CHAPTER 5: ALPHA MAGNUS STONE

ROSALINE’S POV:

What?

"I’m sorry, what?" The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. My father frowned at my tone but was quick to mask it with a tight smile.

"Do not act so shocked, darling. You are not getting any younger, and you are yet to find a mate. I believe this marriage will be beneficial to both of our families; the financial and political gain would be out of this world! If our two packs collide, we will be unstoppable. Even the blood moon pack would cower beneath our feet!" my father exclaimed with a sparkle in his eyes, and I could not even begin to imagine the things that were going through his mind. But whatever they were, it wasn’t good.

A sharp sting struck my head, and I pinched my eyelids closed. My delicate fingers went up to my temple, and I massaged it softly. This was all too much; I couldn’t even get a damn break! For God’s sake, I just got rejected by my own mate, and now I am being married off to some stranger. This was all just too much.

"Can I have some time to think about it at least?" I asked, and my father laughed as though I had just cracked one of the funniest jokes he had ever heard. "There is nothing to think about, my dear; the wedding will be in four days, the next full moon." He announced, and my eyes widened with shock and disbelief.

"No, you can’t do this! This is absolutely unfair; you can’t jus-" My words were cut off by my father’s thunderous voice, which bounced off the walls before sending an unholy shiver down my spine.

"Enough, Rosaline!" He snapped, his eyes wild and his gaze feral. "Do not be selfish; you are the future Luna to this pack; you have no right to be selfish. This is for everyone's good, including yours; you will marry Magnus, understand?"

Involuntarily, I took a step back as my heart pounded wildly against my chest. My eyes locked with Magnus's, and unlike the first time our gazes locked, this time was different; there was something odd about him. His gaze sent an arrow of goosebumps across my skin, and I had this urge to get as far away from him as possible.

"Do you understand, Rosaline?" My father repeated, and I knew that was something he did not usually do. He probably did so due to Magnus’s presence. I swallowed the bile that had risen in my throat and nodded solemnly.

An evil smile lifted my father’s lips, and his eyes glistened with delight. "Wonderful! I will leave you two alone so you can get to know yourselves better. Good day to the both of you," he said before exiting the room and leaving me alone with the man who was to be my husband.

The man I am supposed to spend the rest of my life with.

His dark eyes roamed up and down my body, and I hated it. I hated how he made my skin crawl; he was not even touching me, but I felt as though I was getting raped. My blood ran cold in my veins as he took a step closer; they froze when he took another, and I think I might as well have turned into an ice cube when he was barely an inch away from me.

I felt suffocated, and I couldn’t breathe.

What exactly was this man?

The corners of his lips were pulled downwards as he spoke to me for the first time, "You are too skinny."

Wow.

I wasn’t just skinny.

I was too skinny.

I did not know exactly how to respond to that; Magnus must have seen my silence as an invitation to continue speaking. "Make sure to put some meat on your bones before our wedding. I can’t have my bride looking like a twig," he snarled, not bothering to hide the irritation in his tone before walking past me and leaving me alone.

●●●●●●●

In all my years on this earth, three days have never gone by this fast. It was almost as if the universe was in a rush to have my life ruined. The girl that stared back at me in the bathroom was unfamiliar. Yes, she had the same blue eyes as me and wavy brown hair and face, but she wasn’t familiar at all. She wasn’t me. Something felt different.

My eyeballs nearly bulged out of their sockets as the realization of what was about to come dawned on me. My hands flew to my mouth as I raced to the toilet. My knees met the cold tiles, and my hands touched the toilet seat as the hot substance escaped my mouth and into the latrine. Hot tears escaped my eyes as I continued to dump the contents of my breakfast into the toilet. After what felt like forever, I summoned the courage to pull away from the seat and rise to my feet.

Wiping my lips, I managed to drag myself back into my room. I requested the pack doctor, Jane, before laying down on my bed. As I stared at the ceiling, I could not help but notice how different my body felt. Doctor Jane arrived shortly and began to examine my body. A bright smile lifted her lips, and the words that left her lips had my world crashing down in a second.

"You are pregnant."

"No." I stated it as a fact, but in reality I was in denial, or maybe she made a mistake.

"You are, I assure you," she said confidently, her smile still playing on her lips. But this was not news to jubilate over. "No," I repeated, causing the smile on her lips to disappear. How was that possible? How could I be pregnant? I was a vir-. My world fell silent as flashes of that night replayed in my head. I did not know that I was crying until a comforting hand was placed on my shoulder.

"They always come as a shock, trust me. But I assure you, children are one of the greatest gifts the moon goddess has ever given us. They bring light and warmth into this dark and cold world," she said before rising to her feet and packing up her things. Just before she stepped out of the room, she looked at me with sincerity and warmth and said, "And I know you will make a wonderful mother, princess Rosaline."

I was left alone with my spiraling thoughts and uneased heart. Here I thought that after that night I would focus on moving on; this is just a big slap in the face. My arms encircled my stomach, and I curled into myself.

