Rosie’s POV
Uncle scanned the room, surely seeing that everyone was enjoying it. The place was a bit of a mess at this point.
He let out a low growl as he came closer to me. His scent of cedar and cypress overwhelmed me, making my head spin. I felt my legs grow weak, a strange arousal taking over me.
“Rosie, what have you done?!”
With Mia, my wolf, shouting mate excitedly, I noticed things I never had before. The swagger when he walked. The way he had a stray hair curl over his right eye. It was sexy, and I blushed as my breath caught.
Surely, he would smell my arousal, and it made me embarrassed. Like I needed to cover up.
It wasn’t until he growled again that I snapped back to reality, stuttering as I explained, “I… I just wanted to help you find a new mate.”
Uncle approached me, so close that Mia was becoming intoxicated with his scent and very hard to control. Didn't he feel this too?
"Listen, I don't need a mate or a Luna," he husked out with authority, making me shiver.
Was he… rejecting me?
I wanted to cry and beg, Mia shaking within me to get out and touch her mate. Instead, he called upon the guards. “Take her to her room!” His words were the ultimate authority, and I quivered.
‘Come on, convince your mate!’ Mia insisted.
Desperate, I rushed forward and grabbed Uncle, my fists beating into his chest and clawing at his shirt. “Didn’t you feel the attraction?”
He coldly replied, “I felt nothing."
Four guards came up to me, and though I growled at them alongside Mia, I was no match. They lifted me like a baby up the stairs.
“Lock her in,” Uncle added, following behind. Marco gave me an apologetic look but can’t speak a word under his Alpha’s rage.
My eyes stung with unshed tears. His scent and his cruelty were mixing together and making a confusing disaster for my brain and heart.
Mia was howling as I was plopped onto my bed.
I tried to rush the door, but it was shut and promptly locked.
"Three days," I heard him growl through the door. "Three days to think about your poor decision and your behavior."
I thought that was it, and I curled up into the fetal position in my bed only to hear him sighing outside my door again. "This is partially my fault. My recent focus on training the warriors has caused me to neglect you. I see how this has led to foolish actions due to lack of attention and supervision..."
I knew from the following silence only a moment later that he and the guards were gone.
Lying in bed, I felt heartbroken. I didn't go into this thinking I would find my mate, but I did. And it didn't even matter.
I held my chest as Mia whimpered from within. It was like I was falling apart.
It wasn't too long until the servant brought me dinner, but I couldn’t eat. Not after my mate, who was also the Alpha who raised me, had been so cold.
I turned to Mia, asking, “Was the mate bond I felt real, or was it a mistake?”
“It couldn’t be wrong. He’s really our mate.” Mia insisted.
I sank into despair, realizing he didn’t want us. The mate I had longed for was my uncle, but he didn’t want me. What should I do now? How did anyone get through something like this?
Buzz buzz. Buzz buzz.
I reached for my cell phone. It was Chris.
"Hi, Chris," I sighed, trying not to sound as pathetic as I felt.
"You okay?"
"Locked in my room for three days. No, I’m not okay. Apparently, I need better supervision to learn not to make foolish choices." I hated the whine in my voice. I was 17, not 5. But I couldn't seem to shake it.
"Damn, Alpha Hickman is so cold. Especially saying he didn't need a Luna like that and sending everyone out, and now locking you up. No wonder he has the reputation of being a hot-tempered Alpha."
Mia whimpered in my mind again, and I silently told her to shut up. It wouldn't do us any good to go on like that.
I sat up, hair flopping over the hand holding the phone to my ear. "But everything he does is for the pack. He's the reason that Midnight Pack is the most powerful in the territory anyway."
It was the truth. Which made all of it hurt all the more.
"Look at you, the Alpha's biggest fan," Chris teased me.
I shook my head as if she could see it. "No. I am just acutely aware of all he has done for the pack and the way he makes decisions. Sometimes a leader has to be harsh."
I had always admired the way he did things over the years, even if I thought he was too harsh at times for doing it.
Chris laughed through the receiver. "Alright. Quit defending your captor and open the window now."
I turned toward the window to the right of my bed. I made my way to it and unlocked it, popping it open slowly so as not to make too much noise.
I didn't want the guards to realize they'd technically left me an exit. When I looked down, I saw Chris and Tyler in a car, waving at me.
"C'mon. We were supposed to be having fun tonight. You did something great. You don't deserve this," Chris egged me on. "Let's go to a club."
I was nervous about getting caught. "What will Uncle do if he finds out, though?"
She teased, “What, are you going to stay locked up like a child forever?”
I hesitated, head hanging out into the fresh night air.
Chris added with a laugh, "Look, I promise to sneak you back in. No harm done."
'Don't listen to her crazy talk. We shouldn't disobey Alpha,’ Mia warned me.
I paused for another moment. But I felt Mia was aching for freedom as much as I was but just didn't want to piss off her Alpha.
That was it. I jumped out of the window and told Mia I needed to blow off some steam.
No, I deserved to.
