Saved By Alpha Slade: Her Choices

By Cassandra K

What could a cold-hearted conqueror want from a weak half-blood with nothing to her name except an unending family debt?

Alpha Hayden Slade has accomplished almost everything he wants for his pack, except one. For a cursed Alpha counting the days to his death, his greatest challenge is providing an heir for his pack before his demise. But what could be worse than the curse of untimely death? Being mated to a weak half-blood that has no idea of her identity. A weakling that can never be his Luna.

He quickly offers her a deal to bear him an heir, not wanting any form of attachment to a half-human, half-wolf. Catching feelings wasn't a part of the deal, but a big surprise awaits him when he discovers she holds the key to a possibility he'd long given up on.

Aria always believed she was just human. Her father's constant gambling habits put them in debt to a notorious loan shark and they must find a way to pay off the large sum within a short period.

When an arrogant Hayden Slade comes into her life with an offer to bear a child for him, she is torn between two choices; agree to his offer or sell her body to the loan sharks.

Aria is swept into a world she never thought existed. She is beyond desperate to gain her mate's trust and become a part of his pack, but she is totally clueless that the mate bond can bring the most heartless man to his knees, even a man as powerful as Alpha Slade.

• Language: English
• Publisher: supernovel
• Release date: May 29, 2024

Book preview

Chapter THIRTY-FOUR

ARIA

I pushed my hair out of my face and sucked in a shaky breath, but it didn't do anything to make me feel better. I'd cried through the night till there were no tears left, and the morning came with a terrible headache. Still, Slade didn't return home, and sleep wouldn't come.

Gwyn arrived earlier than usual to administer the drugs as prescribed by the pack doctor and make sure I ate. She moved around me like she was walking on eggshells, hardly saying a word, and she'd left as soon as she was done attending to me.

I don't blame her, everyone had witnessed my episode yesterday, and those that didn't, heard about it. I felt too miserable to try and have a conversation with her. I still feel the urge to crawl into a hole and sulk. I'd wanted to be far away from Slade, but being trapped in his house with his scent surrounding me and everything in his house reminding me of him wasn't helping matters.

Marcel had come in at least five times to check on me before retiring to bed last night. He was worried about his alpha obviously because on one occasion he mentioned Slade had shut out everyone and no one could connect to him through the pack link. He'd also canceled all the meetings he had arranged for last night and no one had the slightest clue where he was. He said something about it not being the right time for their alpha to go missing from the pack and I concluded he blamed me for upsetting his alpha, like I forced a shift on his wolf. If only I were that important.

I rubbed on my swollen eye and flopped on the chair when I felt the door click open. There were only two people that entered this room without knocking - Slade and Sapphire. My body's reaction told me who it was before he entered.

He looked like hell, his eyes swollen like he'd not had any sleep, his shoulders dropped forward as he peeled off his coat from his body, all the while his eyes didn't meet mine. I sat rigid on the couch, my heart drumming a thousand different beats as he continued to move around in the room without sparing me a glance.

I watched him walk into the shower and emerge half-naked. I watched all the different emotions dance on his troubled face, but I couldn't hold his stare when he finally snapped his head up to look at me.

How are you? his tone was cool, too cool than I would have liked.

Where were you? I asked instead. I'd thought that being away from him was what I wanted, but an irritation began to seep in at not knowing where he had been all night. He'd abandoned me, after what he'd done.

Don't reply my question with one of yours, he says sternly. I swallowed the lump in my throat and remained quiet. He crossed the room to stand in front of me but my eyes dropped to stare at his feet. I was exhausted, I felt drained, I just wanted it all to end. My heart was still screaming betrayal, but a part of me longed for the comfort of his arms. I wished he'd tell me I'd misunderstood what I saw, I wish he'd admit to feeling even half of what I felt for him. I wish he cared a tiny little bit about me.

He grabbed my arms and pulled me gently to my feet till my eyes rested on his chest. I wanted to tear my eyes away from them, but I couldn't.

Aria, are you pregnant? he asked, forcing me to meet his gaze. His brows were drawn together, his eyes searching mine, hoping, waiting for my confirmation.

