BRIDGETTE
One that never failed to spike my curiosity was how Kendrick had always been able to keep up that cold and calculating gaze almost every time. I'd never seen eyes like this- so intense, and searing.
His stares had my stomach rolling with fear and... something else I couldn't quite tell. Butterflies? Almost. I quickly pushed the thoughts off my mind because this was not the time for confusion. I still found it hard to come to terms with what I'd done. I'd said yes. And anytime I remembered that, I remembered the conditions.
"Your son will become my heir."
Daniel was sleeping in my arms now, and I watched with relief as his tiny chest rose and fell so weakly. My baby was recuperating but the doctors wanted to make sure he was watched for a while.
"How is he doing?" He asked, looking down at Daniel.
"The doctors are hopeful he will make a full recovery. He is stable for now." I replied, thankful that he had helped me through this, but I still had the doubts lingering at the back of my mind. What was his deal, and why wouldn't he bring it up?
"You made the right choice. He would have been dead if you tried to keep stalling, you know that? And you wouldn't have been of any use to me. "
Any use to him? What exactly did he want with me?
"You haven't answered my question yet, why would you want my son as your heir?" I whispered, before looking up at him.
"You never back down, do you? That is none of your concern, and the sooner you accept I won't answer that question, the better for you. It will save you a lot of headache."
The way he said it made me shiver. He was studying me closely now, and watched every little movement that I made. It almost felt like he could see right through me.
"I'm only curious because you didn't know me, I doubt you already know me now."
His jaw clenched, albeit slightly. "You wanted a place to stay, didn't you?"
"We both know that's not the reason."
"As I said, it's up to you if those thoughts bug you or not. If I were you, I'd stop asking baseless questions."
"You keep helping me, but you act like you don't want me here. Why?"
He scoffed. "This is not a fairy tale, Bridgette. Don't think for a moment that this changes anything between us. Is that understood?"
I gave him a nod, but my heart sank, no doubt. "I know that. I'm not expecting anything."
His voice was flat as he spoke. "Good. Make sure you remember your place." I gave him a nod and bit my lip to stop myself from saying more. He was so cold around me, but I had no choice but to accept it.
The doctors came every now and then to examine my son, and sometimes I noticed how they took a moment to whisper to each other with serious looks on their faces. I'd always ask if everything was alright, and they'd always assure me it was, even though their expressions said otherwise.
But since Daniel was recovering, I guess I had nothing else to worry about. Every day that passed had me sinking deeper into this strange world that Alpha Kendrick was pulling me into and no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that it was all for the best, that uneasy feeling never left me.
I was looking after Daniel one afternoon when a man walked in. He was huge, with a solid build, sharp jawline and piercing eyes, just like Kendrick's.
"My name is Ace," his voice was rich and deep. "Beta to Alpha Kendrick."
I nodded, confused about why he was here. "Hello... I, umm... I'm Bridgette, guessing you already know."
He did not return the greeting but instead looked over at me. "I'm not here for that, Bridgette, or whatever your name is. I'm here to make one thing clear. I don't trust you."
I was struck by his bluntness. "I don't think I understand what you mean."
An uneasy scoff left me. My heart was hammering now but I forced myself to be calm. He let out a low scoff.
"What exactly were you thinking when you married our Alpha? You think marrying him is the answer? How convenient."
As if the show he'd put up wasn't enough already, he took a step closer and glared down at me. I was tiny, compared to him so that it felt like he was going to swallow me whole.
"If you think you can take advantage of him, you're sorely mistaken. Kendrick may have agreed to this but I'll be watching you."
This was among the many lot that I was trying to avoid when Kendrick had offered that I marry him, but he left me with no choice. I had to face it.
"I think there's a misunderstanding here, Beta. I am not trying to take advantage of anyone. I never wanted this, but your Alpha gave me no choice. I'm just here to save my child."
His eyes hardened. "What you're here to do is still unclear, from what I've gathered so far. But I guess we will find out soon. You better keep your distance from him and me, and everyone. In case no one has told you this, you are not welcome here, no matter what Kendrick says."
He turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I was shaking, and it took a while before I realised Daniel was crying. These people didn't want me around, and it hurt knowing that things could have been a bit manageable if he had listened to me.
Within the next few weeks, Kendrick kept to his word. Daniel's treatment soon started, and the doctors assured me he was getting the best care. But that didn't give me any avenue to take my eyes off him or relax. I was beside his crib every time, watching over him. I was grateful that Kendrick was treating him but also constantly anxious about what could happen to me anytime.
These people hated me and if word got out to the Pack members about who I was and my mission could be, I would be under a lot of fire for something I didn't know. Kendrick kept his stance almost every time and there was nothing warm or comforting in our brief interactions. But whenever his eyes met mine, those butterflies returned again. It was confusing, especially with the way he didn't want to be around me.
I wanted to know why he'd proposed despite not knowing who I was. I needed an answer, because he seemed to have an underlying motive which could put me in danger. And since he didn't want to talk about it, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It only served to heighten my curiosity, and with the way Ace, his Beta, had warned me, I couldn't stop thinking about the terrible possibilities that could come with it. I couldn't tell if my son and I were in danger or not.