CHAPTER THREE - THE TRUTH HURTS
When I woke up, Roarke was gone.
The temptation to sneak out the window washed over me, however I knew that if he was still in the house, he would hear me with his heightened senses. I tiptoed out of his bedroom and down the hallway, finding him in the kitchen. He was seated at the table, hunched over, as two women rubbed him.
A wet towel was draped around his neck, the ends of his hair dripping with sweat. There was a pinkness to his cheeks, but that didn't soften his look whatsoever. He still looked vicious. The women were werewolves, probably members of his pack, clearly enjoying rubbing their Alpha. I wasn't sure what was happening at the moment.
Roarke lifted his head, peering at me. I wasn't oblivious of his eyes skimming my body, soaking in the sight of me in his clothes. "Breakfast is on the counter. Eat."
I was almost too distracted by his ripped muscles clenching and relaxing as he was rubbed. Shaking my head, I walked over to the counter, seeing a variety of meat. Bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs with ham. I noticed the buttered bread and grabbed two slices, placing them on a plate.
Roarke had been watching me the whole time. "Don't forget the meat."
I stiffened, then reluctantly, grabbed a single piece of bacon. When I sat across from him at the table, his eyes narrowed at the piece.
"It's a start," I murmured, avoiding his gaze. I waited for several seconds until he exhaled loudly, letting it slide. I was relieved. The women continued to probe, push and release, into his muscles, not acknowledging me. "Uh, do you always get massages?"
"Whenever I shift," he replied, watching me. "Shifting into a wolf causes a lot of knots and strains." That made sense. I started nibbling on a slice of buttered bread, keeping my eyes trained on the women. Did they do this voluntarily? Did he order them to rub him? Judging by the love and respect in their eyes, they didn't mind.
I licked my bottom lip. "You shifted this morning?"
"I shift whenever I can," Roarke said, rolling his neck. "The longer a werewolf goes without shifting, the more painful it will be the next time he does." One of the women nodded in agreement, digging her fingers into his back. "I'm also trying to master self-control."
He began flexing his fingers in front of himself, as if he was trying to get his blood flowing. Then, his eyes narrowed at my plate in agitation. "Eat."
"I am."
He suddenly jerked his shoulders to halt the women. Both of them stepped back, submissively. Roarke rose to his feet and rolled his square shoulders, before cracking his neck to one side, then the other. "Leave."
I watched as the women scampered out the sliding glass door without a word.
Roarke remained emotionless. "I will be training with my men today. Maurice will be watching you."
I frowned. "Who's Maurice?"
As if on cue, an older woman strolled out from around the corner. She had soft eyes and dark hair speckled with grays. There was a flowery apron tied on her waist and her skirt swayed at her ankles as she approached us. If I had a grandmother, I imagined that she would've looked like this.
"Hello, Chloe," Maurice greeted, warmly. "I'm Maurice." I stared blankly at her, still in my seat. She was a werewolf, but I had a feeling that she helped Roarke around the house, such as cooking and cleaning, like a maid.
"My pack doctor will also be stopping by," Roarke added, calmly. "She will take a look at you."
I tensed. "I don't like doctors - "
"She will take a look at you," he repeated, impatiently. His attention centered on Maurice who straightened in his presence. "Keep an eye on her. Don't leave her alone."
Maurice nodded as Roarke walked around the table to my side. He bent over, his lips grazing my forehead, as he murmured, "Behave, or you'll have me to deal with."
I gulped loudly as he lingered a little too long at my side. When he left the house, my muscles relaxed. Maurice stayed in the kitchen with me, busying herself behind the counter. She hummed, but not in an annoying way - it was such a delicate hum in such a dark place. It almost brought me to tears.
I had just finished my breakfast, abandoning the single piece of bacon, when a knock came on the front door. It was the doctor. Maurice walked over, greeting the middle-aged woman on the other side. Her dark hair was twisted back into a bun and she was dressed in loose, comfortable clothes. I gulped at the stethoscope around her neck and the box of medical instruments in her hands.
