Annamarie Whitmore POV:
I woke up in a bed so soft that my body sank into the mattress. Above me hung a crystal chandelier, its cold light reflecting across the unfamiliar room. The air was filled with a strange scent of sandalwood, deep and powerful enough to make me tense.
This wasn't my room, and I was no longer in the Blackwood Pack.
The memories returned all at once: Jared's rejection, the Forbidden Forest, the assassins, and the cold, powerful man who had caught me before I lost consciousness.
I sat up quickly, but a sharp pain shot through my neck. My hand immediately covered the injured area as I rushed toward the full-length mirror across the room. The moment I saw my reflection, my entire body froze.
A dark bite mark remained on my neck, an Alpha's mark left by a stranger. My heart sank as I realized what had happened.
My torn dress had been replaced with a clean silk nightgown, and the wounds from my escape through the forest had been carefully treated. Someone had saved me, but the thought did not bring comfort. The memory of the man's cold eyes made my body tighten with fear.
I checked myself carefully. Other than the mark on my neck, there were no other signs that anyone had violated me.
A small sense of relief appeared beneath the fear.
Before I could understand what had happened, a knock sounded at the door.
I immediately stepped back as a man in a black suit entered. His presence was calm and powerful, carrying the scent of a Beta. He looked at me with an unreadable expression after confirming that I was awake.
"Miss Whitmore." He gave a slight nod. "I am Dax, the Alpha's Beta. The Alpha ordered me to deliver this once you woke up."
He placed a black folder in front of me.
My fingers tightened as I opened it. The title on the first page made my expression change.
"Personal Attendant Service Agreement."
I read through the contents, and the colder my expression became.
This was not an ordinary employment agreement. It was a contract that restricted every part of my life, requiring me to serve as the Alpha's personal attendant, follow his orders, remain within designated areas, and obey every rule written inside. My living arrangements would be provided, but my freedom would no longer belong to me.
The most humiliating part was the explanation of the mark on my neck.
It stated clearly that the mark had no meaning beyond a temporary measure and that my relationship with the Alpha was only that of an attendant and master.
My fingers tightened around the paper.
"What is this?" My voice came out hoarse. "Then what is the mark on my neck?"
I touched the bite mark, feeling a sharp sense of humiliation.
Dax's expression did not change. "The Alpha marked you because your condition required it. The mark does not represent a mate bond or any personal relationship."
His calm explanation made my chest tighten.
I had escaped being treated as a possession by one family, only to become a possession of someone even more powerful.
I looked at him. "And if I refuse to sign?"
Dax was silent for a moment before answering. "You are currently on Bloodmoon Pack territory. Without the Alpha's permission, you are considered an outsider who entered illegally. Under our laws, outsiders who threaten the pack's security can be punished."
His words erased the last bit of resistance I had left.
I was alone, with no family to return to and no pack willing to protect me. Compared with being sent back and sold as a bargaining piece, staying here as the Alpha's attendant was the better choice.
The mark on my neck had tied my fate to this man, but at least I was still alive.
I lowered my eyes and forced myself to calm down. Survival came first.
As long as I stayed alive, there would always be a chance to change my situation.
I picked up the pen Dax offered and signed the bottom of the contract.
Annamarie Whitmore.
Dax took the document back and nodded. "Good. Follow me. I will show you your room."
I followed him out of the luxurious guest room and through the cold, modern corridors of the building. We entered a staff elevator and continued downward, leaving behind the penthouse overlooking the city.
When the doors finally opened, Dax stopped in front of a narrow room. Inside was only a single bed, a wardrobe, and a small window. Compared with the guest room I had just left, this place felt like a storage space.
Dax handed me a key card. "This is your room. Your duties begin tomorrow. The Alpha's schedule will be sent to your terminal. Remember your position."
He turned and left without another word.
I stood alone in the small room and slowly walked toward the window. The view outside was not the city skyline. Only a cold, empty wall of another building.
I slid down against the wall, clutching the key card in my hand.
The mark on my neck continued to ache, reminding me of the price I had paid for surviving. I had escaped Jared's rejection and my foster father's plan to sell me, but I had only entered another cage.
