Alpha's Surrogate Mate

Chapter 1 Surrogate Alpha Girl Irene's POV: At a grand mansion in the Frostfang Pack, Irene lay naked on the bed, her eyes blindfolded. Her first s****l encounter, rough and painful, made her clench her teeth tightly. The tearing pain spread through her body, from her core to her limbs, every nerve ending screaming in agony. Her hands gripped the man's arms fiercely, her nails digging into his skin. Sensing her tears, he lost interest and finished quickly, then got up and headed straight for the bathroom with a cold detachment. The bathroom door slammed shut, followed by the sound of water trickling from the shower. In the darkness, Irene clutched the sheets to cover herself, shivering from the pain. She didn't know this man, but he was her employer, and she couldn't afford to anger him. A month ago, her adoptive mother, who had raised her, fell ill with cancer and was in the ICU, requiring an astronomical amount of medical expenses. Despite her dad once being an Alpha, her pack had been destroyed by a mysterious group of wolves, leaving her as a lone one. She had wandered from one pack's territory to another without food or shelter and nearly died on the streets before her adoptive mother, Holly Adler, found her and brought her home. Holly had given her the warmth of a family, and she was Irene's only family. Therefore, when Irene heard that this "employer" was willing to pay five million dollars to find a girl with Alpha blood to bear his child, she didn't hesitate to sign the contract. Even though she didn't know who the employer was, Irene could sense that he was a powerful and respected man, which explained the tight security. According to the contract, every time she ovulated, she would be picked up by his bodyguards, blindfolded, and brought to his place for s*x. The entire process took place in a darkened room with thick black curtains, so she never saw his face. The door creaked open less than ten minutes later as the man emerged from the bathroom. "Sir, about the money..." Irene, still in pain, pulled on a coat and sat at the edge of the bed, her voice small and tentative. "You're still here?" The man seemed surprised, thinking she had already left. After a brief silence, he added, "You don't need to come back. If you're afraid of pain, it's better not to force it." "No, no, I really need that money." At the thought of being dismissed, Irene's face turned pale with fear. She didn't dare remove her blindfold, only using the dim light to guide her as she stumbled towards him, grabbing his hand. "It was just the first time. It won't hurt as much next time. I... I can handle it. Please give me another chance. After all, with my Alpha blood, it won't be easy for you to find another willing she-wolf who can do this." Saying this was humiliating for Irene. Yes, she had Alpha blood, but now she was reduced to a prostitute, selling herself for money. Yet, at this moment, it was her only bargaining chip. At her tight grip on his wrist, the man's body tensed visibly. Although she couldn't see his expression, Irene could feel a distinct, overwhelming presence different from any other male wolf. The room chilled to an icy silence, and she panicked even more. "Sorry, Sir..." Irene bit her lip and immediately let go, pulling back to create some distance. During their brief and brutal encounter, he had shown no tenderness, only roughness. His hands had stayed on her waist and abdomen, never touching any other part of her body. He hadn't even kissed her once. Clearly, he saw her as nothing more than a tool for bearing his child. Feeling a wave of despair, Irene almost gave up hope. But finally, the man spoke, "Fine. Here's one million dollars. I'll give you the rest after you complete the task." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a check, handing it to her. Irene's eyes lit up with relief, and she quickly took it with both hands, stammering her gratitude, "Thank you... thank you so much." The thin piece of paper in her grip, as light as a feather, felt as heavy as lead on her chest, pressing down with suffocating weight. Her anxious heart finally settled. The medical expenses for her foster mother were now covered. "A transaction, each getting what they needed," the man said coldly, devoid of any emotion. He dismissed Irene's thanks with indifference and made his way to the cloakroom, adding over his shoulder, "A guard will escort you back. Remember, don't take off the blindfold. Come back a month from now, during your next ovulation." "Understood," she replied, bowing slightly out of respect, whether he was watching or not. Before coming, Irene had already undergone various medical examinations. Today was the last day of her ovulation, or she might have had to stay here for a week. After all, ovulation offered the highest chance of conception. As the car drove