Chosen To Be The Alpha's Surrogate

** Penelope **

I stand frozen, my eyes locked with the captive's hazel gaze. There's something eerily familiar about him, a recognition that goes beyond our brief encounter on the balcony. It's as unsettling as it is inexplicable. A shiver runs down my spine, and I glance nervously back towards the stairs.

*I shouldn't be here. This is dangerous, foolish even.*

But before I can convince myself to leave, the man speaks.

"Don't worry," his voice is rough, likely from hours of interrogation, but there's a hint of amusement in his tone. "They won't be back for at least another hour. It's a pattern, these torture tactics. And they're using the oldest tricks in the book."

His casual mention of torture sends a chill down my spine. The bruises mottling his skin, the dried blood caking his face they're a reminder of what's been happening down here. Of what will continue to happen until Malachi gets the answers he wants. Bile rises in my throat, and I swallow hard against the nausea.

*This is what he's capable of. The Malachi I know and love, gentle as he may be is also... this.*

...

*Some evils are necessary... right?*

Silence stretches between us, making the air feel thick and heavy. The captor's gaze drifts down to my swollen belly, and I realize I'm still cradling it protectively, my fingers splayed wide.

"When are you due?" he asks, his tone surprisingly gentle.

I don't want to answer, don't want to give him more he could potentially use against me. But I find myself speaking, even as I tell myself not to. "Soon," I whisper, my voice barely audible even in the stillness of the dungeon.

A smirk tugs at his split lip, a knowing glint in his eye. "So you're carrying the great Alpha Malachi's heir, huh?" He chuckles softly, the sound echoing off the stone walls and sending goosebumps racing across my skin. "Well, good for you. You did well for yourself." He pauses, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I've heard great things about Malachi."

The way he says Malachi's name sets my teeth on edge. There's something in his tone, a hint of... what? Bitterness? Sarcasm? I can't quite place it, but it makes my stomach churn with anxiety.

Doubt gnaws at me, growing with each passing second.

*What am I doing here?*

If Malachi found out, he'd be furious-and rightfully so. I'm not just risking my own safety, but our child's as well. The thought sends a jolt of fear through me, and I turn to leave, my heart pounding so hard I feel lightheaded. But then the man speaks again, his words stopping me dead in my tracks. "You look just like her, you know. Your mother."

*My mother?*

I turn back around, my breath catching in my throat. A thousand questions race through my mind, but my tongue feels thick and useless in my mouth. My eyes dart to the cell, taking in the heavy chains binding him to the chair, the thick steel bars designed to contain even the strongest werewolf. The rational part of my brain screams at me to leave, but a deeper, more instinctive part keeps me rooted to the spot.

*As long as he doesn't break out, I'll be fine... right?*

"Who are you?" I finally manage to ask, my voice trembling.

He doesn't respond immediately. Instead, he leans back in the chair, the metal creaking ominously. His eyes study me with an intensity that makes me want to squirm, to hide from his penetrating gaze. "My name is Rook," he says at last, his voice low and measured.

"How do you know who I am?" I press, desperate for answers, even as fear and anticipation war within me.

Rook's lips curl into a sad smile, the expression tugging at something deep inside me. Instead of answering directly, he begins to tell a story, his voice taking on a distant quality that makes me lean in despite myself.

"There was once a warrior who served the former Alpha of my pack. This warrior was the most skilled werewolf the pack had seen in decades. Loyal to a fault." His eyes never leave mine as he speaks, and I find myself hanging on his every word. "One day, there was an attack on the pack. Many died, including the warrior who fought to the death to protect the Alpha. Families were destroyed, many children were orphaned." His voice drops to a near whisper, laden with emotion. "Including the children of the warrior."

My heart races, and I feel lightheaded. A part of me knows where this is going, but I can't bring myself to believe it. "Why are you telling me this..?" I ask, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my pulse in my ears. Rook looks at me for a long moment, his eyes softening with an emotion I can't quite name. It looks almost like... longing? Regret? "Because I was too young to fight for you then, to take care of you... the way a big brother should." The room seems to spin around me, the ground tilting. Tears fill my eyes, blurring my vision. I shake my head, unable to process or perhaps believe what I'm hearing. "What?" The word comes out as a choked whisper.

"It's true, Penelope," Rook says gently, leaning forward as much as his restraints will allow. "I'm your brother."

*A brother..?*

All my life, I've wondered about my family, dreamed of finding some connection to my past. But now that it's here, right in front of me, I don't know how to handle it. The dungeon suddenly feels too small, the air too thick. I struggle to breathe, my chest tight with emotion.

"No," I say, shaking my head more vigorously, sending tears flying. "That's not possible. I... I was alone. I grew up in the system. I don't have any family."

Rook's expression is a mix of pain and determination. His voice, when he speaks, is filled with a conviction that shakes me to my core.

"You *did* have a family, Penelope. A strong, loving family. But they were taken from us. From you." He pauses, his voice lowering, "*You* were taken from me."

The words hang in the air between us, and I stand there, frozen, as my entire world shifts beneath my feet. Everything I thought I knew about myself, about my past, crumbles away. In its place, a new reality begins to take shape-one where I'm not alone, where I have a history, a family.

*The dreams... My dreams. They were all real.*

As I stare at Rook, seeing my own hazel eyes reflected back at me, I feel something inside me break open. A dam of emotion I didn't even know I was holding back bursts, and I'm overwhelmed by a tidal wave of grief, confusion, and a desperate, aching hope.

*I have a brother.*