Mated To the Demon Alpha

3: A Deal With The Devil.

Amelia's POV:

I wanted to decline at first, but then I remembered that I had no choice.

So I nodded stiffly. "I… I understand."

His lips curled slightly, as if satisfied. "Good girl."

Then, with a snap of his fingers, three men stepped forward. Two held me down, while the third stretched out his hand and struck me in my neck.

Suddenly, everything went dark.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw myself in the forest. My body ached, and my head throbbed as if someone had driven a blade through it.

For a moment, I was disoriented, my mind still racing due to everything that happened last night. The whipping, the dungeon, Xaden’s cold gaze as he forced me into a deal I never wanted.

Then it hit me. ‘I am free!’ I said out loud. ‘No, I am free for now.’ I reminded myself.

Then I pushed myself up, groaning as pain shot down my spine. Those bastards had knocked me out before tossing me into the forest like garbage. Xaden didn’t even trust me enough to let me go on my own.

I bit my lip, trying to ignore the pain in my chest. Not that I had expected kindness from the Rogue Alpha.

Still, something about the way he had looked at me before sending me away left a strange feeling in my stomach.

Brushing the thoughts aside, I focused on what mattered—I needed to get home. So I started walking.

By the time I reached my Pack’s borders, I was already exhausted. But I dragged my bruised body through the familiar streets, past warriors patrolling the area, and past the homes of Pack members who had never once considered me one of their own.

When I finally reached my house, the door was slightly open. Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside.

The moment my father, Beta Ragnar, saw me, his expression darkened. My stepmother, Felicia, stood beside him, her arms folded as she eyed me with barely concealed disappointment.

They didn’t even ask me where I had been.

“You’ve embarrassed us, Amelia.” My father’s voice was hard.

I flinched. Embarrassed them?

My heart clenched. Was he not the least bit relieved that I was alive?

Felicia sighed dramatically. “After the humiliation at the mating ceremony, you should have at least had the decency to stay hidden for a while. Now the entire Pack is talking about you again.”

I clenched my fists. My wounds, my suffering, my fear—none of it mattered to them.

I had spent the whole of yesterday whipped, imprisoned, and forced into servitude by a Rogue Alpha, and all they cared about was their reputation?

A laugh bubbled in my throat, but I swallowed it down. Without muttering a word, I turned and walked to my room.

The moment I shut the door behind me, my body crumbled. Tears burned my eyes as I slid down onto the floor, pressing my forehead against my knees.

I was so worried that I would never see my father again. I thought that despite his hatred, he would at least feel some kind of relief that his daughter had returned.

But no.

I was just a painful reminder of the woman who had betrayed him. I dug my nails into my palms. I will never forgive this.

And more than anything—I will never forgive Xaden.

He had left me bruised, humiliated, and now, trapped in a life I no longer recognized. One day, no matter how long it took, I would have my revenge.

I wiped my tears and shifted to remove my torn, bloodstained dress. My back was swollen, and the sight of them made my blood boil.

Later that night after attending to my wounds, my father summoned me to his chamber.

Sighing, I made my way to his room. And when I arrived, I stepped inside cautiously, keeping my expression calm.

“Where did you run off to?” He asked, coldly.

I met his gaze. “I was captured by rogue wolves.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, he didn't expect that answer. “Captured?” His voice was low. “By whom?”

I hesitated. “By… Rogue Alpha Xaden.”

The reaction was immediate. His body tensed, his jaw clenched, and for the first time, something like fear flashed in his eyes. “Xaden?” He repeated.

And I nodded.

He was visibly shaken. I had never seen my father react like this before.

But when he asked me what had happened, I left out one crucial detail—I didn’t tell him about the deal I had made with Xaden.

However, I wasn't expecting to be summoned to the Alpha's Palace the next morning.

When I arrived, I was told that I had to report to Alpha Theron himself and narrate my ordeal.

I quickly made my way to the Alpha's Council Hall. And as I stepped inside, elders whispered among themselves, and at the end of the room, the Alpha sat in his high-backed chair. “Tell us everything,” He commanded.

And I did. I told them how I was captured, accused of being a spy, and imprisoned.

But I didn’t say a word about my forced alliance with the Rogue Alpha.

As I spoke, I finally understood why Xaden was so protective of his territory. He wasn’t just any rogue.

He was the leader of the rebellious wolves, the most wanted criminal in our Pack’s history.

And strangely, for the first time since our meeting, I realized—he wasn’t a monster.

When I was done, I was sent off. However I wasn't expecting to run into Killian on my way out.

The moment I saw him, the memory from the mating ceremony came back—the rejection, the humiliation, the laughter of the Pack as he turned his back on me.

I clenched my jaw and tried to walk past him.

But then—

“Amelia, wait.”

I froze.

I turned to face him slowly, my heart pounding in my chest.

“I… I wanted to talk to you,” Killian said, shifting uncomfortably.

I said nothing.

He exhaled. “I heard what happened. I—” He hesitated before adding. “I’m sorry.”

For a second moment, my heart stirred with hope.

He cared?

But just as that dangerous thought entered my mind, I heard a giggle and a lady rushed forward.

She wrapped her arms around Killian from behind, her fingers brushing over his chest as she leaned against him.

I stiffened.

Killian’s entire posture relaxed as he smiled down at the woman.

“Celeste,” He murmured, as if she was the only person in the world.

I felt sick.

Then, Killian turned back to me, completely oblivious to the way my heart was breaking all over again.

“This is Celeste,” He said. “My fiancée.”

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. But I quickly forced out a smile and made my way out of the Palace.

But I didn't return home until it was night. I wandered around, crying bitterly and cursing my fate.

When I returned home, I was happy to know that my father had not yet returned. So I quietly entered my room, but my eyes caught something strange on my bed as I stepped closer.

A letter.

My fingers trembled as I picked it up, and unfolded the paper.

The handwriting was bold. “Your first mission: Find out when Alpha Theron plans to attack, and report back to me. Do not fail. You have just ten days, Amelia”

—Xaden