Chapter 3 A Devil's Deal

Five full Moons Ago...

Lia sat on her bed as the door opened lightly, her maid walked in, their faces laced with fear as if something was happening, something was going on right now in the palace.

"What's with the look on your faces? Is there a problem or something I should know about? She asked, more confused by the look they exchanged. Since no one was willing to tell her anything, she stood up on her feet about to get to the door when the maids blocked her path.

"What's going on? Do you know the repercussions of blocking my path?"

"I'm sorry my princess, but your father stated that you won't show your face in the courtroom today and at this moment." The maid said, her head hung low, but her voice gave way to the message.

"What are you talking about? And why would father say such?" Her eyes darted at the two as they exchanged glances. "Unless something is going on right now in the courtroom." She asked, and her facial expressions gave it away instantly.

"Get out of my way.... I'd like to see my father." She stated,

"Your Highness, please make it easier for us as well. We can't let you go." The maids had tried to hold her back, but she was the princess and defiling her orders was not one they would want to be associated with.

Stepping out of her room, she opened up the door and rushed to the courtroom, holding her dress at each hip.

As she approached the courtroom, she noticed there were guards everywhere, but these were not the palace guards, they were oddly looking.

"Father!!!" She called, rushing to the courtroom to see her father on his knees when her eyes caught a strange dashing handsome man seated on his chair, seated with his legs crossed.

"Lia! What are you doing out here!!!" Her father called out in disappointment, hiding his daughter from the monster that was ruined by her.

Her eyes traveled to the strange man who didn't look like he cared, her anger flared up, as she clenched her fist.

"And who are you?"

The spokesperson, tall and lean with a scar above his left eyebrow, stepped forward. "His Excellency Adonis has come for an extremely important matter, " he said in a voice indicating superiority. "It's a proposal that will benefit both our packs and secure lasting peace."

Lia narrowed her eyes and her mind was racing with doubt. She did not trust Adonis or his pack, and certainly not this spokesperson.

"What proposal?" she demanded firmly.

The spokesperson smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Why, a marriage proposal, of course," he replied. "Between you Princess Lia and His Excellency Adonis."

Lia's heart stopped. Marriage? With Adonis? She would rather die than agree to such a thing.

"I refuse," she spat savagely.

The spokesperson's smile never changed. "I'm afraid that's not an option, Princess," he said. "Your father has already accepted the terms."

Lia's glance shot towards her father, who looked down ashamedly. A wave of anger surged through her; how could he do this?

"Dad!" She called, but he threw his face away. How could he do this to her? Give her away to a total stranger!

"I am not getting married to someone I barely know!" She added, the man sat there staring at her before whispering into his spokesperson's ear.

"Well, very well said then, Princess, but I expected our visit not to be peaceful when next we meet." The spokesperson added, sending shivers down her spine as she stared in disbelief.

Walking out of the courtroom, Lia rushed to her father, as she helped him with his bind, but his face filled with disappointment.

"Why did you come out?" He asked, his voice laced with anger as he stared deep into her face. His gaze fell on the two maids approaching with their heads hung low.

"Dad? I don't understand, we both know that you were in trouble and I came to help! Can you just appreciate it?" She fired back, her father looked at her and then scoffed,

"Appreciate it? You have just put us in deep hell, Lia, and we have to do his bidding right now."

Lia was confused, she knew her father to be the bravest and fearless, but for some reason, this strange visitor shook him. He looked a bit thrown off the balance just by his visit, like he was scared or something.

"Who is he? What does he want from us and why would you even agree to marry me off to him!" She yelled, clenching her fist in her eyes from blazing in anger.

"That is Adonis! The same ruthless Alpha who has wiped the entire Windertown of its Alphas and dominated their pack. There is a reason he had not visited the Stone Heart pack and that is because I had to pay the ultimate sacrifice!" He answered.

Lia stared at him in disbelief, like she could not decipher who stabbed her most, the father she knew or the Alpha of the pack, but it all boiled down to the same person.

"So you choose to marry me off to a monster? Just to keep your pack running? You sacrificed my happiness and for what? Money? Fame? For what father!!!!!" She yelled, her eyes glowed as the courtroom shook in resonance to her voice.

"Latina!!!" He reprimanded her. He never called her by her maiden name. Her eyes closed in tears. She didn't know what to do or think, but all she knew was that she was getting married to a monster she had been betrothed to by her father all these years without her knowledge.

"But I love Princeton and you know that," she let out, in exhaustion. She was tired of yelling. What was the use?

"Believe me when I say, all these years his silence about your Betrothal felt like he didn't want it and that is only why I permitted your relationship with Princeton. But with what's at stake, you'll have to forfeit your relationship with Princeton and go with Adonis in the next four full moon days." He said with finality in his voice as he stormed out of the courtroom, leaving Lia to her despair.

