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Forced into Marriage by the Rescued Alpha

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Episode 9

I had no strength...

I just wanted to lie there...

I hear some knocks on the front door.

Adrian had gone to work, and obviously, I wasn't speaking to him.

He would call me to eat, I'd come down, eat, and go back to my room.

It was clear to him that he was feeling guilty but didn’t want to admit it. And I cared very little.

He was making it clear that I was only there because of Dark and not him, so he had no obligation to be nice to me, and obviously, I wouldn’t be nice to him.

I leave my room and go down the stairs towards the door.

As soon as I open it, I see a woman, a bit shorter than me, with delicate features and long red hair.

She was holding the hand of a small child.

"Hi!" she says with a friendly smile. "I'm Anne, Zade's wife, one of the alphas and a friend of Adrian. I don't know if he mentioned I would be stopping by for us to shop..."

"He mentioned..." I murmur.

"Great! I just need to drop Kyle at school, and then we'll go... I thought you might want to join me, so we can get to know each other better," she says, smiling.

She had a sweet and gentle voice, just like her features...

I hesitate...

Can we trust her?

She seems to be a good person and is offering to help me...

It seems I'm destined to stay here, so it’s better to accept; I need the help...

"Sure..." I say a bit shyly. "I’ll just put on my shoes."

I grab my boots, put them on, and head back to the door.

"Ready?" she asks, and I nod, closing the door behind me.

We walk down the streets, and indeed... it was beautiful here during the day, even with the snow...

I had never seen anything like it... houses so well-organized and beautifully built...

These were things I read about in books, but I never thought I would actually see...

All of them had a rustic aspect, just like mine, which made everything even more beautiful...

In fact, the architecture of the houses was practically the same...

"Thank you for the clothes... Adrian told me you lent them to me..." I say.

"No need to thank me. Whenever you need, I’ll be happy to help," she answers, smiling.

"Thank you..."

We walk in silence, only her child mumbling some unintelligible things due to his age.

"How old is he?" I ask.

"Four years old."

"You said you're taking him to school? Don’t you teach him at home?" I inquire.

"No... we have schools here... Starting at four years old, they receive education, you know... to read, write, form a profession, learn to control the wolf, to transform..." she explains, and I nod, absorbing everything. "You've never been to school?" she asks, and I shake my head.

"My father taught me everything I know... from reading to hunting..." I reply.

"And your mother?" she asks.

"She passed away when she gave birth to me..."

"I'm sorry... it must have been difficult growing up without a maternal figure..." she says, and I agree. "Look... I know it can't be easy for you, and I know Adrian and Dark aren’t the easiest to live with. So whenever you need a friend, just look for me," she says, smiling softly.

Friend...

I didn't know what it was like to have someone else to rely on...

"And don’t worry, Adrian told me everything; your secret is safe with me," she whispers, then her son babbles something. "And with Kyle too," she says, giggling lightly.

"When you say he told everything, you mean..."

"About you being... human," she simply mouths the last word.

He... why would he do that?

He must trust her a lot to tell her this.

"Don't you have others here...?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

"No, dear... it would be too dangerous..." she replies. "Let's just say humans are too greedy... that’s why we exist... because of humans' greed."

"So why am I here? Why didn’t he leave me there?"

"It's not that simple... Dark chose you... I think there's a reason behind it; that wolf is very astute..." My heart races.

Could it be that Dark...

No, he couldn't...

"And I also think it wasn’t just Dark... But of course, Adrian is too stubborn to admit it, but at least this way he dismisses that witch once and for all," she says.

"Witch?" I ask, confused.

"Yes... Melany," she whispers to me. "She's the daughter of one of the alphas on the council, Maxus. She's crazy about Adrian, but it's obvious that it's just for interest, and everyone knows her father has a hand in it..."

"Why would she be with Adrian for interest?" I ask. "If he’s just another alpha?"

"Adrian Hayes isn’t just another alpha. The Hayes family is the oldest of them all. The first Hayes served directly under the supreme, being his right hand. As the years went by, the Hayes family continued to serve directly to the supremes, and when the last supremes disappeared, the Hayes took over the position, having the highest authority in the entire South village... In summary, it’s as if Adrian is a king," she explains.

Everything has an explanation.

That’s why he thinks he can do anything, and why the word ‘no’ doesn’t exist in his vocabulary...

"You said the supremes disappeared... Do you have any idea where they are?" I ask.

"None... Some think they died; others think they are in the North village, others think they are among us, and some believe they are too far away... It’s hard to know; the supremes can hide their wolves, and that way, it’s impossible to tell..." she says.

We arrive at school.

