Chapter 3

Nicholson's POV

“You bought me a what?!” I roared, my eyes locked on my Beta Callum who was standing across from me. How could he think– how could he dare?

“A breeder,” he repeated calmly as if that was supposed to soothe me.

“I think you're tired of living, Callum,” I glared at him.

“Alpha, just hear me out,” Callum said quickly, holding up his hands. “I was just thinking about you.”

“Thinking about me? How does getting me a breeder fit into that equation?!” I spat.

Callum sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “I know this isn't what you want–”

“You're damn right it's not what I want!” I snapped, pushing away from my desk, and pacing around the room.

“You've got less than two years before the curse activates,” he said softly. “Less than two years to–”

“I know!” I cut him off, not wanting to talk about the curse. I hated thinking about it, hated thinking about the dark shadow over my life.

“I understand you are holding out for your fated mate–”

“Yet here you are planning on bringing someone into my life like a damned gift,” I cut him off. “This isn't your decision to make, Callum.

“I know, and I'm sorry,” he apologized. “But there's no time, Nic,” he continued softly. “If you at least had a child, your lineage would be secured,” he added. “This– this might be your only chance. A real shot at leaving something behind that isn't just a memory.”

I sighed, running my hand through my hair. Callum wasn't wrong, mostly when it comes to things I avoid thinking about.

“You should have told me,” I clenched my fist, but I couldn't summon the same anger as before. “You know I don't like being blindsided like this.”

“I know, I'm sorry,” his voice laced with remorse. “But I figured you wouldn't be open to the idea, so I had to go behind your back. There's too much at stake.”

I sighed and rubbed my face. “How long before… She gets here?” I asked, not sure I wanted the answer.

He shifted on his feet. “By nightfall,” he mumbled.

“What?” I snapped. “And you’re just telling me now? You didn’t think I’d want to prepare for this?”

“I wasn't expecting her so soon,” Callum quickly explained, throwing his hands up in defense. “I was told it would take days, maybe even weeks to find someone. Then, out of nowhere, they called and said they had the perfect match.”

“Perfect match?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Doesn’t that sound a little too convenient for you?”

“What's the worst that could happen?” He shrugged, and for a split second, I regretted why I chose such a dumb person as my Beta. “If you don't want her you can send her away after you have the child. YOUR CHILD.”

“You think it's that simple?” I furrowed my brows.

Callum looked me dead in the eye. "You don’t have time for complicated, Nicholson.”

I slumped down in the nearest chair, gently massaging my temples. I couldn't believe how nonchalant Callum was being about this whole thing.

“So?” Callum said.

“Get out, Callum.”

“Nic–”

“I need a moment,” I said, not leaving room for arguments.

*****************

Amalthea 's POV

A sharp chill ran down my spine, accompanied by a dull throbbing in my head as I slowly stirred awake.

I blinked a few times trying to clear my vision only for my eyes to land on a young girl of around 16/17 years beside me, her head bowed, as if she'd been waiting for me to wake up.

“W-who are you?” I stammered, scrambling up, and water splashed all over, and that's when I realized I was in a bathtub, butt naked. “Where am I?” I asked, covering myself with my hands.

Panic surged through me as I remembered Lilian and the ugly-looking man who came with her and covered my nose with a cloth.

“Lara,” the girl whispered. “I'm supposed to get you ready?”

“Ready for what? What is this place?” I asked and made to stand, my hand still covering my body instinctively.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you,” she whispered, her eyes filled with something I couldn't place a name on– sadness? Fear? Whichever it was, I don't care right now.

I ignored her and stepped out of the bathtub, I was almost at the door when the bathroom door swung open, and the man from earlier stepped in.

My breath caught in my throat, and his gaze fell on me.

“Go back in there,” he said, his tone leaving no room for arguments, as well as having an underlying threat.

The same thing anyone would have considered doing in this situation was to obey, but I didn't move, even though every nerve in my body was screaming that I should obey. I just couldn't.

“Where's Lilian? Bring that bitch right here!” I demanded, my voice trembling slightly. “Fredrick is going to bring hell down here, if anything happens to me,” I threatened, using Fredrick 's new position as head of Alpha's council.

The man stared at me boredly, and then his lips curled into a dark sinister smile.

“Fredrick ?” He chuckled, pulled out a phone from his pocket, and scrolled through it leisurely, before shoving it in my face. “You mean this Fredrick ?”

I blinked, refusing to believe my eyes, as I stared at a picture of Fredrick smiling broadly with his arms wrapped around a woman– Michelle, Elder Stefan's youngest daughter.

