Chapter 3 Ambushed

Arabella's POV

"This isn't up for debate."

"But Father, I–"

He threw a glass vase across the room and it shattered into what seemed like a million pieces.

I cringed back in fear. Dad's tantrums had only grown exponentially after Mom's death and the devastating territorial wars because of the Lupo-Mortale Pack breaking the treaty or so I heard. This was the father I remembered, the one I'd always known.

He moved towards me and took my arms gently. Like he usually did. I closed my eyes bracing myself. Then his grip tightened and he pushed me up against the wall and I whimpered.

"You have just one duty." He enunciated every word clearly and slowly.

"Yet you make things complicated." My arms were aching severely now. "I will say this just one more time, Arabella. You will go to the Silvermoon Pack and hope your fiance doesn't find you as repulsive as I do. We will get that alliance no matter what. And I frankly do not give a damn if he is your true mate or not."

My father released me, throwing me down and I landed on my arm. I bit back a moan of pain, knowing I couldn't show weakness here of all places.

"Get out of my sight and prepare for your mating ceremony."

"Yes, Father."

As I walked out of his study cradling my arm, I fought back tears.

Arabella Bianchi, heir to the Stonecold Empire, unable to have a say in the choice of my own mate.

How laughable.

I was as powerless as the weakest omega in my own pack. Because even though I was the Alpha's daughter and believed in only true mates pairings made by the Moon Goddess, my mating would be anything but that. At least omegas chose their own mates.

I went to my room where my maids awaited me. This time I submitted to their ministrations without complaints. I was waxed, cleaned, plucked, perfumed and adorned.

This must be how it felt to be an animal fattened for the slaughter.

They dressed me up in a sheer corsetted lace with rhinestones gown that flared out at the bottom. It was beautiful and emphasized all the curves I didn't know I even had. And I hated it. Hated that my only value to the pack was that of a broodmare to be sold off without an after thought.

They started on my hair and make up, fingers light and practiced as they did their final duty to me. I fought back tears, they'd be fine. My serving ladies Sofia, Aurora, Greta and Emma. With my marriage secured, the pack would finally be able to stand up to the tyranny of the Lupo-Mortale Pack, and they wouldn't lose anybody to the wars again.

At least they would profit from this alliance even if I didn't.

When they were done, I was transformed. My chestnut hair fell down my back in perfect waves with two braids intertwined pulling my waves back. With curls strategically placed to frame my face. My makeup was natural and made my brown eyes pop and my lips look a tad fuller. My exquisite dress pulled the look together and I looked stunning.

I was ready. Ready to marry a man whose face I didn't even know.

I sat in the back of our limo alone as I was driven to my fiance's pack. My hands shook with fear and trepidation as I tried to take deep calming breaths. I was doing this for the pack. My wolf, Lia, was silent but I could feel her anger and frustration at this impossible situation.

My gown felt too tight, too constricting, too revealing. My breath quickened and I could feel the onset of a panic attack coming on. I closed my eyes and thought calming thoughts. The car suddenly stopped. Were we there already? I'd thought the drive would be longer.

I hit the button to take down the guard separating the limo so I could talk to the driver. The screen went down and I saw the driver. His window was down as he conversed with someone. Maybe a police officer, although they knew not to bother the Stonecold– I heard a click. A soft one. Then the driver's head snapped back and blood stained the stereo.

He shot my driver. This was not a routine search by the police but a coordinated attack. I had to get out of here. I bent down reaching for the gun we always kept beneath the seats of all our cars as a precaution. But before I could reach it, the side door of the limo opened.

"Found the princess."

The man reached in and dragged me out. I couldn't fight against his viselike grip and I knew at once that he was a werewolf like myself. I stumbled out of the car to see our entire party had been surrounded by identical black cars.

They were shooting and killing my security personnel mercilessly. I struggled against my captor but the gun pressed to the side of my head made me reconsider.

"Please just let them go. They didn't do anything to you."

"Shut up. Make any sudden movements and I'll blow your brains out. Heir or not."

So I watched trapped as they killed my security staff. Dad was supposed to meet up with us there. How long would it take him to realize something was wrong? How long would it take them to find us? What did these men want from me?

