My husband is an Alpha, but his beta is my mate

"Mom, what is it?" I sighed, not trying to mask my impatience. It was just like my mother calling for me and then keeping me waiting for the next 15 minutes. Today was no different.

She turned to me, a small smile playing on her lips. "Patience, Lyra. Haven't you learned that yet?"

"You married an impatient man, remember?" I shot back, regretting it instantly. Mentioning Dad had become a minefield lately. What used to be a comforting memory now seemed to cast a shadow over her.

Before the tension could settle, Uncle Richard walked in. The only family left from Dad's pack, his presence was a mix of comfort and disruption.

Mom's face lit up as he kissed her cheek. "Hi, Roberta."

"Hi, Richard," she replied, with the fond look she reserved for him. "How was it?"

He stared at my mom wide-eyed before looking at me with a too-bright smile. "And how's my favorite niece?"

"Really?" I crossed my arms. "You two are keeping secrets from me? Right in front of me?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, readying myself to wake up my wolf and find out what they didn't want me to know, but my mom laughed out, effectively disrupting the effort. 

"Alright, fine."

Richard groaned. "Let's get this over with."

"And I wonder where she gets her impatience from," Mom muttered. She moved to sit closer, her serious expression returning. "We have something to tell you."

I took a sharp breath. "Is this good news or bad news?" Mom rarely used pet names like 'baby' with me unless it was serious.

They exchanged looks. "Both?" she offered.

I groaned. "Fine, tell me."

Richard started, "Lyra, no matter what happens, we love you."

"Just spit it out," I urged.

Mom sighed, "We've arranged a marriage for you."

I froze and stared at both of them wide-eyed. My mom was looking ecstatic, but my uncle had a slightly wary look on his face. "That's not good news," I said slowly, watching her joy gradually fade.

"Lyra, you're almost 24. You can't remain here with us. You need to understand—"

"Understand what?" I demanded. "You never explain anything to me. What aren't you telling me?"

Mom bit her lip, glancing at Richard. He cleared his throat. "This is for your safety, Lyra. Trust us."

"Why do you get to decide that for me?" I snapped. "I'm old enough to make my own mistakes."

"Not if they could cost you your life," Mom retorted, her voice sharp. I looked at her in shock. This was the first time I was hearing of this. I'd always found it strange that some things were hidden from me, but for my mom to be concerned about my life...

Before I could respond and snap back at her, Richard stepped in. "Think it through, Lyra."

I turned to him, feeling betrayed. They'd always gang up on me, a bitter pill I'd had to swallow. Mom's distant stare pulled me back. She looked haunted—a look I hadn't seen since Dad died.

It had taken almost five years of hopelessness before my mom had come back to us after my dad's death, and now I'd shot her straight to that state because I'd let my mouth run faster than my brain.

Seeing no help from my uncle, I approached her, cupping her chin. She shuddered but met my eyes, tears brimming. "Please, love. This is because we all love you."

I nodded, tears nearly spilling over. She squeezed my hands and turned back to Richard. He held her close, whispering in her ear.

"Who am I supposed to marry?" I asked, my voice strained.

They disengaged from each other and Mom led me to sit. "We didn't find someone; we were found."

"Who?" I hesitated. "Who is it?"

Richard took a deep breath. "The Alpha."

"Wait," I said on a laugh, "You're giving me to a werewolf, I thought you meant a human?"

"Well, no," my Uncle said, "We considered it, but after some considerations, we decided a partnership with a werewolf is better."

I sighed. Where did I want to start worrying? The Alpha, not just any werewolf, but the man whose title was mentioned in our home with dread. When my father and his siblings had escaped from their pack, the previous Alpha had been reluctant to grant them a home. Nursing injuries and a pregnant wife with an 8-year-old daughter, I'd been told that he'd practically kicked us out. It had taken the intervention of some of the elders who'd heard of the exploits of 'the bonded pack' to give us a home. And even then, it hadn't been without its challenges. We'd been abandoned, more so after my Dad went out and never returned. That was the last time we'd been contacted, and it was to identify the body.

And yet, my Mom didn't whisper about that man the way she did about the present Alpha. She'd gotten used to looking sideways before speaking about him. And that was in the comfort of her room. And now, they wanted me to marry the same man. 

"What if I can't, Mom?" I whispered, my head in my hand. I knew she was going to hear, though. Ella, my wolf, had helped bridge the gap.

"Of course you can," she assured me immediately, sounding mollified.

"But what if I really can't? I asked again. "What are the terms of this arrangement? What happens if anyone breaks something?"

They both turned wide eyed at me, and I bowed my head in shame. To them, it probably sounded like I was already planning to break it, but that wasn't it. My wolf had gotten restless, and I could guess that she didn't like the idea as much as I did, and she could sense that something would go wrong.

Likely noticing something, my mother approached me warily. "Lyra, are you alright?" she asked me, and I shook my head, gasping for breath.

I had no idea what was going on. One minute I was worried, but fine, and the next, I was face-up on the floor, fighting to get my lungs to work. I could hear my mom and uncle's voices as if they were underwater, and a new voice had joined them.

"Open the windows," the new voice shouted. "Let me try something." 

Then strong hands pulled me up and dragged me towards the door. As soon as I felt the wind on my face and the soil on my feet, Ella instantly took control. With strength I didn't know I possessed, I leapt from the stranger's hands and landed as a wolf, immediately taking a deep breath with ease. 

Allowing me control of our eyes, we glanced around, but we were alone. Inhaling deeply, we roared into the wind before we bounded over the miles of forest surrounding us. Since we were glorified exiles, we'd been given a house at the edge of the boundary. It had always been a source of concern, but thankfully, we'd never been attacked. I'd never thought I'd ever be grateful for the large expanse of land, but Ella really was. 

When we'd gone through the field twice more, Ella finally slowed down before she finally paused right at the thickest part of the forest. We collapsed to our back in exhaustion, and Ella finally allowed a separation of man and wolf. I had control of my brain, but Ella didn't release my body.

What just happened came back to me in flashes. It was the first time something like that had happened to me, and I'd never heard of someone else experiencing it. Shit, something was most definitely wrong.