Your mom told you—

My mom? What does she know about this? he asked impatiently. His words sounded sincere, and the way his eyes probed into mine made it obvious his mum hadn't told him about the pregnancy like I'd thought she did. He was just suspicious, and now was my chance to deny it. I didn't want to tell him yet, I felt the urge to dash his hopes, to see him sad.

Answer me Aria, His palms gripped my jaw and forced my eyes back to his face "Are you pregnant?

Yes! I screamed, jerking my face away from his touch as yet another round of tears pooled at my eyes.

He released me totally, staggering back and catching himself before he bumped into the bed. He turned his back, his hands going up to grip his hair. Silence stretched between us, and I slowly start to feel weak in the knees. My heartbeat sped up. I could never please him, even news of my pregnancy did not excite him. Isn't that what he wanted? Isn't that the only thing he cared about apart from his self respect and duty to Dark Wolf?

What you saw in my office, it isn't what it looked like, When he turned back to me, his face was flushed with too many emotions that I could not read any I'd never do anything to hurt my baby, his gaze lingered on my stomach, then he reached out to touch it, but his hands paused mid-air. Can I?

I nodded my head and gulped down the lump in my throat as his hands made contact with my stomach. He rubbed on it in a circular motion, and the butterflies in my stomach flapped their wings as usual. I felt warmth spread inside of me, and I held the wall to steady myself as I began to feel my legs vibrate.

The reality of it was just beginning to hit me. I'd been too hurt to process the information in the last hours. I was pregnant with his child, I was going to be a mother. I'd never thought about carrying a child this early in life. A feeling of excitement and dread took over me, the knowledge of a little life growing inside me was overwhelming. What would they look like? What if I don't make a good mother? Was I really ready for it?

I-I Slade's gullet twitched as I saw him swallow hard. His eyes snapped back to look into mine, I don't know what to say,

Who would have thought the alpha could ever be at a loss for words? who would have thought he'd allow his emotions on full display without being able to hold back? Who would believe this was the same man that had unleashed his beast when he'd seen me in front of Daryl's house merely hours ago?

It's what you wanted isn't it? my voice was low, but his reply came out loud.

It's the only thing I want, Ari,

My face fell, but he was quick to notice because he withdrew his hands from my stomach as if being burned.

Did I say something wrong?

Oh, hell yes you did! Why don't you want me? Why the hell don't you care about me? Will I remain your whore or would you stop touching me now that you have what you want? The agreement was that we keep having sex till it was confirmed that I was pregnant. Now that the doctor has confirmed it, did it mean we get to sleep in separate rooms now? Will you ever see me as your mate or will you never want to set eyes on me again once the deal is completed? I had so many questions I wished I could scream at him, but I shook my head and looked away, hiding the tears that were going to drop any minute.

"I would need to see the pack doctor immediately, and you are not to stress yourself or even lift a pin in the next nine months till the baby comes. You must be protected at all times, and I would have a personal bodyguard assigned to you with immediate effect—

I listened to him ramble for the next ten minutes, as he struggled to fetch his clothes and get into them. He was nervous, maybe a little more nervous than I was. Slade was a man of very few words, and in all the weeks I'd been here, I'd never heard him talk as much as he did now.

His words were always carefully selected and direct to the point, but right now, I was struggling to catch up with all he was saying. The only thing I could make out was the fact that he intended policing me till the day I put to bed, cutting out even the little freedom I had in Dark Wolf pack.

I watched him walk countless times to the closet and back again till he got me a dress to wear. It feels like the Slade's had a penchant for picking out dresses for people - or me specifically.

We are going to see the doctor together, that much was obvious, but I nodded, and made no attempt to oppose him while he kept on yapping about 'my child this, my child that'

Chapter THIRTY-FIVE

SLADE

A thousand and one thoughts danced in my head, but one stood out above the others - I was going to be a father. In all the years I'd ruled as alpha of Dark Wolf, nothing made me nervous. I have taken more spontaneous decisions than deliberate ones because being an alpha meant I had to deliver on the spot. Right now, however, I was swept up by a wave of emotions, nervousness being one of them.

