Chapter 4 The Mistress

THREE YEARS AGO

"Why didn't you mark me?" I inquired, confusion evident in my voice.

"I want to do this the right way," Trent replied, his gaze fixed above my head. "We'll announce our bond tomorrow and have a proper mating ceremony. How does that sound?"

I nodded, a smile playing on my lips. I snuggled closer to him, relishing the warmth and safety of his arms.

"That's perfect," I whispered, contentment washing over me.

When I woke up the next morning, Trent's side of the bed was empty, as though he had never been there. The lingering scent of our passion filled the air, and I found myself revisiting the memories of the night before. The day had just started, and our love story was unfolding.

Little did I realize that the challenges and adventures we would encounter were not yet complete. Our journey had only just begun, and I was eager to discover where it would take us.

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Present Day

Trent appeared vastly changed from the person I once knew. His mere presence demanded attention, sparking a torrent of hushed whispers and comments upon his arrival.

Remarks about a man bold enough to return to the pack after exile. The murmurs and gazes were impossible to overlook, yet Trent seemed undisturbed.

"Leave immediately, while I still consider sparing your life," Alpha Ryan cautioned, his voice tinged with anger.

Trent's nonchalance was infuriating. "You're not really this delusional, are you? What makes you think you have the ability to kill me?"

A guard began moving towards Trent from behind, but he diffused the situation with a mocking remark. "Warn your man to step back. I have no desire to waste him."

Alpha Ryan reluctantly signaled to the guard, who withdrew, eyeing Trent warily. Tension was rising quickly and it was obvious that the situation could take a risky turn.

"I have come to challenge you to the leadership of the pack."

The hall fell silent, and I was as stunned as everyone else. Challenging Ryan to a duel could only lead to one outcome: one dead alpha and another taking his place.

Ryan studied Trent, a gleam in his eyes as he assessed the potential threat. It was obvious that Ryan didn't want to risk embarrassment and death.

"That is a bit too ambitious of you," Ryan sneered. "You think you can just walk in here and challenge me?"

"Yes," Trent retorted, "Everyone knows you're unfit for this position. You had it handed to you. Now, it's the time to fight for it." That was a low blow for Alpha Ryan. He didn't like people reminding him that he only became Alpha because of my father. He was getting blinded by rage, while Trent remained calm and rational.

"Weak, impulsive, and unfit," Trent taunted.

The chaos unfolded, and fear gripped me tightly. I hurriedly retreated into a corner, unable to take my eyes off Trent's stunning grey wolf.

Time felt never-ending as Trent's wolf clearly dominated the battle, playing with Ryan like a cat with its prey. The tension heightened when Trent brought Ryan down. The hair hung heavy with the stench of spilled blood.

In a desperate attempt, Ryan's loyal men charged at Trent. Alpha TJ's men charged forward and took over the fight.

Alpha Tj, himself stood with Trent, fighting alongside him. I was terrified as I caught sight of my father, who only stood blankly in the middle of the fight.

The intense conflict continued, and when majority of Ryan's men fell, a chilling silence followed. Ryan's loyalists were defeated, but my father was spared. Alpha Ryan lay defeated, his short era coming to an end.

The atmosphere in the pack hall was filled with uncertainty as we gathered. Trent Wade looked around wildly, silenfly daring anyone to challenge him. No one said anything and we all looked uncertain of our fate.

When Trent arrived at the Pack earlier, he came in with a cold look and never spared me a glance. His goal was to defeat Ryan and he had done that. Trent grabbed my father, making him kneel in the square.

"Listen up, members of the Brown Pack. I'm Trent Wade, your new Alpha. Your loyalty lies with me now," he said, his voice cutting through the tense air. We all bowed, a customary sign for a new Alpha.

Anxiety ate at me, especially for my father. His fate was still undecided. That changed a minute later when Trent commanded. "Throw him into the dungeon."

His men, symbols of impending doom, seized my father, and panic surged through me. In a desperate plea, I ran to Trent, my voice cracking as I begged, "Please let him go." But Trent had a newfound hatred for me.

"Get your filthy hands off me", he growled, kicking me aside.

I thought he would have me jailed too but what he said was almost as bad. "From now on, you're my mistress, Ashley."

"What?"

His cruel grin persisted."You heard me. Follow me." Dragging me towards the foreboding pack house, Trent's grip was a vice, and the weight of his words bore down on me.

Tears clouded my vision as I grasped the harsh truth, I was now a pawn inTrent's elaborate revenge plan. The pack's rejection and my defiance had forged him into an unyielding force, and now, I stood on the brink of reckoning with the consequences.

Our journey to the pack house felt like descending into shadows. His grip grew firmer with every step, exactly like the way he now had power over my life.

His countenance, once a comforting presence, now radiated a malicious satisfaction, and his eyes, once filled with warmth, transformed into pools of impenetrable darkness. The pack square, once a symbol of unity, now observes the consequences of Magnus Kade's uprising, a rule started with the need to get back at us.

Inside the pack house, the air was heavy with an oppressive silence. Trent's satisfaction seemed to intensify as he led me through the cold corridors. The walls echoed with the hollowness of my footsteps. The pack house, once a sanctuary, had been transformed into a fortress of my captivity.

Guiding me into a room, Trent asserted his control with undeniable authority. The coldness of space echoed the coldness within my heart. "You're mine to do as I see fit with now and I'll do with you as I please "