Rebecca

Rebecca

“No,” I stumbled backward in disbelief. I had been set up.

The man in the bed wasn’t awake. And no, he wasn't sleeping.

Tubes ran from his arms to machines. His chest rose and fell slowly, aided by the soft hiss of an oxygen tank beside the bed. He was barely alive.

Before I knew it, I was at the door, yanking at the golden handle. “Open the door!” I shouted, banging my fist against it. “Chris! What is this?!”

There was no answer.

I twisted the knob again. The door was locked.

“Open the damn door!” My voice cracked, shaking with confusion, fear, and betrayal. “You can’t just leave me in here with him!”

I turned back, pressing myself against the cold wood. My eyes were wide, searching the room again as if it had changed in the last two seconds.

The bed was king-sized with dark navy sheets, and surrounded by machines that beeped softly, methodically. The man in it, Alpha King John Vaughn, looked like the opposite of the vibrant figure from the photo. His hair was longer, like he had been like this for a while.

I stepped forward, slowly, approaching his pale still figure.

Just then… a voice came from behind the door.

“Forgive us, my lady,” Chris said. “We had to lock the door for your safety. We weren’t sure how you’d react.”

I stared at the door, incredulous. “Safety? You lied to me!”

There was a pause.

Then his voice came again, lower, more serious. “I didn’t lie. I said the Alpha King was waiting for you. And he is.”

I shook my head, heart pounding. “He’s in a coma, isn’t he?”

Silence.

“Answer me!” I cried, my hands trembling now.

“Yes,” he finally said. “He has been for nearly a year.”

His voice remained eerily calm, like he was used to handling wild animals. Because that was what I felt like right now. A wild animal trapped in a cage.

“I demand to be let out!” I screamed. “You can’t do this to me!”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, my lady.”

I banged on the door again. “This is illegal! This is insane!”

He didn’t respond immediately. When he finally did, his voice was quieter… almost regretful.

“The Elders insisted, Rebecca," You are to lie with the Alpha King every night. It is the law of our land. A marriage must be consummated, even if only symbolically. Your presence beside him ensures the bond is complete.”

My mouth fell open in disbelief. “You mean I’m supposed to… sleep next to him? Every night? He’s not even awake!”

“The bond must be honored,” Chris repeated. “His wolf is still alive, even if his body isn’t. And the pack needs hope. You are that hope, my lady.”

“I could stomach being with someone disabled! I could have even found a way to respect that! But this?” My voice rose to a hysterical pitch. “This is sick! This is a corpse with a heartbeat!”

I knew I must have crossed my boundary when he stayed quiet.

I backed away from the door slowly, feeling a pain in my chest from the betrayal I felt.

“What happens if I become a widow?” I whispered into the empty room. “What happens to me?”

Would they let me go? Or would I still be bound to the Vaughn family name? Would I be expected to carry his heir through some twisted ritual?

Would they just pass me on to someone else?

The thought turned my stomach.

I swirled around, my eyes searching across the room looking for an escape route.

The windows were sealed shut with heavy drapes and glass. There was no handle or latch.

The fireplace was useless. I wouldn't be able to squeeze.

Even the vents were too small to fit my hand through.

A sharp laugh escaped my lips.

“Of course. Of course they’d lock me in a goddamn castle.”

I kicked a small wooden stool by the corner, sending it scraping across the polished marble floor. I paced in circles, trying not to break down.

Just then, Chris’s voice returned through the door.

“You won’t find a way out, my lady. The room’s been properly secured. No passage leads out without a key. Please… rest. It will help.”

My scream tore through the air.

I didn’t know how long I sat there, trembling.

I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood, forcing the emotions down like bile.

I must have cried myself to sleep.

Because when my eyes fluttered open, the sky outside the sealed windows had turned into a deep navy.

My body was in pain and stiff from sleeping on the floor.

I pushed myself up slowly, my palms against the cold marble. The silence was louder now, with only three beeping sounds of life support machines.

He was still there. Exactly where I’d last seen him.

I stood and walked toward the bed, step by step. My eyes were locked on him.

His face was still handsome, in a haunting way. High cheekbones, a sharp jawline, full lips that looked too soft for someone with a reputation of ruthlessness. His dark hair was longer now, curling slightly at the ends, giving him a more tragic look, like he was a fallen warrior.

I glared at him, jaw clenched.

This wasn’t fair.

“You could’ve just died,” I whispered bitterly. “Then maybe they’d have left me alone.”

I crossed my arms and leaned closer.

“I don’t know who you were before this, Alpha King. And honestly, I don’t care,” I muttered.

“I hate you,” I said softly. “Even if it’s not your fault. I still hate you for being the reason I’m here.”

I stared at his face, hoping his eyes would open. But nothing happened.

I turned away from him, taking one step back toward the door.

Then I froze.

I blinked, my heart thudding against my ribs.

Did I imagine it?

I slowly turned back, my eyes locked on his hand, the same hand that had been lying limp for hours. I watched in stunned silence as it moved again.

My breath caught.

Oh my God!

I took an instinctive step back as the machines beeped faster.

Before I could scream, his eyes snapped open.

A deep, glowing gold.

My lips parted, but no sound came out.

His gaze locked on mine, watching me intensely.

Then, his lips moved. Letting out the most dreaded, unexpected word ever.

“Mate.”