Shallow

Chapter 4 - Shallow

Colette

Numb.

All I felt was numb. I went from my family being ripped away from me. To being forced into a life of service. To now being sold with a lie attached to my name.

I was blindsided, unsure what I did so wrong to be cursed with such a heartbreaking life.

I hadn't had any time to grab my things, not that I had anything to bring before being forced to leave the Silvermoon pack. Forced to marry a man who had a reputation for brutality, and death followed him.

The words from the she-wolf, Sophia, sank in as I sat in the car in silence.

I wasn't wanted there, and I had a feeling Alpha Zane felt the same way. He didn't want me to be his wife, the Luna of his pack, any more than he wanted to even have to acknowledge me. And for some reason, it twisted my stomach a little, almost like the thought of him not wanting me hurt.

I pushed the thought away, keeping my focus on hiding my scent and suppressing my wolf the way I was taught. But it felt harder to do so now. My skin felt itchy, my mind aching as if she had found a way to sneak past my mental blocks.

Maybe it was because we had been crammed into this SUV for almost two hours now with three other males who wore the same emotionless expressions the same that Zane did.

It took everything in me to keep my eyes on the road ahead of us—only breathing in through my mouth, avoiding inhaling the scent of the males filling this tiny space. My arms and legs tucked in as close as I could get them. Not wanting to touch the thighs or shoulders on either side of me.

I almost groaned in relief when we turned off the highway and down a dirt road. That was until I remembered who I was with and where I was going. My relief quickly turned into unease as we got closer to the border. I held in the gasp as we approached the pack territory and saw the large castle sotting at the top of the hill. Perfectly placed in the middle of the territory.

It was like a fairytale, the ivy growing up on the sides. Even men were stationed at the top armed with guns in the large gateway. Everything about the castle, the whole territory, Zane, screamed power.

It wasn't just the place that grabbed my attention but the crowd of people waiting inside the gates as we passed. People were cheering for his return as his car ahead of mine entered through the gates first.

He got out of his car with Sophia and headed towards the crowd of people.

"Grab her, make sure no one touches her. She is to go inside and get cleaned up and look presentable before the Alpha introduces her to the pack," The driver ordered the other two men beside me. 

The males nodded, the car stopped, and the door opened. The shouting became louder. The male to the right, who had red eyes and a clean-shaven head, reached for me. His hand, big enough to wrap around my wrist twice, gripped me, pulling me out of the SUV and into the giant castle I was now expected to call my home.

I didn't have a chance to look at anything before being dragged down the hall and placed into a room. The door shut as the male exited the room, and for the first time since my family and pack were murdered, and after Bianca passed, I was once again alone.

I slowly took in the space around me. The room was the largest room I had ever been in. The walls were a bright white, a blank canvas. The bed underneath me was lush and didn't have springs poking out of it. The covers were a deep purple and weren't worn down with holes and covered in stains from years of use.

I listened for a minute, ensuring no one was coming before I slowly stood up. There were three doors in the room. One in the middle was the doorway that led out of the room.

I moved to the second door opening it and finding it stocked with clothing of various sizes and styles. From dresses to shirts and pants, workout clothes, shoes, and bags—all things I had seen in Amelia's closet.

I felt like I couldn't breathe as I stared at it all.

"This isn't right. It should be me, not you," A snarky feminine voice sneered from behind me, making me squeal in surprise. I turned around to see Sophia standing in the doorway, her arms crossed.

I hadn't even heard her enter my room. Without my wolf, my hearing and smell were that of a human. Most just assumed I was an omega, so they never questioned it. Thought I was too weak to shift—no better use for the pack than to clean up after them.

"Not even going to fight back? So pathetic. It doesn't matter. Zane only has to fuck you for an heir. I'll be the one warming his bed at night, Lovey. You are just too meant to look pretty on his arm while I call the shots," I flinched, taking a step back but that only seemed to encourage her to step in closer.

"You are nothing to him. You will never be anything to him. You got that, mutt?" She snarled. I swallowed hard, nodding. I just want her to leave me alone. She made Amelia seem like an angel in comparison to her.

Her nostrils flared as she leaned in closer.

"You smell disgusting and weak," She spit in my face, catching me off guard. My whole body jolted in shock. My eyes burned with tears. My jaw tensed; I wouldn't cry, not in front of her.

"Get. The. Fuck. Out. Now. Sophia." A deep voice snarled from the door. Sophia's eyes widened in shock, quickly changing as she spun around to face Zane.

"Zane, I didn't sense you. She was crying. I was trying t-" Sophia said, her voice raising an octave as she tried to sweet-talk her way out of it. A deep growl filled the room; my hair stood on end. Zane's golden brown eyes filled with rage as he stared her down.

"Don't bullshit me. Try to lie to me again, and I'll have you outcasted for a while for your ignorance. I catch you near her again without my consent. I won't hesitate to punish you," She let out a low whimper, bowing her head.

"Get out. I won't tell you again," Sophia cut a quick glance at me. Her eyes filled with the promise of finishing this later before she stormed out of the room. 

Zane let out a deep breath running his tattoed hand through his onyx hair. His Alpha aura filled the room, calling to me, begging me to submit.

He no longer wore his jacket revealing the white shirt he wore underneath it. It stretched over his toned body. The sleeves are tight around his biceps. I forced myself to look away. I was so embarrassed and ashamed.

No one had ever humiliated me so badly in my entire life. Amelia tried, but she didn't have the hate I had seen in Sophia's eyes. Or maybe she did, but she held back because she knew I was in her home for another purpose. A purpose I was never privileged to know until today.

I lifted the collar of my shirt, bringing it to my face.

"Here, let me," Zane cut in, freezing me in place.

I watched him as he walked through the third door. I heard the water running before he came out with a cloth. His eyes were softer than before. I held my breath as he gently rubbed the warm cloth down my face. His brow pinched as he concentrated. I couldn't help but take in his sharp cheekbones and the short facial hairs along his jaw like he forgot to shave this morning.

His hands were warm against my skin. I wasn't sure why that shocked me; maybe it was because of his cold demeanour that I just assumed his touch would be just as cold as him, but it wasn't. My skin seemed to buzz with each touch as I looked up at him.

Against my own restraints, my lungs expanded, and I inhaled. The of fresh mint and cedar filled my nose. It made my stomach flip, and I took a step back. The movement seemed to snap Zane out of his momentary lapse of judgment.

His eyes became hard again. His jaw was tense. He looked me over the corner of his lip, ticking up.

"You look disgusting. I will send in a maid to help bathe you. Tomorrow you meet the pack. I can't have you looking like shit," He said, storming out of the room, dismissing me with the slam of the door.