Chapter 1 1. Stop touching my abs

Analyn POV "Do it now." My friend Shirley was grinning at me. "Yeah, what are you waiting for, Ana? There's nothing to worry about," my other friend Tessa said and gave me a light push toward the boy's locker room. It was about seven pm on Thursday, two nights before my high school graduation. The school was already closed, so the building was as quiet as the graveyard. So why was I at school instead of staying home and having a movie marathon, you ask? Let me tell you why. You see...there's this guy, no, scratch that. A werewolf named Ambrose Vikander who was in my graduating class. He is also the most popular guy in school. Rumor has it that he had killed humans before and even some werewolves that got in his way somehow. But despite the rumor, girls in my school fawned all over him. He even managed to have a group of human girls as his groupies! I never talked to him, but I managed to steal a glance or two when we passed each other in the halls. And boy, was he hot! The boy looked like he was thrown in the fire and then molded into perfection. He had the sharpest, most mesmerizing green eyes and longish black hair that fell all over his forehead. I saw him smiling once, and that was enough for me to hear the birds sing. And, me, Analyn Sabado, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Emilio Sabado, made the worst decision of her life right before graduation day. "I don't think this is a good idea, Shirley. What if there's a boy in there? It'll be so embarrassing!" I winced. Shirley decided it'd be awesome if I went inside the boy's locker room and stole the infamous Ambrose's gym shorts. "Don't be a wuss, Ana. There's no one in there," Tessa insisted. "Maybe he already took it out. Most of us cleared our lockers because the schools were about to end," I tried again. Why, why did I agree to this dumb prank? "No, he didn't. I saw him going in wearing it today. He came out wearing his normal clothes but didn't have any bag in his hand. And I know he didn't go back in," Shirley said. "What the fuck? Have you been stalking him? Why don't you go get it if you are one of his groupies?" I said irritably. "That's silly. Come on, do it. You've never done anything daring in your life. This could be the bravest thing you've done right before graduation," Shirley said. "Do it," Tessa encouraged me. "Do it, do it, do it," Shirley chanted. Ugh...I didn't want to look like a wuss either. They were right. I've never done anything in my life, and this was my last chance before I stepped into the real world. I just need to go in and grab it, then leave. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. I took a deep breath and walked right inside the testosterone heaven that was now empty. Okay cool, the coast is clear. Shirley was right. I was worried for nothing. The locker doors were never locked, and I learned from a reliable source that the beastman's locker number is six, so I went straight for the gold. I swung open the door, and Tadaaaa! There lie his magical shorts. I wondered if it was actually magical. I quickly grabbed it. I turned around and prepared to dash out of their full speed, but I rammed straight into what felt like a concrete wall. My forehead throbbed at the impact. My vision blurred, so I closed my eyes and held my hands out to touch whatever was in front of me. I don't remember a wall being there. My hands cupped something smooth and hard. I moved my hands around Oh no. Don't tell me. "Stop touching my abs and tell me what the fuck do you think you are doing here?" a thunderous voice roared, shaking me to my core.

Chapter 2 2. Why did I say that?

Analyn POV "Ambrose!" I croaked out and removed my hands from his chest. My fingers were tingling, and I felt a surge of excitement inside me. Or was it fear? I couldn't tell. He was standing tall, glaring at me. His eyes shifted from green to Amber for a minute. Well, that was weird! I've never been this close to a werewolf before, but I've heard of their eyes changing colors when they shifted. Was he about to change into a wolf and devour me? "S...sorry, I was just...lea...leaving," I stuttered. "Not so fast. Who are you, and why are you inside the boy's locker room?" he asked and looked at my hand. His eyes narrowed as he realized what I was holding in my hands. "And why are you holding my gym shorts in your hands? "Err...oh this? I was wondering if I can borrow this for a few hours?" I slipped out. What? Why did I say that? He backed up a bit and looked me up and down. I wish he hadn't because I saw what he was wearing for the first time. Nothing. He was wearing nothing. Water dripped down his gorgeous chest and abs. He must've just gotten out of the shower. My jaw dropped, and my eyes turned wide as I stared at his glorious manhood. He was the size of a... "What do you mean you want to borrow my shorts? Have you lost your goddamn mind, human?" Ambrose barked. He didn't attempt to cover himself up even though I was staring at him shamelessly. In fact, he did not look bothered by it at the slightest. Well, he looked more pissed off than embarrassed. His lips suddenly curled into a smirk. "Like what you see down there?" I almost choked and forced myself to look away from his junk. Then I said the worst thing you could ever say about a guy's thing. "It's cute." No. No, no, no. I am so dead. WHY DID I SAY IT WAS CUTE? "CUTE!" Ambrose roared. "I...." I stopped midway and looked behind him. The exit seemed