Chapter 5 The Breakup

Tori's POV

After my last one-night stand with Cayden at the hotel, I was officially sent to his villa by his Beta Jace.

I was now in Luna's suite. A few days had passed.

The moment I stepped into it, I was struck by how luxurious it was.

It was a full set of high-end furniture, and the gorgeous crystal chandelier was expensive. The walls were inlaid with warm wooden planks, and a few classical oil paintings were cleverly embedded in them. One set cost five million dollars.

In fact, I hadn't seen him since the day he'd left the hotel.

It was a sunny day, and the clear blue sky was very lovely. It reminded me of his dangerous, mesmerizing eyes, those of the ruthless Blood Moon Alpha, Cayden, also my master.

I hadn't seen him in two weeks. Part of me was curious to see him again, but I was scared at the same time.

I shook my head, willing myself to stop thinking about him, that horrible man who I was supposed to be pining for.

"Tori!" A knock on the door drew my attention. I stood on a chair in the room and watched a woman enter. Her name was Kas, and she and a doctor, Ava, had been taking care of my dietary routine.

They said that I was too weak and needed to recuperate while preparing for the birth of an Alpha heir.

"Good morning. I just wanted to make sure they brought you breakfast." She saw the almost unfinished plate and sat down next to me.

"You don't like toast? I could ask them to bring something else," Kas said.

I could tell she was worried about me not because I was a breeder. She was been very kind to me.

"Kas, the toast's good." I gave her a smile. "Thanks for what you did for me. I just don't have a great appetite. I'm sorry!"

Here, I was still undecided about a lot of things, but at least I had Kas, who made me feel easier.

"Don't you ever say sorry again, miss!" She raised her voice deliberately, pretending to scold me. Then a broad smile spread across her face. Kas always managed to cheer me up in a lovely way.

"Okay, Kas! Thanks, really." I couldn't thank her enough for what she did for me.

"Oh, Jace will be picking you up soon," she added.

I nodded. Jace came to see me almost every day, and I was used to his visits. He was usually far enough away to make me feel comfortable. It was hard to believe that Black Shadow's second-in-command was a cultured gentleman.

"Here, I brought you some new clothes! Let me try them on!" Apparently, Kas was excited about the costume, but I was a little confused and curious right now.

There was no need to give me advance notice when Jace came to visit. I was in my room all the time.

So why did Kas come to dress me up? Unless they wanted me to meet someone? Could it be Cayden?

My heart raced at the thought of Cayden, the feel of his fingers and his beautiful eyes... But a shiver went down my spine as I remembered the way he'd watched me.

Yes, I was under his gaze, like prey being watched by a predator and like cargo being inspected by a new owner.

"I know it's not my place, Tori. But being a breeder isn't necessarily a bad thing. You bring life to the next leader of this pack. A part of you will live here forever," said Kas.

"I know," I replied, still not sure about any of this.

I knew Kas was just trying to make me feel better, but it didn't help. This wasn't the life I wanted. I wanted to be free.

While we talked, I changed into something simple. It was comfortable and fitted.

"Just think about it, okay?" she said.

I nodded, watched her give me a reassuring smile, and disappeared from the room.

The longer I waited, the more tense my nerves became. I paced the floor of my luxurious room, admiring the beautiful view from the window. Blood Moon estate was at the edge of the forest. The vast greenery around it would bring peace to any anxious soul.

Would there come a day when I could run freely and feel the soft grass under my feet?

"Tori..." Jace's voice came from behind me, making my breath catch in my throat. I turned slowly to see him standing in the open doorway. "You ready?"

No, I didn't know what happened. How could I be prepared?

"Well, yes..." I took a step forward.

I'd been bought by the Black Shadow, and so far they hadn't done anything to hurt me other than nurse me back to health.

Ava and Kas did their best to make me feel at home. Even Jace respected me and gave me as much privacy as possible.

I followed him down the hallway until we reached two large white wooden doors. When he pulled them open, I saw someone I thought I'd never see again, my father, Mark.

He and my stepmother, Nancy, were respectfully bidding farewell to a man who looked like a bodyguard.