her out of the villa and finally reached the central hospital, Irene could finally remove the blindfold. Exiting the car, she watched the black Rolls-Royce disappear into the distance. She took a deep breath, exhaling a plume of white mist. Frost had formed on the leaves of the holly trees by the roadside. Frostfang Pack, named after the cold region it resides in, has an Alpha who was both formidable and visionary—Alpha Andre. Following the death of the previous Alpha, he took over the pack at a young age and, within just three years, defeated many enemies vying for control. He established companies, making Frostfang Pack the wealthiest among all packs. Thus, Andre was highly respected. The only blemish was that this Alpha, despite his stature, had no mate. The pack elders were quite vocal about this. Irene had no opinion on these high-ranking wolves, just wishing for peace within the pack. After all, as an Alpha who was in a worse position than some omegas and without a wolf of her own, her situation was dire. She felt shame for selling herself for money. Irene believed that if she ever met a potential mate, revealing her past would only result in rejection. Rejected werewolves suffered greatly; she would rather not find a mate at all. ***** Entering the hospital and climbing to the third floor, she arrived at the intensive care unit. A frail woman lay on the bed, once radiant and beautiful, now stripped of vitality and time by illness. This was her foster mother, Holly Adler. Irene called out softly, tears streaming down her face, "Mom..." No response came; Holly was still unconscious. She took her hand and choked back tears, promising, "You'll be alright, I swear." After sitting quietly by Holly's side for a while, Irene went to pay the medical bills with the check. At the payment window, she kept her head low, feeling as though the nurse was scrutinizing her, suspicious of the large sum's origin. Fortunately, Irene managed to stop herself from overthinking, sighed, and was about to leave when her phone rang. Seeing the caller's name, she resigned herself to answering. "Yes, I'm Irene, Holly's daughter. I'll take over her debts, I'll pay them off. I'll protect her company. It's my mother's, and I'll keep it afloat." ***** A month later, Irene glanced at the calendar and noticed that her period was well overdue. With a mix of doubt and hope, she went downstairs to the pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test. To her shock, the result at home revealed two lines! Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the result. "No way," she muttered and promptly bought three more tests, all of which showed the double lines—positive! She was pregnant! "Pregnant? This quickly?" Irene was taken aback but also saw the silver lining. Taking a deep breath, she dialed the number left by her employer. The call was picked up quickly, and she relayed the news, referring to him as Mr. Thomson. Mr. Thomson acted swiftly upon hearing the news, immediately arranging to take her to the hospital for a check-up. That day, the hospital confirmed her pregnancy, and the fetus was healthy. From then on, she was taken by Mr. Thomson to a villa in the suburbs, where she was pampered by a nutritionist, a nanny, and a maid—everything was in place to protect her delicate condition. Irene understood, of course, that it was all about the baby in her womb. However, according to the contract, her employer's identity had to remain confidential. During her pregnancy, Irene was not allowed any electronic devices, cutting her off from the outside world. And the baby's father? He never showed his face again. She didn't mind; she had no desire to interact much with a man she had no feelings for. Irene focused on her pregnancy and took the opportunity to delve into design books. Without a wolf to vouch for her in any industry, she faced discrimination, but she remained resolute—to keep her mother's design company afloat, even if Irene had to start from scratch. Thankfully, that one-million-dollar check had managed to settle most of the debts. Irene only left the villa for prenatal check-ups, and fortunately, each result was normal. At three months, the doctor revealed she was expecting twins, a boy and a girl. As for Holly, the check from Mr. Thomson ensured she continued her chemotherapy. Irene had asked Mr. Thomson to keep her updated on her mother's condition, allowing her to relax. Nine months passed in the blink of an eye, and her due date arrived. As contractions started, Irene was rushed to a top-notch private hospital. By that afternoon, she was showing signs of labor and was wheeled into the delivery room. "Ah... it hurts, it hurts so much..." Inside the delivery room, Irene's cries of agony filled the air as she sweated profusely, her face pale. Ten hours had passed, but the babies still hadn't arrived.