so close yet so far. Why wasn't Tessa and Shirley coming to my rescue? "Are you going to say something, or have you gone mute?" he barked. I could tell my comment about his schlong being cute hurt his man ego, and he was waiting for me to apologize and address it properly. Fudge it. I'm making a run for it. "Oh my god, what the hell is that?" I gasped and pointed at the air behind him, "What?" he spun around at full speed. I used his distraction as a golden opportunity and dashed for the exit, never looking back. I ran to the hallway but didn't see my friends. Some friends they were. Bunch of assholes! I thought as I kept running down the halls, trying to get to the main exit as fast as possible. Thankfully, I didn't hear another pair of feet behind me which means Ambrose wasn't following me. He would surely catch me if he was because there was no way I could outrun a dang werewolf! I finally reached the parking lot and knelt. Hugging my knees, I tried to catch my breath. I was panting and sweating bullets. I am not letting my so-called friends talk me into things like this ever again. "Analyn! There you are. You are alive!" I looked up as I heard Tessa squeal. "Yes, I'm alive. No thanks to you!" I accused. I bet my face was as red as a lobster. "Aw honey, I'm sure he wouldn't have killed you," Shirley walked up to us and spoke. "Oh? Are you sure? Are you a hundred percent positive that one of the scariest werewolves in our school wouldn't tear me to pieces?" I hissed. "Well...not a hundred percent, but he wouldn't kill an innocent human like you," Tessa offered. "I think..." "Great. Well, it doesn't matter because I escaped and now, I'm going home and watching bad rom coms until I fall asleep. I've had way too much excitement than I asked for. Never again," I declared and started to walk to my car. Tessa and Shirley followed me. "Well, don't worry about it too much. Graduation is in two days, and after that, you will never see him again." That's right. After graduation, my father told me to work for him at the office. Nothing major. He just wanted me to do some paperwork and run errands for him until I figured out what to do with my life. But I was looking forward to locking myself in the house and burying myself in work so I could get away from all these supernatural beings. *** I went straight to my bedroom. I changed into my pajamas and got settled in my bed. It was too early to go to sleep, but I needed to take a breather after all the excitement. "Analyn! Are you sleeping?" I heard my father calling me from the other side of my bedroom door. I groaned softly, so he couldn't hear me, then got myself out of bed so I could open the door. "Hey, dad," I said and let out a long, exaggerated yawn, so he thinks I nearly went to sleep. "There's something important I need to speak to you about," he said. "Can it wait until morning? I was about to..." "No, Analyn. It can't wait. I will be waiting for you in my office," he said and walked away before I had the chance to protest. What happened now? Are werewolves starting a riot and putting humanity at stake again? But that doesn't seem like something I needed to get involved in. I sighed and headed to his office. This better be important if he is going to drag me out of bed for this! "Sit down." Dad motioned me to sit on the chair in front of him, so I obliged. "Analyn. Ever since your mother died, I have raised you all by myself, so you know how much I love you, right?" he began. Erm...I wouldn't call hiring three different nannies "raising by himself." I thought to myself but didn't dare say it out loud. "Yes dad. I love you too," I said. "Good. You might want to hold on to that emotion because you're not going to like what I'm about to tell you," he said and coughed nervously. Uh oh...my father is hardly ever nervous about anything. This must be serious. "What's wrong?" I asked, turning serious. "Tomorrow, we are going to visit Alpha Marquise from the Lightbridge Shadows Pack," he said. "Why?" "So we can talk about the wedding." "What wedding? Are we going to a wedding?" I asked. I was suddenly excited. Were we going to attend a werewolf wedding? I always wanted to see how their ceremony went down. My father cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Ana. I don't know how to say it, so I'm just going to tell you. Alpha Marquise and I decided to sign a peace treaty to try and end the war between humans and werewolves." "Oh my god, that's great..." I started to say but stopped as he held his hand up. "And to do that, he suggested a marital union between a human and a werewolf. He...well, we both believe that it would solidify the pact and make our friendship stronger." "Yeah, but what does that have to do with me?" I was confused. "The only way we can do that is to arrange a marriage between the two species. So I had promised him your hand in marriage," dad declared. What... It took me a few seconds to register what he was saying. Marriage between me and who? I was too young! "A...are you saying I have to marry Alpha Marquis? Isn't he old? Dad! I can't!" I cried. Dad shook his head. "No, silly girl. You aren't marrying him. He is getting old, so his son will be the next Alpha soon. You will be the wife of his son." The Alpha's son? I wondered what he was like. What if he was a brute like Ambrose? "So, what's his son's name?" I asked as I couldn't contain my curiosity. "Ambrose Vikander," my father dropped the nuclear bomb and waited for my reaction.

