Baron POV
Either my attackers were clumsy with their weapons or they were not trying to kill me. Well and good, that was their mistake. I wounded another and leaped at another when I felt a pain at the back of my neck. I had been shot by a silver bullet. The only weapon that can kill a werewolf.
The pain takes hold of me immediately, blinding me and then knocking me into unconsciousness. Blood appeared in the dark blonde hair that was still wet from my bath, but I was still alive.
"This is not an Omega or rogue as we were told to find," one of the men said to others.
"He must be a Gamma or a Beta. Surely not an Alpha because no Alpha will be alone in this type of environment," the other man added.
"We have made a grave mistake. We could have told the difference when we saw him emerging out of the bathing room," the third man chipped in.
"Well, he had the right color of eyes and blonde hair that Alpha Damon insisted on. And that's what matters as long as I'm concerned," the fourth man said. "We should be happy that we are fortunate enough to see him."
"Gag him. I hope Alpha Damon will not decide to talk to him," the first speaker said after glaring at me for a while.
"Did anyone have an idea why Alpha Damon needs a man with dark eyes and blonde hair?" The second speaker asked.
"That's none of our business. We do as we were told and we are going to get paid for it. But why do you shoot him? Now we have to carry him."
The other snorted. "It's better than to deal with him awake."
"Do you think he may be waking soon?"
"Probably. We need to gag him and deliver him to Alpha Damon. Best to bind those hands and feet as well."
"Even Alpha Damon will have trouble subduing this monstrous man."
I could hear their conversations but I was too weak to speak. I closed my eyes and darkness descended.
Bella POV
I had fallen asleep at the edge of the bed, scared of getting closer to the spot where Alpha Gwen had fallen. Damon had removed his corpse himself and then left with the warning of never admitting anybody into the room except him.
I wish to lock him out but I don't have the weapon. I also wish to kill him before he forced me into unspeakable acts, but like before, I have no weapon to get this done. The worst part is that I cannot run away because of what Damon will do to my mother.
Even when I kind of feel responsible for Alpha Gwen's death, I have no pity or remorse. He was a brute and must have murdered innocent women whose crime was marrying him. I have heard of men like him. Men who kill women because they were tired of them, or because they needed a new dowry to fill their coffers.
It was still dark when Damon woke me up. Because of the exhaustion of my body and mind, I know I haven't slept for long. But whatever sleep was left in my eyes immediately fled when I heard his voice.
"Everything is set. My men were lucky in their search and they were able to get me a man with the same color of eyes and hair as your dead husband."
Blood rushed through my veins and arteries. Hot, then cold. My stomach muscles tightened almost cramping with fear. Damon had found a man to throw me to. Just as Alpha Gwen would have done if I had not conceived soon enough for him. God in heaven. Why would this nightmare not end?
Damon continued briskly as he pulled me out of the bed. "Be quick. There are many hours before the daybreak. You need to have sex with him more than once. That way, we will be certain that his seed is well planted in you."
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked as I yanked my arms away from him. "Tell that to your man."
Damon grinned and muttered, "You'll see why I'm telling you soon."
Damon pointed to a far corner of the room, and a gasp escaped my mouth at the sight of him.
He was tied down to the bed. Naked, except for a large bathrobe draped over his bare skin.
Tied down? No. I noticed the iron cuff at his wrists, which he placed above his head. And two chains appeared under the bed and were bound to his feet.
Chained down! He had to be chained down and he was asleep...or senseless.
I understand enough, but all I could say was, "Why don't you pay him to do the deed?"
Damon stood next to me. His eyes stared at the man. "I gave you a chance to use him to your satisfaction. I don't want you to feel-."
"Raped," I said.
He flushed and said, "I want you to be in control. At least I was considerate, right?"
I think he believed he was doing me a favor. To me, this is not a favor because it's wrong. Tying a man down and forcing him to participate is even more wrong. But Damon saw things only one way, the way of gain and profit himself. Without a child to inherit Alpha Gwen's pack, everything would go to his brother, including the large armies of mercenaries that Damon desperately needed.
Damn that warmonger named Baron. If he had not taken control of my land, I would not have been forced to go through this. If not for him, I would not have been forced to wed in the first place.
"Do you know what to do, or should I fetch someone to assist you? I could do it myself but-."
I looked at him with amazement. I know Damon lusted after me, but he had kept his feelings to himself. "What are you talking about?"
"You are a virgin right?"
I nodded in response.
"You will need someone experienced to help you."
"I don't need anyone. Now get out."
"This is a rich land, Bella. I will not lose it because of your squeamishness. You will do as I instructed. I had put him inside your room so no one would see him."
"What if Alpha Gwen's pack members ask of him?"
"I had told them he feels weak and you will be nursing him until he gets better. The cleaners will be kept away except for your maid. I believe she will keep her mouth shut if she wants to live."
More threats?" Threatening to kill Moana too!
"How long?"
His reply shows he understood my question. "As long as it takes you to be pregnant. I suggest you ride his rod more than once each night."
The nightmare is not ending that night. And now, it had become someone else's nightmare as well. This poor man whose misfortune was having blonde hair and dark eyes must suffer along with me.
"You mean to keep him handcuffed the whole time?"
"Why worry about him? He was just an Omega and he will be disposed of as soon as you are pregnant."
"An Omega?" I had seen the man was large at first glance. But now, I looked at him again and I could see his feet at the end of the bed, his head far up at the other side. "He is too big to be an Omega. What have you done, stolen an Alpha of another pack?"
