Chapter 4

My breathing was labored as I trudged up the third flight of stairs. Why the hell were my rooms so far from the ground?! Didn't they know this was a fire hazard? Was there even a fire escape? Couldn't they have an elevator? No, probably not. It would interfere with the classic beauty of the old wood, I bet. 

Rhys led me into a dark hallway. It was too dark really. Gave off a murdery vibe. Would it kill them to turn on some lights? 

"Your rooms are here, next to the Alpha's." Rhys opened a large door. "There's a bathroom through there." He pointed at another set of doors. 

The room was humongous. White-washed wood walls and floor-to-ceiling windows made the space so bright.

There was a bed near the windows. It was monstrous. It could easily fit several people. It was mounded with an obscene amount of pillows. 

There was a small sitting area with comfortable looking sofas arranged around a cozy fireplace. I scooted through the room to look at the facilities. 

"Are you freaking joking?!" My jaw dropped at the bathroom. A gigantic claw-foot bathtub dominated one corner. The other corner held a walk-in shower with multiple heads. 

There was a double sink, and a toilet in its own little closet. A set of double doors at the other end of the bathroom made me nervous. "Wait…am I sharing this?" 

"With the Alpha, yes." Rhys' voice was laced with amusement. I'm glad someone found my situation amusing because I sure didn't. 

I swept from the room and plopped on one of the overstuffed couches in my sitting area. "I'm going to need to work out a schedule with him so we aren't walking in on each other."

"Why are you so upright?" Rhys dropped onto another couch across from me. "He will be your Husband. You will be sharing his bed. What would it matter if he walks in on you bathing?" 

The blood drained from my face. So I would definitely be laying with my Husband. Great. Fan-freaking-tastic. 

"It's not being uptight. I'm not at all impressed with being a Bride. I had plans for my life, Beta."

"What were they? I'm sure the Alpha would be happy to indulge you." 

"Indulge me." I groaned, my head thumping back into the cushion. "The last thing I want is to be indulged." 

"Then what is it you want? Because from where I'm sitting, you're better off here than you ever were with your clan." 

"I want to make my own choices!" The truth burst from me. "None of this was my choice. I just happened to be compatible with your species, fertility-wise. It's not like I dated anyone or found love on my own!"

Rhys shrugged. "It's the hand you were dealt, doll. Eventually you're going to have to get over it. Alpha Xander isn't a bad guy. You need to give him a chance." 

"I don't have to do anything but spread my legs and accept his seed. That is the extent of what I have to do." 

"That's a crude way to look at it." Rhys leveraged himself to his feet. "If you keep thinking this is a chore, doll, then it will be."

He let himself out of the room quietly, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

~*~*~*~*~*~

I paced the room angrily. Days. It had been days! Alpha Cross had not summoned me. No one really interacted with me but Rhys. I had been stuck in my rooms and I was crawling the walls. 

Of course, I didn't want to spend time with the Alpha, but the least he could do is acknowledge I was here! I mean, I had been a tad snappish, but I was entitled to the way I felt. All of my choices had been made for me!

A soft tap on my door was the only warning I got before Alpha Cross pushed his way in. He was as overwhelming as ever. Even though my rooms were humongous, it still felt too small when he was inside. 

"Madison, I would like a chance to talk to you." His rough voice scraped over my flayed nerves. I simultaneously wanted to rub myself all over him and push him out the huge windows. 

I flopped on one of the couches. "Sure thing, Husband. Let's have a chat."

He stood awkwardly at the door, as if he were afraid I'd bite him. It was an odd thing, to see such a large man nervous all because of me. 

"I'm aware we didn't get off on the right foot."

"A freaking understatement!" I snorted. 

His golden eyes narrowed dangerously. He stalked forward and I flinched back into the couch. I couldn't help it. 

He drew up short. "Do you think I would hurt you? You were hand-selected for me by the Goddess."

I stood, hands planted on my hips as I glared at him. "I don't know what to think. I have waited the last two years to be claimed by you. I arrive here and I have been essentially ignored!"

He stepped into me, his luminous golden eyes razing me with the stoked flames burning in their depth. "Madison, I want to love you. I have never wanted anything more than to love you!" His words were a fervent plea as he snatched my hand. 

"No, you wanted a Bride. A walking womb. Nothing more, nothing less." Ice settled in my chest. I could never love a monster that only wanted me for my ovaries. "So here I am, Husband. A ripe field to plow." 

He staggered back, my words cutting him as sharply as any knife. He turned his wounded gaze on me, but I steeled myself. I would not allow myself to believe this could ever be anything more than a business arrangement. I was a means to an end for the Weres. The continuation of their race.  A broodmare.

"You don't have a very good opinion of me, do you?" He scrubbed his hand across his face in agitation. "I have done nothing more than request my mate."

"And yet I did nothing more than be born." My voice was bitter. "I didn't want you. This. Or at least I wanted to choose it." 

"It is a full moon tonight, Madison. It would be best if you remained in your rooms once it is dark." He turned his eyes away from me.

"Why?" I knew why, I just wanted him to admit it. "Why do I need to stay here?"

"We don't have the best control during the moon-madness. It's also the only time a human is susceptible to our–" He trailed off, searching for the word. 

"Disease?" I supplied. Most Weres were born. However, there had been cases of humans wandering too close to packs during their moon-madness. 

One bite was basically a death sentence. Either the human died from the ravaging of the DNA change, or they woke up a little furrier. Neither of which I wanted. I was perfectly happy being human, thank the Goddess. 

"I suppose that's one word for it." He sighed. "I will see you in the morning, Madison." 

"I'll be here. In these rooms. Where you stuck me." 

He turned, stepping into me. I met his gaze again, throwing down my challenge. I wouldn't look away. 

He leaned closer, his lips ghosting across mine before he strode from the room. I pressed my fingertips to my lips, half-wondering if I'd imagined it. A blush crept across my cheeks, and I groaned. I was playing with fire now, and I was positive I'd end up burnt.