04: THE PROPOSAL

SIENNA

Locked in the familiar cell I'd previously escaped from, I was writhing in pain. Since my wolf was yet to mature, I couldn't heal myself. Crying wouldn't solve my problems, so I chose not to.

I couldn't stop thinking about the voice I'd heard in my head a few hours ago. It was definitely not my mum. It couldn't be Aurora, my wolf.

While I thought about this, the smell of lavender hit my nostrils. I looked up at the sound of steady footsteps approaching.

A tall young lady stepped into my line of vision, a smile on her face.

"Who are you?" I asked, furrowing my brows.

"My name is Lily Declan," she said, and I stiffened.

"You're..."

She nodded.

"That's right. I am the Alpha's daughter. The sickly one who never gets out of her room. I'm sure you've heard about me."

Now that she mentioned it, she did look sickly. Her skin was as pale as snow, and her dark circles were extremely visible. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a low bun, and she was wearing a loose lilac ankle-length dress with no sleeves.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, and she blinked at me, a blank look on her face.

"Do you want to survive?" She asked. Right then, it hit me. It was her. The feminine voice in my head.

"I do. Can you help me?" I asked, and she beamed at me, her blue eyes lighting up.

"I have an offer for you," she said, and I frowned.

"Why did you decide to help me?"

She scoffed at me in amusement.

"Is that important right now? I know that my brother is a jerk. To be honest, I don't believe him. I have a feeling you're only a victim. But this is the only way I can help you," she said.

"What way?"

"Replace me in an arranged marriage to a Lycan," she said, and my eyes widened.

"That's not...no..."

She sighed.

"Look, you can cover your face before and after the ceremony. After that, you can escape and settle wherever you want to. In return, I'll provide you with enough money to last for a lifetime. I'll also make sure you escape this place flawlessly," she explained.

I stared at her, my mind reeling.

"What if something goes wrong?" I asked.

"Let's try not to think about that. You want to live, don't you? It's a big risk, but if it works well, you're going to be free for the rest of your life," Lily said.

"What about you?"

She winked at me, turning away from my cell.

"Isn't it obvious? I plan to run away. My father is going to be disappointed. But I don't care. Not anymore," she said.

"Why me?"

"You said you wanted to live. I'll give you some time to think."

I watched her walk away, my mouth going dry.

Was it really okay to grab such an opportunity?

While I thought about this, I fell asleep. My slumber was plagued by dreams of death.

...

The sound of a soothing, deep voice awakened me from my slumber. Sitting up, I listened for the footsteps heading towards my cell.

"You didn't have to bring me here," the voice continued.

"I wanted you to pick from them. There are six of them," I heard Alpha Declan say.

Puzzled, I leaned forward to take a peek at the visitor. My eyes widened when I saw him. The Lycan from that night.

Hurriedly, I retreated inside my cell, lowering my head to prevent him from recognizing me.

When both men halted in front of my cell, I went still.

"Who is she?" The Lycan asked, his deep voice tinged with curiosity. I lowered my head further, hiding my face behind the curtain of my hair.

"She's not worth your attention, your majesty," Alpha Declan responded with a chuckle.

'Your majesty?'

As in 'The Lycan King?'

What the hell is he doing here?

No, wait.

Does that mean I slept with the Lycan king?

I clenched my fists, curling in on myself.

"There's something about her...I can't exactly put my finger on it. Her scent is familiar as well," the Lycan continued, and my heart sank.

Wait, scent?

'I never had a scent. How then could he smell me?' I thought.

Surely, he doesn't remember me as the woman who spiked his drink and slept with him, right?

"She's a traitor of the pack. She's due for punishment in two days," Alpha Declan spoke, his voice laced with pure venom.

I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. I was yet to come to terms with the fact that I might die in two days.

"A traitor? That's interesting. What's her name?" the Lycan asked.

"Sienna West. Has she perhaps caught your interest? I can send her with you as your slave. You don't have to buy her."

I hated this situation. The last thing I wanted was for him to know more about me.

"Sienna West, do you want me to get you out of there?"

I froze when the Lycan spoke again.

Did he mean it?

Would he set me free if I asked?

I frowned, weighing my options. This man had nothing to gain by freeing me. So why would he?

"Won't you give me an answer?" He probed.

"What she wants isn't important. You can just take her. If you don't like that, you can buy her," Alpha Declan said, and nausea swept through me.

I'd been sold once before. I didn't want to go through that again.

"What do you say, Sienna? Do you want me to buy you?"

Angry tears filled my eyes, my frustration growing. A minute went by. Then, two.

"I'll take your silence to mean that you don't want my involvement. Good luck to you, Miss Sienna," He said, and walked away.

When they were both gone, regret set in. I could have just asked for the Lycan king's help. Even so, he was the Lycan king. He was the king of the people who had killed my father. Why would I ask him for his help?

A few hours later, hunger hit me. My stomach hurt, and I couldn't stop shaking.

At this point, I was afraid that I was going to die of hunger.

"Are you ready to make your decision now?" A familiar voice spoke, and I looked up to see Lily. She had a smile on her face as she twirled her hair around her finger.

I was going to die if I didn't do something. So, I made up my mind.

I could easily escape after the marriage. All I needed to do was cover my face until after the wedding.

With the thought of freedom, I grabbed the iron gate and gazed up at her.

"Yes. I accept your offer."

A smirk curled her lips as she leaned forward to stare at me.

"Good. First, let's change your name. You should choose a new name for yourself," she said.

I didn't ponder hard on it. I knew what I wanted. I've always wanted to be free. Free from the captivity my mother had sold me to. Free like a bird.

"Raven. My name is Raven."

"Alright, Raven. Do something about that mark on your neck, will you? You don't want your temporary husband to think that you're already mated, do you?" Lily drawled, and I went pale.

"By the way, if you try to escape without holding your end of the bargain, you will die," she stated, her eyes turning cold.