Chapter 2: Awake
1856 Words
I gulped, unsure of what I should say or do. My mind was spinning.
One moment, I had been standing in an auction house waiting for my life to be ruined, and the next, I had discovered that the unconscious man lying in front of me was my mate.
My mate.
The word alone felt unreal.
For years, I had wondered if I even had one.
Most hybrids didn't. At least, that's what everyone told me. Some believed creatures like me weren't meant to exist in the first place.
A mistake.
An accident.
A mutation of nature.
Nobody ever talked about hybrids finding their fated mates. Nobody expected us to receive blessings from the Moon Goddess.
And yet...
The first words my wolf had ever spoken were because of him.
I couldn't tell this man who bought me for one reason, that I was the mate of his son.
“This is Dimitri,” he presented us, as if he were talking about a stranger and not his own blood.
The lack of emotion in his voice surprised me.
I couldn't stop myself. “What happened to him?” I asked.
The older alpha's eyes immediately hardened.
“It's none of your business.” The growl behind his words was enough to make my wolf retreat.
I shut up immediately. Clearly, Dimitri's condition was a forbidden topic.
“Your role, Lyrien, is to wait until my son wakes up, give me a grandson, and then you can be free. I'll give you a million so you can start anywhere in your life.”
My eyes nearly popped out of my head.
“A million?” The amount was absurd. More money than I had ever seen. More money than I could have dreamed of earning.
“Yes,” he replied casually. “That will be the price for carrying the baby. Then I want you out of their lives.”
My lip trembled.
“You want me to leave my child?”
He clicked his tongue.
“I thought you were smart, Lyrien. Why would I want you to be part of my family? I only need a grandson. Nothing else.”
The words stung more than they should have. Because he wasn't talking about some imaginary child. He was talking about my future son or daughter. A child who would carry my blood. A child I would grow inside my body. And he expected me to simply hand them over and disappear.
As if I were nothing more than an incubator.
I lowered my eyes. I couldn't escape this.
A strange feeling settled inside my chest. Determination. Because if Dimitri was truly my mate, then perhaps everything wasn't hopeless.
Maybe once he woke up, things would change; he might reject his father's plan and want me as his partner.
With a new resolve, I lifted my chin.
“Okay, Mr. Romanov. Tell me what to do next.”
The older alpha smirked.
“You'll get married, dear. So be ready.”
I thought he was joking.
I really did.
Who arranges a marriage in a single day?
Apparently, Alexi Romanov. Because less than twenty-four hours later, I found myself standing in front of a judge. A judge who looked terrified of displeasing the Romanovs. A judge who barely glanced at me before rushing through the paperwork. And somehow, impossibly, I became Mrs. Romanov.
I stared down at the marriage certificate resting in my hands.
Lyrien Romanov.
“Don't forget to call the nurse if something happens,” Mr. Romanov instructed while putting on his coat.
“Of course,” I replied.
Even after spending twenty million dollars on me, he looked at me like I was carrying a contagious disease. His expression made it abundantly clear that I wasn't family. I wasn't welcome.
I was simply useful.
He paused. For a brief second, his eyes narrowed. Perhaps he expected me to argue. Instead, I simply stood there, accepting my situation and destiny. Not because I agreed with it, but because I was waiting for my mate to wake up.
After a moment, Alexi left. The apartment door clicked shut. Silence immediately followed.
I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
Finally.
Alone.
I began exploring.
The apartment was enormous.
Massive windows overlooked the city skyline. The furniture looked expensive enough to buy a small house. Everything was elegant and modern, without a single trace of something personal. If I had entered this place, I would have thought it was an apartment from a catalog.
The second floor contained three bedrooms. Naturally, the largest belonged to Dimitri. I chose the room directly beside his. If something happened during the night, I wanted to hear it.
The first floor held a spacious living room, kitchen, dining area, and office. Honestly, ten people could probably live here comfortably.
“What am I going to do here?” I muttered.
The only answer was the rhythmic sound of my husband's breathing.
I looked toward his room.
“I hope we have a good life once you wake up.”
My voice felt embarrassingly soft.
“Once you see I'm your mate... perhaps you'll change.”
The words sounded foolish. I barely knew him. But my wolf already trusted him. Which was more trust than she'd ever given anyone, not even me.
I approached the bed.
Dimitri remained perfectly still.
Dark blond hair.
Strong jaw.
Short beard.
Broad shoulders.
Even lying unconscious, he looked intimidating.
And handsome.
The nurse must take excellent care of him because he didn't look like someone trapped in bed. His muscles were still defined. His body is still powerful.
I stepped closer and leaned down. His scent was faint. Almost hidden beneath hospital disinfectants and medications.
