Brutal Alpha

~Rosie

Next time I make a plan in life, I'd keep in mind to be sure I was born to a different family. I had always thought my eulogy would be “To the one who followed her dreams.” But now it would be “To the one who married the stoic , Greek god looking Alpha that would lead her to her doom or her doom. There was no in-between and for what reason? None other than my father's selfish reasons.

My family has always influenced every single thing I do even to the simplest things like color of clothes, hobbies. All in the bid to prep me up into becoming their ticket to the highest echelon in the society. I knew a day like this was coming but maybe I underestimated how fast it would be.

"Have a smile on your face. Why do you even look like that? I have told you multiple times not to work too hard." And here comes my mother's ceaseless lectures about maintaining my appearance and keeping a graceful look. One would think it was because she cared so much but I knew better and maybe she was even more discerning because I was going to be meeting my future "husband". Even the thought of it makes me want to throw myself in a marvel's cinematic universe — I mean, being a side character that gets their house railed by a superhero is probably better than this.

"Mother, I..." I couldn't find the right words to complete my statement.

"Your skin? It should be glowing. I got you that spa premium membership card, didn't I? If only you would listen and not make my effort go to waste. You are young and act like it."

Her words were making it hard for me to think, I was going to be meeting him today. The Him I was going to be spending my life forever with. A him I haven't met before . The same HIM had a peculiar personality that had every and anyone keeping a safe distance from but all my mother cared about was some darn spa time like I was some showpiece or her life sized doll. Like, they didn't just dump the news of me getting married this very minute. Like I wasn't heading to my doom rather than a union.

"Yes, mother." Okay, that was not the right response. In my defense, my mind was in shambles but I couldn't do anything but paint my face with forceful politeness. For once, I was busy processing my situation to worry about my mom's detest of my look. She was always this critical that it bothered me a little less because I was used to it.

'I've secured a suitable match for you.' My father's words rang in my head endlessly. A suitable match and no one even deemed it fit to tell me. He didn't even bother to ask if I had found my mate or something. Just throw the bombshell about me getting married. The world was crazy, super crazy or maybe I was the crazy one because not even a single resistance from me on anything they say.

And the worst part was that I didn't even get an extended period to prepare my mind to meet my match. If that isn't inhumane I don't know what is.

“I know this news of your marriage is sudden but we want to move things along as quickly as possible,” my mother continued, patting my hands fondly. “It takes time to plan a proper wedding, and your fiancé is quite particular about the details.” Funny how she was already calling him my fiancé when I hadn’t met the man yet. “As everyone knows he was the howling magazine's world’s most eligible bachelors under forty last year. Rich, handsome, powerful. Honestly, your father outdid himself because where in the world would you meet an Alpha. You always bring the scrawny ones, nothing like your sister.” My mother flipped her hair in a huff like her hands weren't just holding mine fondly a minute ago . I hadn’t seen her this animated since my sister's wedding. Being an in-law to a rich Beta could do that to someone. And now she was having a powerful Alpha as a son in-law, double bonus. I could understand her excitement.

“Yeah, nothing like my sister.” My smile wobbled from the effort of keeping itself intact. My husband to be is at least handsome and young, though he could kill me but I would be dying in the hands of a pretty man and not some decrepit billionaire on his deathbed that could probably kill me too. Money and status came first for my parents; everything else came a distant second.I took a deep breath and willed my mind not to spiral down that particular path. Get it together, Rosie. As upset as I was at my parents for springing this on me, I could freak out later, after I got through the evening. It wasn’t like I could say no to the match. If I did, my parents would disown me. Plus, my future husband—my stomach lurched again—would be here any minute, and I couldn’t make a scene. I wiped a palm against my thigh. My head felt dizzy, but I clung to the mask I always wore at home. Cool. Calm. Respectable.

“So.” I swallowed my bile and forced a light tone. “Does Mr. Alpha like to keep people waiting?"

“Do you think you are worth my punctuality?” My spine stiffened at the deep, unexpected voice behind me. It was so close I could feel the rumble of words against my back. They slid over me like sun-warmed honey—rich and sensual, with a faint foreign accent probably Russian that made every nerve ending tingle with pleasure but wait a minute, did he just imply I was unimportant. I haven't even turned to look at his face and I was already having murderous thoughts. Alpha or not, I was going to kill him before he led me to my doom, that's for sure. But my wolf seems to have something else in mind other than hate because it was stirring all giddy.

'Ares, this isn't the right time. Tone it down.’

~Rosie

As the daughter of the head of the Lupine council, I've attended insane parties, forced to smile and wave when I didn't want to, drank wines and term it exquisite when I knew for certain that it was pure bollocks, and even made friends who should be in a psychiatric home rather than be acquainted with. But nothing comes close to this dinner, and it surprisingly hadn't even started yet.

“Ah, there you are.” My father rose, a strangely triumphant gleam in his eyes upon seeing the Alpha. “Thank you for coming at such short notice. Don't mind my daughter; you're quite punctual.”

“How could I pass up the opportunity to meet your lovely daughter?” A hint of mockery tainted the word lovely; I wanted to sl*t the throat of this man. Whatever heat I felt in my veins before got doused immediately by ice. So much for the perfect match. Incredulous Alpha. It was clear that the Alpha was as thrilled about the dinner as I was.

“Rosie, say hello to our gues