04 The Dreaded Clause

Three months passed, and Meadow ensured she was on her best behaviour. She avoided getting on anybody's nerves, most especially Ethan, who was good at pretending as if she did not exist.

Although Amber had made her seem like a nanny, Ethan was self-sufficient.

Meadow helped him with the things he couldn't do for himself, but above all, he did most of the things himself.

Ethan could survive without her, and she knew it. Which made sense why the nannies quit, coupled with his temper, but he had never lost his temper with her. Meadow never gave him a reason to.

There were times that Meadow wanted to get him to go out and get some sun in the afternoon, but because he barely spoke to her, there was no opportunity for her to ask him.

Staying indoors was getting to her, but there wasn't much she could do.

Meadow would often wonder what Victoria was doing and if she missed her. She also wondered about her parents and if they missed her too. It was hard, but she was pushing.

She wondered if her parents would dare to visit or if Luna Amber would allow her to see them soon. Even though she doubted it, she was optimistic.

Ethan had installed a television in his room because of her, and she knew it. Being a wise woman, she never switched it on when he was in the room, so the noise did not bother him.

He was glad that Meadow was good at remaining invisible. He had been bothered that buying the television was a mistake, but she had not disappointed him so far. In fact, he wondered if she ever watched the electronic device because it was always off when he was in the room. He secretly found her helpful but maintained his distance, not wanting to get attached.

Ethan would often steal glances at Meadow when she wasn't looking to try to understand her better, but she was an open book. She would catch him staring sometimes and smile at him while his face remained expressionless.

Deep down, he knew she was hurting. No woman would want to be in such an arrangement, and he hated his mother for ruining a young woman's life.

He knew his mother wouldn't let her go easily if he chased her away. That was why he held on to the girl, but he would bide his time until he knew she would be okay and set her free to find love.

Because of this resolve, he had decided he wouldn't touch her. Ethan believed a young, innocent woman like Meadow deserved better than a crippled mate that was down on his luck with a bleak future.

***

Ethan's sleep was disturbed. He heard movements and woke up. He looked towards Meadow's bed and realised Meadow was twisting and turning in her sleep. She must have been having a nightmare.

He switched on the side lamp to see her clearly and saw she was having a nightmare. He did not want to imagine why because he believed he was the cause of it.

She was too far for him to reach her with his hand, so he decided to call her name to wake her up.

"Meadow! Meadow!" he said with his deep, commanding voice, and she woke up. Although the air conditioning was on, Meadow was sweating, and her eyes were puffy.

She was crying in her sleep. She wiped away her tears, immediately afraid that she had disturbed his sleep.

"What is the matter with you?" he asked her, almost sounding annoyed, and she bowed her head.

"Talk to me!" he ordered, and she looked up at him. He knew she could not speak, so why was he asking her to talk to him?

Unknown to Meadow, Ethan had spent a lot of time within the three months of their marriage learning how to communicate with sign language for her sake.

When she did not speak, he asked her the question using sign language, and she widened her eyes with shock. She had a mix of emotions. She was surprised and glad at the same time.

"Tell me!" he ordered her. His tone was not friendly, so she knew he was getting impatient. She looked at the clock, and it was two in the morning.

"Nightmare!" she signed, and he looked at her critically.

"Come to bed," He said, and she looked at him with surprise. She did not believe what he had just asked her to do.

"Don't make me say it twice," He said to her and turned off the side lamp.

She got off her small bed and lay on the king-size bed. Not wanting to overstep with him, she stayed at the edge. The bed was so comfortable that she fell asleep.

They went for breakfast together in the morning, and she felt some butterflies of gratitude in her. She wondered why Ethan never showed her he understood sign language. She concluded that he just did not want to communicate with her, so she promised to respect him and not abuse his kindness.

They ate breakfast in silence, and Ashley, Alpha Josephs's girlfriend and future luna, was with them that morning. There was no need to guess why. She had clearly stayed over because she reeked of Joseph, but it was okay. They had been dating for a while.

"I will be taking you to the doctor today, Meadow," Luna Amber announced harshly.

Meadow developed knots in her stomach because she knew why. Being a pregnant virgin was definitely going to suck.

"What for?" Ethan asked his mother and she sighed.

"We both know you would have never settled down Ethan, so technically, I own her, and according to the contract she signed, she is to carry your babies," She said, and Ethan exclaimed.

"What! Are you out of your mind? I agreed to donate my sperm after the accident to use it if something ever happened to me. It is not there for you to do so as you wish," He said, and Amber's eyes filled up with tears.

