A Contract With The Ruthless Alpha

/-Serena-/ They say life comes at you fast, but no one warns you that it can stop just as quickly. I was broke and jobless, while my mother and only parent was dying. The sight of her hit me harder than I expected, even though I’d seen her like this a dozen times before. Her once gorgeous happy face was pale, sunken, and framed by an oxygen mask that seemed to be doing all the work her lungs could no longer manage. “Mom,” I whispered, my voice trembling as I stepped closer. It hurt me to see her suffer this way. To know that I was too helpless to do anything about it too. She didn’t respond. Her hands, delicate and cold, lay motionless by her sides. My heart sank in panic when I realized she wasn’t just asleep, she was unconscious. I tried not to panic. The nurses had mentioned earlier they’d sedated her, but seeing her like this still made my stomach twist. The door creaked open, and a doctor walked in, trailed by two nurses. His expression was calm but serious—too serious. I bit my lip as my anxiety levels shot up. Whatever he was going to say, I knew I wouldn't like it. “Miss Michaels,” he greeted softly, his voice professional but tinged with sympathy. “May I speak with you outside?” I glanced at my mother one last time before following him into the hallway, my heart pounding so loudly it drowned out the sound of our footsteps. When we stopped, he hesitated, as if searching for the right words. I already knew what was coming; the way doctors hesitated before delivering bad news was practically a universal language. “I’m sorry,” he began, confirming my fears. “But we’ve reached a critical point. Your mother’s condition is worsening, and without the heart surgery, I’m afraid there isn’t much more we can do. She needs it urgently.” “I know,” I said quickly, desperate to cut him off before he could finish the sentence. “I’m working on it. I’ll get the money.” He frowned, his brow furrowing with pity. I hated that look, the one that made me feel like I was being pitied instead of understood. I also knew he was fast running out of patience. I have been giving him the same excuse for months now. That was too much even for a charity case. “The hospital has been very lenient, Miss Grey,” he continued gently, “but we can’t delay the payment any longer. If you can’t settle the outstanding bills soon, we won’t be able to proceed with the surgery. We also won’t be able to hold her room.” “No!” The word came out sharper than I intended. “You can’t kick her out. She needs to be here. Please, just a little more time. I’ll find a way. I swear.” I didn't care if I had to kiss the floor beneath his feet but I needed him to keep my mother here. She had to live. He sighed, the kind of sigh that meant his hands were tied. “I’ll see what I can do, but please understand, time isn’t on your side.” I nodded, swallowing hard as tears burned my eyes. I turned and left before he could say anything else. The ones he'd said to me were already heavy enough. I didn't need any more heartbreaking reminders. By the time I reached home, I was in a storm of emotions—fear, frustration, and anger, all fighting for dominance. I walked into the house and stopped in my tracks when I heard my stepdad’s voice in the living room. “I’m glad you love it, babe,” he was saying, his voice slick with charm. “It’s a limited edition. Only the best for you.” My hands clenched into fists as I listened to him bragging about how much he was willing to spend on whoever the side piece was. I peeked around the corner to see him sprawled on the couch, phone in hand, grinning like an i***t. “You’re unbelievable,” I spat, stepping into the room. He looked up, startled, and ended the call immediately. “Serena,” he said, feigning surprise. “You’re home.” “You’re buying bags for your girlfriends while my mother is dying in a hospital bed?” I yelled, my voice trembling with rage. “Do you even care about what’s happening? About what you’ve done to this family?” “Calm down,” he said, holding up his hands as if I was the unreasonable one. “Stop acting as if I've been doing nothing. Meghan is my wife and I am doing everything I can to help her. I’ve been thinking about our problems, and I’ve found a solution.” I scoffed. “Your solutions are what got us into this mess. You ran my mother’s company into the ground, and now you’re pretending to care? If it hadn't been for you, we would still be comfortable enough to afford her surgery fees without going bankrupt!” “Would you stop being a brat and listen?” He snapped and I shot him a glare. “Well, maybe you should stop being such a deadbeat! The hospital is already losing their patience, and I swear to the goddess, I won't forgive you if anything happens to her!” I screamed at him. He ignored the jab, his expression turning serious. “Listen to me. I’ve been in contact with a Beta friend of mine from the CrystalGrey Pack about your mother's condition.” I froze. “What?” I didn't understand how he even got in contact with a Beta from a pack as powerful as the CrystalGrey. Even the Alpha of our pack, with all his wealth and strength, wasn't half as powerful as their Alpha, whose mysterious and ruthless personality was on the lips of every wolf pack. And we were just middle-class omegas with absolutely nothing to offer. “Apparently, their Alpha is looking for a breeder,” he said matter-of-factly. “He’s willing to pay a fortune, and I’ve already spoken to his Beta about you. You know Beta Reigns and I are very good friends…” For a moment, I couldn’t even breathe. “You… did what?” “Come on Serena, think about it,” he said, standing up. “This could solve everything. Your mother’s medical bills, the company’s debt—it could all go away. All you have to do is agree.” “Agree to what? To sell myself to some Alpha for his personal gain?” I snapped. “Have you completely lost your mind?” I was literally boiling at this point. He was willing to sell me off to a man I knew nothing about just for money? Without my consent too? He shrugged, his indifference infuriating. “Call it what you want, but it’s a fair trade. He gets what he wants, and you get the money to save your mom. Stop acting like you won't be benefiting from it. All you have to do is give him a child and we're f*****g rich!” “I would rather die than stoop that low,” I said through clenched teeth. “If this is your genius plan to finally ruin this family, be rest assured you have failed.” He smirked, leaning closer. “Fine. But let me remind you, Serena, I’m not the desperate one. If you really care about saving your mother and the company, you’ll do the needful. I… I can always marry another wife.” It took a lot of self-control not to punch the bastard in the face at that moment. Instead, I turned around and stomped to my room, my mind racing. I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. Yet as much as I hated to admit it, his words gnawed at me. I needed money desperately and this was probably the one way to get it that fast. I felt disgusted at myself for even considering it but this was my mother's life at stake. I had no choice.