Delilah and Riley by Melissa Nichols (best sci fi novels of all time TXT) 📕

“No! I won’t go with you! You can’t make me and I am in Zeke’s pack now. You have no power over me!”

“You forgot the vital word, daughter. ‘previous Alpha’. That’s me. Now, come!” He shouted, his Order gaining far more power and it was humiliating to feel my feet slip towards him. At first, it was one foot and an inch. But that one inch sparked a chain reaction. Soon, it was both and full steps, then I was running headlong into Father’s arms and tears were streaming down my face as I abandoned Zeke and the life he had almost made for me. I bowed my head in shame, tears still running down my cheeks, and stayed in place until Father and Zeke finished and Father bade me to come. I glanced at Zeke before I left, a single glance that held so much regret, apologies and sadness. I really wanted the life I almost had, to be free of my parents, to be free to make choices, but that stupid Taboo had ruined everything and sealed my fate with Riley and the Lune Pack.

“I can’t believe you would do something like that, Delilah!  You turned your back on me, your mother and your pack. You abandoned us! If it hadn’t been for my quick thinking, you would have been accepted as a new member of the Sun Pack, a future I will do my best to keep you from. They are barbarians and you ran right into their paws. Have I raised such an idiotic and unfaithful pup? I raised you to be the Alpha Female of your pack with Riley, the Domiscuss Pack, and I set you up for a life with luxury, love and power. And you almost throw it all out the window! Do you have any idea of how ashamed I am of you?! You went against all that I and my pack stand for. You go against your Alphas and you break Taboo. Well, here is your punishment for your disobedience. You will marry Riley, as you were born to. You will be the most devoted mate, best Alpha Female and you will bear his pups. But this is only half of your overall punishment. For breaking Taboo, you and Riley will meet in forty-eight hours and will be married in thirty-six. You will not object to this union, you will only receive him and be the best wolf you can be for him, and him alone. My judgment is passed, my verdict final and your punishments begin now.” He slammed his fist on his desk, breaking the beautiful wood in half. I stood there, silent as the forest before a storm, and kept repeating vile, loathsome things about my father in my head. I was furious that my deed had done no good, and brought my wedding date closer. And now I have no hope of escaping. At least he hadn’t laid a hand on me. He probably didn’t want my skin bruised when I married Riley and he took me to the marriage bed and tip Riley off about my violent upbringing.

Zak dismissed me and my mother accompanied me to my room. I entered, flopped down on the bed, watched as she locked all of my windows, then exited my bedroom and locked the door. There was no hope of escape and I finally let the tears flow.

Riley

I got Zak’s call just as I was heading up to my bedchamber to spend the rest of the night in the arms of one of the maids. I was passing the phone as it rang and I was quick to grab it and put it to my ear. “Hello?”

“Riley! So glad I caught you! Did I wake you?”

“No, Zak, I was awake anyway. Why did you call?”

“I hate to cause any inconveniences for you but I had a little talk with my daughter and I’ve decided to move up the date. Can you be here in two days? Same place as we’ve agreed on previously?”

“Why the change in date? I mean, it’s no inconvenience, but shouldn’t you called me and asked me?”

“I know I should have, but I had a troubling matter that needed dealing with immediately and her sentence is already being carried out.”

“Who’s sentence? What happened?”

“Delilah got the idea that if she abandoned her pack then she would be free. In her attempt to flee, she broke Taboo by crossing borders uninvited. I was able to get her back before any harm was done and I think I have sufficiently broken her to my will. Her sentence is moving up both the meeting date and the wedding date.”

“Okay. I’m sorry you had to go to so much trouble. I promise, she won’t think of doing it with me.”

“I know she won’t. Her punishment for disobedience was to be a good mate to you. She won’t try anything.”

“I will still discipline her, to ensure it. You moved up the wedding date?” I asked, leaning against the wall. I was starting to panic now. I have been betrothed since I was a boy, but the idea of being married three months from now was still making me uneasy. But to have the date suddenly changed made me feel like a rabbit with a white coat in a green forest against a pack of wolves.

“Twelve hours after the meeting.” Zak stated, simple as one plus one. I started shaking, my eyes growing huge, and my breath was rapid and broken. I had thirty-six more hours to enjoy my independence and then I was chained to one female for life.

“Thirty-six hours until I’m married?” I whispered, my throat clogged from shock and fear.

“That’s correct. And I’m sorry for the sudden change. I know you must be scared.”

“It’s okay. It was going to happen eventually. Might as well happen now, right?”

“Something like that. Well, it must be late over there. Please call me with your travel information.”

“Of course. I’ll see you soon, Zak. Good night.”

“Good night, Riley.”

I hung up the phone, merely dropping my hand and letting my fingers relax. The phone clicked into place and I was plastered to the wall, trying to comprehend my new life. In thirty-six hours, I will be facing my betrothed and saying ‘I do’. I don’t know what she looked like, I don’t know her personality, her likes or dislikes. All I know is her name, pack rank, her training and the fact that she is my betrothed. And now she was going to be meeting me for the first time in forty-eight hours and marrying me in thirty-six. It was too much to comprehend. I stumbled to my room in a daze, barely able to stay on my feet.

Riley

I waited with my pack at the opposite side of the clearing. Zak had orchestrated every detail beforehand and debriefed us a few hours ago, when my pack convened in this clearing. The Domiscuss pack would wait at the north end and I in the center of the clearing. The Lune Pack would enter from the south and Delilah would approach me on her own. And then we would begin the acceptance ritual. It’s not brutal or anything, but it is binding.

I was talking with my Beta, Zasper, about the arrangements. After the wedding, Delilah would fly back to Tennessee with me and the rest of us and live out her days with the Domiscuss clan. After tonight, she will stay by my side so we can get accustomed to the other’s presence. She’ll even sleep at the hotel with us, in the same bed with me, but I won’t touch her. That action is strictly for after the vows when it comes to Alphas. I only bedded the maids because I was allowed and they aren’t wolves. But, I digress.

I knew it when the Lune clan made their approach. There was a subtle sound wolves make when they phase. When the organs stretch or shrink and move, when the bones grow, move and reshape and the skin changes. And there were many sounds, at least fifty. This indicated a whole pack was phasing and there was only one pack besides mine in the vicinity. The Lune Pack. She was here!

All conversations ceased and all eyes were diverted to the other side of the clearing, where the first sounds only we could hear came closer. At last, figures broke the trees and my eyes shot to the woman with white hair beside the older blonde.

That’s got to be her. The platinum blonde. That’s got to be her! Delilah.

The figures drew closer until all fifty had exited the clearing, but one kept going. Her face was set and hard, her muscles tense and there was a fire in her eyes. I watched as she glided closer, every bit the princess she was raised to be, and I wanted so badly to run to her and just get the binding over with. But Zak would never forgive me if I ruined his one chance at directing his mini play so I stayed still as the bane of my life swept closer to me until she was right where I could grab her. But I still made no move.

“Delilah?” I asked, starting the ancient ritual.

“Riley?”

“It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Really? Cause I haven’t heard anything about you. And I don’t think it’s nice to meet you!” She spat back. I was shocked.  She couldn’t be the Delilah I’ve heard nothing but good from. But then