Chapter 3: Shut Up And Obey

When I wake up, the first thing I realize is that I'm on a huge bed, and my wedding gown lies next to me, crumpled up in a messy pile of white taffeta and lace. It's chilly and damp. a steady soft pattering tells me it's raining outside. 

The room I'm in is blindingly white, and for a second, I begin to panic.

They couldn't have brought me to a mental institution, could they?

But it doesn't smell of disinfectant or bleach, but rather, like lavender, with a twang of something sweet. The bed and pillows are satiny, and the room is far too big to be an institution. 

When I lift my head, I begin to feel tipsy, as if I had been drinking with an empty stomach. But my body feels fine, other than a few sore places around my arms and legs. My head hurts a little, too. 

My vision clears up quickly, and I sigh with relief. I'm definitely in not an institution...

But I also have no idea where I am. 

Enormous windows covered by equally white and pristine curtains line up the walls. The space isn't too large, but it's tastefully furnished. My eyes reach the farthest corner towards a door, and I almost cry out when I see the figure of a man sitting on a chair, hands clasped together and eyes fixed on me. 

Not any man.

Maximilian.

He straightens, sitting back on his chair. 

"Hello," he says. His hair is now let down, making him look slightly disheveled compared to his pristine appearance earlier at the wedding. The topmost buttons of his white shirt are open, revealing an inch of his chiseled chest. Without his jacket, the outline of his arms is clear. 

No wonder nothing I did had hurt him. The seams of his sleeves are struggling to stay in place because of his muscles. 

"Are you mute now, too?" He stands and walks over to the bed, instinctively making me flinch. A crooked smile creeps onto his lips at the sight of me recoiling. "I won't hurt you if you behave."

Now, seeing him close up and in this bright light, I notice how tall he is: way over six feet. 

"Where are we?" I ask, knowing I probably won't get a straight answer. I brush my hair back with my fingers, getting it out of my face. 

He sits at the edge of the bed and eyes my body. Shit. I'm not wearing anything under the sheets. 

"Did you undress me?!" I instinctively tug on the sheets to cover more of myself, though it doesn't budge because of his weight.

"Your dress was... cumbersome." He shrugs. "And we're somewhere safe, where no one can get to you."

His nonanswers are infuriating, but then again, that's exactly the same thing I used to do to my father when he questioned me about my... adventures. 

The image of his face comes to my mind, and I automatically smile despite the situation I find myself in.

I got away. Well, not technically. I was taken. And this isn't exactly what I envisioned as freedom from my father.

"What's so funny?" Maximilian's voice interrupts my thoughts, bringing me back to the present. He looks at me quizzically, as if trying to figure me out. 

"Nothing," I say. For a few seconds, we just stare at each other. Thunder breaks the silence, though it doesn't break the tension between us.

What on earth could I ask him if he isn't going to answer directly? Finally, I decide to go with: "So... What is this all about?" 

"Your family had some long outstanding debts..." he says. "We simply collected it." 

"And what happens now?" 

"We'll see."

His nonanswers are driving me crazy. 

Maximilian stands and picks up his jacket from the chair's armrest. "They'll bring you food and water. You've slept all day." He's heading towards the door, and I feel like I'm going to scream. 

"No," I say, lowering my voice, trying to stay calm. 

"No?" He looks amused. "What do you mean, no? That seems to be your favorite word, isn't it?"

"No, you don't get to just leave without answering. Stop treating me like an idiot. The least you can do is explain the story behind why I ended up here instead of talking to me like I'm four years old." I sit up straighter on the bed, taking care to not let the sheets slide down and reveal a little too much.

It's hard to sound intimidating or exact any amount of pressure with no clothes on. Not only is this situation awkward and possibly dangerous... but it's a little exciting, too. 

Back at the mental facility, one of the things I was working on was my "recklessness" and "disregard for my general well-being." Those were the fancy words the psychologists used to describe my "doesn't give a shit" attitude towards life in general.

And it seems that this... recklessness is kicking in right now. 

"You don't seem to grasp your situation." Maximilian puts a hand on the doorknob, and I think he's going to step out, but instead, he drops his jacket and strides over to the bed, towering over me. 

This time I don't flinch. 

"I'll say it once, and I won't say it again. You are in no position to demand anything. Your father gave you away. He was going to do it with Alpha Jack. Don't deny it. We know it was a forced marriage." He leans in closer. "But I own you now. Not your father, not Alpha Jack."

"It's illegal..."

He lets out a hollow, mirthless laugh, cutting me off. 

"You're stupider than I thought," he says dismissively. 

"It is illegal," I continue. "Even in Pack laws, to claim someone's daughter without marrying them." Now I realize that it does sound a bit silly, given the circumstances. 

Human laws don't apply to werewolves, and while most packs adhere to our laws, Maximilian is known for disregarding them.  

The worst part is it sounds like I want him to marry me. And as much as I loathed the prospect of marrying Alpha Jack, being safe in his compound sounds slightly more appealing right now. 

Maximilian slowly shakes his head.

"That wasn't part of the deal. Until I decide to use you, you shut up and obey. That's all you need to know."

"What was the deal, then?" I say, ignoring what he just said. 

His eyes narrow. "Your father can't have kids anymore. Who do you think is tasked with continuing his line?"

I stiffen, not entirely understanding what he means. Part of the reason my father was so eager to marry me off so quickly was that he wanted me to give him grandchildren. A boy that would eventually be Alpha in his stead. 

Marrying me off to Alpha Jack would unite the two lines, concentrating all their wealth and power into a new, even stronger pack. 

But I hadn't thought so far into the future. I had no intentions of allowing Alpha Jack to do anything to me...

"Have you added it up, now?" That annoying crooked smile of his appears on his face. "Whatever offspring you have will have a claim in everything Moonspell pack owns." 

"And you... want that?" I say, trying to circle around what's now becoming more and more obvious. 

"It will be my offspring's. Yours. Ours."