Chapter 1
To save the collapsing Aguilar family, I was forced into a mate bond with Nicholas Henry, the Alpha of the Northern Pack, a man whose influence was as vast as his cruelty. On our first night together, he demanded that I prove my worth, pushing me to my limits until I was barely conscious. The next morning, he handed over a damning report to the Lycan King, condemning my parents to death.
I knelt before him in the grand hall of the Northern Pack’s headquarters, begging for mercy. “Alpha, please, save my parents!”
He smirked, his voice cold and mocking. “Six years ago, my parents were framed and driven to suicide by your mother. Who saved them then? Every time I see these useless legs, I remember them lying in a pool of blood. This is karma.”
For four years, he kept me prisoner in his mansion, using me as a vessel for his rage. I thought of leaving, but the discovery of our daughter, Callie, gave me a reason to stay. Until the day he allowed his chosen mate, Mabel Gordon, to drag our two-year-old to a brutal pack training event, where she was mauled by rogue wolves.
Three days before our five-year mate bond agreement was set to expire, I stood on the rooftop, ready to end it all. He found me there, his eyes red with desperation, begging me not to jump.
---
After Callie was dragged to the training grounds, I knelt in the mansion’s foyer for four hours, my knees bleeding onto the cold marble floor. Mabel finally returned, throwing Callie’s battered body at my feet. “She’s been spoiled by the luxuries of the Northern Pack, and yet she couldn’t even defend herself against a few rogues,” she sneered.
Callie’s clothes were torn, her tiny body covered in deep gashes. She whimpered, “Mommy, help me… I’m scared…”
I held her tightly, fighting back tears as I tried to carry her to the healer. Mabel blocked my path. “It’s just a few scratches. No need to bother the healer. Don’t upset Alpha.”
I glared at her, my voice trembling with rage. “She’s Nicholas Henry’s daughter! If something happens to her, do you think he’ll let you off so easily?”
I pushed past her and rushed Callie into the mansion, settling her in her room before storming into Nicholas’s study. I fell to my knees. “Callie is burning up. Please, let the healer see her.”
He didn’t even look up from his desk. “Stop with the theatrics. If you’re trying to get me to spend time with her, forget it. She’s your daughter, not mine. If she dies, I won’t shed a tear.”
My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms until they bled. I choked back a sob. “I’m not lying this time. She’s really hurt.”
He sighed, finally picking up his phone. “Get up.”
I stood, tears streaming down my face as he called the healer. I murmured my gratitude, but he cut me off with a cold stare. “Take me to her.”
As I pushed his wheelchair down the hall, Mabel limped into view, her voice dripping with false concern. “Alpha, I got injured protecting Callie during the training. My ankle is swollen. Can the healer take a look at me? It hurts so much, I might not be able to attend to you tonight.”
Nicholas’s gaze softened as he examined her ankle, then turned to me with a glare. “Look at what your daughter has done, hurting someone who’s only trying to help her. You’re always playing the victim.”
I opened my mouth to explain Callie’s injuries, but Mabel interrupted. “Callie’s fine. I protected her. If you don’t want me in the pack, just say so, Cynthia.”
Nicholas’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t get to decide who stays in this pack, Cynthia. Remember why you’re here.”
I replied numbly, “I remember. After Callie is taken care of, I won’t ask for anything else.”
The healer arrived, asking, “Alpha, is Luna injured again?”
“It’s Callie,” I said urgently, but Nicholas spoke over me. “Mabel hurt her leg.”
As they left, I tried to follow, begging him to let the healer see Callie first. He shot me a look so cold it froze me in place.
When I returned to Callie’s room, she was already gone, her small body cold and lifeless. I collapsed to the floor, holding her and sobbing. There was nothing left for me in the Northern Pack. Only three days remained in our agreement.
---
I didn’t tell Nicholas about Callie. He had always said she was my child, that he couldn’t stand the sight of her. I buried her in the garden, as she would have wanted.
That evening, Nicholas entered my room, his voice as cold as ever. “Where’s Callie?”
I smiled bitterly but said nothing.
He laughed, a cruel sound. “I knew you were lying yesterday. She’s fine, off at the pack’s daycare.”
I avoided his gaze, my voice hollow. “The five years are almost up.”
Before our mate bond, we had signed an agreement. Five years, and then we’d part ways.
He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Is this what you’ve been waiting for? To leave me?”
I shook my head, numb. “I’m just reminding you.”
He yanked me down to his level, his face inches from mine. “Then maybe you should spend these last three days fulfilling your duties as my mate.”
I turned away. “I’m tired. Let me go.”
His eyes burned with fury as he shoved me onto the bed, tearing at my clothes. “Tired? You have no right to be tired! Every time I look at you, I see my parents lying in their own blood! You’ll never make up for what your family took from me!”
He left me broken and exhausted, but I couldn’t sleep. My mind was filled with memories of six years ago—when his parents had been driven to suicide, and he’d come to me for help. I had been powerless to save them, and he’d never forgiven me.
At dawn, he was still there. When I reached for the contraceptive pills, he grabbed my wrist. “Don’t take those. They’re bad for you. I’ll be more careful.”
I looked at him, confused. There was no “later” for us. I nodded obediently. “Okay.”
He helped me into his wheelchair, his tone casual. “Let’s have another child. I’ll give you that chance. And don’t bring up the agreement again. It’s void unless I say otherwise.”
His words were a peace offering, but I just smiled and nodded. “Of course. Whatever you say.”
After he left, I picked up the pills and swallowed them. Two more days, and this nightmare would be over.
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