Wed to the Wolfman (Arranged Monster Mates), page 1
WED TO THE WOLFMAN
ARRANGED MONSTER MATES
Copyright © 2023 by Cara Wylde
All rights are reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in book reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Alia Terra
Chapter One – Kyden
Chapter Two – Blue
Chapter Three – Kyden
Chapter Four – Blue
Chapter Five – Kyden
Chapter Six – Blue
Chapter Seven – Kyden
Chapter Eight – Blue
Chapter Nine – Kyden
Chapter Ten – Blue
Chapter Eleven – Kyden
Chapter Twelve – Blue
Chapter Thirteen – Kyden
Chapter Fourteen – Blue
Chapter Fifteen – Kyden
Arranged Monster Mates
About the Author
Alia Terra
No one remembers the world before the Shift. It was thousands of years ago, all lost, all forgotten. Scientists and historians say that before, the world was better, brighter, and our planet belonged to us, humans. There were proud countries and bustling cities, and technology was at its highest.
We can hardly imagine all that. There is no proof, no written texts, no pictures of Alia Terra before the Shift. All we know is the face of Alia Terra now. The land haphazardly divided into territories, the walled cities, the poor living on the fringes, barely surviving.
The monsters.
The temples where young virgins can take a DNA test and be matched to one of them. An arranged marriage to a monster is often the only way a woman can save herself or give her family a chance to not starve.
This is Alia Terra. It belongs to the monsters, and we belong to them.
Chapter One
Kyden
I wasn’t supposed to be here. Far away from my land, from my pack, in a village forgotten by the world and civilization – not that we’d had much of that in the past years. Alia Terra was a harsh world to live in. Always had been. But for the humans living in the poor districts, it was worse. Way worse than for those who lived in the cities, most surrounded by impenetrable walls.
I shouldn’t have been here, but there was no turning back. My fated mate, my Luna, lived in this district, in this small, muddy village where everyone was miserable from dawn till dusk, where the humans and their children broke their backs working for the rich, making just enough to survive another day.
In my wolf form, I stalked through the woods, sniffed the air and made sure no one was around to see me. I didn’t look like a normal wolf. Shapeshifters of my species were massive and strong, as big as horses. If a human saw me, they would have a heart attack. They were afraid of us. Of all of us. Shifters, aliens, bloodsuckers, horned beasts, and creatures from hell. They called us monsters. But without us, their world would’ve been destroyed. They showed gratitude in public and scorned us behind our backs. They knew Alia Terra wouldn’t have survived the Shift if it hadn’t been for us, so we had standing in their society, whether they liked it or not. And what that standing gave us was access to their females to take as brides, if we so wished.
I hadn’t particularly wished for a human bride, just for a mate to call my own, regardless of her species. I’d searched for years, visited the neighboring packs, welcomed them into my home, courted the unmated wolf females, and all I was rewarded with was loneliness. Bitter, hollow loneliness. And also an enemy that I now had to deal with. Because when you welcome foreign Alphas with their sisters and daughters into your home, and they see you’re living better than them, and your land is wealthier, they might decide they want all that for themselves. It didn’t matter. I had it under control. But to win, I needed her. My one true mate.
Months ago, while in the deepest pits of lonely, empty despair, I turned to the last resort that I had at my disposal. The Temple. Which wasn’t just any kind of temple, and certainly had nothing to do with religion. The Marriage Temple. It was the only way that us, monsters and aliens, could take a human bride, the only system that worked in a world where humans didn’t want us around, much less wanted to mate with us. We weren’t like them. We didn’t mate unless the match was perfect, and what the Temple promised was a perfect match based on a simple draw of blood – a DNA test.
The day before, I’d received word from the Temple that they had found her. Now I was here, wishing to see who she was, what she looked like, what she smelled like, before we met at the Temple for our arranged marriage. It was against all protocols. After a match was made, the mates would meet for the first time at the Temple, where the male would make the final payment, and a ceremony would seal the bond. But I couldn’t wait. I had friends in high places, deep pockets, and a burning desire to see my Luna before she saw me, to see where she lived, what her family was like, and what life she’d had to endure before being delivered into my arms.
As I approached the edge of the forest, the trees became sparse. I had to duck, and hide, and camouflage myself when I heard voices coming from beyond the tree line. I saw two figures, one round and sturdy, and another tall, thin, and blonde. They argued for a moment, then the sturdy woman gave the young, beautiful woman a letter, and walked back into the house.
I knew who the blonde beauty was. My Luna, my mate. Her name was Blue. I wondered if it was because of her eyes. The Temple hadn’t mentioned a last name, which was strange to me, but I didn’t question it. If she truly was my mate, then she would soon have my name, and hers, whatever it was or wasn’t, wouldn’t mean anything anymore.
My ears perked when I saw her come toward me. I hid behind a bush and watched her as she entered the forest, light on her feet. She was wearing a long dress, so old that the color wasn’t clear anymore, and so ratty that it had holes in it, and the patches she’d sewed barely held it together. Her hair was long and yellow, as bright as the sun, and her skin was pale, her cheeks flushed as she hurried to disappear between the trees.