A man sauntered towards my captor, giving a wolf whistle as he saw me.

"Well I'll be damned. Didn't know the Stonecold female wolves were this hot." He had the effontry to adjust himself in his pants.

Digusting.

My captor laughed.

"Me neither, Mattia. All their wolves are accounted for?"

"Yeah, they're all dead. Cross is paging Alpha now." Mattia was still eyeing my body as he spoke and I felt a chill of revulsion skitter across my skin.

Dead. All dead. Twenty wolves with families, friends, spouses and loved ones. I bit back a sob at the thought of all the innocent lives wasted.

"Do you have the wolfsbane?" My captor asked and my struggles began anew. If they injected me with that, I would be unable to shift. I would only be able to communicate with my wolf through our link effectively cutting off any possible escape means.

"Yeah." Mattia handed a loaded syringe to my captor.

"Stay still Princess or we will do this the hard way." A sharp prick on my neck and all the fight left me. I could still feel Lia but I couldn't shift.

"So about the heir," Mattia leered. "Alpha is going to kill her either ways. Might as well take our turns with her first."

My captor paused undecided. Mattia smiled and moved forward, his claws flashing as he tore the shoulder straps on the dress. I gasped pressing the torn dress to my chest to cover up my skin.

I backed away from the two wolves, my hands covering my chest.

"Where are you going, Pretty?" Mattia snickered.

"Yeah. Where are you going to?" This voice came from just behind me. Before I could run or turn though, he had me. One of his hands holding me firmly and the other on a gun.

"What's going on here?" The two men bowed to him but it was Mattia who spoke up.

"Sorry Cross. We just wanted to have a quickie with her. Look at that body, she's practically begging for it."

"That's what this is about? Take her then," Cross flung me to their feet. "Just be quick about it Alpha Luciano will be here soon and he might get a bit prickly about you having fun on duty."

"No, please let me go!" I struggled against their grips on me, my neckline dipping dangerously low now that my hands were no longer over my chest.

They dragged me despite all of my protests to an isolated corner and the other man held me down while Mattia unbuckled his trousers, a sick smile on his face. He pulled out his dick and began to jerk himself off. I might have vomited in my mouth a little.

Was this how I was going to lose my virginity and probably my life too?

He yanked at my gown tearing it to bare my legs. I kicked and nearly hit him. He backhanded me so hard that my head was woozy, my vision went hazy and my body limp. He pushed up my gown and settled between my legs. He groped at my breasts for some seconds before reaching between my thighs to tear away my panties.

I cried struggling futilely against his grip. I closed my eyes feeling his weight against me as he was about to enter me then suddenly he was gone. The hands holding me down also disappeared.

I opened my eyes shocked. A man stood in front of me towering over me but I strangely felt safe. His black hair was longer up top and fell over his eyes. His eyes flickered between blue and silver as he watched me as I did him. He was built and looked dangerous, he was gorgeous. I think the phrase drop dead handsome was coined after him. Because that's how I felt after looking at him.

Like I'd drop dead any moment now looking at this marvellous specimen of a man. My pulse raced and my hands got clammy. I wanted to touch his face I realized. Touch his lips, slip my tongue between his lips and see if he'd bite it or kiss me back. I licked my lips suddenly parched. His predatory gaze followed the movement and he stepped forward towards me. My legs parted a little involuntarily and the sudden heat in his gaze let me know he'd noticed.

"Alpha Luciano." The man who'd been holding me down bowed obviously cowed. I froze like a bucket of ice cold water had been poured on me. Alpha Luciano? My wolf was practically baying for my attention now that I was no longer enraptured by my saviour.

"Who is this?" His voice. Goddess. His voice sent shivers running down my spine against my will.

"Arabella Bianchi, Alpha."

It was like he underwent a transformation. His blue eyes were as cold as ice chips and his demeanour became scary, his hands fisted and for a moment I felt he would come forward and behead me or something.

I finally heard what my wolf was screaming beneath the wolfsbane.

"Mate!" She yelled with joy.

No. This wasn't possible. My jaw dropped in shock.