Chapter 3 3. From now on, you are my slave

Analyn POV "I...I don't understand," I murmured. "You heard me, Ana. You will marry Ambrose. And as the future alpha, he will...""NO!" I screamed. My father frowned. I hardly ever opposed my father or yelled at his face, but I'll make an exception today. "What do you mean no?""I mean, I won't marry that monster!" I said. Okay, maybe I was being a little harsh. All the rumors might be false, and maybe he didn't kill random innocent people, but that didn't change the fact that he was cold and arrogant. "You don't have a choice. It's been decided," dad declared. "Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me!" I cried. "Watch your mouth, young lady," dad warned. This was terrible. A total disaster. I should be excited about graduation and about being free from everything, not plan my wedding! Especially not to the person who may or may not eat me on our wedding night. "Daddy. This is just all so sudden. Couldn't we think about it?" I decided to take the pleading route to try and soften him up. I was kind of a daddy's girl, so I hoped he'd see the error in this terrible decision. I was born into power as my family had always been heavily influenced by politics. It didn't bother me at first, but I couldn't stand the paparazzi following me around and taking pictures of my private life when I became a teenager. But then something happened. The attention diverted away from me even after my father became the president because us humans weren't as exciting. What happened, you ask? Werewolves happened. They demanded not to be treated like animals and wanted to live in the society as they were somewhat like humans. Some humans agreed with them, some too terrified to deny them and the others wanted them gone. So it has been a long and tiring battle between us humans and the wolves. "We don't have much time. A lot of the packs are starting to get aggressive, and a group of humans wants them destroyed. A marriage might calm everyone down for a while," he insisted. "I'm worried about the future of mankind. Werewolves think we are beneath them, and I could feel a war coming.""That sounds stupid!" I exclaimed. "Analyn! That's enough. I need you to grow up and take responsibility. He goes to your school, so he must not be a complete stranger, so that's good, right?" dad sounded hopeful. That was the problem. I knew too much about him. And after today, I have seen too much of him. But I knew I had no choice. I was going to be sold off to the wolf's den. "I called Alpha Marquise and arranged a meeting between you and Ambrose. Then you two can discuss your future," dad said decidedly. There was nothing to discuss. Ambrose hates me, and he would probably puke all over dad's oak floor when he realized his bride is me. *** The next day, I anxiously waited for them to arrive. According to dad, Alpha Marquise is a nice guy, but knowing that didn't give me any comfort. So what if he was a nice guy? Ambrose wasn't. "They are here," our housekeeper peeked inside my room and announced. Dammit. I had on my best dress, as per my father's request. It was a sky blue, short dress with lacey sleeves and back. I tied my long blonde hair into a fishtail braid and threw it on the side. I looked at myself in the mirror and got annoyed. I look more feminine than I've ever looked before. Who was I trying to impress really? This marriage was the last thing I wanted. I let out a deep sigh and headed to the dining hall where my father usually entertained special guests. Our eyes met as soon as I entered the room. He was sitting directly in front of the door, so it couldn't be helped. He furrowed his eyebrows, and his jaw tightened as he recognized me. "You," he simply said. "Oh good, you two know each other already," a man spoke, so I diverted my eyes from Ambrose. I looked at Alpha Marquise. He was about my father's age and had specks of grey in his hair but was still incredibly handsome. Ambrose must've inherited some of his good looks. "What a lovely young lady you are. I am Marquise Vikander of the Lightbridge Shadows pack. It's very nice to meet you, Analyn," he said. I met his eyes nervously. "The pleasure is all mine, sir.""Please, no need for formalities. We will be a family soon. Unless you have any objection, young lady," Marquise boomed. Was that an open invitation to deny this marriage? So I thought, but my hope died once I saw my father's face. He was glaring at me not to mess things up. "I must warn you, sweetheart. My son is a temperamental brute, so you'll have your hands full trying to tame him." Alpha Marquise chuckled. "Then I prefer you as my husband!" I blurted out. What the actual fuck is wrong with me? Why do I always blurt out the most awkward things! Alpha Marquise threw his head back and laughed out loud. His booming voice almost vibrated our walls. "Oh, you are a funny one. I was wrong. It looks like it should be Ambrose who will have his hands full," he said and smirked. Someone kill me now. "I would like to talk to Analyn in private now," Ambrose stood up and spoke for the first time. "Of course, son," my father said enthusiastically. I've never seen someone get so excited about pushing their only daughter into the fire. Ambrose grabbed my wrist like he already owned me then dragged me outside on the patio. "That was rude. I was in the middle of wooing your father," I complained. "Listen, girl," he hissed. "My name is Analyn, but you can call me Ana," I corrected him. "Girl, I don't want this any more than you do," he barked. He