1 Fated

Steady.

A cold mist leaves my lips as I point my arrows at the doe-eyed deer munching on the few twigs and grass that managed to survive the cold winter season. My fingers, red and cold shake as I try to steady my arrow slipping out of the bow. Catch this as you will have enough food and money for the family, the voice in my head tells me.

Set.

Through my sweaty palms, I grip the handle of the bow tighter. My eyes are still blank, set on the deer starting to wander from this part of the woods. I need to shoot it before it runs away forever.

"Aim, already dammit!"

I let go of the string, the arrow lunges itself into the body of a tree, scaring the deer off into the deep part of the woods. "Nesa!" I scold my little sister, just seventeen sticking out her tongue behind me. She kinda looks like a little girl by the way her hair is tied into a high ponytail, held by a pink ribbon. "You scared off my kill!"

"I was giving you some words of encouragement, Mel." She calls me by my nickname for Melanie.

"Encouragement," I repeat with an irritated tone in my voice. "Nesa, you know how important that kill was to us." If I knew, I shouldn't have brought my little sister with me to hunt, but I had to. My sister, much like many young women in my town, doesn't have any skills outside of domestic duties. I want her to learn how to work outside before father marries her off to the next man that looks her way.

"You don't understand anything about hunting," I say. "You need to be patient and more importantly: quiet."

"I'm sorry, Melanie." Nesa fiddles the bows at the end of her hair. I stare at my sister, obviously sad about scaring off my kill. I know she was trying to light up the mood of this boorish day in the woods.

I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Mel, are you upset at me?" she asks with a pout.

"No." Maybe I'm being too harsh on my sister at times. After all, she is only a young girl. And after losing our mother years ago my sister has been very clingy toward me, and sometimes acts out. I guess she views me as her mother figure. Everyone in my family does.

I sigh as I retrieve the bow from the tree bark. I look around the snow covered ground for the deer tracks. I'm going to need to track it down before sunrise, and I will catch it before then. My father taught me how to hunt when he had no son. He was the one who usually did the hunting, but after hurting his leg the week after my mom was dead, it became hard for my father to hunt and support the River family. Now I have to take on his role until one of us is married.

I look at my sister who fiddles with her hands. I try my best to hunt for food but I am not that successful with it. I may not be good at hunting, but I thought that my sister and father encouraged me every day. Without me, they would starve or resort to unethical ways to make money in this depressive season.

"Melanie, look behind you." My sister points behind me, smiling.

"A rabbit." My eyes twinkle at the glorious view of the white fur animal, perfectly blending in with the snow. The rabbit froze in place when I took a single step forward. Beat heaving, and ears twitching ever so often. I don't waste my arrow and whip it at the unsuspecting rabbit, but it starts to run at the quickness of light when I shoot, and misses it.

"Dammit!" I curse out loud. I don't know what is happening to me today. I chased after the rabbit. I can't go home empty handed today. I can't stand another winter working at the garvern. Having disgusting drunk men harassing me all night. I trip on the ground when I try to follow it. The rabbit stops running. It hides on a snow-covered log. I can see it.

"Mel." Nesa jogs up behind me.

"Shh. The rabbit is right there. Don't move or say anything." I stretch out my bow at the rabbit slowly making a leave for it. I aim, close my eyes and shoot. Seconds later, a small squeak sounds in the other part of the forest.

I open my eyes.

"Yes!" I celebrate. I'm so happy that I grabbed my sister and hugged her tight. "We're eating well tonight!"

I don't waste my time and teach for the dead rabbit in my hands. Plans of what I'm going to do with meat makes me grin even wider. My family now has meat for at least a week or more. Then I can also sell its fur for some money. Maybe go put my sister into school with the money I've been saving up. The remaining money, I can open my own business. I haven't thought of what I'd sell but I know it will be something hunter related or perhaps some fresh dried herbs I've been growing.

"We shouldn't be here." Nesa says. Her big brown eyes dart at each corner of the scanty trees that bend and turn in a creepy sense.

"I agree," I say. "Let's go home while it's dark now." In all my life living in the town of Rosedale, I've heard stories about the woods outside of the "safe zone". There have been rumors of handsome tall figure men who occasionally come to the town seeking young women. Some say these men are actually beasts who eat women because we taste better or easier to get? I shrug to myself. I think it's all just a rumor to scare women from ever leaving the town.

I click my tongue and my horse, Daisy gallops my way. I remember taking my first riding lessons with my mother. She was patient with me when I stumbled a lot. Eventually, I inherited Daisy as my own. "Okay, girl let's go home." I crack the reins.

~

I got home before the sun went down. I put Daisy in her pen and rushed my way home from the back of the house. I want to show him the rabbit I caught today. I know he'd be so proud of me because I've been having a hard time catching something larger than a squirrel over the past weeks.

"Father, I've returned–" I pause in my tracks in the center of the dining room. My eyes set on the group of strange men, three of them sitting around my father. My hands inches to my side where my bow hangs on my shoulder.

"Melanie you have returned." Father rises from the seat. He hubbles toward me and gives me a warm hug.

"Father, you didn't tell me you were having… guests over."

"Yes, I never meant to tell you. I didn't want to scare you."

