Chapter 6

Soft yet overpowering footsteps reverberated in the room. My heart skipped a beat as he stepped out of the dark and gods! I couldn't stop staring. I didn't even realize that my jaw had dropped until Sapphire growled. "Mate."

A static buzz clouded my senses and the world became a whirlwind around me. He held my gaze. The magnetic pull I was feeling towards him made it impossible to tear my eyes from him. He was just too breathtaking. One may call him a dream or an illusion. Wait! Was I dreaming?

He fixed his piercing ocean blue eyes on me. Those eyes sparkled with a glint of wild fire casting fierce heat into my entire being. I hadn't seen a lot of attractive men in my life but this man was hypnotizing me just by staring at me.

He walked closer until he was two feet away from the bed. I hesitantly blinked and it suddenly looked like he had become even more gorgeous than a second ago.

His skin was creamy and smooth, his hair dark with most of it asleep on his forehead. His eyes ferociously blue, twinkling those thick lashes. His presence was wildly commanding and even though I wasn't standing next to him or in front of him, I knew that it was going to tower over me nonetheless. His frame was well fit and muscular.

"Close them." His hissed referring to my parted lips and I immediately shut my lips before hurriedly placing myself in a sitting position.

Did I just meet my mate? Was he really my mate? My eyes trailed from him and started scanning the large yet dark luxurious room that screamed both danger and royalty.  How did my life get to this? I wanted to ask him that but I held myself.

"Where am I?" I asked slowly then snapped my gaze to him. "Who are you?!"

"Where you belong." His deep soothing voice resounded in my ears. My heart started racing when he smiled. It was more like an evil smile. I had a feeling I was in the devil's den and that devil was my mate.

"Answer my questions! Where is my step father?!" The moment I yelled out that question, everything that had happened before I woke up in this room came rushing into my head.

"No," I screamed in utter disbelief, digging my hands into my hair. My step father...! He sold me! I wanted to believe that this was a dream but I knew that I would be lying to myself. I felt like a fool! I felt weak!

"Who the hell are you?!" I screamed at him.

His smile suddenly vanished and I felt chills run down my spine.

"Who are you?" I asked again, this time glaring at him fearlessly. It felt as if Sapphire was taking over my personality or was it just the rage and pain of being sold by the one who had been nothing but a thorn in my life? Maybe it was both.

Sapphire was quiet. I wondered why. Was it because he was our mate? Why was I so hesitant to believe that? Maybe because I knew that he was the one who my step father had sold me to.

Tears built in my eyes as he did nothing but stare at me. What was going on in his mind? Did he want to kill me? Turn me into a slave?

"You should be worried about your own identity to me, Dahlia." He whispered and the way my name rolled out of his tongue, it sounded special like a sacred word that only he could utter.

My body stiffened. My eyes fixed sternly on him. "How do you know my name?" I asked even though I knew it was a stupid question.

He suddenly smiled again, this time taking steps closer to the bed, then relaxed his arms on the bed, staring at me like a predator.

Those bright red lips of his parted, his eyes glued on me frigidly. "You were sold to me which means that I own you, every part of you whether you like it or not. Defying me will only lead to punishments that won't end your life but will make you see and feel things more than death itself."

Goosebumps broke out of my skin at every word that came out of his mouth. Regardless of his hypnotic tone, that couldn't hide the threat that lingered in them. A threat that exposed that I was more than doomed.

"What are you going to do to me? Turn me into your sex slave?" I had to ask. I didn't hold back and to be honest, I didn't care if my tongue would be cut out. I was a wolf and by his aura, his alluring powerful scent, I knew who he was.

"Darling, I am not a tyrant." He chuckled coldly then stood up straight, placing his hands in his pants pocket.

"Only a tyrant buys a poor helpless woman." I growled with full displeasure. Since he owned me, there was no need to hide any true feelings from him. To be honest, I didn't know if he was going to turn my life into more hell than it was before all this or if he was going to make it a paradise. He did look like a paradise.

"Oh?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. His lips broke into an eerie smile and I immediately took back my words of him looking like a paradise. "Dear Dahlia, you are no slave, you are someone more special, more useful."

"What?" I blinked in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

If I wasn't a slave, who was I to him? I was becoming extremely curious and a big part of me was terrified.

His gaze sharpened making it clear that he could sense my fear.

"Who am I to you if not a slave?" I asked wearily.

"The one who will carry my heir." He said nonchalantly. "Or to make it understandable, you are my breeder, darling." He ended his words with a smile while I felt my soul leave my body for a second.

"What?!"

My senses became clouded. It was like a defense mechanism. I didn't want to believe him. I closed my eyes hoping to wake up back in the house with my evil step father. I wanted this to be like a prediction for the near future so it would be easy for me to plan an easy escape but when I opened my eyes....

He was still there... Staring at me like he was enjoying my reaction.

