Chapter 1 Become A Surrogate For Your Brother-In-Law

Xena's POV

"You are going to become a surrogate for your brother-in-law, Alpha Dominic."

My father's voice was flat. Transactional. Like he was discussing a business merger, not his daughter's body.

Mira's chair scraped against the floor as she shot to her feet. "What?"

I was frozen, my breath caught in my throat. My eyes locked on my younger sister's face—the way the color drained from her cheeks in slow motion, like watching milk spill across a table.

"Wait." Her voice cracked. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Alpha Dominic has been cursed." My father cut her off, already bored. "To secure an heir, he must rely on human genes. That's where you come in."

Human genes. The way he said it with such disdain, like we were livestock.

Mira's hands were trembling. "Dad. Look at me. Please." Her voice dropped. "I'm your child. You can't just sell me off like this. Who's going to take care of Mum?"

Six months since the diagnosis. The rare autoimmune disease that ate away at my mother's body while my father watched, unwilling to lift a finger. The hospital bills stacked higher than either of us could reach, and he had no intention of climbing. Because we're human, we're worthless in his eyes.

"Stop acting like a child." He didn't even look at her. "Think about your mother. You agree to this deal, and she walks out of that hospital free."

Mira's sobs filled the room. Her shoulders shook, her face buried in her hands.

Say something, I screamed inside my head. She's your younger sister.

My father's jaw tightened. He glanced at Freya-my sister,  Alpha Dominic's mate. The one with pure werewolf blood.

"Freya," my father said. "We need to do this. His pack is demanding an heir."

Freya's face paled. Tears spilled down her cheeks, as if she'd rehearsed the reaction perfectly. My father stood there, unmoved. 

For the first time in my life, I saw Freya not as the golden child, not as the perfect Luna, but as a female trapped in a body that had betrayed her. A female who had lost everything—her mobility, her independence, her ability to give her mate a child.

Is a female’s worth really destined to be measured by her ability to bear children? 

I thought of my mother. She gave birth to my sister and me, yet our father still abandoned her. She had always told me I was meant for more than this. More than this house and this life.

But she was dying. And I was the only one who could save her.

I had to save them—these females sinking in the mire, even if the only way to save them was to wade into the swamp myself.

The words left my mouth before I could think.

"I'll do it."

The room went silent.

This is really happening. I was really offering myself up. My body. My future. Everything I'd ever wanted for myself, traded for a chance to see my mother smile again.

I heard my father's relieved sigh in my ear, followed by Mira's desperate pleas still echoing in the background.

When I finally pulled away, I looked at Freya.

"Take care of her." I said.

Freya blinked, "Of course," she said softly. "She's my sister too."

I was at the door when my father's voice stopped me.

"One more thing, Xena. You'll break up with that boyfriend of yours. What's his name—Roy? Roland? Ribin?"

"Once you’re done with that, we’ll get going immediately," he added, already moving toward the door. "We need to arrive at Alpha Dominic's pack before sunset."

Riven.

My heart clenched. A year. We were supposed to celebrate a year together next month. He was supposed to pick me up for dinner tonight, now there might never be any more dinners to look forward to.

I pulled out my phone. My thumb hovered over his contact photo—the one where he was laughing at something I'd said, his head thrown back, his eyes crinkled at the corners.

I love you, I typed. Then deleted it.

I'm so sorry. Deleted.

It's over. I'm sorry. — XENA

My thumb pressed send before I could think twice.

I stood there, staring at the screen, waiting for the three dots to appear. Waiting for him to ask why. To fight for me. To tell me he'd find a way to save me from this.

The dots never came.

I held up the screen for my father to see. "Done."

Then I walked out the door and didn't look back.

—

"Just like we practiced." My father's voice was a low monotone in my ear. "No one knows you and Freya are sisters. You're just Xena. You came here when you heard Alpha Dominic was seeking a surrogate. If he finds out about your relationship with Freya and refuses to agree to the surrogacy, your mother won’t survive. Understand?"

I forced myself to nod, gritting my teeth as my eyes fixed themselves on the massive wooden doors in front of us.

I took a deep breath, counting the seconds until the doors swung open.

And then they did.

