Zuri didn't know how long she had been asleep, but the first thing that came to her mind was her conversation with Xaden.
There was nothing that was worth noting. It was just like she had expected. He didn't care about the rejection. They were not meant to be together anyway.
However, he told her bluntly that if she tried to break the union between them, it would only put her at a disadvantage.
The odds were against her because she would lose her value. She had already been mated and marked. She was a used woman and now she had a miscarriage. All of those things would put her in a bad light, while Xaden would walk out of this scratch free.
Those things wouldn't affect him.
'Let's stay in this union and my offer to you is still the same. You can do whatever you want as long as you uphold your status as the luna and not tarnish our pack name or ruin our pack's image. We will mind our own business. Once you give birth to a son, you can live wherever and do whatever you want.'
Zuri would have laughed had she not been too tired. The medicine worked so well. It almost knocked her off and Xaden took her silence as she agreed to his terms.
After that brief conversation, he left Zuri alone.
But then, if Zuri was given a chance to talk back to him, even if she was not as loopy as she was at that moment, the final result of the conversation would still be the same.
She wouldn't be able to get away from this.
No matter how much she despised him or denied the truth of his statement, he was right. She would be the one at disadvantage. She would be the one that would suffer in the end.
She was already suffering enough now, why would she want more when Xaden would be left unscathed?
If she had to go down, she was going to take them all down with her. She shouldn't be the only one who suffered.
"You are awake."
Karina's voice snapped her back to reality. Zuri didn't realize that her mother was inside the room. Her mind seemed to be occupied with a lot of things.
"Here, I've brought you your dinner," she said. She stood up gracefully and took a tray full of food with her. She set it down on the table next to the bed, as she sat down on the edge of the bed.
Karina stretched out her hand to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, but Zuri swatted her hand away.
"Don't be stubborn. Your stubbornness will not take you anywhere," she said. Her voice was so soft, it was almost like she had motherly love for her daughter. Probably she did, but she showed it in a way that Zuri couldn't understand.
"Leave me alone."
"I will, after we talk."
Zuri scoffed. "Everyone wants to talk to me, but no one listens to me."
"That's because you don't know how to talk in their language."
"What language?" Zuri turned her head and looked at her mother. "Manipulation and physical abuse?"
"We had this talk many times, but it seems, we need to talk about this again." Karina straightened her back. Her expression turned serious. An expression she would never have when she talked to her mate.
Zuri knew what she was going to say; she should be a perfect luna, she should obey her alpha, her mate, her man, or whatever you call them. It would make your life easier. Her mother had done it and she was living peacefully.
Karina made peace with the fact that Roland slept around. She met with every woman he had been with behind her back, pretending she didn't know anything. Always being Roland's sweet little mate.
And she was right, it gave her peace.
However, Karina's advice right now was a little bit different from usual.
"You are smart, Zuri, you are always the smartest among your siblings." She started. She pinched her chin and turned her head to face her. The hatred from her only daughter burned in her black eyes. "It goes without saying that we are the weaker sex because we don't have the same authority, power and strength like those men, like those alphas, but…"
Karina stopped, she caressed her cheek. For a moment, Zuri could see both misery and love in her eyes, but she might be wrong.
"But, we have our own weapon. We don't need to be in a physical fight to use it." Karina retracted her hand, the coldness returned to her eyes. "If you want to survive this union, you need to start using it. Use your body if Alpha Xaden is attracted to it. Use your brain if that could make him interested in you. Only then you would be heard. Only then, your voice and your opinion will matter."
"Nice advice, mother. Is that what you have done to father all this time for him to hear you?"
"Yes."
"Then why don't you use it to save me?"
Karina took a glass of water and handed it to Zuri. "Because this is our life, child. If you didn't learn how to dance to the music, no matter how many times I save you, you will always be tripped. At the end of the day, you only have yourself to rely on."
***
Roland entered Xaden's study room. The alpha looked so young, he was only twenty when he was given this pack to rule by his brother. It was six years ago, the same time when his brother ascended to the throne.
His brother doted on him. You could say the king had a soft spot for his little brother, but it didn't deter Xaden from doing what he was planning to do.
"You should be more careful with your omega. This will be the last time we discuss this." Roland sat down, his face devoid of any emotions. "Zuri is still my daughter."