Rosie’s POVThe faint rays of dawn spilled across the corridor as I tiptoed toward the kitchen. My only reason to get up earlier than usual was led by the rumble in my stomach rather than any real motivation to start the day.I hadn’t eaten much last night… how could I when I already wanted to throw up the non-existent food inside me?My thoughts had been a snarled mess, and my poor appetite had been buried way beneath all of them currently raiding my head.But the moment I reached the kitchen, the sight in front of me made me freeze mid-step.Selena was already there. Why…Miss Perfect was perched on a stool in such poise, like she had a claim over everything already, clad in silky pajamas that shimmered with every flicker of movement.A few of the guards stood nearby, lazily keeping watch over her while she nibbled on warm pastries and sipped something from a delicate porcelain cup.“Morning!” she chirped, as if this was a normal, everyday morning interaction. “Hope I didn’t steal
Rosie’s POVI blinked twice. My throat closed up. Uncle exhaled lightly under my gaze, tapping his fingers once against the table. Apparently, that was all it took for him to turn all eyes to him… “She hasn’t,” he answered flatly, not even looking in my direction.But Selena wasn’t done yet. Her smile curved with newfound glee, resting her chin on the palms of both her hands and leaning over slightly with pretend interest.“Oh…Then I guess I’d like to hear from her.” Her eyes glimmered with something sharp under all that polished charm. “A girl like you must have some preferences. Tell me. Who’s your dream prince?”I cleared my throat, swallowing the lump there. “I’m looking for someone who... sees me for me. Someone who doesn’t try to change what I am. Just... accepts it and loves me nonetheless.”Uncle stiffened out of the corner of my eye, and I tried not to bring attention to it.If Selena noticed, she gave no indication as she continued, letting out a small laugh. “That’s so cu
Rosie’s POVOnce the dancing was over and the banquet began, I made myself small. I hoped to sneak away soon, blending into the walls and looking like any other maid.That's what he had allowed me to be called, wasn't it? I looked out from my little corner at the impossibly long table holding council members and their mates for those who had them. Uncle sat at the head of the table, the seat to his right filled by the princess and the one to his left empty. I glared at the spot as if I could make it burst into flames. The food smelled delicious and filled the entire table. But my stomach was not in the shape to even think about partaking in the meal. Not the way Selena kept hanging on Uncle like that. But I didn't want to move to stop it either. The parts of me that loved him unconditionally, tangled between the familial love and being his mate, wanted to see him happy. He deserved a moment like this. ‘But you’re his mate,’ Mia hissed. ‘Not a maid.’ Her moping had turned to fiery
Rosie’s’ POVThe moment I opened my eyes, the warmth was what I noticed first. The fog in my mind was a distant memory, but it was there. Uncle’s back protruded from the doorway. It was the only part of him I could see. His presence made my heart ache and flutter all at once. He was here for me. As all my senses awoke, I caught low voices drifting in softly from just outside the door. The voices belonged to my uncle, “…planning a Luna selection ball next week.”That comfort I felt vanished in an instant.“Uncle?” I croaked out. He turned around with a small smile across his face. A chill ran through me as he approached. “Rosie, you are awake,” he said.I swallowed hard, voice trembling. “Is it true?” I had to know now. Like ripping off a bandage.He paused for a second and knew what I asked for. “Yes.” There was no emotion one way or the other in his voice. The one word hit like a blade between my ribs. He placed a hand on mine. “I hoped you’d be happy for me.”Mia scoffed. 'Happ
Nikolas’ POVDoctor Cameron She cast a quick glance at the nearby nurses and pack members, then lowered her voice."We'll speak about it later, Alpha."I forced a nod, trying to appear calm, but my pulse was already racing. Did she know? Could she tell I was Rosie’s mate?“Rosie’s heat is stable for now,” She told me, her voice quiet but firm. “We administered the suppressant just in time.” At least there was that.My eyes never left Rosie’s flushed face as she lay unconscious on the hospital bed. Strands of her hair were slicked with sweat that clung to her forehead.“Marco,” I said without turning, “take Tyler and Chris back to the patrol team. You’ll continue with the trip as planned.”Marco hesitated, only for a moment. I couldn't begrudge him his concern. “Are you sure, Alpha?”“I’ll stay with her, she will be alright.” The last thing I needed right now was an invasion because Marco couldn’t complete his duty. He left without another word, taking the others with him.Doctor Came
Nikolas’ POVI lingered at the door as Marco zipped up his bag, his expression calm—at least on the surface. I leaned against the frame with my arms crossed. “You’ve packed light.”He gave me a side glance, then a crooked grin. “We'll be back in no time. You'll see."I wanted to believe that. He was an excellent beta. Maybe he would achieve the impossible, and he and the warriors would nullify the threat. My thoughts were so tangled as I told him to be careful out there. Rosie's father came to mind as Marco slung his bag over his shoulder.He paused, then nodded once. “I will.”There was a beat of silence between us before he added casually, “You sure you’ll be alright here? With… everything?”I knew it wasn't my ability to protect the pack without him that he was questioning. He didn’t say her name, but he didn’t have to.“Rosie,” I said, breaking the tension myself, “is hurting. And truthfully, so am I.”Marco turned, surprised.“I know I can't mark her, but I also don’t want to le