Chapter 2: New Home

Seraphina 

I followed him through the brush, my bare feet sinking into the cold, thick mud. The forest was a wall of black, tangled branches that seemed to reach out for me. Xandriel never let me past the perimeter of the camp. I was a bird in a cage, and the cage was small. Now, the world felt too big, too dark, and far too quiet.

A black Audi waited on the shoulder of the highway. It looked like a predator crouching in the shadows, all dark glass and gleaming chrome. Hayes opened the back door, and I slid in, keeping my back pressed against the cold leather of the far side.

Alexander climbed in after me. He didn't try to close the gap. He sat on the other side of the bench, but his presence filled the entire car. He was beautiful in a way that hurt to look at. His jaw was sharp, his hair cut tight, and gold rings glinted in his ears. Tattoos spiraled down his thick arms, intricate patterns that disappeared under his sleeves.

He growled low in his throat, a vibration I felt in my own chest, but he stayed in his corner.

"Why are you so tense?" he asked. He was staring out the window at the passing trees.

I expected to feel more anger toward him for the raid, but mostly, I just felt numb. Xandriel had no soul. He was a hollowed-out beast who broke things for fun. Alexander had destroyed Xandriel’s world, and part of me wanted to thank him for it.

"I am not tense," I said. My voice was flat. I wasn't screaming. I wasn't crying. That was as calm as I got.

I rolled my eyes and looked away. He was bossy, just like every other Alpha. I knew how this went. We would get to his house, and the list of rules would start. Stay here. Do this. Don't speak.

"You are. I can hear your heart thudding against your ribs from here." Alexander reached out, his large hand hovering near mine. I pulled away instantly, tucking my fingers into my lap. He retreated, his eyes snapping to mine. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Seraphina. There is no need to be rude."

I didn't flinch. Men like him wanted a reaction. They wanted fear or fire. I gave him nothing. I watched the rain start to smear across the glass, my breath fogging the window until the world outside was just a gray blur.

"You won't even give me a chance," he said, his voice dropping to a soft, pained whisper. "I want to treat you the way you deserve. What did that monster do to make you like this?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

He wouldn't be able to stomach it. I had no filter left. The car slowed, turning into a long, gated driveway. When the tires crunched to a halt, I reached for the door handle, but the lock clicked. Alexander’s arm was suddenly draped across the back of my seat, his body blocking my exit.

"Yes," he said firmly. "I want the truth. I am not letting you out of this car until you tell me what is happening in that head of yours."

"Fine!" I snapped. The dam broke. "It started with the housework. Then it was a quick rape whenever he felt like it. Then it was long nights where I had to guess if I’d fed him right or if I was touching him the way he liked so he wouldn't hit me." I leaned closer, my eyes burning. "I have scars you will never see, Alexander. So just let me go. There are a thousand women in this world. Pick one that isn't broken."

Alexander’s face went pale. His knuckles turned white where he gripped the door handle.

"I will kill him," he rasped. "My pack will hunt him until his lungs burst. He is a dead man."

He unlocked the door and tried to reach for my arm to help me out, but I shoved his hand away and stepped out into the rain.

"You never have to see him again, Seraphina. I promise you."

I ignored him. I didn't want promises. I wanted a bed.

The house was massive, a stone and glass mansion that screamed wealth. In Xandriel’s camp, rich men had slaves. They had pretty girls who existed to be used. I waited for the shove, for the hand on my neck to force me through the service entrance.

It never came. I walked through the front door side-by-side with the Alpha.

He led me to a room on the second floor. I stopped in the doorway, my breath catching. There was a bed. A real bed. It had navy blue walls and charcoal gray sheets that looked like clouds. I’d spent years giving my bed to Xandriel or sleeping on a thin mat on his floor.

"You'll get in trouble if you leave the property without me," Alexander said. I sat on the edge of the mattress, testing the softness. It felt too good. I looked out the window at the woods, thinking of my people back home, probably huddled in the dirt. "Am I making myself clear?"

"I know the deal," I said, not looking at him. "You saved the people I care about. I owe you. I'll follow your rules."

"Is that all this is to you? A debt?" He sounded sad, which made me want to scream.

I closed my eyes. I used to dream of finding a mate. I thought it would be a spark, a rush of love. But with him, all I felt was a dull ache and a flicker of heat that terrified me.

"I don't want to be punished," I said, hearing his boots heavy on the floor as he moved closer. "If you saw what he did to me, you wouldn't want to hurt me either. Just... don't touch me."

"I won't touch you," he promised.

"Without permission," I added, the words catching in my throat. I had to set the boundary now. "When do you want dinner?"

He paused. "What?"

"Dinner. If Xandriel's food wasn't hot the second he sat down, he’d choke me. Do you want it at six? Seven?"

"I don't expect you to cook, Seraphina. I have staff for that."

I turned to face him, my brow furrowed. "Then what? Laundry? Sex? Do you have specific days for that? Or is it just whenever you’re in the mood?"

The Alpha's composed face crumbled. He looked like I’d stabbed him.

"You're my mate, not my slave," he said, and the way he said my name made my skin prickle. "One day you’ll be Luna. You’ll have power. You’ll have everything. I just need you to learn how we live here. I am not him."

"Then I'm lost. I don't know how to be that."

"You can do whatever you want. Just stay on the grounds and stay out of my office." He stepped closer, his scent of pine and musk filling my senses. "And stay away from certain men. I get jealous. You won't like me when I'm jealous."

"What do you want from me then?" I asked, my voice rising. I needed to know the price. "You don't share? How many of your men am I supposed to entertain?"

Alexander lunged.

I hit the wall behind the bed, my heart stopping. He didn't touch me, but his fists slammed into the drywall on either side of my head. He was inches away, his eyes glowing a predatory gold, his breath hot on my face.

"What do you mean, share?" he growled.

"I thought we should stop talking," I whispered, my pulse racing so hard I thought I’d faint. "You’re angry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"No! Answer me! What do you mean by share?!" He looked like he was going to vibrate out of his skin.

"With the other men," I stammered. "In my old pack, the Alpha’s girl was for everyone if he was feeling generous."

"Damn it!" Alexander roared, the sound echoing off the walls. "No! I don’t share what is mine! Never!"

He backed away, his chest heaving. He looked at me like he wanted to say a thousand things, but instead, he turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door so hard the frames on the walls rattled.

I sat there in the silence, trembling. I’d been here thirty minutes, and I’d already broken the Alpha.