My Professor is My Forbidden Mate

Chapter 1: The Ultimatum

ARIA SILVER MOON

"I will not marry a stranger!" The crystal goblet shattered against the stone wall of my father's study, wine bleeding down the ancient tapestries like spilled blood.

Alpha Silvermoon didn't even flinch. He sat behind his massive oak desk, fingers steepled, watching me with those cold silver eyes that had intimidated enemies for decades. But I wasn't his enemy, I was his daughter. His heir. And I refused to be his bargaining chip.

"Princess Aria," his voice carried the weight of absolute authority, "you will marry the Alpha King's heir in three months. The alliance has already been agreed upon."

"By whom?" I moved forward and slammed my palms on his desk, leaning forward. "You made this decision without consulting me. I'm your heir, your future Alpha. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"It means you understand duty." He rose slowly, his imposing frame casting shadows across the room. "The Silvermoon Pack has enemies circling like vultures. War is coming whether we want it or not. This marriage will secure the most powerful alliance in werewolf history."

"Then send Vivienne!" I gestured toward the door where I knew my younger sister was probably eavesdropping. "She loves playing dress-up and batting her eyelashes. She'd be thrilled to marry for politics."

"Vivienne is not the heir." His tone turned sharp. "You are. And you will fulfill your obligations."

I laughed bitterly. "My obligations? What about my capabilities? I've trained harder than any male in this pack. I can beat most of your warriors in combat. I've studied pack law, diplomacy, military strategy,..."

"And none of that matters if we're destroyed by our enemies before you can use it." He moved around the desk, his Alpha presence pressing against me like a physical weight while my wolf whimpered slightly trying to fight against it even with the need to bow and respect the Alpha. "This isn't about what you want, Aria. It's about survival."

"No." I stepped back, my wolf stirring restlessly beneath my skin. "This is about you not trusting me to lead without a man beside me. You think I'm not strong enough. Because I'm a woman" I whispered the last words silently, my voice cracked.

Something flickered in his eyes, surprise? Pain? I don't know. It got masked as quickly as it came. "You are the strongest person I know. But strength alone won't prevent this war."

"How do you know? You've never given me the chance to try!" The words tore from my throat, eighteen years of frustration spilling out. "I'm not a political token to be traded away. I'm your daughter. I'm supposed to be your successor, not someone's accessory."

"You will be both." His voice turned final, brooking no argument. "The arrangement is made. The Alpha King's heir expects his bride in three months. You will not embarrass our pack by refusing."

"What if he's awful? What if he's cruel or weak or…"

"Then you will manage him." My father's expression softened slightly. "You're clever, Aria. Stronger than you know. You can make this work to your advantage."

"By surrendering my freedom?" I backed toward the door, shaking my head. "By giving up everything I've worked for?"

"By securing our pack's future." He returned to his chair, already dismissing me. "The decision is final. You'll begin preparations tomorrow."

I stared at him, this man who'd raised me to be strong, to fight for what I believed in, to never back down. And now he was asking me to do exactly that.

"What's his name?" I asked quietly.

"Does it matter?"

"It matters to me."

He sighed, looking older than his fifty years. "I don't know. The Alpha King simply calls him 'his heir.' Their family values privacy."

A stranger. I was being forced to marry a complete stranger based on his title alone.

"And if I refuse?"

His silver eyes met mine, and I saw the father who'd taught me to ride horses, who'd bandaged my training wounds, who'd told me bedtime stories about brave female warriors. But his words came out as the Alpha of Silver Moon pack.

"Then you'll be stripped of your title and banished from the pack. Another heir will be chosen. It will go to your cousin."

Kieran?

The threat hit like a physical blow. Lose everything, my home, my pack, my purpose, or marry a stranger and hope for the best.

"You wouldn't."

"I would." His voice cracked slightly. "Because keeping you here as an unwed heir will start a civil war among the unmated Alphas. They'll tear this pack apart fighting for your hand. At least this way, you'll have a powerful mate and a secure future."

I felt something inside me break. The father I'd adored, the man I'd spent my life trying to make proud, was willing to throw me away if I didn't comply.

"Fine," I said quietly.

Hope flickered in his eyes. "You'll accept the arrangement?"

"I'll leave."

The hope died. "Aria…"

"You said I had a choice. Marriage or banishment." I straightened my shoulders, calling on every ounce of royal training. "I choose banishment."

"You can't survive as a rogue. You don't even have your wolf yet."

"Then I'll find another way." I turned toward the door, my decision crystallizing with each step. "I'll prove I can lead without being someone's wife. When I come back and I will come back, it'll be as someone worthy of this pack's respect."

"Where will you go?"

I paused at the threshold, not looking back. "Werewolf Academy."

"Aria, they don't accept…"

"Females?" I smiled grimly. "We'll see about that."

I walked out of his study and headed straight for my chambers, my mind already racing. Three months until the wedding. Three months to prove myself at the most prestigious werewolf training academy in existence. Three months to become so undeniably capable that even my father would have to acknowledge my worth.

All I had to do was convince them I was male.

How hard could it be?