Yet underneath all that...
He reminded me of winter, of the fresh snow. The cold mountain air and frozen forests.
I inhaled deeply. My wolf practically purred.
Heat spread through my chest.
“See?” I whispered. “You're already making this difficult.”
I pressed a soft kiss against the top of his head. Then immediately fled.
Days turned into weeks.
And somehow, I settled into a routine.
Every morning, I checked on Dimitri.
Every afternoon, I read to him.
Every evening, I sat beside him and talked.
At first, the conversations felt awkward. One-sided and embarrassing. But eventually they became natural.
Because, despite everything, Dimitri was the closest thing I had to companionship.
“I went to the store across the street today,” I told him one afternoon.
I brushed my fingers through his blond hair.
“And I bought a chocolate cake.” A small smile appeared on my face. “Can you believe I haven't eaten chocolate cake in almost three years?”
The memory made me laugh.
“It's ridiculous, honestly.”
I shifted in my chair.
“When you wake up, we can eat some together.”
“He doesn't like sweets.” A masculine voice suddenly filled the room.
I screamed. My chair tipped over. I nearly fell on my face. Heart pounding wildly, I grabbed the nearest lamp and pointed it toward the intruder.
For one horrifying second, I thought Alexi had returned.
But the man standing near the doorway was younger.
Much younger.
“Who the hell are you?” I hissed.
The lamp remained raised. Just in case.
The man looked at the lamp. Then at me. Then sighed.
“I'm Mr. Romanov's secretary.”
I didn't lower the lamp.
“That's exactly what a murderer would say.”
The man blinked.
“I can assure you, I'm not a murderer.”
“That's also what a murderer would say.”
He stared. I stared back. Eventually, he rubbed his forehead.
“My name is Sasha.”
The tension eased slightly.
Slightly.
“I wasn't informed anyone would be visiting.”
“I work for the Romanovs,” he replied. “I don't really need permission to enter Romanov property, but you can call Mr. Romanov if you want.”
Unfortunately, he had a point, and I'm sure he knew damn well I was not going to call Alexi.
Still, I lowered the lamp reluctantly.
“Fine.”
Sasha adjusted his tie.
“Mr. Romanov asked me to check whether you needed anything.”
That surprised me.
Alexi didn't seem like the caring type.
“Anything?”
“Yes.”
“Anything?”
He looked mildly concerned.
“Yes.”
I pointed dramatically toward Dimitri.
“Can you wake him up?”
Sasha deadpanned. “No.”
“Then apparently not anything.” For the first time, amusement flashed across his face, but it was gone almost instantly.
“I meant food, clothes, transportation, staff, supplies.”
“Oh.”
“Well, that's much less exciting.”
A small chuckle escaped him. I hadn't expected someone working for Alexi Romanov to possess a sense of humor.
“Regardless,” Sasha said, regaining his composure, “if you ever need something, ask me.”
He handed me a card.
A phone number was written on it.
“Call anytime.”
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
Something softened in his expression, but he didn't say anything else before leaving. The apartment returned to its familiar silence.
I looked at the card, then at Dimitri.
“Your family is weird.” I tossed the card onto a nearby table before reclaiming my usual seat.
Dimitri remained exactly where he always was. I still wondered what had happened to him, but I knew I wouldn't get any answers. Not even the nurse talked to me when she came.
I leaned back in the chair. “You know, your father wants a grandson so badly that it's honestly concerning.”
No response, but I continued anyway.
“Maybe you should wake up and deal with him yourself.”
I crossed my arms.
“Because I'm starting to think he's insane.”
Still nothing.
“Actually, scratch that.”
I sighed dramatically.
“I know he's insane.”
I continued rambling. The words flowed automatically. So naturally that I wasn't really paying attention anymore. Eventually, I stood and stretched.
“I suppose I'll leave you alone now.” I turned toward the bed and froze.
Two icy blue eyes were staring directly at me.
For a full second, my brain stopped functioning.
Then—
“AAAAAH!”
The scream exploded from my lungs. I jumped backward. Tripped over my own feet. Somehow managed not to die.
“MATE!” my wolf shrieked excitedly.
“Nope!”
I pointed accusingly at Dimitri.
“You stay there!”
His eyebrow twitched.
Which somehow made everything worse. I yelped again. Spun around and ran.
Straight out of the room.
Straight down the hallway.
Straight into my bedroom.
Where I slammed the door shut behind me and pressed my back against it.
My heart felt ready to explode.
“He's awake.”
Silence.
“He's awake.”
My wolf practically danced.
“He's awake!”
And suddenly, for the first time since arriving at the Romanov residence, I had absolutely no idea what to do.
- Writer
