Chapter Five

Ariana, who had been silent until now, could no longer contain her anger. Her voice trembled with suppressed frustration as she spoke, "This is preposterous! You all treat this like a business arrangement. What about love? What about what Liam and I feel for each other?"

Joseph shot a stern look at Ariana, warning her to temper her emotions, but Ariana was beyond reason. She continued, her words laced with indignation, "Is my happiness so inconsequential that you'd trade it for political gain?"

Eleanor sighed, her voice filled with regret, "Ariana, we understand your concerns, but sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good of our pack."

Ariana's anger flared, and with a final, despairing look at her family, she stood abruptly and stormed out of the room, her footsteps echoing in the hallway.

The room fell into an uneasy silence, the weight of their decisions hanging heavy in the air. The adults exchanged knowing glances, aware that the path they had chosen was not without its sacrifices.

Mia, her eyes glistening with false sympathy, commented, "Ariana will come to understand in time. For now, we must focus on strengthening the bond between Liam and me."

As they continued to discuss the details of the impending mating ceremony, Ariana, alone in her anguish, wandered the dimly lit corridors, her heart heavy with the knowledge that her future had been decided without her consent, and her love for Liam disregarded in the name of duty.

The night was dark, and the air was thick with tension as Ariana sat in her room, awaiting her parents' return. She had walked out on them earlier, unable to bear the pain of witnessing her mate being taken away from her and given to Mia.

Considering the manner she stormed out of Liam's place and how disrespectful her parents would consider this, Ariana knew that her parents' return would mark the beginning of a storm, one she couldn't avoid.

The door swung open, and Joseph and Margaret entered, their faces etched with a mix of frustration, disappointment, and anger. She had anticipated their fury.

Their voices cut through the heavy silence of the room.

Margaret, her voice carrying the weight of anger and reproach, was the first to speak.

"Ariana, your behavior in that meeting was a disgrace."

Joseph's voice thundered through the room. "Ariana, how dare you walk out on us like that? You've embarrassed and disrespected us in front of everyone!"

Margaret, her face a mask of disappointment, added, "You've made a spectacle of this family, Ariana. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Ariana, her voice shaking with regret, attempted to explain. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't bear to see what was happening. I love Liam, and you're just handing him over to Mia!"

Joseph, his anger unabated, snarled, "Your love doesn't matter. We've made a decision, and you will obey us."

Margret's voice, sharp and unforgiving,

"How could you be so disrespectful to us and to Liam's family?"

Ariana's voice quivered as she tried to explain, "Mother, Father, I couldn't bear the thought of—"

Joseph, his patience waning, cut her off with a stern tone. "There's no excuse for your actions. You humiliated us in front of Liam's parents and his representatives."

The room felt suffocating, and Ariana, her voice trembling, struggled to convey her feelings. "But, Father, you can't just trade my happiness without even considering my feelings for a second. This isn't right."

Margaret's expression hardened, and she responded firmly, "Ariana, sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

Ariana, her voice shaking with regret and sadness, tried to explain herself, her words heavy with sorrow.

"Father, Mother, I couldn't bear to watch Liam being taken away from me. I can't endure the thought of him being handed over to Mia."

Joseph, his temper flaring, "You've humiliated this family enough, Ariana. We will not continue to tolerate your insubordination."

His expression, now darkening with each passing moment as he delivered the devastating news.

"Ariana, your actions have left us with no choice. The Alpha of Crescent Moon Pack has agreed to take you as compensation for the debts we owe him. He has requested you as a breeder and is even willing to pay a handsome price for it in addition"

At the mention of the alpha of the Crescent Moon Park, Ariana's despair grew, her mind filled with images of a dreadful future. She couldn't help but think about the notorious leader of the Crescent Moon Pack.

Stories of his cruelty and ruthlessness were infamous within the supernatural community. Her heart ached at the thought of becoming his property, and her imagination ran wild with the horrors that might await her.

Joseph's expression remained stoic, "You've been nothing but a disgrace to us. And as shameful and useless as you are to us, I don't see any other decision better than this ."

Alpha Ethan of the Crescent Moon Pack is a formidable and merciless leader, feared and respected in equal measure. His reputation for ruthlessness and unyielding determination precedes him, and he rules with an iron fist, believing that strength, fear, and dominance are essential for his pack's survival. His ambitions to expand his territory and influence within the supernatural community are matched only by his commanding presence.

Ariana's world shattered. The very thought of being handed over to the merciless Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, a man feared by all, was a nightmare she had never contemplated. She begged, her voice a desperate plea,

"Please, Father, I'll do anything to change your minds. I can't be given to that monster. I beg you, reconsider!"

Joseph's words sent shivers down her spine. "Ariana, it's not a choice. You are to be sold to the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack."

Ariana's world crumbled around her as she continued to plead with her parents.

"Please, Father, Mother, don't do this. There must be another way. I'll do anything, anything, to make amends but don't send me to that ruthless Alpha. I'll work to repay the debt, I'll accept Mia as Liam's mate, and I'll marry someone else. Please, reconsider."

Joseph and Margaret exchanged resolute looks. Joseph's voice was unyielding. "Ariana, you're of no use to us now. We've made our final decision. The Crescent Moon Pack Alpha will be here in three days to claim you."

Margaret's voice was devoid of sympathy as she stated, "The Alpha wants you as a breeder, and that is the final decision. The best you can do for yourself is to get yourself prepared for his coming in three days' time. And that's final."

Ariana's pleas had fallen on deaf ears, and her parents left her room, closing the door behind them. Left alone in the suffocating darkness of her room, the weight of her impending fate pressed upon her like a crushing force, and the knowledge that her own parents had forsaken her was a wound that might never heal.

The room had grown quiet, save for the sound of Ariana's muffled sobs. The weight of the decision settled heavily on her shoulders, and the bleak future loomed before her. She had lost her mate, her family's love, and her freedom all in one night. And in three days, Alpha Ethan of the Crescent Moon Pack would arrive to claim her as his property, to be subjected to a life she dreaded more than anything she had ever known.

Ariana wept for the life that had been stolen from her and the uncertain, dreaded future that lay ahead. She was trapped in a web of duty and sacrifice, with no escape in sight.