CHAPTER THREE: THE ONE NIGHT WITH A STRANGER

BEATRICE’S POV   

It continued, the act of him making me watch her cum as he thrust into her while my heart ripped into two from the splitting pain. Every single time, my wolf would wail and groan in pain, but that was as much of a conversation as we had. In a few days, I had learned to accept my fate and gotten used to being a maid. A loud slam sent me back to reality, and I met with her brown piercing eyes. The female my mate cherished. 

“Iron this,” Anna said irritably, placing her silky blue dress on the kitchen counter. “Babe is taking me out in ten minutes.” She rolled her hair with a finger and then proceeded to eye me. “I wonder how he can be mated to someone like you. You look nothing like me, and don’t get your hopes up, and I’m the only one he wants.” 

All I could do was sigh as I  watched her walk away. Tears weighed in my eyes at the thought of how unfortunate I was. I moved towards the iron board and ran the iron over the dress, hoping and wishing that one day, my mate would see me in another light. That he would learn to love me.

“Get me some oranges from the garden while I watch this.” She said as she approached me, and it felt more like she never left.

“It isn’t part of my duty today. It’s….” My words trailed off the second the stinging sound reverberated through my left ear.

“How dare you question me!” She raised her voice and picked up the hot iron, placing it on my arm. I let out a scream, the intense heat leaving a trail of blisters. My skin felt like it was being stretched to the breaking point as I whither in agony. Tears running down my cheeks. “That is what you get for refusing an order.” She snarled. 

A car screeched loudly from outside; humping, she launched forth, closing the gap between us, and the next I knew was the smell of burning flesh before the echoing sound of the fallen iron.

“Please don’t hurt me…..please.” Anna whimpered, holding onto her burnt hand as she fell onto the floor, crawling backward, and I stared in disbelief. Before I could say a word, the door flew open, and Alpha Kai stormed in, running to her side.

“What did you do, Beatrice? What the hell did you do to her?” He roared and surged forward, his claws wrapped around my neck. The pain shot through me like a sharp stabbing sensation, like a thousand knives digging in at once. My airway felt compressed, making breathing a struggle. The pressure built, and slowly, my vision started fading. I hit his hand, begging him to let me go, but the rage on his face, he looked as though he wanted to end me. “Pray nothing happens to her because I swear I will skin you alive.”

“Kai….” She called out, and he grunted as he let me go, bending to pick her up and taking her out without sending me a glance. 

My heart shattered into tiny bits from the pain. At that moment, I knew he would never acknowledge me as his mate. With tears stinging my eyes, I ran out of the house towards the bar even though I wasn’t on night duty today. When I arrived, Sarah didn’t ask a question before pushing the open bottle of whiskey towards me. 

“A customer didn’t finish it. Help yourself to it. I have to pick up something on the outskirts of town.’ She informed me and headed out. Unlike me, Kai had taken her as a punishment for her parent's debt, and she was stuck working for him for the next ten years.

I drowned myself in it, letting its hotness burn my throat, but it did nothing to quench the pain even when I took the fifth gulp and the next and the next. Until my vision got blurry, and I felt everything around me swirl. The song had gotten slower, and I was starting to feel less sad. The door dung open, and I heard the heavy footsteps that didn’t belong to Sarah.

“We are closed,” I mumbled, but the steps didn’t stop until the tall figure towered before me. His Orange eyes stared into mine as he leaned in. His sharp jawline, his pointy nose, his tiny lips, and the way he smelled. It all made my heart flutter.

“You shouldn’t drink too much. I don’t like females that drink.” He informed, and I scoffed, ignoring him as I poured another glass. I was in no mood to deal with another asshole. “You should listen to me.” He announced, snatching it from me, and I grunted.

“Just give it back, please.” I pleaded, attempting to get it, but it proved abortive because I could see five now. “Please…” I was baffled, ignoring the stench.

“You are drunk. Go home.” 

I laughed dryly, then drank from the bottle. Did Kai put him to this? To torture me, to remind me of how helpless I was. The annoying stranger slapped the bottle away and grabbed my hand tightly. “I told you I hate seeing you get drunk!” He yelled with anger in his voice.

“Why?” I screamed, my eyes stinging with tears from the raw wound his grip was splitting open or the pain in my heart.

There was a brief silence as his eyes stared deeply into mine. His fingers moved my hair to the back of my ear, and my heart thumped loudly. Not out of fear but something else that I couldn’t explain. The way he looked at me, no one ever did.

“Because you are mine.” His voice dropped low, sounding like it was wrapped in a honey pot, and my heart raced faster.

His lips claimed mine in a rough kiss, his fingers running through my hair as he deepened it. Everything stopped, and soon, I gave in to this hunger I felt. To taste him.