Unfeeling Luna, Ruthless Alpha

CHAPTER 4: A Valuable Component

FORSYTHIA’S POV

"Yes, I am your mate." He let out a rough chuckle. His shoulders were broad and straight, and his hands were shoved into his pockets with an air of arrogance. "Did he deserve it?"

"You saw that?" The question escaped my lips before I could stop it.

Noticing his satisfaction, my heart sank. If he knew I possessed power and I appeared too easy to control, he would exploit me as a weapon, just as my father had warned.

How should I behave? That was when Jill’s flirtatious image flashed through my mind. She was a useless slut, yet she always knew how to make people worship her.

"Did he deserve it?" Alpha Makarios repeated, his voice laced with even more disdain this time.

Tossing my hair back, I tilted my chin up and partially closed my eyelids. I stepped closer to him and asked coldly, "Reject me or take me out of here before..."

No, too much.

Alpha Makarios looked surprised, clearly waiting for me to continue.

"Before they arrive," I added. I swallowed reflexively twice. I was tensing my muscles to hide the trembling of my body.

The Alpha let out another rough laugh, his gray eyes unable to hide his hubris. Indeed, he had rebelled and emerged victorious at the age of twenty-five. Why would he fear someone like me?

"As you wish," he said, his tone dripping with mockery. He reached his hand out toward me.

Looking straight ahead, I placed my hand in his. We began walking through the forest until we reached the main road. Parked in the center was a sleek, black car. Beside it stood a young brown-haired man whose olive eyes widened as he looked at me.

"Alpha, this is..." he trailed off.

"My fated mate. We are going home together," the Alpha replied before shifting into a commanding tone. "Kraven, open the door."

Kraven hurried to obey. The Alpha gestured for me to enter the car first. Once all three of us were settled and Kraven began to drive, Alpha Makarios started asking questions. This time, he spoke with the tone of a refined gentleman, though a hint of condescension remained.

"May I ask your name, bold omega?"

"Forsythia Greenwood," I answered, my mind racing between the information I would share and how I would present it.

"I shall call you Thia."

"Call me Forsythia."

"Forsythia," he gritted his teeth. "Fine. A beautiful name when left intact. Your family must have belonged to the upper class."

My eyes remained glued to the window as rows of trees blurred past. Despite the dying vegetation, the scenery was unfamiliar; I knew we had crossed the borders of the Silver Fang pack.

Alpha Makarios grabbed my hand, squeezing it so hard it was painful. I kept my face from grimacing as he continued, "I need to meet my mate’s parents."

"They died."

"Oh? Is the blood on your body from the person who killed your family?"

He was fishing for information. He wanted to find out what I was and what my power entailed. A valuable component should not be understood too easily. But how could I avoid providing information? Once again, Jill’s arrogant image returned to me.

"We will discuss this tomorrow." There it was—pretending I was the one in control. As if I weren't some girl who could be easily played for a fool.

Alpha Makarios laughed mockingly again. I gently pried my hand from his. "Please keep your distance, Mr. Dalloway."

His surname. It was my way of showing that I was maintaining formal politeness rather than respecting his title. Perhaps I would be killed for that.

Alpha Makarios snorted as he withdrew his hand.

At that moment, the welcoming gate to Vanguard appeared. Two men standing there nodded in greeting. The trees gradually vanished, replaced by residential houses and high-rise buildings that could have represented any corporation in Vanguard.

The car turned into a vast estate with a manicured green lawn. Then, it stopped before the grand entrance of a massive palace. Kraven opened the door, and the Alpha took my hand to help me out.

My lungs tightened at the sheer grandeur before me. The front doors opened, revealing several male and female servants standing in the hall, waiting for us.

Alpha Makarios grabbed my hand, nearly dragging me inside. We stopped in the center of the lobby. He wrapped an arm around my waist and declared, "This is Forsythia Greenwood, my mate. You will treat her with respect and do exactly as she says. Understood?"

The servants nodded. A few of them widened their eyes and whispered questions I couldn't answer. Their eyes bored into me. My legs felt like jelly; it was the first time I had ever been the center of such attention. The Alpha pulled me upstairs before I could say a word.

Kraven followed us but kept enough distance to afford us privacy.

We stopped in a deserted hallway. He pulled me into his arms, lifting my chin to look directly into his eyes.

The Alpha begin to grit his teeth. "Forsythia Greenwood, a unique creation. Remember that I don't give a f**k about you. Do not be rude to me, understood?"

Fear swallowed my words. I wanted to nod in agreement. But my body was frozen; I could only stare into the bright gray eyes before me.

"I..." His lips moved closer to my ear as he whispered just loud enough for me to hear. "...can live without my mate."

Was he saying he wanted to kill me? My stomach churned, and I forced a nod to show I understood.

He released me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Kraven bowed and spoke up. "Miss Greenwood, please come this way."

Nodding, I went with Kraven. Alpha Makarios headed straight for the upper floor. I assumed he was going to his room.

"This is your room," Kraven said, stopping at a door. "For the safety of the pack, your room will be locked from the outside. Clothes and food are being prepared. There is a phone in the room; just pick it up and let us know what you need. We will provide it."

"Are you keeping me under house arrest?" I asked.

Kraven smiled, still answering politely. "It is what’s best for both of us."

He opened the door, and I stepped inside with a look of resentment. Once the sound of his footsteps faded, I tested the doorknob and realized it was indeed locked.

Without hesitation, I ran to the nearest doors. I discovered there was a bathroom and a toilet in my room. There was no balcony, but there was a very large window. The windowsill was designed like a long bench for sitting.

Touching the window, I gave it a hard push. It could be opened, I concluded. However, the height was so great that the fall would certainly be fatal. Considering it a last resort if I needed to escape.

I searched the entire room. I checked the wardrobe, under the bedsheets, and every other hidden corner before lying comfortably on the bed. The softness of the mattress brought back the image of the night I spent with Draco. Why had I agreed to have s*x with him?

No, I never said "yes" to that.

The door opened again. Servants brought in food and a few clothes to hang in my wardrobe.

"How do you know my size?" I sat up and asked.

"We estimated based on your proportions. If you are unsatisfied with anything we provide, you may request a replacement," a red-haired omega girl said. The way her eyes scanned my body clearly showed her contempt.

"If you are finished, then leave. This is still my room," I reminded her.

The servants left. Before the door closed and locked, I could still hear their mocking whispers.

Was the food poisoned?

I truly didn't know. My stomach was growling with hunger. I couldn't stand not eating. So, I tried a piece of meat, then a rib. At first, I ate small bites, but gradually I lost control and ate like a starving animal.

Despite having been thrown in the dungeon many times for various offenses, I still couldn't bear being starved like that. Thinking of that dungeon, the image of Beta Jack returned.

Was he dead now, or had he been saved? Had I really killed a man?

"So filthy," I muttered, the meal suddenly losing its flavor.

Despite facing the truth that I would have to kill on this journey for revenge, I still couldn't stomach what I had just done.

"I'll get used to it," I said, talking to myself again. I must be going crazy.

"I should take a shower; I'm so dirty."

I grabbed a random set of pajamas and stepped into the bathroom. Even though I tried to wash quickly, the bloodstains on my body were incredibly difficult to clean. It was as if they were scars etched into my skin, marking the transformation from an innocent girl into a cold, ruthless woman.

Afterward, I remember lying in bed in the dark, cold space. The darkness was swallowing me, and exhaustion carried me into sleep.

Tomorrow would be the time for me—a cold, unfeeling Forsythia—to talk about what she wanted with Alpha Makarios, the most powerful and ruthless man in the southern region of Everland.