Chapter 2

Bianca’s Point of View

My body feels frozen, and my mind won't stop spinning. Damon’s words keep repeating themselves in my head over and over again.

Nothing.

Useless.

The only useful thing you have ever done.

My stomach twists painfully as another thought forces its way into my mind.

Alpha Marcus Bass. His name alone makes my skin crawl.

I have heard the stories, everyone has. About the Night Walker Alpha, a man who everyone fears, a man who takes what he wants when he wants and who destroys anything or anyone that stands in his way.

And now... Now, I was supposed to become his.

My chest tightens and it feels like I can't breathe.

I can't....

My legs feel like lead and I forget how to walk, luckily for me, my mother doesn’t stop once we leave the office. She keeps her head down, and her grip tight on my arm as she pulls me through the halls.

No, not pulls, she is practically dragging me, like she is afraid that if we stop for even a second, Damon will come after us, and maybe she is because so am I.

My panic begins to climb higher with every step and once again it feels like my throat tightens and I can't breath.

The walls feel like they are closing in around me. Every servant we pass makes me flinch. Every sound makes me think Damon has changed his mind and that he is coming after me. That he will tell me I embarrassed him, that he will make me regret begging and trying to go against him.

My mother notices my breathing becoming uneven and grips my arm tighter.

"Almost there."

She whispers encouragingly, but her voice shakes and I know she is just as scared.

She increases her pace and the moment we reach my room, she opens the door and quickly ushers me inside before I completely fall apart in the hallway

As soon as the door closes behind us, my chest tightens. My breath comes out uneven and broken.

“I can’t do it. I won’t do it.”

I murmur as I begin pacing in front of the door.

My entire body is trembling.

"Bianca..."

My mother begins, but I don't hear her, my mind is somewhere else.

At the Night Walker pack, with him.

With Alpha Marcus looking at me like I am nothing more than something he bought, like I am just a body he needs to produce an heir.

"What if he hurts me?"

I whisper, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

My mother freezes.

"Bianca..."

She tries again but I don't give her the chance.

"I have heard what people say about him."

I say, turning to her, my eyes burning.

"They say he has no mercy. They say he doesn't care about anyone. What if Damon is right? What if this is all I am worth? What if I can't give him what he wants?"

My voice breaks and my breathing gets faster.

"What happens when he gets tired of me?"

My mother steps towards me immediately.

"Don't think like that."

She says firmly. She is trying to be strong for me, but I can see the fear in her eyes.

"I can't marry him. I just can't."

I whisper, shaking my head.

“What’s going on? Why do you both look like that?”

Someone asks and I freeze. I slowly turn, and only then do I realize that Emily has come into my room.

She is sitting on the bed, confusion written all over her face as she looks between me and my mother.

But the moment she really looks at us, her expression changes, because she sees it. The fear written all over our faces.

"Bianca?"

She asks quietly. I open my mouth to answer her, but no words come out. For a few seconds I just stand there, staring at her then everything Damon said comes crashing back into my mind.

“I can’t marry him.”

I suddenly blurt out, shaking my head with my hands in my hair.

Emily stands from the bed, still frowning.

“Marry who?”

She asks, but I don't answer her as I rush to my closet and rip open the doors.

“I have to leave. I have to get out of here. If I stay here, Damon will send me to him.”

I continue, the words spilling over each other as I begin pulling clothes from my closet.

"Bianca..."

My mother begins but I barely hear her.

"I have to leave before he can give me to that monster."

"Who? Are you talking about? What's going on?"

Emily asks again, but I don't answer her, I just keep moving.

"I have to go. I have to disappear."

“Bianca. Slow down.”

My mother says gently as she reaches out to stop me from moving. She grabs my shoulders and turns me to look at her.

"No!"

I say quickly, shaking hake my head.

“No. There is no time!"

My voice rises.

"I can't marry him! I have to leave."

I pant. I am struggling to breath and I feel like I am drowning.

“I still don't understand. Can someone please tell me what is going on. Who can't you marry?”

Emily asks again but I don't answer her question. I just keep spiraling

"I can't go to the Night Walker pack!"

I say and Emily freezes.

"The Night Walker pack?"

