Chapter 11 - Mira


    Naked, I stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in my bedroom and look at my reflection. A slight


    smile tugged at my lips as I observed how much my body has changed since I had first said yes to the


    Alpha.


    Though the pale skin, sunken cheeks, and hollowed eyes were still fresh in my memory, the vibrant


    hue, rosy cheeks, and fuller figure were now undeniable. I can’t help but feel excited at the fact that my


    belly is showing, too!


    It has been three months since I first stepped into this cursed ce, and I have decided to stop running


    away from the inevitable. I’m pregnant, I am going to give birth to a child I won’t hold or see - I decided


    this, and I have to see it through.


    Things have sort of been okay; I’ve learned to stop being terrified of the inevitable. It’s also helped that


    I haven’t seen Alpha Nikos since our dinner together. Not have I seen the olddy again, but that’s


    okay, I guess.


    I’vee to enjoy my quiet, and I have my journals so there’s that. Oh, and Josef, too! He’s told me a


    bit more about himself and apparently he’s a distant cousin of the Alpha. It would make sense that he’d


    put someone he trusts with me.


    But Josef and Alpha Nikos are like night and day. I see now what the olddy meant by Josef is too


    soft for this world.


    I step away from the mirror, embraced by this newfound courage and confidence. No matter what came


    my way, I would face it head-on. I was ready - no more guilt from today forward.


    After getting into some warm clothing, I walk to my desk and get lost in my own thoughts again.


    A knock sounds on the bedroom door just as I finish one of myst journal entries, and I tell them to


    enter. Josef walks in with a smile on his face, then he gestures to the back.


    “I thought you might want to have your tea in the garden gazebo today; the sun’s out,” he says.


    Smiling, I look at my jeans, blouse, and boots and nod. “Just let me grab a coat,” I say before I allow


    him to lead me outside.


    The garden has sort of be my little ce of heaven thesest few weeks; I can sit there, staring at


    absolutely nothing, and still feel happy. Things might not have improved. I might still be a prisoner, but


    this is the most freedom I’ve had in years.


    “What’s on the menu today?” I ask as I take my seat opposite him. “I’ve been craving something sweet


    but salty and nothing seems to-”


    “Cheesecake!” Josef says in an excited tone. “I remember youining about yourtest craving,


    so I asked the guys in the kitchen to prepare mini cheesecakes for you.”


    I could hug him!


    “That’s so sweet of you, thank you!”


    I think the one thing I’ll miss about this ce is Josef and his kindness. He has no reason to be kind or


    sweet to me. He could have simply been cold and offish since he is my so-called bodyguard. But he


    decided to treat me like a person and not amodity.


    “You’re wee, Miss Mia. Let’s enjoy thest of the sun before the cold front hits tomorrow,” he says


    and proceeds to pour us our beverages.


    Just hearing about a cold front makes me break out in an anxious sweat. I feel the pain of every


    snapped bone, every fracture, every break, the worst when it’s cold. Winter was brutal, and since I am


    slow to heal, it’s even worse.


    “Are you ever going to tell me who that olddy was?” I ask for the tenth time since Ist saw her,


    knowing the answer would remain the same.


    He shakes his head and chuckles. “You know I’m not permitted to say-”


    “She looks like the Alpha, so she must be a family member, right?” I interject while trying not to appear


    nosey. “In fact, you guys have the same shade of green eye color.”


    Josef sighs. “Miss Mia, the Alpha had strict rules not to speak about his personal life or anything else


    that does not concern you. Please do not put me in a position to go against his orders.”


    I blink back and look at him; before he would just brush it off, but now he’s actually getting upset with


    me. Gosh, I shouldn’t push the subject then.


    “Okay, I’m sorry,” I say, and I draw my teacup to my lips. “Can you at least tell me more about yourself?


    Do you have a wife, a mate, or kids?”


    He chuckles again, then he lightly pats my hand. “You are terribly nosey, Miss Mia. But no, I do not


    have any of those. I’ve sworn my life to this pack, so I can’t think about such trivial things.”


    I frown. “Trivial? I hardly think those are trivial things, Josef. How will you ever find happiness if you’ve


    sworn your life to the pack?”