After Lucinda placed that curse on me that turned my whole life around, I'd assumed the urge to wage war on every witch alive till the last. I'd started to, but in a few days, I figured I was doing more harm than good, plus wiping out the entire generation of witches was not going to provide a solution to my predicament. I'd finally accepted my fate and concentrated more on providing an heir before my demise.

Ladies were readily available, they came in their numbers, irrespective of tribe or color, but none could carry my seed. I didn't put much effort into finding a mate till it became quite obvious that only that she-wolf created especially for me by the moon goddess could carry my seed. It was at that point that frustration began to set in

I combed through virtually all the packs in my country and proceeded to do the same in other countries too. I left my continent, but I didn't find her. My anger towards Lakewood and every living witch became worse. The realization that I may never find my mate, and that the alpha position of Dark Wolf may leave my bloodline because of it came as a harsh blow.

'Your pack shall be torn apart and you'll watch while it's been snatched out of your fingers'… those had been Lucinda's words, and it was manifesting right in my face. I'd sort out different options, anything I could do to keep the alpha title in my bloodline in case I do not find a mate, but it still boiled down to having an heir. If I couldn't provide one, then I'd have lost all I laboured for.

I'd invaded multiple packs in my six years on seat, gained allies and enemies while at it, but my foes outnumbered my friends. The news of my curse caused jubilation amongst many, and even though I tried to curb the spread of the news, it still got out.

Finding out I had a half-blood mate wasn't exactly good news, but it gave me hope that I still had a chance. I acted quick, and handed her a deal, one of the easiest decisions I had to make. She needed the money, I needed an heir, seemed fair enough.

Seeing her for the first time didn't spark anything in me. Just a pretty face and slender frame. A damsel in distress, and a very weak one at that. I had to deal with my wolf since that day, it was hard keeping him in check. Asher obeyed me in the past, we agreed on everything except for my relationship with Sapphire. He'd hated her without even getting to know her. She didn't do anything right to him. I have had tons of women in my life, but none repelled him as much as Sapphire did

Then came Aria, my mate, naïve and stubborn, but the perfect match for Asher. He didn't want any other but her. He blamed me for upsetting her and driving her to Daryl. If I didn't have the dimwit in my cell, and if Marcel hadn't shown up to stop her, would she have gone straight into my enemy's arms?

She still cared for him, I know. She found me in an uncompromising situation and he'd been the first person she sought. I'd lost control of my wolf that day, something that has never happened before.

Virtually every member of Lakewood hates me, but I was convinced Daryl had a special kind of hatred for me. I didn't force him to come to Dark Wolf with me, that had been his choice, and I'd ignored all his scornful glares in the last two years until he dared to lay a finger on my mate.

I'd long abandoned any ideas of trying to find a solution to my curse because I didn't think it could be broken. I have carried that scar every day since that day until very recently, it had cleared out on its own. I'm still not sure what it means, but I had to pay a visit to Allegra soon.

The moment I realized the scar was gone, it clicked in my head that my mate was pregnant. I wasn't sure, it was more like a haunch, but I had the feeling, a feeling of excitement and uncertainty, unbelief and dread.

If I'd not been consumed in all those thoughts that day, I would have felt her close, I would have observed Asher's usual agitation whenever she was within proximity. I like to convince myself that I didn't owe anybody an explanation about what I did or how I lived my life, but she was carrying my baby, and I wouldn't do anything to hurt a child I so desperately wanted. Hurting her meant I was hurting the child, and if I was going to be a responsible father, I had to start now, which is why I moved some of my work to the house for the meantime so that I can be able to keep a close eye on her.

She didn't welcome the idea of a bodyguard any more than she welcomed my decision to work from home for the next couple of days. The pregnancy was still in its early stage as the doctor said. Two weeks. It is not uncommon for miscarriages to occur in this stage of pregnancy and she needed to take things slowly during this period.

She was still mad at me. She didn't need to say it but it was evident in her gestures. She avoided me, her eyes barely met mine. When I tried the littlest physical contact, she went stiff. It