The Alpha's Surrogate Wife Is A Man

Ren's POV ​The cold had settled into my bones, like a deep, aching shiver that I couldn't shake off. I sat on the edge of my narrow cot in the attic, my skin damp with sweat. I had spent the last six hours outside in the pouring rain, scrubbing the stone patio until my fingers were raw. My mother didn't want the "disgrace" of the family... the mute, broken son... to be seen by anyone while the neighbours were watching the wedding preparations. ​I winced as Sori pressed a soaked cloth against the deep gash on my waist. I had slipped on the wet stones earlier, but I hadn't made a sound. Not that I could anyway. I just gritted my teeth as my fingers dug into the thin mattress. ​"I'm sorry, Ren. I'm so sorry," Sori whispered. She was the only one who ever looked at me with kindness. "Just hold on. I have to clean it, or it will fester. You know your parents won't call a doctor for you." ​I looked at her, trying to keep my breathing steady. I raised my hand and moved my fingers in familiar patterns of sign language. ​'It's okay. I'm fine,' I signed. ​"You're not fine," Sori grumbled, dabbing the wound with shaky hands. "You're an Omega, Ren. You aren't built for this kind of labour. They treat you worse than the stray dogs in the alley just because you can't speak." ​Suddenly, a wave of noise erupted from downstairs. Doors slammed, and I heard the frantic, heavy footsteps of my father, Arthur. My head tilted toward the door. I raised my hands again, a small, hopeful smile touching my lips. ​'Elara is finally leaving?' I signed. ​Sori paused, listening to the shouting. "Sounds like it. The 'Golden Child' is heading to her gilded cage. At least with her gone, there will be one less person to torment you. She's been the third menace in your life right alongside your parents." ​I didn't feel bad for laughing silently. It was true. My twin sister had always been cruel to me, using my silence to blame me for her mistakes. If she were getting married and moving out, I thought I might finally be able to vanish into the shadows in peace. ​The attic door was kicked open so hard that it hit the wall with a c***k. My father stood there, his face purple with rage. Behind him, my mother, Martha, was wringing her hands, her eyes wide with panic. ​"Where is she?" my father roared, glaring at me as if I had hidden her under my bed. "Where is Elara?" ​Sori stood up quickly, shielding me. "I haven't seen her since this morning, sir." ​"She's gone!" my mother wailed, her voice hitting a high, frantic note. "We've searched every room! The wedding party will be here in hours! If she's not here, the Morettis will skin us alive!" ​Sori looked at my panicked face and then back to them. "I'll go help find her. Maybe she's in the backyard." ​Sori hurried out, leaving me alone with my parents. I felt small, pulling my thin shirt over my bandaged waist to hide the blood. I moved to the corner of the room, trying to become invisible. ​"We're dead, Arthur," my mother whispered, pacing the small space. She looked at me with a flash of pure hatred. "Why couldn't it have been him who ran? No one would care if this silent freak went missing." ​Minutes felt like hours. I watched them argue until Sori returned. She held a crumpled piece of paper. "I found this... behind the drawer. It must have fallen back." ​My father snatched it. My mother leaned in, and as they read, her knees gave out. She collapsed onto a wooden chair, sobbing into her hands. ​"She ran," my father whispered, the paper fluttering to the floor. "She said she won't marry a 'monster.' She said she'd rather die than be the Moretti Prince's breeder." ​"They're coming tonight!" my mother screamed. "They're coming for a bride! If we don't have one, they'll burn this house down with us inside!" ​My father looked around the room, his eyes frantic. They landed on the floor, then the walls, and finally... slowly... on me. ​Sori had come back to my side, quietly trying to finish the bandage on my waist. My mother looked up from her crying and saw me sitting there. She stood up suddenly, her grief turning into a sharp rage. She lunged forward, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me back and forth. ​"You!" she hissed. "We're about to be slaughtered, and you're busy with your little scratch? You useless boy!" ​I couldn't make a sound. I just let my head bob back and forth, my eyes wide with terror, my hands coming up in a useless gesture of defence. ​"Wait," my father said. His voice was suddenly very calm. "Martha, stop. Look at him." ​She stopped shaking me. "What? Look at what? He's a useless, mute boy." ​"No," my father said, stepping closer. He lifted my chin with a rough hand. "Look at his face. The same eyes. The same jawline. They're twins, Martha. Put a wig on him, give him a dress... who would know?" ​My mother froze. She looked at me again, but this time, she wasn't looking at her son. She was looking at a solution. A slow and terrifying grin spread across her face. ​"He's perfect. He's thin, and he's an Omega. His scent is faint enough that we can cover it with Elara's perfume." ​Sori stood up, her voice trembling. "You can't be serious! You can't send Ren to that house! He's a boy! If they find out, they'll kill him! He won't survive a night!" ​"He'll survive if he does what he's told!" my mother snapped. She gripped my face, forcing me to look at her. "You are going to be your sister. You will wear her dress and her name. Do you understand? If they find out you are a man, we are all dead. You will save this family, or I will kill you myself before the Mafia even gets the chance." ​I wanted to refuse. I wanted to scream that I was their son, not a pawn. But I couldn't say anything. I didn't even know who this "monster" was, but the terror in their eyes told me everything. I looked at Sori's terrified face, then at my father's cold eyes. ​I slowly nodded in obedience. ​"Good," my father said, turning to Sori. "And you. You're going with him. If he gets caught, you'll die with him." ​The transformation was a nightmare. They shoved a heavy, chestnut-colored wig onto my head, pinning it so tightly it felt like it was piercing my skull. They dressed me in a high-collared, expensive lace gown that hid the bandages on my waist. They applied layers of makeup to hide my masculine features and doused me in floral perfume. ​When they were finished, I stood in the centre of the room. I looked into the mirror and saw my sister staring back. Even my parents were silenced for a moment by the resemblance. ​"Listen to me," my father said, gripping my arm. "Don't let them touch you. I'm sure that monster won't even lay a hand on you, but if they find out you're a man, contact us immediately so we can run. But until then... stay silent. Your muteness is the only thing that might save you." ​Sori had packed a suitcase for me. Within minutes, the car arrived. It wasn't a decorated wedding car; it was a matte black SUV that looked like an armoured tank. Only three men stepped out. They had no smile on their faces. They were massive, their suits straining against their muscles, and their faces covered in scars. ​I watched my father sign some papers and receive a heavy bag before he ushered me into the car. ​'I was sold,' I thought, a cold numbness settling in my chest. ​Sori climbed in next to me, and the door slammed shut with a heavy thud. The men in the front didn't even look back at us. They simply pulled away from the curb, leaving my home behind. ​The silence in the car was suffocating as I stared out the window, ​Sori leaned in close and whispered. "Are you okay?" ​I nodded slowly. I raised my hand under the cover of my long skirt, signing. 'Where are we going?' ​"It's going to be a long drive, Ren," Sori whispered. "We're heading to the Moretti estate. It's a fortress on the edge of the city." ​I signed again. 'Who is he? The man?' ​Sori looked at me with eyes full of pity. She leaned in even closer, her breath warm against my ear. ​"You really don't know? Your parents kept you locked away too long. You're being delivered to Vincenzo Moretti. They call him the Alpha Prince, but behind his back, even the other families call him the 'Rabid Dog.' He's the one who handles the Morettis' wars. He's famous for his rage. He's a monster, Ren. And now... he's your husband." ​I felt the blood drain from my face. I looked down at my hands, clad in lace gloves, and realised they were shaking. I wasn't just a bride; I was a sacrifice.