The Fake Alpha

BRAYDEN

“Come on, son. It is time.” My father barges into my room with his head held high. However, my stomach sinks at his words while dread washes over me.

I can’t do this.

I look up from my phone and shake my head. “I don’t want to.”

His calm expression instantly disappears as he grinds his teeth and glares at me. “Son, we have talked about this. You are going to sign the alliance agreement today and the three of you have all agreed to the terms of it.”

I shake my head and tuck my phone back into my pocket. “No, dad. You didn’t even ask me. You went ahead and decided for me. I have never agreed to anything.”

When I was younger, I always did what my father wanted. However, now that I’m about to turn 18, I know better. I’ve seen what he really wants.

A low growl fills my room as he marches towards me. His feet pounds against the floor and echo against the walls, almost as loud as my pounding heart.

I’m not afraid anymore. However, I still find myself sliding backwards on my bed against the headboard while my heart races.

Through gritted teeth, he growls, “You WILL COME to the meeting, and you WILL AGREE to the terms of the alliance contract. I will not have you disobey me. Not now. Not ever.”

Disobey. This isn’t disobeying. This is sticking up for what’s best for me, which is something he isn’t doing as my father and the alpha of the Moon Earth pack.

Before I can throw back a rebuttal, he lunges at me and grabs my arm. Pain shoots through me as his jagged fingernails dig into my soft skin, but I don’t say a word as he yanks me off the bed and out of my room.

My eyes sting as I fight back the tears. I’m not going to let him see me as someone weak. I must always look and appear like an alpha, and alphas don’t cry.

I repeatedly try to rip my arm from his grasp, but he only clamps his hand tighter around me as additional waves of pain shoot through me.

He finally loosens his grasp a little around my arm when his office comes into view. Unfortunately, it is already too late. I’ve lost.

My heart twists as the alliance agreement swirls around in my mind. Did the other two really agree to these crazy terms? Granted, we have been friends since we were young, but this goes so far beyond our friendship. If they go through with this, we will cross a line which we can never come back from. Do they really want that?

As we get closer to his office and the meeting room, right next door, my father hisses, “You WILL go through with this agreement. There is NO choice. This will not only secure your safety, but it will allow the pack to grow and prosper.”

His two favorite words. Grow and prosper.

When I don’t respond, he tightens his grasp around my arm again and growls, “You WILL do this. There is NO other way to keep your secret.”

I instantly tense.

I can’t have anyone finding out my secret. It will put not only myself at risk, but the pack too.

Reluctantly, I stop fighting and let him guide me to the meeting room. He pauses briefly outside the room and quickly runs his hand through his short black hair with specks of gray, trying to comb his hair back into place.

I, on the other hand, stand there and stare at the door.

Everything will change after the document is signed. My life will never be able to go back to what it was, nor will my friendship with my two friends.

My heart aches while my stomach sinks like a lead balloon. A cold sweat breaks out across my back, as I wish there is another way.

My father plasters on a smile and opens the door. As he pulls me inside, the others turn towards me while my father chimes, “Welcome, everyone. I hope everyone has read the contract.”