The Alpha's Contract Luna (Alexia)

~Alexia-

"Sister, are you ready?" Hazel, Alexia's stepsister, said, greeting her at the door. "Well, my dress looks good on you."

Alexia looked down at the hand-me-down dress and could not deny its elegance. She had never worn a dress so beautiful since her father remarried five years ago, yet t was something Hazel meant to throw away.

Hazel had that sly grin on her face when she described, "Congratulations, sister. I heard your husband-to-be is very ruthless, a man full of battle scars, a face so fearsome and ugly, you would piss in his presence. I heard he was enraged about this forced marriage. Maybe he'll blame you."

She laughed and concluded, "Maybe you'll end up dying pathetically in his hands. Not even your curse can save you."

Chills ran down Alexia's spine at hearing Hazel's suggestion. She wondered if her words were valid. 'Will this marriage be the end for me? That will surely be a wish come true for them.'

"Let's go!" Behind Hazel, Drake called, clutching onto the bag containing the very little Alexia had as her belongings.

Alexia was not even given a chance to say goodbye to her friends. She was brought to the driveway and handed over to a tall, massive man with dirty blond hair. He had a claw mark on his left cheek, suggesting an enemy had struck him in the past. This man was Beta Jaxon, Alpha Kieran's second in command.

"Beta Jaxon, this is my daughter, Alexia Reed. Please tell Alpha Kieran that we entrust our daughter to him," Alpha Roland suggested. While his words were meant to show care, his tone remained cold, his eyes averting Alexia's gaze.

Alexia struggled to look Beta Jaxon in the eye, but sooner or later, she took the courage to ask, "Are - are you going to hurt me?"

She noticed how the beta was stunned. He leaned back, lifting his brow at her probing. He replied, "No, as long as you follow the rules."

"Get inside the car," he instructed.

Alexia looked at her father one last time. He had a poker face, and his eyes showed no love or concern for her.

"Goodbye, father," she said, but Alpha Roland merely nodded as an acknowledgment.

Next to her father was Matilda, her stepmother. She had a mocking grin on her face, and she waved her hand at Alexia. "Goodbye, Alexia. We will try to attend your wedding, but as you may know, resources are not good in the Cross River Pack lately." She meant to say they won't be attending the wedding. Of course, Alexia knew this already. They would never make such an effort. They were happy to give her away, once and for all.

"Goodbye, my beloved sister!" Hazel added, smiling at Alexia.

Inwardly, Alexia wanted to roll her eyes. She realized they were all faking a happy family before Beta Jaxon.

After Hazel, her eyes landed on Drake, and she noticed his frown. Perhaps her stepbrother was the only one who was upset about her leaving. However, to Alexia, she may be safer away from Drake. Maybe.

'A big maybe.' Alexia thought.

With a sigh, Alexia told herself, 'Be strong. You've always been strong. You are smart, and you can work your way around people.'

That day and the days to come would probably be the most uncertain days of her life. The alpha king had ordered her to marry Alpha Kieran Stone, the most menacing alpha of all Taplean.

Why? She had no clue. Her father claimed he had no idea. Sadly, Alexia had no say in this, and as what her stepsister had told, neither did Alpha Kieran.

While each pack was led by their own alphas, the highest in the hierarchy was Alpha King Balthasar. He was the alpha of all alphas in Taplean. As what her father told her last night, there was no defying the king. Stil, it remained a mystery of why she was chosen. Alexia had an Alpha blood, but her pack was not one of the nation's biggest or strongest. She wasn't any special. In fact, her pack believed her as a bad omen.

Her pack would suffer. That was what her father said to her last night. Frankly, Alexia did not care for her stepmother and step-siblings. They had been the source of her misery for five years, but it was different with her friends. She loved her friends and their families. Lastly, despite everything, she at least cared for the father Alpha Roland used to be.

***

"Yes, Alpha, we have her. We are leaving her pack now," Alexia heard Beta Jaxon said on the phone, clearly reporting to his alpha. She understood mindlinking had limitations. The Stone Blood Pack's main territory was too far from their location that Jaxon had to use a mobile.

Under normal circumstances, cellphones were useless to werewolves who could connect to any pack members within close range.