There is an innocent child inside me. How could something so precious come from someone so evil?

Taking a calming breath, I made my way to my father’s office, where he usually spent most of his days. Knocking softly on the hardwood, I waited patiently for his permission before entering. His office was as cold and sinister as always. I almost did not want to shut the door, but I knew the consequences of not doing so.

"I have something to tell you," I started as I watched him with his head down, reading some documents. I knew he always loved it when I got straight to the point and didn’t waste much of his time. He remained silent, and that was a clear indication for me to continue. The silence stretched, and my body quivered. His eyes weren’t on me, but I knew he was watching me. A fear like I have never felt before engulfed my entire body, and for a second, I considered not breaking this news to him at this moment. But the deed was done; he had to know.

"I am pregnant."

That was when his eyes met mine.

All my life, I thought I had witnessed the worst sides of my father. But clearly, I was mistaken. The eyes that stared right back at mine with fury and disgust could not possibly belong to the man who had raised me. They belonged to a monster.

"I do not have time for games, Rosaline. If this is a ploy to stop you from marrying Magnus, I suggest you stop it right now," my father said with a voice that held much authority.

"This is not a ploy, father. I am pregnant."

I did not know how it was possible, but the next thing I felt was a burning sting on my cheek as a scream mixed with pain and surprise escaped my lips. With teary eyes, I looked up at the raging man as he said something that had my heartbeat coming to a pause: "Get rid of it."

"No." The word had left my mouth without permission, but I sure as hell did not regret it. Never in my life have I ever uttered such a word to my father. I did not know where this sudden confidence was coming from, but I liked it.

A large hand encircled my throat, cutting off my air supply in an instant. Hot tears escaped my eyes as my body struggled beneath his mighty one. A growl escaped his lips. "You dare defy my order, Rosaline?"

I choked on my own breath as I helplessly clawed at his powerful grip on my neck. "I will not abort my child!"."Child? You are pregnant?"

My father and I froze as a voice even more menacing than his filled the room. My neck was released, and I did not waste a second before filling my lungs with air. Magnus stood at the doorway, his monstrous stature occupying the entire space as his hate-filled eyes pinned my father to the spot. "You told me she was a virgin!"

For the first time in my life, I saw a flash of fear in my father’s stoic eyes. "Yes, she is. I mean, she was. But not to worry, she will get rid of it in an instant."

"No, I will not!" My words only appeared to anger the two alphas, and monstrous growls filled the room. Before my brain could comprehend what was going on, my cheek was graced with yet another slap. Only this time, it came with a force that knocked me straight to the ground.

Magnus stood above me, huffing with rage as he demanded, "Who does it belong to?"

My voice was nowhere to be found. Magnus gripped my neck, and I was hoisted up into the air like some dirty piece of rag. My feet dangled as I struggled for breath. I fought against his hold, but my God, this man was a beast. I found myself growing weaker, and my defenses kicked in as I flailed my legs in all directions.

"Tell me who had the guts to touch what is mine!" Magnus roared, and I had the urge to throw up after he called me his. The last time someone called me theirs, I was rejected the next day!

Never again.

My wolf howled in anger, and that was when my foot managed to collide with his manhood. Magnus released a yelp of pain, and I was dropped in an instant. Not up to a second later did I bolt for the door, but my father grabbed me by the arm in a flash. "You have disgraced me enough! You will abort that child right now!"

I clawed at him recklessly; I slashed through his arm and chest several times, but it did not faze him. Magnus came to my side and held my other arm. "You are quite the wild one. I know exactly how to tame hounds like you," he snarled against my ear. I was being dragged down the hall and to the infirmary.

The staff watched me with shock and pity as I helplessly struggled against two of the most powerful alphas in the land. I was taken to the private room, and that was when my eyes met Doctor Jane’s. Her eyes widened with surprise upon seeing my condition. "Strap her, then give her an abortion pill or injection, or whatever it takes to get rid of that thing inside her!" My father ordered, and I was shocked to see Dr. Jane smile.

"Of course, Alpha," she said, picking up a syringe from a tray and walking towards me. I looked at her with eyes filled with tears and pleas.

"No, don't do this!"

She took out the syringe, and instead of injecting me with its contents, she pierced it right through Magnus’s eye. A roar of pain filled the room, and my left arm was immediately released as he cradled his now-bleeding eye. My father was too slow to comprehend what was going on, and Doctor Jane used the opportunity to slam him on the head with the tray. Out of surprise, my other arm was released, and I watched as Dr. Jane picked up another syringe and injected my father in the arm.

"Go! Leave now!" she ordered just before my father grabbed her by the throat and snarled at her. His grip was deadly and I knew what was going to come next. I took a step forward to help, but she shot me a wide-eyed glare and screamed, "Leave! Protect that child no matter what!"

With that said, I turned on my heels and made my way out of the infirmary through the back door, ignoring Doctor Jane’s screams of pain. Tears streamed down my face as I began to chant,

I will protect my child, no matter the cost.