doesn't? Oh good. We can both convince our parents not to do this then. "But we are going to do this, and for this whole pact thing to work, you'll have to behave," he finished. "I object!" I cried out. Ambrose winced. "I didn't say you had a choice.""You said you didn't want this, then why..." Ambrose leaned closer to me, forcing me to look him in the eyes. It was as if he could see through me. I felt goosebumps all over my body. He took my hand in his and trapped it inside his fist. His nose scrunched as he stared hard. What is he...trying to control me with his mind? Do wolves have that power? "Um, what are you doing?" I said in a hushed tone. "Shh...I'm trying to concentrate," he snapped. Eh? Concentrate on what? "You will agree to this marriage and do everything I tell you to do," he said in a robotic voice. Okay, he is starting to creep me out now. "Haha, no, I won't," I said. He furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes, you will, human girl. From now on, you are my slave.""That's hilarious, but I don't think so," I said casually and yanked my hand free. What is this guy smoking? His green eyes glinted with shock. He stared at me without saying anything and blinked a few times. "It didn't work? I don't understand....""What didn't work?" I looked at him curiously. Why is he acting so strange? He looked down. "Nothing." Okay...something was weird about him, but I didn't feel like prying him for more information. I had bigger things to worry about. "Anyway, I think we should tell our family this marriage is a bad idea.""No!" Ambrose growled. "My father threatened to exile me if I didn't agree to this. So we will go through this even if it kills us.""But I will never like you!" I exclaimed. "And neither will I you. Humans are weak and pathetic. They repulse me." he said and waved his hand dismissively. "Excuse me? Well... werewolves are hairy and gross. And I bet they smell like dogs!" I pointed my finger at him and said. How dare he insult my kind. "You want to say that again, pup?" he roared and stood over me. His eyes were glowing amber again. I guess I managed to insult him. "Sure, I'll say it again. You probably have dog breath." Good one, Ana. I must've woken up with a death wish this morning. Ambrose suddenly grabbed my shoulders and lifted me up until my feet were a few feet off the ground. It was as if I was as light as a piece of paper. He could easily throw me across the room like a rag doll. He drew me closer to his face as if he was about to kiss me. I felt his hot breath on my face as if he was huffing and puffing like a big bad wolf. Classic. "Apologize before I fling you across the room," he said with gritted teeth. I weighed my options. Insult him some more and choose death or apologize. I decided to choose the latter. "I'm sorry. Your breath smells lovely like the ocean breeze," I said. He must not have smelled my sarcasm because his eyes returned back to their original color, and he stopped breathing heavily. He put me down gently. "I'll spare you for the sake of the peace treaty," he said. "See, I'm terrible. I might piss you off like this for the rest of your life. How about we find an alternative solution, so we don't have to marry each other," I chirped. Ambrose let go of my shoulders. "No. Get ready for your new life. It won't be easy for you, so be prepared," he said and stormed out of the room.

Chapter 4 4. We could pretend

Ambrose POV My father used to tell me I was different than all the other wolves in the pack. When I was a kid, I thought it was just something he would say to make me feel special, but as I grew up, I realized he meant it. My father never said things he didn't mean. I was, indeed, different. When I reached puberty, I felt powers growing inside me. It was not the kind of powers typical werewolves had. It was stronger, something darker. I realized I could run faster than my brothers. And I was more agile in the battlefield. So when I fought with others, I was almost invincible. When I turned fifteen, I began to read minds. At first, I didn't think much of it. We werewolves can link our minds and communicate telepathically, so reading their minds was nothing out of the ordinary. Until one day, I started to communicate with other animals too. And eventually, I figured out how to control their actions using my mind. My father told me to keep it a secret from my pack members and not to use my powers often. I was not a normal wolf, he said. He told me I needed to blend in and keep my special powers under control until I became the next Alpha. I kept my promise for the most part, but it was fun to control people into doing anything for me once in a while. I could control just about anything or anyone. Except for this irritating human in front of me. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't get inside her mind and get her to say what I wanted. It was as if she had some kind of invisible shield in her brain. Maybe I was just having a bad day. When my father decided my future wife would be a human, I didn't know what to expect. I've never liked humans. They were simply useless to me. Sure, they have advanced in technology and were able to use it to their advantage sometimes, but biologically, they were inferior to us. Without weapons, they were nothing, and our wolves could easily tear them to pieces. So why would I want anything to do with them! And when I found out I was about to marry that same annoying girl from the locker room, it pissed me off even more, but I tried my best to hide my true feelings. But even though annoying, she was kind of cute. Her head full of blonde hair framed her face perfectly. She had dark brown eyes along with a cute button nose and plump lips. She was tiny, no more than five foot one. I could crush her in my arms anytime I wanted. She didn't have an ounce of fear in her eyes when she spoke to me. And that smart mouth of hers... I'd have to teach her a lesson later. For now, I needed to focus. I will do everything my father asks, but I'll make sure I become the ultimate ruler when my time comes. "So, what's your plan after the graduation, Ambrose?" Analyn's father asked at the dinner table. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was asking about what day job I'd be getting. Technically, the werewolves didn't have to work as we had generations of wealth inherited from our forefathers. However, since they are trying to blend in with human society, some of them decided to use their wealth of knowledge to get good jobs. My father is a well-known surgeon and he expects me to have a career too. However, I had other plans. I would be too busy taking over the world to worry about some measly job. "I am going to be an elementary school principal," I said with a straight face. This will do for now. "Pfffttt!" We all turned to Ana as she almost choked on her coca-cola while trying to suppress her laughter. Is the mere thought of me being a school principal that ridiculous to her? "What's so funny?" I growled. "N...nothing. You just don't seem like the kind of person who likes to be around children," Ana said. She wasn't too far off. "Alright, fine. What I really want to do is become a vet because I love animals," I said. I wasn't entirely lying. I can speak to animals, so it would be a better-suited job if I ever needed to work. "That's an excellent goal," Analyn's father beamed. I looked at her. She wasn't saying much during the dinner. Maybe she was still angry about me for not freeing her from this marriage. *** After dinner, we said our goodbyes, but I didn't leave with my father. Instead, I made up an excuse and pretended to go to a friend's house, but in reality, I was waiting to sneak up on Analyn because I wasn't done talking to her yet. I lay low until everyone went to bed then climbed up to her window. No, I wasn't going to spy on her like a creeper, but I didn't want to wait until our next meeting to tell her off. And I wanted to talk when our dads weren't breathing down our necks. I saw her moving around in the room, but she didn't notice me in the window. I lightly knocked on the glass, but she still didn't look. She must have earphones on or something. She was sitting in front of a mirror and was slowly undoing her braid. Her hair was long and blonde, which reminded me of sunshine. The moonlight from outside was shining on her, making her pale skin glow. Okay, I'll admit. She was a lot more beautiful than I initially thought. If only she wasn't so annoying... "WHAT THE FUUCK!" I nearly fell backward as I heard her scream. I was too busy daydreaming about her beauty to notice that she saw me. I winced and motioned for her to open the window. She swung the window open without hesitation. "Ambrose, what the hell? I thought you were a werewolf. What are you doing creeping around my window like a vampire?" she looked amused. "Vampires don't creep around people's windows. They are a lot more sophisticated than people think," I said irritably. "Vampires are real!" she gasped. I rolled my eyes. She lives among supernatural beings like werewolves, but vampires' existence shocks her? "Yes, they are real. Can I come in or not?" She opened the window and stepped back. "Why are you here?" she furrowed her brows. "I wasn't done talking to you earlier," I said. "Then why did you run off like a jilted bride without finishing talking?" Ana asked. She crossed her arms and stared into my eyes. "I didn't run off...anyway, we need a plan to figure out how we will make this marriage work," I said and plopped down on her bed. She had some kind of furry blanket that made my skin itch. Stupid girly bullshit. Analyn sighed. "It won't work. But dad won't listen to any reasonings.""Mine won't either," I said distractedly. Her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had thought of something genius. Although I doubt there was much going on up in there in the first place. "We could...we could pretend," she said. The idea wasn't revolutionary. I mean, if I marry her, I'd have to pretend as I like her anyway. "I need you to act like the perfect wife and not talk back to me." She rolled her eyes, and I had a feeling she would do the opposite of what I told her to do. "Fine, I'll be the perfect wife. I'd be so great that your father will give me the 'wife of the year' award," she chirped. "There's no such thing," I said dismissively. "I was being sarcastic, dingbat.""What did you call me?" I roared. It's only been a few seconds with her in the same room as me, and I was already getting pissed off. How am I supposed to tolerate her 24/7? "Nothing! I was just practicing calling you cute nicknames," she said quickly. I tried to see what was inside her mind again. Still nothing. I picked up a lock of her hair and twirled it on my finger. "You better make sure your acting is good enough to convince everyone, especially my father, or else you'd be so much in trouble," I threatened her. "I'm not scared of you," she said determinedly. I'll see if you sing the same tune after I'm through with you, little one, I thought to myself.

