Five

~CIARA~

The maid’s face drained of color so fast, it almost made me regret asking. Her lips parted slowly, but no words came out. She looked like my request had triggered a trauma she was yet to recover from. She pulled her hand away from mine. “I..I can’t.”

I should have dropped it. 

She looked uncomfortable enough. 

But that fueled my desire to get the hell out of here. I reached out for her palm again. “You have to help me. I can’t stay here if everyone keeps looking at me like I’m walking into my own grave.” 

She shook her head again. “You don’t understand. If Alpha Graham finds out I helped you escape, he’ll punish me.”

The fear in her eyes broke me. 

She was terrified of this man. 

What kind of mess had I gotten myself into? 

What kind of man had I married? 

“Are you that scared of him?” I asked softly. 

“Everyone is.” She sighed. “You should go downstairs now. The Alpha really hates waiting.” 

I swallowed hard. 

Even after hearing her talk about being punished, I still wanted to run. My brain screamed at me to grab the nearest exit and disappear before it was too late. But where would I go? Back home? Back to my father’s beatings? Back to Janet’s cruelty? 

No.

I can’t go back there. 

I’d just stay here for a while, gain the Alpha’s trust, and escape when he least expects it. 

I forced myself to stand. “Let’s go.”

The maid beamed. She led me outside the room, holding my hands like she was grounding me, telling me everything was going to be okay. She reminded me so much of Giselle, my poor heart ached. 

I wish she was here with me.

This place would be less lonely. 

The moment we reached the stairs, my steps faltered. I would have blamed it on my clumsiness again, but this time, it was because of Alpha Graham. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, clad in an all black suit, looking like a grim reaper sent to collect my soul. His sharp blue eyes followed each movement of my legs until I finally came down from the stairs. 

He was watching me as a hawk. 

It made me uneasy. 

Beside him, Killan let out a low whistle. “Won’t lie, you carefully selected this one, brother.”

Alpha Graham was still staring at me. 

“But she’s an omega,” Killan once again reminded me of my pathetic state. “You’ve never chosen an omega before.”

“Mind your business, Killan.” 

“Like always, I’m only looking out for you.”

“Perhaps you’d like to look after the North instead,” Alpha Graham’s voice was calm, but I could feel the threat underneath, “since you have a lot of spare time on your hands.”

Killan’s expression darkened immediately. 

Ah, so he feared the North. 

Alpha Graham seemed to know everyone’s weakness. 

It was only a matter of time before he found mine. 

“Relax,” Killan laughed nervously, “I was only making a conversation, you don’t have to threaten me.”

He walked away before Alpha Graham could say anything else. 

“You’re late,” his deep voice tickled my ears. 

“I’m sorry, Alpha Graham.” I lowered my head quickly. If there was one thing I realized the second I got here, it was that I should avoid getting on his bad side. 

“You’re my wife, you should call me Hayes.” 

“What?” 

“Get used to it.” 

I gulped slowly. 

His gaze dropped to my mouth and something dark flickered in his eyes. Hunger? Desire? Lust? I knew that gaze far too well. It was the same look drunk men gave maids in my house before dragging them into the dark. Before I could say something else, Alpha Graham spoke again. “I should have told you about the rules earlier.” 

“Rules?”

“Yes.” He was still staring at my mouth. “There are places you’re not allowed to enter, and my study’s one of them. You do not walk in unless you’re asked to.”

I swallowed hard and nodded slowly. 

“If there are meetings involving pack matters, you stay silent. You listen when spoken to and keep your opinions to yourself.”

The words shouldn’t have bothered me. I’d spent my entire life being silenced anyway, but hearing him say it so casually made me feel like a prisoner. 

“And lastly,” his voice dropped. “We sleep in separate rooms.”

That caught me off guard. 

Of course it was what I wanted. 

But I wasn’t expecting it. 

Perhaps he noticed the confusion on my face because his jaw tightened slightly. “You’re here to give me an heir, Ciara. Don’t mistake this marriage for affection.” 

The ache in my chest surprised me. 

Why did that hurt? 

This was exactly what I wanted, right? 

Then why did my chest ache this much? 

“And one more thing,” he added coldly, “you never try to escape.” 

My pulse spiked immediately. 

He knew. 

He overheard my conversation with the maid. 

Alpha Graham took a step towards me until my back brushed the railing. His thumb brushed my jaw, sending sparks through me. “If you ever run,” his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, “I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth and drag you back myself. Do you understand?”