Chapter 4 Undress

I nodded.

A beta wolf approached—tall, sharp features, calculating eyes. He leaned in and whispered something to Dominic.

Dominic's face went still.

Then he rose. "The elders will continue without me. I have business to attend to."

Just like that, he was gone. He didn't look back. Didn't acknowledge I existed.

The doors closed behind him. The silence was deafening.

I stood at the altar alone.

Hundreds of eyes were on me. Wolves—some I'd never met, some I'd only seen in passing. All watching. Waiting.

My hands started to tremble. I pressed them together, but it only got worse. My heart hammered. My throat was dry.

Stay strong. Don't break. Not here. Not now.

Elder Magnus stepped forward, expression solemn. The room fell silent.

"Before the Moon Goddess and the Blackwood Pack," he began, "we gather to witness the formation of this blood pact."

His eyes settled on me.

"The terms are as follows. Once the pact takes effect, the surrogate shall have one year to conceive and bear Alpha Dominic's pup. During this period, she is bound to cooperate with the conception attempts arranged by the pack."

I stopped breathing. My stomach twisted into a knot so tight I thought I might be sick. My nails pressed crescents into my palms.

"Once the pup is born, the heir shall belong entirely to Alpha Dominic and the Blackwood Pack. The surrogate shall have no custody rights and shall not be permitted to remove the pup from pack territory."

"In exchange, the compensation agreed upon shall be protected by this blood pact and paid according to the terms of the agreement."

He paused, letting the words settle.

"Both parties shall honor their obligations. Neither shall break this pact without consequence."

He held out a document. A pen.

"Sign here, and state your full name aloud."

My hands were shaking as I reached for the pen. The words blurred—legalese I couldn't parse, terms I didn't want to understand.

All I knew was this: signing meant I belonged to them. My body. My future. My pup.

No going back.

I signed my name.

"Xena," I said, my voice steady despite the tears threatening to spill. "Xena Aris."

The words echoed off the walls, fading like the last of my hope.

---

Back in my room, I collapsed onto the bed.

The silk sheets were cold against my skin. I stared at the ceiling, body heavy and numb.

The blood pact was sealed. One year to become pregnant. To carry Alpha Dominic's pup. To give it away. To walk out as if none of it ever happened.

One year.

Soon, there would be a pup growing inside me. And then I'd have to let it go.

I squeezed my eyes shut, but the tears escaped anyway, sliding down my temples and soaking into the sheets.

What have I done?

I knew the answer. I'd done what I had to do. I'd traded myself for my mother's life. And now I had to pay the price.

I was drifting somewhere between sleep and consciousness when I heard it.

Footsteps. Slow. Heavy. Getting closer.

My heart lurched. I sat up, eyes fixed on the door.

The footsteps stopped outside.

I held my breath. The silence was deafening.

The door handle turned.

The door swung open.

Alpha Dominic stepped inside.

“Tonight is about fulfilling the blood pact,” Alpha Dominic stated, his eyes avoiding mine completely.

His voice held no warmth. Flat. Empty. Like he was reading the contract out loud.

I swallowed. “You mean like right now?”

He nodded and shrugged off his suit jacket. “Undress.”