Chapter 5

Irina:

“You didn’t tell me that you were sending me as a bride, mama.” I said, looking at my mother. She raised an eyebrow at me but proceeded to drink her wine. This was the third bottle that she’s drowned down so far. “Mama, you are going to end up hurting yourself…”

“You shouldn’t be caring what I do,” she said, and I looked away, avoiding her eyes. “What did you tell the Alpha?”

“What am I to tell him?” I asked, shaking my head at her. “It seems to me that things were decided already; I just had to go with them.”

“Good. Then for the first time, you chose to do what was best for this family.” She said, making me hold my breath. “Did you meet him?”

“He is taking me out in a bit. The two of us are going to…”

“You are not going to say or do anything that would upset him. He is the Alpha’s son, and I think that you should know better than to annoy the man.” She said, and I nodded, knowing it best not to argue. She was tipsy anyway, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before she was knocked out. I just hoped that she didn’t end up doing something foolish when I was out.

“I’ll go and get ready. I believe that you want Castell to be by your side.” I said, and she rolled her eyes. 

“I don’t need anyone by my side.” She said, and I took a breath, nodding. I was going to call the maid to stay by the door anyway. It would be best for her to do so. My father wasn’t here, and I knew that this had its effect on her. She didn’t like it when he wasn’t by her side. I knew not to disturb her when she was alone.

“I’ll leave you be then and go get ready.” I said, and she waved her hand, silently asking me to leave. I walked toward the kitchen, calling for her maid. The one thing that we were lucky in, despite my father being an omega, was the fact that he was a good businessman. We weren’t slaves within the pack despite being weak, and that was an advantage to make use of. And though the way that my father managed to make his money wasn’t one that I would approve of, I knew not to complain about it. 

“Castell, stay by the door if she needs anything. This is her third bottle, if things get out of hand, call me. I’ll come back.” I said, and she nodded. I walked to my room and started getting ready. I didn’t even know how I was going to face the man, but I knew not to bother with wondering. His father was Alpha Cosimo, and the man knew where we were anyway.

“What are you going to do, Irina?” I asked, voicing out my own thoughts. The number of things that played in my head were countless, but I knew better than to complain. At this point, I was just going to play along. For my family’s safety, I was going to have to play along. 

My phone buzzed, and I raised an eyebrow. No one ever messaged or called me unless it was Alpha Cosimo, and I knew that it wouldn’t be him. Not when I just left his office an hour ago.

-I’m on my way. The message said. 

I shook my head, knowing that it was the rogue. I shouldn’t have thought that he wouldn’t be getting my number from his father. I put my phone down on the dresser as I went to take a quick shower. I had already washed my hair earlier this morning, a quick body shower was all I needed right now.

“Let’s see what you’re going to be about, rogue…”

************************ 

I walked down to the lobby to find the man sitting on one of the couches. 

I wore a simple black dress that was tight around my waist, loosening a bit as it reached above my knees. Its cut sleeves kept it held over my breasts, barely exposing a small line of the valley of my breast. 

His eyes met mine and he got up. “You look beautiful.” 

“Thank you,” I said, looking away from him. I didn’t even know where he was going to take me. I looked down at his suit, and I couldn’t help but find myself shaking my head in question. His words from earlier today were playing in my head. “You don’t look bad yourself. But I can assume that you don’t intend for the two of us to elope tonight, do you?”

“The faster the better, no?” He asked, and I frowned. “The black dress can be a new trending style for you.”

“You are being serious right now?” I asked, and he shrugged. 

“Why not?” He asked. I took a breath and he pulled a ring box out of his pocket. He opened it, and my eyes widened at the sight of the diamond ring that was in front of me. “The faster we get this done with, the better. And I think that you know that Cosimo is not the type to like to be questioned.”

“He said that the two of us would get to know one another. Getting married was never in the picture.” I said, and he nodded.

“Because in his mind, he intends on having a grand wedding. And trust me, little wolf, the last thing that you are going to want is to have a wedding of his men around. If they are wolves, they would catch your omega scent, and the last thing that I want is for my reputation as Alpha to be shaken.” He said, and I took a breath.

“So, that’s what this is about.” I said, and he smirked. 

“I doubt that you would expect me to want to marry you, do you?” He asked, and I looked away from him. Alpha Cosimo’s words played in my head as I was reminded of the fact that I was to get rid of the man. He believed that he would be free and the Alpha hired him as an assassin to get rid of him. The faster I got done with this, the faster my father would be free.

“And I can assume that you know that I want nothing to do with a rogue like yourself.” I said, looking the man dead in the eye. “But sure. As long as you seem to insist on the two of us eloping, then let’s get this over with.”

“Is that so?” He asked, raising an amused eyebrow as he nodded at me to walk to the door. The two of us walked out of the hotel, and I watched as he nodded at one of the men, I could assume, a beta, his beta, to open the door. 

We took a right, and that was when his calm demeanor changed as he grabbed me by my neck, pinning me against the wall behind me.

“What kind of game are the two of you playing on me?” He asked, his voice hard, dark, and intimidating as he spoke. “What game are you and Alpha Cosimo plotting against me this time…?”