I turned my head toward her and sniffed the air. I could distinguish a sweet, earthy scent, but I couldn’t be sure. I needed to get closer, so I followed her, as silently as I could. I didn’t want to give away my position, or that I was there at all.
I was stalking my future bride, and that was wrong. But I couldn’t help myself. I’d longed for companionship for so many years, that now that it was within reach, I’d lost my patience.
She didn’t go too far into the woods. She emerged in a clearing, and I stayed behind. I watched her sit on a log and look around her, and I guessed this must’ve been her favorite place. The sun filtered through the canopy, enveloping her in a warm glow. She sighed and pulled out the letter, opened it, and started reading.
I knew what the letter contained. I’d received a similar one the day before.
I watched her face as she read. I didn’t breathe, didn’t move... My whole body was tense, like a bow, and I was solely focused on reading her emotions. The letter told her that she had been matched to... someone. I knew it didn’t specify my name, because the letter I’d gotten hadn’t specified hers. And I knew it didn’t mention my species, either.
The humans called us werewolves, and sometimes they called us wolfmen. I wondered what she was going to think of being mated to a man who could turn into a wolf at will. I would have to wait until the ceremony.
Blue folded the letter neatly and placed it back in the envelope. Then she held the envelope gently in her hands as she sighed deeply. With a trembling hand, she wiped her cheek, and I realized she was shedding tears. My body tensed up even more, to the point where I was feeling physical pain. She didn’t know who I was, yet she was crying knowing that she would have to tie her life to mine. Or maybe, that wasn’t why she was crying? She was going to leave her family behind, after all, probably never see them again. Maybe that was why she was sad. I had to tell that to myself, otherwise I might’ve snapped and called it all off, because I couldn’t stand the idea that I might’ve been the reason she was weeping.
After a few minutes, she slipped the letter into her dress pocket and stood up. I took a step back, and a twig snapped under my foot. I saw Blue perk up and look around her. Her cheeks were damp, and her eyes were bright. Her irises were blue, indeed. She was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen, and all I wanted was to show myself to her, shift into my human form, and assure her that she was going to be safe with me. I couldn’t do it, though. I’d broken plenty of protocols as it was.
As I held my breath, she shook her head slightly, sighed again, and started walking back home. I followed her once more. I should’ve gone on my way then. I’d seen all I’d wanted to see. I knew that she lived in a house that was so old and cheap that it was a miracle it was still standing, and the sturdy woman I’d seen her with was probably her mother. But I couldn’t leave just yet. I felt it was my duty as her future husband and protector to make sure she got home safe, so I kept a fair distance and stepped as lightly as I could, as I secretly escorted her to the edge of the forest.
She was close now. A few steps, and she’d be out in the open. I heard male voices, and she heard them too, because she stopped in her tracks.
“Hey, Blue! There you are! We’ve been looking for you.” A young male’s voice. He laughed, and the other one he was with laughed, too.
“Yes, Blue! What are you doing all by yourself in the woods?”
There were two males, and I didn’t like the way they talked to her. Not at all. I felt my lips pull away from my fangs in a snarl.
“Toby... Matt...” She said, reluctant. I could tell she was not pleased to see them. “I’m just going home.”
“Wait a minute. We want to talk to you.”
They stepped closer to her, and I stepped closer to all of them. No one saw me.
“What about?” She kept walking. But they closed in on her, and when she tried to go around them, one of them, either Toby or Matt, grabbed her by the arm. “Let me go. We can talk if you want, but don’t touch me.” I could hear the tremble in her voice.
“Come on now, Blue. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“We’re not friends,” she said. She pulled her arm free and took a step back. I could see everything from where I was hiding. The two young men laughed. Blue crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Oh, we just wanted to tell you that we think you’re pretty.”
That was it. Not acceptable. No one got to say that to her. No one but me. I let out a growl. They didn’t hear me. The two men were too focused on her, and Blue was looking for a way out. I could tell her mind was racing. She was afraid. She looked past their shoulders, and her house was in sight. I wondered if she was going to scream. But no, she didn’t scream. Instead, when her aggressors were busy elbowing each other and laughing like idiots, she made a run for it. She ran so fast that she was out of the forest in seconds. Toby and Matt cursed and ran after her, but it was too little, too late. Before they reached the edge of the forest, I was on them.
As Blue rushed inside the house, I silenced the two human males with my claws and my fangs. They’d dared to be disrespectful toward my mate, my Luna, my future bride. They would never be disrespectful again toward anyone else’s wife, daughter, or even mother. They would never be disrespectful again toward any living creature on Alia Terra.
When I was done with them, it was time to go home and prepare for the ceremony at the Temple. There was blood on my tongue and in my nostrils. I regretted nothing.
Chapter Two
Blue
I shut the door behind me, a little too loudly. That startled my parents.
