The Rebellious Streak
OPAL
"It's settled, darling," Dad says to me as he closes the door of his office behind him. "I'm afraid there's nothing you can do that would stop this wedding from happening. The sooner you get that through your head, the better."
"But, Dad—"
Dad shoots me a cutting look, signaling that it's the end of the conversation. I hate it when he calls me pet names like 'darling' and 'sweetie' only to then proceed to treat me as anything but that. He's not a kind man, and he's not a good father.
Because no good father would force his daughter into marrying the most vicious wolf of the country with a reputation as black as his eyes.
Allegedly. I've never seen his face.
Apparently, only a few people have.
"In time, you'll thank me," he claims as he starts walking down the corridor with his briefcase in his hand. I trail after him, unsure of what else to do. "Young people like you miss opportunities because of what other people say and think. The Alpha Prince is one of the most powerful men alive. His father's sickness is the only thing stopping him from becoming a king. Do you know what that'll make you? Who doesn't want to be a princess, then a queen?"
"But I've never met him before!" I exclaim. "What does he look like, at least? Is he as cruel as everyone says, ripping people limb from limp and shoving their decapitated heads on spikes when they displease him?"
"You make that sound like it's a bad thing."
"Dad!"
He halts suddenly and whirls around to face me. "The world needs more people like him to remind the flock why they need to behave a certain way. I have no issues with that. In time, you'll learn to accept him for what he is."
Tears cloud my vision. "Let's not stand here and pretend that you're doing this for me when it's your status you care about. Having a daughter who's queen will give you the power you need, won't it?"
A small, cruel smile that doesn't reach his eyes curls the corners of his lips. "Don't say anything else that might land you in trouble with me, Opal. I've been patient enough as it is."
"I won't do it," I declare stubbornly. "You can't make me!"
"I can and I will. The deal has been done. Your marriage will be in two days, and you best believe that you'll be there on that altar, right beside your new husband."
"Or what?" I ask through gritted teeth as tears trail down my cheeks. "You'll kill me?"
"Darling, your fate is out of my hands now that you belong to him," he replies with a careless shrug. A shrug. My own father. "If you decide to run, he'll just have to find you. Is that the tone you want to set for your relationship with your husband? With your future king?"
"Why me?" I ask just before he turns around. "He could have any woman in the country. Why me?"
"Because I offered you to him," he claims mercilessly. Coldly. "And he must have liked what he saw, Opal. You should consider that a compliment of the highest order. A prince looked at you and saw that you were worthy of being made a queen."
With that, he whirls around and disappears when he storms down the staircase, and I stay behind with a broken heart.
Suddenly, the door to my left opens, startling me, and my aunt, Janice, walks out. The corners of her lips are downturned, and she looks like she's about to cry. "Opal, baby. Come in here."
I enter her room, holding my breath so I don't sob. She closes the door, then whirls around to face me. "I heard everything. I'm so sorry, baby."
"I don't know what to do," I say angrily before tears run down my face. "I don't want to marry that man, Aunt Janice. I don't want to!"
"Of course not," she replies as she takes my hand and guides me toward her bed. We sit on the edge. She holds my hand. "It's a cruelty to force a woman into marrying someone she doesn't know. But such is the way for daughters of alphas. My father did the same to me."
"You and Uncle Dan?"
Her expression softens, but she says, "I didn't love him. He wasn't a bad person, but we didn't get along. We were too incompetent. When he died, I felt relieved. I'm sorry to have to say this to you, but I know you won't be convinced by anything I say. It's what's in your heart that matters."
"What do I do?" I ask her genuinely. Desperately. "He's the prince. How do I get out of this? I've never even known love, Aunt Janice. I don't know what it's like to be held and kissed by a man I love and adore, and who loves and adores me. I don't want to have to give my virginity away to some...to a stranger. A cruel one at that."
Aunt Janice bites her lip as she watches me shed bitter tears. Then, she squeezes my hand tightly and in a low voice, barely above a whisper, she claims, "There's a way you can get that."
I frown and look at her like she's crazy. "What?"
She scoots closer to me, then says in an even lower voice, "I know a place. They're...unconventional, but the men are good. Attentive. They'll make you feel loved. You can have as many as you want at once, too."
"Aunt Janice!" I exclaim.
"Because it'll be your first time, I recommend only one," she says before smiling. "Trust me, that place has kept me sane. After Dan's death, I was lonely. Luckily, I met a man there who made me feel alive and fulfilled all my wishes. He helped me feel beautiful again, Opal. You don't have much of a choice in the matter. You'll marry the Alpha Prince, a man who is said to be dangerous. Cruel. You deserve to know what love is, even if it's only for one night."
"But it'll be a stranger," I remind her. "How can it be love?"
A small smile tugs at the corners of her lips. "You'll see. They're good at what they do. You'll feel loved, and you'll feel special." She then pinches my cheek lightly. "Nobody will have to know, and you'll lose your virginity on your own terms."
I'm tempted. I can't deny that. It's better than having to do it with someone else. Someone harsh. Cold. Unsympathetic.
I find myself nodding. The normal Opal would have never agreed to something as crazy as this, but she died the moment she was told she'd have to marry someone she never met before. "Okay."
"Good," she says, giving my hand a squeeze. "I'll call them and let them know of the situation. I'm sure they'll recommend the perfect man for you."
"But isn't this dangerous?" I ask. "What if Dad finds out you did this? I don't want you to get in trouble."
"I'm not afraid of my brother, Opal," she claims. "Don't worry. No one will ever know, not your father, and not your husband to be. It'll be a secret just between the two of us."
With that, she winks at me, and then she rises to pick up the phone and give the establishment a call while I wring my hands together and wait.