The first thing I noticed was his eyes. Amber, warm like honey, but sharp underneath. Like he could see through skin and bone straight into my blood.

Alpha Dominic.

He stood taller than I expected. Broad shoulders, black hair slicked back, jawline sharp enough to cut glass. But it was the eyes. Those impossible amber eyes that tracked across the room and completely skipped over me.

His gaze landed on Freya, and everything about him softened. The hard lines of his face melted into something warm. Something real.

"My darling." He crossed to her in three strides, dropping to one knee and taking her hand. "The journey must have exhausted you. I'm here now. You don't have to worry about anything."

She beamed up at him, all practiced sweetness. "Thank you, my love. I've missed you so much."

He kissed her forehead. Then he stood, turned—

And his eyes found me.

The warmth vanished. I felt like a piece of furniture he hadn't noticed until now.

"Who is this?" His voice was flat. Disinterested.

My father stepped forward, his voice dripping with deference. "Alpha Dominic, this is Xena. She's the surrogate we arranged. Everything has been prepared, just as you requested."

Dominic's hand was on the back of Freya's wheelchair, his fingers brushing her shoulder. He murmured something to her, his voice too low for me to hear, and she laughed, a soft sound that made my stomach turn.

He loves her, I realized. He actually loves her.

And I was the splinter wedged between them. The unwanted intrusion that didn't belong here. I would be the thing that reminded them of what they couldn't have together—the awkward, painful presence that made everything uncomfortable.

"Alpha Dominic, if I may—" my father started, but Dominic cut him off with a wave.

"The medical team is ready. Get it done." He still didn't acknowledge me at all. "I want this over with quickly."

The medical team grabbed my arms before I could react. The nurse's grip was iron. The doctor—grey-haired, ancient—just nodded at her.

"Let me go!" I yanked my arm free, but it was useless. They were stronger than me. Everyone was stronger than me.

---

They dragged me into a white room. White walls. White floors. A bed that looked like it was waiting for a corpse.

"Take your clothes off," the nurse ordered.

"Can I at least get some privacy?"

"Just a virginity check. It's protocol," she said flatly.

I felt my face heat, shame and anger rising in my chest. "I'm a virgin. I don't need to be checked."

She didn't respond. Her cold eyes just stared through me as if I hadn't spoken.

The nurse guided me onto the bed. Her hands were cold. Icy. I felt them on my ribs, my stomach—

"Get your hands off me!"

I shoved her away. Scrambled off the bed. Crossed my arms over my chest and backed into the corner.

And that's when I saw him.

Dominic. Standing in the doorway. Watching.

His jaw was tight. His gaze moved over me—not hungry, not possessive. Just... assessing. Then his eyes flickered to the nurse, to the doctor, to my father standing behind them like a vulture.

"Stop," he said.

The room went silent.

He stepped forward, his voice cold. "This is unnecessary. I've seen enough."

My father opened his mouth to protest, but Alpha Dominic cut him off with a look that could have frozen fire.

"She's the surrogate." His eyes found mine for a split second—something unreadable passing through them. "I don't need a medical report to confirm what's already obvious."

He turned and walked out.

The examination was over.

---

I stood there, trembling, still pressed against the wall. The doctor and nurse filed out behind my father.

And then I was alone.

Alone in a white room, wearing nothing but my underwear, with my mother's face flickering behind my eyes.

Stay strong, I told myself. Stay strong, Xena.

But my knees buckled. I crumpled onto the bed, and the tears came before I could stop them—hot, ugly, suffocating.

That's when I heard them.

Voices. Low. Muffled. Just on the other side of the door.

I slid off the bed and crept closer, pressing my ear against the wood.

"...blood pact ceremony is tonight, Dominic."

Freya's voice. Calm. Matter-of-fact.

"You know how these things work. Once the blood pact is done, the first attempt at conception must take place immediately."

My hand flew to my mouth. I bit down on my knuckles.

Conception.

They meant sex. Dominic's hands on my skin. Dominic's body pressing me into a mattress. Dominic's—

My stomach lurched. I pressed my other hand against my abdomen, willing myself not to be sick.

In just a few hours, I'd be in bed with Alpha Dominic.

My sister's mate. My brother-in-law.