Secret Marriage Contract with The Alpha Lyse Donnelly is a sweet and innocent young woman. After her mother becomes seriously ill, Helen is forced to accept an arranged marriage to the Alpha of a powerful werewolf pack, an imposing and ruthless man. This Alpha is a formidable leader, known for his strength, his rigor, and his distant temperament. Much older than her, he lives in isolation, and rumors say he is confined to a wheelchair due to an old battle that left him seriously injured. Will Lyse be able to tame this man and awaken the human side in him, or will this contractual marriage leave them in a cold and loveless relationship?
Chapter 1 Chapitre 1
Chapter 1
Lyse clutched her cup of tea in her hands, seeking comfort in the gentle warmth emanating from the porcelain. But no amount of warmth or soothing whispers could comfort her in the face of the chilling call she received that night. His mother, his sweet and fragile mother, had been urgently admitted to the hospital. The doctors had suggested to him that the necessary care would be long, expensive and demanding. They were beyond what his meager savings could cover. She had gone into debt to the limit for other medical bills in the past, and each unpaid bill added to the unbearable tension that was already crushing her heart.
She passed a trembling hand over her face, searching for a solution, an escape. Then, she felt fatigue catching up with her, weighing down her thoughts, enveloping her in a dark torpor. The future seemed to her a bottomless pit, where each effort to rise only resulted in pushing her deeper. She looked around her small apartment, as if to find an answer or comfort. But the silence of the empty walls reminded him of the extent of his solitude and his precariousness.
As his mind spiraled into a whirlwind of worry, a sharp knock sounded at the door. In the doorway stood a man dressed in a black suit, straight and solemn, with an expression of gravity that seemed incongruous for someone knocking on her door, a simple student with no notable family or fortune. Lyse observed him, wary, but his hard gaze and the glimmer of compassion in his eyes aroused curiosity mixed with fear.
- Miss Donnelly? Let me introduce myself: William Blackwood, emissary of the Westfalls pack, he said, bowing his head slightly.
She couldn't help but frown. What could a pack of werewolves want from her, and above all, why come to her? This impromptu visit made no sense.
- Are you really Mrs. Donnelly's daughter, Helen Donnelly? he asked, and Lyse nodded, a lump forming in her throat.
- Yes, it's me... but... what do you want from me? she whispered, her gaze drifting unconsciously to the ground.
- I have heard of the circumstances affecting your mother. Let me jump straight into the topic, because time is precious, right?
His voice, calm and calm, had something reassuring. There was no contempt or judgment in his gaze, only raw lucidity.
- I represent our Alpha, he explained, continuing. Alpha needs to strengthen certain strategic alliances. To this end, it was decided that an arranged marriage would be advantageous. An alliance with a human could be useful for our image and for our future projects.
She listened, stunned by what she heard. She would have described this kind of proposition as medieval or completely insane. But he continued, impassive:
- In exchange for your consent, your mother will be fully supported. All his care, medical expenses, until his complete recovery. And you will never have to fear for his health again.
The words hung in the air, lodging in the hollow of his heart like a heavy and oppressive weight. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if that would dispel the proposition and the implications that accompanied it. An arranged marriage... with an Alpha? With this stranger about whom she knew nothing, except that he must be as powerful as he was intimidating, if he led a pack as imposing as that of the Westfalls.
- Why me? Why a human? she stammered, her mind desperately searching for an escape.
- It's a matter of circumstances and needs, Miss Donnelly. You are discreet, loyal to those you love, and... werewolves appreciate gentleness, especially our Alpha. Let's say he needs some balance in his life, and... your profile matches what he's looking for.
Lyse remained silent, absorbing the words of this man who, from his eyes, seemed sincere in his intentions. She knew deep down that this proposition was tempting, that he represented perhaps the only chance to save her mother. But the idea of linking her life to that of a cold Alpha, without knowing his real intentions or his face, chilled her.
- I... have to think, she managed to whisper, her voice almost cracking with emotion.
He nodded understandingly, without insisting, then left her a card with a number to contact, in case she decided.
That night, Lyse tossed and turned in her bed, her thoughts racing. She reviewed every possibility, every sacrifice she could make. But each time, the vision of his mother, pale and weakened, took over, reminding him that time was running out and that there was no longer any credible alternative. The choice was cruel, but the love she had for her mother surpassed all her fears and doubts.
In the first light of dawn, she grabbed the business card with a trembling hand and dialed the number.
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