Welcome Home

AZALEA

After an hour, we reach our destination, and here I am, staring blankly at my new home - Alpha Andras' Moonheart pack.

When he first introduced himself as an Alpha, I never thought I’d attach the title to his name. But when I'd asked a simple question, and he'd tugged my hair so hard I thought I'd become bald, I saw I shouldn't have doubted any of his statements.

Landon and Riley used to be the meanest individuals I'd ever met, but now I know better.

My thoughts return to the incident at the motel. Not only was I chained like a prisoner, but I was also bundled and thrown into a car full of hulking guards three times my size! The recollections send shivers up my spine.

I have no idea what will happen to me now because Alpha Andras has made it apparent that he will not let me go. And I shake a little more as his words replay in my head.

'You are now mine, in spirit, soul, and body.'

In a day, I went from being the mate of a cruel prince to a runaway wolf and now a breeder for the meanest human I've ever seen. A day that also happens to be my BIRTHDAY!

When I think about it, being stuck as a breeder for a stranger is the furthest thing from my mind. I won't be able to be a proper mother to my child. Instead, I'll have to watch as someone else claims my baby.

The whole situation hits me hard, and my expression shows it. My lips tremble with unspoken words and emotions, and I grimace slightly.

I sincerely wish to close my eyes and pretend that today is a joke. I try to convince myself that it's all a nightmare. But the more I tell myself this, the more reality bites at me.

I've been purchased. I'm now a slave and a breeder for someone whose mere appearance can bring mountains tumbling down.

I am going to bear another man’s child, and as I think about all this, an underlying worry takes root at the bottom of my chest.

Am I going to conceive naturally? Will I have sex with Alpha Andras? The prospect of simply lying with someone like him terrifies me.

I've never had sex in my life, and if I'm going to get pregnant the usual way, then I'd have to sleep with him. I'd sleep with someone who is not only twice my size but also dislikes me more than Landon does.

"Oh goodness." My throats whimper, and I close my eyes in sorrow.

I want my wolf to say or do something, but she's abnormally calm. I resist the temptation to confront her about her silence.

I should concentrate more on how to get away. How to run away from this place, wherever it is, and continue the adventure I'd begun previously.

'But Azalea, you can't run. You have a large bounty on your head.' My subconscious reminds me, and I clench my teeth in rage.

A bounty has been placed on my head, and if a stranger happens to see me, they won't hesitate to drag me back to the misery I thought I'd fled.

But what if I stay for several months? Then I succeed in giving birth and then flee? Or perhaps I should be on my best behavior and offer this man what he desires. Then he could feel sorry for me and let me leave.

I should never have fled Shadow Valley. I should have stayed behind and let Landon and his father do whatever they wanted. That's far preferable to becoming a baby-making machine for a stranger.

The tears I've been fighting for so long finally make their way to my eyes, and I don't hold back, allowing them to fall my cheeks freely.

The ride is quiet, and as I stare out the car window with a solemn expression on my teary-eyed face, I begin to acquaint myself with my new home and its environs.

The pack roads and houses are lovely, but I'm too sober to appreciate its beauty. Not until my eyes suddenly lit up at the sight of a massive castle towering tall and imposing a few meters distant. It's gorgeous and ten times larger than Alpha Hunt's castle.

As the car passes through the castle's enormous gate, I notice various expensive car models and guards hanging around.

‘This has to be my new home.’ ‘This is Alpha Andras’s castle.’ I think to myself, and a chill passes through my body as I realize it would not be easy to get out of here.

As I stare at the ethereal-looking palace, I examine every corner and crevice, taking in every detail.

The stones used to build the walls are strong, and the windows? They are darkly lighted from within and exude a calm Hogwarts charm that lends the entire establishment a sense of magical reality. The courtyard is cobblestoned, and the faraway cries of wolves from wherever feel disturbing but beautiful.

I'm so deep in contemplation that I can hardly hear the car tires coming to a halt. Not until the guard next to me says so. "Hello, miss. We've arrived.”

I don't hear him first because the castle's grandeur takes my mind away. And he says again, this time more loudly. "Hello, miss. We've arrived.”

I finally look away from the window, realizing we've arrived at the castle's entrance.

The guard climbs out of the car and opens the door. He extends his arm to me, but I decline. Instead, I get out on my own and swallow a huge lump down my throat as the cool breeze blasts, giving me goosebumps.

Why do I feel like I've just stepped into the devil's lair?