Alexia was riding in the car with Beta Jaxon, along with two other warriors who were seated up front. They were leaving the borders of the Cross River Pack.

Looking past the car window, she caught sight of her two best friends, Dean and Melissa. A tear fell down her cheek as she waved goodbye. She saw them running after the car, making her chest heave. Turning to Beta Jaxon, she begged, "Can I please say goodbye?"

The car stopped, allowing her to speak to her friends. She bid them goodbye, hugging them one last time. However, she hoped she would still see them again soon.

"My mother said my father will try to speak to the king," Dean suggested. "Maybe you can still get out of this."

Alexia clenched her jaws. She gasped and answered, "I don't know, Dean. I don't want your parents to get into trouble."

Melissa suggested, "What if... what if we told them about your -"

"Shhh." Alexia hushed Melissa right away. Whatever was wrong with her will have to be put aside. Besides, it was mere speculation. No one had actually proven that she was cursed.

Entering into a new pack, she did not know if it would only bring her trouble or not. Softly, she replied to her friend, "I'll decide on that. I don't want that look of disgust from people... especially in a new pack." Looking at Dean and Melissa one last time, tears stung her eyes. Alexia hugged them again, saying, "Take care of aunt Kate and uncle Alex. Take care of Louise and Jake."

One by one, she said the names that mattered in her heart. They were family members of Dean and Melissa.

"We need to leave now, Alexia," the stern voice of Beta Jaxon came through, as he stood next to the vehicle, forcing her to pull away from the only people from whom she had received love. "I'll miss you. Goodbye," Alexia said at last.

Driving away from her pack, she turned to the car's back window and studied her home one last time. Sure, she wanted to leave the pack, but not this way. Not in the most uncertain way. After seeing that they had left her pack's territory, and feeling the pack's bond waning away, she huffed, peering at Beta Jaxon.

Silently, she pondered, 'In the hands of Alpha Kieran Stone, what would my life be?'

***

After two days of traveling, Alexia

finally arrived at the biggest pack of Taplean, The Stone Blood Pack, a pack led by generations of the Stone clan. Compared to her previous home the Stone Blood Pack's main territory appeared to be ten times bigger. At least, that was how it

looked to her, judging by the distance they had covered since entering the pack's borders.

Alexia has heard many stories about this pack. They were a pack that trained the best warriors, the first in front of King Balthasar's wars. All the warriors were strong, massive, fearless, and emotionless, just like the man beside her, Beta Jaxon. As for their Alpha? Yes, it wasn't the first time she heard about the great warrior and leader, Alpha Kieran Stone. He was already twenty-six years old, a man six years older than her.

Alpha Kieran became an Alpha at the young age of twenty. He had fought many battles and conquered many territories himself. He had taken many lives of their nation's enemies, including the packs who had betrayed the king's cause. Because of the battles he fought, Alpha Kieran had many scars all over his body. They said Alpha Kieran's face was scarred. He was eerie-looking and cold-blooded inside.

They said he ruled his pack with an iron fist. There was no room for mistakes, and those who did were cast aside.

Thinking of this, Alexia shook her head. She pondered, 'Maybe, if I ask nicely, I could get away from this, or, at least, I could just be a wife in front of the King. He could have many mistresses as he wants. Maybe... just maybe, he would leave me alone.' Moments later, they showed up at the packhouse. From the gates, Alexia marveled at the extensive front lawn, the pines that formed fences around the estate, and the four-story red-brick mansion ahead.

After getting off the car, Alexia was

immediately brought to the Alpha's office. Inside, Alexia saw a man whose back was turned. He wore a white shirt, and his sleeves rolled up to his forearm. Tattoos covered his arm up to his wrist. The man was looking out the window of his office.

"Alpha, Alexia is here," Beta Jaxon revealed.

Bracing herself, Alexia shut her eyes and sucked in a heavy breath. She silently said, 'This is it.'

Finally, Alpha Kieran turned to her, and she immediately noticed the surrounding air thickened. Her skin crawled, and she felt his scalding gaze. She fluttered her eyes open, and at first sight of him, her heart raced, her cheeks turned a shade darker, and almost instantly, her mind went blank in shock.

'This is... Alpha Kieran Stone?'