Shadow Pride

Chapter 15 Margo The Alpha's Proposition

I pace the length of my room, the confines of the walls pressing in like a physical force. Seven days. It's been seven days since I arrived here, and only fleeting glimpses of Gabriel break up the monotony. Each time I catch sight of him, it’s like a jolt to my senses, reigniting a fire that refuses to dwindle.

The ache is more than skin deep; it resonates with the mountain lion within me, clawing at my control. His scent lingers everywhere, a tantalizing trail of earth and pine, with an undercurrent of something uniquely him—wild and untamed. It wraps around me, a constant reminder of what I want, what my inner beast craves. To claim. To mark. To mate.

I shake my head, trying to dispel the haze of desire clouding my thoughts. But it's useless. Every inhalation is laced with him, pulling at something primal inside me. My mountain lion paces restlessly, frustrated by the distance we keep, by the inability to act on the need that thrums through our shared body.

Gabriel. The name alone sends a shiver down my spine, stirring a longing that feels as old as time itself. With each passing day, the urge to find him, to ensure he's safe and untouched by others, grows stronger. It's a pull I struggle to resist, a call to which my entire being wants to answer.

I clench my hands into fists, nails digging into my palms as I fight against the impulse to seek him out. My instincts scream at me to go to him, to soothe the itch beneath my skin with his touch. But I remain where I am, bound by duty and the mission at hand.

Just when I think I might surrender to the mounting need, a sharp knock at the door startles me out of my reverie. It's a brief distraction, but enough to steel my resolve. For now, I must wait, biding my time until the moment is right to embrace the fate that beckons me towards Gabriel. The moment our paths cross again, I won't hold back. The mountain lion within won’t allow it.

“Margo.” Aiden’s gruff voice greets me when I open the door.

“Yes Alpha?” I say, lowering my eyes to the floor in an act of submission. That's one of the things I’ve learned since arriving here. The more I hold his gaze without submitting, the more he tends to act out. His facade of sweetness only lasted the first few days, after that his true colors began to show.

“You’ve been working in the fields with the women as assigned?” He asks and my eyes raise to his with a nod.

“Yes Alpha.” The words feel like ash on my tongue, he’s no alpha. But I have to play the game, I have to be smart.

“Good. Tomorrow you will trade duties with Felicity.” He says, a cruel smile on his lips. I hide my shock well, unlike the rest of the women, Felicity is chained to the alpha’s whims much like her brother.

“Yes Alpha.” I answer.

He raises a brow. “Do you know what her duties include?” He asks, stepping forward as I step back, prowling toward me as if he’s the hunter and I’m the prey. A lustful look in his eyes.

“Cooking and cleaning.” I tell him, giving him the response that Felicia gave me when I asked her the same.

The back of my foot bumps up against the wall, and I splay my hands against the cool surface as Aiden places his hands on either side of my head, moving his head into the crook of my neck and inhaling deeply causing a shiver to flow through my body in disgust. I itch to raise my knee hard, crushing his manhood, but I stay still.

“You’re very beautiful.” He whispers. “Perhaps there are other duties you would like to be assigned.” He asks, arching a brow at me.

“Alpha.” I say breathlessly. He mistakes it for interest.

“If you were willing to mate with me, you would want for nothing.”

“You want me to be your luna?” I ask, Aiden barks out a laugh stepping back.

“No. I don’t need a luna.” He growls.

“Then what are you asking of me?” I ask, a hint of defiance in my tone. I’ve perfected my own mask of a submissive woman over the past week.

His smirk widens, and he leans in even closer. "I want you to be my pet," he whispers, his breath hot in my ear. "You'll serve me, compete with the other lionesses for my attention, and give me whatever I desire."

A loud ruckus downstairs breaks the tension in the room and I dart under his arm, heading for the door. “ I have to get to the fields.” I tell him, not looking back.

“Think about it, Margo. Being my pet comes with many advantages.” I hear his dark chuckle as I fly down the stairs and toward the fields. I will never admit it out loud but what just happened in that room has shaken me to my very core. And for the first time in my life, I wonder if I will actually be able to complete this mission.

Dirt crumbles under my fingers, the earthy scent a stark contrast to the sterile harshness that's infiltrated the rest of the compound. Each day I kneel in these gardens, pretending to tend to the flora while really tending to the seeds of rebellion I hope to sow among the women.

"More water over there, Margo," Aiden commands, his voice no longer laced with faux kindness. The sun glints off his hair, casting a deceptive halo around the man whose soul is as black as midnight. I nod without a word, my hands shaking slightly as I pour the life-giving liquid onto thirsty roots. But it’s not the plants that are starved.

I'm desperate for information, starved for a glimpse of him—Gabriel. The women murmur, their voices low and guarded, and I strain to catch snippets of anything that can help me understand this place, to find cracks in Aiden's armor.

But today, I get nothing. Their gazes flicker to me, wary and closed off. They don't trust the newcomer; they don't trust me. My frustration mounts with each passing hour until the sun begins its descent, signaling the end of another fruitless day.