Arranged To The Beast Alpha
Consummate

LEAH

*... You might just never replace the strength.*

The words played on repeat, as I walked back to my room.

"Join me, I am not alone." Royanna offered, she was serious, bent on hearing my thoughts, but I was perplexed. Too shocked to even give her a response.

I never gave her a response, how could I? What could I have said?

Yes, I will join your secret cult, become a sorceress, and ward off every threat from my life, or No, I can't become a sorceress; I know nothing of magic, and I would love for it to remain that way. Goddess! What is happening to me? Why am I tangled in such a mess?

Everything was supposed to be simple:get married and spy on Damien, get the required information, get back home, give Father what he wants, get Sarah, and leave for good. However, that's different here. How do I spy on Damien when my life is constantly in danger?

"Leah."

I halted, cocking my head to the side. "Alpha Damien." I acknowledged and swerved to meet his cold gaze.

"What was that about?" He asked, inching closer to me; I took a step back, my throat running dry. Goddess, how do I tell Damien my fake confidence came from Billy, Royanna's minion bug?

No Leah, you have to get it together, speak just like before, fake confidence, this time not from a bug.

"And about what is not clear to you."

I bit my tongue, what? What did I just say?

"What?!" Damien's eyes narrowed.

"N-Nothing." I stuttered. Fuck! What the hell is wrong with me? Confidence Leah, come on, you can do this. Damien sighed, his face hardening, and he grabbed my hand. "I want to show you something." pulling me. "Where are you taking me?"

He led me up the narrow hallway where only three doors stood, each one looking like it hid an entire world behind it.

The silence was sharp enough to cut, but I swallowed down the anxious thrum in my chest and focused on the sound of our footsteps against the old wood.

He stopped at the second door, pulled a key from his pocket, and slipped it into the lock. There was something about the way he moved-controlled like every motion was thought about; he purposely wanted to show me this. The door creaked open, and I was met with a sight that knocked the breath out of me.

Papers. So many papers. Scattered across the floor, stacked on the worn-out desk, even spilling from shelves that groaned under the weight. It was more a hurricane of documents than a study.

The scent of old paper, ink, and damp wood filled the air, tinged with something sharp that I couldn't quite name. It was like stepping into the mind of someone who never stopped thinking, never stopped scheming.

"What is this?" I whispered, the words barely replaceing their way out as I took a cautious step inside. Damien didn't answer immediately; they just watched me as if trying to read my reaction. His eyes, dark and unreadable, flickered with anger, or was it pain?

"Politics," he said finally. His voice was cool and detached like this room wasn't chaos incarnate but a well-kept secret.

I turned to him, trying to catch his gaze. "P-Politics? Whose study is this?"

He didn't flinch, didn't even blink when he said, "Her study."

Her. The word hung in the air between us, heavy with implications. "Who?" I knew, but I didn't want to be conclusive.

"My mother," Damien said the title with so much tightness in his voice I feared for him.

This was the Luna's study; I initially thought it was his father's.

"This will be all that is left of your rule and name if you ever try to get into politics. No Luna of mine would sit amongst men who have no regard for them and crave their heads on a platter." "But..." Words got stuck in my throat.

My stomach tightened as I tried to piece together why he'd brought me here.

Before I could ask, Damien's face shifted, hardening into something colder. "I know Royanna has been talking to you," he said, and there was no mistaking the edge in his tone. "Convincing you that you should be like her. A woman who stands at the head of the table, who plays the game of politics like it was made for her."

I stayed silent, the pulse in my ears roaring louder than my thoughts. He took a step closer, eyes boring into mine, and I couldn't tell if he was searching for fear or defiance. "That Is acceptable in her pack, but here, it's different," he said, each word landing like a stone.

"You're my Luna, Leah. And you'll play your role as it's meant to be played. You'll be a mother, a bearer of heirs. That's it. That's all."

"If you dare try to go against me,I will have your head rolling. I'll give you my word."

I shivered. It felt like the floor had dropped out from under me. "What..." My voice wavered, then broke off. I swallowed, trying to replace some foothold in this moment that felt unreal. "W-What if I don't want that?"

A muscle in his jaw tightened, a flicker of something dangerous passing over his face before he masked it.

He reached out, almost absently, and brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear. The touch was gentle, but it felt like a warning. "I'm not repeating myself," he said, his voice low enough to make the air between us shiver. "Tonight, we consummate our marriage."

The finality in his words stunned me into silence. And then he turned, walking out of the room without a backward glance, leaving me surrounded by crumpling paper, heavy silence.

Consummate our marriage? Bearer of heirs. No, I can't be a mother; I am too young, and I can't mother a child all my life; I want to have a life of my own, not dedicated to being just a mother.

I can't be intimate with Damien, I can't bear his child or children. I just can't.