CHAPTER SIX
1229 Words
The early morning light peaks into the big window of the Alpha’s Mansion, painting the cold white tiles with golden color. Natasha sat at the end of the bed, staring at her trembling hands. The tiny moon-shaped scar on her wrist felt like a b*****e, sniffing the life out of her. It has been three days since she got marked by the man who had made her feel he cannot live without her but had now broken her heart into pieces.
“You are mine now, mate, and you’ll experience hell on earth from this day to your last day on earth.” His words still echoed in her mind, cutting her like a sharp dagger. She swallowed the lump in her throat, promising herself not to cry anymore. She had cried enough.
She heard the sound of heavy footsteps down the hallway. Natasha sat frozen on the bed. Stone is coming.
The door opened slowly, and he walked in, his body frame covering the doorway. His grey eyes shot a quick glance at me.
“You are still in bed? he asked coldly as he walked to his wardrobe. His sharp voice breaks the silence in the room.
“Why do you care?” She snapped back.
Stone bit his lips, but he didn’t answer her. He pulled out a black suit. As he put on the jacket, Natasha noticed his shoulders as they shake nervously. She wondered if he was feeling guilty or it was just the weight of his ego.
“You are expected to be at the pack meeting this afternoon. You better behave yourself.” He warned her.
“Of course, Alpha.” Natasha said sarcastically as she took a bow.
He looked at her, rage boiling inside him, but he decided to ignore her. He smirked. “Good girl.” With that, he walked out of the room, leaving her alone.
By afternoon, Natasha sat down at the pack hall with elders of Stone’s pack. The air was filled with dominance, the scent of different wolves and their power. Stone sat on the throne, his presence commands silence in the room. Sitting beside him was a beautiful woman, Salome, one of his many admirers.
Salome moved closer to Stone, placed her hand on his thigh, and whispered something into his ear in a flirty way. He laughed softly and fixed his gaze on her.
Natasha's stomach curled, but her face was expressionless.
As the meeting continued, Natasha got lost in her thoughts. Just three days with Stone, she had experienced his cruelty, but there was something underneath his coldness that made her worried for him: a shadow of sadness and vulnerability that he hid behind his wickedness.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Salome.
“… and I‘d be glad to help you in your office, Alpha,” Salome said, biting her lips seductively.
Stone looked at Natasha, as if he was trying to see her reaction. She kept her eyes on him, refusing to look away. She was ready for him, and she won’t act weak.
“Thank you, Salome.” He said softly. “But I will manage.”
Natasha wandered in the mansion that evening. She needed fresh air, space, and just anything that would help her escape her present reality. As she got to the front of Stone’s office, she noticed that his door was slightly open.
She got curious. She peeped inside, her heart racing. A faint light shone from a lamp; the table was also covered with papers, but one of them caught her attention: a letter with her name on it written boldly on the envelope.
She quickly entered inside and grabbed the paper. She went back to her room in haste, locked her door behind her, and tore the envelope.
The letter was written in a beautiful, unfamiliar handwriting.
Natasha,
You don’t know who I am, but I know you and what you have gotten yourself into. Stone isn’t who you think he is. There are some secrets that you need to know about. Meet me at the forest behind the packhouse tonight.
The letter wasn’t signed.
Her heart began to pound. She wondered who would have written this and what secrets the letter was referring to. A part of her wanted to act like she didn’t see the letter, but another part—the part that never wants to see herself as the victim—needed to know.
The forest was quiet and cold; the trees cast their long shadows under the light of the moon. Natasha held onto her gown tightly, keeping her senses on alert.
“Natasha.” A voice called sharply.
She turned quickly as fear took over her body. She saw the shadow of a man walking towards her; tall, skinny, with piercing eyes.
“Who are you?” She questioned him, her voice firm even with the fear running down her spine.
“My name is Aiden,” he said; his voice was gentle and kind. “I’m Stone’s old friend.”
She scrutinized him with her eyes. “Why should I believe you?”
Aiden paused for a second. “Because I know what he is doing to you. And I know why, he said finally.
“What are you talking about?” Natasha said, confusion written all over her face.
Aiden moved closer to her and lowered his voice. “Natasha, Stone does not love you; he married you because of your family, because of your father.”
She felt her body shiver. “My father… what does he have to do in this?”
“Stone believed that your father killed his mother.” He said blatantly.
Natasha staggered back. She knew that Stone was cold towards her, but she never imagined that it was personal.
“There are more secrets that he is hiding…”
Before he could continue, they heard a loud howl. Aiden's eyes widened in fear, and he was about to run away when Stone stepped out of the shadow.
“What in the moon goddess's name are you doing here?” He barked; his voice was loud and dangerous.
Stone shifted his gaze from Natasha to Aiden, and his eyes turned red, making him look angrier. “I told you to mind your business. This does not concern you.”
“She deserves to know the truth.” Aiden shot back, but the fear in his voice was more audible.
Natasha finally found her voice. “Stone, what is he talking about? My father killed your mother? How?”
Stone frowned, staring into her eyes in anger. For a moment, she thought that he wanted to say something, but Aiden got scared and ran away. Stone followed him, and they both disappeared into the forest, leaving her with more questions than answers.
That night, Natasha sat on her bed. Everything that happened in the forest replayed in her head. Stone still hasn't returned home.
She felt foolish for believing him, confused about what Aiden said about her dead father and his mother, and angry that Stone wants to punish her for a sin she knows nothing about.
Stone had secrets, and she promised to cover them while playing his games. She would find out the truth and beat him at his game, no matter what it took.
- Writer
