Chapter 1
The war was devastating and claimed many lives. It has been three years since the wolves revealed themselves to us, and it has been a constant battle ever since.
My father held the position of President, and I was on my way to a conference meeting that he had called for. Upon entering the room, I noticed that it was filled with people who whispered amongst themselves as they glanced at me.
It wasn't a strange thing,it was something I was used to, and one thing I had learned is not to cower away in their gaze.
I returned their gazes without fear, as I had grown accustomed to being stared at. They commented on my distinctive appearance, particularly my red hair, and my clear skin, my outworldly appearance.
If not that everyone knew my parent, I particularly would had passed out as a supernatural being, and i think that was one of the reason i was the most hated member of my family. Humans hated the supernatural, and anything that remains of them, a fragment of the supernaturals, became their enemy.
"We have reached an agreement on the next steps to take. The wolves have agreed to our peace proposal, and to solidify this, there will be a marriage between a human and the werewolf king, this union will solidify their relationship between the human and the wolves." announced Mr. George, my father, as the room erupted into murmurs.
I was taken aback by his words. Who would willingly marry someone like the Alpha king? Rumors of his cruelty were widespread, he was a monster , and this decision seemed utterly insane.
One of the ministers interrupted, exclaiming, "This is absurd! Who in their right mind would agree to such a dangerous mission? It's a suicide mission!, how did we trust the wolves to keep to their sid of the bargain" The rest of the men nodded in agreement.
"Well, I am here to inform you that someone has volunteered to sacrifice herself for the sake of humanity," he declared. The hall erupted into murmurs as everyone began speaking amongst themselves.
"She must be a sadist."
"Is she crazy?"
"Who is this person?"
"Loreen, can you please step forward?" my father called out, extending his hand towards me. I froze , as a chill ran down my spine at his words.
What the fuck does he means, i remained frozen, i knew i should had ran but i also know that running will create more problems for me, my father will make sure i pay for trying to run.
I looked at him with fear as I cautiously approached.
As I got closer, he took hold of my hand and smiled at the crowd, although my heart raced with confusion.
"Loreen, my first daughter, has agreed to become the bride of the Alpha king," he announced. Gasps filled the room as he squeezed my hand, silently urging me not to make a sound. A chill ran up my spine as I stared at him wide-eyed.
How could he? He was my father. How could he do this to me? I stood there in shock, trembling from the news.
What the hell does he mean i accept, i wanted to scream shout , fight, but i knew the man in front of me, he was cruel, and this time i’m sure as hell will end up , dead, my father never cared about me, maybe he despise me, so much that he would throw me to the wolves.
"This is good news. Humanity has accepted and will forever honor this sacrifice," one of the ministers proclaimed. The room erupted into applause as everyone stood up.
“You are so great, 𝘔𝘳 president, your utmost sacrifice will not be forgotten, the name of you and your family shall go down in history for this,” another minister said as they smiled brightly at my father.
I could see the look of terror in their eyes, the wolves hated us, well the supernatural does, and in just three years, fifty percent of the human population had been wiped out. Everyone knew that there was no hope for us winning this war, we didn't even know the wolf's weakness.
"It is my responsibility, that I put humility first even before myself. Thank you, thank you. Now, if you'll excuse us," my father said, pulling me out of the room and into his office. He could see how distressed I was by his words.
As soon as he arrived at his office, he forcefully pushed me to the ground. I glanced upwards and saw Helen laughing as I fell, along with my mother who sat there with a wide smile.
"What is the meaning of this foolishness, girl? Do you have such a strong desire to humiliate me in front of everyone?" He snapped at me, while he slapped me harshly and I tumbled to the ground. My father had never treated me well, instead favoring my sister.
"Why, dad? Why do you throw me to the wolves? What have I done to deserve such mistreatment from you? I am your daughter, for Christ's sake," I cried out, looking at him as if pleading for my life.
This was how it was, the look he gave me was that of disgust, my parents never looked at me with love , or compassion, they particularly ignored me, and with time, I had learned to live without being bothered by their maltreatment.
"We should definitely inform the poor girl, I truly believe it is time," my mother stated firmly as she stood up and positioned herself right next to her husband, grinning down at me with a smug expression.
I absolutely despised her; my hatred for her was so intense that it made my blood boil with rage. She was the absolute worst of them all, and she had mistreated me ever since I was a child.
