Present time…
"Number 56! Number 56! Where is that fool?" Madame Tessa, the Alpha's housekeeper, called out.
I froze in fear, my hand clutching the bread I had stolen, as I stared into the frightened eyes of my daughter.
"Are they going to punish us?" she asked fearfully.
"Listen to me, Zara. No one, I repeat, no one is going to punish you, okay?" I whispered, bending down to her level.
I always made sure to call her Zara, every chance I got. In a world where I had been reduced to a mere number for being an Omega, I wanted my daughter to know who she was.
She was still too young for anyone to know her wolf ranking, but they all assumed she would be an Omega like me. I didn't tell anyone her father was an Alpha—no one except Zara. I had even named her after him.
Through the horrors of Bloodwood, I kept telling her stories of her true pack—a progressive, civilized society—and that her father was an Alpha. It seemed almost humorous that I would ever look back on my days at Darkmoon with fond memories.
"Number 56!" Madame Tessa's voice rang out again, this time from the doorway.
"You thieving, stupid woman! I told you to polish the floors of the throne room. Instead, you're here stealing food for your stupid brat!" she shouted. "Alpha Greg should have killed that thing while it was still a baby!"
I hugged my daughter tightly, shielding her from Madame Tessa as she began trembling the way she always did whenever Alpha Greg's name was mentioned.
"It's alright, Madame," I said in a tight voice. "I'll go polish the floors now—"
"Well, you have to be punished first," she snapped. "I'll whip your child as punishment!"
Zara started crying, burying her face harder into my lap. As Madame Tessa tried to drag her away, her ringing phone interrupted her.
"The Alpha wants to see Number 56—she and her child," I heard clearly through the phone.
Madame Tessa glared at me for a moment before saying, "Alright, follow me."
Zara was trembling and whimpering by now. I scooped her into my arms, burying her face into my shoulder as I followed Madame Tessa.
Alpha Greg was in his throne room—I wondered if he ever went anywhere else.
It was the first time I had come face-to-face with him in five years. Usually, I tried my best to avoid him, always cleaning before he entered or after he left.
He had found me the day after, rejecting me, and had laughing in my face as I cried out from the pain of severing our mate bond. Then he'd told me he preferred me as a slave.
Now, his eyes roamed over me with barely suppressed lust, but it was his words that shocked me.
"I have made a deal with the Alpha of Darkmoon pack. He is returning my Beta unharmed, without torture or interrogation, and in return, I'm sending back his whore and his bastard to him. Pack your things; you're going back to Darkmoon first thing tomorrow."
I shook my head as tears blurred my vision. No! I couldn't go back to Darkmoon—not when I was even worse off than when I had left.
Zac had shamed me then. I was sure now he would be disgusted with me.
I began to cry, my tears mingling with my daughter's as guards dragged me out of the room.
I tried not to think throughout the journey back to Darkmoon. Zara watched me apprehensively with her huge green eyes, eyes that looked just like her father's.
Darkmoon was a lot different from when I had run away, and if I wasn't so sad and afraid, I might have enjoyed the scenery.
Because we were exchange "prisoners," they had tied my hands together, and I had to cradle Zara to myself with bound hands.
At last, I was sitting in what I was told was a private office. Zara had thankfully fallen asleep, lying on my lap with tear streaks on her cheeks, as we waited for Alpha Zac.
When the door finally opened and his large frame filled the doorway, I tried hard to swallow my tears.
He was even more handsome—more enigmatic—than when I had last seen him.
His inky black hair was longer now, falling in waves down to his shoulders—shoulders that were even broader than I remembered.
An official white shirt, open at the throat, covered all of his tattoos, but it did nothing to dull the dangerous edge of his appearance. If anything, it made him look even more mysterious.
His face was an expressionless mask.
"Freya," he said softly. Then, "You're crying!"
I couldn't help bursting into tears at hearing my name for the first time in five years.
Ashamed of myself, I raised a hand to wipe my tears but had forgotten my hands were tied. The whole movement was awkward, waking Zara. She stared at me, then at Zac, and started crying again.
Zac's expression darkened when he saw my bound hands. Without another word, he crossed over to me and took Zara in his arms. She struggled at first, but surprisingly, she quickly rested her head on his shoulder and went back to sleep.
His full attention was now on me.
Kneeling, he used his free hand to snap off the rope tying my hands. Then he gently massaged my wrists to restore blood flow. When he spoke next, his voice sounded harsh, cold.
"Freya, are you okay?"
I nodded, trying to stop crying. Memories of Madame Tessa beating me for daring to cry flashed through my mind. When Zac raised his hand to touch my cheek, I flinched, closing my eyes and waiting for the blow to come.
"Fuck!" he whispered. "You think I'm going to hit you?"
I shook my head. When I opened my eyes, the unreadable emotion in his gaze scared me even more.
"I just want to sleep, please," I whispered.
I didn't want to sleep, but I wanted to be alone with my daughter. I no longer knew how to feel safe around anyone else.
Alpha Zac nodded. His face was expressionless once more. "Alright. You've just had a long journey. Of course, you'll want to rest a bit first. I'll tell Beth you'll speak with her later."
Beth!
Fresh tears filled my eyes as I wondered what my friend would think of my sorry state. Stretching out my hands for my daughter, I tried to smile my thanks for Alpha Zac's consideration.
He made a face as though he were swallowing hot concrete, then nodded and handed Zara back to me.
"Freya…" he began, then paused. His face became expressionless again. In a more controlled voice, he continued, "One of my Betas will take you to my private guest house. A maid has been instructed to do anything you ask of her, so you can ask her to leave if you want to be alone. Please rest. We'll talk later tonight."
He raised a hand as if to touch me again, then swore and withdrew it. Without another word, he turned and left.