"Chloe Mars," the doctor said, offering me a grin. "I'm Dr. Paige Burnett." She joined me at the kitchen table, plopping the box down in front of me. "How are you feeling today?"
This was weird. "Uh, fine."
"I'm going to give you a physical exam, okay?" she said, as Maurice lingered behind the counter, watching. "Then, I'm just going to ask you some questions."
"I-I won't need any shots or anything, right?" I blurted, fearful. "I don't do well with needles."
"We will see," was her short reply as she moved closer to me. I followed my first instinct - leaping to my feet and taking a couple steps backwards. I didn't feel safe. A werewolf with needles and other sharp objects. "Chloe, it's okay."
"She isn't going to hurt you," Maurice assured, slowly stepping towards us. "She is only here to help. It's okay, hun."
Dr. Burnett gestured towards the chair. "Please, sit back down."
After a moment of hesitation, I returned to my chair. I could do this - I had endured worse over the last few months, including witnessing the death of my friend. Dr. Burnett started off by listening to my heartbeat with her fancy stethoscope; she could literally hear how anxious I was.
During the physical exam, the poking and prodding barely registered with me. She lifted my limbs and examined every inch of me. Every. Inch.
As she scribbled down her findings, she told me, "You're underweight, Chloe. I don't even need a scale to tell you that. You need to eat more."
"Oh, she will," Maurice spoke up, nodding. "With my cooking, she won't be able to stop eating." A soft grin came onto my face at her words. There was a warmness to Maurice that made me want to gravitate towards her. She was motherly.
"Good, very good," Dr. Burnett responded, casually. "Now, I'm going to be asking you some questions, Chloe. I need you to be honest with me." My stomach twisted when her eyes met mine, narrowing in warning. "How old are you?"
That was easy. "Twenty-three."
"And, your parents?" she said, her pen stopping. "Either side have genetic diseases? Anything that you can later adopt?" My heart ached at the mention of my parents. My father had died when I was a baby from a car accident and my mother had died shortly after humanity fell to the bottom of the food-chain.
"Uh, my mom had anemia?"
She scribbled that down. "How many sexual partners have you had?"
"What?" I blurted, not sure if I heard her correctly. She lifted her gaze, looking at me in impatience. I glanced over at Maurice who gave me an assuring grin. "Okay, uh, two."
"What are their names?"
"Why do you need to know their names?" I asked, frowning. I looked back and forth between Dr. Burnett and Maurice, searching for answers in their eyes. Maurice was the one who gave it away by the softness in her eyes, then abruptly looking away. "Oh, Roarke wants to know, doesn't he?"
"These are routine questions - "
"I've never had a doctor ask me the names of my sexual partners," I interrupted, shaking my head. "None of this is confidential, is it? You're going to tell him everything." My eyes dropped to the notepad in her hands, angrily. "I bet you're going to hand that right over to him."
"Hun, your male needs to know your health," Maurice spoke up, quietly. "He needs to know how to care for you."
I was baffled. "My male?"
"You are Alpha Roarke's female," Dr. Burnett said, watching my reaction. "Has he not explained why you're here?"
I shook my head.
"He will explain soon," she said, hiding her doubt. "However, I do need to complete my job here, Chloe. I need you to answer my questions." My eyebrows furrowed together as she continued to ask me questions. Maurice lingered in the kitchen, offering me kind, supportive words every once in a while. She never got too close, though - it was like she was afraid of me.
"Done with the questions," Dr. Burnett announced, before digging into her box of medical instruments. "Just a blood test now."
My eyes widened. "No."
"Chloe, it won't hurt," she assured, revealing the needle. "It'll be quick. You'll hardly feel a thing."
"I-I don't like needles," I stuttered, leaning as far back as I could in my chair. "Is this really necessary? How about a saliva test instead?"
Dr. Burnett grinned. "I'm afraid not, Chloe."
