Chapter 3: The Bond Awakens

Days passed in a blur of confusion and pain. Jaxon had taken me, rough and mechanical, like I wasn't a human with emotions and feelings, just a tool to be used. 

 

My body felt strange, like something inside me was shifting. I woke up each morning with nausea rolling through my stomach, and my chest ached with a dull, constant throb. My mood swung like a broken gate in the desert wind – one moment I wanted to scream, the next I wanted to curl up and cry until there was nothing left inside me.

 

I tried to hide it from everyone. From Blaze, who watched me silently each day as I trained with Kara and Caleb, the two warriors Jaxon had assigned to me. From Mara, the chef who offered small smiles whenever she saw me in the kitchen. And most of all, from Jaxon.

 

He hadn’t spoken to me since that first night. He’d pass by in the halls without so much as a glance, his heavy boots echoing against the wooden floors. But each time he walked past, something in my chest tightened, a warmth blooming under my ribs I didn’t understand.

 

One evening, after a long day of training, I collapsed on my bed, sweaty and exhausted. My stomach twisted again, sharp and sudden, and I ran to the bathroom, dropping to my knees in front of the toilet. I dry heaved until tears streamed down my face. My hands shook as I wiped my mouth.

 

What is happening to me?

 

Later, while sitting by the window, staring out at the moonlit courtyard, Doc Nina came to check on me. Her gentle hands pressed against my stomach as she frowned in thought.

 

“When was your last cycle?” she asked softly.

 

My heart skipped. I tried to think back but everything felt blurry. “I… I don’t remember.”

 

She looked at me, her eyes sad but warm. “I need to run some tests. I’ll come by in the morning.”

 

That night, sleep refused to come. My mind kept replaying everything Jaxon had said – about wanting an heir, about me being nothing more than a means to an end. But deep inside, another feeling burned, something warm and terrifying.

 

That pull I felt each time he was near… it wasn’t just fear or anger. It was something deeper, something I couldn’t name.

 

I woke up early the next day, nausea already bubbling in my throat. Doc Nina came in quietly, took my blood, and left without a word. I paced the room for hours, staring at the walls, trying to calm my racing heart.

 

By afternoon, she returned. Her eyes were gentle as she handed me a small cup of tea.

 

“You’re pregnant,” she said softly.

 

The words crashed into me like a tidal wave. My knees buckled, and I grabbed the edge of the bed to steady myself. Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them.

 

Pregnant. I was going to have a child. His child.

 

My hand trembled as I pressed it against my stomach. I didn’t know whether to smile or scream. The thought of carrying his baby filled me with fear, but also… hope. Maybe this child would change him. Maybe it would make him see me as more than just a debt paid.

 

That night, I gathered all my courage and went to his office. My hand shook as I knocked. There was no answer, but I pushed the door open anyway. The room smelled like leather and pine, and the fireplace burned low, casting shadows across the stone walls.

 

Jaxon sat at his desk, papers scattered before him. His dark hair was tousled, and his amber eyes flicked up to me, unreadable.

 

“What is it?” he asked coldly.

 

I swallowed hard and stepped inside. “I… I need to talk to you.”

 

He raised a brow but said nothing, waiting. My heart hammered so loud I was sure he could hear it.

 

“I… I’m pregnant,” I whispered, staring down at my hands. “It’s yours.”

 

Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. I forced myself to look up. His face was blank, his eyes dark and distant.

 

“I thought you should know,” I said, my voice breaking. “I thought… maybe… maybe this would mean something to you.”

 

He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. “It means you’re doing what you’re here for.”

 

His words sliced through me like a blade. My chest burned, and I bit my lip to keep the sob down. I turned away quickly, blinking back tears as I left the room. My hands trembled as I closed the door behind me.

 

I needed air. I needed to breathe.

 

I walked down the hallway in a daze, my feet carrying me toward the balcony overlooking the courtyard. The moon was full and bright, casting silver light over everything. I leaned against the railing, pressing a hand to my stomach.

 

“I’ll protect you,” I whispered to the baby growing inside me. “Even if he won’t.”

 

Voices drifted up from below. I froze, peeking through the gaps in the railing. Jaxon stood with Felix Cross, someone who i didn't understand but seemed as important as Blaze, near the garage, their faces shadowed by the dim lights.

 

“She’s pregnant already?” Felix asked, his voice low and mocking.

 

“Yes,” Jaxon replied flatly.

 

Felix chuckled. “Fast work, Alpha. So what will you do with her after the pup is born? Keep her as a bed warmer?”

 

My breath caught in my chest, heart slamming painfully against my ribs. I strained to hear Jaxon’s reply.

 

“She’ll be sold,” Jaxon said without emotion. “Once the child is weaned, she’s of no use to me.”

 

Felix laughed softly. “Cold as always.”

 

Their voices faded as they walked away, but my world had already shattered. My knees buckled, and I sank to the floor. I pressed both hands to my stomach, feeling the tiny life growing within me.

 

He was going to sell me.

 

Everything I had tried to believe about him – that there was a heart beneath the cold – crumbled to ash. My chest heaved with silent sobs as the truth sank in.

 

He would never see me as anything but a tool.

 

Wiping my tears roughly, I forced myself to stand. My legs trembled under me, but I clenched my fists tight.

 

If he thought he could use me and throw me away, he was wrong.

 

I wouldn’t stay here to be sold like cattle. I wouldn’t let my child grow up with a father who saw people as property.

 

My eyes burned with new resolve as I stared out into the dark desert beyond the gates.

 

I had to escape.