Arranged To The Beast Alpha
Guardian

LEAH

"You didn't have to, Cleo. Seriously," I said, stepping out of the mansion into the cool morning air. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft glow over the driveway lined with polished stone. Cleo was right beside me, arms crossed, a sweet smile on her face, with a hint of mischievous glints hiding behind her eyes.

She'd insisted on coming all the way to see me off, and though I wasn't exactly in the mood for goodbyes, I couldn't deny the small comfort it brought to know someone cared enough to do this. To show up, to just be there. It chipped away at the heaviness in my chest, even if only by a fraction.

"Why wouldn't I?" Cleo shot back, eyebrows raised like I'd said the most absurd thing. "I didn't see you off last time, and-" she paused, reaching into the pocket of her light denim jacket before holding out her hand, palm open. In it lay a necklace, simple but beautiful. A thin chain with a pendant shaped like a teardrop, shimmering faintly in the early light. "This," she said, her voice softening, "is called Andreas. It means protector. I thought... maybe it could keep you safe this time."

The pendant caught the light as she placed it carefully in my palm. A part of me wanted to pull back, reject it not because I didn't want it, but because I didn't know how to accept it. Luxury wasn't my thing. Having people care, to this extent, wasn't my thing either. But here she was, eyes steady on mine, expecting nothing in return.

"It's my mother's," she added quietly. Her eyes flickered with determination.

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly tight. The weight of her gesture hit me harder than I expected.

This wasn't just some pretty trinket. This was Cleo wishing me safety. Why? Though the questions felt pointless. I am the Luna of this pack, and my last honeymoon didn't go as planned. But...

This was Cleo-doing what she did best: surprising me, pushing past all my defenses with her jovial nature.

"Thank you," I said, and for once, the words didn't feel empty. They were full, almost heavy. Genuine. I wasn't used to people doing things for me without some kind of catch. A favor owed, a debt to be paid. But this? It was different. And that difference both comforted and unsettled me.

She nodded, a small, satisfied smile playing on her lips. "Just don't forget to wear it. Keep it close, yeah? At all times."

"I will," I promised, running my thumb over the cool, smooth surface of the pendant. "I'll cherish it, and I'll follow your instructions." The honesty in my voice surprised me. Cleo's smile widened, softening her features.

With one last look, I slipped into the car, the necklace clenched tightly in my hand. I turned back, meeting her gaze through the window as I buckled up.

"I'll see you when I get back," I called, my voice muffled by the glass but clear enough for her to hear. She raised a hand in a wave, her expression unreadable, but something was reassuring in the way she stood-steady, grounded like she believed every word I'd just said.

As the car pulled away. Cleo's voice echoed in my mind: Andreas and my gaze traveled to the necklace. I wore it and hid the pendant in my shirt.

\ *\ *\ *\ *\ *\ *\ *\ *\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

The drive was short, which shook the hell out of me. Damien stepped out and so did I. But as soon as I did, the car sped off, and my instincts made me reach out, almost running after it.

"What the hell? What..." Damien's glare shut me up.

"Just keep quiet and trust me, we are going somewhere different." He said and took my hand. There was a path ahead and Damien was pulling me towards it, not even bothering to feed my curiosity.

Another car was waiting by the end of the path. We got in, and I breathed a sigh of relief; I couldn't imagine walking any further.

However, our journey ended as we arrived at a forest. "What is going on?" I asked, fear gradually processing its way into my chest.

"Calm down. We are almost there." He said and grabbed my hand again, leading me into the forest.

I didn't bother to ask any questions, there was nothing to be worried about. Damien's isn't leading me to my death, he has no agenda, so I am just going to go with the flow.

Finally, we came out to a long, empty road. There was barely anything in sight.

"Where are we?" I asked, the silence and suspense killing me, so we're my feet in shoes.

"The human world," Damien said ever so casually, and I froze

"Get over it. We have a long walk ahead of us."

* I * I * I * I * I * I *

After an hour of nothing but walking, we arrived on a busy road, and the sight was breathtaking: the color, the light, and the people walking by. Everything was beautiful chaos. "It's just like our world, there's no difference between the humans and the were..." Damien clapped his large hard hands on my mouth, his other gripping my arm, forcing me to stiffen. "Say that out loud and you end up in a crazy doctor's laboratory." He scoffed and slowly let go. "Let's go."

Damien stepped aside, urging me to move forward. I sighed, my lips twitching as I continued working.

"You could have just said it nicely." I scoffed, biting at my lips.

We stopped by a colorful noise with wondrous delicacies; some I had seen and some I had not.

I skidded closer, staring at a fluffy-looking cloud thing. "What is this?"

Damien drew closer and whispered in my ears, "Get it together; remember, we are in disguise." He reminded me and I straightened up. So much for a honeymoon, at least it's better than the last. "Cotton candy." He said. I glanced at him and back at the pink cloud, my lips stretched into a smile.

"Can I have one?"

Damien sighed and waved at a distance. I stared in the direction he was waving, and a man in a white apron approached us, all smiles.

"Good day, ma'am. Good day, sir. What would you like to get?"

"The pink cloud cotton." I hurriedly said, and the man's brows creased, and then he snickered, his smile returning.

He took the cloud out from its hold and handed it to me. "There you go, ma'am; anything for you, sir?"

"No," Damien replied coldly. He paid the man, and we set on. Going to only the Goddess knew where.

The walk was excruciatingly long, I grew tired, countless times, but I never said a word. I didn't want Damien growling up in my neck or yelling.

"Arg." I groaned as my leg glided on a rock. It ached, worse than I could imagine.

"Are you okay?" Damien asked, his cold gaze meeting mine. So comforting I wish to tell him of my pain. Note the sarcasm.

"I am fine," I said and made to push further, but a worse pain struck me. I winced, resting my hands on my knee.

"You don't look fine." He pressed.

"I am fine," I repeated and tried to make another move. My legs gave out, and my hands moved in a rush, trying to secure myself, but I couldn't. There was nothing to hold on to. I found myself falling, but I didn't hit the ground. Instead, I felt strong arms wrapped around me, placing me back on my feet. My hands rested on a hard rock, or perhaps Damien's chest.

"You are not fine." He declared and in one swift go, he picked me up, securing me in his arms.

Goddess, the relief that instantly met my legs was to die for. "Thank you." The sight of relief came out before I could stop myself.

"Yeah."

We eventually stopped at a small inn, Damien didn't bother to put me down. Not until a comfortable couch came in sight did he set me down and walked back to the receptionist space.

While he was doing his business, my eyes wandered around. The place was small but cozy, its lavender scent was extremely amazing and soul-calming. I felt relaxed, more relaxed than I had been in a long while.

The interior was made mostly of wooden materials and brown paint. The lobby was empty and peaceful.

Damien finally returned, he picked me up and took a path leading to the hallway. We walked into a small room, and Damien placed me on the small bed. He left for the window, checking the window as if looking out for something. I ignored him and grabbed my toot, taking off my shoe; my toes were pink, and some had traces of blisters. Best way to begin my honeymoon.