"Why would I be scared? I wrinkle my nose from the smell of pine lingering in the air. I look by my side and show my father the rabbit I caught. "Look what I caught. We'll have enough to eat for this week and some money."

Father's lips turn to a wide smile. "Today is a lucky day for us. Food, and my daughter…" He trails off as if he didn't want to complete his sentence.

"I'm going to get started on dinner," I say. "I think we should have enough meat for your guests too–"

"She's very submissive and can cook." The large man with striking features stands up. His ashy blonde hair glistens though the sun is starting to set. His blue eyes peered into my soul. He flashes his teeth, canines sharp like a wolf's as he approaches me. "I like her already."

I shift to father just looking at me. I don't know who these men are, but I know for a fact that they do not belong in this town. Perhaps they are from our neighboring town, Lumberville, judging by the pine smell. Or maybe they are from the city. They tend to look down on us.

The man comes closer to me. I lean away from his hands touching the side of my cheek. "You are just as lovely as your name."

"Um, thank you…" I move his hand away from my face. Why is this man touching me? Why isn't my father doing anything?

The man laughs. "You amuse me. I'm sure your father hasn't told you why we are here."

I look at my father and he looks away in shame. "Father." I call him and he doesn't dare look at me. I feel the air around me starting to turn warm. "Father, why are these men here?"

"It seems like your father is at a loss of words," says the man, grining.

"Father, what is he talking about?"

He lets out a deep sigh. "We are losing the house, dear."

"What? My voice turned high pitched. Since– When?"

"For months, Melanie. We're being evicted. " Father sits back on the chair. He covers his face with his hands, shaking his head. " I couldn't afford to make the payments. They started piling up. We're going to be homeless. I'm sorry, Melanie. I never wanted to say anything and worry you, but now I cannot handle this burden anymore."

I sit by my side. His face is all red like the strange berries I find growing by the woods. "So these men are the landlords?" I turn to the man. They must have come here to collect money from my father, or take our belongings to pay for the house. "I can help my father off what we owe," I tell the man. " I can sell some of my clothes, the old plates, jewelry…" I bite my lips. "I can sell Daisy."

"Mel, no." My sister protests. I know what I was thinking saying that?

"No, no, no." Father only shakes his head. "Daisy won't be able to pay off what I owe. Besides, this man isnt the landlord…" I follow dad's eyes to the man still grinning at me. "He's Alpha Rhys of Wolvendom."

"Alpha?"

"You can call me Alpha Rhys." The man comes to me again. "You father and I have been talking for weeks. We can come to an agreement: He keeps his house and lives like a king and I get to keep you."

My heart starts to beat. "I–I don't understand. Father, you're selling me as a slave?"

"Now, why would I enslave a beautiful woman such as you?" Alpha of Wolvendom cranes his head. I can feel his eyes skimming from my face and down my body. "You are meant to be my fated mate."

"No." I push him away from me.

"Mel, don't cause a scene. This is the only way to protect this family."

"This is your idea, is your idea of protection, father? Marrying me off against my will. What about us? You promised mother–"

"Mel, you don't understand the pain I'm going through. The people are talking, Mel. It's shameful knowing they see me as a weak man. It is shameful seeing a young woman such as yourself unmarried and doing men's work, riding horses like it's normal. Besides, it is time for you to be married off just as your sister will be when it's her time."

"I'm not marrying anyone!"

"Mel, please. You don't want to upset him. Alpha Rhys has traveled far for you."

"I said I am not marrying anyone!"

"Is that so?" Alpha of Wolvendom says. He snaps his fingers. The two other larger men stand from their seats and grab my family. Their muscular arms wrapped around their heads, twisting ever so often. My heart shatters seeing my family's face in pain.

"W–what are you doing?" I ask the Alpha.

"Your father made a promise. I take you and he can live as a king, but seeing your rejection in my hand in marriage, I have no choice but to take a life as payment."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, sweetheart, its just business."

The hair on my neck raises at his words. He's definitely threatening me; using my family's life against me. How cruel can he be? That shouldn't be a question to ask. He is a creature: man and beast and one thing I've learned in these few minutes is that their kind are not good people.

I ball my fists. "I'll go with you. Just let them go."

"Good, girl. I know you'd come to your senses." He coos. The men let go of my family at his command. I rush to my sister and give her a hug.

"Please don't go." She sobs. Seeing her tears make me tear up.

"I'm sorry, Nesa but I have to go."

"You have a few minutes to say goodbye to dear pops and your sister before we leave," says the Alpha.

I don't even look at my father. I just focus on consoling my sister.

"I know you are upset, my dear, but you have to look at this from my perspective. You are going to live with a man who will take care of you. Live a happy life–"

"How can I be happy when I can't see my sister again? I snap. "What about Nesa and her future? off? What about my dreams?"

Father's face hardens. "Being a wife and mother is all you should concern yourself with." He leaves without saying another word to me.

"If it weren't for the kindness of my heart, I would have saved Nesa only." I yell back at him but father has already vanished to the living room. The air around me is tense when the Alpha approaches me like a snake slithering close to their prey. His calloused hands graze my arms which makes them ripple with goosebumps.

"Don't worry about your family. They will be well taken off. After all, today you are now my fated beauty."