Just A Breeder

Chapter 3: Just A Breeder

Fiona’s POV

My stood beneath the ancient oak, its gnarled branches a silent witness to my reluctant union. A finery of lace and silk clung to me like a second skin, ill-fitting for my spirit, though it perfectly sculpted my form. The congregation held its breath as I took a step forward, the rustle of my gown whispering secrets of a heart yielded. My fingers trembled, barely touching the rough bark for support. 

"Stunning," murmured a voice, laced with envy.

I didn't need to glance sideward to recognize my sister's tone, dipped in the bitter honey of jealousy. My could feel my sibling's eyes drilling into my back, coveting the crown that now sat upon my brow, heavy as the sorrow in my chest.

"Thank you, Elara," My replied, my voice a mere wisp of sound. I could sense Elara's discontent, the air thrumming with it, as tangible as the cool metal against my skin.

The Alpha King approached, his stride commanding the earth beneath his feet. His presence was a palpable thing, a force that the very sky seemed to acknowledge. My heart stuttered against my will, a betrayal by my own body as he neared. The guests' excited murmurings faded away as he stood before my, the sun anointing him with a halo of power.

"Your beauty rivals the dawn," he said, his voice deep and resonant. It was not warmth that colored his words but the chill of duty, the frost of obligation. Almost Nauseating, My thought.

"Alpha," I managed, head bowed slightly, a gesture of respect rather than submission. Yet inside, my mind reeled, grasping at the fragments of freedom that slipped through my fingers like grains of sand.

And then, their hands touched. A jolt, electric and undeniable, surged through my. It was as if lightning had struck the very core of my being, leaving the taste of ozone on my tongue. My eyes flew to his, searching, questioning. The world fell away, leaving only the two of them locked in a moment of revelation.

"Impossible," I whispered.

"Yet it is the truth," the Alpha King replied, his steel-blue gaze bearing into mine. "You are my fated mate."

The words cascaded over my like a waterfall, both terrifying and exhilarating. My sister's gasp was audible, a sharp intake of breath that cut through the thick tension. My mind raced, the implications spinning a web too intricate to untangle in these fleeting seconds.

What cruel game did the fates play at? To bind my to this man, this king, when my heart rebelled against the very notion of belonging to another. He was supposed to be nothing more than a title, a means to an end for the good of my pack. But nature cared little for the desires of mortals, it seemed.

"Is this your idea of a joke?" I dared to ask, defiance sparking in my emerald eyes. "To claim such a thing now?"

"Believe me, I am as taken aback as you are," he responded, his voice devoid of humor. His hand, still clasped with mine, was a furnace that threatened to consume my whole.

My stood motionless, the weight of a thousand stares upon my. My sister's envy, once a distant concern, now seemed trivial in comparison to the torrent of emotions within me. Was it possible to despise and yet be inexplicably drawn to someone?

"Then it seems we are both prisoners of destiny," I said, the fight draining from my voice as resignation set in.

"Talk for yourself," the Alpha King replied, and for a heartbeat, I thought I saw the glimmer of something other than sovereignty in his eyes—a flicker of mutual imprisonment.

As they turned to face the assembly, I felt the shackles of fate click into place. I was married to the Alpha King, a man I did not love, but fated to. And yet, the searing connection between them could not be denied. It was a bond that went beyond crowns and kingdoms—a tether that would define them both, for better or worse. 

"Let us retire from the spectacle," the Alpha King murmured, his voice barely audible over the growing murmur of the crowd. His suggestion was a command wrapped in velvet, and I found myself nodding, my own thoughts drowned out by the sudden rush of blood in my ears.

They walked side by side, my arm still ensnared by his firm grip. Each step they took echoed through the grand hall, a solemn drumbeat to their reluctant union. The whispers of the courtiers bled into a distant hum, yet one remark from my envious sister cut through, sharp and clear: "Look at them, the perfect pair." I could hear the true meaning under those words, though; worthless girl! That should be me

My heart clenched. I wanted to scream that this was not perfection, that it was a farce cloaked in silk and ceremony. But the words lodged in my throat, unspoken and bitter.

