4- The Nightmare

Serenity Knight 

I wanted to abort the baby. But somewhere I knew I didn’t mean my words. I could never harm my child, the innocent child who was not even at fault. But I wanted Alpha King Theodore Black to realize what he did to me, how he broke me, and how I can’t trust him with my child. 

But what Jillian told me, it made me stop on my feet. I turned around to glare at the witch, who was standing there, cool and unfazed, barely concerned about anything other than her Sire. 

“We are not sure what the fates have decided for her yet but all I can say is don’t let her stay away from you, your highness. She is carrying your heir.” Jillian spoke before bowing down and leaving his room, stunning me into silence. 

“Miss Knight, please lie down. I need to run some tests on you.” Doctor Paul said to me, smiling in pity and I clenched my jaw and obliged. It was not like I had any other option. 

After taking my blood for the blood tests and many other tests, Doctor Paul took his leave, leaving me alone with the devil in disguise of a King. Theodore Black was standing there, dressed in a white-sleeved shirt and a pair of black pants, the outfit he was not wearing in the morning. He looked fresh, and his hair was damp, indicating he took a shower just before coming here. 

It was shameful on my side how I was still finding him handsome and alluring, especially after what he did to me. Taking small and deliberate steps towards me, Alpha King filled a glass of water from the posh-looking jug, that was kept on the table, and quietly forwarded it to me, making me raise my eyes. 

So the wolf had receded back. His gray eyes were proof enough. 

“Until we get to know how to get rid of each other, human, we need to tolerate each other. For the sake of my child.” Alpha King said, and I froze. My fingers tightly held the rim of the glass as I lifted my face to stare at my mate, who rejected me right after getting intimate with me. 

“Your child, Sire? Your child? Last time I remember you rejected me. And then your wolf forced me to stay here. Don’t you sound bipolar to your own ears, your highness? One second you tell me how I am important to you and the other moment you tell me you wish to get rid of me.” I said, feeling the bitter emotion bubbling inside me. 

“Wolves are blind in love with their soulmates but humans can’t be blinded from the logic. You can never prove your worth to reign on that throne beside me, human. But I need an heir to continue my……” Alpha King started speaking but I cut him off, my eyes burning in anger and pain. 

“I get it. You don’t need to throw it on my face every single time. But remember one thing, your highness, the child won’t be able to survive without me. If you hurt me, you will hurt the child as well.” I reminded him, gulping the water down hastily and I saw anger swirling in his gray eyes. But he said nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“Are you allergic to anything?” He asked me after a long pause and I looked back at him and smiled sarcastically at him. 

“Yes. You. Very severely allergic, your highness.” I said, and my smile did things to him. Because his gray eyes darkened visibly as he came in front of my face in the flash of a second, dimming my smile a bit. 

His rough hands held my face, igniting sparks when he touched me, making me gasp. His touch made me crave things I was regretting even now. He leaned closer, his face barely an inch away from me, letting me breathe in his minty breath and his dark cologne. 

“You’re playing with the fire, Serenity, do not forget that my wolf is blinded by your beauty. Not me.” He whispered, the warning clear as day from his tone and I swallowed harshly.

His wolf has called me by my name numerous times but he never called me by my real name. It has always been human, and never Serenity. But when he said my name, it rolled off so beautifully and naturally from his tongue, passing shivers down my spine. 

“So you find me beautiful also? Careful there, Alpha King, someone might mistake your hatred for your liking towards me. Careful.” I was really testing his patience. Because his hold tightened around my jaw. Though it was not painful, it was still firm, letting me know how strong the male in front of me was. And how I was just a weak human being.

“Are you allergic to anything, human?” He asked me again, his voice rough with impatience and low with anger, making me snort as I pulled myself out of his grasp. 

“Peanuts,” I answered truthfully this time and he hummed, leaving my face, making me rub my skin that was still burning from his touch, telling tales of how he ignited me from his fire and like a moth my soul was nearing his fire, ready to burn my existence. 

“I’ll send a maid in here with your clothes and other necessities. She will help you with showering and dressing up. Dinner will be ready in an hour. Don’t bother waiting for me. Dinners are a very important affair for Alphas.” He spoke, not even looking at me. And I would be lying to myself if I said his words and indifference didn’t hurt me. 

“I need my phone,” I said, ignoring his words and Alpha King raised his eyebrows, smiling sadistically at me.

“Oh, that old metallic box? My pet dog liked it and broke it while playing.” Theodore said, rubbing his palms together, leaving me alone in his room, to yell. 

How the hell will I inform my Uncle now?

***

Dinner was a silent and lonely affair. It was not like I always had someone to share dinner with because sometimes Uncle Mason barely provided me with food, but at least, eating wasn’t such a lonely action there. Here, everything was mocking me. The empty room of Alpha King, the black walls of his room that lacked color, and the bed that narrated an entirely different story of my misery. 