‘Alpha Fredrick of Blackfangs, publicly marks and announces his new Luna,’ the caption read.

“Fredrick wouldn't,” I mumbled under my breath, shaking my head in disbelief. “We're mates.”

“Not anymore,” the man taunted, and his eyes flicked over my shoulder.

Dread washed over me, and my hand instinctively flew to the side of my neck, where Fredrick ’s mark used to be, but I couldn't feel anything.

“No, no, no,” I whimpered, as I rushed towards the mirror in the bathroom, nearly slipping in the wet tiles.

My heart sank as I stared at the spot where Fredrick 's mark was supposed to be, but– but it was gone.

I clung to the sink for support as my legs became too weak to carry my body. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably.

How can this be? Fredrick never said the rejection words, and even if he did there was no way in hell I'd accept it.

“Get her ready,” the man's voice rang, followed by his retreating footsteps.

“Come,” Lara said, as she gently took my arm, and led me back into the bathtub.

I sat in the tub, feeling numb as Lara gently washed. Different thoughts were running through my mind as to how Fredrick ’s mark just disappeared overnight, without him saying the official rejection words, and me accepting it.

As I thought long and hard about it, it clicked— The Codex! Fredrick mentioned it some time ago.

The Codex was an ancient relic owned by Blackfangs, and it was in the custody of the Alpha's family. With this, one can reject his mate without officially saying the rejection words, just a drop of one party's blood and another party's blood or personal belongings.

But using the Codex wasn't so simple, it had to involve extreme betrayal from one party, and in my case, Adultery— even though I was actually set up.

Hot tears trickled down my cheeks, how can life be so cruel? I've always done right by everyone, and tried to make everyone happy even if it doesn't entirely make me happy, yet, here I was, being served the coldest dish life has to offer.

After a few minutes of helplessly sitting in the bathtub, Lara was through, and she led me to the room.

“Here, put this on,” Lara said and handed me a flimsy piece of fabric.

“You can't be serious,” I said harshly and shook my head. “There's no way I'm wearing that.”

“They said… you have to put this on,” she muttered, her eyes darting to the door. “Please.”

I looked at the piece of fabric, which was barely more than a lingerie – a black silk piece with thin straps and lace trimmings. As I slid them on, the top was tight, pushing up my breast, and the bottom was a small slip of fabric, leaving lots of my skin exposed, barely covering anything.

Lara brushed my hair and applied some makeup on my face. By the time she was done, I couldn't recognize the stranger staring back at me– this wasn't the Luna of Blackfangs Pack, or Fredrick 's mate, the person staring back at me looked like a broken doll, dressed up for someone else's amusement.

The door creaked open, and the man from earlier stepped inside. A satisfied smirk spread across his lips as his eyes dragged down my body.

“Much better,” he drawled. “Let's get going.”

Too drained to argue, I did as I was told because what was the point of fighting? I've lost everything and had absolutely no one in the world. So, if this man right here wants to take me to Hell, I'll gladly oblige, I had nothing left to lose.

Whistling like this was a regular day for him, the man led me through a narrow dimly lit hallway.

We stopped in front of a large ornate door, and the man knocked before opening it. The room was dark apart from a single light that illuminated a masked figure seated in a large chair at the center of the room.

“Beta Callum, I got the best for His Majesty,” the man who led me in said proudly and pushed me forward slightly, my gaze landing on the unsettling gray eyes of the masked man.

The masked man stared at me with an unnerving intensity, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand.

“She's an Ex-Luna,” the man added. “She'll make strong pups for His Majesty.”

Pups? So this is what all this was about. I scoffed inwardly at my ill fate. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed this. When Lara was done getting me ready, I thought I was going to work in a brothel or something.

But seeing that I'm going to be used as a baby-making machine, I don't know which fate was worse.

“Do put in a good word for me to His Majesty–”

With a simple wave of his hands, the masked man cut him off, and a pin-drop silence spread across the room.

My heart skipped a beat and a chill ran down my spine, as the masked man stood up, his eyes never leaving mine. I wanted to look away but the force in his eyes made me stay locked in.

My heart began to beat wildly as he took a step forward– then another, and another, and another until he was just a foot away from me.

I forced my eyes shut, different thoughts racing in my mind all at once, as I tried bracing myself for whatever would come next….. but instead, I felt something soft and warm draped over my shoulders.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and realized a large coat was over my shoulders. I stared at the masked man in confusion, my brain trying to process what just happened.