♡Arielle’s POV♡
‘His wife?! He wants me, a woman he has never met before, to be his wife?!’I gaped at him, waiting for him to tell me that that was his attempt at a joke to break the thick tension in the room but his face remained serious.‘Why would he want me, a stranger, to be his wife? Does he suspect that I’m an omega?’ I shuddered at that thought and threw it away. If he knew I was, he wouldn’t be asking me; he would be commanding me. I wouldn’t have a choice even if I didn’t want to.“You want me to be your wife?” I broke the prolonged silence, repeating his statement so he could hear the absurdity of it from my mouth if he couldn’t in his.“Yes. I want you to be my contract wife.” He replied, his voice as serious as it was the first time.‘What kind of sick game is this?’ I glared at him. That was the only reason he would ask me that. It was a cruel joke to mock my predicament.Typical Alpha behaviour, turning anything that didn’t affect them into a joke. He knew I was desperate for money, and he decided to amuse himself, getting my hopes high and crushing them under his feet. Sadistic beast.“Excuse me, but I do not have time for any crazy game you’re trying to play. Thank you for saving me, but I’m out of here.” I said, dropping the lamp on the chair. I rose to my feet and stormed towards the door.“I’ll pay you ten million dollars.” He said, and I stopped dead in my tracks. Slowly, I turned to him as his words ran through my head. Ten million dollars. Ten million dollars!“Did you say ten million dollars?” I asked, hoping I heard correctly.“Yes,” he nodded and crossed his legs. “I’ll pay you ten million dollars if you agree to be my contract bride for five years. Five million immediately you sign the contract, and the other half and a house in whichever city you want once it comes to an end.”“So you’re asking me, a woman that you met just last night and who you have talked to for just a few minutes, to enter a contract marriage with you? Why? You’re an Alpha, right? I’m sure you can have any woman of your social class be your fake bride, and they would be delighted. So why me?” I shot my questions at him, sceptical of the entire scenario.The alpha was offering me ten million dollars to be his fake bride for five years. That amount of money could change my family’s life forever. It was too good to be true, which made me completely suspicious about it. Why me, a woman he just met? I was sure he could get almost any girl he wanted; he was rich and handsome after all, so why me?“You’re precisely what I need—a stranger, someone who isn’t close to me in any way. It would be easier to keep the relationship purely business and reduce the risk of emotional entanglement.” He explained, and I saw the sense in it.It would be easier to keep the relationship formal with someone he wasn’t close to than with someone familiar.“But isn’t asking a woman you met in less than twelve hours too reckless? How do you know I would be a good pretend wife? What if I ruin things for you?” I crossed my hands over my chest.“Believe me, I’m sure you would make a great wife.” His voice turned gentle and soft, and the intensity of the sincerity in his green eyes sent butterflies I never knew I had fluttering in my stomach.“So what do you say? Are you in or out?” He asked, standing up and stretching out his hand to me, and I stared at it like it was poison.‘Ten million just to be married to him for five years? Ten million would change my life forever. I could fly mom to a better hospital in another Alpha-less city and give her the best treatment. In fact, the three of us could move from this deadbeat city to a far better one. Ephraim wasn’t under any Alphas’ rule, and I heard it was far better than Shadowmere, although a bit more expensive, but with just one million, I’m sure we’ll be able to live comfortably. We would pay off all our debt, and Brielle and I could start a business and invest the money to generate more income. We won’t have to suffer anymore if I marry—’My train of thoughts came to a sudden halt at the word marry, and a sickening feeling filled my stomach.‘What am I thinking?! Marrying an Alpha?! Am I mad?! How can I be thinking such rubbish?! After all the warnings Mom had given me, I was being swayed by money. As if talking to an Alpha wasn’t bad enough, I was considering marrying him. What is wrong with me? Even though it was a contract marriage, there was no way we wouldn’t have sex.’My eyes widened at the thought of him touching me. And what shocked me more was that a delusional part of me wanted him to. My sudden perverted nature startled me. Why was I suddenly feeling that way for a stranger? Worse, an Alpha.It was his scent. I blamed his scent for driving me crazy. That and his good looks. The moon goddess had definitely favoured him.The alpha had blonde, almost white hair tied in a low, messy bun, striking green eyes that looked like emeralds, and showed his strength. He was tall, and beneath his simple shirt and pants, he had a muscular build that made him intimidating and dominating yet also added to his rogue charm.I closed my eyes and tried to get my thoughts together and on the right track. I couldn’t get married to an Alpha, contract or no contract. I couldn’t risk my family secrets being exposed because of money, no matter how life-changing the amount was. Money would come another way.“Have you gotten an answer now?” He asked, his voice sounding way too close for comfort, and his powerful scent hit me stronger, weakening my knees. I opened my eyes to see him standing before me, and I took a small step back.‘Wasn’t he sitting on the couch some seconds ago? How did he get here without my knowing? Oh right, stealth is one of an alpha’s abilities.’“Thank you for your help and offer, but I decline.” I said, trying not to sound pained by my refusal and shaken by his scent. The words were like poison in my mouth as I realised I was saying farewell to ten million dollars.