Unfeeling Luna, Ruthless Alpha

CHAPTER 5: The Blood Oath

FORSYTHIA’S POV

When I woke up, it wasn't quite dawn yet. The ceiling was unfamiliar. The scent was unfamiliar. All of this, combined with the terrible memories of last night, made my heart hammer against my ribs.

It’s okay, I reassured myself.

I was safe. I was at Vanguard.

Unable to sleep, I sat up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. When I stepped out, my heart nearly stopped at the sight of the man sitting by the coffee table.

"Good morning," I said, forcing myself to remain calm.

He lifted his eyes to look at me. His gaze traced the length of my body, clad in my ridiculous pajamas.

"Good morning, Forsythia," the Alpha said.

"Did you really need to come this early?" Even though I was terrified, I feigned calm as I walked toward him and sat down opposite him.

"To eat breakfast with my mate."

"Bullshit!"

The Alpha raised an eyebrow. I steered the conversation to a different topic. "I want to talk about last night."

"Before breakfast arrives, very well."

We locked eyes for a moment before I looked down at his chest. I forced myself to yield. A few days ago, I wouldn't have dared to look an Alpha in the eye for even a second, let alone for this long.

"I am not very pleased with fate," Alpha Makarios began.

"Same," I muttered, then continued. "I don't want to be tied to you, but I want you to marry me."

"Oh, how interesting." He leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on me, making no attempt to hide his disdain.

"I can give you what you want."

"And that is?"

"My power."

I closed my eyes. I could feel the ivy clinging to the wall outside. I commanded it to grow longer, just enough to reach the large window. When I opened my eyes, Alpha Makarios was still watching me, but this time, his gaze carried something different.

"Well, you must hate your pack a lot to want to make a deal with me." He was fishing for information.

I guessed it wasn't hard for him to realize I was the girl who had caused such a scene yesterday. I nodded. "I hate them. I want to trade my power to make them suffer."

I kept the truth about my parents' death to myself; Alpha Makarios only needed to know what I could give him and what he could give me.

"A child. An heir. How does that sound?" He leaned closer to me.

"I will still be your wife, just... I don't want us to be tied together emotionally. And don't expect affection from me."

The Alpha snorted. "Don't even dream of it."

"So, do you agree to marry me?"

"Was that a proposal, Forsythia?"

"If you agree."

"What do you need from me?"

"Power. You will not interfere with my business with my old pack."

"That business must not involve Vanguard."

"Agreed, it is a personal matter between me and my old pack. Is the power you are lending me enough to make them suffer?"

"More than enough." His voice sounded like he was spitting out the words. "So, I give you my power and my protection. You give me a child and your power?"

"Yes... but..." I bit my lip. "I am no longer a virgin."

"Are you pregnant by someone else?"

"No, I... I don't think so." My cheeks flushed hot. "Are you angry about this?"

"As long as you don't lie to me about the heir and the pregnancy, everything is fine."

"Yes, of course. To be sure, I will have it checked and give you the results."

"Good." The Alpha straightened his posture. He placed his hand on the table, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the surface. "You will be my Luna, in charge of reviving the vegetation, managing the omega group, and helping members in need."

"I know what a Luna's duties are," I frowned.

"You are still an outsider," Makarios asserted. "I need something to make me trust you."

"Your Grace... Alpha, I mean..." I stammered. "It's not just you who has trust issues; I do too."

His sneer was truly detestable. It left me torn between wanting to claw that handsome face of his and wanting to kiss it.

I turned away, surprised by my own twisted imagination. This "fated mate" bond made me attracted to him in the most unnecessary way.

Did he feel what I felt? I glanced at him; his face, filled with arrogant suspicion, didn't look like a man tormented by fate. I would blame it on my omega biology and female hormones.

"We will take a blood oath."

Again, he made a decision without even asking for my opinion. But I felt it was appropriate. A blood oath would make us trust each other more, based on what we possessed of the other.

I turned a drinking glass upside down on the table. Alpha Makarios handed me a knife.

"I have my own."

"That seems like a special item. Here is another knife I am giving you; it is steel and very suitable for killing."

I took the knife. We both stood up, subconsciously standing close to each other. His body was warm, and he smelled of fine cedarwood. I wanted to take a deep breath, but my reason reminded me that I was setting up a business transaction with him.

I cut my hand, letting the blood drip into the glass first, followed by Alpha Makarios's blood. We shook hands with our wounded palms. The moment our wounds touched, the atmosphere around us turned icy cold.

Alpha Makarios began first. "I, Makarios Dalloway."

"I, Forsythia Greenwood."

"We repeat the blood oath together," we said in unison.

"I will give her my own protection and the power of an Alpha," he puffed out his chest.

"I will give him a child and my power," I repeated the earlier agreement. "We agree not to interfere with each other's love lives or demand affection from one another."

The final sentence was what Makarios and I spoke together: "This oath is binding from now until death do us part. Whoever breaks this oath will be consumed by the eternal fires of hell."

We let go of each other's hands. I drank half the glass of blood and handed it to Makarios.

"What could possibly make the curse lose its effect, Alpha?" I hesitated to ask as he drank.

The Alpha placed the empty glass on the table, hissed through his teeth, and replied in a husky voice, "It's Mak. You are my Luna, you cannot address me so distantly."

"Yes, Mak. What can break this oath?"

He brought his face close to mine; the scent of blood still on his lips was sweet and intriguing. "Are you afraid you won't last?"

"We are fated mates and there is an attraction between us, don't pretend you don't see it." I guessed blindly. But based on the way the vein in his forehead throbbed, I knew I was right. "Having a safe exit is better than staking my entire life on a dead end."

"No, there is no way out." The Alpha straightened his back. He wiped the blood from his mouth and turned his back on me. "Hey, Forsythia."

"It's Forsy."

"Forsy, you should go change. I need to take you to meet a bunch of bastards because you are about to become the pack's Luna."