Chapter 6 YOU'RE MINE NOW

The second the vehicle came to a halt at the vast mansion that belonged to Alpha Alexander, I bolted right out of the car and straight to the closest bush, throwing up the last content of my stomach. After encountering those dead bodies on the road a few minutes ago, it took a whole lot of restraining for me not to have thrown up then. It had truly been a morbid sight and honestly, the second time I'd ever seen dead bodies in my entire life. The first was my father.

Even the Alpha had seemed oddly disturbed when he stepped outside the car to inspect the bodies, returning with a haunted expression that stuck to his face for the rest of our uneventful ride, like something about the killings of those people struck something deep within him. When I'd eventually dared to ask who was responsible for the heinous act, he'd gruffly told me Black Bane, and that was exactly all the answer I needed.

Of course, it'd be those monsters! For as long as I've lived, scary stories have been circulated through West Crescent Valley about the beasts of the Black Bane pack. They were ruthless, twisted and savages with no respect for the other packs. Not even Silver Dawn could touch them. Those wild beasts bowed to no one. Legends have it that they drew their magic from a dark entity, something vile and impure like themselves. From birth, every wolf has been taught to avoid them, dread the bare mention of their name and it was forbidden, highly forbidden by the counsel of West Crescent Valley, to be found having any business with Black Bane territory. It was punishable by immediate execution.

However, above the fear that surrounded Black Bane, it held nothing in contrast to the menace and terror that their Alpha inspired. Diablo, that was his name, and it went without saying that the man was the devil's incarnate. Although no one had ever set eyes on his face and lived to tell the tale, he was infamously known across the three packs for killing off his enemies in the most vividly horrifying way possible. To say the least, his mystery stirred a thousand dark stories about the tyrant man that sat unrepentantly on the vile throne of Black Bane pack.

Alexander was by my side and it momentarily surprised me when he pulled my hair back as I consistently kept throwing up. His hand rubbed deliberate comforting circles at my back and when I was finally done, he had a handkerchief out. Easily towering over me, his pensive eyes held subtle concern before he dabbed off the edges of my mouth with the soft material.

"Thank you," I mumbled, my gaze falling to the ground.

"Look at me."

I lifted my head instantly, hating the edge to his voice. "Sorry."

"How are you feeling?"

I just threw my gut up, what do you think?

I forced out an obviously fake smile. "I've never been better."

The man rolled his eyes, gorgeous as they were. However, his gaze grew serious in the next second, almost holding a hint of genuine sympathy. But how could that be possible? Alpha Alexander had proven to be a solid wall of ice and incapable of feeling anything beyond irritation. "It's barely your first day with me and you're already being introduced to dead bodies. I can't promise that it gets better from here, Venus. In fact, it'd get a whole lot worse. Once we walk into those doors together, there's no going back from this. You'd be subjected to a life of sacrifices, leadership and high expectations-"

"I can't turn." I blurted, chest constricting.

His brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

My fingers trembled and I avoided his inquisitive eyes. "I mean, I can't shift. You know, into a wolf... And I was born without magic too." There goes the deal breaker.

Silence stretched between us, my heart thudding against my ribcage and when I finally summoned the guts to face his burning gaze, I regretted it.

Twisting the innocence of his blue eyes and god-like features was a striking scowl with his lips pressed down into a hard line. "What do you mean 'You can't shift?' How is that even remotely possible? Every werewolf can shift, that's the entire point of our existence." He spat, like the situation both confused and angered him.

"Well, I can't." I glowered, looking down. "If it's not obvious enough yet, everything about me seems to attract bad luck." You, included.

Alpha Alexander gave an exasperated sigh, shutting off his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them up to his usual impenetrable composure. "It's fine. We'll figure it out eventually. Perhaps it's just a gene defect. Silver Dawn has the best physicians and when you're ready, I'll have them examine you."

Confused, I frowned. "I... You won't send me back?"

"Why would I do that? You're my mate."

"I know, but..."

"But nothing, Red." He lifted my face by my jaw, causing me to stare into his compelling blue eyes. My heart skipped a beat. "Every bone in my body wants this to work, more than I'm most likely showing it. We belong to each other and at this point, you're the most precious thing to me. I won't back out just because of a little gene defect or the fact that you're incessantly annoying. I'll fight for us because you're mine now."

A surge of warmth swarmed through my belly as Alpha Alexander had me trapped under his earnest gaze. Something about his words filled me up with an unfamiliar feeling - something fragile, something welcoming, something that brought me a certain sense of safety. It sparked me up from the inside and resulted in the light blush that stole its way to my face. "It's hard to take you seriously when all you've done since we've met is frown and bark out orders."

Alpha Alexander rolled his eyes. "Says the girl who lied about a bear attack. And for the record, I don't forgive lies, so you should never consider it again. Are we clear, Red?"

"My name's Venus. Not Red," I muttered, letting out a light scowl.

"Are we clear?" He grounded out, eyes sharp.

"We are."

"Good, and I'll call you whatever I wish." These were his final words before he tugged me by the arm and led us into the intimidating mansion that screamed of wealth and sophistication. In fact, the whole place was astonishing, even beyond the Alpha's home in the Whitefang pack. From the vast garden that framed the bold architecture, filled with exotic flowers and a grass lawn, it looked like a page cut out from one of those high-class magazines. At the center of the vast estate was a flowing water fountain carved in the replica of a black wolf howling and fiercely attracting attention to itself.

However, walking into that mansion with Alpha Alexander's hand securely gripping mine was what really had my mouth hitting the ground. Holy shit! The whole place was magnificent!

Gold was the highlight of the intricately designed walls, followed by the top-notch decor. Expertly furnished, antique paintings hung on the wall, overseeing the perfectly polished marble grounds. At the center of the foyer was a spiral staircase that seemed to look like the gateway to heaven from how far it went up. I was dazed by the perfectly organized flower vases, the glittering chandelier and the grandeur of the entire place.

On our entrance, maids lined up in twos, showing their respect by bowing their heads as the Alpha and I walked between them. They must have been preparing for his return cause of the festive decorations hung around. Nonetheless, it didn't escape my notice how a few eyes seemed to linger on me, both in curiosity and suspicion. I felt a strong need to run.

It was at that moment that Alpha Alexander squeezed my hand softly, in a way that hinted at encouragement. My gaze narrowed to the ground and heat crawled up my spine.

"Xander, you're back!" An enthralling voice called out excitedly, which drew my attention to the staircase where it'd come from.

There she was, gradually descending the steps with perfectly poised movement and an elegant dress gripping her curves. She was, in fact, the most stunning lady I'd ever seen. Beside me, Alexander let go of my hand and I caught a ghost of a smile flit across his face when he looked over at the woman. For some reason, a cold hand squeezed down painfully on my heart in that moment.

The second she was down, she threw herself into a hug with Alexander, carelessly pushing me aside - like I was a maid or even invisible.

"I've missed you so much! What took you this long?" The lady whined into his shoulders and it came as an even bigger shock to me that 'Xander' responded with a charming grin of his own.

"I was only gone for three days, Ophelia." He chuckled.

"Well, it felt like forever." She pulled away from the hug, then suddenly had her green cat eyes descend on me like she was noticing my presence for the first time. "What's this? A new maid? She looks like a stray wolf." The woman laughed cynically to her fill, making me crawl back within my skin.

Alpha Alexander's gaze sharpened then, ice replacing the mirth. In a warning tone, he spat. "Ophelia, that's your Luna. You'll give her the respect she deserves."

What followed Alpha Alexander's words was the last thing I expected. At that moment, I wanted to dig up a hole and die.