‘It’s not worth it. Ten million isn’t worth entangling myself with an Alpha.’ I tried comforting myself.“Is that so?” His lips curled to a small smile, like he knew how I was feeling. I hated it.“Yes, if that’s all, please excuse me.” I spun on my heels and rushed towards the door.“Wait, aren’t you going to take your purse?” He said, and I stopped before I touched the doorknob.‘My purse?’ I looked at my right shoulder, where I expected my purse to be hanging, but it wasn’t there.“Where is it?” I turned back to him, frowning at his smile had grown wider, and he nudged to the bedside table where my little worn-out black purse sat on it.Jutting my chin up and donning a cool, placid mood, I swept past him, making sure there was a huge gap between both of us. His eyes remained on me, amusement gleaming in them, and I ignored him. I wasn’t going to let him flip my senses upside down with his annoyingly alluring scent or good looks.After what seemed like an hour of walking, I reached the bedside table and picked up my purse. I slung it over my shoulder; his scent increased in intensity, and I clenched my fist, trying to quench the rebellious flame dancing through my bones.‘He’s right behind me.’ I gritted my teeth and turned to face him, giving him a harsh glare.“What!” I snapped. I hated how close he was to me, how my body flushed with heat and hunger for him at his alpha pheromones. Damn my omega genes.‘Why am I affected by him? Even though I hadn’t taken my pills since yesterday, my enchanted necklace is supposed to keep me protected, so why? I need to talk to Agnes.’“You’re behaving skittish and jumpy when I didn’t do anything to hurt you.” He frowned; his eyes studied me, and I wanted to shrink back and hide, but I stood my ground. Never show an alpha fear; they feed on it.“Why wouldn’t I? Last night, I was drugged by my boss, who is also my mom’s friend. I woke up in a strange room and met a man I had never met before who was asking me to be his contract bride.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes.“There’s something else, and I’m curious to know what it is.” He brought his face closer to my neck and took a deep breath.My grip tightened on my purse, my heart banged against my ribs, and I battled with the urge to whine and curl up to his chest.‘He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know. There’s no way he would know.’ I chanted in my head.“There’s something about you, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.”“If this is a ploy to make me accept your proposal, you’re wasting your time. I won’t marry you.” I muttered, managing not to sound as breathless as I felt.The alpha’s eyes brightened, and his lips curled to the sexiest of smiles, making his already devilishly handsome look look even more devilishly handsome.“We’ll see about that.”He stuck his hand inside his trousers’ pocket, pulling out a small business card and holding it out to me. “Here’s my business card; call me when you change your mind.”“I guarantee you, I won’t.” I huffed and managed to wiggle out of the tight spot he had trapped me in without touching him, and I stomped to the door.“Wait, I haven’t gotten your name.” He called out to me.“It’s none of your business.” I ran out of the room, slammed the door shut, and made my way through the hall.My heart spiked up, my legs turned heavy, begging me to stop, my skin burned, and I trembled. I swayed to and fro and almost crumbled onto my knees. Everything in me was begging me to go back to him. As if. Damn my omega genes. Damn his alpha genes. Damn him for being handsome and irresistible too.‘The sky would turn purple and fall to the earth before I, Arielle Winston, became the Alpha’s contract bride.’♦Raphael’s POV♦ The door slammed shut, and the smile on my lips grew broader. ‘And I thought saving her was a bad idea. She just keeps getting interesting and interesting.’ I flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I liked her feisty yet cool spirit. She knew I was an Alpha, and I smelled her fear and panic, yet she stood her ground and didn’t cower away. She wasn’t afraid of expressing herself when most would tremble in fear. I liked that. She was going to make the perfect wife, worthy of standing beside me as my Luna, even though it would only be for five years. I was going to make sure she was. I slid my phone out of my pocket and dialled my lawyer’s office. “Good morning, Alpha.” Mr. Cain’s voice came through at the third ring. “Good morning. I would like you to draft a contract for me.” I said. “It’s for my five-year contract marriage.” “Your contract marriage?” He replied; his usual monotone voice had a surprised edge, and I grinned. Was I impulsive and acting overco
♡Arielle’s POV♡The soft ding of the bell rang as I stepped into the small café. The delicious aroma of fresh bread and baked treats wafted through the air, and my mouth watered and my stomach gurgled in response. Coming to the café was both a blessing and torture. I loved anything baked—cakes, cookies, buns—and seeing them made me happy but also made me sad because I was too broke to afford anything. The last time I ate cake was when Brielle and I turned eighteen, six years ago, when mom wasn’t sick and we weren’t in debt. But with our current predicament, even bread was considered a luxury we couldn't afford.“Hello, welcome to— oh Arielle, it’s you.” May, Agnes’ granddaughter, said from her place behind the counter. “Here for your box of chocolate cookies?”To anybody else, a box of chocolate cookies met exactly what they were: a box of chocolate cookies, but not really. Only a few knew the true nature of the owner and the store, and they used codes to make special requests when o
