ARRANGED TO THE ALPHA

Huffing and puffing, Licia ran through the dark alley, desperate to escape the barbaric noises she heard in the distance. Her doe eyes betrayed a deep-seated terror; her breaths were ragged, and her body was almost drained of stamina.

Despite feeling on the verge of collapse, she couldn't let the fear of death catch up with her. Her throat was parched, and she was almost spent when a pale ray of light illuminated the darkness through a small gap in a nearby door.

With renewed hope, she pushed the door open and stepped into the light.

Licia's eyes fluttered open, and she struggled to catch her breath. Sweat beaded on her beautiful face, and her blue eyes darted around the carriage. She was dressed in a stunning white wedding gown, paired with a veil that covered her face. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a bun, decorated with flowers and vines. She looked like an angel in this attire.

Licia was surprised that she had dozed off given the circumstances. The past week had taken a toll on her, sapping her strength and leaving her feeling weak. She remembered looking at herself in the mirror before embarking on the journey, and all she could see was an exquisitely decorated woman with no soul in her eyes.

She asked herself what the point was in dwelling on her fate when she was powerless to change it. Licia looked out the window and saw a magnificent castle approach, which made her heart sink.

This was the place where she might die today.

As memories from a week ago resurfaced in her head, Licia closed her eyes. The Gray household was in turmoil as antiques were sent crashing to the ground. Miss Anna, the daughter of the Alpha of the West Wing pack, was the cause of the commotion.

"Father, how can you do this to me? How can you sell me off to marry some ridiculous Alpha who used to be a filthy Omega?" Anna screamed at her father, tears in her eyes. "Haven't you heard the rumors circulating about him? Don't you know what kind of beast he is?"

The Alpha of the West Wing, John Gray, looked at his daughter helplessly. "Anna, I know this is absurd, but this is a direct order from the king himself. Who knows what he will do to us if we disobey his orders."

Everyone present in the room trembled at the mention of the king.

Their country, Ulswald, was once a prosperous land with many big packs like West Wing and Ravenwoods flourishing for centuries. But it met its downfall when Ducian took the throne.

He was a maniac who used his power for his own pleasure, neglecting his duties as a king and leaving the country to fall into ruin. He recklessly assaulted women, whether they were someone's wife or relative. The land became barren, and the royal treasure started to deplete, pushing the masses towards drought and starvation.

This stirred resentment amongst the people towards their monarch, and they sought freedom from their spineless ruler. Revolution erupted when the new Alpha of Ravenwood pack, Cayden, managed to unite the packs and bring the people together for a communal riot.

A fierce war broke out, with blood and slaughter everywhere. Many wolves were killed, and some fled to other countries to save their lives.

King Ducian ultimately lost the battle and was forced to step down from the crown. He and his family were killed within the palace walls. As the leader of the rebellion, Cayden announced himself as the new king of Ulswald and attempted to unite the 16 different packs that constituted the kingdom.

While nine agreed to join and form a common pack, the other seven wished to remain independent, despite being offered less money for management. West Wing was one of the seven packs that disagreed to unite.

To everyone's surprise, King Cayden bestowed the title of Alpha of the new Ravenwood pack on an Omega - Enrique Collins, the hero of the war.

Despite being a low-ranked Omega, Cayden appointed him as his Beta and right-hand man. Legends of Enrique's cruelty and overwhelming power were engraved within the people of Ulswald, making both enemies and allies tremble in fear.

Now, the king had ordered the Gray family to marry their daughter, Anna, to Enrique. She was the daughter of the Alpha of a prestigious pack, and marrying a former Omega with a bad reputation was something she couldn't agree to.

Anna protested, "What will happen if we don't obey his ludicrous order? Will he take away all our fortune? Then we can just give it away. Why should I be the one sacrificing amongst all my sisters?"

Alpha Gray shook his head. "It's not as easy as you think, Anna. We sided with King Ducian until the end of the war. As his supporters, we would have been killed off after Cayden rose to the throne. But he has shown mercy by letting us live. If we disobey such an important order from him, he might burn us all to death. Moreover, none of your younger sisters have even reached the age of 10 yet!"

He paused and looked at his daughter. "As your father, it breaks my heart to send you, but we have no other way out of this misfortune. Think about the pack and the kind of destruction the king's wrath may bring to our people. Please don't refuse and do this for the sake of your pack and family. You are my eldest daughter!"

"No! I am not marrying that lowly Omega. You can't do this to me," Anna sobbed, her heart breaking. "This land and the castle aren't even worth that much. We can live without them. You should be choosing me over your stupid assets, father. I am your daughter!"

"Enough, Anna," Alpha Gray replied, frustrated with his daughter's behavior. As he spoke, he noticed a frail figure cleaning up around the fireplace. He had been so consumed in the argument that he failed to notice her and ended up shouting at his daughter in front of her. He made a mental note to silence her later, lest she reveal their family issues and tarnish their name in public.

Meanwhile, Anna continued pleading, "I would rather die than be his wife and live that shameful life."

Alpha Gray couldn't bear to see his daughter cry any longer, nor could he force her into the arms of an Omega. Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind, and a cunning smile spread across his face. "Fine," he said. "If you don't want to marry him, then you don't have to."

Anna's tears stopped as she looked up at her father in disbelief. "I- are you for real, father?"

"Yes," Alpha Gray nodded. "I don't want to give my daughter's hand in marriage to an Omega either."

"Instead," he continued, grabbing the maid who had been cleaning without warning and showing her to them, "we will send this one in your place."