Chapter 125

Chris

Despite everything—despite the search party, the dead Omega girl, the ball, the bachelorettes—I couldn’t seem to get Degas’s proposal out of my head. It kept swirling around in my mind like a dark storm cloud, taunting me relentlessly. It slipped into my dreams, left my head spinning, made me feel sick.

I could still hear his voice when he had said it that night in front of the fire…

“There is a way,” he had said, leaning closer conspiratorially. “A way for you and Ava to have what you want without harming the pack.”

I had furrowed my brow and taken another sip of my whiskey, wondering if he was pulling my leg or trying to trap me into admitting to something I shouldn’t. “And what would that be?” I had asked.

Degas had paused for a moment, chewing his teeth, before leaning back in his chair. “It’s an ancient contract,” he had said with a wave of his hand. “It hasn’t been used for centuries, but it still stands today…”

Over the next half hour, Degas had explained the possibility to me: an arranged marriage. But not just any arranged marriage. No, this one was different. This one would allow me to marry in the public eye, but I would still be free to love Ava in secret.

According to Degas, Alphas hundreds of years ago often partook in this contract—mostly before the days when same-sex marriage was legal and Alphas were still expected to only have wives.

Those who were stuck in an arranged marriage situation, like I was, were able to swear an oath under the full moon in a Moon Goddess temple that would allow them to marry while still legally being allowed to love another. After both the Alpha and Luna agreed to make the oath and sign a contract, they would then be free to have extramarital relations without political consequences.

In short, the marriage would be nothing more than a political one.

But there was a caveat to this, of course: for starters, my Luna would have to agree to this and give her blessing. And, I would never be able to publicly love Ava. No one outside of myself, Ava, my wife, and the Elders would be able to know.

And to make matters worse… Ava and I could never have children. If we did have children, they would be sent to the human continent and would never be able to claim their inheritance in Moonstone.

I would also have to produce a biological heir with the Luna—regardless of love. Paternity tests would be performed as well, so we couldn’t fake it.

My stomach twisted at the thought. Ava deserved so much more than to be treated like a mistress. She was brilliant, passionate, steadfast in her beliefs…

Marrying another woman and following these terms would be like caging a wild bird. It would kill her spirit, slowly but surely.

And the idea of sending any child of mine—any child of Ava’s—off to some nameless boarding school in the human world, all while I had to produce a biological heir with a woman who I didn’t love? It made me sick.

No. It wasn’t fair for Ava, nor was it fair for the woman who I would have to marry. I would have to find another way.

“There you are!”

I jumped at the sudden, cheery voice, whirling around to find Amelia from Moonshine pack gliding toward me. Her red hair was pulled back into an elaborate braid, tiny green vines woven throughout. Her freckles almost seemed to glimmer beneath the flickering chandeliers, and her sage green dress brought out the green in her eyes.

She was undeniably the most beautiful bachelorette of the bunch—even though they were all beautiful. But still, all I could think about was Ava.

Where was Ava, anyway? She had slipped away after the formalities, and now…

Forcing a polite smile, I extended my hand to Amelia. “Miss Blackwood. I trust you’re enjoying the party?”

She giggled, placing her hand in mine with a smile that could have charmed the most stoic of men. “Please, call me Amelia. We’re to be well acquainted, after all.”

I tensed at her words, unconsciously squeezing her hand a bit too tightly before remembering my manners. “My apologies, Amelia. You’ll have to forgive me, I’m… afraid I’m a bit distracted this evening.”

“Oh, I can only imagine,” she said with a tinkling laugh. She leaned in closer, her heady floral perfume clouding my senses. “This must be so terribly stressful for you, having all of us fawning bachelorettes around. But I promise, I’ll do my best to make this whole process… easier.”

Her meaning was clear, her words practically dripping with seduction. I swallowed hard, pulling my hand back as casually as I could manage.

“You’re very kind,” I replied coolly. “But I assure you, there’s no need. This is simply my duty as Alpha.”

Amelia quirked an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by my brusque response. Opening her mouth to reply, she cut herself off, green eyes flicking over my shoulder. Her red lips curled into a mischievous smirk.

“Is that so?” she purred. “Your duty as Alpha. Well, then perhaps you could explain your duties to me? And to her?”

She nodded toward the bar, and a sick feeling swept over me as I turned to look. Sure enough, there was Ava, looping her arm through a tall, muscular man’s elbow. He was guiding her toward the dance floor, both of them smiling.

A low growl rumbled up from my chest before I could stop it and my hands clenched into fists at my sides. Every instinct was screaming at me to stride over there and rip him away from her. To crush him for daring to touch what was mine.

Because she was mine, in that primal, animalistic part of my soul that had claimed her the moment I first laid eyes on her. The part of me that couldn’t be reasoned with, that didn’t care about duty or Elders or any of that nonsense.

It just wanted her. Ava.

And yet no one would fucking let me have her.

“Alpha Chris?”

Amelia’s lilting voice snapped me out of my reverie. She was watching the display with a knowing look in her eyes, and her delicate hand gently reached out to touch mine.

“I understand your pain,” she said softly, leaning in a little closer. “We’ve all heard the rumors.”

I frowned, feigning ignorance. “Rumors?”

“Oh, no need to act coy,” Amelia giggled, swatting my arm. “Everyone sees the way you look at her. We’ve even heard that you turned down the lovely Lily from Moonrise pack for her. But…” She paused, glancing over toward where Ava and the man were now swaying on the dance floor. “I’m terribly sorry that things haven’t worked out. I do hope you find happiness despite it all.”

Gritting my teeth, I gently moved to pull away from Amelia—but her hand remained on my arm, her fingernails digging ever so slightly into the fabric of my tuxedo. She didn’t say a word, but instead blinked up at me with a coquettish smile on her lips. When she finally did speak, her voice was like honey.

“I can help you find happiness, Alpha Chris.”