It was past ten in the morning, and Maria lay lazily on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
Despite having tons of assignments to complete, she chose to ignore them, convincing herself that since it was Saturday, she had enough time to do them later before going to college on Monday.
The weekend was still fresh, and she preferred to leave everything until the evening. Just as she was about to take a nap, a knock on the door disrupted the silence.
"Come in, the door is unlocked!" she called out, sitting upright. She didn't need to ask who it was; it could only be either her mom or dad.
The door clicked open, and both of her parents walked in gently. Seeing them together surprised her. They rarely did that unless it was something important.
"Good morning, sweetheart," her mother greeted with a warm smile as she sat beside Maria on the bed.
Her father remained standing, staring at her with an intensity that made the air feel heavy.
"Morning, Mom…" Maria replied, her face laced with confusion. She shot her mother a questioning look, but the woman remained silent.
Her father cleared his throat and locked his gaze on Maria. The hesitation in his demeanor was unusual.
How could the Alpha of the strongest Blue Moon pack be afraid to speak to his own daughter?
Maria had always thought he was too soft to lead a pack, and she had even told him so. He wasn't just gentle with her but with the entire pack. It baffled her how he had even been chosen as Alpha in the first place.
The silence stretched unbearably. Growing impatient, Maria turned to her mother.
"What's going on?" she asked firmly, her serious expression demanding answers. Then, Her father exhaled deeply.
"Get dressed later in the evening. We are meeting with the Gilbert family for your engagement." He let out.
Maria stiffened in shock.
Her mind struggled to process his words. Engagement? The word rang in her head over and over. How was that even possible? It came out of nowhere.
She turned to her mother, seeking confirmation, but instead, her mother placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Did you hear your father?" her mother asked softly.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Maria looked at her parents with wide eyes.
"What engagement are you talking about?" She turned to her father, her voice rising in frustration. "You both know I haven't shifted yet, and I haven't even chosen my mate!"
Every she-wolf in their pack was supposed to find their mate the day after their first shift. Why was her situation different? Was it because she was the Alpha's daughter?
"You're already nineteen, Maria. You need a mate before you turn twenty," her mother said, her voice laced with worry.
"But I have to choose my own mate!" Maria protested, refusing to accept the reality being forced upon her.
She was well aware of the pack's tradition... any wolf without a mate by the age of twenty would be forcefully mated to another wolf from a different pack. That was the rule. But she had only turned nineteen two months ago, and her wolf had yet to come out.
She was supposed to have shifted at seventeen like everyone else. She had tried everything to force her wolf out before she started college, but her wolf refused to show herself.
Eventually, she gave up and decided to wait.
"Listen, Maria," her father spoke again. "This is for your future. No one in our pack should know you haven't found a mate yet. It would be a disgrace... not just to you, but to your mother and me."
His words made Maria's heart drop in fear.
"Give me some time, Dad. I know I'll shift before my twentieth birthday. My wolf just needs more time." she pleaded desperately.
She had been getting strange signs for the past three weeks, signs that told her she was close to shifting. She hadn't mentioned it to her parents because she wanted it to be a surprise, but now she had no choice.
"Mom, Dad, my wolf has been showing signs lately. I believe she's almost ready to emerge."
Her parents exchanged glances before turning back to her.
"Still, Maria, I won't change my decision. This is for the future of the pack," her father stated firmly.
"Dad, you're the Alpha! You make the rules! No one would question you if you decided to let me choose my own mate when the time is right!" Maria argued.
"I've already made myself clear," her father said, his voice cold. "We're sealing your engagement with Bernard tonight."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Maria stunned.
She quickly turned to her mother, hoping for support, but her mother stood up as well. As Luna, she couldn't go against the Alpha's decision.
"Believe me, dear, this is the best decision for you," her mother said, stroking Maria's hair gently before walking out.
Left alone, Maria sat frozen on her bed, replaying everything in her mind.
An engagement with Bernard? But Bernard wasn't her mate! He was her childhood friend, nothing more.
They had grown up together, and he had always been there for her, protecting her when she was bullied. But she never felt anything romantic for him.
There was no connection between them.
What confused her more was the fact that Bernard already had a mate. He had found her when he turned eighteen, though he had never revealed who she was, which is clearly not Maria.
"Why is he agreeing to this engagement?There has to be something he is hiding." She mumbled as she clenched her fists.
She needed to get to the bottom of this during tonight's dinner...
---
Later that evening, Maria was frustrated as she searched for the perfect outfit. Or rather, the worst outfit.
Every dress she owned seemed too perfect for the occasion, and she didn't want that. She needed to look average...or even ugly!
Anything that would make Bernard and his family reconsider this ridiculous engagement.
"If only I had shifted already, this wouldn't be happening!" she muttered angrily, throwing herself onto the bed.
She needed a backup plan in case her scheme failed. Just then, the door to her room opened, and her mother stepped inside.
"Maria?"
"What is it, Mom?" she mumbled, focusing on the scattered dresses beside her.
Then, her mother picked up a long peach-colored dress and smiled. "This will suit you best. Try it on."
Maria scowled, snatching the dress from her mother's hands and tossing it back onto the bed.
"I don't want to! Just leave me alone!"
"I know you're angry, dear," her mother sighed. "But we're only looking out for you."
"You're not! You and Dad are forcing me to get engaged to someone I don't love!"
"But Bernard is your childhood friend. You know each other well—"
"He's just my friend! I never loved him!" Maria snapped.
Seeing the hurt on her mother's face, guilt washed over her. "I'm sorry for yelling." She lowered her voice.
"It's okay, sweetheart." Her mother smiled gently. "There's something you don't know."
"Huh?" Maria's ears perked up. "What do you mean?"
"There are things happening in the pack… things concerning your father. We'll explain everything after tonight's engagement. Your father's fate depends on this, Maria. Please, do it for him."
With that, she stroked Maria's hair lovingly and left the room.
Maria sat frozen. Her father's fate depended on this engagement? What did that even mean? She knew many in the pack didn't like her father as Alpha, but what were they planning now?
Annoyed yet worried, she grabbed the peach dress.
"If this is for Dad… then I have no choice."
With a deep sigh, she headed to the bathroom to get ready...