3

I am tired, heartbroken, and anxious as I walk into my new room. My family was taken to the guest house that's outside the palace, but Alexandro wanted me to stay in his palace. Since he announced that I am his mate, there's nothing my family nor I can talk back to him. I am the chosen one for him, and I can't stand against his decision. No one can.

The problem with werewolf mating is if you don't like your other half you don't have a choice but to obey the norm.

If I was like them, I would have easily accepted this fate. Being a human, my mind and my feelings work differently. I don't want to be taken like this. If he'd come to me and asked me genuinely, I would have said yes since we had met already once and he left a fascinating impression. But he chose the violent way, well he's a werewolf and there's no surprise he chose this way.

But it has changed my heart completely. I am thinking about everything that's wrong with our union. 

 I can't be with a man who I barely know. I couldn't take this man who committed heinous crimes. Though he's a Legend in his pursuit, to me he's my mortal enemy. How can I spend the rest of my life with him? This is so unacceptable. 

He must have killed hundreds of humans to build this castle, and I know he must hate humans and me. Then how can I be his mate? This is wrong in every little way and makes me anxious. 

I looked around the big room, the walls painted in grey, Alexandro's picture was hanging on the side of the wall and I wondered why they were asking men to stay in a room with his giant picture. Is he trying to seduce me? I laughed seeing that pair of blue eyes. The other sides were filled with books, artifacts, and class cupboards, probably containing invaluable things. When I was looking at them, someone came into the room and it was Alexandro, again! I quickly looked down, feeling uncomfortable.

"I hope you like this room?" he asks. I didn't say anything. 

"Serena, is that your name?" he asks. I nod. 

"Do you know my name?" 

I nod again. 

"You won't talk?" he asks, pacing close to me. His musky scent filled my nostrils, he must have had grapes, I could smell it as he spoke.

 "I can talk but I…"  I paused, wondering why I should explain it to him. My urge to fight him is taking me somewhere. 

I gazed at his eyes that were watching me and it's so hard for me to speak. Whenever I see him, the things that happened the other day kept flashing before my eyes. I never thought the man who saved me was also the man carrying out this war. What a strange circumatance this is?

"How do you say that I am your mate? I am a human,'' I ask.

 He shrugs his shoulders, "I know it's so hard for you to believe me. I felt the same when I first saw you," he answered. 

"Why didn't you mention anything that time?" I ask.

"Because I wasn't happy," his words made me furious. If he wasn't happy then why he kissed me?

"I thought you were my punishment," he blurts out the truth. 

"What?" I am surprised to hear his contradicting remark. There I realized all those smiles and that warm welcoming were all a facade. What more can make me feel worse? I feel humiliated and wanted to dash out of the place.

Alexandro's face hardens. "Do you think I am so pleased to know that my mate is a human?"

"And do you think I am happy to be here and know that I am your mate?" I retort. 

He was taken aback and realized his words were harsh. 

He sighs, "But now I accept that I can't change my destiny? I decided to bring you here because they told me I must have children with my mate," he said. 

I felt sad and betrayed by his intention. He clearly knows what he wants and I am a fool to even pay attention to all of this. 

 "If this is your intention, then why did you attack my village? Those dead people are innocent," 

"That's not my fault, your father refused to give you to me,"

I realized that I have lived cluelessly, what could be the reason my father hid everything from me? He could have prevented all of this. 

“What do you want from me, Sir?” I ask forthrightly. I have no patience to wait until he says 

“I want you to marry me,”

“I can’t,” I retort.

“You can’t say no to me, Serena. I am your mate. Whether you feel it or not, that's the truth. I want to have children with you,” he blurts out. 

“You should marry a woman from your pack. I don’t think I am suitable for you,” 

Alexandro frowns, “Are you rejecting me?”

I persisted in my silence.

“Well, you can decide whatever you want, but I get what I want,” he gave a cocky reply while looking down at me. 

“This is marriage, you can't force me in this,” I say.

“This is a decree which you should follow whether you’re a human or a werewolf,” he says. 

Seeing that I am not convinced, he said, “have you forgotten that you’re my prisoner. I can put your family in prison and take you by force, but I am asking you very sincerely,”  

“Why?”

“I don't want to beat up your father and brothers to get a yes from you, I hope you don't want that either. All I want is an heir to carry on the empire I am building,” he said as if it's so simple to agree on. 

I look down, confused. He only thinks about his primal instincts but I have dreams that's so different from his. 

“If you say yes, I will do anything you want,” he answers. 

“Anything?” I ask. 

“Yes, anything you wish,”

He thinks I will ask for wealth or something that would only benefit me and my family but I am not that kind of person.

“Can you stop this war, stop killing humans for your sick selfishness, rebuild my village and can you resurrect those innocent villagers who died in the battle?” I ask, to make him realize how wrong he is. 

He's baffled at first and then shrugs accepting that he can’t. 

“Then don’t try to persuade me. You can never give me what I want,” I say, politely.   

He heaves a sigh, and steps back contemplating. It’s so hard to read his face and I wait wondering if I am making the right decision. 

“I can do something for you,” 

I stare at him wanting to know how badly he wants to change my mind.

“I can order my pack to rebuild your village. You should know that we won't hurt humans. It’s all done by those rogues who are against me,” he answers. I am surprised to know that he considers my words.

 “Now what’s your answer?” he asks. 

“I don’t want to forcefully marry you so say yes instead of arguing with me,” 

There are a lot of things that’s stopping me. I didn’t like the way he talks to me. He acted all nice when I came here and now, he's a demanding jerk. But how can I convince this man to look for some other woman when he so adamantly wants to marry me? 

When I first met him, he was so amusing. I even got attracted to him, but now he acts like he had forgotten everything.

“You have no other choice. If you want to live peacefully you must marry me,” he said as if I have no other choice. Even my father accepted this, who am I to fight back?

“Fine, I will marry you,” I muttered. His smug smirk made me irritated. 

He kept looking at me instead of leaving this room, so I asked, "Should I leave this room?"

"No," Alexandro answered.

"Then why are you still standing here?" I ask.

He smirks again, "Well this is my room before I decided to share this with you, we are going to stay together from now on," he said.

"No, that is wrong. We aren't married to share a room," I said and proceeded to walk outside but only to be grabbed by him and he immediately closed the door behind.

"You should stay with me," he seethed and I was startled by his horse wolf voice.

"Do you know my father and brothers would kill you for doing this to me," I tried to threaten him.  As I had never done this before my thrests turned out to be funny. 

Alexandro chuckled, "Kill me? Are they capable enough to do that? They knew you're mine and even if you complain they won't do anything,"

I gritted as I glared at him.

"Don't worry, I am not going to do anything tonight, you can trust my words and sleep in my bed," he said.

I still don't know what else he's planning to do and trusting him is the last thing on my mind. But still, I am so tired of fighting him back tonight. 

I went to the bed and sat on the left side of the bed.

Making sure that I won't run away, he opened the door. I got up from my seat but he gave me a warning look. Those cold eyes and narrowed gaze are enough to scare me. I sat back like a scared pup and he walked out and locked the door from outside.

Once the silence shrouded me, I relized how terrified I am hearing my pouding heart and clattering teeth. No one treated me like this. He doesn't like me but he wants to marry me. He threatened me to say yes and also acted like he's a considerate person. 

How can I marry such a manipulative, controlling person?