Prologue - The Betrothed Under the Moon
POV Lunara Grimwald:
Months Before
My heart roared in my chest as my feet crushed the dry leaves that covered the ground, each step taking me toward Alessio, the alpha I was supposed to marry. My father’s arm, locked with mine, was like steel, holding me steady and guiding me toward a commitment sealed when I was still a pup.
The full moon reflected through the tree trunks, illuminating the path that would lead me to him. My future husband.
It was a pact. The firstborn of each pack leader had to unite in marriage, sealing the commitment of peace between both and increasing our power, thus strengthening us.
I lifted my face, watching Alessio standing before Giovanni, the old wolf patriarch of the packs. His age was still a mystery to many, but the wrinkled skin on his face, the few snow-white hairs, and the deep, experienced brown eyes were clear signs that he was very, very old.
My fiancé wore a serious expression, without even the hint of a smile. He was like that most of the time, showing no feelings at all.
I pressed my lips together, holding my breath. Alessio was beautiful.
Short, dark brown hair; eyes of a deep, intense brown with specks of honey in their centers, matching his golden skin. His height and broad shoulders made his presence more imposing, just as much as his strong, defined arms.
The white shirt he wore had its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Black trousers molded to the toned muscles of his legs, the hem revealing his bare feet.
I let my eyes run over his sculpted face once more. A marked jawline, clean-shaven. Thin, but defined lips. A straight nose.
His smile, which every now and then was meant for me, made my heart collapse inside my chest.
I swallowed a sigh, containing the overwhelming feelings that consumed me.
I loved him.
Although, in the beginning, it had been nothing more than an agreement between our parents, we had learned to live with that fact and built a bond. He was eight years older than I was and had always been present in my life.
It was far too easy to fall in love with him. Handsome, strong, and an alpha, desired by every female in the pack.
My first kiss, at sixteen, had been with him; as well as my first time, a few months ago, after a bonfire celebration. And every other time since then.
Outside of heat, I would never get pregnant. And my parents made sure to keep my fertility under control until the wedding. They had no idea Alessio and I had already hurried things along, or I would be dead.
Knowing that he was mine, destined to me, filled me with pride.
It had taken years of dedication and strict upbringing for me to become the perfect wife for the alpha. I was kept from going to parties, never allowed to have a friend, and forbidden to speak to any male who wasn’t family.
My freedom only began when Alessio first showed interest in me, shortly before our first kiss. With him, my parents allowed me to go out, after all, he would be my husband.
Marrying him had been a fact present throughout most of my life, so I never let myself feel interest for any other male but him. And I did not regret it.
Alessio had always been perfect.
This was the happiest day of my life. The day I would finally marry him and live in peace, free from my father and all his aggressiveness.
As if noticing the path of my thoughts, he tightened his arm against mine. A subtle touch, a small warning of what was expected of me.
Being free from him was the best part of it all.
He was not a good male, nor a good alpha, husband, or father.
He oppressed me, my mother, and Elowen, my younger sister.
The pack did not respect him, they merely feared him. And I did not believe that was, by any means, something to be proud of, but he did.
Because he had no son, no alpha to carry on his legacy, he placed all his expectations on me. He hoped I would bear a son with Alessio, thus giving our pack the alpha who would carry on his legacy after his death.
Only men were born alphas. Elowen and I were omegas, just like our mother, Rowena.
For that reason, any trace of freedom I might have had was taken from me when I was eight years old, as soon as my father, alpha Vittorio, and Alessio’s father, alpha Kellan, sealed a blood pact.
My eyes drifted toward my sister, standing beside our mother, at the front of the crowd.
Her dark brown hair was tied into a braid that fell over her right shoulder, and her blue eyes, so much like mine, showed worry. Elowen wore a simple, long green dress that fit her slender body, with just the right curves in the right places.
She was not the biggest fan of my fiancé. Elowen hated Alessio with all her strength and was completely against the forced marriage. She said I could not see the truth about him, that I was nothing but a foolish girl in love.
But how could I avoid falling in love, when I had spent my entire life preparing for that moment? It was much easier to accept the fate that awaited me than to reject and despise it.
I let my gaze wander to my mother who, unlike my sister, displayed a smile of satisfaction and pride on her face, the same as her husband’s. Her blond hair was pulled back, tied high on her head. She wore a dark dress that covered all her curves, to please her husband, who hated when she showed too much.
My dress was simple. White, of smooth silk, with thin straps and a straight neckline. The skirt was not voluminous, but it flowed with each barefoot step I took down the long decorated corridor. A veil, fastened to my hair, draped across my face.
It was nothing extravagant, following the pattern of union ceremonies that sometimes took place within the packs.
At my right side was Alessio’s pack, my new family. While to the left, my birth pack.
I let my eyes sweep briefly over them. And I felt absolutely nothing for finally leaving that pack behind. I hoped that in my new family things would be better. For in my old one, the males did not respect the females, whether omegas or betas. They were reflections of the legacy my father was leaving as a leader, just as his father had done. I, on the other hand, hoped that my son could break that paradigm.