Chapter 6

Danielle's POV

The ride at night is cold, colder than I expected it to be, and piercing into my skin the way a guilty conscience would. Not even a word was said, as I sit in the car with the guards firmly seated beside me like I'm some sort of a criminal that is being taken to prison.

My mind is filled up with worries as I try to convince myself that I have not made any mistake with my decision, and the shaking of the car at every rocky bump gives me a feeling that I might be wrong.

Despite my worries, I keep telling myself that I have made the right decision, that choosing to leave my family and go with him is the only way to save my pack, but, the truth refused leaving me, and stares me straight in the face.

I never really had a choice in this, I was coerced and forced. Sighing in anxious anticipation of the unknown, my gaze goes back to the trees that swerve by at every move the carriage makes.

It feels like the trees understand what had happened, and were sympathetically waving me goodbye.

Goodbye to my family, goodbye to the pack, and goodbye to the lovely life I had always imagined I would live.

All these goodbyes for what? To become another piece of worthless property to the cruel and ruthless Alpha who was deranged enough to consider wiping off a whole pack if I refused his proposal.

My eyes water, but I refuse to let it fall, I would never give Rhett or his guards that satisfaction of seeing me break.

The car soon stops at Rhett's territory, and we alight. The full and bright moon gave me enough visibility to see Rhett's territory, the land looks big, bigger than any pack that I had ventured into the past. Walking towards the gate with the guards while they pulled the car, I pause as I saw a figure ahead.

It is none other than Rhett.

I walk towards him as he stands still, his aura of dominance, speaking and announcing his position as the king here.

"You came after all," he says in a smooth and deep voice as soon as I get to where he is.

Anger wells up within me as I struggle to give a respectable response, "You gave me no choice, I'm here because of my pack."

And then I see it, his lips twitching sideways in a flash, "It doesn't matter why you're here, all that matters is that you're mine," he says, his eyes lingering on me with an unreadable expression.

Staring back at him made my body shiver in delight, but then I suppress it as he motions to me to follow after him.

Following after Rhett in his massive pack makes me realize something. And that is respect and loyalty resides in his people. Everyone is scared of the Alpha King, and they can't even hide it. Guards stop what they are doing and bow immediately we walk past, and warriors stand at alert until he passes. George has never been able to get our pack to respect him half as much as these ones are doing. This is new to me and I can't say that I hate it.

Until we walk through a room that seems to be bubbling with party.

Everyone stops dancing as the Alpha King walks past, and then I hear it. "That is the Alpha's choice, our Wolfless Luna."

Ouch! That stings, but I refuse to let it get to me, as I walk on behind Rhett, ensuring to keep my head high.

We soon get to my room, and it is a room with a massive bed on the eastern part of the Alpha's compound, and then he motions to me to enter, while he turns and heads back to goddess knows where.

Sitting on the bed as I study the room, a feeling of loneliness suddenly overshadows me as I begin to miss the memories I have of my family before George happened.

This place, even though it looks big, can never be like home. I miss home.

And then, another thought registers in my head again as I remember the stranger from that night. I would never get to meet him again because of Rhett's cruel demand. I lay on the bed and clutch the pillow, sad as I realize that my life is being played like a movie that I have no choice than to participate.

And then a knock sounds, rudely interrupting my thoughts as I lay in the bed, emotionally weak.

Rhett enters, his presence filling the room as I raise my eyebrow in annoyance. I had not told him to step in, and he did. And then I remember, he never needed permission after all, he is the Alpha King.

"You're still awake? he asks as he gives me an intent stare."

"Yes." A simple, short answer.

And then I notice something in his hand; a cup, which he places on the table.

"Come drink up, tea will make you sleep," he says, his face still unreadable.

"How do I know that is not poisoned," I ask snidely.

And then there it was again.

His lips curve in a not-so-smiling manner. "Danielle, if I wanted you dead, Tea would never be the means."

Wrapping my hands around the tea cup, I gulp down the contents, and whine a bit. It was just a little above warm.

"Are you angry?" He asks as turns towards the windows, his hands resting in his side pockets.

Anger isn't qualified to describe my emotions, and so I laugh, bitterly with a broken heart.

"Angry? Shouldn't I feel worse than that? My pack discarded me like a worthless piece of scrap metal, and you asked for me like I'm some commodity that was owed you. Now I'm here, in your pack, in your house, without even a choice, anger is not even qualified enough to describe how I feel." I end my monologue with a pant.

His gaze shifts away from the windows as looks at me, "You think you're of no value? Your pack is responsible for making you feel that way, but I? I never chose you out of pity."

"Then why did you choose me? Why me and not some random single woman?"

He sighs, and turns back to the window, suffocating me with his silence. Then he turns again and grips my shoulders tightly and says with a very deep and low voice, "It is because you are mine."