Violet's POV
I barely slept through the night. The marble floor was far too cold for me to close my eyes and not imagine myself freezing to death. Coupled with the fact that I was terrified of being raped by my own husband while I was asleep. The sun had risen, but Mark was yet to move a muscle from where he laid. I remained on the floor, shivering and barely able to keep my eyes open for more than a minute.
"You should go to the bed, it's morning, you can scream for help." I said to myself. Unable to deal with the torture I was putting myself through, I rose from the floor and made my way slowly to the half empty bed. My dull eyes remained on Mark, watching him carefully like a hawk. He looked so peaceful when he wasn't awake and threatening me. How could a man so beautiful have such terrible manners? I wondered. It didn't matter, I didn't even care anymore. What I wanted now was to get some sleep.
I had barely closed my eyes for twenty minutes when a sudden shift beside me made my heart lurch. My eyes fluttered open, heavy and burning from exhaustion, only to meet Mark's sharp gaze fixed right on me. For a moment, the world stilled, his stare held me like chains, and the memory of last night came rushing back.
I shot up with what little strength I had left, the sheet falling off my trembling frame as I pushed myself away from him, sliding off the bed until my back hit the wooden post. My chest rose and fell erratically, fear clouding my every thought.
Mark's lips twisted into a sneer. "Stop your madness and get ready." His voice was loud, and I could tell he was unimpressed.
His words only fully registered when he stood and straightened his tunic, looking every bit the Alpha he was supposed to be. "We're going to officially introduce you to the other Alphas. Do your best to behave.."
It was only then I noticed movement by the door. Two maids stood there, heads bowed, but I could feel their eyes sneaking glances at me, at my wild hair, my wrinkled dress, and my obvious fear. My stomach sank further. He hadn't even given me time to breathe, let alone to think.
"I won't go—" the words slipped out before I could stop them, weak and trembling.
Mark's head snapped toward me, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You will," he said flatly, his tone carrying the kind of authority that left no room for argument.
One of the maids dared to step forward, clutching the edge of her apron. "Alpha… should we—"
"Get her ready," Mark barked without looking at them, his eyes still burning holes into me.
The maids moved toward me carefully, like one would approach a wounded animal. I pressed further against the bedpost, my nails digging into the wood, my chest tightening as if the walls themselves were closing in. Mark kept his gaze on me, and I kept mine on him. He knew I was tired, he could tell, but he didn't care.
"Don't you dare come any closer." I said to the maids who stopped in their tracks at the sound of my words. Mark glared at me, then turned to glare at the maids who were now terrified for their safety. Everybody knew how violent Mark could get, and they knew his words carried more authority than mine. However, I was large Luna now, and disobeying me could also spell their downfall.
"What on earth is your problem!" Mark sneered as he closed the distance between us.
"I barely got any sleep last night, I need rest. And if you want me to be on my best behavior in front of your visitors, you're going to give me an hour to get myself together."
My heart pounded in my chest erratically, fear flowed through every part of my veins, and I was certain Mark could smell it off me. Yet, he chose to let me win this round. It wasn't because he couldn't just beat me to submission like he loved to, he just knew that I wasn't playing about making him look like a fool in front of his peers. And if there was anything Mark loved more than beating me up, it was protecting his fragile ego.
"You have forty five minutes, no more than that." He finalized before turning and storming out of the room.
I turned to the maids the moment he was gone, flashed them a smile to ease the tension, and issued my second order. "Give me thirty minutes to rest, and I'll do whatever you want me to."
They nodded and left almost as quickly as they had come. I returned to bed the moment the room was empty, and without wasting any second drifted off to sleep. Thirty minutes later, I was woken up by the same maids, and I could swear they had returned only after five minutes. But they were being honest, thirty minutes had really passed, and now I was going to spend the rest of my day battling sleep and my degrading mental health.
After fifteen long minutes, I was fully dressed in a long olive colored gown. My hair was brushed into soft waves that fell around my shoulders. A delicate necklace sat around my neck, the silver pearls adding an ethereal feel to the whore attire. They had dabbed light powder on my face, enough to hide the dark circles beneath my eyes.
"You look beautiful, milady," one of the maids whispered under her breath as she stepped back, admiring her work. The other adjusted the folds of my gown and gave me a tentative smile, as if to encourage me.
But nothing about this felt beautiful. I felt like a doll dressed for display, and my insides churned with unease.
The door swung open, and in walked Mark. His eyes swept over me slowly, not with affection, but with lust, and a look that suggested that his doll was dressed the way he liked.
"Better," he muttered, nodding once. His gaze lingered on my necklace before returning to my face. "At least you won't embarrass me today."
I clenched my fists inside the folds of my gown, swallowing the bitter taste of my anger. Embarrass him. That was all he cared about. Not my exhaustion, not the fact that I was still shaking from last night, he didn't care at all.
"Let's go," he ordered, extending his hand.
For a moment, I considered refusing, but I knew that acting stubborn all the time wasn't going to get me what I wanted. With a forced smile, I slid my hand into his, and followed his guide into the large ballroom. The place was filled with different faces and scents, but amongst the hundreds of faces and scents, the first I recognized was Mateo's, and the sight of him standing with another woman almost made my heart break.