"Hun, just look at me," Maurice said, nearing the other side of the table. "Don't watch. Just look at me." I couldn't wrap my head around how nice she was. I kept my gaze focused on her, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. I felt the needle enter my arm, a small sting, but it wasn't too bad. Maurice gave me a soft, proud smile when it was over. I took a deep breath when I felt a little lightheaded.
"You did very well," Dr. Burnett commented, stashing my blood away. "I'm done here." She gathered her things, then gave me a nod. "It was nice to meet you, Chloe."
I watched as she left the house, not looking back.
"I have lunch for you," Maurice said, moving to the refrigerator. "I made it earlier this morning." I didn't realize that Dr. Burnett was here for at least an hour. It was already noon. After heating up the plate, Maurice placed the food in front of me - chicken parmesan.
My stomach rumbled. "I'm not hungry."
She shook her head. "You must eat every meal. At least a little bit."
"I don't like meat."
"Alpha Roarke insists you eat it," Maurice said, walking away. But, she didn't leave the kitchen - she remained behind the counter, cleaning. I poked at the chicken with the fork, hearing my stomach rumble once again. I was hungry, that was for sure. I hesitantly lifted a bite of the chicken into my mouth, slowly chewing.
Maurice nodded in approval.
-
When Roarke returned, it was dark outside.
I was curled up on the couch, reading a book, while Maurice bustled around, cleaning. His dark energy hummed through the house before I ever even saw him. His dark eyes swept over me, seeming pleased. He was drenched in sweat, his skin a bright pink - instead of saying anything to me, he walked over to Maurice, murmured something, then headed to the bathroom for a shower.
Maurice approached me. "I'll be heading home now. I will see you tomorrow, hun." I gave her a grin and she seemed warmed by the small action. I liked her.
Once she was gone, I was back in the hands of Roarke.
When he was done showering, he came into the living room, only wearing a pair of sweatpants. His abdominal muscles were on full display for my eyes. I didn't think it was possible for someone to be in such great shape.
He was quiet for too long. "Did you eat?"
"Yes, all three meals," I replied, quietly. "Maurice can vouch for me." He nodded once, then headed into the kitchen, temporarily disappearing from my sight. When he returned, he was chomping into an apple, which seemed so small in his hand. I bit my bottom lip, hesitatingly asking, "Why am I here?"
His jaw tightened. "I"m tired of that question."
"I deserve to know," I blurted, bravely. I leaped to my feet, tossing the book from my hands. "Dr. Burnett said that I'm your female. I-I want to hear what that means from you."
"What else did Dr. Burnett say?" he asked, coldly.
"Nothing," I replied, not meeting his gaze. "She wants to leave the explaining to you - but you won't tell me anything. I just want answers."
There was a stifling silence between us. "You won't like the truth." I gave him a look, practically pleading him with my eyes to just tell me. I needed to know. He clenched his teeth together, blowing out a breath. "You are my female. I chose you. You will live with me and you will bear my children."
I lost my breath. "But, I-I'm human."
"It doesn't matter," he responded, watching me. "Werewolves aren't born. They are bitten. You will provide me with children and I will turn them once they're older." He chomped into his apple, ignoring my appalled reaction. I was only twenty-three; I didn't even want kids, especially in this new society.
"I don't want kids."
"You will."
I heard the demand in his voice. It wasn't up for discussion. I shakily wrapped my arms around myself, asking, "Why? Why do you want this?" With me.
"I am Alpha," Roarke stated, not moving. "This is the tradition. I need to produce an heir. I'm ready to start a family."
I went as pale as a sheet. "So, you're just using me for my body."
There was an emotion in his eyes that I couldn't quite place. He tossed the last of his apple into the nearest trash bin, then extended his hand to me. "Come, time for bed."
I numbly walked towards him, knowing better than to disobey him. He guided me into his bedroom and I crawled onto my side of the bed, curling into a tight ball. I was terrified. Overwhelmed. Sad. Appalled. I didn't want this. None of it. I knew I couldn't do it.
His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me into his body. I kept my back to him, so he couldn't see the tears streaming down my cheeks.