Chapter 3:

ASTRID.

I stay there on the bed, sweat clanging towards my forehead. I can’t move, I can’t even stare up at him.

His cologne spiked my nostrils hard, shivering. I look away.

"Look at me." He says, his voice hard as gravel.

With a pounding heart, my gaze locked with me, and oh. He’s way more different than his father, his wavy brown hair stops below the baseline of his neck, his eyes blue deep as the ocean. There's something on his neck, a tattoo of a dragon.

I swallow, another rush of apprehension pounding through me.

"What do you want from me?" I managed to ask weakly, my voice trembling. The room tightens around me, my wolf almost stumbling through her knees.

"You want to know what I want from you?" I hear the most dreadful chuckle. He takes a seat beside the edge of the bed. It creaks above me.

I shiver. He grabs my chin roughly and forces me to look at him, I stare at his fine face, tears threatening to rush down my face.

The tip of his finger grazes my jaw, he chuckles. "You sure would make a fine surrogate."

"What?" My heart shatters. What’s he talking about?

"I need an heir before I officially become Alpha, I know that your mother transferred her Luna powers over to you, with my alpha bloodline and your powers. My heir will be the strongest."

"I am not carrying your baby!" I shatter in annoyance, a tear slipping down my cheek, he pulls me roughly again and I wince.

"Did I make it a choice?" My heart thrums loudly, another tear slid down.

No, I won’t do this, his father killed my parents, now I know the only reason he took me out of jail was so I could bear his child. I have been there for years, now that I am out. I am bearing his child?

"No!" I burst out, trying to wiggle myself out of his grasp, but he’s much stronger, his hand tipping my jaw forcefully.

A wicked smirk dominates his lips. Disdain washes over me, I want to push him away badly, but his dark blue eyes never leave mine. We stare at each other, two enemies igniting a spark between them.

I am the first to look away.

"You don’t have a choice, you are going to mother my child." He releases me and pushes me towards the bed. My head hit the mattress so hard, I cringed.

"I won’t." I spit out, the tears rushing through my face. I want to crawl somewhere and hide, swipe the smirk out of his face, he watches me with an amused smile while I sob.

"You are going to work in the kitchen, from now on. You are to prepare my meals, change my clothes and prepare my bed until you change your mind. Do you understand me?" His lips parted apart.

I stay silent.

"Do you understand?" He growls, and I fearfully nod, afraid of his steps, he walks over to me, and runs his hands into my hair.

"So soft." I hear him say, but I am lost in between sobs, cackles that emitted out of my throat like fire. "I like girls that are obedient, you don’t want me punishing you now. Do you?"

Tears blur my vision as I nod helplessly.

"Good girl, after all. You are going to be carrying my baby." He kisses me at the tip of my forehead gently, fear washes over me. He stands, gives me a final look as a warning, before walking out of the door.

The door creaks makes my heart jump, only when he’s gone do I lay my head back and sob, I don’t want to be his personal maid, I don’t want to carry his child, I want him to leave me alone.

This is my pack, I am supposed to be the Alpha, I am supposed to have my own mate by now, but now. I am going to be stuck at his personal maid, no. His father ruined my life, made it a living hell. I will run away.

When the night has gone far, I throw away the sheets and climb out of bed. What if he catches me? I cringe at the thought of what he’s going to do to me. I push the door of my room open slowly, the creak filling my ear.

The hall is quiet, everyone including the guards has retired to bed. I tiptoe towards the door that leads to the backyard. I still know my way very well, even though it has been years, I still know the structure.

The moon stares widely at me, I have almost forgotten what it was like staring at the moon, expecting a fated mate. My hope is crushed now and my only hope is dashing away from here.

I pull my blonde hair into a messy bun, the messy curls dangling between the back of my ears.

I run, but that’s when I collide with something, rather someone, his chest and shoulders are broad, his cologne spiked my nostrils. Immediately, I strike my lids and I come in contact with someone who looks like Zeke, but it’s not Zeke.

A gasp emitted out of my lips, and I collapsed into his arms.