Chapter 5 5. Delicious piece of caramel pie

Analyn POV I stood my ground and told him I wasn't scared of him. But I lied. I was scared of him a little. Ambrose wasn't a regular guy. There was something primal about him. He was unpredictable. I knew I had to be careful around him. He had evil intentions deep inside him. I could feel it in my bones. I had a feeling that humanity would be in trouble once he became the Alpha. I couldn't imagine what he might do. Maybe I can stop him when the time comes. Maybe I can tame the beast. What am I even thinking? I can't even tame my cat, Mr. Richie Richardson. I was still upset at my father for forcing me to do this, but I had to say yes. I was his only daughter, and I didn't want to disappoint him by being whiny and weak. So what if I had to spend the rest of my life with someone like Ambrose? Maybe I will get lucky, and he will change his mind last minute. I decided to make the best of it by blowing his money on the most expensive wedding gown and jewelry. So I called Tessa and Shirley. "Shut up!" Tessa exclaimed after I told her everything. Her eyes were wide. "Does he have a hot pack member?" Shirley waggled her eyebrows. "My entire life is at stake, and you are worried about hooking up?" I said. I was hoping for some sympathy, but my friends seemed more excited than anything. They were acting like I got the golden ticket to the chocolate factory. "I think you are taking it the wrong way. Marrying a werewolf sounds hella exciting. Would you rather be the wife of someone boring and predictable?" Tessa asked. "Yes! I'd rather have a HUMAN husband. You know, someone like a Bob or Steve or something. Not Ambrose fucking Vikander of the Lightbridge Shadows!" I cried. Shirley ignored my outcry and sighed. "Ambrose is so sexy. Oh, how I wish I was in your shoes.""Then you marry him!" I said irritably. I grabbed her shoulders. "Oh my god. Why don't you take my place and marry him instead?" Shirley threw her hair back and laughed. "First of all, that's a stupid idea. Second of all, everyone already knows what you look like, and we look nothing alike, so that would never work." Damn, she is right. "Whatever, let's go to the mall so I can buy my special dress," I said, sighing. I made Tessa drive us to the mall. Since they weren't going to help me escape this, they might as well chauffeur me around to wherever I needed to go. I planned on going full bridezilla mode and making everyone suffer with me. "Wow, look at these dresses! They are all so beautiful," Tessa exclaimed after we found a bridal store. "I should pick the most expensive dress to teach my father a lesson," I declared, but my eyes already fell on the perfect dress, and I made up my mind to try it on. "That one!" I pointed for Shirley and Tessa to look at. It was a gorgeous floor-length sleeveless dress with lace and a tulle skirt. I looked at the price tag and nearly had a mini heart attack. Twenty thousand dollars! What kind of magical dress was this? It doesn't matter, I told myself. It'll put a hole in my father's pocket, and that was the goal. I put the dress on and immediately fell in love with it. It hugged the curves I never knew I had and the blushed pink color complimented my pale skin. "Wow, this is it, Ana. This is the dress." Shirley was looking at me like she was ready to marry me herself. I nodded. "I'll take it," I told the store clerk, who was also gushing on the side and making googly eyes at me. "What's next?" Shirley asked. "We should have a bachelorette party!" Tessa suggested. "The wedding is this Saturday. There's no time," I said bitterly. Alpha Marquise and my father were in a hurry to send me off to my doom. "Of course, there's time. We can have it tomorrow. How about we go to the club. You still have your fake ID, right?" Tessa smirked. Sure, why not. Who knows what kind of life was waiting for me at Ambrose's lair, so I might as well have some fun first. "Okay. But don't let me drink too much," I said. The last time I went to the club, I ended up coming home drunk and passed out on the stairs. Lucky for me, dad was on an overnight business trip, so he didn't catch me. I wouldn't know how to explain myself as I wasn't even legally supposed to drink yet. "Ana, we all know you will drink too much again. This time it'll be fine since it will be your last night as a single woman," Shirley said. Shirley wasn't exactly the voice of reason, so I didn't expect her to mother me. Besides, she had a point. *** The next day, it was on like Donkey Kong. I put on the sexiest outfit I could find. I paired a black mini skirt with a silver crop top so I could shine like a disco ball. Normally, I don't like wearing too much makeup, but I decided to go all out today. By the time I was done, I looked like a hooker. But an expensive one. We stormed into the club with a purpose, and it was to get wasted. "What can I get you ladies to drink?" the girl at the bar leaned forward and asked. "Give me any liquor with color," I announced. The bartender squinted. "Are you even old enough to drink? The legal age is still twenty-one last time I checked.""Yes, she is, and she is getting married!" Tessa lied enthusiastically. "She will have rum and coke," Shirley offered and looked at me. I gave her a nod of approval. The bartender gave me a one last look of suspicion, then poured me a glass. And it somehow became my downfall. Okay, it wasn't just that one glass