Chapter four

It'd been two days and Lia had been locked up in her room. For the first two days she had cried her eyes out. She was not going to get married to a monster and not to Adonis.

Seated in the courtroom, Queen Sia, her mother, walked in, in her majesty, as she approached the throne room.

"She is still refusing to eat, isn't she?" Alpha Donald asked, she nodded, and he sighed, rubbing his forehead in confusion.

"I told you back there this was a bad idea. We shouldn't have let Adonis play right into our minds and now look at the consequences we bear today." Queen Sia responded with a light on her face. She had the perfect sense of beauty. He always wondered where Lia got her charms from. That would be Queen Sia.

"Really now? Are we going to blame you right now, Sia?" He fired back, her face deepened in a frown, and he sighed in exhaustion.

"You have to fix this. I don't know how you want to do it, but I want my old Lia back." And with that, she turned swiftly, walking out of the courtroom.

Alpha Donald sat up there in confusion as Bethel walked in.

He raised his gaze at him, "Tell me you have some good news?"

Bethel shook his head sadly, "I'm afraid not Your Majesty. Adonis had begun to round up his men, he sent a message through the messenger hawk." He said handing over the scroll,

"He sent that?"

"Yes. Your Majesty, I believe you should read it to know the next line of action to take." Bethel replied that he had always been a man with few words and spoken less unless spoken to.

It was obvious he dreaded the attack Adonis might bring on them.

Alpha Donald read through the letter, he let out a deep sigh of exhaustion.

"What does the letter say, Your Majesty?"

"He had given us two days to provide for his mate." He stated that when Bethel watched him, he looked defeated.

"So what do we do now, Your Majesty?" Bethel asked, his face masked with worries.

"I do not know Bethel, but I want to be positive that I know what to do. My daughter is miserable, and I can't figure out what to do to help her out.

Alpha Donald stared at her for a while before saying, "What's this plan?" He asked, with a little bit of enthusiasm.

Bethel was quiet for a while before saying, "We have to switch mates," Bethel stated, Alpha Donald stared at him in shock.

"Switch mates? We both know how dangerous this pack would be if Adonis finds out." Alpha Donald said in defense, there was no way Bethel's idea was going to work, but that looked like the only option.

"We need the princess. We need a ruler, and she cannot get married to Adonis. That would automatically turn us into slaves in our own pack," Bethel began.

"We need to sacrifice just one maiden and we'll be fine. But Adonis cannot get married to our princess. There would be a disaster and there would be war." He said with finality in his voice.

Alpha Donald stood up with his robe kissing the ground he walked upon. He paced the length and breath and would have to save his pack, which meant he had to keep this a secret. If word gets out that she is betrothed to a criminal and a rogue, it won't be just the rogue he would fight off, but his pack completely lose their trust in him.

"Let's say this crazy idea works...and we get this maiden into Adonis Den, what happens if he finds out?" Alpha Donald asked. But with the look on his face, he was worried about the possibilities of the detriment of the Pack's welfare.

"Adonis has lost his sense of smell. Even if he sees her, he can't tell the difference between them." Bethel added like he was so sure.

This was a dangerous plan, but he had to agree to it. Lia's mating ceremony was just around the corner and Princeton was the ideal man for his daughter and not some heartless monster like Adonis.

"Fine...let's say we have agreed to do this. Who would want to face Adonis? We can't get the right person to do the job perfectly. We need someone in class, I cannot send my maids over, he would perceive an omega wolf just from far away." Alpha Donald responded. Bethel was thrown into more confusion, not knowing what to do. They both stood there, trying to figure out an escape plan, when they heard the door creaking close. Bethel turned his eyebrows arched as his gaze fell on his daughter, Kiana.

"What the hell are you doing here, Kiana?" Bethel turned with his gaze darkened, wondering what she wanted to tell him that he couldn't wait until he had dined with his meeting with the alpha.

But her countenance wasn't one of a kind. She looked more fierce than usual.

"I'll do it." She broke the silence as the two men turned swiftly to her.

Bethel was confused, her words didn't go well with him. He turned fully to her, his gaze laced with anger.

"What are you talking about, Kiana? Are you in your right senses?" He glared at his daughter.

"Dad, there is not a single person in the whole pack to do this, I'll switch places with Princess Latina." Her voice was firm in defiance, as she changed the same gaze her father returned.

"You'll do no such thing!" He stated, "I would not allow you to be with that Monster!"

"I'm doing this for Mom!"

"Stop it, Kiana!!!! Neither you nor the princess will get married to Adonis!" Bethel added with finality in his voice. She was his only hope and the only time left to remind him of his wife.

"What better way to sacrifice this pack than me? You know I am the right fit for this!"

Alpha Donald felt they were talking about something else, "what is she talking about, Bethel?" He asked.

"Go on, Dad.....tell him."