The mahogany door shut with a loud thud that shook the walls. It left Amara in a suffocating silence. She was still sitting on the bed panting heavily. She held baby Aries who was now sleeping peacefully in his crib. Amara stared at the door with a mix of confusion and fear. Why did he suddenly leave with such explosive anger. It was as if the sight of her nursing his son woke up a bigger demon inside him.
Amara laid the baby back in the crib made of pure silver and fine silk. She looked at his tiny face. He looked so much like Raxus but without the cruelty in his eyes. His little lips twitched in his sleep as if he was dreaming of something peaceful. It was a luxury Amara would never feel again.
"Why did you have to be born from that monster little one" Amara whispered while touching Aries's cheek with her trembling index finger.
Before she could calm her mind the door opened again without a sound. This time it was not Raxus but Julian. The Beta assistant had a face as flat as a concrete wall. His sharp eyes scanned every detail in the room. He held a tray of luxurious food. Medium rare wagyu steak truffle mushroom soup exotic fruits and an old flip phone.
"Alpha Raxus ordered you to finish everything Amara. Young Alpha Aries's nutrition depends on what you eat" Julian said while placing the tray on the marble table.
"Just call me his dairy cow. Do not sugarcoat it" Amara interrupted bitterly. Her eyes glared at the man who was the devil's right hand.
"Call it whatever you like" Julian replied without emotion. "Starting today you are not allowed to leave this penthouse without written permission from the Alpha. Every corner of this place is monitored by motion sensor cameras. The anklet on your left leg has an active GPS and heart rate monitor. If you try to take it off or kill yourself an alarm will go off directly at the Blackmoon Pack security command center."
Amara felt a heavy blow to her chest. This was not just a prison. It was an observation lab. "You people are true monsters. Do you sleep well at night after doing all this"
Julian ignored the insult and handed her the flip phone. "Alpha Raxus gave this to you. It can only receive one way video calls. Look."
The phone screen lit up. Amara held her breath when she saw the live footage. Toby. Her youngest brother was sitting in a small barred pack dungeon. He wore a white shirt that was too big for him. He was eating boxed food with a terrified face but his body looked unhurt.
"Toby" Amara touched the cold screen of the phone with tears pooling in her eyes again. The pain in her heart was much more torturous than any physical wound.
"He cannot hear you" Julian cut in. "This video will activate every four hours for ten seconds as a reminder. Alpha Raxus wants you to know that as long as you cooperate Toby will stay healthy. His safety guarantee is automatically canceled if you break the rules. My advice is do not make the Alpha bored or angry. He hates disobedient things."
The door closed again leaving Amara alone with her luxurious food and the proof of his high tech cruelty. Amara threw the phone onto the sofa. Her anger peaked but on the other hand when she stood up a warm sensation suddenly spread from her solar plexus. Amara gasped. Her Luna Core the center of her wolf power that had been numb since the m******e began to pulse rhythmically.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
This was impossible. The Silvermane Pack was known for their soothing silver energy while Blackmoon possessed destructive black energy. In theory nursing an enemy pack baby should have drained her energy but the exact opposite happened. The pure Alpha energy from Aries that she absorbed during the nursing process was now reacting like a catalyst inside Amara's body. It stitched her shattered power back together.
"What is happening to me" Amara whispered holding her own chest. Her pale skin began to show signs of life.
She walked towards the large mirror in the dressing room and unbuttoned her ruined clothes. The purple bruises from Raxus's grip were still on her neck but in the middle of her chest a small silver mark. The Luna symbol. Which had been faded and broken was now showing firm lines again.
He gave his Alpha energy to me through this nursing process Amara thought realizing the big secret. Raxus thought he was using her but he was accidentally feeding his own enemy the power to rise again. A dangerous little hope began to bloom in the middle of her ruined heart.
The balcony door suddenly blew open from the strong wind. The winter air rushed in bringing the scent of snow and sandalwood. Amara did not need to turn around to know who had just stepped into her room. He was pulled back by the mate bond he tried to deny.