because the one glass became two. Then three. Then eventually, a shot or two were added. I was feeling good. Perhaps, a little too good. I dragged Tessa to the dance floor. I had no idea where Shirley went. The last time I saw her, she was flirting with some guy wearing a beret. I danced like this was my last night on earth. My mind was trying to avoid what was to come next week. The music moves me like I'm a puppet on strings. I must look really stupid, flailing my arms around all drunk and disoriented, but I didn't care. My eyes meet with a pair of piercing grey eyes. "Why is that guy staring at me?" I yelled into Tessa's ear so she could hear me over the music. "Who?" Tessa looked around obliviously. "That one right there?" I pointed at the grey-eyed hunk who was still staring at me. He was tan and muscular, almost as tall as Ambrose. Maybe not as sexy as Ambrose, but pretty darn close. His friends stood next to him, laughing and drinking, but he kept his eyes on me. "Oooh, he is hot," Tessa remarked. "No shit, Sherlock. I'm going to go say hi," I said. "What, no Ana. I don't think that's a good idea," Tessa protested. "Excuse me? This is my last night as a single woman, and I'm going to spend it with that delicious piece of caramel pie over there." I pushed her aside and strode toward the hunk. Normally, I don't act like this, but tonight the alcohol mixed with the stress of the wedding went straight to my head. I was feeling reckless. "Hi, handsome," I said and gave him the most seductive smile I could muster. He smiled back. "Hello.""I am Analyn. Who are you?" I asked. "My name is Theodore. Are you feeling okay, Analyn?" Theodore narrowed his eyes. Was the pretty boy worried about me? How sweet. I opened my mouth to reply, but something crashed near me. The noise was so loud that it nearly burst my eardrums. I looked to my side and saw a giant table had smashed against the wall. "Oh shit!" Theodore exclaimed and looked at me. "You better go find somewhere safe to hide. The Bloodmoon Pack is here, and they are picking a fight. I must go help my brothers," he said. The Bloodmoon Pack? Sounds like werewolves. Why does Theodore have to fight werewolves? "What? Why?" I grabbed his arm and asked. "They are the rivals of the Lightbridge Shadows Pack, and they don't like to be the same area as us. It comes with being territorial, I guess.""What does that have to do with you? You can't fight werewolves. They are too strong," I whined. Theodore laughed. "I guess you haven't figured it out. I'm the Beta of Ambrose's pack, so I'm responsible for helping my pack members. Now enough talking. Find a safe place before Ambrose tries to kill me for not keeping his wife safe." He grinned. Wait... I gasped as my drunk brain finally started to register what had just happened. I was flirting with another werewolf!

Chapter 6 6. Could you put some clothes on?

Analyn POV I flung myself into a corner as a chair flew at me. Luckily, I was able to dodge it. I saw a bulky man standing in the middle of the club, fuming. "Let's not fight, Alpha Dominique. We both know this is the neutral zone since humans own this club. We can all be here, so why don't we try and have fun?" Theodore was saying. He hadn't transformed into his wolf yet. I wondered why. I bet this Dominique person would be a lot more intimidated then. Dominique growled. "I was having fun until your pack member dared to hit on my mate. Why don't you hand him over to us, Beta, so we can punish him our way?" Oh snap, hitting on an Alpha's mate? Who was the idiot who did that? "I didn't do it on purpose. I had no idea she was your mate!" the idiot spoke. Okay, I don't need to stick around and watch someone get torn apart, I though and got up slowly. I couldn't take my eyes off Dominique as he transformed into his wolf form. I've never seen it in real life, and it was a lot more disturbing than I thought. He was a big grey wolf. His steel grey claws extended from his large paw, and his sharp white teeth shone under the led lights. His ears were pointed straight forward, and his neck hair was raised. Three other wolves stood behind him, all grey. And they were inching toward Theodore and his buddies. Alpha Dominique suddenly hunched over and lunged at the poor guy who dared to flirt with his woman, and pretty soon, they were both rolling on the floor. It didn't take long for Theodore and others to transform and jump right into that pile of mess. I really needed to get out of here, I thought and started to panic as I watched the wolves jumping on each other, snapping teeth, throwing each other against the wall. Most people at the club screamed their way out, so I needed to do the same. I looked around to see if I could spot Shirley or Tessa, but they were nowhere to be found. Maybe they evacuated safely when I wasn't looking. I saw an opening to run for the exit among the chaos and decided to go for it. Then the worst thing that could possibly happen happened. I tripped and fell right in the middle of the fight. I ducked and tried to blend in with the floor as I watched the wolves clawing at each other. One of them almost hit me. Fear overwhelmed me. If one of those claws tear through my skin, I was done for. "Get out of the way! Crawl!" someone screamed. I didn't know who he was, but it didn't matter. I tried to crawl as he instructed, but I couldn't move a muscle. I lay there helplessly. What was wrong with me? It