♡Arielle’s POV♡ “I’m home.” I announced my arrival, swinging the door home and stepping into my very humble abode. “Finally,” Brielle jumped off the worn-out couch and turned to me. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and a small frown tugged on her lips. “Where were you? I called you about a million times, but you didn’t pick up. Mom and I were worried something terrible had happened to you. Do you know how far my mind had gone? I was afraid you were kidnapped or worse.” “As you can see, I’m fine. I wasn’t drugged, kidnapped, and enslaved by a mafia Alpha who forced me to be his pet and do his bindings.” I joked, throwing myself on the couch, and I stretched my body. Her frown deepened, and the corner of my lips twitched to a smile, knowing I had successfully predicted what she was thinking. Brielle was my identical twin, after all—two bodies, one soul. We were identical, yet unidentical. We looked the same; we had the same amber eyes, coily brown hair, and caramel skin, but I
♡Arielle’s POV♡“Any luck?” Brielle asked as I walked into our room. She looked up from the homework she was grading, and she grimaced at my terrible countenance. “Not good, huh?”“Yes, not good. Finding a job is harder than I thought.” I sighed, throwing my bag to one side of my bed and crashing down on it too.I knew getting a new job would be hard, but I never expected it to be extremely difficult.“After spending all day jumping from one building to another, all I received was ‘we are sorry, but we don’t have any vacancies’ or ‘you don’t have the experience we’re looking for’ or ‘we’ll get back to you’ when they knew they wouldn’t. It’s so frustrating. How am I going to get experience if no one will hire me?” I complained, lying on my back, and I shut my eyes.“And do you know what makes the entire situation even more frustrating and annoying? It’s the fact that most of those jobs are at the end going to go to some already preselected persons, whether or not they deserve it becaus
♡Arielle’s POV♡‘I just want to go home, sleep, and forget everything that ever happened today.’ I sighed, leaning my head on the window of the cab as the driver drove through the dark road. Day three of searching for a new job turned out to be more futile and frustrating than the previous ones. At least the people I met those days had the usual professional politeness, but the set I met seemed to be demons out to get me. All through the day, I interacted with people with different levels of attitude and hauntiness. Their snarky mouth had no filter and let out snide and demeaning comments almost as freely as they breathed. It was irritating and tiring to keep my cool and remain polite and composed. I needed to. Too many things were at stake to act rude and snap because someone else was being a pain.My mom’s condition had gotten worse. It seemed she had gotten better since the Jake incident, but it spiked up again before I left home in the morning. The drugs that were making her cond
♡Arielle’s POV♡“I’m glad you could make it, Miss Wilson.” Raphael said, his lips curled to a small, cocky smile as the waiter and I arrived at the table reserved for us.“I wish I could say the same, but I can’t. I’m only here because I’m desperate.” I said plainly, not hiding how I felt as I sat down and took a good look at him.Something was different about him. His alpha pheromones weren’t as strong as I remembered; I still felt the connection, but the alpha aura he gave off before was almost nonexistent. For that moment, he seemed like an ordinary Beta—well, almost. He tried to look the part by wearing a simple, plain shirt and jacket. Dark shades covered his eyes, and his platinum-blond hair was tousled and let down to cover part of his face.Even with what he did, they only helped to tone down his good looks a bit, and he still radiated confidence that not many Betas in Shadowmere had.He tried so hard to blend in, but though no one would be able to tell he was an Alpha, anyone
♡Arielle’s POV♡There, I said it plain and simple. There would be no kind of sexual intimacy between us. Period. And I wasn’t compromising either. His action and reply about it would either make or break my decision because one thing was certain: I wasn’t going to sleep with him, and I wanted him to know that.Even though he was drop-dead gorgeous and my omega genes wanted him, it was still a big no. Marrying an Alpha was bad, but sleeping with one… That was the gravest sin I could imagine. It would ruin everything my mom had done for me, trying to keep me safe. If he was going to kick against it, I was going to walk away, no matter how desperate I was. A deep part of me hoped he wouldn’t.“The first is completely understandable, and I agree, but the second and third…” Raphael mused, crossing his arms over his chest.My lips moved, ready to spew out words, but I pressed them shut. It would be foolish for me to jump to conclusions again without allowing him to speak.“You can have your
♡Arielle’s POV♡“What am I going to do? What am I going to do?” I mumbled, pacing up and down in the bathroom like a madwoman. “Can I really go through with the deal?”A lot of things had changed and needed to be reconsidered the moment his true identity came to light. I was no longer dealing with an ordinary Alpha; it was one of the most influential Alpha Lords in the world. Marrying him would make me Luna, even though it was for five years. Being Luna was never part of the idea. It made things a thousand times more complicated.There was going to be a lot of eyes on our relationship, and with one wrong move, our lie could blow up in our faces. And worse, I could be putting my mom and Brielle in danger. What were the odds that even with the fake story we would create about me, someone wouldn’t get nosy about me, especially since I suddenly popped up in his life?They could discover my family and our secret. The whole situation would end up being a terrible catastrophe. My mom would n