Chapter 5

"Mate."

That single word was the last thing I heard before I fell into a deep, dark sleep. 

When I finally started to wake up, the first thing I felt was the biting cold. My skin felt wet and slippery, and the air was thick with the scent of expensive soap and old stone.

Slowly, my eyelashes fluttered open. Three women were standing over me. I recognized them immediately, they were the Omegas who had been sent along with me as sacrifices for Alpha Zayn last night.

"Oh, look! She’s finally awake!" one of them chirped. She was wearing a thin, white silk gown that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. The others wore the same, but unlike me, each of them had a heavy black collar locked around their neck.

As my vision cleared, the horror set in. I was naked, sitting in a massive marble bathtub, being scrubbed like a piece of furniture by these women.

"What... what happened?" I tried to speak, but my voice was a raspy whisper. 

A sharp, stinging pain throbbed in the crook of my neck, the spot where Zayn had sunk his teeth into me. I had told myself I would survive the night, but realizing I actually had and that I was his fated mate made my heart race with a new kind of terror.

Was I relieved? Or was I more scared than before? A monster like Zayn didn't want a partner; he wanted a possession. Now that he knew I was the only woman he couldn't kill in his bed, he would use me until I broke. I wasn't his queen, I was his breeding machine.

"Hi, I'm Vivian," the eldest woman said. She had long blonde hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. She was breathtakingly beautiful. "You’ve been asleep for hours. It’s a little past nine in the morning now."

"So... you have to tell us everything," another girl, Lyra, whispered eagerly. "How did you survive the Devil? Is his cock really as... big as the stories say?"

Bigger! I thought to myself.

"Shut up, Lyra," the third girl, Freya, snapped, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, come on, Freya! You’re just as curious as I am," Lyra teased with a wink.

"Why am I naked in a bathtub?" I asked, my voice trembling. Lyra opened her mouth to answer, but the heavy doors suddenly slammed open.

The temperature in the room plummeted. The air became heavy, making it hard to breathe. Alpha Zayn stepped inside, his long black coat sweeping against the floor like the wings of a crow.

My breath hitched and the three Omegas immediately scrambled to their knees, pressing their foreheads against the cold floor. They didn't dare to look up. They didn't even dare to breathe.

"So, Snow white finally decides to join us, or should I say sleeping beauty?" Zayn said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. He stepped closer, his boots clicking rhythmically on the stone. "I wasn't sure you'd wake up at all. You have a very stubborn will to live, little wolf."

I stared at him, my knuckles turning white as I gripped the edge of the tub. I would survive him. I had to.

Zayn’s eyes flickered toward the cowering Omegas. His lip curled in disgust. "Take off your clothes and kneel," he commanded. "My mate will not be the only naked person in this room. It is an insult."

The women didn't hesitate. Shaking with fear, they stripped off their gowns and knelt in the shadows, their bodies trembling.

"Dirty pigs," Zayn spat, turning his intense gaze back at me. The hunger in his eyes made my skin crawl. "Spread your legs, Snow White. We have wasted enough time. The breeding begins now."

My blood turned to ice. I thought he might have come to check on me, or perhaps show a shred of mercy after nearly killing me the night before. But he wasn't here for me, he was here for an heir. He was worse than I could ever imagine.

As he began to unbutton his coat, panic took over. I scrambled out of the tub, dripping wet and shivering, trying to find a way to escape. 

But in a blur of motion, he was there. He pinned me against the cold wall, his large hands gripping my cheeks so hard it hurt.

"Did you think I would love you just because the Goddess picked you as my mate?" he hissed, his face inches from mine. "I don't do love. You are a breeding machine. Nothing more, nothing less."

I gasped for air, my head spinning. He was a beast. He didn't care if I died from the strain as long as I gave him a son.

"Now... let us begin..."

The door swung open again, crashing against the wall.

"Sometimes I wonder if you are truly cursed, or if you're just naturally a bastard," a new voice boomed.

A man walked in. He had long, flowing blonde hair and striking blue eyes. He looked remarkably like Zayn, but his features were softer, more elegant.

"I heard the curse was broken, yet here you are, still acting like a rabid animal," the man said, his eyes locking onto Zayn.

"Ezekiel..." Zayn growled, his grip on my face loosening.

Ezekiel’s gaze shifted to me. The moment our eyes met, a jolt of electricity shot through my spine. It was a spark hot and undeniable. 

Ezekiel froze, his eyes widening in shock. For a split second, I felt a connection that was even more intense than the bond I had with Zayn. He quickly masked his expression, but I knew he felt it too.

"What are you doing here?" Zayn demanded, stepping back from me and shielding me from Ezekiel's view.

"I came to see the miracle for myself," Ezekiel said, glancing at the naked Omegas on the floor. "But looking at this... the sky is still dark over this mountain, and you still have that disgusting hunger. I don't think anything has changed."

Ezekiel ignored Zayn’s murderous glare and walked straight toward me. He took off his own fur-lined coat and wrapped it gently around my shivering shoulders. 

It was the first act of kindness I had felt in years and I burst into tears.

"It’s alright," Ezekiel whispered, reaching out to wipe a tear from my cheek. "The big bad wolf won't hurt you while I'm here."

Zayn let out a guttural roar. He lunged forward, grabbing Ezekiel by the throat and slamming him across the room into the far wall.

"Get your filthy hands off what belongs to me!" Zayn snarled.

Ezekiel hit the wall hard but stood up calmly, dusting off his sleeves. He let out a dry, mocking laugh. "Belongs to you? I thought you said she was nothing but an object? You seem awfully protective of a breeding machine, brother."

The tension in the room ignited as Zayn’s claws were beginning to extend when Roman, his Beta, rushed in.

"What is it?" Zayn barked, his eyes still fixed on Ezekiel.

Roman looked at me, then at the two powerful men facing off. "It’s her family, Alpha. They are at the gates. They are demanding to see you."

My heart stopped. My family? Had they come to save me? Did they realize they made a mistake?

Zayn frowned, his anger momentarily replaced by confusion. "Why are they here?"

Roman’s voice was flat, devoid of any pity and much to my di

sappointment.

"They heard their daughter broke the curse. They’ve come to collect their reward."