Chapter 2- Maddox

I’m sitting in my office after getting back from training. I’ve been spending time going through my father’s old pack notes and documents. It’s a nightmare as the man refuses to digitalize anything. Nadia is supposed to be helping me, but she’s late. I’m sure she is being bullied. I wish she would let me put the bullies in their place. 

Soon it won’t matter. Soon she will know the truth. I told myself when she turned eighteen. I’d tell her the truth. She turned eighteen a few months ago, but I’ve gotten caught up in political bullshit and my uncle and mother trying to shove females at me in hopes they are my mate. Idiots. I’ve already found my mate. 

I come from royal lycan blood, which means as an Alpha, I can detect my mate at any age. I don’t have to be twenty-one, and neither does my mate. I found her eight years ago in that damn slave market. Nadia. 

I could smell her a mile away. I followed the scent of roses and lavender to the heart of the slave market, where I found my mate in chains being sold. My heart dropped when I realized that she was a rogue slave, not that I care that she is one. Personally, I find the whole slave thing barbaric, and the other leaders wonder why we have so many leaving packs to become rogues in the first place. We have outdated laws that I’ve been trying to change with a few other of the younger Alpha’s who think like me, but the old fuckers can’t let go of the old ways. 

My parents had sent me there to find a personal slave to help me with daily activities as I was starting to be groomed for Alpha. They were hoping I’d pick a male who was older than me. Instead, I choose my mate. I couldn't let someone else buy her because I knew the chances that I would find her again would be slim. I didn't care that she was a rogue slave. She was my mate, my gift from the moon goddess, and I trusted she knew what she was doing. 

When I first saw Nadia, she has her head hung low in defeat. I couldn’t imagine the fear that she felt. She was taken from her home and separated from her family. It was cruel, but there wasn’t anything I could do at the time to help her other than to buy her. I knew I could save her from a harsher fate with a cruel master. 

At first, I tried to keep things as slave and master, but over the years, it became harder. The older we got, the more we both started filling into our adult bodies, and fuck me did Nadia become beautiful. Her chestnut brown hair falls in natural soft waves. Her deeps hazel eyes draw me in. Her creamy skin tone, rosy pink lips, nice sized boobs, slight curves, and medium-size ass make her the envy of every female. She is perfection, at least to me, she is. 

I’ve done what I can to make her life comfortable, but I know she will only be truly comfortable when she is free. I will mark and mate her. She is mine, and I’ve spent years making sure she is safe, well as safe as she’ll let me. I need a Luna, and Nadia will be my Luna. I don’t care what my family says. I don’t care about the political nightmare it might cause. 

No one knows she is my mate. I’ve kept that secret to myself. I trust no one because they all don't like her for foolish reasons. The staff hates her because she is treated like gold. My family hates her because they think she is a distraction. They have no idea who she is to me. They have no idea how valuable she is. 

Honestly, I would tell them if I wasn’t afraid, they would try to get rid of her. No way they will willingly accept her as my mate. They would sell her behind my back or, worse, kill her. I can’t trust them with the information till I’ve at least marked her. Once I mark her, I will be able to mind link her. Once I complete the mate bond by claiming her, it will strengthen our bond, and I will know if she is in danger. Till then, I will tell no one. I hope to tell Nadia soon. 

There is a knock at my door, and I know it’s Nadia. I tell her to enter, and she does in a flustered state, but that’s not what bothers me. She stinks like she hasn’t showered in a week. That’s not like her. She’s very good with her hygiene which means the other slaves are stopping her. 

“I’m sorry I’m late, Alpha. I fell behind on my chores.” She blurts out after she shuts the door. 

“Fell behind or got stuck doing someone else chores?” I inquire. 

“It’s fine.” 

“It’s not fine because it makes you late, and why the hell do you smell?”

“I uh, haven’t been able to shower. I will try tonight.” She hates when I call out when I know she is trying to cover for the damn bullies. 

“They aren’t letting you shower, are they? I’m not stupid, Nadia. I can put the pieces together. I don’t know why you bother trying to cover for them.” I state, annoyed. 

“I’m sorry, I don't want to cause trouble.” 

“If they won’t let you shower in the slave showers, then you will use my bathroom. It’s right across the hall, and I refuse to let you go on smelling like that.” 

“You don’t have to do that, Alpha.” 

“Don’t argue, Nadia. You will shower in my bathroom from here on out. If you won’t let me put the bullies in their place, then I will counter them in other ways. After dinner, you will shower in my bathroom. There is no room for negotiation on this.” My tone suggests my decision is final. 

“Yes, Alpha. Shall I help you with the files?”

“Yes, we have a lot of ground to cover with you being late. I know it’s not your fault, but you have to let me stop this madness at some point. I’m reaching my breaking point with it. It’s only getting worse.” 

“I know. Soon,” she replies as she walks over to her spot where she works. 

Nadia organizes the files by date and events while I enter them into the computer. She is still rusty with her technology skills. She still hates getting in a car. In a way, it’s cute and not her fault. At least she can read and write. Her parents at least tried to do right by her. 

Perhaps tonight, I will tell her the truth. She will be alone with me in my bed chambers as my bathroom is attached to it. I need to tell her soon. I need to mark and claim her. If anything, I want to do it to get my damn uncle and mother off my back. I'd be willing to tell them if they would get their head out of their asses for one minute, but I don't trust them. I’m not sure I trust those idiots with anything. 

The only one I can somewhat trust in my family is Elliot. He’s my cousin and Uncle Damon’s son. Elliot is my Beta. He’s intelligent and modern like me. However, Elliot is an opportunist, and if I told him the truth about Nadia, he’s run his mouth to my uncle. Elliot loves pleases daddy dearest, and juicy information like Nadia being my mate is something he would tell his father in a heartbeat. Therefore I trust no one with this information. 

Maybe the moon goddess has finally given me the opportunity to tell Nadia the truth, at least I can only hope because I want nothing more than to claim her as my mate. I know she will struggle with the information at first, but she trusts me, so I can only hope she will agree to be claimed. I hope I don’t have to fight with her on this. I refuse to reject her and I know there is a chance she might want me to, but I never will. She cant’ reject me, as the weaker of the two of us, it would kill her. 

There is the possibility she might still try and if she does I might have no choice but to mark her against her will. I hope to the moon goddess above it never comes to that because forcing her is the last thing I want.