"Your sister speaks true," the Alpha King said, his tone unreadable. "We do make a convincing couple."

"Only to those who cannot see the shackles we wear," I replied, my voice a whisper of silk sliding across cold steel. “I wear.” I corrected myself under his intense gaze.

The Alpha King halted, turning to face my, and for an instant, the world seemed to narrow down to the space between them. His piercing gaze held mine, a challenge and a question all at once.

"Shackles can be broken, Fiona," he said quietly. "Or they can be forged into something. That choice is yours to make."

"Is it truly a choice?" I countered, my resolve hardening. 

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, gone as quickly as it came. "Perhaps we will both be surprised by the answer."

As they exited the hall, leaving behind the jealous glares and awed whispers, I felt the undeniable pull of the bond that linked me to this man—the Alpha King and supposed mate of my soul. It was a connection that was both unwanted and irrefutable.

"Surprises are a luxury I am not afforded," I said, my voice steady despite the tempest within. "Not as your queen, nor as... whatever this bond makes me."

"Leave that to fate to figure out," he offered, releasing my hand only to place a light touch upon the small of my back, guiding my forward.

"Uncharted waters tend to be treacherous," My reminded him, my gaze fixed ahead.

"Indeed," he conceded with a wry tone that suggested he knew all too well the peril ahead. 

As they stepped into the privacy of the royal chambers, I braced myself for the unknown. Marriage to the Alpha King had been my duty—being bound to him by an unseen force was my unexpected reality. And while uncertainty coiled within my like a restless serpent, I could not deny the allure of unexplored possibilities that lay hidden beneath the surface of their sudden, startling connection.

“How do I serve you alpha?” I knelt, part of the training I had gone through few days before the wedding.

“Strip.” He commanded, and long gone was the man that engaged in little conversation with my earlier. This was who he truly was. A ruthless Alpha and I couldn’t bring myself to disobey even if I wanted to.

I swallowed the knot in my throat, nodding mutely, my heart drumming a frantic beat against my ribcage as I removed every item of clothing on my. The marriage had been a merger of power, not passion; an alliance between packs that required consummation to seal the pact. There was no love here, only duty and the stark reality of obligation.

Quinton's movements were methodical as he shed his jacket, his back to my, broad and unyielding. The sound of fabric rustling was a harsh whisper in the silence. I tried to read something more into this act, some hint of nervousness or hesitation, but there was none. He was as impassive as the stone walls of the keep they were in.

"Alpha," I ventured, my voice barely above a whisper, "is this truly what you want?"

"Want?" he echoed, scoffing before turning to face my, his eyes reflecting the moon's pallor. "It is not a question of want. It is necessity. It is duty." My felt a chill creep up my spine, I was beginning to hate the word, “duty”.

I hissed as he entered my in one swift movement, not asking if it was okay to move, Quinton grabbed me by the neck, pushing my body further down into the soft mattress, with a grunt, he started his movement. It was brutal and everything else, everything but soft and loving. My moaned, as I couldn’t help it as a lone tear escaped my right eye.

“Take it.” I encouraged myself, “This is duty.” Before I knew it, he has finished. Not, giving me a chance to find my own pleasure, he pulled out, as I hissed, feeling the emptiness that left a slight discomfort in its wake.

“Why didn’t you mark me?” My asked, my confusion over the roof. After all they were mates and it is unheard of that an alpha refused to mark his mate.

“Because it was never my intention.” He answered coldly, I frowned, forcing myself to sit up despite my discomfort.

“Is this a joke?”

“It is not.” He replied in his never changing monotone voice, “Why would I mark just a breeder?” My tried to process his words, but I couldn’t, I could only watch as he opened the door and left.

“Just a breeder?!” I echoed in disbelief, feeling the crack of my heart as it broke – No, shattered.