was as if I was frozen in fear. I felt tears running down my cheeks. "Look what a cat dragged in here." My heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I heard a hoarse voice speaking in my ear. I managed to turn my head. I didn't have the chance to move away as a strange man jumped in front of me and loomed over my face. I didn't know which pack he belonged to. He leaned closer and dragged his nose over my skin in a long sniff. "Mmm...a human girl. No wonder you smelled so delicious from a distance. Guess you hadn't had the chance to escape. Don't worry. I'll protect you," he cooed. I looked behind him. The others were still fighting, not paying attention to us. I had a bad feeling about this man. I knew I couldn't trust him. "No thanks. Just let me leave the club. My friends are out there.""Hmm...no. I think I want you for myself," he hissed near my ears. "I think you'd make a great slave." Oh, hell no. "Get off of me!" I screamed and pushed the perverted wolf. He must not have stood his ground too firmly because I was able to move him out of the way and drag myself forward. I didn't get too far as I felt him grab my leg and drag me back to him. This was the worse bachelorette party ever! My legs were suddenly free. And before I could gather my thoughts, I saw the perverted man flying across the room. His bloodcurdling scream echoed through the walls, and I closed my eyes. The alcohol was starting to wear off, and I felt the fear inside me was getting stronger. Like I said, worst bachelorette party ever. But I suddenly felt a pair of arms snaking around my waist and lifting me off the ground. Oh great...who was trying to kidnap me this time? With my eyes still shut, I started sobbing harder. "Keep your eyes closed and hold me tight," a deep, husky voice spoke. He was carrying me somewhere with his arms wrapped around me tightly. His embrace was warm, I felt safe. I nodded and buried my face in his shoulder. I opened my eyes as soon as he sat me down on a table and looked at his face. Ambrose looked at me with an expression that looked like a mixture of concern and annoyance. I guess he thought I was a real pest for being in this situation. I expected him to yell at me and call me a weak human, but he said nothing. Instead, he reached out and held my chin up. "Are you hurt?" he asked. "No," I said quietly. He brushed some of the hair off my face. "Why didn't you leave the club like the rest when the fight started? Are you an idiot?" he barked. "I'm sorry," I whispered. I was too afraid and tired to argue with him. I just wanted to go home. His eyes softened. "Sit tight while I go end this stupid fight. I'll take you home after," he said. I didn't say anything but nodded to let him know I heard him. I stared at him as he transformed right before my eyes, mesmerized. His fur was pitch black and shiny. And he was massive. He swatted some of the rival wolves like flies then hunched over in front of Alpha Dominique. Alpha Dominique snapped his teeth. Saliva dripped down his teeth. Ambrose didn't even flinch. He closed in on him like a hunter to his prey. Ambrose wasn't an alpha yet, but his movements showed he was born for that role. I felt the heat radiating between my legs. Wait, what's happening? Am I getting turned on by my future husband? Unacceptable. Dominique attacked first, and I expected some kind of epic battle, but it was over in a matter of seconds as Ambrose grabbed Dominique by his throat and threw him across the wall. Then, he transformed back to his human form and stood there completely naked. I guess his clothes aren't wolf transformation proof. Dominique didn't move, and his wolf pals backed away in fear. "This fight is over. Take your alpha and get the fuck out of the club. Don't forget to pay the damages to the owner," Ambrose barked. I watched in shock as they dragged Dominique away as he was still unconscious. Just how strong is Ambrose? Ambrose walked back to me. "You ready?""Um...yeah, but could you put some clothes on first?" I said while struggling to keep my eyes away from his thing. "I don't carry around extra clothes in case a fight breaks out," Ambrose rolled his eyes. "Well, you really should though. And can you turn back to your nice, fluffy wolf version? I don't think it's decent for a young lady such as myself to walk around with a naked muscular man. What would the neighbors think!" I gasped. Ambrose let out an exaggerated sigh. "I have extra clothes in my car. I'll pull over by the entrance so just wait for me." With that, he strode outside. I've never seen someone look so naked and so confident at the same time. I looked at my phone, and there were twenty missed calls from Tessa and Shirley, but I decided to ignore them for now. They left me, so I was still angry at them. He drove me home in silence. My heart was beating fast. I wasn't scared anymore but being near him had this weird effect on me. I couldn't explain it. "Tha...thank you for saving me back there," I said as he walked me to my door. "You are to be my Luna soon, so I better not see you be so reckless again," he said grimly. No promises there. "Okay, well...goodnight!" I said and proceeded to go inside, but he grabbed my wrist. "What?" I asked. "Just one more thing," he said and leaned so close that I thought he was about to kiss me, but he stopped right near my ear. "I better not catch you flirt with another man again," he said in a hoarse whisper.