CHAPTER 2

Aria's POV

The Northern Mountain Pack fortress looked like something out of a nightmare. Massive stone walls rose from the mountainside, disappearing into low-hanging clouds. Guards patrolled every entrance, their eyes glowing amber in the darkness.

"Welcome to your new home," Marcus said, trying to sound cheerful.

Home. This place would never be home.

The Alpha King hadn't spoken once during the three-hour drive. He'd made phone calls, typed on his laptop, and reviewed documents—all while I sat inches away, my wolf desperately reaching for his.

Now, as we pulled through the main gates, he finally looked at me. "You'll have your own wing in the fortress. Everything you need will be provided. Your only job is to produce an heir."

"How romantic," I muttered.

His grey eyes narrowed. "This isn't about romance, Miss Bennett. It's a business arrangement. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be."

The car stopped in front of massive oak doors. I followed Damon inside, my worn sneakers squeaking against marble floors that probably cost more than Victor's entire apartment building. Crystal chandeliers cast dancing shadows on walls lined with portraits of previous Alpha Kings.

"Elena," Damon called out.

A small woman appeared seemingly from nowhere. She was another omega, with gentle brown eyes and greying hair pulled into a neat bun.

"Yes, Alpha King?"

"Show Miss Bennett to her quarters. Explain the rules." He turned to leave, then paused. "The doctor will examine her tomorrow morning."

Heat flooded my cheeks. "Examine me?"

"To confirm your stepfather's claims and ensure you're healthy enough to carry pups." He said it so clinically, like discussing breeding horses.

My wolf whined at our mate's coldness, but I lifted my chin. "And if I refuse?"

"Then your stepfather's debt remains unpaid, and he faces the consequences." His voice held no emotion. "Prison would be the kindest outcome for what he owes me."

The threat hung in the air. As much as I hated Victor, I couldn't let him rot in prison or worse. My mother would have never forgiven me.

"Fine," I whispered.

Damon walked away without another word, his footsteps echoing through the massive hallway.

Elena touched my arm gently. "Come, dear. Let me show you to your rooms."

I followed her up a grand staircase, then down a long corridor. She opened double doors to reveal a suite bigger than any apartment I'd ever lived in. A four-poster bed dominated one wall, facing floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the mountain valley. There was a sitting area with a fireplace, a massive bathroom with a soaking tub, and a walk-in closet.

"This is all mine?" I asked, bewildered.

"The Alpha King wants you comfortable," Elena said, but her eyes held sympathy. "You'll find clothes in the closet, all your size. Meals will be brought three times a day unless you wish to join the pack in the dining hall."

"Am I allowed to leave these rooms?"

"You're not a prisoner," Elena assured me. "You can go anywhere in the fortress except the Alpha King's private wing. The gardens are beautiful, and there's a library on the second floor."

I sat on the edge of the bed, suddenly exhausted. "How many others have there been? Women like me?"

Elena hesitated. "You're the first. The Alpha King has been searching for... a suitable arrangement for two years. Your stepfather's debt provided an opportunity."

"Lucky me."

She sat beside me, something maternal in her gesture. "I know this seems awful, dear. But the Alpha King, he's not cruel. Cold, yes. Distant, absolutely. But he won't hurt you."

"He bought me," I said flatly.

"His mother, the former Luna Queen, she damaged him deeply before she died. Made him believe terrible things about himself. He truly believes he's cursed to never find his mate, so he's chosen this path for an heir."

But he had found his mate. Me. My wolf cried at the irony of it.

"The rules," Elena continued, "are simple. You'll see the doctor tomorrow and then weekly after that. Once you're pregnant, the visits increase. You'll have everything you need provided. The Alpha King will... visit... when necessary."

My stomach turned. "Visit."

"For the conception," Elena said delicately. "He'll be respectful, I promise you that."

Respectful. As if that made being bred like an animal better.

"When?"

"He'll send word. Likely after the doctor confirms everything tomorrow." Elena stood. "Would you like dinner brought up?"

I wasn't hungry, but I nodded anyway. After she left, I explored my prison. The closet was full of designer clothes, all perfectly my size. The bathroom had every luxury imaginable. A small desk held a laptop and phone.

I picked up the phone, wondering if I could call someone, anyone. But who would I call? I had no friends, no family except Victor who'd sold me.

A knock interrupted my thoughts. Elena returned with a tray of food that smelled incredible. Roasted chicken, vegetables, fresh bread. My stomach growled traitorously.

"Eat," Elena encouraged. "You need your strength."

I ate mechanically while Elena bustled around, showing me how things worked. The heating system, the phone that connected to the kitchen or her quarters, the schedule for breakfast.

"Can I ask you something?" I said suddenly.

"Of course, dear."

"Why do you stay here? You're an omega too. You could leave."

Elena smiled sadly. "I've been with this pack for forty years. I raised the Alpha King after his mother... well, after she stopped being able to. This is my home, my family."

"You raised him?"

"From when he was ten. He was such a bright boy before..." she trailed off. "Well, the past is the past. He's a good Alpha, protects the pack fiercely. He just doesn't believe he deserves love."

My wolf whined at that. Our mate didn't believe in love, didn't even know I was his other half.

After Elena left, I showered and changed into silk pajamas from the closet. Everything fit perfectly, which was unsettling. How long had he been planning this?

I stood at the windows, looking out at the moon rising over the mountains. Somewhere in this fortress, my mate was probably working, building his empire, never knowing his other half was so close.

My wolf pressed against my consciousness, restless and yearning. She didn't understand why our mate didn't recognize us, why he treated us like a stranger.

"Two years," I whispered to my reflection in the dark glass. "We can survive two years."

A howl echoed through the mountains—powerful, commanding, lonely. The Alpha King. My wolf responded instinctively, a soft howl building in my throat before I suppressed it.

Tomorrow, a doctor would examine me like breeding stock. Soon after, the Alpha King would come to my bed, trying to put a pup in me while feeling nothing. And I would have to pretend my heart wasn't breaking with every touch, knowing my mate would never love me.

I climbed into the massive bed, pulling silk sheets up to my chin. They smelled faintly of pine and winter frost. His scent.

As I drifted off to sleep, my wolf dreamed of grey eyes recognizing us, of strong arms holding us with love instead of duty.

But dreams were dangerous here.

In the morning, my new life as the Alpha King's breeder would truly begin.