Emilia
"My Brother really likes you, Emilia, you know." Theresa said with a smile, taking a bite of the crumpet in her hand.
My eyes flash up to hers across the breakfast table. She was actually put on babysitting duty while Alpha Anker completed those errands. Clearly, my comment about being alone had made him reconsider
Alpha Anker had left without letting me know where he had gone, and I didn't even ask. I think it is right to do so.
"You are stunning, you look prettier than the last girl." Theresa mutters, distracting from my thoughts.
"Uhm…last girl?" I asked, almost choked on my coffee.
"I guess you must likely be his contracted mate right?"
I nodded my head.
"Did you think you were the first?"
I had never thought of that as it never crossed my mind. My concern was what I was going to face in Alpha Anker's hands. He hadn't made a move except for holding me against him while we slept. He hadn't tried sneaking a hand between my thighs. He hadn't asked me to sleep undressed before, I mean, nothing of such has ever happened. That has only worsened the situation, as I keep expecting the unknown. He didn't seem like a man that would wait.
"Hopefully, you will stick." she adds, reaching for another crumpet.
Hmmm that sounds strange, "I will stick?" I wasn't used to these phrases, or the way she speaks to me so casually. I was only used to orders and abuse.
"I probably shouldn't be the one telling you this, but you should be prepared." She takes a deep breath. "Anker, my brother has been looking for his mate for a long time. He is thirty now. Doesn't have an heir yet. The other girls he has brought so far, they stay no longer than a month, some of them do run away. Some are killed." She tells me with a shrug of her shoulders like it was normal.
"Oh, is it because they won't give him an heir.?"
"Not really, that's because he loses interest in them." she says as she shakes her head.
"But why are you telling me?" I asked with my voice barely above whisper. I would prefer not to know if I was going to be killed.
"You're different, he looks at you differently. There is something about you. I saw it at the hospital."
Though those words sound interesting, nevertheless, her words don't make me feel better. Everyone looks at me differently. They always had to because of my strange scent.
"You should be more concerned if he finds his true mate." She mutters.
I had a true mate, and that was Beta Clarke. He had rejected me the second I turned twenty one. Barging into the basement in the night hours and announcing his rejection at me. I was beaten up black and blue until I had no choice than to accept his rejection.
"You have a mate, don't you? I can tell by the way your eyes just flickered."
"Had," I whispered. "I was rejected by my mate." I remembered the pain from that very moment and not just from the beatings. Like my heart was being torn from my chest. And because I had felt the bond, my brother had me bound for the second time. That's when I stopped healing like others.
"Hmmm, I actually know how that feels." I was being rejected by my own mate as well." She sighs. "He did not hesitate to request for a break up the moment he found out what pack I'm from and who my brother is. He wanted nothing to do with me. That was by the way, like I said earlier, my brother likes you. I can see clearly that he likes you more than he likes other women who have come his way."
Am I supposed to be excited About that? Knowing that I might just last a little while longer than the other girls. He might choose to keep me like a prized possession, because he likes me.
I went with Theresa to the hospital. She had to work and apparently, Alpha Anker had told her not to let me out of her sight, apart from letting me use the bathroom. Maybe, he thought I was going to be like the other of his brides, who ran away. I had no strength for that after all.
The hospital wasn't visited by people. Theresa spends most of the time doing inventory. It almost seemed pointless having a packed hospital. No one really needed it since everyone could heal easily.
"Miss Emilia." She said with a smile as she came towards me. "I'm going to be here for a while yet, so I brought you some trashy mags to read."
Theresa dropped them on the table in front of me with a smile, I couldn't help but just stare at them. I have no idea of the people who were in the photos, neither did I have a clue of what was written about them.
"You seem not to be used to it, right?" She asked curiously.
I shook my head, not ready to reveal another secret.
She stares at me from the other side of the counter. Her eyes slowly narrowed to slits. "You can't read, I guess, can you?"
I was taken aback by such a right prediction, I mean, how did she know. I nodded my head, feeling my cheeks flame.
"Hmmm, that means you didn't go to school?"
"Yes, I didn't." It was so embarrassing to admit that. What, a twenty-one-year old couldn't read or write?"
"Uhm, does my brother know about it?"
"No."
"Anyway, at least I have more responsibility than counting." She smiles at me and sits in a chair close to me.
Moments passed and I still wasn't getting the hang of it. She was patient and kept trying. Suddenly, she grabbed a piece of paper and shuffled it all into a pile and shoveled it into one of the drawers.
"Alpha Anker is back."
"How did you know?"
"A pack thing."
The door swings open after a few moments. Alpha Anker moves towards us. He appears to be angry. His crimson eyes became darker than usual. His brow creased and he had all his focus on me.
"Excuse us Theresa, I want to have a word with my mate."
"Okay." She mutters and quickly leaves, and I was left alone with Alpha Anker.
He lingers a while so that Theresa will be out of sight, and turns around to face me.