Chapter 4

NADINE.

As soon as he left, my heat came. And it was the worst feeling that I ever had in my whole life. I was burning and miserable.

This bunker had cameras everywhere that I knew, and if he wanted, he could see me.

In the beginning, I kept myself composed and did my best not to even flinch at the first sign of pain when my heat came. But as time went on, I couldn’t stop myself anymore.

I was burning. I thought I was about to die. I couldn’t stop my tears and my cries anymore. So I just let the pain consume me and added my mate’s name to the list of people who had wronged me. 

My name is Nadine Benjamin Montrell. 

My father was supposed to be the next Alpha of a pack until it was taken over. My grandfather, the then Alpha, was killed, and along with his death, the whole pack was taken from our family. 

I was not born yet when it happened, but all my life, I have heard my father talk about it. I heard the pain in his voice. I saw the regrets in his eyes. And I felt the hope dwindling in his soul. 

He had given up hope that he would be able to take the pack that rightfully belonged to him. He gave up, but I didn’t.

I spent my whole life preparing to infiltrate the territory that belonged to the people who wronged us. I had mastered every skill possible so I could take on the challenge of getting the pack back — the Dark Forest Pack.

The pack of my fated mate.

I was prepared to meet Alpha Maddox, the grandson of the Alpha who posed as a friend of my grandfather, only to kill him while he was sleeping. 

I knew how cruel Maddox was. He was as cunning as his grandfather. 

But what I didn’t see coming was Xander Trevino. Maddox’s half-brother and his new Beta. I didn’t expect him to be my fated mate. This might be a cruel game the Goddess played, but I thought being his fated mate might work to my advantage, but I couldn’t see that anymore.

The bond between us was making me weak and making me lose my focus. And the fact that he never wanted this was the last straw I needed to wake up. 

Xander Trevino was not the decent man I had heard of. He was like Maddox. And I would make sure he would also feel my wrath and my revenge.  

I woke up with my clothes soiled from my sweat and tears, and I was sure the whole room was reeking of my juices because of how many times I touched myself until I passed out from my heat. 

But I didn’t care anymore. 

As much as I didn’t want anyone to invade my privacy, I knew I had lost it the moment I saw the cameras inside this room. I saw the camera blinking many times throughout the night, and I wondered if there was anyone on the other side watching me touch myself.

I felt like an open show. 

I bit my bottom lip to stop it from quivering as I kept my eyes closed. My tears kept falling, and I just let them go. I was curled up in bed, clutching my stomach and facing the wall. 

My heat had been long gone, and based on the clock, it was already past six in the morning. Soon, it’ll be twenty-four hours since my last meal. I didn’t eat lunch before I came here, and the dinner Xander promised never came. But I didn’t feel any hunger at all. All I felt was hatred and bitterness. 

My eyes snapped open when I heard the lock of the metal door click, but instead of smelling my mate, I smelled the Alpha. 

I closed my eyes and whispered to my wolf, asking her if she had the energy to help me fight off Maddox if he attempted to harass me because I was already drained out of it from all the screaming and thrashing I did the whole time I was in heat. 

Before my wolf could answer, I felt my body being hoisted up, and I had no choice but to place my hands on the chest of the person who carried me in bridal style. 

No words were spoken, and I kept my eyes closed. I had no idea if the Alpha knew I was awake, but at the moment, I didn’t want to talk to anyone. 

I felt my lungs expand as fresh air swirled around me. I was out of the bunker, but I had no idea where he would take me. My eyes remained closed until I heard footsteps approaching and my mate’s scent getting stronger.

“You can give her to me.” Xander’s voice came out cold. It was so cold that if he were talking to me, I would be prepared to protect my life. He sounded deadly, but I didn’t feel any fear at all. 

“If I knew you would put her in the bunker, I would have taken care of her myself,” Maddox said in an equally cold voice. “I could have satisfied her...”

“Give me my mate, Maddox.” Xander cut him off.

“Out of the way, Beta,” Maddox told him without stopping from walking. 

“I said, give me my mate!” Xander roared, and I felt his aura rising. I swore Alpha Maddox flinched at his voice, and it made him stop walking. 

I opened my eyes, curious to see the Alpha’s reaction, but then he lowered my body to the floor, and I had no choice but to stand on my feet. My chest was heaving as I slowly tilted my head up, and it was only then that I realized there was another female beside Xander. 

She smiled at me before she took a step forward. “Let me help you, Lady Nadine.”

“I don’t think she wants your help, Mindy.” Alpha Maddox scoffed sarcastically, and my face heated up.

I pulled my arm harshly, the one Mindy touched, before I threw a deadly look at Xander. I wondered if he spent the night with her while I cried because he abandoned me while I was in heat.

I felt like I was the Omega. I looked like a peasant — my hair was a big mess, and my clothes were soiled from my sweat — compared to how fresh-looking Mindy was with her neatly comb-haired and ironed clothes. 

My eyes pooled with tears, but I didn’t remove my eyes from Xander. Until he dropped his gaze to the floor. 

“Let me walk you to your room, Lady Nadine,” Mindy spoke again in her angelic voice, but she didn’t attempt to hold me this time. 

I wanted nothing but to scream at her and tell her to stop pretending to be nice to me. But instead, I answered in a calm but sarcastic tone. “I’ve got feet. I can walk on my own.” 

I turned my back to all of them and walked up the stairs. I had no idea where I got the strength to keep my head high, but somehow, I was able to walk arrogantly even if my heart was badly beaten. 

I might be kicked out of the packhouse soon, but I already knew what I needed to do before that could happen.