Reborn As The Cold Alpha's Secret Mate

SERAPHINA'S POV:

"Take off your dress."

My fingertips trembled slightly, and a flush crept up my neck. Obeying the Matriarch’s command, I untied the rough sash at my waist. The coarse linen pooled at my feet, leaving me in nothing but a thin, white undergarment that barely covered my body.

As I shifted my weight, the fabric rode up, exposing the pale curve of my waist. In the dim morning light, my skin looked like fine porcelain.

Yet, Isadora Carlisle, the Pack's Matriarch, and her stern lady-in-waiting, Agatha, didn't even glance at my waist. Their sharp eyes were fixed entirely on my hips, which were noticeably fuller than those of the other Omega servants. Suddenly, their eyes lit up.

"Matriarch, I believe Seraphina is a fine choice," Agatha said, a calculating smile on her lips. "She has the wide hips of a strong breeder, perfect for bearing pups. Moreover, she’s been trained in your quarters for years. She knows her place and won't try to bewitch the Alpha heir."

The Alpha heir she spoke of was Gideon Carlisle, the formidable future leader of Silvermoon Keep.

"Indeed, your eyes are as sharp as ever, Agatha," Isadora said, a satisfied smile appearing on her well-preserved face. "Seraphina, prepare yourself. You will serve the Alpha heir tonight."

I was one of her personal servant girls, and the more she looked at me, the more satisfied she seemed. She had made her decision.

I knelt obediently on the cold stone floor, but as I heard her words, a wave of dizziness washed over me.

In my past life, I had knelt in this exact spot. Except then, I was fully dressed. When the Matriarch ordered me to undress for the breeding inspection, I had refused without hesitation. “I already have a mate chosen, Caleb Tucker. I beg for your mercy, Matriarch.”

The Pack usually treated their servants decently. Though displeased, Isadora had granted my release and handed me my freedom papers. I thought I could take my saved coins, return to Caleb, and live a simple life. But instead, Caleb and my family broke my leg and sold me to Jedediah Hicks, a cruel, eighty-year-old merchant, just to curry favor.

And then... the biting snow, the blood, the agonizing death. Just thinking about it made my chest tight with suffocating pain.

My eyelashes fluttered. I quickly pressed my forehead to the floor, forcing my voice to tremble with overwhelming gratitude. "Thank you, Matriarch, for this immense honor!"

Seeing that I didn't show the desperate, ambitious greed of other foolish Omegas, Isadora’s approval deepened.

"Seraphina, the Alpha heir has been mated for three years but remains childless," Isadora said, her voice dropping. "If you can give birth to a strong Alpha male pup, he will be the next heir of Silvermoon Keep."

She paused, watching me. I made sure to widen my eyes just a fraction, projecting the perfect blend of reverence and naive yearning. She nodded, completely satisfied. This was what she wanted: an Omega who would dedicate her life to serving the heir and continuing the Carlisle bloodline.

"You are a maid from my own courtyard. Even the Luna will not dare to look down on you," Isadora continued, sliding a heavy silver moonstone bracelet from her wrist and placing it onto my arm.

I looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "Thank you for your grace, Matriarch. I swear to serve the Alpha heir with my life and ease your burdens."

After I bowed one last time, she dismissed me.

Once I stepped out of her quarters, the feigned reverence vanished from my eyes, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness. I caught the envious glares of the other Omega servants in the corridor, and a mocking smile touched my lips.

If I had a choice, I would gladly trade places with them. I had absolutely no desire to be a lowly breeder. I just wanted to survive until I was old enough to leave the Keep and live in peace.

Gideon had been mated for three years. Neither his Luna nor his two chosen females had produced a pup. Either there was something wrong with the Alpha himself, or there was a deadly game of sabotage being played among his mates. Having a pup in that environment would be practically impossible.

Even if I did miraculously get pregnant, given Isadora’s ruthless nature, it was highly likely she would take the pup and dispose of the mother. I could lose my life anyway. If I wasn't driven into a corner by my past, I would never willingly become a breeder.

But right now, I needed to use Gideon Carlisle's formidable power as a shield to destroy Caleb and those greedy bastards from my past. To do that, I had to play the long game. And the first hurdle was surviving tonight.

Gideon was a man of strict discipline. If he refused to touch me tonight, I would become the laughingstock of the Keep by morning, and Isadora might just throw me out. Remembering Caleb and the old merchant waiting outside these walls, I took a deep breath. No matter what methods I had to use, I had to make the Alpha heir claim me tonight.

Late into the night, I was led to the Heir's Quarters. Bathed and dressed in a sheer, whisper-thin silk nightgown, I knelt quietly by the edge of the massive bed.