Mate I never wanted

Instructions to a partnership

Vivian POV

"Sit down, Vivian."

Instantly, I sank into my chair with a little whine leaving my chest.

"We are staying matched for now, and you will return to your training."

His voice was one step away from a full growl.

"But... but I have already filed for an annulment..."

A dark smile filled his face.

"Yes, I know, and I had already rejected it. And if you file again, I will make sure you regret it..."

I felt my face change into a confused look that matched how I was feeling.

"What?"

His face changed once again, this time changing into a cruel grin as he leaned back in his chair and my chest filled with dread.

"I know that you come from a certain orphanage that you have been donating money to for several years now... I'm sure it holds... a sentimental meaning to you... if I'm not mistaken, it is the same orphanage that you lived in before the Cliffwind's took you in."

It was clear that he had a lot more information about me now. But my question is the same... why is he doing this? Why not let this mess fall apart, so we could leave it all behind?

"You wouldn't want something bad to happen to it... like it losing the financing it gets from the emperor?'

Fear filled my body as I stared at him in shock... he wouldn't...

"Why... why are you doing this?"

I whispered, feeling so confused and shocked by the turn of events.

"My reasoning behind this does not matter."

He was being so cryptic, and I just couldn't understand any of this.

"You do not want to mate me or marry me... then why do all of this?"

My voice was shaking as I asked him again, trying to understand how this man in front of me and that sweet silver-haired fox could be the same person.

With a cold look on his face, he explained.

"My mother wants me to stay with you and I will do everything in my power to make her happy, and I need someone to spend my heat with. My fox will not accept anyone else, so it's just a means to an end."

I started at him, feeling shocked and confused.

"But... but..."

"We are staying as we are for the time being. I will let you know when I need you. Now go back to your training and get something to prevent pregnancy. We did not use protection during my heat."

He said to me dismiss me and I could not do anything other, then just nodded at his request as I get up and leave the room.

What the hell?

What the hell just happened?

Is this even real, or just some sick and twisted joke?

I stepped out of the room and leaned against the cool metal door.

What the hell just happened?

Did the Ninth prince of the empire declare that he refused to break our mating bond and blackmailed me to stay in a mating match with him?

Did I really just agree to stay matched and engaged to him?

Okay, agree was a strong word, I had no choice in the matter here.

"Miss Vivian, are you done? Can we return to your training?"

My eyes shot up as I stared at the trainer that took me here.

"Ummm... Okay, but can we please stop at the nurses' office? I have forgotten some medication and I want to ask if she has anything."

He looked at me with a concerned look on his face as he nodded.

"Sure, it's just on the way to the training arena. Follow me."

He said, as he started walking in the direction we came from. My mind was still buzzing with the mess that had just happened when we stopped by a door that was probably to the nurses' office.

"You can go in, and I will wait for you here."

The trainer said, and I nodded in answer to him.

After knocking on the white door with the sign that it was indeed the nurses' office, I stepped into the room, not waiting for an answer.

"Just a moment, sweetheart."

An older woman said from the other side of the room where she had a boy from my class on the bed. She was bandaging up his legs. I guess that was the aftermath of his run. He still looked really out of breath and his feet were still bleeding.

"Now lay down for a bit and wait for the painkillers to kick in."

She said to the boy, who had a pained look on his face. Carefully, she petted his head and turned to me.

"Now, what can I do for you?"

She asked me, and I felt shame rise in my stomach.

Gods, this will be hard.

Taking a deep breath, I forced all of my emotions to calm down, and I looked at her again with a shy smile on my face.

"Umm... maybe you have something to prevent a pregnancy?"

I said, and my voice sounded more like a whisper. The older woman's face softened and turned into something a lot more concerned.

"Are you talking about contraceptives?"

"No... no... umm, it has already happened, and we did not use protection."

I said, suddenly feeling even more ashamed and shy of the things I did. Before now, I had never been in a situation like this. Every time I needed something in this manner before, I could always order online... but right now... that is not an option. She was the only way to get something like this.

Her face became still and blank.

"Oh, okay. I have just what you need."

She turned around and reached into the cabinet behind her. A moment later, she turned back to me with a little packet of tablets.

"How long has it been?'

I stared at her, confused. There was no way that I was disclosing information like that.

"What?"

My voice sounded scared and like a whisper as I reached for the tablets she was holding.

"It's just that this will only work up to a month after the act... if it has been longer, you will need something stronger and medical attention as well."

She said, trying to sound gentle, but I could see that she was judging me right now...

Great.

I grabbed the tablets from her hands and answered her.

"No, it has not been that long. Now, thank you, and what are the instructions?"

"Take one with water. It would be best if you could take two days to recover, because it would hurt a lot."

I stared at her, almost laughing at the silliness of what she was saying.

"We both know that I do not have a luxury like that."

"Then maybe if it has not been that long... maybe you could wait a bit..."

I just shook my head as a response.

"It will be okay, I will live through this. Now, thank you, I have a task to finish. If you would excuse me... Thanks for the medicine, now goodbye."

I said, leaving through the door.

The trainer was waiting for me at the same spot I left him.

"Ready?"

He asked me as I walked up to him, and I just nodded.

"Okay, let's go."

He said as we walked in the direction of the training room that we were in before. There were no more students outside, and I could only guess where are the ones that failed so early in the training.

"Okay, now you heard the task."

He said to me as we walked into the big room. Once inside, I saw that there were still quite a few that were still running and there were even more students on the ground moaning in pain as their bodies gave up from under them,

Ignoring the desperate hybrids on the floor, I started running. This was not my favorite exercise, but I knew that I could suffer through it.

Around the time I finished half of the length that I had to run today, I felt eyes on me... eyes that followed my every move...

What the f**k?