3: Welcome to your hell

Kali’s POV

My life has always been one big shit show. 

With never ending shit balls being thrown at me at every corner.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I blinked it away, to prevent the tears from rolling down my cheeks and ruining my makeup. 

The makeup artist, a middle aged woman with kind eyes, looked at me pitifully but dared not say anything to me probably because Hera was hovering nervously around the room.

The lady applied more make up on my arms and neck to cover the dark red bruises and then applied more blush to my cheeks to hide how pale I was. Then she stepped away.

Hera took one look at me before nodding in approval. My white hair had been packed in a neat bun; the red corset dress I wore was divine and all my bruises and scars were gone.

I looked perfect. 

The perfect bride for the mad Alpha. 

That was why Kora had cooked up the story of me stealing the sapphire, so she could escape her fate of being given to the mad Alpha and so she could have my…Enzo to herself. 

And Hera was more than happy to make me take Kora’s place.

I could have said no, refuse to take Kora’s place. But after Ike leaves with Kora, Maduro and Hera would kill me in the worst way imaginable. 

I don’t know what fate awaited me as the bride of the mad king, but it could not possibly be worse than all I had endured these years in the hands of Hera and Kora. 

Besides, the further away I was from Enzo, the faster I could heal from the heartbreak and betrayal. It would kill me to see him with Kora, walking hand in hand or worse watch them get mated. 

This was better. It could also be worse. 

Hera pulled the red, lacy veil over my face. “Don’t try anything funny,” she muttered as she led me out of the room to meet my fate.

The hushed conversations in the living room immediately died down, as soon as Hera walked in. Maduro, the pretentious bastard, had a proud smile on his face and he stood to meet us. 

Hera handed me over to Maduro, who placed a gentle arm over my shoulder. “Mr. Ike, my daughter Kora Greenwood,” I could hear the pretentious smile in his voice.

It was difficult to make out Ike’s face as a result of the veil, but I could see his bulky frame, short hair and his wwell toned muscular arms.

“Take off the veil,” Ike’s voice was deep and commanding. 

The veil was lifted and I was immediately faced with the coldest gray eyes I have ever seen. His handsome face was not in any way dented by the deep scar that ran from his left ear to the edge of his lips. His short, black locks, made his face appear rigid.

He examined me with, expressionless eyes. Wordlessly, he motioned for the veil to be replaced.

“We will be out of your hair then,” Ike said.

“Please take care of my daughter,” Hera said, her features creasing with concern, if I didn’t know any better I would have thought she actually cared. She walked over to me, cupping my face in her calloused hand, “we will always love you,” she flashed a tight smile, “Remember everything we talked about.”

It sounded more like a death threat.

Ike, held my arm, ever so gently and led the way out of the house, followed closely by two other men. Maybe the Mad alpha could not be so bad, giving how gentle his representative was. 

Ike held the door to the black SUV open, I paused, glancing back at the house I had called home for the past 21 years of my life. It was nothing like a home should be, but it was all I knew. My eyes fell on Kora’s bedroom window on the second floor of the house, and I saw her face, peeking between the curtains, staring down at me.

She had won, yet again.

They had drove quietly, until we got to the outskirts of Red Peak clan. Ike took out a small vial and handed it to me. “Drink,” he said.

I furrowed my brows, as I glanced at the gross looking, brown liquid. “What is that?”

“A sedative. It’s a long journey ahead.”

“What if I want to stay awake?” I wanted to stay awake.

“Not an option. Now drink.”

If I don’t take it myself, he was sure to force it down my throat. I might as well take it with my dignity intact. I pulled off the cap and downed the disgusting liquid in one gulp.

Moments later, everything went black.

***

I stirred, burying my face deeper into the softest pillow ever made.

I had never slept this good, all my life. The bed was firm, nothing like sunken six inches matrass I was used to. 

Hushed voices drifted into my ears. “She should be awake by now,” the first woman said, she sounded elderly.

“The dose was probably too strong for her, Ike said he gave her the entire concoction,” another woman, certainly younger than the first woman responded. 

“We should call the physician to check on….”

“I’m awake,” I mused groggily. My eyelids flickered open and I was met with two concerned faces staring back at me.

“How are you feeling child?” the elderly lady, with salt and pepper hair asked.

I nodded as I sat up. I glanced around the luxuriously decorated room, with a fire place and a mini bookshelf. The four poster bed was bigger than anything I have seen. It could comfortably contain, five people my size.

The mad alpha might be a beast or a devil, but he sure was swimming in riches. 

I glanced out the large window, the sun had just risen, with the sky still mildly orange. I furrowed my brow, “how long have I been out?”

“Well from the time you took the sedative, approximately three days,” the younger woman, who wore her blond hair in a short bob responded.

My eyes widened in surprise. “Three days? How….”

“Enough talk, we need to prepare you to meet the alpha,” the elderly lady said, then turned to the other woman, “get the girls and inform Ike that she is awake.”

The younger woman delayed, with her curious eyes fixed on my disheveled silver hair.

“Now, Ura!”

Ura bobbed her head and hurried away. The elderly woman returned her gaze to me, a polite smile on her face. “I’ll get your clothes ready my lady.”

My lady? “My name is Ka… Kora.”

“Edna,” she said and hurried out of the room.

Finally alone, I got to my feet, scanning the big bedroom with my eyes. So far so good, I thought. Ike had been kind and I woke up in this gorgeous bedroom, with two kind women tending to me when I woke up. 

Maybe this might not be as bad as I feared.

I strolled to the walk in closet that had a sliding door that doubled as a full length mirror. I looked a mess. The bruises on my arms and neck were visible again and my disheveled hair was exposed, cascading down my back in waves. I wondered what the alpha would think about this. Would he also see me as a freak?

My bedroom door squeaked open, all of a sudden, I felt hot and at the same time, goose bumps flooded my skin. Then I felt it, an overwhelming presence that made me weak, sending heat rushing from my belly to my lady part.

It was as though my body went into overdrive and developed a mind of its own.

I spun around and found the most beautiful man, I had ever seen staring back at me. With his chiseled jaw, alabaster white skin and silky, short black hair. His eyes, were a combination of black and red. 

He was dressed in a faded blue jeans, black shirt that hugged his muscular frame and brown riding boots.

He was a giant.

“Kora.”

Unable to speak, I bobbed my head.

He came closer, his scent, a mixture of oud and sandalwood, filled my nostrils, making my head spin. What is wrong with me?

He examined me with his eyes. I could not tell if he was impressed or disappointed or just disgusted, his face was expressionless. 

“I…um…”

“You don’t speak until you are asked to and you kneel in my presence,” his handsome face was twisted in a frown, his red eyes burning with fury.

He had to be the mad alpha. But he neither looked mad nor beast like. 

He closed the distance between us. I winced as he bunched my hair around his fist, pushing my face forward, close enough that I could smell the coffee in his breath.  “Let’s make one thing clear, Kora, you are not here to be my bride or Luna,”

I blinked back tears as his grip tightened on my hair. “You are here as my slave, nothing more," He released me and I staggered backwards, the tears threatening to choke me.

“I will make your life so miserable that you will beg for death like I did in your father’s dungeon but no help will come. And then, I will kill you.” 

A single tear drop broke free, rolling down my cheek. I spoke too soon. This was worse than I feared.

“Welcome to your hell,” he threw me one last glance, and I saw it, the disgust I was accustomed to, and he walked away, slamming the door behind him.