It is practically a huge white house with several windows.

Anne leaves Kyle with a woman who must be the teacher, says goodbye, and walks toward me.

We walk together along the cobblestone streets covered in snow.

"And you? Where do you think the supremes are?" I ask.

She stops for a moment.

"In the beginning... I thought the supremes were just legends... Then I simply didn’t understand why they would flee... But today..." She looks at me. "I think they are closer than we imagine."

I swallow hard...

"But that’s something we have to wait and see... it could be that we never have a supreme again..." she says.

"Are they really that important?"

"They are essential... first to keep order... Furthermore, they possess unique strength, and they are truly lethal... They don’t just lead; they also represent the strength and stability of the wolves. Their absence leaves a void that affects not only our social structure but also our security and protection. Without the supremes, we are more vulnerable to external and internal threats... The North village tries at all costs to take us down... Whether it’s attacking the packs outside the village or coming after us directly... So yes, the supremes would instill morale... I’ve heard stories of a supreme who single-handedly took down an army..."

"Well... maybe the supremes faced some kind of threat, something that forced them to flee for their safety," I suggest, trying to keep a gentle tone. "Sometimes, even the most powerful can feel vulnerable."

Anne seems to consider this possibility.

"It’s an interesting theory," she finally replies. "If it's true, I hope the supremes are safe wherever they are... and that if they can, they find their way back..." She looks at me with a sad smile. "We need them..."

I feel my heart tighten in a way that causes a strange discomfort.

I just nod in agreement...

As we walk through the center, Anne greets everyone around us warmly, with a gentle smile, and obviously, everyone looks at me suspiciously.

The sensation of those gazes burned against my skin as we walked.

I lower my head, curling into my coat, trying my best to remain unnoticed.

When we enter the store, the looks continue, but I try to concentrate on what I came here to do, so I can leave as quickly as possible.

I carefully picked up each item, thoughtfully selecting the clothes that would serve me in the coming days. Shirts, pants, coats... everything I needed to rebuild myself after losing everything. Each piece I held represented a new chance, a fresh start....

When I finished gathering everything, I took it to the checkout.

“What’s the payment method?” the attendant asked.

“Uh... can you put it in the name of Adrian...” I murmured.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that...”

“You can put it in the name of Adrian, Veronica. She’s his fiancee,” Anne said calmly, and my eyes widened.

“Adrian is engaged?” The attendant, named Veronica, repeated in shock.

“Uh-huh, and he wanted to make sure his fiancee bought everything new... you know how he is,” Anne explained.

“He’s a good kid and has been an exceptional leader. I’m glad he found a partner,” she said with a smile that seemed genuine. “Congratulations to the couple.”

“T-thank you...” I murmured, nodding as I picked up the bags.

Heavens, I wasn’t like this....

I felt uncomfortable, vulnerable, embarrassed....

Would this feeling ever pass?

“Do you need anything else?” Anne asked.

“Some personal hygiene products...” I replied.

“Then it’s this way...” she said.

When we arrived at the store, I noticed everything was natural...

I looked at the hair products... they used the same recipe I used... the same recipe my father had taught me...

I grabbed everything I would need.

“Anything else?” she asked.

“Vanilla oil... I have a habit of using it after a shower...” I said.

“I'll get that for you,” she replied with a slight smile.

We gathered everything I needed, checked out, and the same thing happened again.

They discovered that I was Adrian's "fiancee," and they were surprised and happy....

From there, Anne insisted we stop by the bakery for coffee or something similar...

We placed our orders and sat down at a table.

“You said your father taught you everything... where is he?” Anne asked.

“He passed away five years ago...” I replied.

“I’m so sorry.... do you mind telling me how it happened?” she inquired.

“He.... was attacked by wolves.... When we were hunting, some wolves surrounded us.... He tried to protect me, but... they ended up injuring him.... He managed to kill them, but he didn’t survive the wounds....” I murmured, looking into the distance.

“You said it was wolves, right?....”

I glanced around and leaned in closer to her.

“Wolves like Adrian... big ones with blue eyes...... there were so many... and there were yellow-eyed ones too, the betas,” I whispered.

She narrowed her eyes.

“Do you think they thought you were part of a pack?” she asked.

I swallowed hard, my breath becoming slightly labored.

Why did I feel like I could trust her?

Adrian wouldn’t say that casually to her if she wasn’t trustworthy.... especially with Adrian being as important as he was...

“Actually—”

“Darling!” I heard a man’s voice interrupting me, and we both turned in that direction.

A man approached us and placed a gentle kiss on Anne’s forehead, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

“Ayla, this is Zade, my husband,” she said proudly.