The Cruel Alpha's Second Mate

I woke up in a cell. They locked me up despite my condition. It didn’t matter that I was barely breathing. They all believed that I tried to kill Stella, so they treated me like a criminal.

I heard the guards talking about how rattled Stella was as she spoke about what happened. But I knew she was probably out there spouting lies. It also sounded like everyone already knew that Stella was Andro’s mate, so they all thought of that as my motive to kill her.

“It wasn’t even Stella’s fault she was bonded to Andro,” one of the guards said as they passed by. “But isn’t it surprising that Andro decided to throw his fiance into prison?”

“Not really. Even if they’ve been inseparable since childhood, you can’t fight off a mate bond,” the other one said. “I heard Andro hasn’t left Stella’s side.”

It was unfair. I hadn’t done anything wrong. While Stella was being cared for by Andro, I was suffocating in this cold cell. Everything inside was worn down, and the thin blanket couldn’t offer warmth. I felt like I was dying, and I’d be all alone.

How could they do this to me? Where were my parents? Not even a healer was sent to aid me. The pain in my chest started to worsen again. I grasped the blanket and peered around. There was no one to seek help from.

Am I gonna die here? Would my heart suddenly fail after all the distress?

“You look pathetic,” someone suddenly said.

I slowly moved my head to look at the door. It was someone I least expected to come.

“It suits you,” Alpha Desmond said, his voice laced with venom.

Alpha Desmond had always been stern and cold. But after his mate died, he’d been less forgiving–so much less. He’d look at everyone with disdain and irritation. Every time our eyes met, those things grew in intensity. It was as if he held a grudge against me.

“Alpha,” I muttered, my voice hoarse. I wanted to ask for help, but would this ruthless man really offer such a thing?

He looked at me with disgust, anger, and something I couldn’t quite figure out. He took another step forward, his huge frame blocking the light.

“You deserve this.” He hovered over my head as I lay motionless on the bed. “After you die. I’ll send your parents to you next. Then my brother.”

My eyes widened at what he said. Desmond knew about what my parents did! The reason why his gazes were sharper and colder whenever they met mine. Did he think I was a part of it?

“I… didn’t k-know,” I uttered. “I’m sorry,” I said as my voice broke into sobs.

I had witnessed the day he found his mate’s lifeless body. Desmond didn’t shed a tear, but he carried her with an expression that could only belong to a broken man. It turned him into a monster–we turned him into this heartless monster.

“I–I’m so sorry,” I repeated. I felt like I knew his pain, like I owned it too.

“Don’t lie to me,” he growled.

The tears were blurring my vision. I couldn’t see Desmond's face, but I felt his hand against my cheek. It wasn’t cruel… It was unexpectedly gentle, and then, something snapped.

The pain was temporarily gone. The tears no longer blocked my view, and I could clearly see him. Desmond’s eyes were wide, as were mine when I felt the mate bond snap into place.