Chapter 4: A Fortnight to Chains

“Aria.”

My father’s called on me across the great hall, I stopped mid-way and turned towards him. I just returned from training, my whole body ached from the rigorous training of the day.

“Yes, Father,” I said, walking forward. My pulse pounding in my ears.

He didn’t waste a breath. “You will be wed to Alpha Malrick in a fortnight. Prepare yourself.”

The words struck me harder than any blow Aunt Luma had ever delivered. For a moment, I thought I didn't hear correctly. “What?”

“You heard me,” he said, voice steady as stone. “The union is agreed. The contract is sealed. In two weeks’ time, you will be his wife.”

“No.” The word slipped out before I could think. My body trembled. “Father, you can’t—”

“I can. And I have.” He said, his eyes cold and hard. “This marriage secures our pack’s future. Malrick’s power grows, and with it, so must our alliances. You will do your duty.”

My mouth went dry. I really thought it was s joke. That it would never come to this. But I should have known better. My father is a man known for his ruthlessness. My heart beat faster. “No, Father, please. Not Malrick. You know what he is. You know what he does to his women.”

He cut me off with a raised hand. “Enough.”

But I didn’t stop. I kept begging. “He’s cruel! Everyone knows it. He doesn’t want a wife, he wants a possession, a breeding mare for heirs and nothing more. You’d give me to that monster? After everything—”

“You will not speak of your husband that way!” My father thundered his voice echoed through the hall. My knees became weak but I forced myself to stand upright.

“Father!” I broke into tears. “I am your daughter. I am not a bargaining chip! You can't do this to me.”

He didn't bulge. “You forget yourself, Aria. You forget your place. You were born to serve the pack, not yourself.”

His words broke my heart, but I stood my ground. “No. I won’t do it. I won’t get married to him.”

His looked at me with disappointment but his mind was made up. “You will. Whether you go to him with dignity or in chains is your choice, but go you must go and that's final.”

I broke then. I collapsed at his feet, holding him by his cloak. “Please, Father, I’m begging you. Don’t make me do this. I’ll do anything else. I’ll serve the pack, I’ll dedicate myself to whatever you ask—but not him. Not Malrick Please.”

He didn’t move, didn’t blink. He just looked down at me as if I were nothing more than a begger. “A fortnight, Aria. That is all. Prepare.”

That was it. He was done talking and he dismissed me. My father turned and left the hall without saying another word to me. I was left in the silence, letting my tears fall freely. My fate has been sealed.

---

“I hate him,” I screamed into the empty hall. “I hate him for doing this to me. I hate him for choosing power over me.” My voice shook, broken and feral. “And I hate that no matter how much I beg, it doesn’t matter. He wouldn't change his mind because I don’t matter.”

The training, the bruises, and endless drills with Luma had hardened my body, but my heart was still fragile and raw. And right now, I could feel my heart breaking into a thousand pieces.

I didn’t want to leave. This was my home. My mother’s grave lay beneath the willow tree here. My childhood lingered in every corner of this pack’s lands. The scent of the woods, the howl of the wolves at night was all I knew. I wanted to belong. I wanted to stay.

But my father had made his choice. I was chained to Malrick’s cruelty. And no matter how much I begged, he would never undo it.

My breath trembled. “So this is it,” I whispered to myself. “Either I leave, or I become his.”

The thought of Malrick’s hand on me, his cold smirk, his control—it ignited something inside me. Terror, yes, but also fire. I would'nt let him have me. I would not be broken into a plaything for a man I despised.

I wiped my tears with the back of myself as I forced myself to stand. I went straight to Aunt Luma's Chambers and pushed the door open without knocking. She was sitting by the fire, stitching something into a cloth. She looked up as I walked into her room and dropped what she was doing immediately. “What happened?” she demanded, rising to her feet.

“My Fate is sealed.” My voice cracked, thick with grief and fury. “Father said I am to marry Malrick in two weeks.”

Luma’s eyes darkened. She came closer, and held my shoulders. “And you—what did you say?”

“I begged him. I screamed, I cried, I didn't everything I could.” I burst into tears. “He didn’t care, Aunt Luma. He didn’t care. He’s mind is made up. Nothing I say will change it.”

Her hands tightened, steadying me. “Aria, listen to me. What do you want?”

I answered without hesitation. “I'm ready. I don’t want to be his prisoner. I don’t want to be sold for power.” My tears came rushing, hot and fast. “I want to live. I want to be free.”

Luma studied me, her sharp eyes searching mine. “Aria think carefully. Are you sure?”

I froze. I knew what she meant. Was I really ready? To—to become someone else, to disappear into a world where discovery meant death.

I thought of my mother’s grave, of Malrick’s smirk. I thought of my father’s voice, cold and final: Whether with dignity or in chains.

My breath shook, but I nodded. “I’m sure.”

For the first time, Luma’s expression softened with pride. She pulled me into her arms, hugging me tightly. She spoke softly into my ears. “I'll help you. We won't let him have you.”

And just like that, my mind was made up. Before I let my father force me, I'll leave. I'll run for my dear life and go far away. To a place he can't find me.