THE ARRANGED MARRIAGE.

I shifted back into my wolf’s form with the chilly breeze blowing through my long hair as soon as I got back from the woods.

I surveyed my surroundings with my shining blue eyes before putting my clothes on my slim, curvy body and tying my blonde hair into a ponytail.

Thank the moon goddess, my father did not catch me.

I wiped off my pink lips with the back of my hand to get rid of any stain of me eating chicken and little drops of drinks on it.

That red wine tasted so sweet back at the festival, I thought.

I then took out my mouth spray, which I held in the back of a tree in the woods, and grinned.

What a smart wolf I was.

Now, no one will ever know I went outside for the moon festival.

I grinned with so much pride, I could feel my nose getting longer in each passing second because of how proud I was.

I snickered and strolled to the wall of my enormous, luxurious duplex, ready to fly over it with my claws.

I jumped over the fence and landed on the ground on my feet with my fangs in wolf style, ready to feast on her prey.

I hope to not see any of my bodyguards or my parents because I will be in so much trouble if I’m caught outside by them.

They will surely have my head.

I looked around myself once more to make sure no one was watching me.

“Luciana!” my father yelled at me from behind.

I stopped in my tracks.

Molly crap! Shit! Damn. Why was he outside by this time? I thought he went out for his special meeting with the elders of the clan.

I tightly shut my eyes with my heart beating at a rapid rate and wishing the earth would just open up and swallow me whole.

I couldn’t even look at him. How did he find me? How did he know I went out?

My gosh! I don’t want to hear all this nagging and shit from my father on this cool evening which I was having the best time of my life.

Why did the moon goddess give me this sort of parents who are demanding and quite strict?

Remind me of the reason I was born and brought up in this world again.

“I am talking to you, Luciana. Turn back and face me,’ he roared.

I opened my eyes and shut them one more time and turned to him with hope I get no scolding this time around.

“Ummm…yes. Oh, father, it is you. I didn’t know you were there.’ I forced out a smile with a little fake cough and pretended to not have noticed him.

How did he know I sneaked out? Could Emily have snitched on me to our father?

Gosh! That little thing.

Why wasn’t I seeing Rayson around as well? I thought he would be here to cover up for me.

Damn. My father’s nose of snorting and catching on to a wolf’s scent is something else.

He must have sniffed my pheromones around this building.

“Are you stupid? Do you think I am a fool you could tell such lies to?’

I must have pissed him off with my attitude.

“No, Father, I thought it was...”

“Where were you?” he questioned solemnly, with a raised eyebrow.

“I…” I stuttered.

If I were to lie to him, my punishment would be so much worse than it is.

For him to ask for my whereabouts shows he knows where I went.

“Cat go your tongue, Luciana?’ He glared at me with his red eyes, as if he was ready to punch me in the face any moment from now with his enormous fist.

Despite being an Alpha, my father has a youthful, bulky body with tattoos on his neck.

Shoulder-length black hair, toned white skin resembling a rock.

A clenched jaw, a beard, and a face that wears one of the most frightening expressions I have ever seen.

Even now, I find it hard to get accustomed to seeing my father like this.

Everyone fears him as the leader and Alpha of the pack.

I wonder how my mother could stay and get married to a stone iced-Alpha like this.

How did they even meet? What was their relationship like, anyway?

“I went to the werewolves’ festival to have fun.’ I grinned to lighten up the atmosphere because I was sinking into this gloomy look of his.

Yeah, I know that’s right.

I had sneaked out of my home to go to the woods to get rid of my boredom.

I attended the festival which I had so much fun with the people of the clan, sharing lots of food and drinks.

And dancing all night around a huge fire.

It was fun to be at the festival with everyone.

Instead of getting stuck in my home thinking about how I’m going to go to the moon festival for fated mates.

Which is going to not exist for me because I despise fated mates.

And the bonds which kill werewolves all the time if the other wolf doesn’t cooperate with the other.

The moon festival is all about fated mates, and it terrifies me.

And I don’t want to get married according to my parent’s wishes, because that’s what they want for me.

An arranged marriage.

They care a lot more about their reputation than their children.

They don’t care if I’m fated to anyone or not, all they want me to do is to get married to an Alpha to carry on the bloodline.

And getting married to a stranger is absurd, and I also don’t think I am fated to be with anyone.

Not at the least, but they would never understand how I feel.

“You are having fun? We are busy preparing a suitor's party for you to find one of the Alphas who would get married to you and be your husband. You are busy having fun?’ his haughty tone froze my body in one motion.

“Father…”

“You are an adult and full-fledged wolf. It is high time you stop behaving like a child and act like a civilized wolf. Do you understand me?’

“Yes, father.’ I looked down at my feet, out of embarrassment.

“The next time I see you roaming around the clan again, Luciana, I will ground you. Don’t let me repeat myself. Respect yourself as the daughter of an Alpha. You are not a commoner.”

.