    “That’s how it works in this life. I offered my life up to the Alpha, so has every other wolf here and we


    don’t regret the decision we made,” he says, and I can tell by the proud look on his face that he means


    what he’s just said.


    Nodding, I’m about to dig into a mini cheesecake when something he just said makes me think. “You


    mention every other wolf here; who? I haven’t seen anyone else since the Alpha brought here me.”


    Josef sits back and sips on his coffee. “That’s because the Alpha has barred the other wolves from


    they’re not allowed up here.”


    Well, that does make sense. But why bar them froming here? Is it because of me?


    “That makes-”


    “Done sharing secrets, Josef?” an unknown voicees up behind us as Josef jumps to his feet while


    bowing his head.


    I turn to put a face to the voice and see a tall man walking around the gazebo anding to a stop in


    front of us. He has his hands in his pockets and is wearing a grin that sends a shiver down my spine.


    His cold, vacant blue eyes regard me with a scowl, then he runs a ck-gloved hand through his


    blonde hair and tuts. I immediately don’t like him.


    “Not at all, Beta Maxim; I was just indulging Miss Mia,” Josef says with his head still bowed.


    Beta Maxim; Alpha Nikos'' second inmand. Knowing this does not sit well with me, especially


    when I can so clearly spot the same bloodlust in him that I could see in Mikhail. I don’t trust this man,


    and I especially don’t like the way he’s looking at me.


    “Leave us; I want to speak to the Surrogate,” he says, waving an apprehensive Josef off.


    Josef looks at me, then he walks away… leaving me alone with a man who reminds me of the man I


    ran away from. He takes Josef’s ce and leans back in the wrought-iron chair, draping his arm over


    the back of mine.


    “I believe this is the first time we’ve formally met, Omega. My name is Maxim, Nikos Beta. You seem


    to have made yourself quite at home in our pack house,” he says, grinning.


    “M-my name is Mia, and I am only doing what the Alpha told me to do,” I say, remembering Alpha


    Nikos’ advice and not breaking my eye contact, even if the man clearly terrifies me.


    Têxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    He chuckles darkly and bites the side of his bottom lip. “I don’t care about a name I’m going to forget in


    the next few days, and both of us know Mia is not your real name, isn''t that right?”


    My heart drops and I feel a cold sweat running down my back. That fear I tried so hard not to show now


    simmers to the surface, and by the look of glee on his face, I’d say he’s enjoying my difort.


    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, trying to brush it off, but then he tuts again and picks up


    my uneaten mini cheesecake.


    “I’m sure we both know what I’m talking about, Mirabe.” He doesn’t even look at me when he drops


    this bomb, he simply starts nibbling on the dessert without a second thought.


    I can feel my heart thudding against my ribcage as I struggle to answer him. What do I say to this? No


    one knows my real name but Mikhail, not even my father called me by the name Mirabe.


    So how does this man know who I am? Just who is he?


    “I haven’t told Niko if that’s what you’re worried about,” he says nonchntly, waving his hand about.


    Swallowing deeply, I ask, “What is it you want?”


    This seems to get his attention and a smirk teases his lips, his eyes shing gold, then blue again.


    “This is how it’s going to work, little Omega. In about two weeks'' time, I’ll send Josef on an errand and


    take Nikos away for the day. At exactly 2 PM, the warriors switch out patrols and the camera room


    will be left empty for about three minutes.”


    I frown. “Why are you telling me this?”


    He leans in close as if he’s about to kiss me, then he grins. “Because that’s the time you’ll be leaving


    this ce, Mirabe. Three blocks away from the little town is an abandoned warehouse; you’ll find a


    gym bag filled with fifty thousand in cash, a ne ticket to Italy, and a new identity. Take it. Do not


    return.”


    My breath hitches in my throat. “Why? Why would you do that?”


    “That’s not your business, is it?”


    “And the baby?”


    He rolls his eyes. “Keep it, sell it. I don’t give a shit. Just make sure you’re out of this fucking town by


    sundown.” He says, popping thest of the cheesecake into his mouth and getting to his feet.


    “Don’t disappoint me, or I’ll tell Niko just what I know about you. No way he would want Mikhail’s


    cumbag as a surrogate after that.”


    With thosest scathing words, he leaves the garden, aware of what he’s just done to me.