She asks, her voice barely a whisper. I finally look at her and swallow hard before nodding my head.

“Damon made a deal with another Alpha. He sold me for some land. ”

I say, and her face pales even more because she already knows.

“To Alpha Marcus Bass?”

She asks and I feel my stomach turn.

"Yes..."

I whisper and she gasps, her eyes going round as her hand flies to her mouth.

“No… oh Goddess, no.”

She mutters, turning to my mother instantly.

“She is right. She can't stay here, she has to leave! We need to get her out of here. Now!”

She says and my mother nods her head.

"I know... I..."

My mother begins softly, but Emily continues, cutting her off.

"You know what he is like. You know what people say about him. You know what he'll do to her if we let this happen."

Emily says, her voice shaking. My mother closes her eyes, nodding her head.

"I know. We need to get her out."

She says but panic surges through me and I shake my head.

“No! You can’t help me. If you help me escape, and Damon finds out he will punish you. Both of you.”

I say quickly.

“I don’t care.”

Emily says firmly, her eyes flashing.

“But I do! I won’t let him hurt you because of me. I’ll do this alone.”

I say, my voice breaking and Emily shakes her head.

“Absolutely not! I won't let him do this to you! You are not doing this alone.”

Emily snaps and I frown, shaking my head again, about to open my mouth to argue when my mother’s voice grabs my attention.

"Bianca!"

She says loudly and my eyes quickly snaps to hers.

She takes a deep breath, her jaw tightening slightly before she speak.

“I need you to stop arguing and to listen to me.”

She says, looking between me and Emily.

“Whether you like it or not, we are helping you get out of here."

She says firmly and tnd that is when I realize, that my mother is afraid too, not just of Damon, but of what happens if Damon gets his way.

Emily turns back to me.

"We need to get you out. Now. We need to go before Damon realizes..."

She begins but my mother cuts her off and she steps forward.

"Stop. We will get her out of here, but we can’t rush this, we can't do it in the open, and definitely not right now.”

She says firmly and I swallow hard.

“So what then? I’m running out of time here.”

I ask desperately and she shakes her head.

“No, we all just need to stay calm and breathe. We need to pretend that everything is normal. You go back to your duties. Both of you."

She says, her eyes moving between me and Emily.

"You smile when you have to, and you keep your head down the rest of the time. We just need to make it to tonight. Do you understand?”

She asks firmly and Emily frowns.

“Tonight?”

She asks and my mother nods her head.

“Yes, tonight. We will meet back here before the festival starts.”

“The festival? You think he will let me leave that? He will make me stay there to pretend to be a happy family. ”

I say immediately and she shakes her head.

“No. He won't. You'll tell him that you are not feeling well and he will send you back home. And you will take your chance then. This pack will be distracted, and it may be our only window.”

She says quietly and I shake my head.

“Mom...”

I begin but she cuts me off.

“You are my daughter and I love you, Bianca. I have failed to protect you before, but I will not fail you now.”

She says, her voice firm but trembling slightly as she grips my hands tightly.

“I can’t protect you here, and I can't get you out of this, but I can help you leave.”

She says and my throat tightens.

“And if he finds out?”

I ask, my voice shaky.

“Then he finds out after you are gone.”

Emily says fiercely, shrugging her shoulders.

"If you help me and he finds out... He will hurt you."

I say quietly once again and they both nod their heads.

"We know. But even if we are scared of what Damon might do, we don't care. We are not letting you go to that pack... To that... man..."

Emily says firmly and my mother nods her head before she pulls me into a tight hug.

“You deserve better than being sold. Better than him.”

She whispers before she pulls back, and lets me go, wiping her eyes.

“Now get dressed. Put on something simple, and go back to work like nothing has happened.”

She says firmly. I'm about to say something but Emily shakes her head and squeezes my shoulder.

“Don't worry about anything. We’ll handle the rest.”

She says and they both leave quickly, not giving me time to argue.

The silence begins to press in around me and I take a shaky breath before I strip out of the dress, and pull on some tights and a loose shirt.

When I step out of my room, my heart is pounding painfully in my chest, and my hands are trembling, but I force myself to keep moving.

My mother is right. I need to keep it together, to make sure no one suspects anything, because tonight might be my only chance to get out of here.