02 The Shock.

Meadow stood frozen on the spot. Her breathing was laboured, but Ethan could not care less. He ignored her and wheeled his chair back to his desk, where he was working on his computer.

Meadow's tears fell silently. She did not know where to begin. It wasn't Ethan's condition that bothered her; it was his reputation that troubled her soul.

Ever since the unfortunate accident left him half the wolf he was, he had been bitter. He was ruthless and unforgiving.

People were afraid of him. People feared him so much that no one ever spoke his name. Meadow realised she would be living in hell for the rest of her life.

Ethan's words had registered in her mind. 'A live-in Nanny that could not quit'; that was all she was to the McClouds.

"Find a place to sit and do not utter a word," he said, then turned to look at her over his shoulder.

"I forgot you were mute. Excellent choice. At least I would not have to deal with rants and whines. As long as you do not invade my space, you will not have any issues with me." He said, and she looked at the room, searching for a place to sit.

Although her wedding gown suddenly felt heavy, she did not want to take it off.

The room was sparsely furnished. It had a sitting section and a kingsize bed; next to the king-size bed was a small bed. It was close enough to the king-size bed that whoever was sleeping on it would know when Ethan needed help in his sleep.

There was a vanity table that had nothing on it. A dresser and two nightstands. The room was big, and it looked bare.

Meadow went to sit on the couch, unsure what she would do.

Soon the door opened, and the servants wheeled in hangers of clothes meant for Meadow. She did not even bother to look at them. Her tears just continued to fall. She knew there was no way things would end well for her in the house.

"Change that hideous dress," Ethan ordered without looking at her, and Meadow went to find something simple to wear in the closet.

She sat on the stool in the closet and laughed at herself. Painful tears escaped her eyes while she glanced at the rows of clothes they had bought her.

She had anticipated tonight. She was a virgin and looked forward to consummating her wedding to the Alpha.

It was clear that would not be happening ever. She doubted Ethan would consummate his marriage with a glorified nanny.

She searched through the clothes and found a simple pyjama set. She carried them out of the closet and went into the bathroom.

Searching through the toiletries, she realised they all belonged to Ethan. Not wanting to start on the wrong foot with him, she did not touch them and decided to shower with plain water.

Washing off the makeup wasn't easy, so she tore a part of her wedding gown's train and used it as a washcloth. She would have to get toiletries the next day.

Once she was done, she left the bathroom and dumped her wedding dress in the trash. She did not plan on keeping it because it would be a painful reminder of the day she became enslaved.

Meadow returned to where she was sitting and brought out her phone to keep her company. She was tempted to text Victoria and her parents but decided to do it the next day.

She waited on the couch and soon fell asleep.

A servant woke her up later. She thought it was morning but later found out it was nighttime. Ethan was still at his desk working on his computer.

"Madam, the luna wants to see you," the servant that woke her up said, and from the way the woman looked at her, she felt sorry for Meadow.

Meadow got up and followed the servant.

The servant led her to Luna's office and left her there.

The size of the door intimidated Meadow, but soon she gathered courage and knocked. She waited for the Luna's invite before she entered the office.

Luna Amber was sitting behind her desk and attending to documents while Meadow stood waiting for her to speak. "Sit," the luna ordered indifferently, and Meadow sat on the chair at the desk.

"I see you have met your husband," luna said without looking at her.

"I called you here to lay down the rules. This is a great step up for you, judging by the fact that no one would want to be with someone like you. You should be grateful, and I expect you to act grateful," she said, stopped what she was doing and looked at Meadow.

"As you can see, my son is not in good shape. I married you so he can have someone to care for him. Bathe him, clothe him, take care of his needs and always be at his beck and call." She said, listing out her expectations.

"You should never leave his side and always be there when he needs you. You are to attend functions with him as his wife." She paused and examined Meadow's sad face.

"No matter how sad or angry you are, I expect you to smile every time you are in public. I do not expect you to divulge anything happening in this mansion to anyone outside. No one needs your opinion, so keep it to yourself. I like that you are mute; see it as an advantage," She said and sighed. Amber leaned back in her chair with her eyes on Meadow, who refused to maintain eye contact with her.