I don’t know when Theodore came inside his room and retired to the bathroom to freshen up because I slept on the floor, deep in thought, crying my eyes out, cursing my thoughts. And amid all the cursing and crying I don’t when I fell asleep. 

“Who was that boy, Serenity? How dare you go behind my back and fuck a boy? Do you have no shame? You’re also like your sister, a whore!” Uncle Mason growled at me, slapping me right across my face and I cried in pain, holding my cheek. 

“He was just a colleague. He dropped me home because it was very late. He has a wife. I am not a homewrecker.” I cried out in anger and pain, and that increased his anger even more before the next thing I remember is him grabbing my hair in his painful grip and slamming my head against the kitchen counter, letting blood seep out of my head. 

“You are! Just like your fucking sister! You’re just a whore! You both were. I will kill you myself today. I can’t let you disgrace me more than you already have done!” Uncle Mason said, and removed his belt from the loops of his pants and slammed the belt against my body with every ounce of strength he could muster, making me cry out in pain. 

“My sister was not a whore! Neither am I. It was you and your brother. And he deserved every bit of torture! He made Bella’s life a living hell. He harassed her. He deserved more than death! He deserves to burn in hell. And so do you……”

I yelled at him, my body getting limp with every hit I was enduring from his belt. My skin was turning crimson from the blows. The belt was cutting my skin, drawing out blood. But he didn’t stop until I couldn’t handle it anymore. Darkness clouded my eyes when he fisted my hair and pushed me hard against the counter. 

“Serenity! Get up!” I heard Theodore shaking me and I gasped for air as my eyes snapped out, looking around my surrounding. 

My heart was beating painfully against my chest as the reality of my life haunted me in the form of a nightmare. I didn’t even realize I was crying until I felt Theodore’s fingers gently wiping away my tears, making me flinch back, frowning him. 

His gray eyes looked at me with concern as I pulled my knees closer to my chest and ducked my head down, placing it on my knees, holding myself as sobs racked my body. No matter how hard I tried to hold back my sobs, I couldn’t. It felt so real. It was so real. Everything was so painfully real.

“Breathe, Serenity. Breathe. You’re okay. You’re here. No one will harm you. You’re safe.” Theodore spoke, his voice too soft for my liking. His fingers were gently holding my palms, rubbing circles on the back of them, and hot tears formed in my eyes. 

I missed Bella. I missed my sister. 

“Serenity,” I could hear helplessness in his voice as he said my name. So gently, so softly, so vulnerably that it was breaking me down even more. Nobody ever said my name with so gentleness before. 

“Please stop crying. Nobody can harm you here.” He lied to me, like everyone. 

And then without warning, his fingers clasped around my wrist, pulling me against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me, for a hug. And the surprise successfully stopped my tears for a split second. My eyes widened in shock as he held me against his chest and it wasn’t helping me that he was shirtless. His warm chest was pressed against mine, making me flush red. 

And suddenly Mason and his brother were no longer in my mind. I couldn’t help but concentrate on how he was not wearing his shirt, but was just in a pair of gray sweatpants, matching the color of his eyes. And the gold chain that was around his neck, elegantly reigning in its place made me gulp harshly. My fingers were curled around his back, pressed against his back. It was embarrassing how a mere chain could turn me on after having the worst nightmare ever. 

“Shh, are you okay?” Theodore asked me, and I nodded my head, pulling myself away from him and he stared at me for a solid minute before averting his gaze. He filled a glass of water before handing it to me. His gray eyes, for the first time, were not cold and icy as he focused them on me. 

“I am fine,” I said, and Theodore shook his head, helping me drink water. His mood swings were giving me a whiplash. 

“What was that?” Theodore asked me once he was satisfied I was okay enough to speak. I turned pale at his question, swallowing the lump that formed in my throat. 

“Just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare.” I lied for the endless time since I came here. 

But more than a lie, I was consoling myself. I was reminding myself that it was just a nightmare, a piece of my past. And I was no longer in that wicked place with that evil man. I don’t know how safe I was here, with the Alpha King who rejected me but my heart always found piece near him, in his proximity. 

“The scar on your forehead and the nightmare you just had right now is contradicting your words, Serenity. Is someone hurting you?” He asked me, his voice dropping an octave, making my heartbeat rise. 

“N…no.” Damn you, Serenity! Damn you for stammering!

“You’re lying. Your heart is beating fast. I hope you know I can feel your emotions and hear your heartbeat. And it’s thumping like you are caught stealing red-handed.” Theodore said, his gray eyes daring me to lie again. When I tried to avert my gaze, he gently cupped my jaw and forced me to look into his eyes. 

“You are thinking what you want to think, your highness. But it was just a nightmare. It’s a new place for me. I am bound to feel uncomfortable here.” I said, looking into his eyes to prove my point and his gray eyes flashed dangerously, letting the fire ignite inside them. 

“Another blatant lie. What are hiding from me, Serenity?”