"When you were fighting for your life in the hospital after the accident, how do you think I felt thinking you will leave this world with nothing? Why do you think I got her for you? It is so she can give you children. No one is asking you to fuck her, Ethan. If I wanted you to consummate your marriage and get your wife pregnant, I wouldn't have gotten the mute of the pack. I will use your sperm in my custody to do the job," She said, and Ashley giggled, looking at Meadow.

Meadow was embarrassed, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't swallow her food anymore.

"I forbid you," Ethan said with a low growl.

"I own the sperm and can do whatever I want with it. You gave me the absolute right. I want grandchildren from you, Ethan, and I will get them," She said and turned to Meadow.

"Your appointment is at two in the afternoon. The doctor will examine you and figure out how best to do it. Am I clear?" She said, and Meadow nodded. This time her tears fell while she pushed her food about the plate, losing her appetite.

Meadow could not eat anymore; somehow, she knew Ethan had no power over this.

They left the dining room and returned to the room. Ethan was angry.

"Why will you sign such a document?" he asked her, and she wiped away her tears to respond.

"It came as a prenuptial agreement," She signed, and he understood the trick his mother played.

Ethan was so mad he wheeled himself out of the room and forbade Meadow from following him.

He went to his mother's office.

Amber was working on some documents when Ethan barged in. She wasn't prepared for his outburst.

Amber honestly did not think he would care enough to be affected by the arrangement. She realised she might have been wrong.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked her trying to understand her, and Amber looked at him with tears.

"You are my first son and the true Alpha of this pack, yet you have no heir. This accident took everything from us. I thought you would die, Ethan, and I realised you would leave nothing behind. I asked you to donate your sperm when you came through. Since you returned, you cut yourself off from society. Yes, Cynthia left you for someone else because of your condition, but that does not mean you should stop living. I introduced you to countless women, but you scared them away," She said, and Ethan began to laugh.

"Do you actually think I scared them away, mother? I didn't. They did not like the possibility of being tied to a cripple and a former Alpha. I was a has-been to them," He said, telling her what really happened between him and the women she had introduced him to.

Even though she had always suspected that was the issue, Amber was stunned.

Since Ethan stepped down for his brother due to his condition, he had stopped being a great catch, and that was why Amber made the desperate move of marrying the pack's mute for him.

"Please, mother, stop this. Meadow's life is only beginning. Do not do this to her," he said, trying to reason with his mother. He knew she had the power and right to do what she planned. He also knew he could not stop her. Reasoning with her was the only option.

"What about your life, Ethan? You are just twenty-nine. And who said being the mother of your children would be a smear on her? It will be an honour for her. No one would ever marry her. She should be grateful. If she was such a great catch, she should be mated at twenty, yet she is single," Amber said, and Ethan shook his head.

"She isn't an object. She is a person. Being mute doesn't make her less important. It is a disability, just like my legs. If you do this, I will cut off from you completely," he threatened her, and she wiped away her tears.

"You cut off from me a long time ago, Ethan. You do not speak to anyone or care about anyone. You are bitter and angry all the time. At least this way, I will get to see your children. You can't talk me out of this. This was why I got the mute for you, and she will do as I requested. After giving birth, I will take the pups and cut her loose," Amber said, and Ethan shook his head.

"No one would mate with a wolf that has given birth," he pointed out her cruelty to her.

"You can decide to keep her for fun. Glad your equipment still works. If not, I will cut her loose. No one would have mated with her anyway. At least this way, she would have children," She said, and Ethan looked at his mother with disgust.

"When did you become so mean?" He asked her, realising she wasn't the same person he used to know.

"When life took your father from me and almost took you and your brother from me," She answered, confessing her pain.

"Up till now, I haven't found his murderer, Ethan, and it is killing me." She said and began to weep.

"Every time I look at you, I see him. You look so much like him, Ethan. Please let me have this. Let me have this. I am not hurting anyone," she said, and Ethan knew his mother believed what she was saying, but he knew she was hurting Meadow.

Though mute, he could see the hurt in the woman's eyes. She was still trying to cope with the loveless marriage without chemistry. To spring this on her would be cruel.

"Okay, mother, but you are not allowed to do it now. Give it time. Who knows, you might change your mind," he said, and she shook her head.

"I am not a fool, Ethan. Things will never change between you and the mute. She goes to the doctor for an examination today, which is final. You may be Alpha, but I own Meadow. I own her and can do as I please with her body. She will carry your pups and bring them into this world."

She said with a firm resolve, and Ethan knew there was no convincing her otherwise.

He left his mother feeling disappointed and returned to his room.

Meadow was crying, but the moment he entered, she stopped. He knew she was sobbing and did not know what else to do.

"Stop crying and pack our bags. You won't be going to the doctor's today. I am taking you to my cabin for a holiday," he said sternly, doing the only thing he could to buy her time. Though his voice was unfriendly as always, Meadow was grateful for the rescue.