"I am not going to be your breeder or whatsoever." I growled at him and rushed to the opposite side of the bed. I got off the bed and using my speed I rushed to the door only to collide straight to him. He appeared right in front of me before I could even make contact with the door.

Like I thought, he was towering largely. I had to raise my head to stare at him and I couldn't stop my heart from hammering against my chest.

He held me by my shoulders, pushing me back slowly and I lifted my head to look at him. I stared at him with the burning rage I was feeling inside.

"Even if you run out, you will be brought back to me."

"Why are you doing this to me?" I had to ask. My heart felt incredibly heavy, I felt scared. "What did I do to you?"

"Spilling out nonsense." He growled with displeasure and released my shoulders, placing his hands in his pocket. "My brother told me that you are feisty but he didn't mention anything about your foolishness. You belong to me. Forget about the life you had before, you will bear my child whether you like it or not."

I took some steps away from him and inhaled deeply at his words. Was he really my mate? Why was he so ruthless? So unconcerned? He didn't have a conscience. He wanted me to bear his child by all means necessary. He wasn't thinking about my feelings at all. Why was the goddess punishing me so much?!

"You live up to your name as a cold and ruthless Alpha king. Do not think that I am going to take any of your..."

"You will have no choice but to accept your fate darling," He cut me off with a whisper that sounded both sinister and sexy.

I blinked at him. "Fate?" I asked with full disbelief.

He chuckled, shaking his head, then took a step towards me, closing the gap between us completely. "Being stubborn won't save you, Dahlia. You just have to be.." he paused, placing his cold palm on my cheek. I unconsciously closed my eyes as his fingers trailed on my skin sparking heat into my soul. I held a gasp, closed my eyes and swallowed hard.

His fingers trailed to my jaw which he suddenly grabbed. My eyes snapped open, peering into his that were in their dark crimson form filled with no other than heated lust.

"You just have to be a good girl." He sighed out in the most hypnotizing way ever.

My whole body betrayed me when I tensed up as if obeying his words. My legs almost gave out.

He released my jaw, his burning crimson eyes fixed on me intently but I couldn't look away. It was like he had placed me in a trance. Those eyes held me so dangerously. I was in big trouble.

Suddenly, his eyes turned back to their piercing ocean blue form and a small smile graced his lips. "Maids will attend to you and clean you up for the day. I do not want you to get into any trouble. I am going to be aware of everything you do, do not forget that."

I said nothing. What could I say? That I couldn't be his breeder? If I eventually find a way to escape, I would have absolutely nowhere to go. There was no way I would want to go back to that demon I call step father.

I turned away from him and began to walk towards the bed.

"Do you know my name?"

I halted and clenched my fists. "I do." I muttered and took another step towards the bed.

"Call me by my name."

I halted once more. My eyes widened. I clearly did not expect him to suddenly say that.

Sighing, I looked at him over my shoulder and saw an impressed smile that graced his beautiful face. How could someone so heartless be so beautiful? Why?!

"Maximus." I breathed out, moving my gaze back to the bed.

And the next thing I heard was the door slamming gently. He had left the room and I was finally able to breathe properly.

"Mate." Sapphire growled once more.

"Is he really our mate?" I asked with full disbelief.

"Yes." Sapphire mumbled.

"Of course, the goddess has always hated me." I grumbled as I climbed back onto the bed and crawled myself up. "She took mother away from me, gave me an evil Step Father and now, I am the breeder of the Alpha King. I have to give him a heir."

Saying all those things, I realized how much my life was fucked up. Still, I knew that many others out there had it worse.

"Just go with the flow." Sapphire advised.

"What? I should try to escape?" I was stunned that she wasn't aiming to escape from here.

"Where would we go?" Sapphire asked as a matter of fact. I pouted my lips, clutching the blanket next to me. I hadn't thought of this. There was nowhere we could go.

"I'm scared." I admitted with a small whimper then closed my eyes. I felt tired, frustrated, furious, I wanted to punch someone! Anyone! "I'm really scared."

"Everything will be alright." Sapphire whispered but she sounded unsure herself. We didn't know how our lives would be from today onwards. We have to live it to find out. Unfortunately.

"I really hope so." I muttered with a light sniff. My mind began to wander around rapidly and soon, I realized how extremely tired I felt. My body eventually gave out and I fell asleep not caring that I was still in the dress my step father had bought for me from Marigolds. I was unfortunate.

My stomach churned, twisted and flipped in the most unpleasant way ever. It was almost as if I was going to seize breathing. Whimpering, I snapped my eyes open, clutching my stomach tightly.

The room was bright. I looked at my body to see that I was covered with a duvet which made me wonder if Maximus had come back to the room after I fell asleep.

I let out a groan of pain, sat myself with a grunt. What was wrong with me? Why did my stomach hurt so bad?

