Chapter4 : A Cursed Bond

Elena's POV 

It has been five months since I started living in Alpha Darian's castle and truth be told these three months had been nothing but a nightmare for me.

Just as usual I was inside my chamber like a captive bird in a gilded cage. The room was adorned with opulent furnishings, but its grandeur only served to highlight my isolation. The Alpha had strictly prohibited me from leaving my room talk less of stepping out of the castle.

The only time I had the opportunity to walk around the castle is when he isn't around. I could clearly see the pity written all over the faces of the guards and the servants of the castle whenever I walk into them while walking around the castle. They were all witnessing what I was going through, how I was treated like someone suffering from Leprosy maybe that is the reason why they never made mention to him that I always leave my room whenever he isn't around.

Each day that passed kept on bringing me closer to the moment when I would fulfill my destiny and bear the heir to the Alpha King. My belly had swelled with the weight of our unborn child, a living testament to my commitment to securing my freedom.

Yet, as time passed, a growing sense of unease weighed on me. Alpha Darian was yet to acknowledged the mate bond that existed between us. I had hoped that he would recognize our connection, that he would see past the circumstances of our union, but his indifference remained.

Sometimes he would stay days without even setting his eyes on and whenever he decides to come and see me it's only to ask about how the unborn child is doing, whether I'm doing fine or not he never cared.

Sometimes I can't help but wonder why he would want to have a son through someone he has no affection for, because from the view of things the quest for a son who would take over after him wasn't the only reason why he wanted a son, there was also a secondary reason why he wants a son but this secondary reason remains unknown to me because I dare not ask him why unless he will still take delight in abusing me verbally like every other time.

As these thoughts were running through my mind I sat beside the window of my chamber looking at the stars, they are the only companion I have, sometimes I find myself pouring out my heart to them, telling them everything I have been going through with Alpha and how I would love to make step-father suffer the same way that I'm suffering.

Even though I knew that they weren't listening to me, it felt good talking to someone else aside from Tricksy since the both of us are in the same body and she already knows what I'm going through.

"Hey Elena, talking to your companions once again right?" Tricksy asked me after mind linking with me and immediately a warm smile brightened my face. I could count how many times I smile in a week; talking of smiling, who would find himself in my situation and still be smiling? At least in order to smile there has to be a good reason for that but for over three months now there haven't been any valid reason for me to be joyful except for the unborn child that I'm carrying in womb and sometimes I ask myself if I would ever be able to leave them with Alpha Darian after giving birth to them.

"Actually Tricksy today we aren't talking, we are only staring at ourselves," I said to her through the mind link.

"You mean a staring contest?" She asked me and immediately I smiled at her.

"Elena do you think that mate is ever going to recognize our mate bond?" She asked me with a worried tone.

"I don't really know Tricksy but I hope that soon he will," I said to her through the link.

"And what if he doesn't Elena, are you ready to leave your baby with him, mind you that you will be putting to bed in less than seven months," Tricksy reminded me through the link and immediately I heaved heavily.

"I'm aware of that Tricksy but trust me he will surely recognize the mate bond existing between the both of us before I put to bed, I have this strong feeling that he will," I said to Tricksy reassuringly despite the fact that I myself was doubting was I was saying.

"Elena we both that you feel nothing, you are worried just like me," she said to me through the link and immediately I heaved heavily.

True to her words I'm worried just as she is or should I say worried more than her because up to now I still don't know what will be my reaction if he doesn't recognize the mate bond until I give birth and how I will react if he tries taking my baby away from me after I put to bed.

"But Elena do you think that it's him recognizing the mate bond that is the more important issue here?" Tricksy asked me through the link.

"What do you mean by that Tricksy, do you think that there's another issue at hand aside from him recognizing the mate bond?" I asked her with a confused tone confused tone.

"Yes of course Elena, don't tell me that you have forgotten what he told you the day you came, that he doesn't do love, that he doesn't know how to show affection," Tricksy mimicked him and immediately I bursted into a round of laughter; if there is one thing I love about Tricksy it's that she always knows how to cheer me up whenever I'm gloomy.

As the both of us were discussing we heard someone knocking on my door and without I went and open the door and saw that it's the maid who's assigned to check on me every night and to also know if I'm in need of anything.

"Greetings my lady," she greeted me once I opened the door.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked while avoiding my gaze.

"No, I'm not in need of anything, you can go to bed,": I said to her with a calm tone and immediately she nodded and turned to start leaving.

"Wait," I said to her and immediately she approached me.

"Is the Alpha around?" I asked her in a whisper.

"No he isn't, I overheard him telling the guards the guards that he has an important meeting to attend to," she whispered to me.

"Thank you," I said to her with a warm smile and immediately she smiled at me before heading towards her chamber.

"What do you say about walking around the palace now that he isn't around," I asked Tricksy through the link.

"Yes! Yes! Yes," Tricksy exclaimed excitedly.

"At least we can come out of this furnished prison of yours called chamber," she said to me jokingly and immediately I smiled at her while walking around the around in the castle discreetly.

As I walking around in the castle I started hearing the voice of some guards whispering something to themselves.

"What will these guards be saying in a whisper by this time of the night?" I questioned myself out of curiosity.

Without hesitating I approached a little bit while keeping my distance so that they won't notice my presence and through my wolf senses I could clearly hear what they were saying,

"He'll never acknowledge her as his mate," one of them sneered.

"Why should he? She's nothing more than a tool to him," the other guard replied to his colleague.

"If it isn't because of the Alpha council who threatening to remove him from the position of an Alpha if he doesn't have a successor did you think that our Alpha is ever going to seek for a mate, only what he needs is a successor," one of the guards said to the others.

"I really pity the young lady," one of guards who seemed to be the oldest among them said to the others before sighing heavily.

As I stood there eavesdropping on their discussion I couldn't help but sob bitterly, deep down I could feel Tricksy whimpering in pain.

So this is what all these have been about? To him we are nothing but a tool to exploit to his interest

As tears welled in my eyes as I came to terms with the reality of my situation. I had given everything, risked everything, for a man who saw me as nothing more than a means to an end. My heart shattered into a million pieces as I realized that the bond I had cherished, the hope I had clung to, had been nothing but a cruel illusion.

"Elena what are we going to do?" Tricksy asked me in the midst of pains as I was returning to my chamber with tears streaming down my face.

"We are going to escape Tricksy and I'm taking along my unborn child, I will never leave my child with a beast like Alpha Darian; we are going to forge a new path, free from the shadows of the Alpha's Citadel," I said to her, my voice filled with determination.