Mark was holding the edge of a bank card in both hands. His mouth was curved in a smile. Nancy's face was lit up with joy. They seemed to be in a very good mood.

I guessed that Cayden had paid him another portion of the money.

Jace must have noticed that I was looking worse by the minute. Gentlemanly, he asked me if I was all right and if I needed his company. I told him I was fine.

"Jace, I'll go back by myself later," I told him. "I want to talk to my family alone."

"Okay. I'll have someone pick you up in fifteen minutes." I gave him a grateful nod, and Jace was gone.

I stepped closer and heard my father's voice. "Looks like Tori really came in handy at the critical moment. Looks like I made the right choice to protect her carefully and forbid her to have a boyfriend since she was young. Listen. Tori can really be useful now!"

"You only have one daughter. Can you really bear to do this?" Nancy asked him.

"I'm not short of children. It's worth it to exchange a beautiful daughter for our lifetime of wealth!" My father said excitedly. "To be honest, I really regret it. When I was young, I should have slept with a few more models and given birth to a few more children."

Upon hearing my father's words, my world collapsed.

My father had always loved me. He had only sacrificed me because he had no choice. Now, I understood that he only treated me as a tool that he could use.

I was really too naive and stupid. I actually had one last fantasy about him.

He didn't care how I was doing at all. He just wanted to know if I could please Alpha. My father had already died years ago.

His words were like a slap in the face that woke me up completely.

I stared at him with an indifferent expression and asked, "You knew that Cayden was going to buy me to be his breeder, didn't you?"

Actually, I already knew the answer from Cayden's words, but I still wanted to ask. I just wanted to hear the truth from my family, just this once.

I couldn't believe that my father was going to push me to hell.

My question made him lose his composure for a moment. His gaze avoided mine, and he felt so guilty that he did not dare meet my eyes.

I looked at my father, whom I had loved and feared for years, and tried to take care of.

I always advised myself that his behaviour was the result of drug abuse.

Now he stood sober before me, but there was no sadness or sadness in his eyes, only frustration and anger, as always.

"What kind of tone is that? I'm your father. Am I a prisoner? You're talking to me in such an interrogative tone," he said.

I sneered. "Dad, you know that you're my father, huh? Then why did you push me to hell and sell me to the Blood Moom pack."

Since it was a foregone conclusion, he didn't bother with pretense. "Why don't you know how to be grateful? Many women want to marry Alpha Cayden, and he chose you as a breeder. You should be grateful to us."

I felt no longer afraid of them. Now I was only very disappointed.

"Enough," he snapped. "Besides, you're my daughter. So what if I asked you to come to Blood Moom pack?

I thought I could give my most precious virginity to my future mate and spend the rest of my life with the person I love, leaving home and not suffering anymore.

But I was schemed against by my father and stepmother and became a fertility machine.

Nancy smiled to ease the atmosphere, but in fact, she was adding fuel to the fire. "Mark, don't hold it against Tori. Anyway, I'm not her biological mother. It's not the first time she's called me by my name. It's fine for me to suffer a little. Don't let you two have a bad relationship."

"See. Nancy is still speaking up for you." My father was even more disappointed with me.

My face became even colder. It had been more than ten years, and my father no longer cared about me as his daughter. Why should I say those things?

"If I become Cayden's breeder, Dad, we will be even. My debt to you has been paid. This will be my last payment for kinship. You won't have any more daughters," I said firmly, trying to find what little courage I had left.

Shock flashed across my father's eyes. There were tears in them.

But in the end, he didn't change his mind. "It's settled. Don't embarrass me in front of the Black Shadow."

After saying this, my father left without looking at me. All he cared about was money.

Ignoring the fact that my father's face was flushed with anger, I turned around and left.

It wasn't until I reached the end of the corridor that I realized with a start that all the strength seemed to have been drained.

Kas appeared and caught me before I nearly fell.

"Walk me back to my room," I said, forcing a smile. Kas caught me by the side.

The light at the end of the corridor hurt my eyes. I was dim, leaving only this shell.

This would be the last time I saw my cruel father. From now on, in this world, I had no family.