"No, Bella. He is just an ordinary Omega. No Alpha will stay in the town when he should have presented himself to this villa. Maybe he is just a rogue. I heard there were many of them around here."
"But you mean to kill him?"
Damon glared at me. "Don't be stupid. He will claim the child if left to live. Although nobody will believe him, it may cause rumor that Alpha Gwen's brother may use it to their advantage."
So, even if I do as Damon wants, someone is still going to die.
Alpha Andrew stepped out of the bathroom immediately after I let go of Bella. He was already dressed up and he had a warm smile on his face as he walked towards us. I still can't believe that I had to kiss Bella. Well, with her, I don't need to think of my action or why I acted like that. She always made me unpredictable. "This must be Lady Bella," Alpha Andrew said as he offered his hand for a shake, and I saw Bella grinning when she shook him back. "I have heard so much of you and I am glad to at last make your acquaintance, Lady Bella."I glare at Andrew. He was a man known to be ruled by his tongue, and I won't be surprised if he says something awkward. "My pleasure, Sir-.""I'm Alpha Andrew of the Redmoon pack, and I can say I'm the only friend your Alpha had around here. Tell me, Bella, what do you think of the Greenwood pack?"I made my growl louder as I realized Andrew had no plan to dismiss Bella immediately. Of course, I had told him about her. He was the only one I ha
"There is no comparison between the two," Moana had said before we departed. "The young Baron was kind, loving, full of mischief and the joyous exuberance of youth, while the man is cold, heartless, and filled with grief and despair."Now that I know why Alpha Baron acted the way he did, I doubt not that if he changed once, he can change again.Coward!... What about me?I was an optimistic youth who never let Damon's evil deed rob me of my dream. But today, I live in fear of tomorrow. "Nurture back to life," Moana's words flowed into my subconscious. "You have an opportunity here to secure your future and heal a man who has loved too long with demons from his past. A worthy endeavor if you ask me."I never asked Moana, but I don't think that matters because to my chaperone, I will always be the daughter she never had. "I did not ask you," I remembered saying, "You can feel sorry for him because you are not at the receiving end of his cruelty. As for me, he and his demons deserve ea
Baron's Pov.Alpha Druid was more than a friend.He was a bosom friend, my father's confidant, my mother's gist-mate, and my godfather. Maybe that's why the backstabbing hurt so much. Since both he and my father became their pack Alpha at almost the same young age, a kind of bond had grown between the two Alphas. A friendship that blossoms as they grow older. Several years later, Alpha Druid lost his mate during childbirth, and he remained unmarried after then, claiming my family is all he needs to be happy. We never understood the literal meaning of his words until it was too late. He was the first person I visited immediately after I took mantleship of my pack, but unfortunately, he had died a year ago. Yet that won't stop my vengeance but rather inflame it. With the help of my newly trained Gammas, we raided his territory, looted his treasury, and took over his land. This seemed not fair enough, but I had already run out of ideas to punish them for their Alpha's crime. The Green
Love? What did Moana mean that I can make Baron love me? What would it be like to be loved by Baron? Will he be as fierce in love as he was in hate? No. What was wrong with me? To even have a thought of it is nothing but absurdity. But Moana wasn't done yet," I don't think you can ever find any suitable mate like him around here. He is young, a power to reckon with, verile, well matched to you in estate and not too ugly."I nodded in agreement. "He is not ugly- he even looks handsome when he doesn't have that damn frown on his face," I said, and then glowered when I realized I just said something in Baron's favor. Even though it's an undeniable fact that Baron was a handsome man, I'm supposed to see him as a beast because I hate him, right? "I still think he may be falling in love with you even without him realizing this, or probably fighting it.""You have gone mad, Moana, and all these notions of yours are like chasing the wind. Baron wants nothing from me except the baby I sto
Melissa's Pov. As the only child of Alpha Baron, I had believed all his wealth would be mine when he grew old and died. I had my father's blond hair, but mine is lighter, gray eyes with enough blue in them, and narrow cheekbones. I knew I would have been called pretty if my expression was not always cold, pinched, and disapproving, but that's the mask I had chosen to wear to be feared and respected here. From what I heard, my mother and my father were mates who had got betrothed at a young age, and had been in love until she passed away a few years after I was born. I wasn't angry with my father when he neglected me and spent all his days at war. After all, everything he acquired would be mine as long as he did not have a male heir. But how could he look for another wife when he wa so busy increasing his property which will soon be mine.I became sad when I learned my father had gotten engaged to Lady Cinderella, rejoiced to hear the lady had somehow gone missing.But then, anothe
Baron's Pov. "Get back to bed now."She turned at the door one more time, and then walked slowly back at me at snail speed. Bella was tempting my patience, my temper, my good intentions, so I was annoyed to add when she reached the bed, "damn you. Think what I would have done to you if you had disobeyed me. Her head snapped up at once, and the sneer on her face shows she was not as cowardly as I thought. She stopped when she reached the bedside, pulled down her nightgown, and stood at arm's length. My eyes roamed over her nakedness and I heard a small whistle escaping my mouth.Goddess in heaven! What is she up to?I only permitted her to spend the night here because of her health, and had the intention that it never happen again. But, how can I ignore this damn delicate skin that is as white as winter snow?"Do you mean to stand there like a slave paraded for sale?" She offered a one-sided smile and immediately slipped under the cover. I spared her a brittle smile as I removed