Chapter 1: Nina’s fate

Present: 2023

Nina was lost in sleep and her dream world, when she felt someone hit her at the back of her head. She jerked up awake because of the pain and muttered an “ouch”.

“Wake up you lazy brat, who do you think you are to do as you please? A queen?” The familiar sharp voice of Ms. Clara prevented Nina from rejoining her dream world.

Nina groaned frustratedly as she got up from the bed, glaring daggers at Ms. Clara.

“You have two minutes to get dressed and join the girls outside to start the day's work” she thundered.

“Yes, Ms Clara” Nina responded flatly.

“You better don't let me come back here to check on you…” Ms. Clara warned.

“Yes, Ms. Clara”

After Ms. Clara scoffed and walked out of the room, Nina sighed and sat down tiredly on the bed. She looked around the small dimly lit room that was full of bunk beds.

‘Those wretched girls, they couldn't even wake me up’ she thought, flaring with anger. She had slept very late the previous day because she had extra chores to do and could still feel her bones protesting for her to go back to sleep. But alas she couldn't, not when the maid supervisor was a few minutes away from chopping her head on the block.

Her eyes suddenly widened when she remembered something, she got up and retrieved a small calendar from under the bed. She took out a pen and marked a date.

“Just a day left until my eighteenth birthday, after today I'll finally be free,” Nina said to herself with a relieved smile. She was turning eighteen tomorrow and her Alpha king Uncle had promised to give her her freedom. She would be free from working as a maid and would be allowed to find her mate. It was all she ever wanted, to be with her mate and be free.

“NINA!!!” The scary voice of Ms. Clara from outside cut short her happiness and she cussed in realization that she still wasn't ready.

“Coming Ms Clara” Nina responded back and immediately hid the calendar and began to dress up in the maid uniform. After getting dressed, she immediately ran out of the maid's quarters to join the girls who had already begun cleaning. Some girls laughed at her while others just ignored her existence, no one wanted to associate with her which she had gotten used to. This has been her life since the pack relocated.

Hours later, Nina was cleaning the Alpha's office when Alpha King Uthar walked in. She curtsied and greeted, “Alpha King Uncle Uthar”

Uthar nodded in acknowledgement and took his seat, ignoring her presence as he worked. Nina cleaned nervously and sneaked glances at him at intervals, she wanted to say something but didn't know where to start. Since her parents died twelve years ago, Uthar has been her only family left but apart from that, nothing connected them. He demoted her to a maid because she was an Omega without parents and promised her freedom when she turned eighteen. They only shared blood ties but Uthar regarded her as a mere maid.

“Erm… Alpha king Uncle, you might not remember but I'm actually turning eighteen tomorrow” Nina said with a nervous chuckle, finally gaining enough courage to speak.

“And so what?” Uthar asked, not even sparing her a glance.

Nina stopped cleaning and came forward to stand in front of him, head still bowed. She said, “Y…you pro…promised to give me back my freedom when I turn eighteen. I wanted to…”

Alpha king Uthar burst into laughter, cutting her off. Nina wasn't happy about it but she stayed still waiting for him to finish. He was the alpha and she was just an ordinary maid, talking without permission was a death sentence.

“Freedom? You must be quite delusional” Uthar said in between laughs, “Get ready, Alpha King Rogan will be coming to get you tomorrow” he added.

“What?!” Nina couldn't control herself from exclaiming. She raised her head to look at her uncle with confusion clear on her face.

“Twelve years ago, Alpha King Rogan helped our pack during the dreadful war with rogues on the condition that you would be given to him as a breeder” Uthar explained without any remorse or regret. If not for Rogan, the pack would have gone into extinction. After relocating to Rogan's territory, the rogues never came back to attack as if they were scared of Rogan's pack. To Uthar, gifting out his niece to Rogan was worth it.

Nina's legs wobbled weakly and gave way, she had been dreaming of her freedom for as long as she could remember and now when it was almost in her grasp, she was given in exchange for the pack's survival. Tears welled in her eyes from her painfully constricting heart, at that moment she missed her parents even more. If they didn't die so early, she wouldn't be suffering so much.

“Don't stain my office with your tears, you should be lucky that Alpha King Rogan took interest in you. You are useless, do you think any man would want to accept you as his mate? Stop dreaming kid and prepare to be taken tomorrow”

“Send Ms. Clara over, you are relieved of your duties, and she will ensure that you are presentable to meet Alpha King Rogan tomorrow. You may leave” Uther waved her off to leave his office.

Nina picked herself up despite her broken heart and bowed to Alpha King Uthar. She knew she couldn't object to him, her life was at his mercy. And very soon, it was going to be at Alpha King Rogan's mercy. She heard he was the most ruthless alpha in the region, him laying claim on a six-year-old girl just to be his breeder was enough proof. Everyone knew that he didn't care about love, he only wanted an obedient girl to become his baby-making machine.

And unluckily, Nina was the girl he picked.