Chapter 3

Irina:

“A failure as always,” he said, and I looked away from him, avoiding the man’s eyes.

I knew to expect his anger, but the last thing that I did expect was to be insulted by him. At least, not over something that I had no power over. 

I didn’t even know who that man was. But his blue eyes were stuck in my head for hours as I tried falling asleep yesterday. I didn’t even have the courage to speak to my mother about this. I didn’t know how she would react, but I knew better than to risk things.

“Alpha…”

“Did your mother speak to you?” He asked, and I shook my head.

“She wasn’t at the hotel when I arrived, and when I was leaving in the morning, she was asleep.” I said, wrapping an arm around myself. He scoffed, looking away from me, and I looked down at my feet. I didn’t know how I was going to face my father when I was going home. The man was supposed to be free of being in debt to the man. But I failed, again, and now he was still in danger of being a slave to a mistake that he made in the past.

“Sit,” he said, getting up from his desk. I gulped, but chose to do as told. I was scared, I had to admit that much, but I didn’t show it as I took a deep breath, reminding myself of the lessons that I knew too well. “At least you are trained enough to follow orders.”

“Alpha, I didn’t mean to… I don’t even know who that man was…”

“And that makes it even more stupid of you!” He said, snapping at me. “You are lucky that I am going to need you alive. Otherwise, you, your father, and mother wouldn’t have survived the night.”

I looked down at my lap, avoiding his gaze. He poured himself a glass of scotch. He knew not to offer me a glass. I didn’t drink, not in the morning and not with Alpha Cosimo. 

“Someone is coming to meet you, my son.” He said, and I frowned in confusion. I didn’t dare look up at the man, but I had to admit that I was surprised by his statement, especially since I knew that he never even spoke of a son. “Your mother should have spoken to you about it. But considering that she hasn’t, I will.” 

I looked up at him as he walked toward me. He put two glasses, one for me and the other for him before he took a seat on the chair in front of mine. This was a first, and considering that he was offering me a drink, I knew to be worried. 

“You are to marry him,” he said, making my heart drop to my stomach.

“I’m sorry, what?” I asked, looking up at the man. “I am going to do what?” 

“You are going to marry my son. He is to be your husband, and he is to believe that you are going to give him a son. One thing that you will do, is that you will eventually get rid of him. But that would happen when I tell you to do so.” He said, and I frowned. The man’s eyes studied my expression as I leaned in to pick up the drink, gulping it down in one go. Alpha Cosimo didn’t say a word for a few seconds, and I shook my head in question. 

“Alpha, don’t get me wrong, but this is too much for me. I cannot marry a man that I do not know…”

“Your father will be free of his debt.” He said, stopping me. It was the one thing that he knew tied me down to whatever he told me to do. No matter how painful it was, he knew that it was a weak point for me. My father was a weak point for me.

“What if he doesn’t accept me as a wife? If I can’t give him a son…?”

“You are not going to give him the son.” He said, stopping me. “You are going to please him. You are to be his wife. You are to make him fall deeply in love with you. I don’t want him to suspect anything from you. The world around you is going to believe that you love him, and you are going to earn everyone’s trust, even if it means saving the pack if under an attack.” 

“Then, when they least expect it, you're going to kill him. You will be doing it slowly, and he shouldn’t even suspect that it is you.” He said, and I sucked in a harsh breath. “When he is dead, and when his rogues submit to you as the pack Luna; I will be taking charge of the rogue pack. Your father would be free of the debt, and I will have myself the new pack’s loyalty.”

“You want me to be the reason behind the submission of rogues?” I asked, and he smirked. “Your son is a rogue?” 

“He is a bastard.” He said, and I looked away from him as I chewed the inside of my mouth. “If he wants to be legitimized, my condition is that he has an heir. I don’t want that heir to be born, but I don’t want him to know that.”

“Why do you want to get rid of him?” I asked, daring myself to ask. The Alpha raised an eyebrow at me, and for a second, I believed that he would end up killing me. To my luck, he was quiet as he looked at me, studying my expression for a second too long before he chose to answer.

“He betrayed me,” he said, looking down at his glass that was still on the table. “And I have a thing for those who stab me in the pack. One punishment, but when it comes to his case, he doesn’t know that I am aware of his betrayal.”

“Now, without further questions, because I doubt that you are going to want to deal with the consequences of asking them.” He said, getting up from his seat. “You are to marry him, and you are going to do as I say.”

“What if I…?”

“Then you all die. But I will be sure that you are the last to take that breath of mercy, as I will choose to call it.” He said, glaring at me as he spoke. “The decision is yours, and I believe that you are wise enough to make the right one.”

“Which decision might that be?” A familiar man’s voice asked, making me frown as I caught sight of him. He was masking his scent. I got up from my chair and he smiled.

“You…”