Becoming Alpha Roan’s

Freedom

Lena's POV

Most women woke up excited for the start of their new life the morning after their wedding night.

I was not most women.

My body trembled violently when I lifted myself from the bed and scanned the empty room for the man who had left me in that condition.

He wasn’t in the room, and a quick press of my hand against his side of the bed that was cold told me he hadn't been for a while.

That was the moment to process my feelings, reflect on the events of last night and what my life had become, but then came a knock on the door.

"C-come in." Speaking made the painful heat around my neck flare up, and I prayed I wouldn't have to do much of it.

The man that walked into the room was as tall as the doorway and almost as large.

One of Roan’s warriors I recognised from the ceremony whose gaze was fixed on the spot above my head.

"Good morning, Luna. Alpha Roan left for the day's work and instructed you be brought to the Alpha Residence once your affairs are in order."

A busy husband was a dream come true, considering who I was mated with.

"T-thank you," I smiled, though he couldn't see it. "I'd like to get a little more sleep, if that's alright with... Alpha Roan."

"Alpha Roan will understand, but...." He paused, his face twisting as he struggled with what expression to settle on.

He finally met my eyes, his face blank. "Your father has been waiting in the lobby for the last three hours. I think it's best you see him before he tries to follow through on his threats."

My smile dropped.

“Threats?”

"To burn down the hotel with everyone inside. Rest assured, my men will stop him, but a fight could harm the peace treaty, so best to avoid it."

I was trapped by Gordon’s infamous temper and stubbornness.

"I'll be ready in an hour," I assured even as everything in me revolted against seeing Gordon.

The warrior bowed then exited the room.

The elevator doors slid open, and my new guard led me forward, careful to make it appear I was the one leading.

One of the many strange procedures my new position demanded.

The noise in the busy lobby dropped to a soft hum as wide, excited eyes fell on me.

Funny how only a week ago they would have sneered at the human walking into a shifter dominated establishment and called security.

I soon found Gordon, his hulking figure stationed by the receptionist’s desk where he was tormenting the cowering woman.

"Father!" I called out as I approached Gordon, bowing when I was an arm’s length away from him then moving closer so I could place a kiss on his cheek.

Like a loving daughter would.

"Lena, my darling," Gordon's voice was hoarse from yelling. "How are you?" He asked, his eyes falling on my bandaged neck when I pulled away.

Gordon’s eyes were electric blue and so much more expressive than Roan's because, try as he might, Gordon was not good at masking.

It allowed me to see the rage simmering underneath his smile.

"A little sore from the marking, but my husband said it is to be expected. Perhaps we should talk somewhere private," I offered, overly aware of the eyes and ears on us. "Have you had breakfast yet, Father?"

Eager to be rid of Gordon, the woman behind the counter informed us we were welcome to use one of the hotel's many dining rooms.

I agreed before Gordon could refuse, earning me a sharper smile and narrowed eyes.

The door closed behind the last of the servers who had set out a beautiful spread on the large table. My new guard left with them.

I was finally alone with Gordon.

"There was an issue with the...."

The crack of Gordon's hand against my cheek was almost as loud as the thud of his chair when it hit the floor.

I cried out as he grabbed me by the hair, worrying the bruise Roan's roughness had already caused and forcing me to meet enraged blue eyes.

"One job! You had one job any b***h off the street could do, and you f****d it up so royally you might as well have come down here with a crown on your damn head!"

This wasn't the time to talk back, my burning cheek that made my eyes water a glaring reason, but Roan's question last night had left me wondering and I couldn't help but ask. "If any b***h off the street could do it, why did you pick me?"

Gordon's grin grew, the warm light from the chandelier catching on the sharp tips of his fangs.

I struggled, knowing what was coming next, but his grip on my hair grew so tight I feared clumps of it would soon be fluttering to the floor.

His hand rose, poised for another hit, and I knew I had to step in before he got too consumed by his anger and beat me to a literal pulp.

"Roan has a wolf!"

Gordon's hand froze mid-air, and the most interesting thing happened to his face. It lit up like a child on their birthday.

"He has a wolf?" He released my hair, and I nodded shakily, smoothing my hand against my throbbing scalp.

"How?"

