The Wolf Box Set by Penelope Sky
Arwen
My diaphragm tightenedas I hit my last note. With my mouth wide open and my lungs screaming in pain, I filled the auditorium with my strong voice and brought the production to a close, seeing the curtain close in front of me as I finally ran out of breath.
The lights were bright, roses were thrown onto the stage, and I could see the audience rise to their feet as they gave a standing ovation. The adrenaline I received was more powerful than any other high I’d ever known, better than sex with any man. It was euphoric, dreamlike.
I watched the curtains close as time stood still. Ever since I was a little girl, this had been my dream.
To be an opera singer.
Now I was.
With the curtains closed, the symphony concluded. That only made the applause louder, the sound of whistling and cheers more audible. I stayed on the spot and enjoyed the moment a little longer, cherished the connection I felt with every stranger in the room. They could have spent their Friday night doing anything else—but they chose to spend it with me.
* * *
Dante camebackstage with roses in his hands. He was tall, handsome, and had the cutest smile, and his eyes lit up as he looked at me. He came right up to me and kissed me. “You were amazing.”
“Thank you…”
He presented the roses to me. “I could watch you sing every night.”
“And I’d love to sing every night if my voice could handle it.” There was already a vase sitting at my makeup station, so I set the roses inside and added some water.
“So how about I take you to dinner?”
“Singing for two hours does make me hungry.”
“Perfect.” His arm hooked around my waist, and he escorted me out of the theater, making this night even more magical.
* * *
I pulledup to my childhood home and felt the presence of previous generations the second I stepped foot on the grounds. The house had always been large for three people, but now it felt too big for just one.
I entered the house and searched for my father, noticing how it seemed particularly dark. I carried a fresh arrangement of flowers and put them in a vase in the kitchen, just to lighten the place up. My mother used to be the same way, freshening up the house with flowers directly from the garden. She’d been gone a long time now, but I still carried on the tradition.
Father stepped into the kitchen, wearing jeans that were too baggy around his waist and a shirt that also seemed too loose. He was paler every time I saw him, sour like spoiled milk.
He kept telling me nothing was wrong—but now, I wasn’t sure if I believed him.
“There’s my princess.” He walked up to me and kissed me on the head. “How was the show last night?”
“Full house with a standing ovation.”
“Wow, that sounds amazing. This country can’t get enough of that voice of yours.”
“I don’t know about that…but thank you.”
He eyed the pink lilies in the vase, giving them just a glance before he turned back to me. “How are things with you?”
“Good. You know, just lots of work and lots of practice.” I’d been meaning to introduce Dante to my father, but since he was the first man I would bring home, I was nervous about it. My father had always been protective of me, and I wasn’t sure how he would feel about it. But then again, there probably wasn’t a single man he would ever think was good enough for me. “What about you?”
“You know, nothing too exciting.”
We moved to the dining table with a pitcher of lemonade and made small talk. I told him that the opera wanted to add a few more shows, but since I needed to preserve my voice, they would use my understudy. We talked about the weather, the football game, and other things that didn’t really matter.
He started to cough harshly, pressing a napkin to his face as he heaved at the table.
“Daddy, are you alright?” I placed a hand on his shoulder, concerned that this cold wasn’t going away. It only seemed to get worse with every passing week. “Are you sure the doctors said you’re okay? You look worse every time I see you.”
He wiped his mouth and chuckled. “Well, that’s a nice thing to say.”
“Come on, you know what I mean. You don’t seem well… Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Would my father keep something like that from me? Would he lie to my face and pretend everything was okay when it clearly wasn’t?
His smile faded away as his eyes filled with the distinct gloss of melancholy. Like impending tears in a painting, his emotion was clear in the subtleties of his gaze. Sometimes the cliff face of despair was more obvious than the tears themselves. “I’m fine, princess. But there’s something I need to tell you… You aren’t going to be happy about it.”
“Alright…”
“The money is gone. I can’t pay my debts, I’ve screwed over a lot of people, and soon, men will be crawling all over this place and picking it apart piece by piece. I’ve pissed off some scary men…and they won’t be happy.”
I had both French and Italian blood, and I came from a line of wealthy aristocrats I was proud of. Our fortune was massive, and while I never asked for a penny more of it than what was in my trust, I’d assumed it would always be there when it was time to inherit it. “What…? What are you saying? We don’t have any money?”
He shook his head. “No…not a euro.”
Money wasn’t important to me, but knowing it wasn’t there terrified me. Without my share of the trust, I couldn’t afford my nice apartment, I couldn’t afford to keep performing because it didn’t pay enough. I couldn’t afford food or clothes. “I don’t understand… How did this happen?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said with a sigh. “It doesn’t change what’s going to happen. Bottom line, we’re broke. That means we’re also in danger…”
I couldn’t believe this was happening.
“I’m sorry, princess. I know you’re disappointed in me… I’m disappointed too.”
I wasn’t anything at the moment. As long as we were both healthy, we could figure out a new plan. I would have to get a day job if I wanted to keep performing at night. I’d have to reconsider my career options now that I couldn’t live off our wealth. It was devastating…but doable.
“There’s only one way I can keep you safe…and you aren’t going to like it.”
“Keep me safe? I’ll give up all my possessions and take them to the bank to pay our debts. Whatever it takes.”
“No, not from the banks. I have worse enemies than the banks…”
I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to know.
“The only way you’ll be protected is if you marry into another family, a powerful and rich one, one with enough credibility that they won’t bother with you. You’ll be unattainable.”
“Well, this isn’t the 1800s, Dad. Arranged marriages are absurd in this day and age.”
“Maybe…but it’s necessary.”
So he was serious. “You aren’t thinking of actually marrying me—”
“I’ve already found the perfect husband for you—Maverick DeVille.”
I had no idea who that was. “Uh…not gonna happen.”
“Arwen, I know this is hard, but this is about survival. We won’t survive unless we do this. You have no idea what kind of men will be hunting me down.”
“What about you? Why don’t I just go with you?”
“Because you’ll be on the run forever. You’ll never have a normal life. You’ll never be able to sing again. Maverick can keep you safe. He can keep the dogs away. I know you don’t like this, but trust me, this is what—”
“I’m already seeing someone…”
“Well…I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” Now that I realized that this was deadly serious, that my father really intended to marry me to some stranger, the terror was starting to suffocate me. “You’re sorry that you’re making me marry a guy I don’t even know? Well, the answer is no. I refuse.”
He bowed his head. “Princess—”
“Don’t ‘princess’ me.” I pushed my hands against the table and stood. “When I marry someone, it’ll be for love. It’ll be because I can’t live without him. I’m not marrying some guy because I’m scared of your collectors.”
“Arwen, you don’t understand.” He rose to his feet, moving much more slowly.
“I’m not listening to this.” I started to walk off, refusing to entertain this nonsense.
“Arwen.” His voice grew stronger. “You don’t understand what you’re up against.”
I stopped in my tracks, the tears immediately burning to the surface.
“I won’t survive this. And when I’m gone, there’s nothing standing between you and death. Arwen, I don’t want to say this to you…but these men won’t just hurt you. They’ll rape you…they’ll torture you. I wish there were another way…but there’s not. Maverick DeVille is the only way you’ll live. So, we don’t have a choice.”
