I haven't laid my eyes on him, I could feel his presence in every cervix of the house

r but distressed because it dawned on me the complexity of my situation, that I am here to stay. I am his collateral and his mate, and I don't know If he can feel the mate bond but I ce

weaknesses and feed on my vulnerabilities. I could care less what he was up to, and who knows even, if he is out there seeking comfort at the hands of his women. I apprecia

ep to himself. I also learned from her this castle is situated at the side of the town, sitting pretty and hidden behind tall trees. I have become quite close to her, as she is the only person I see the entire day. She told me stories of her life outside here. She comes

elf. I couldn't even explore the house because I didn't want a repetition of what happened the last tim

ass of water. I was consumed in my thought

poke warmly. I turned, to see Xander st

odstream contaminating every part. He is the first person to ever show interest in try

I didn't know how to converse with anyone. I think he noticed my discomfort and a

Alpha would waste no time in decapitating my head from my bod

re you'd love it, you need

N

brow quizzically. "I noticed you seemed

had a bit of um... a misunderstanding with the Al

see. Don't worry much about it. He can be very protectiv

unlit garden where I found solace automatically. The vibrant flowers and lush greenery provided a notice

him feeling at ease."it'

ough the garden, Xander pointed out various plants and flowers, sharing interesting tidbits about each o

a lot about this

Almost all my life." Before he turned on his heels and added

irst-ever friend. Even if he didn't acknowledge that we were friends, to me it felt more than acquaintances, or maybe it's because I don't have the slightest inkli

ng me burst into a fit of laughter as we rounded the corner. Xander chuckled lowly as I paid no attention to my surround

behold the Alpha standing with his arms crossed, watching us with a dark expr

ty my name rolled off his tongue. It was sultry and intoxicating

enjoying the show. He smirked at the Alpha and childishly stuc

ne made it known to me that he was being sarcastic and that he wanted to

knew they communicated and understood each other with their eyes, since Xander and Al

mention of what he called the Alpha. He gave me a reassuring smile. 'It was ni

ith Alpha. The air seemed to crackle with tensio

u?" he demanded, his v

d, taken aback by his intensity. "We

m for questions. There was an edge to his tone that

nt colors blurred as I focused on the echo of our footsteps, each step feeling heavier than the la

with a decisive click and turned his sharp e

." He began, his tone cold as the tip of

t as if to shield my heart from the pain. "What do you mean" I whispered, my voice trembling an

preferably, to carry on my legacy". His eyes

ut

your freedom." Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision "You are a collateral, this is a

t--

d, his patience thinn

he fear in my voice was evident. Not by the fact that I am infert

ame it was gone. "You will NOT fail. You MUST

my knees sobbing loudly not caring about talking back at t

r my life, my cursed fate, and most especially my child knowing my unfortunate fate was bound upon him, even b

de for them. My harsh reality dawned on me. I never owned my life and I never will. I couldn't help but hate the moon goddess for making my life a living hell. Since

little belongings I could carry. My hands shook as I packe

ght cast eerie shadows on the garden path. Every step was fraught with fear, every rustler of leaves a potential harbin

me, that his reach would extend far beyond the confines of these walls. I had no clear plan,

re was a fate worse than any punishment he could inflict. With a final intake of breath, I slipped into the shadows, praying that freedom lay

me and I bumped into something, or rather someone that smelt

the shadows of pack guards across the open space. I have been an idiot. I didn't realize I was going around in circles and I'd been in the forewalls of the m

out loud knowing that, this was my