"You should get dressed Amara. I am not a patient man when I see helpless prey offering itself" Raxus's husky baritone voice sounded behind her.
Amara did not reach for her blanket. She turned around instead letting her body be exposed to the moonlight and Raxus's savage gaze. Her eyes flashed silver. It was a new courage born from the ashes of ruin.
"Why did you come back here Raxus. Are you afraid I will choke your son when you are not looking" Amara mocked with a provocative tone.
Raxus narrowed his eyes. Amara's pheromones felt increasingly intoxicating testing the Alpha defenses he desperately built. He stepped forward until their bodies were only a few inches apart. He could feel the warmth radiating from Amara's porcelain skin.
"You bounce back very fast" Raxus grabbed Amara's chin forcing the woman to look into his pitch black eyes. "Where did that pathetic crying woman from the ashes of the Packhouse this afternoon go"
"That woman burned to death. All that is left is the shadow that will haunt you" Amara did not blink. "Do you not feel disgusted Raxus. Being in the same room with the blood of the Pack you just slaughtered"
Raxus growled. His jaw hardened. The truth was he absolutely hated the fact that his wolf was fighting to claim this woman. To prove that he was in full control Raxus moved his hand down from Amara's chin. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her forcefully until their bodies collided.
"Just because my son needs your womb and your nutrition does not mean I cannot hurt you" Raxus whispered sharply. His whiskey scented breath hit Amara's face. "I slaughtered your Alpha father with my own hands. Do you think I will hesitate to snap your neck if you rebel"
"Do it if you dare. Kill the only person who can keep your son alive" Amara challenged pressing her chest against Raxus's broad chest without fear.
Raxus gripped Amara's waist so tightly his nails almost pierced her skin. His gaze dropped from Amara's eyes to her naturally red lips. The lust morphed into an ancient thirst. It was an irony that tortured his sanity.
"You are too beautiful to be killed in a boring way" Raxus whispered those words before burying his face in Amara's neck. He did not kiss her. He inhaled the scent of snow and sweet milk deeply intimidating Amara with his physical dominance.
Amara felt her knees go weak. It was a biological betrayal she hated to death. However inside her mind a wicked plan began to form.
"Then enjoy your power while you can Raxus" Amara smiled cynically. It was a deadly smile Raxus had never seen from any captive. "Because every time your son nurses from me without you realizing it I am taking a piece of your Alpha strength."
Raxus's face tensed. He pushed Amara onto the large bed with one rough movement. He crawled over her body like a predator ready to tear its prey.
"In that case I will make sure you pay for every single drop of that energy. In a way you will never forget for the rest of your life" Raxus threatened.
Amara braced herself for the worst. But before Raxus could close the distance between them the penthouse door swung open violently.
"Alpha. Emergency." Julian rushed in panting heavily. It was a protocol breach that only happened in life or death situations.
Raxus stood up furiously covering Amara's body with the blanket in a lightning fast possessive motion. "If this news is not as important as your life you will be a corpse before sunrise Julian."
Julian swallowed hard. His usually pale face was now ghostly white. "Toby. The CCTV video from the pack dungeon just went dead mysteriously Alpha. And our cleanup team at the Silvermane ruins just reported the underground vault is empty. Someone just snatched the Silvermane Alpha corpse right from under our noses."
Amara sat up straight her eyes wide. Her father. Her father's corpse was missing.
Raxus turned around and glared at Amara with a look full of intense suspicion and explosive fury. "What kind of sick game are you playing with the remnants of your pack Amara"
"I do not know anything."
"Liar." Raxus grabbed the phone on the table and threw it smashing it against the wall. He lunged forward grabbing Amara's neck roughly. His voice was hoarse with a rage capable of leveling mountains.
"Listen to me very carefully Amara" Raxus hissed right in front of Amara's pale face. "If your brother escapes or if even a single Silvermane tries to strike back Aries will not need mother's milk
starting tomorrow morning. Because I will rip your throat out myself."