Three weeks later. Ethan stood at the altar, waiting for his bride to come. He was nervous. Even though the wedding was taking place in the private park by the lake with a gentle breeze blowing, he had beads of sweat on his forehead. He looked at where his mother and stepfather sat, and Levi smiled at him, letting him know he would be all right. Ethan stood with Keith and Malcolm behind him. Sebastien and Ashley's wedding was ongoing at the River pack, so they couldn't make it. They had all decided to wed on the same day to make it memorable. Everything went quiet, and the sound faded the moment Ethan caught Meadows's scent as she walked down the aisle. Blake held his daughter and led her through. Unlike the first time, she had a broad smile, and her heart was eager to get to the altar. Ethan looked at her, and he had never seen anything as beautiful as his mate. She was radiant and walked down with her eyes fixed on him. They had both come a long way, and this was the reward. B
Meadow sat on the staircase of her house, listening to her parents' conversation. The Luna of the whitewood pack was with them, and they were having a discussion that involved Meadow. Although they knew she was at the stairs, they did not bother. She was as good as invisible in the pack and posed no threat to anyone. Meadow was the only child of Tamar and Blake Clearwater and the least favoured in the pack. She was a lovely brunette with blue doe eyes and porcelain skin. Meadow had everything most women dreamed of, but she was greatly flawed by her condition. Soon, her looks stopped counting as she gradually faded into the shadows of her pack. People teased her growing up, but now they just ignored her. Her tears had stopped giving her peers joy. She had mastered invisibility perfectly that people never noticed her anymore. Meadow's voice was stolen at a young age and has remained mute ever since. Her parents spent a fortune trying to help her get her voice back, but it was to no
Meadow stood frozen on the spot. Her breathing was laboured, but Ethan could not care less. He ignored her and wheeled his chair back to his desk, where he was working on his computer. Meadow's tears fell silently. She did not know where to begin. It wasn't Ethan's condition that bothered her; it was his reputation that troubled her soul. Ever since the unfortunate accident left him half the wolf he was, he had been bitter. He was ruthless and unforgiving. People were afraid of him. People feared him so much that no one ever spoke his name. Meadow realised she would be living in hell for the rest of her life. Ethan's words had registered in her mind. 'A live-in Nanny that could not quit'; that was all she was to the McClouds. "Find a place to sit and do not utter a word," he said, then turned to look at her over his shoulder. "I forgot you were mute. Excellent choice. At least I would not have to deal with rants and whines. As long as you do not invade my space, you will not have
Meadow woke up late the following day. She got off the bed and realised Ethan was not lying in his bed. She looked at the clock, and it was eight in the morning. How could she have overslept on her first day? It was a weird thought being she just got married, but realising it was a job took away the joy. What made her sad wasn't the fact that her parents had deceived her, that her husband was a cripple or that he was mean. She would have made it work nonetheless. Ethan was a very handsome man, more so than his brother, and he was more feared than Joseph. She would have found a way to make it work. What hurt her the most were Luna Amber's words and how she presented the matter. If they wanted a nanny, they should have hired one on a strict contract instead of marrying a wife for Alpha Ethan. Then again, a nanny could not carry the Alpha's children, and children born out of wedlock could never inherit. Nonetheless, taking her phone from her and giving her strict rules was a low b
Three months passed, and Meadow ensured she was on her best behaviour. She avoided getting on anybody's nerves, most especially Ethan, who was good at pretending as if she did not exist. Although Amber had made her seem like a nanny, Ethan was self-sufficient. Meadow helped him with the things he couldn't do for himself, but above all, he did most of the things himself. Ethan could survive without her, and she knew it. Which made sense why the nannies quit, coupled with his temper, but he had never lost his temper with her. Meadow never gave him a reason to. There were times that Meadow wanted to get him to go out and get some sun in the afternoon, but because he barely spoke to her, there was no opportunity for her to ask him. Staying indoors was getting to her, but there wasn't much she could do. Meadow would often wonder what Victoria was doing and if she missed her. She also wondered about her parents and if they missed her too. It was hard, but she was pushing. She wondered
Meadow packed her bags quickly. She did not bother with fancy clothes or make-up. Ethan had proffered a temporary escape for her, and she would take it. She knew Luna Amber would eventually get her way and have to do what the woman wanted, but she needed time to accept it. "Are you ready?" Ethan asked in a stern voice. She exited the closet with her bag and nodded quickly. "What about you?" She signed, and he turned his wheelchair around. "I have my things there," he said and moved towards the door. "Come on. I do not want to have another altercation with her," he said, and she followed him quickly. Ethan dreaded going to the cabin, but that was the quickest and closest place he could take her to. He had shared the cabin with his ex, Cynthia, and the place was filled with the memories he shared with her. It would be a painful stay for him, but he wanted to stop his mother from ruining Meadow's life. He knew she was untouched and believed his mother's plan was cruel. They left
Meadow's hands trembled while she fumbled with Ethan's phone. It was as if she was finally getting food after being denied for so long. She longed to communicate with Victoria and could not believe her luck. Her tears rose as she typed her message to Victoria, and Ethan noticed it. Meadow's emotions made him look away, and he wheeled himself to the cabin's living area to watch the news. He expected Keith soon, so he stayed where he could control his behaviour rather than return to the room. Ethan could stand seeing Cynthia's picture anywhere but the room he currently occupied because that was the place he had spent the last night with her. They were in that room when she told him he was a has-been and useless to himself and everyone around him. She told him she did not want to be saddled with the responsibility of caring for his kind and that she knew she was better off. She blackmailed him and told him he would let her go if he genuinely cared for her. He was speechless and co
"Hello," Ethan said on the phone, and Joseph sighed on his end. "Alpha," he said to his brother. "Yes," Ethan replied, sounding a bit short. "Where are you? Mother has been going crazy," Joseph asked. He did sound like he did not want to call, but the pressure was so much that he couldn't help it. "Tell her to mind her business and find another thing to do," Ethan said calmly, and Joseph sighed. "Honestly, I do not support what she is planning on doing. Did you try to reason with her?" Joseph asked out of concern. "I did, and she refused, claiming she owned the girl as if she was an object. She is mute, Joseph, that is all. There is nothing wrong with her. I cannot let mother ruin a life to please herself. She is untouched, and mother wants to put her through artificial insemination," he told his brother, and Joseph could understand Ethan's rage. "She knew what she was getting into, Ethan. Her parents willingly..." Joseph said, and Ethan cut him. "She didn't, Joseph. I believe