"He did not say." And I didn't exactly get the chance to ask how he did the impossible while fearing for my life.

"That son of a b***h did it," Gordon said with a small laugh as he pulled back, disappearing into a world of his own.

"Have you ever heard of the Goddess' Heart?"

I shook my head.

"Course you haven't, f*****g human. It's this herb or flower. No one knows for sure because it got wiped out by some holier than thou types centuries ago so it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands," he sneered, knowing as well as I did that he was the wrong hands.

"But the Goddess' Heart is a cure for all, so to speak. Fatal poisonings or injury for werewolves, Lycans and everything in between, there's nothing it can't fix. And some records even claimed it could ‘make that which never was’."

I frowned, confused, and it was a testament to his excitement that he did not use it as a chance to insult the human race.

"Goddess' Heart is the only recorded substance that can make anyone, Wolf or human, a Lycan."

My lips parted in shock, and everything became clearer.

You were lucky as a human to find a werewolf willing to turn you, something that more often happened between mated pairs, but a Lycan was impossible.

If werewolves were children of Selene, then Lycans were cut from her very flesh. They were at the top of the food chain, said to be gods not just because of their incredible abilities, but no one could become a Lycan if they weren't born one.

"Do you know the last place the Goddess' Heart was sighted?" Gordon asked as he snatched up a bagel and spread cream cheese on it.

He took an aggressive bite from it, chewed and swallowed before continuing. "BlackWood."

"I knew he was up to something in that shithole, but I didn’t think it would be this!"

He turned to me, with an intrigued look in his eyes, as if he was seeing me for the first time.

"How come you're not dead?"

It was such an unexpected question I would have laughed if my cheek wasn't still on fire.

I hesitated to respond. Gordon would see through any lie I told.

"Roan says he needs me as his mate, and he offered some added incentives to make sure I stayed"

"Incentives?" If Gordon was in his wolf form, his ears would have perked up.

"He... Well, he said he would pay off my debt and take care of Winny and Timmy."

Gordon hummed, picking up the chair he had flung and setting it beside mine.

He sat in it, facing me, and I resisted the urge to scoot my chair away.

"He likes you," Gordon remarked, blue eyes moving to the bruise his slap had left on my cheek. "You should have told me before you let me give you that."

"But that's beside the point. This is perfect. You can use his affection to our advantage."

My spine straightened, and I shook my head. "If you want him dead, do it yourself."

Gordon glared at me, but the knowledge that he couldn't hit me anymore made me more courageous than I thought I could be.

"Careful, Lena. You don't want to upset the only person in your corner."

I scoffed, my bruised cheek giving a twinge of pain. "My corner?! You don't give a f**k about me...."

"And you think Roan does?" He spat, and I pursed my lips.

He was right, but I refused to agree with him in any way.

"You're nothing but a replaceable broodmare to him, baby. I suggest helping me find out how he got his wolf. The sooner the better if you want to get out of this without his nasty little spawns."

"He doesn't trust me."

"Then make him," he growled. "Do you understand what would happen if I got my hands on the heart? I'll have every powerful man and woman in the world tripping over themselves to become Lycan. Money, power, land, people, nothing is off the table when I monopolise the market, which is why I need to get my hands on it before Roan becomes business minded or, heaven forbid, destroys it for that greater good bullshit."

I bit my lip hard to fight the smile growing on my lips.

Gordon was winning me over, but not for the reasons he thought.

Sensing the shift in my emotions, he leaned closer with what would have been a fatherly smile on anyone but him

"You find the heart for me and I'll get you away from Roan and set you up in a cushy human town with your friend and her kid. Little Timmy will have the best werewolf-standard life, and all because Aunty Lena did his Alpha a small favour."

"Okay." I agreed, and Gordon absolutely beamed.

"I knew you were a smart girl!"

I was. Smart enough to know that once I got the Heart, all that power and wealth Gordon talked about would be mine.

I could get away from both him and Roan. Give Winny and Timmy the life they deserved, not a werewolf-standard one in that prison that was Golden Peak, but an actual life.

Maybe build something for humans who are sick of being playthings for shifters.

All I had to do was play my cards right and I could be a free woman by the end of the month.

I smiled at Gordon, honey sweet and innocent like he thought I was.

"What do I have to do?