First meeting

Kristen POV

Amongst other packs I had heard of, the DARKMOON pack had to be the only one that struck my heart with so much fear that I shivered whenever I heard its name.

Not only because of how much power the pack possessed, but the Alpha himself.

The same alpha that was rumored to have killed his parent after years of being treated like a slave by them.

He was a ruthless, cruel man who didn’t have a heart and even if he did, it would be made of stone.

Alpha Lucian, was an Alpha who sent people trembling just by the mention of his name…..

And that was the same man I was going to be sold to. My stepfather had heard all these rumors about him, but he still expected me to become a baby machine to such a monster just because of money and more power.

Tears flooded down my cheeks as I stared at the contract papers in my hands. The papers had the potential of snatching away my freedom for a year.

I was not appalled because I was going to be a baby machine for a ruthless Alpha. I was more devastated at the fact that my family was more than willing to sell me to him without even a second thought.

I understood my Stepfather hated me deeply, but I couldn’t understand why my mother couldn’t stand up for me when she had been my hero since I learned to count.

My name is Kristen and my life has not always been this difficult. I was raised well in a once-happy family.

My father showered me with too much love and that failed to prepare me for what I might face when that privileged was not there anymore.

My life took a drastic turn when my father died and my mother got married to my stepfather.

He made my life a living hell and he made it so obvious that his ill-treatment towards me was simply because I wasn’t his.

I knew this because my mother had a daughter for him and she was treated very differently from me.

Daniela received the care and support from her father, something I never got and it got to a time when I felt neglected.

Staring at the contract paper in my hand made me realize all my effort to please my stepfather and make him love me as he did to his daughter was a waste.

The door to my room opened and I flinched, thinking it was my stepfather, but my heart calmed a bit when I realized it was just my mum.

She had a smile on her face and I hated it because I was aware that was her way of telling me everything would be alright when she knew it was a lie

“It’s okay, you don’t have to be so gloomy, Once you have a son for the Alpha, you are free to come back”

She tried to cheer me as she grabbed my shoulder, but I wiggled out of her grip in anger and for the first time I scowled at her.

“And you think I will come back here after that happens!?” I shot at her, anger visible on my face

A frown replaced the smile on her face. “Then where would you go?” she inquired with genuine confusion and concern.

“Far away from you and that beast you got married to!” my voice was shaky when I said that, but I fought the overwhelming urge to cry.

“Watch your mouth! you will not talk about your father like that” She warned, already pissed by my disrespect.

I felt choked when I heard her say that. He was not my father and could never be. I was not a kid not to know a father could not treat his child the way he did to me. She knew all these but she still called him my father just to piss me off.

“My father is dead and buried. That thing can never be my father!” I yelled at the top of my voice.

The moment the last statement left my lips, the door was pushed open forcefully and I was faced with the devil himself.

I swallowed hard as I gazed at the stern look on his face. Had he heard me? I asked with my heartbeat so fast, that I could hear it, and if they were attentive enough they would probably be able to hear it too.

His eyes landed on the contract paper I had tossed to my bed unsigned and that caused his face to harden the more.

“You haven’t signed it!” he demanded in an authoritative voice that both I and my wolf flinched in fear.

“You think this is a joke!” he turned to look at my mother who equally had fear in her eyes.

I could not understand why she would marry someone who she was afraid of. It was hard for me to deal with the fact that this was supposed to be my father’s replacement.

“You have been chatting with her rather than making her get the deal sealed!” he roared at her while my mother kept her face down.

To avoid being hit by the vicious man who stood in front of me, I grabbed the paper I had tossed earlier out of anger.

My hands shook as tears went down my cheeks and I signed it. It felt as though I was selling my soul because I knew right now the deal was sealed and there was no going back.

                               ****

I could not count how many times I had wiped my sweaty hands on my dress or taken a deep breath due to how nervous I was.

The deal was done, the contract had been signed and I was being sent as a slave to my supposed master that was going to hate me as much as I would.

I got down from the car and my legs wobbled as they made contact with the hard surface. I stared at the enormous mansion before me. It screamed luxury, but I was too anxious to admire it.

I was more concerned about what Alpha Lucian would look like. Probably the ugliest man alive. I did not want to believe someone with such rumors could look anything close to good.

I felt a nudge on my back, it jolted me back into reality, and I realized I was just standing at a spot and not walking. I turned to look at the two guards behind me who maintained a straight face and I continued moving.

The main entrance was guarded by four guards. They gave us free entrance since they knew I was the supposed Alpha’s whore. It was not particularly the case, but I liked to put it that way. Putting a different meaning to it was plain sugarcoating it.

I was led to the Alpha personal house, which was different from where the other members of the pack stayed. I was more than glad about that arrangement because I did not know if I would be able to stand the stares I would probably get from the pack members.

On getting to his personal house, I was made to wait. The woman who had led us through the mansion informed us that he was currently in the gym room and would meet with me soon.

I was nervous beyond words as I clutched the herm of my body clinging blue dress, waiting for his presence to graze the room and probably rip me into two as he did to his parents

Minutes of a high level of nervousness and anxiety had passed and finally, the door to the hall opened. My heartbeat quickened as I stood upright, waiting for him to walk through.

The moment my eyes met his, my jaw dropped.

He looked nothing like I thought he would. He was the most angelic being I had ever seen.

His perfectly sculpted body, which shone as a result of the sweat he acquired during his gym session, his dark onyx hair that was damned by his sweat too, his chiseled jawline, perfect nose, hooded intense blue eyes that appeared clearer than the sky and most outstandingly his overpowering cocoa scent.

My wolf was agitated, which was strange because she was never like this.

His scent made me feel heated instantly, so aroused that I had to clamp my legs shut to cope with it. He was so far from me, but I still felt his effect from where I stood.

What was going on? Did he cast a spell on me? I had vowed to hate him throughout the one-year contract, but I was starting to lose myself, meeting him for the very first time!

The more closely he got, the more agitated my wolf became and the more I got crazier for his scent.

When he had gotten closer enough, I was pretty sure I heard my wolf say faintly. “Mate” then she screamed it out in excitement. “Mate!”

I could totally understand her excitement. I mean I was 21 years old and almost losing hope about getting a mate since I was way past the age of finding a mate.

With a glimmer of a smile planted on my face, I stared at him, waiting for him to realize I was his mate. Since he had a wolf, he was supposed to know within seconds, but it seemed he did not realize it.

The deadpan look on his face as he scanned me made my heart beat even faster

“I expected more,” he spat out.