"You won't only care for Ethan; you will bear him children too. He doesn't have to touch you; I have that part covered. When the time comes, I will take you to the doctor for artificial insemination," she explained, and Meadow swallowed hard.

Her mouth was dry, and her breathing was becoming difficult. Everything the Luna had said scared the hell out of her.

Luna Amber finally smiled and leaned forward to look at her.

"I know Ethan is handsome. Do not try to make him fall in love with you. It wouldn't work. Better-looking, healthy women have tried and failed. Take it as a warning so you do not get your heart broken," She said and picked up a piece of paper that was on the table and glanced through it.

"I also have the signed contract, so you dare not run away. You know the extent of our reach. So please, do not make me search for you, or you will have hell to pay. Am I clear?" She asked, and Meadow nodded gently.

"Did you come with your phone?" The luna asked, and Meadow nodded.

Amber stretched her hand forward, indicating Meadow to give her the phone.

Even though Meadow was reluctant, she had to hand it over; the moment she gave luna the phone, her tears began to fall freely.

This wasn't a wedding night. It was a sentencing night. Amber was the judge and jailer, and Meadow was the convict.

"I will hold on to this," Amber said and placed the phone in her drawer.

"Whenever you need to use it, you must get permission from me. All your text messages will be supervised. On no account should you be caught using sign language to communicate, except an interpreter is present. As for your friend Victoria, forget about her. She talks too much, and I do not want my business in the open," She said and folded her hand on the table.

"In fact, forget about everyone. All that matters henceforth is Ethan. If you are bored, watch a movie or read a book." She said and sighed.

"We eat breakfast at eight in the morning, lunch by two in the afternoon and dinner by seven in the evening, all in the dining room. Ethan likes being there on time. Make sure he is ready and at the table at these times." She said, and Meadow nodded.

"You are dismissed," Amber said, and Meadow stood up and left.

Her feet felt heavy against the floor. She could not lift them completely, so they dragged as she walked.

She felt like nothing. Her entire life had been stolen. She dreaded what her life would look like henceforth. Her phone was her only outlet, and Amber had taken it from her.

How did they expect her to cope?

She did think of running away, but she knew Amber was right. They had a good reach, and it would be difficult for Meadow to go into hiding.

As she walked, the air felt chilly, and she hugged herself. She wondered if her parents knew this part of the arrangement. She had no means of asking them. Luna Amber had boxed her in completely.

Getting to Ethan's room, she knocked on the door and waited for him to ask her to come in. She stood outside the door for ten minutes before he answered.

When she entered, she returned to the couch and waited for her orders.

Meadow stayed awake until she saw Ethan wheeling himself to the bathroom. She stood up, ready to help him.

"Stand back," he said coldly, and she did not know what to do. His pyjamas were on his lap, and she realised he was used to doing things like this.

"I can wash my body," He said and wheeled himself into the bathroom.

It took a while for him to come out.

Meadow noticed he wasn't wearing his pyjama pants and figured he might need help with them.

She went into the bathroom and got the pyjama pants, then went to him so she could help him wear them.

He turned to look at her angrily.

"What do you want?" He asked her, and she showed him the pants.

Knowing he needed help, he was silent, and she helped him wear it. She closed her eyes, pulling the pants up, so she did not see his third leg.

He noticed her behaviour and didn't say anything. Once she was done, she helped him get into the bed.

"Get me my tablet in the nightstand drawer," he ordered her, pointing at the nightstand on the left.

She went and got out the tablet for him. He switched it on and ignored her.

Realising he was okay, she went to the small bed and decided to lie on it.

"There are quilts in the closet. It gets chilly at night. I am a light sleeper; can't deal with chattering teeth," he said, and she went to the closet to get a quilt to cover herself with.

Meadow did not sleep. Instead, she cried silent tears. She thought about all Luna Amber had said to her and realised never being married and dying alone was a better fate than the one she was in.

She felt trapped, and she knew no one would rescue her.