Chapter 3
I look at my handiwork in the kitchen. This is the last room to be cleaned. All the dishes are now done and stored nicely and neatly in the cupboards. It has been an exhausting day, from being designated as the new Breeder to my small breakdown outside and finally having to clean an entire cottage all by myself. I should have made a stupid guard help me clean since their job is to basically keep me locked in this property. Still, the thought of one of the wolves outside stepping into my designated space causes the anger to swell inside me at this unjust situation.I lean against the marble counter, a glass of red wine from the bottle I found in the pantry in my hands. Taking a sip, I turn to look at the time on the microwave—ten o'clock at night. I know that as a sixteen-year-old, I’m three years underage to legally drink in Canada but fuck it, I really need something strong after the day I’ve had. Chris always limited me to one glass of wine at functions, so the alcohol has little effect on me. Suddenly, something vibrates against my leg, causing me to jump and nearly choke on my drink. Remembering that I had stashed my cellphone into the pocket of my skirt earlier this morning, I place the glass on the counter and proceed to take out the device. My screen flashes with a picture of me and my best friend Abby, and a small smile plays on my lips as I slide my finger across the screen to answer her incoming call.
“Hey, Ab-“ I begin, heading upstairs as she cuts my greeting off.“Is it true? Are you the newest Breeder?” I wince at her words and sigh—something I’ve been doing all day—telling her to give me a moment since there are guards outside my cottage. Heading towards the master bedroom, I make my way towards the bath and turn on the shower, letting the running water mask our conversation.
“Yeah, it’s true, sadly,” I reply after a while, sliding down the wall to sit on the cold tiled floor.
“We have to save you!” My best friend exclaims, worry evident in her voice. The tears start to pool in my blue eyes and escape down my cheeks.“You can’t do anything. Think about your mate. He’s the Beta here, and if Alpha Sam finds out you tried to free me, imagine what would happen.” My voice cracks as I begin to sob again for the second time today. I make a quick decision and tell my best friend all my fears and worries about my new position, about how I wish I wasn't chosen as a Breeder at all and wish I had met my mate before today since mated females are safe from becoming a Breeder. By the end of my sobbing rant, I feel better with a clearer mind. Talking to a friend really helps.
“I know I’m allowed to come to see you tomorrow to help get the house decorated, so I’ll bring you some essentials. What do you want?” Abby says quietly, trying to distract me from the current situation. I smile and let out a chuckle at her antics. As the Beta Female and surrogate Luna of this pack, my friend has a say in what happens with the new Breeder, and it is her job to help the Breeder settle in on the second day. I somehow got lucky, with Abby being my best friend and growing up together as children, even if she is three years older than me.
“As many clothes as you can grab from my closet, lots of chocolate to help my emotionally unstable mind right now and my phone charger, please. Talk to my cousin and his mate about stuff to bring for me.” I rattle off a list, glad that my friend’s status allows her to visit me whenever she wants.“Okay, I will see you tomorrow then.” She reassures me as we say our good nights and end our phone call. I turn off all sound on my phone, not wanting the guards to take it away from me in case I need to reach Chris or Jack in an emergency. I turn off the shower, and silence resumes. Trying to think of a hiding spot in my room where no one will find my cellphone, I leave the bathroom and make my way towards the nightstand beside the bed and pull open the top drawer, a wide grin spread across my face. What looks to be a simple empty drawer actually holds a pleasant surprise: a false bottom that I had discovered in my mad cleaning session. It was something I guess the previous Breeder had created using a piece of wood matching the nightstand since she had left a leather notebook containing what I assume to be a biography or note for the next Breeder now sitting on the nightstand. I plan to read it at some point to see just how the Breeder who once resided here lived daily. Hopefully, this book could give me details on how to survive and what I can do to make my life less miserable as a Breeder.
Once my cellphone is secure in its hiding spot, I look at the leather notebook and debate whether I should read it or not. Curiosity wins out as I grab it with one hand and sit cross-legged in the middle of the bed, taking the time to read what my predecessor wrote. I decide that reading everything in one sitting is a bad idea and focus on the first few pages. I quickly discovered that this notebook is actually a diary. My focus is captivated by the first entry from twenty years ago when she was forced to become a Breeder and what transpired on that day. My heart breaks for this she-wolf who remains nameless in her entry, as she wrote about being immediately dragged away to the cottage without a goodbye to her family. She was thrown into this cottage that was completely empty compared to what it is now—save for a bed—and this she-wolf spent her night cold and lonely. I felt better knowing that the treatment this she-wolf went through is different from what I went through today. At least I had some food in the fridge, and there is some form of furniture and bedding for me to use, even if the other rooms were empty.