The door suddenly opened. I snapped my gaze there to see two women who were dressed in an appropriate black and white dress that signified that they were servants of the castle.

I swallowed, staring at them as if trying to suppress my pain.

They both bowed their heads. "Time to have a bath milady," one of them said respectfully.

For some reason, I was stunned and unconsciously turned my head back to see if someone was behind me. Were they really talking to me? I looked back at the maids and this time, they had their heads raised and staring at me with faint smiles that made me uneasy. Sighing, I managed to push myself without groaning loudly in pain no matter how much my stomach hurt.

They led me to the bathroom, preparing a sponge bath for me in the bathtub with different scents of lavender and rosemary oil. The luxury just from bathing was something I had never imagined. I felt good, cared for but I could say that I was happy.

Once they were done bathing me, they dressed me up in a long blue dress that actually felt heavier than it looked. Fortunately, it fit my petite body. I was the type that rarely saw food due to the poverty my step father had landed in, but still, I had an ideal slender body with nice curvy hips. Sometimes, I thanked the moon goddess for that. I stared at my reflection in the mirror as one of the maids brushed my brown hair until it was straight and shiny.

Apart from the stomach ache that was reverberating from my stomach, I could say that the morning was starting quite fine.

Once they were done with my hair and applying a little makeup on my face, I rose up from the chair and clutched my stomach tightly with displeasure. It wasn't rumbling, it was hurting. I was hungry but this wasn't the way my stomach should react.

I let out a low groan of pain. "What is..."

"Milady!" The maids gasped with shock and held me just as I was about to fall to the ground.

They looked worried and I was on the verge of tears.

One of the maids suddenly released me and ran out the door in panic while the second maid held me still and led me to sit on the bed.

"Thank you." I breathed out in exhaustion and she smiled faintly.

Suddenly, the door flung up open, a refreshing breeze brushed against my strained face. That intimidating aura pressed the room coldly and I watched as Maximus walked in looking even more gorgeous than he looked last night.

His blue eyes fixed at me with both curiosity and a tint of worry. Was I seeing something wrong?

The maid holding me suddenly released me and stepped away as Maximus approached me.

I glued my eyes on him until he was standing right in front of me. My heart skipped at his every movement, my mind going in a daze as he leaned his face close to mine and when he pressed his thumb on the sensitive part of my neck, I blinked shakingly and unconsciously parted my lips.

"How do you feel?" His soothing yet cold voice echoed and his hot breath brushed on my face.

I gulped and blinked rapidly trying to get my voice. "It..." Just as I wanted to reply, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and let out a small scream.

Maximus' eyes widened and he immediately held me by my shoulders as my eyes clouded with tears. "Call the doctor now!" He thundered at the maids who hurriedly ran out of the room.

I gasped weakly, throwing my head back in both exhaustion and pain. "It hurts!" I cried out and clutched his powerful shoulders.

"The doctor will be here soon." He whispered with a softer tone.

Was he really worried? I tried to look at his face through my teary eyes and let out a small yet weak giggle. I could see worry in those blue eyes.

"Do you care about your breeder?" I had to ask and I couldn't help but laugh after asking.

He raised his brow and despite the pain I was feeling, I laughed even more.

"Do you think I am heartless?" He asked with an Incredulous scoff.

"Well, you bought a weak helpless she wolf... So yes."

"You should be thankful that you are useful." He mumbled and I felt an even sharper pain in my stomach making me jolt and increased my grip on his shoulders. "Stop talking." He whispered, sounding even more worried.

I clamped my lips shut and raised my head to glance at him.

"Your brother purchased me for you? You should have just gotten married to some other wolf." I grumbled, pouting my lips.

"I said stop talking." Maximus growled with slight displeasure.

I smacked my lips, rolling my eyes. "You are so annoying."

I saw his eyes widen again before reducing dully. He let go of my shoulders but I made no movement to release his shoulders nor did he make a movement to leave.

"No one has ever called me that." He said quietly and it was my turn to raise a brow.

"What? Why?" I asked with full disbelief then shook my head. "You are probably so scary that no one ever tries to tell you their minds."

"Huh?" He asked surprised. I almost laughed at his bewildered expression but the current ache in my stomach made me hold back.

"It's true." I told him with assurance, nodding slowly. "If you want me to bear your child, you have to be nice to me."

At my words, he stared at me, holding my gaze with those piercing ocean blue eyes of his. Those eyes were hypnotic, beautiful, it was like staring at another world.

I let out a giggle and threw my head back. The pain increased but I kept laughing until tears streamed down my eyes.

Suddenly the door opened. "The doctor is here!" A maid announced.

"Finally." I breathed out weakly. My eyes were becoming heavy, the pain did nothing but increase and my grip on Maximus's shoulders increased.

"Dahlia!" I heard his voice call out my name with extreme shock just as I succumbed into darkness.