A Dangerous Obsession
Chapter 33 - 32

Chapter 33: Chapter 32

CHLORENDIA

The carriage lurched and jolted as we rolled over another dip in the road. I kept my eyes glued to the trees speeding by, pretending the scenery was more interesting than the silence wedged between my father and me. Not that we were particularly close even before our last argument. Our relationship was nothing more than an arrangement—a necessary formality. He had raised me with the same level of attachment you’d have for a weapon. Keep it sharp, keep it close, and when you need it, wield it for power.

And that’s exactly what he was doing now. This alliance with the Neiborung Pack wasn’t about me or my happiness—it was about his reputation, his legacy, his craving for control. I was just a pawn, and the idea of being mated to an alpha wasn’t some grand romantic adventure. To him, it was the strategic key to cementing his influence. He saw me as an extension of his ambitions, a breeding vessel that would keep our bloodline in power.

But he was wrong if he thought I would just be a puppet. This alliance was a gateway for me, too. If I could win over this alpha, get him to respect me as more than just a mate, maybe I could finally taste real power. Maybe I could prove to my father that I was more than a vessel for his plans. Maybe I could show him that I was worth something in my own right.

I shifted my gaze to him, sitting straight-backed and stone-faced across from me, his cane resting beside him. I stared at him for a moment before returning my gaze outside the carriage.

As we approached the Neiborung Pack’s estate, I felt my stomach twist. The estate loomed large and foreboding against the sky, its dark stone walls and towering gates casting long shadows over the grounds. It looked like a fortress rather than a home, a symbol of the strength this pack wielded. And somewhere inside was my supposed "future"—my path to whatever power I could claw out of this arrangement.

When we pulled up, an escort was waiting to greet us. He didn’t spare me a glance, but his stiff posture and deferential nod told me he recognized my father’s rank. He led us into the mansion, down long hallways lined with portraits of past alphas, each one more imposing than the last. Their eyes seemed to follow me, reminding me of the weight of their legacy—and the one my father was so eager to burden me with.

My father hobbled along beside me, his cane tapping a rhythmic beat on the polished marble floors. Despite his usual arrogance, I could see a flicker of unease in his eyes but he would never admit that. Instead, he pressed on, shoulders back, head held high, as if he owned the world.

We were nearly at the door to the waiting room when a voice sliced through the quiet, low and commanding.

"Alpha Elaxdor. Wasn’t expecting to cross paths with you here."

The tone was cold, edged with mockery. I felt my father tense beside me, his grip tightening on his cane. We turned to see someone approaching us, and my breath caught.

He was enormous, towering over my father by at least a head, his muscles straining against his shirt. Everything about him radiated power—the way he moved, the sharp glint in his eyes, the confident set of his jaw. He was the kind of man who could silence a room with a single glance, and the way he looked at my father, with barely hidden disdain, told me he was probably an alpha from a rival pack. There was no other explanation for the dominance rolling off him in waves, making my wolf shift uncomfortably inside me.

The stranger’s gaze flicked to the cane in my father’s hand, and a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Still clinging to that, are you?"

The mockery in his voice was unmistakable, and I saw a flash of anger in my father’s eyes. His jaw clenched, and he muttered a curse under his breath, barely loud enough for me to hear. Then he turned to me, his face carefully blank. "Go on," he said, his voice tight. "I’ll be right behind you."

He didn’t need to tell me twice. I shot the stranger one last glance, curiosity burning in my chest, then turned and slipped through the door into the waiting room. The door clicked shut behind me, muffling the sounds of their voices, but I couldn’t shake the image of that alpha.

The waiting room was cold and impersonal, decorated with dark leather chairs and an ornate fireplace that looked like it hadn’t seen a flame in years. I wandered over to a chair by the window and sank down, letting out a shaky breath. My thoughts were racing, a tangled mess of ambition, anxiety, and a small, stubborn spark of hope.

This alliance was supposed to change everything. It was supposed to give me the power I had always wanted, the chance to prove myself. But sitting here, alone in a strange pack’s mansion, I felt the weight of it all pressing down on me. The expectations, the pressure, the knowledge that my father didn’t believe I could handle any of it—it all gnawed at me, a constant reminder that, in his eyes, I would never be more than a pawn.

But that didn’t mean I had to stay one. I clenched my fists, feeling the sharp bite of my nails against my palms. I would show him. I would show them all. If I had to carve out my own place in this world, I would do it. I’d take whatever power I could, and I make it mine.

The door opened suddenly, and I looked up, my heart pounding. A man stepped inside, his gaze sweeping the room before landing on me. He was younger than I had expected, with a sharp, calculating expression and an aura of authority that was unmistakably alpha. His eyes narrowed as he took me in.

"Chlorendia, I presume?" His voice was smooth, with a hint of amusement.

"Yes," I replied, forcing my voice to stay steady.

He crossed the room in a few long strides, stopping just a few feet from me. Up close, he was even more intimidating, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud. But I refused to back down. I met his gaze head-on, letting him see that I wasn’t just some timid girl here to play house.

"Alpha Alaric of the Neiborung pack," he said, his tone carefully neutral. "I’ll be assessing your... suitability for our alliance."

So this was him. The alpha my father wanted to bind me to, the man who held the key to my future. I forced a polite smile. This was just another test, another step in my journey to prove myself. And if he thought he could intimidate me, he was in for a surprise.

"I hope I’ll meet your expectations, Alpha Alaric," I said, injecting a hint of challenge into my tone.

His eyes gleamed with interest, and a slow smile spread across his face. "We’ll see," he murmured. Then, he turned and gestured for me to follow him, his posture relaxed but watchful, like a predator sizing up its prey.

As I followed him down the hall, I could feel my pulse quicken. This was it—the beginning of my chance to seize the power I had always wanted. And no matter what lay ahead, I was ready.

I have to be.