“Blue! Are you okay? What happened?” Mother wiped her hands on her dirty apron and looked me up and down.
“N-nothing. I’m fine. Nothing happened.” I smoothed down my dress and slipped my shoes off. They were muddy from my stroll in the forest, and even more so from my mad dash across the yard. “Is dinner ready?”
“Yes, darling. I hope you don’t mind porridge and beans.”
I did my best not to cringe. It was what we had every evening. There had been evenings when we’d had to go even without that, so I was grateful. I had to remind myself every day how grateful I was for my family and everything they’d done for me.
Father was fixing a chair in a corner of the room, trying to keep his dirty tools away from where the food was getting made. He looked up at me, I gave him a smile, and he nodded, satisfied. As long as I was smiling, he knew I was fine.
“I’ll go check on Audra,” I said, slipping into the smaller of the two bedrooms, the one I shared with my sister and her newborn baby. Mother and Father had the other bedroom, which wasn’t significantly bigger than ours.
“Blue, wait,” Mother called. “Did you read the letter?”
I took a deep breath. “Yes.”
The corners of her lips turned into a frown. “It didn’t say much, did it?”
“No, not really. Just that I was matched to... I don’t know. One of them. No name, no nothing.”
“Darling, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. We’ll be okay. All of us. Like we’ve always been. Your father agrees.”
Father grunted. He’s stopped fiddling with the broken leg of the chair, so he could listen in on our conversation.
“I have to go,” I said, my voice low, but determined. “For you, for Audra, but most importantly, for the baby.”
Mother nodded, and Father nodded, too. They knew this was the only way. It was this, or my sister’s baby, their real daughter’s son, wasn’t going to make it. The boy had been born so small and frail, just three weeks ago, and he was ill. The doctor in our village didn’t know what to do, and there was no medicine. We had to go to one of the walled cities, but for that, we needed money. Audra hadn’t even named her baby, for fear she would have to say goodbye soon. I wanted her to name him, and I wanted her to raise him. For that, I was willing to sacrifice myself and agree to an arranged marriage with a monster.
“Hey, how are you two doing?” I sat on the edge of Audra’s bed. She had the baby to her breast, and she was rocking him gently.
“You know...” She looked up at me. My sister had dark hair and brown eyes, like Mother and Father. We weren’t blood related, but it didn’t matter. We were soul related. “I heard you got a letter.”
“Yeah. I’m leaving tomorrow. I’m taking the train. There was a ticket included.”
“I’m sorry you have to do this.” A tear rolled down her cheek.
I reached out and wiped it away. “No. Don’t say that. This is the least I can do for you. You took me in, all of you, and it’s time for me to pay you back.”
“Not like this. The cost is too high.”
I ran a finger over the baby’s forehead. “He needs a good doctor. And medicine. You will get the money tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, Father can rent a carriage and take you to the nearest city. It’s better than taking the train. Who knows what germs grow in those dirty compartments. Promise me you won’t take the train.”
“I promise.” She sighed deeply. “Blue, I don’t want you to go.”
“I know. But it will be okay. You’ll be safe, and healthy, and you’ll finally eat something other than beans and porridge for dinner. Mother and Father won’t have to work anymore. The credits you’ll get after I go through with the ceremony will last you for years, I’m sure. If you make a few good investments, maybe neither you, nor your baby will ever have to work.”
“That sounds...”
“Like a dream, right?” I laughed, and she laughed with me. “It’s okay, Audra. It’s my way of saying thank you. Thank you for adopting me, for bringing me into your home, sharing your food with me, and treating me like family.”
“You’re my sister, Blue.”
“I know.”
That night, we ate in silence, then went to bed, but I could tell that no one could sleep. I was wide awake, and Audra was wide awake. The baby was fussy. When I slipped out of the bed in the morning, Mother and Father were already in the kitchen, making tea.
I put on my nicest clothes, which weren’t nice at all, and my newest, cleanest shoes, which had belonged to Audra. I washed myself as best as I could with cold water from the basin Mother brought me, and brushed my long, blonde hair. My hair and my eyes gave it away. The fact that I was different, I didn’t belong here, and I wasn’t related by blood to the people I lived with. I’d been abandoned as a baby, and Mother and Father took me in and made me their own. I became Audra’s sister, and we grew up together, running around the house, playing in the yard, exploring the woods. Then we worked together in the fields, helping Mother and Father earn enough so we could eat two meals a day and buy second-hand clothes and shoes once in a while. The winters were the hardest because wood was expensive, and even though we lived near the forest, that didn’t mean we were allowed to use what it had to give for our own benefit. The forest belonged to the rich, like every piece of land we stepped on. We didn’t own anything. We paid rent on our home, as derelict as it was, and we had to buy everything we needed to survive. Father wasn’t allowed to hunt. We worked for them, and in exchange, we were paid a measly amount of credits. It was how the world worked. It was how the entirety of Alia Terra worked, and it was all we knew.