I take a look around. There are a lot of maids and guards about, but that's not what catches my eye. It's the woman in the middle, wrapped in a passionate embrace with Alpha Andras.

Who is she? And when did he get out of his car to meet her? I wonder silently.

However, before I can overthink it, someone shoves my shoulders - more like a strong push.

"What the hell? Who is that?" I curse as I stagger slightly.

"Me, I guess."

When I turn back, Donovan, the beta, is staring at me with a sneer on his face. He also has a mischievous grin on.

"Welcome to the castle and your new home Azalea." He continues in a friendlier tone, offering me his arm, and I raise a brow.

Something isn't quite right here. He wasn't precisely this friendly in the hotel, but he's a whole different person now.

He winks once more and urges us to walk inside. "It's time."

"Time for what?"

"Time for your grand introduction to the woman of the mansion."

'The woman of the mansion?' I repeat the statement in my head. What does this even mean?

Before I have a minute to process my thoughts, Donovan is tugging me. I stumble a little, and I can't seem to get my hand out of his warm yet firm hold, even as I try to. He has me securely wrapped.

We continue to the castle, straight to Alpha Andras and his companion.

I come to a standstill in front of them. Alpha Andras appears to be avoiding eye contact with me and shifting my gaze away; they drop onto the woman beside him. A horrible feeling creeps in as our eyes connect, and I find myself nervously batting my lashes.

She gives me a nasty look, sneers slightly, and nonchalantly remarks.

"Is this the new surrogate?"

"Yes, my queen." Donovan reacts, but he's shoving at my shoulders simultaneously, telling me to bow before the queen.

The Queen? And then it clicks.

This lady must be Alpha Andras' wife. Confusion sets in, and a slew of rhetorical queries fill my head.

Andras, I assumed, was an unmarried Alpha who only needed a successor to carry on his lineage. But now, with the woman in front of me giving me a scornful look, I'm beginning to reconsider everything.

They are a couple, so why would she or they need a surrogate? They must be fated companions as well, so what does this mean?

Despite my unease, I suppress my feelings, shut down the barrage of questions in my head, and grudgingly bow before her.

"I see." She walks forward, her arms unlocked from Alpha Andras's. She approaches where I'm standing with Donovan, our faces still on the ground, and starts walking around me.

"So you're the new surrogate." She says plainly as she examines my physique from head to toe, and I try not to flee from her inspection. Her hand settles on both sides of my face, one forcing my chin upwards and the other firmly holding my left arm.

"Donovan." She screams out to him, her hands still on my face, in a deadpan tone, and he responds sharply. "My queen."

"But why is our newest addition so pretty?" Her speech is brimming with arrogance. "And so small. Were there no ordinary-looking slave girls this time?" She ends her sentence with a question and then takes a step back.

Her face is tense, and I wonder what she might look like if she ever smiled. Maybe she'd seem gorgeous, just like she thinks I am.

It's strange how much this woman reminds me of Riley, and I resist the vexing hiss that threatens to escape my lips.

She begins to ask more questions, to which Donovan remains mute and does not respond. Even Alpha Andras remains silent. He merely stares at me, his face expressionless, his lips still, and his eyes chilly.

He hasn't said anything to me, Donovan, or even his wife since we arrived. So far, all he's done is wrap and unwrap his arms around his wife's waist.

As I listen to the Queen ramble, many fresh questions arise. I'm flattered that she thinks I'm attractive, but she also referred to me as a "new addition," which makes me sick to my stomach. Seriously, what kind of twisted, horrible thing is this? What does this entail for the rest of my life? And how long will she keep me in this house, so close to her husband, who doesn't appear to be interested in me?

I'm wondering whether the Luna queen is sterile or anything. Have they previously had other breeders? Because this whole scenario doesn’t look like a new one.

The stern woman cuts me off from my thoughts with a snap of her finger, and she tells Donovan to take a step back.

"You in red rags, come here." She motions to one of the maids standing behind me the entire time.

"Take her in and make sure she's well cared for. You can send for me when you're done." She finishes and turns to face me, a wicked smirk on her face. "We have so much to discuss, my dear. And I can’t wait.”

As the maid nods and grabs my right arm, beginning to lead me away, I briefly turn around just in time to see the Luna Queen sharing an intimate moment - a kiss - with Alpha Andras. The image sends a rush of bile down my throat, and for some inexplicable reason, I feel a punch to the gut.

More tears stream down my cheeks as we walk inside, and I reflect on how much I already hate this place. What have I brought myself into?