THE ALPHA'S UNWANTED CONTRACT

CHAPTER TWO: ESCAPING THE MONSTER

LIZZY HANK

I ran again, trying to save myself from whatever that was, human or some kind of monster, I genuinely didn't know. I hadn't seen his face clearly and I didn't understand why he had done that to me. But I didn't get far before I heard the voices again.

"Miss Lizzy!"

I fell. I tried to get up and couldn't make it.

"Here she is."

A hand grabbed me and pulled me to my feet. "Miss Lizzy, your father needs you at the mansion. The officials are waiting for you."

I was dragged back and thrown down at my stepfather's feet. Julie burst out laughing the moment she saw me.

"Oh sis, you thought you could escape your own wonderful wedding? Just try to make yourself useful for once."

My stepfather threw a paper down in front of me. "Sign it. Tomorrow you leave for your husband's place."

"What is this paper for? I won't marry that monster. This marriage is for Julie, not for me."

He walked over calmly and stepped his shoe onto my fingers and pressed down harder and harder. I screamed.

"You are not in any position to tell me who this marriage is for. You will marry him, at the very least to pay me back for taking you in and for everything I have done for you since you were a child."

I rolled on the ground from the pain, holding my fingers where he had stepped. "You have never been good to me, so what exactly am I paying you back for? You and Julie have made my life miserable for years and now you want to give me away to a monster."

He grabbed my face and squeezed until my mouth pressed red. "You are just a lonely nobody. You are useless here. So go there and die."

Julie moved closer, tilting her head with that slow smile. She pushed my hair back from my neck before I could stop her.

"Oh wait." Her eyes lit up. "Look at that on her neck. Isn't that a bite mark? So you've already started cheating on him? He will kill you the moment he finds out. I hear he doesn't forgive easily." Julie smiled slightly.

"Throw her back into her room," Julie ordered the guards.

Back in my room they locked me up. I went straight and sat in front of the mirror. That was when I saw how the bite mark looked on my neck. It was lined up neat and I had never seen anything like it before. I wondered what exactly had grabbed me in the dark.

Then the mark began to heal. I watched it close up right in front of me until my neck was smooth again like nothing had ever been there. It had been like this my whole life. My injuries always healed on their own and I kept it a secret. Julie didn't know. My stepfather didn't know.

Then I heard his voice from the hallway.

"Has she signed the papers? If not, get me the herbs and unlock her room."

My stepfather. Julie was with him. Their footsteps filled the hallway getting closer until they unlocked my door.

Julie was holding a small bottle with something black inside it.

They looked at me and I was afraid. I kept stepping back until my back pressed against the wall.

"Get her," my father commanded the guards.

They grabbed me and forced me down to my knees at his feet.

"Oh little sis, stop struggling and calm down. This won't take long." Julie moved closer and handed the bottle to her father.

He stretched my face up and pressed my mouth open about to pour the liquid in. I broke free and hit the bottle down. It shattered on the floor and the liquid spread everywhere. He got angry and gave me a very big slap that sent me down.

"Julie, go get another one."

Julie rushed out and came back with another one, this time in a big bowl. They grabbed me tight, pressed my mouth open and poured every single drop in. As all the liquid went down my throat I passed out.

When I woke up the room didn't look like mine and the dress I was wearing wasn't the one I had on before I passed out. I opened the door and the hallway looked very different from my stepfather's mansion. I walked slowly trying to figure out where I was.

Then I heard a sound and walked toward it.

I saw a man and a woman, their bodies pressed close together doing something. I wanted to step back but my leg made a sound and he opened his eyes and saw me. He moved faster than I could follow and the next thing I knew I was outside under a tree with my back pressed against it and him standing right in front of me, looking at me like he was searching for something.

My heart was beating fast but I held it back so he wouldn't notice my fear.

He shifted my hair from my neck and asked me to adjust my collar so he could check something. I pushed him away. He did it himself anyway but didn't find anything. I still don't know what he was looking for.

I gave him a big slap.

"Is this how you treat strangers you don't even know? Is this the kind of man I'll be getting married to? Thank goodness you're already busy with your girlfriend there. At least that's a relief for me."

I left him there and walked back to the room where I had woken up. His hand was on his cheek where I had slapped him.

The moment I opened the door I saw a short note on the table.

The wedding is tomorrow. 9am. Don't be late.

I dropped it on the bed and went to the bathroom. I washed my face with cold water trying to pull myself together. I had to survive this. One way or another I had to.

"Werewolves are never good creatures," I whispered to myself. "If I spend one more day here I don't even want to think about what will become of me."

I slid down and sat on the bathroom floor and cried.

"Mom, why did you leave me alone to go through all of this."

"Hello, I heard that."

I froze. The voice was coming from my room. I slowly stood up and opened the bathroom door just a little.

It was a woman carrying a tray of food. "Alpha Patrick asked me to bring you something to eat. I also brought clothes for the wedding ceremony tomorrow. I'll be here early to get you ready."

I nodded. "Just leave them there. I can dress myself. I don't need any help. Tell him that."

I sat on the bed without looking at her.

"My name is Anna. Alpha Patrick assigned me as your maid. If I don't do my job the way he wants he will end my life." Her voice dropped. "Please. Just let me do as he asked."

I looked at her then. She was genuinely afraid. I nodded and said nothing.

She looked at the untouched tray. "You have to eat. If he finds out you didn't touch the food he will get upset and that is the last mistake either of us want to make here in the Blue Moon Pack. You really don't want to see the Alpha's reaction."

I couldn't even blink for a moment. "You can leave. I'll eat."

She bowed and walked out.

I sat there staring at the tray. Then my mind started moving. Had he assigned this maid before I slapped him or after? Who sends food and forces someone to eat unless they want something? What if he put something in it?

No. I wasn't eating it.

I picked up the tray and carried it toward the bathroom. I was almost at the door when a knock came from my room.

I froze.

My hands started shaking. I set the tray down, steadied myself, and opened the door.