I had been hidden away from the rest of the world since I was a kid; even though my father could conceal the hate in his eyes, my mother couldn't. She would abuse me and starve me; there was even a time when she cut my hair because she claimed the color reminded her of blood, and I had to dye my hair throughout my teenage years.
"You're nothing but a pathetic orphan we took in out of pity, Loren. Don't you dare think you're part of this family. You're just a burden we have to bear until we can get rid of you. And don't you dare question my motives. All I care about is power, and you're just a means to an end. So shut your mouth and be grateful for the scraps of attention we throw your way," my dad spat, and a chilling sensation ran up my spine.
"What are you talking about?" I asked with wide eyes, as if I couldn't believe what he had just said. I looked at my mother to see a smirk crawling across her face.
"What your father is trying to say is, Loreen, you aren’t our kid; you’re just some orphan who was left in our care by a young teenage girl. And since we didn’t have Anna yet, we raised you as one of our own. You can tell by the way I looked," she confirmed as I stumbled back in fear and betrayal, shaking my head in disbelief, while tears began to flood my eyes.
I couldn't believe it; now I understood from the way they had always treated me and praised Anna instead, how they beat and maltreated me at home while praising me in public.
It wasn't that the thought hadn't crossed my mind, I had thought that my genes were from a distant relative, that what they had always told me these, particularly, was out of the question.
I wasn’t their blood, and that realization alone had me breaking down in tears. He was going to throw me to the wolves and make the world think I was his daughter, and in doing so, he would become a hero and gain more sympathy.
“Your just doing this for more powers aren’t you, that’s all you care about, power,” I yelled out as he reached forward and held my hair
“Watch your tone, you get to be praise to by saving humanity, giving up your life for the people just like those soldiers who died, in the war, for the first time in your life you are useful to me, this how you repay me you maggot, for taking you in for twenty years” he snapped as he punched me in the stomach and I fell to the ground as I wept.
“You can't do this, the wolves have no plans of ever keeping the peace , everyone knows that, they only want to wipe us out, sending me there as a bride will get me killed, you don't need to have me as a burden anymore, free me, and i promise i will never disturb you anymore , or neither shall you see my face any longer”i pleaded with my father who had a smirked.
"Oh poor child, why would we ever let you go when we are finally beginning to achieve what we desire? Your father will be celebrated for sacrificing his daughter in the name of peace; his name will be remembered for generations upon generations, as he is a man who fought valiantly for the lives of humanity. Do you truly believe that allowing you to leave will ever be an option?" my mother mocked, while she held her husband, who was smirking at her words.
"No, please, don't do this!!" I cried out desperately as I tried to reach for their feet, even though deep down I understood it was a futile effort, and I was correct, as she slapped me hard across the cheek.
"Get yourself home, and prepare for your wedding tomorrow. Make sure to find yourself a beautiful white dress with the money I will give you, and do not even think about trying to run away, or else you will deeply regret it," he warned as he walked out the door with his wife.
Leaving me alone with Helen, as soon as they departed, she stood up and walked toward me.
"Did you know?" I asked, my voice cracking from all the tears I had shed.
"You know, I was always curious why I got a room while you were stuck in the attic. I inquired, and they told me the truth, and I am more than pleased. Having a sister with blood-red hair is not something I ever looked forward to," she said dismissively as she exited the office.
I sobbed uncontrollably in that dreadful office for what felt like an eternity until a woman finally pulled me out to select a wedding dress that wouldn’t make me look like a complete disaster in front of the wolves.
When I arrived at the store, the staff overwhelmed me with choices. I sat there, staring at my reflection in the mirror - long red hair, pale skin, and eerie green eyes.
I wondered why I hadn’t noticed it sooner; there was no way they could be related to me. Everyone else had dark hair and brown eyes, and I was the only one with such a peculiar appearance. I had tried to ignore it many times, attributing it to genetics, but now, it terrified me.
My father had slipped forward with information that revealed my mother was just a teenage girl who became pregnant."
“I need that dress for the wedding,'' I said for the first time since entering the store. As I pointed at a black dress at another roll of clothes, I knew it was a mourning dress, worn by someone who wanted to bury his or her loved ones.
“But that is a black dress, and no less the morning dress, you have to wear a white dress to the wedding or the president may get angry or worse the Alpha king may feel insulted,”the staff said with widened eyes as she tried to convince me.
“Give me the black dress, this isn’t a wedding it’s a funeral and I am the celebrant, and I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks or says, as far as i know i wouldn't last a day in the hand of the tyrant king”I demanded.
