Chapter 5 so shameless

The questions kept coming.

They dragged on for the next minutes. One after another.

Family history of illness? Any chronic conditions in the bloodline? Date of my last heat? Regularity of my cycles? Alcohol? Smoke? Any herbs, potions, suppressants? Had I ever taken moonroot to prevent conception?

Each answer felt like peeling off another layer of skin. Vulnerabilities I’d guarded my whole life handed over on a silver platter. Things no one had ever asked me before were now being taken out of me.

The healer finally stepped back, withdrawing the speculum. I hissed at the sudden emptiness and the sting. She tucked the instrument away and gathered her notes.

“Well, everything appears clear,” she said, directing her report to Alpha Kael instead of me. “We will wait for the blood results to confirm she’s perfectly healthy. No diseases in the family line that I can see.” She paused, glancing at me. “Although, she's also malnourished, Alpha," the healer interjected, her voice steadier now. "Her wolf is dormant. Weak. If you attempt to breed her now, the chances of conception are low, and the pregnancy would likely fail. She needs time to regain her strength."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "How much time?"

"At least a moon cycle. Maybe two. She needs to gain weight, and we need to coax her wolf out of dormancy. Without her wolf, she can't carry a pup to term. The stress would kill both her and the child."

A muscle twitched in Kael's jaw. I could see the war raging behind his eyes, his desire to have an heir immediately clashing with the cold practicality of the healer's words. 

"Two months," he repeated angrily "You're telling me I have to wait two months."

"I'm telling you that if you want a healthy heir, you need to be patient." The healer finally met my eyes. "She's young. Her body can recover. But not overnight."

Kael was silent for a long moment. The tension in the room was suffocating,

"I don't care" Kael finally spoke, his voice a low growl that vibrated through the room. "She is going to give birth. To my heir. And I'm not waiting two months for something that doesn't appetize me, the earlier the better. Finish the examination then send her to my quarters". He instructed as the healer listened attentively.

His gaze swept over my naked, trembling form one last time, lingering on the spread of my thighs, the evidence of my vulnerability. Something flickered in his eyes, a spark of heat but it quickly extinguished replaced with disgust. "And clean yourself up. I don't want to smell that rogue stench on you when I see you next."

"No..." I suddenly hissed out. "I didn't ask for your opinion." His cold voice cut me off mid-sentence then before I could respond, he left as abruptly as he had arrived, the door slamming shut behind him. The sound echoed through the small cottage, rattling the jars on the shelves. The healer gave me a sad, pitying smile but I glared back at her until she looked away.

"Everything is now done", She wrapped up everything quickly. "The Alpha wants you in his quarters," she continued, still not looking at me. "I heard him," I bit out angrily as I stood up. The instant I sat up, the guards who were waiting for me with their expressions bored walked towards me. They didn't speak as they fell into step beside me, leading me through the winding corridors to the Alpha's quarters.

I ignored them, my mind racing. Two months. I had two months to find a way out of this nightmare. To find a way to break the bond, to escape, to reclaim my life. It wasn't much time, but it was enough.

I would make it enough.

The moment we crossed into his private wing, his scent slammed into me harder than any lash and it made my stomach lurch violently. I clamped my jaw shut, fighting the urge to vomit. No matter what it took, I had to keep the contents of my stomach exactly where they were because I knew that I might be punished for it.

The sight that greeted me when they carried me into his bedroom made my blood run cold. The massive four-poster bed standing in the center of the room  was still a mess of twisted sheets. To make matters worse, they still carried the scent of sex. His cum and another female’s sweat and satisfaction. The scent of it clawed at the back of my throat and I nearly vomited.

Alpha Kael was really shameless. He told them to bring me here and yet he just fucked someone on the bed.

Before I could even process the humiliation, the guards threw me onto the mattress. The impact jolted fresh agony through my torn shoulder blade and I bit down on a scream until blood flooded my mouth. Rough hands seized my ankle later and cold iron clamped around it, a thick shackle attached to a length of chain bolted into the bedpost. The metal bit into already-bruised skin as they tested the length. It was short enough that I couldn’t reach the door but long enough that I could be spread wide and fucked if my ruthless mate wanted.

After tying me, they left. I had no blanket, no water and no bandage for the ruin of my shoulder blade. It was just me, bleeding into his cum filled sheets and shivering beneath the cold air that slipped through the narrow window slits.

As soon as the door closed behind them with a heavy thud, I curled onto my side, pulling my shivering body as best I could. The chain allowed me only a few feet of movement and I gave up on it.

This time around, I closed my eyes and forced myself to sleep but just as I was doing it, I heard voices coming towards the door again.

“I hear the Goddess paired you with a filthy little rogue,” a woman’s voice said, dripping with mockery and curiosity.

“I want to see her", She added.