Chapter 8

Taylor had to admit, The Luna room–as she fondly called it–was a vast improvement from the cold clinic room and its rickety bed. It was tastefully furnished in brown and neutral tones. The bed was a mahogany queen-size that Taylor could easily drown in. She loved the room to pieces even though the fact that it was located right next to the Alpha's gave her cause for concern.

It seemed that she had nothing to worry about, though. There had been no sign of the Alpha ever since she'd settled into her new room some days ago. In fact, the last encounter she had had with him was their first meeting two weeks ago, when he had scared her half to death with his words.

"Knock, knock." Renee poked her head into the room, a tray laden with food in her hands. She smiled when she saw her friend was already awake.

"Come help me with this." She said as she strode into the room. Taylor hurried from her position by the window towards Renee. Relieving her of the tray, Taylor placed it on the tiny table located near the dress.

Renee pulled out a chair and sat.

"What were you looking at? You seemed pretty engrossed." Renee observed, motioning to the window.

"I was just lost in thought, I guess." She had actually been gawking down at the Alpha's massive compound. She couldn't get over the beautiful topiaries or the cute, colorful birds singing their little hearts out. She wondered how long it took to clean such a large expanse of land.

"I thought you'd have gotten used to it by now," Renee smirked, guessing correctly what had Taylor so dazzled.

"I was drooling again, wasn't I?" Taylor said, embarrassed that she had been caught in the act. It was just that her father's rundown duplex wasn't exactly what you would call habitable so Duncan's little paradise was a surprising but welcome change of scenery for her.

"It's fine. It was love at first sight for me too." Renee confided before waving a hand at the buffet. 

"Here, come have some food," she invited.

Taylor willed herself to be hungry. The tray held a bit of everything: Scones, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and tea and they all smelled divine. However, they didn't appeal to Taylor. 

Renee was in the process of pouring herself some tea when she looked up at Taylor suspiciously.

"Don't you dare tell me you aren't hungry." She warned.

Taylor shrugged apologetically. She had no appetite these days.

"I'll try and eat some," She said and sat next to Renee. She selected a scone and bit into it, the flavor of cinnamon and sugar coating her tongue.

Placated by Taylor's effort, Renee said, "I'm worried that you eat so little these days. You need to eat to regain your strength."

Taylor didn't reply, choosing to smile sheepishly while nibbling on her scone.

"Oh, my brother's coming to get you today." Renee announced, effectively changing the subject.

"Why? What's happening?" Taylor queried.

"He didn't tell me anything yet." Renee said.

Taylor anticipated Adrian's visit. She hadn't stepped outside the Alpha's house yet and was just itching to do so.

Adrian came for Taylor later in the day. Together, they made their way silently to a non decript house on the other side of town. Taylor liked being around Adrian. Sure, he was the type that said little but he was a proper gentleman through and through which made Taylor comfortable. She was thankful for the friends she'd made since she got to the strange land. They made her feel welcome and comfortable.

Pushing open the creaky door of the house, Adrian motioned to Taylor to precede him. She walked in slowly and cautiously, suddenly wary of her environment.

"Where is this place?" She asked, looking around. The room which she stepped into was sparsely furnished. It seemed that no one had lived in there for years.

Adrian wasn't the one who answered.

"My, my, Taylor, aren't you looking pretty?" A voice she knew all too well dryly remarked.  Taylor didn't know how the man sitting in a corner of the room wasn't the first thing she saw when she had entered.

Her father stood, looking older than she remembered.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Taylor inched forward with great care. She had not expected to see her family ever again but here her father was. What did he want from her this time?

"I'm here to talk some sense into you." Alan said, his bloodshot eyes narrowed in anger.

Is he going to return the money back to the Alpha and take me away from here? Has he realized the error of his ways, Taylor wondered with hope.

"You haven't been pleasing the Alpha. Why is that?" Alan asked his daughter.

Just as quickly as it came, the tiny piece of hope vanished. For a moment there, she had thought her father was remorseful for selling her. Now she knew he was speaking out of anger and frustration at her stubbornness.

"I don't wish to be a breeder, Father." Taylor remained adamant in her refusal.

"You have no choice! You'll do as you're told and bear his cubs! It's why you were bought, after all." Alan shot back snidely. 

"Are you drunk?" Taylor asked, still a healthy distance away from her father. He would always beat her whenever he was drunk. She wasn't about to take any chances by coming any closer to him.

Alan puffed up, indignant at the question.

"I'm not drunk! And that has nothing to do with you acting like a spoiled bitch."

Taylor inwardly winced. It saddened her to learn that even when he was sober, her father had no qualms with treating her like an object to be sold off for money. She had always blamed the alcohol for his cruelty but either intoxicated or sober, her father was heartless.

Taylor turned to where Adrian stood but he looked away, giving her some privacy with Alan.

"I'm going to find a way to escape this." She bravely told Alan.

Alan gasped in outrage at Taylor's audacity.

"You'll do no such thing!" He yelled. In a sudden move of desperation, Alan sank to his knees, his face an ugly mask of rage and fear.

The sight of her proud father on his knees spurred Taylor to close the distance between them.

"What do you think you're doing, Dad? Get up." Taylor was appalled.

Alan grabbed on to her shoes instead. 

"Please, if you don't succumb to the Alpha, I'm gonna get killed!" He sniveled.

"Do you want your father to die?! Do you?!" He yelled like a crazed man.

With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Taylor realized that she couldn't say no to her father. No matter how badly he had treated her, she could never let him down.

Steeling her shoulders, she looked him right in the eye and said:

"As you wish, Father. I will be the Alpha's breeder."