Chapter five

Ashley’s P.O.V.

“I am the Alpha here. Every matter should be reported to me!”

Standing tall in his Alpha glory, Vincenzo let out a loud growl, thickening the air with his dominant aura. It was like the room itself recoiled at his existence as he snatched the file from Dr. Thomas’s hand.

“Alpha, we were about to inform you after checking on her. She is ...”

He tried to explain, but Vincenzo raised his hand, silencing him. The room was engulfed by the deafening silence as I could hear my own frantic heartbeat drumming in my ears.

I stared at Vincenzo in a catatonic stupor and prepared myself for the inevitable, enduring the unbearable pain in my body. My fate was in the hands of the overbearing Alpha in front of me. Just like the day of my mating ceremony five years ago, when he decided to kick me out of his land without a proper trial.

Every passing second escalated my panic as I searched for a speck of emotion on Vincenzo’s cold face. It was impossible to guess his intentions from his indifference. He read the test result as if it were an ordinary issue of his pack, requiring a quick solution. He closed the file and spoke icily.

“Consult the other physicians for more details!”

This order was his indirect method of saying fuck off, and thankfully, Dr. Thomas took his hint and left with his team after bowing. I didn’t wish to deal with Vincenzo’s anger before voicing my thoughts.

“We need to talk!”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Vincenzo looked at me as if awaiting a response from me. If he was expecting me to thank him for bringing me back to his pack, he was truly mistaken.

“Yes, I need to say goodbye before leaving. It’s the last time we are seeing each other.”

“No! You aren’t going anywhere, Ashley Miller!” He snapped at me angrily. “You are sick. It’s not something we have seen before.”

I laughed at Vincenzo’s fake concern and coughed, hard enough to taste blood in my mouth.

“Poetic! I finally get to die in the place that killed me before!”

Although I taunted him, Vincenzo didn’t rise to the bait like a mature man and continued with his previous statement.

“Your illness is trauma induced, endangering your life. Ivory is barely hanging on. So, you have to live in my pack to heal, Ashley!”

“I don’t need your charity, Alpha Vincenzo.”

I couldn’t help but spit out in disgust. “It’s better to die than be a parasite. I won’t let this bond save me!”

“It’s not about letting it.” Vincenzo crossed the room slowly, like he was approaching a wounded animal, and spoke firmly. “The mate-bond is already healing you.”

As he stepped closer, I felt the pull of the bond, frayed and bitter, but still alive under all the wreckage. I was stunned to see the broken threads of destiny desperately trying to reconnect.

Vincenzo also witnessed the bizarre twist of my rotten fate and sighed.

“You were on the brink of death, and your wounds weren’t healing like they should. But as we crossed the border of my Enchanted Gardens pack, your vitals shifted. Ivory was able to breathe properly when you were closer to me.”

His long, horrifying speech made me feel a cold pit in my stomach, freezing my insides. The tornado of realization hit me hard, shaking my world with its magnitude. Like a leech, I relied on Vincenzo’s life source, borrowing his energy to survive. The injustice of heaven crushed my soul into tiny little pieces as I muttered under my breath.

“It’s unfair.”

“It is what it is, Ashley.” Vincenzo spoke, “As the doctors have recommended, our broken bond is necessary for you to recover. So, here’s the deal.

You will work in my mansion as a maid, and in return, I will make sure you won’t die of this illness.”

He offered me a work-treatment plan, planning everything ahead. Vincenzo was the Alpha who didn’t have time for his ex and other trivial matters. As I wasn’t his responsibility anymore, I plainly refused his offer.

“Don’t bother, Alpha. My stay here won’t be in your pack’s best interest.”

With that, I stood up, even as my head spun. Keeping my brave façade intact despite the pain was my only priority.

“Thanks for your concern. I will figure out something on my own.”

My firm decision set him on fire as Vincenzo growled furiously, asserting his dominance.

“You are a part of my pack now, Ashley. Whatever I say, goes. Don’t you dare defy my orders!”

Vincenzo’s audacity to call himself my Alpha burned me from the inside out. I didn’t hold back and hissed at him.

“How can I forget you are the Moon Goddess in my life, Alpha Vincenzo Anderson? If you think I am a danger to your pack, you can banish me, depriving me of my life and freedom.

And whenever you like, I am again a part of your pack. So, you can see me suffer and enjoy my misery.

Is that what you want? Watching me beg you every time I feel unwell, flexing my miserable last days before your pack mates as the Goddess’ justice for previous betrayal?”

I felt dizzy as the darkness prevailed before my eyes, spinning the world around its axis. But I didn’t give a damn to my weakness and vented out my frustration.

“This work arrangement is just an excuse to see me dying before you. You want me dead, just admit it, Alpha Vincenzo.”

Vincenzo’s jaw clenched as he looked pained, barely keeping it together. His blue eyes glowed crimson as his wolf pushed forward in rage. But before he could admit, my knees buckled, making me lose my balance. Vincenzo rushed to support me as I fell into his arms helplessly.

“Calm down, Ash. It’s not good for your health.”

He whispered against my hairs, pulling me closer to his chest. I squirmed in his hold as the feeble protest, spitting out my hatred as the last thing before the sudden wave of relief lulled me to sleep.

“I hate you, Vincenzo!”

...

“You are a liability, Ashley. I can’t risk my pack for a mere mate!”

The flashback of my rejection haunted me in my dreams, not letting me sleep peacefully. I was jolted awake by the searing pain of rejection cutting through my heart.

My body felt heavier, as I couldn’t move, paralyzed in the bed. It wasn’t just fatigue, but the stabbing pain in every bone of my body, tearing me apart. My chest was so tight, suffocating me. I could see Ivory curling in a corner, fading.

“Ivory!” Panic creeped in as tried to shift, just to feel her presence. But a solemn voice resounding in my ears stopped me.

“Don’t. Let her rest.”

I turned my head and gasped, missing out on breathing. Vincenzo, lying on my right side, leapt my heart to my throat as he spoke softly.

“Ash, I don’t want you dead!”