Taking the time to read the next entry, my eyes widen in horror. Instead of the she-wolf having a few days to settle into her new role, the breeding process started the next morning. She had lost all her rights as a regular wolf right away. My heart drops in horror as I read of her being awoken and promptly raped by the Alpha and another Warrior. There was neither the courtesy that we experience now nor any humane treatment.
Placing the leather book down, I take a deep breath and re-evaluate my situation. I could settle into my new role, knowing I have a few days to take everything in and focus on any plan I could, or I could fight back and possibly be injured. I decided a shower would do me well with the new information from the diary and make my way to the bathroom, turn the shower on and undress while the water comes to a temperature I prefer. Stepping into the spray of warm water, I allow my thoughts to circulate with the rules I was told of being a Breeder, what the next few days will be like for me as well as the two entries from the Diary. If I want to survive, I will have to be obedient as a Breeder for now and do what I am told. Accepting my fate, I pick up the loofa and scrub away the grime from cleaning off of my body. My mind wanders to the thought of what to do with this cottage. I think of what to do with the other rooms since I have no choice but to perform this role as the pack’s Breeder. Since I would need a nursery for the many newborns, I will be forced to have and a room for any toddlers, I would have to decorate those rooms first. The time ticks by, and I force myself to stop thinking. Anything that needs to be done can be dealt with tomorrow.
With the water turning cold, I turn off the water and step out of the shower, wrapping my body in a towel that envelops my small body. I slowly open the bathroom door, the steam escaping the warm room. I start to shiver from the cold breeze that rushes to greet me. Quickly, I run to the walk-in closet, taking the oversized, long-sleeved shirt and boy shorts I had found and cleaned earlier and quickly towel-dried my body to put the fresh set of clothes on.
Padding quietly into my room, I shiver once again, remembering that all the windows were opened when I began cleaning earlier. I want nothing more than to fall into the queen-sized mattress and allow sleep to take over. But instead, I rush around the cottage, closing all the windows and the back door. Even though it is late spring now, the weather in our pack territory still held up as early-spring-almost-at-the-end-of-winter weather since we are located in the northern part of Ontario, close to the Hudson Bay. Checking the thermostat to make sure the cottage warms up, I finally head back upstairs and into my room. I climb into bed, wrapping the warm, soft blankets around me and letting my exhausted body relax as the scent of the lavender fabric softener surrounds and soothes me into a deep, dreamless sleep.Chapter 4 Early in the morning, I wake up with sleep-filled eyes, taking in the blurry surroundings. For a moment, I panic, thinking that I am in the wrong house. Before long, the events of the previous day flood into my mind.Taking deep, calming breaths, I push the covers off of me and stand, taking a big stretch. I head into the bathroom to comb my hair into a messy bun that sits atop my head, wash my face, brush my teeth, and finally relieve my bladder. Today, Abby will arrive with my belongings. Sighing yet again, I stumble out of my bedroom and make my way downstairs into the kitchen. I take out some ingredients for my classic comfort food—banana-chocolate chip pancakes. I figure Abby would want to eat with me, and, boy, can that girl pack down food like it’s nothing! So, I triple my usual recipe.As soon as the pancakes are done and the stovetop is turned off, I hear the doorbell ring with a visitor's arrival; I make my way over to the front of the house, ope
Chapter 5 I turn off the tap to the sink as I finish cleaning the dishes from breakfast. Alex sends a sad smile in my direction before quietly leaving the cottage to patrol the perimeter. No one else is allowed to be in the cottage after ten in the morning until the Alpha and the Doctor arrive to conduct their business. The Alpha will stay all night to do with me as he pleases and prepare me for my new role. Anxiety and nerves take over as I wring out the dish towel, trying to find something to do other than smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles in my outfit.I’m dressed in a simple white lace dress with a matching bra and thong, something one of the guards told me to wear, considering I am still pure, still a virgin. It scares me to think that today Alpha Sam will take away something I wanted to save for my mate, without a care in the world and without any consideration for my well-being; this will be nothing at all like the Sam I grew up with.Another hour passe
