Milena POV
Damn…
This bed is so soft.
Definitely not my bed.
My eyes snapped open. The ceiling above me wasn't mine. The sheets smelled different cleaner, expensive, nothing like the thin blanket I used at home. Panic crawled up my throat as I sat up and looked around.
This is definitely not my room.
And Lina didn't wake me up.
So where the hell am I?
My heart pounded faster. Did Thomas sell me out? Did someone buy me?
I needed to escape now.
I swung my legs off the bed and was about to run when a deep, intimidating voice froze me in place.
"Where are you going to?"
I turned sharply.
There he was.
My stranger.
The man who saved me. The man from the club. He sat on a couch in the corner, arms crossed, staring straight at me. My breath hitched.
How did I not notice him there?
Has he been watching me sleep?
No, I scolded myself.
Why would he watch me?
I'm not worth that kind of attention.
"I believe I asked a question, Milena."
I flinched.
He knows my name.
How? Did Thomas tell him? Or
This is when everything rushed back to me.
The knock at the door.
The hand covering my mouth.
The injection.
The darkness.
The man who kidnapped me.
And when he stepped into the room now, I recognized him clearly Dennis.
My chest tightened in fear.
I'm sorry, mister," I stuttered, turning back to the stranger, "If Thomas sold me to you, please… please go and collect your money back. I'm not his daughter. Don't be heartless. I'm sure your mother didn't raise you to be like..."
I didn't finish.
His hand was suddenly around my neck.
Tight.
Lifting me slightly off the floor as my feet scraped helplessly.
"Don't you ever," he growled, his eyes burning into mine, "in your next life, mention my mother with that rotten mouth of yours."
His grip tightened.
Black dots danced in my vision.
My lungs burned.
My fingers clawed at his wrist, but he was too strong.
I was going to pass out again.
Just then the door burst open.
"Alpha!"
A woman rushed inside beautiful, fierce, dressed in healer's robes. Her scent was soothing, like herbs and moonlight. Behind her stood Dennis, the man who kidnapped me.
My heart stabbed in recognition.
"You," I whispered, though it barely came out.
The healer gasped. "Alpha Mason, leave her! You're choking her!"
Dennis' eyes widened when mine met his. He looked away quickly, guilt flooding his face.
Everything spun around me. My vision kept dimming in and out, but I held on long enough to hear the healer's horrified voice:
"She's your mate, Alpha! You can't hurt her!"
Mate?
I didn't understand.
I didn't know anything.
All I knew was the world tilted sideways and then everything went black.
.