had a weary smile and an age line which made him look even better. He was tall, maybe six feet and his hair had not even a single strand out of place.
"Alpha Corvin?" I asked with a shaky voice and he gave me a half smile and shook his head.
"No, I am Beta Marcus Reed, the chauffeur would take your things up to your room, come with me the Alpha is waiting for you in his study," he motioned for me to follow him and he walked into the house which I now deemed fit to be called a palace.
"Hope your trip was hassle free?" He asked as we made our way through the hallway but I was too distracted by the sight before me to answer him.
my brain quietly gave up trying to act normal. The place was massive without feeling crowded, all tall ceilings and open space.
There were art pieces and sculptures, but not the loud, showy kind. These looked chosen, not collected.
"Luna Amaris," Marcus called out, startling me from my trance-like infatuation for this place.
"Sorry, oh yes, it was okay." I stuttered. "I apologize, I am taken aback. This place is really beautiful,"
"Yeah, it has similar effect on new comer, the Alpha is a man of taste and considering what this place have been through, he didn't want it reflected by the building,"
Been through? What did he mean by that? But before I could ask he suddenly stopped walking abruptly and turned to face me, his face seemed more stern and his expression unreadable.
"Amaris," he started, my name sounding more like a warning than an identity. "I need you to know that the Gravemoon pack hardly opens its door to outsider because of past betrayal so don't take it personal if they need time adjusting,"
"What do you mean?" I asked, scared already that I might have been thrusted to another hellhole.
"Amaris, it will be hard for you here. This marriage is just a thing of convenience so don't expect celebration, just do your best to do as you are told and perform your duty as the Luna, is that clear?"
"Yes," I muttered in a shaky voice, unable to comprehend what he meant by "Hard". My life has always been hard.
How harder could it get?
He resumed walking and I followed him now, my step slower as my leg felt weak.
He stopped at a door slightly opened which led to what I would describe as a chamber. "The Alpha is in there," he didn't even wait for my response before veering around and walking away.
I let out an exasperated breath.
This is my life now, Amaris suck it up, you have been through worse. I tried to affirm to myself while pushing the door open revealing the big study filled with books, shelves and more books. And standing before me in front of the desk a man who I assume, was the man I am to be mated to.
Alpha Corvin!
He did not look up immediately, and somehow that made him more intimidating, not less. He stood with one hand braced on the desk, shoulders broad, posture straight without trying.
His hair was dark with a touch of silver at the temples, not old, just worn in a way that suggested responsibility more than age. His face was sharp, like he did not waste expressions.
When he finally lifted his eyes to me, they were steady and heavy at the same time, like he was used to people changing their minds under that gaze. He was dressed simply, dark shirt, sleeves rolled once, but nothing about him felt casual.
I gulped in, "Alpha Corvin," I whispered more to myself than to him.
"Amaris, sit down, we have a lot to discuss," he said in a cold tone, almost void of emotions. Not exactly the response I was expecting.
"Discuss?"
"Yes discuss Amaris," he motioned for me to sit down, his gaze not leaving me like he was accessing me.
"We are to be mated by the pack law Amaris but let's be clear," he walked towards me, his presence becoming more intimidating as he closed the distance between us and towered over me.
He leaned in, I could feel his hot breath on my face, and with a detached tone, he muttered, "I want absolutely nothing to do with you as a Luna or as a woman," he glared at me and that was when I saw the darkness in his eyes, the reason he was feared. I swallowed hard.
That was when I realized, I had not walked into hell, no this was worse, almost sinister. This was the devil's playground and I would soon be his toy.