Chapter 6 Today is a week from when Alpha Sam had started coming to the cottage.I stare at the small stick in my hand. I begin to cry, not because I am happy, but because my life has taken a sharp one-eighty turn with no end in sight. It will be six months until this pup is born. That’s how long a she-wolf is pregnant. There will be two years until Alpha takes away the wolf inside me and raises his heir without me in this pup's life.“Laina?” Alex’s voice floats through the door and I jump, flushing the toilet and throwing the evidence of my pregnancy away in the trash bin. I do not want anyone to find out that I’m pregnant right away. Hell, part of me is ashamed for how I acted over the last week with the Alpha. I curse the Doctor each time I am left alone in bed, as the Alpha leaves my used and bruised body that he has just filled with his seed for the umpteenth time to do pack work before returning to make me his own little sex toy once more. Washing my face with
Chapter 7 Four Months Later... The sounds of their howls were closer than the last time. I was slower than when I first escaped Pine Paw with my now-protruding stomach filled with them, the twins. But for their sake, I will keep going. I have to keep going. Currently, I’m in no man’s territory where rogues like me bounce from town to town, trying to find a place where we belong. It’s a region where rogues are supposed to be safe, but my pursuers tell me otherwise. The sounds of town life reach my sensitive ears from the safety of the forest trees, and I try my best to run faster. Just a few more kilometres, and I will be safe from my pursuers, from the wolves of Pine Paw who are just a stone’s throw away from me.I can hear the sounds of both wolves and humans now chasing me, realizing that some have shifted, probably to make it easier to try to persuade me to come back. Hell has a better chance of freezing over than me going back to Pine Paw.“Don’t hurt her. She is
Chapter 8 The drive is longer than I expected. We slowly leave the small town behind, and I can’t help but smile contentedly as the buildings give way to the beautiful forest. The leaves are changing to the lovely colours of red, oranges, and yellows you would find in fall. Inside the Jeep, Tate turns on the seat warmer for the passenger seat, and the warmth underneath me causes my eyelids to feel heavy as I drowsily continue to watch the scenery fly past me.I must have dozed off from the peacefulness of the drive with my newly discovered mate beside me because I soon found myself being lifted into strong arms that brought a sense of warmth and security over me, all while in a groggy stupor. Groaning, I turned my head into whoever held me, hiding my eyes from the light above and clutching at a soft fabric.“Shh, Laina, go back to sleep, little one.” A deep gentle voice whispers in my ear. I oblige, letting the darkness of a comfortable, dreamless sleep take over once
Chapter 9 “I don’t need all these clothes!” I exclaim in frustration as I exit the changing room, only to spot Eeva throwing more clothes into the shopping cart. I can’t help but shake my head at the brunette woman as she picks clothes for me from dresses to pants, casual to formal. I had a feeling if I let her continue, she would turn whatever savings I have into nothing.“One, you do. I even threw in clothes you can use for after you deliver your babies. Two, they’re cute and will fit any occasion, and as the future Luna, you need them. And three, they fit you.” I couldn’t argue with Eeva’s logic. All the clothes she has chosen for me are in a style I like, and many were close to the pre-pregnancy size that I can fit into once the twins are born. With a sigh, I follow behind Eeva as she pushes the cart towards the counter, her eyes scanning around if she missed any other article of clothing from this store that would suit me. I had a feeling she did not get out to s
Chapter 10 The first week of living with Tate flies by as he and I get used to the routine of living together. I had slowly moved my clothing and other items into Tate’s room. The vanity I found in the guestroom I woke up in on the first day in this house has been moved to sit in front of the large bay window that faces the backyard. Tate let me explore the house as much as I wanted, where I found the basement with a large workout room on the second day. I couldn’t help but squeal with glee when I saw all of the workout equipment, going as far as doing some light workout, with a worried and panicking Tate frantically trying to keep the heavier weights away from me. Spoilsport.There were times when walking around the forest with my mate when we would pass by his pack members, and his possessive side would show. The first time I convinced him to go for a walk with me, a Warrior got too close, thinking a rogue was attacking his Alpha. I had to pull Tate’s black wolf fo
Chapter 11 Pain!Pain is all I can feel, gripping my body with terror, as I wake up, clutching at my sides. I let out a scream as a spasm rocks through my body, causing me to curl up as best as I can. Something inside me tells me that something is wrong. Tears are streaming down my face.“Tate!” I scream out, praying that the sleeping wolf beside me wakes up quickly. I don’t know how much of this pain I can endure. Feeling my mate jump out of bed, I catch his green orbs glowing, searching for danger. His bright eyes soon land on my curled-up form. I whimper as another wave of pain shoots through me, the tears continuing to flow.“What’s wrong, baby?” I see the panic-stricken look on Tate’s face as he rushes around the bed and to my side, his hands brushing away the hair that sticks to my face. My body shivers from the cold sweat now coating my skin as I cry out in pain once again.“I… I don’t know.” I cry out, fear lacing my voice. I close my eyes as yet another spa