Page 1 of Alpha's Forbidden Bond

Chapter 1

Andreas

“If mom could see you now…”

I was standing in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom, and my brother sat in our grandfather’s old rocking chair in the corner, watching me straighten my tie and fiddle around with my unruly hair. My suit was newly pressed, but I still saw a wrinkle here and there.

“She’d be proud?” I finished the sentence for him.

Mikeal laughed. “No, she’d tell you to get a haircut.”

I smirked. “You’re probably right.” I ran my fingers through my long, shaggy locks, which I’d inherited from her, and then shook my head several times to make myself look a little less buttoned up. Today was a very important day, and while I was dressing to impress, I didn’t want to be too intimidating. I had to show strength while also making friends.

“But she would be proud of you, too,” Mikeal added. “I mean, how could she not be? Look at all that you’ve done in the few years you’ve been alpha.” He reached down and started massaging the calf of his left leg, wincing slightly.

“You good?”

“I’m fine,” he said, as per usual. “I’ve just been sitting for too long. I need to go for a walk and stretch it out before everyone gets here. The last thing we need is for the Morena pack to think you’ve got a brother so weak he can’t even stand up straight.”

“They’re not going to think that,” I said. “And if someone did say anything to that effect, I would have them executed. It’s as simple as that.” I shrugged and smiled at my brother in the mirror’s reflection.

“I know you’re joking, but you might need to get serious about that kind of thing if we’re going to successfully bring two packs together. You know how merges like this can sometimes turn out. People can get really… bloodthirsty.”

“Not always,” I corrected him. “Not to mention, they have a reason to be peaceful. The Moreno pack is dwindling in numbers, just like us. What we are offering is an alliance that would benefit both parties, and they know that. They may play hardball and try to sweeten their end of the deal if they can, but really, there’s no chance they would back out of this entirely. Or start a fight.”

Mikeal shook his head. “You act like werewolves aren’t some of the most unpredictable and angry sons of bitches on the planet. It doesn’t matter whether or not they’ve promised to be on their best behavior. One wrong move from one of our guys, and we could be looking at a dog pile. And not the fun kind.”

“Why do you think I’ve been so strict with everyone lately?” I said. “And why I made us go through not one but two rehearsal feasts? It’s so everyone would know exactly what I expect from them as their pack leader. There aren’t going to be any wrong moves tonight. Not if I have anything to say about it. Everyone understands the stakes, and I think I’ve made it very clear that errors could be punishable by banishment.”

Mikeal’s eyes widened. “You were being serious when you said that?”

I turned to look at him over my shoulder. “One hundred percent. This merging of our two packs is imperative if the Vilks bloodline is to continue thriving. This is what Mother would’ve done if she was still alive and in charge. I know it.”

“I’m not sure she would’ve married Becc Moreno.”

Mikeal was making a joke, but I didn’t laugh. Instead, I stopped messing around with my clothes and turned to face him. “I actually think she would have if that had been the only option. She cared more about this pack than anything in the entire world, and if she thought marrying the son of another pack leader would strengthen us, she would’ve done it. No matter how much of an idiot the person was.”

“Maybe,” Mikeal said. “But I’m not sure I would’ve let her if it came to that. I can’t imagine Mom being married to someone like Becc. He’s such a hot head, and she was so… so gentle. Stern when she needed to be, but let her heart guide her in almost all her decisions, whereas Becc seems to be guided by one thing and one thing only—his desire for power.”

“We can’t exactly blame him,” I said. “His pack was attacked, and they lost nearly half of their numbers in one fell swoop. Plus, you know part of his bitterness is over his sister. Sarafina’s only five minutes older than him, but that still means she’s the one in line to take over as alpha when their father passes.”

“You think he's sexist?”

“Nah. I think he just likes being in charge.” I clicked my tongue. “I have a feeling he read every single letter I sent to his sister over the past two months. Probably combed through every word to make sure he wasn’t being left out in any way.”

Mikeal smiled. “Ooh, you sound a little annoyed. Or embarrassed. What kind of sappy shit were you writing to this girl anyway?”

I frowned. “Nothing sappy. We were speaking in terms of the arrangement and nothing else. I would never insult a woman like Sarafina by trying to woo her via rushed letters and even more rushed phone calls.”

“Wow, you’re such a romantic.” He stood, putting less weight on his bad leg as he walked over to me. He reached up and straightened the collar of my crisp white button-down around my tie. “I understand that this marriage is nothing more than a political move for you, but I’ve seen pictures of Sarafina, and she’s absolutely gorgeous. I think if you gave yourself permission—if you stopped being such a hardass all the time—you might actually be able to fall for this woman.”

“I’m much too busy to be falling in love.”

“So you’re going to just be with someone you don’t even care about for the rest of your life?”

“I didn’t say that. Just because we won’t be in love, that doesn’t mean I hope our marriage will be entirely loveless. I like to think the two of us can develop a bond built on mutual respect and a desire to do what’s best for our respective people.”

“And what if she falls in love with you?”

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