Chapter two - BETRAYAL BETROTHED

VALERIE

I slept on the floor, I had been so dizzy from the events of the previous day I didn't even know when I had slept off. When I wake up, it was to the loud banging of someone against an unseen door.

The bangs came again, louder than the first time. Before the door is barged open. I saw the tall shadow looming at the door post. Eyes spotted with a red gleam.

"Rise and shine princess..."

This always happened, Jack barging into my room without my consent.

"You have to eat... Else he won't want to take am emaciated wolf even as a slave."

So it wasn't a dream. Everything. Everything that had happened yesterday was real.

Jack placed the tray in front of me, cooked meat and few vegetables. This was the first time I was eating this much amount of food.

I feel his palm of my head before he slowly strokes down the length of my hair.

"You should be glad! You ungrateful bat!"

He spat in front of me.

I ignored him, I had learnt that saying nothing back to them was better than arguing with. I was always on the losing side even if what I was saying was right I was the abomination child, I could never win against the strong males of house Mo'monte.

"You are going to be the mate for the lord Emeral... You should be proud. Being betrothed to a—"

"Forefully!" I correct him. The blood had rejuvenated the mere strength I needed to speak.

"Sold!!!" I screamed so loud my shriek rattled the ceiling above.

I was sure my father could hear my screams from where he sat in the parlour below.

How could a father sell out his own daughter? For a position of power?!

A familiar face flashed in my mind. Deron. He had actually spoke to me. His words, though rash, were not to scorn me like the others did, but they almost sounded protective. Like he didn't want me to suffer in that place.

"What are you thinking about?!" Jack said harshly.

I quickly tried not to think about Deron It was rumored that members of the upper echelon could read and manipulate someone's mind and thoughts.

"You only want this because once I'm a slave to Lyxia, you can take that as an opportunity to get your way with her!"

I could see the anger light in his light pupils. He knew I was right.

He raised his hand. I clenched my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut and preping for the hard slap that would definitely come. But I feel his hand of my head. Gently he stroked my hair again before bending low and whispering to my ears.

"You get it wrong sister, I won't hurt you, I can't! Not anymore. You are to be a slave for a powerful lord!"

My blood boiled in my veins, how could he call me a slave? How could one detest their blood like as if I had wronged him in any way!

"At the gathering... Why did you do that...?"

I saw the hesitation in his eyes, he was taken aback by my question.

"Because you're a disgrace—"

"It was Lyxia wasn't it... She told you to do that to me and you actually obeyed her. Why? Why did you do that... Did you even think about what it would do to me?"

A few tears drop from my eyes, landing on the floor boards.

For the first time Jack was silent. I did not look at his face for fear that his ego would take over and cloud his judgement.

'Tch!' He scoffed.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Father?" Jack called, but the last thing I wanted was to see the person that had condemned me to be a slave.

"No nimrod!"

That voice. I would recognize it anywhere.

"Deron?!" We chorused, Jacks tone astonished and somewhat irritated while mine was was a low whisper.

When the door opened indeed it was the handsome man. He walked over to Jack, sparing me a glance before he and Jack stepped out.

My heartbeat rose and fell dramatically, could he have come to laugh and scorn me like Lyxia had done? She had her ropes in him and Jack after all. Or was he here to say his genuine goodbyes.

When the door opened again only Deron comes in. He locked the door behind himself and I hugged my knees to my chest and tried to look brave. Maybe if I looked like I was handling all by myself he wouldn't have any excuse to laugh at me.

He sat on my bed, right beside me. "How are you?" His voice was bored, totally rid of any actual emotion or care.

"I'm alright." I lied.

He must have seen the bruises on my neck. Jack had transferred his agression from father to me with a hard slap to the base of my neck yesterday.

I raised the collar of my night gown to cover it up.

"Sorry about yesterday... I had no idea—"

"Even if you did have an idea, it's not like you would have done anything to stop it!" I raised my voice but quickly calmed down.

He looked at his muscular hands. His fingers linked with each other as he thought about something.

"You may not believe me but I never wanted anything like that to happen to you Val..." He drfited off, and I ignored the pet name he had given me.

Ten second silent passed. No one said anything.

"I heard—your brother told me, that you have been betrothed to the great Alpha Emeral."

He managed a half smile but his words only insighted a burning anger in me. He was elevating the situation, praising my slave trade as if it was something to be glorified.

I was not being betrothed, I was being sold! Sold like a piece of scrap!

"Don't! I'm being sold into a slave and you know it! I'm sure Lyxia has already spread the word that she's getting a new slave!"

"I'm, I'm sorry I didn't mean to—"

"Save it!" I cut him off. This wasn't going as planned.

I was already dealing with my worst life now I had to deal with being a slave and also the scorn that I would definitely be given.

My eyes become glassy but I wasn't going to allow Deron see that. I wasn't going to allow him see me weaker than I already was.

I heard two loud bangs on the door and I jumped.

Deron looked rather unfazed.

"Valerie?!" My father's voice boomed from behind the door, frightening me from head to toe. "That should be my cue." Deron said as he stood up.

My father's voice scared me like a cat.I clenched my jaw as I thought of what horrors might await me.

My life was not going to get any better.

When the door barged open I see my father's silhouette. His eyes dotted with a red gleam. Deron lolled against the wall looking rather sad.

I held my legs to my chest, looking down at my feet and thinking about what Deron had just told me.

Deron left without another word though I could feel his intense gaze on my head.

"That is the last visitor you would be getting young one!" He barked, as if Deron had posed any threat. Deron had been at our manor several times, mostly to discuss political matters with Jack, but not once had he considered to see me.

He always had an inscrutable expression on his face, one that suggested he never really paid an interest in almost anything around him. Then why me? Why now? Could he have been in love with me all this time but never said anything because of the bad name that had been labelled on me?

Thinking about a thing like this at time was trivial! I was about to be betrothed as a slave for crying out loud.

"Jack would get you prepared for your new home! Tomorrow you leave this house and you would no longer belong to the house of Mo'monte!" My father barked again and I squeezed my eyes shut. Little did he know but his words cut my heart like a dagger.

**********

I looked at the man in front of me. So this is the lord Emeral? The man had a long white beard and tan skin. He stood at same height with my father and didn't seem to notice my presence.

I had seen him once when he consulted my father about the threats made by the Alpha Lukkar that ruled the Lycan City, or the golden Alpha as the people called him. The Alpha Lukkar was said to shift to a wolf of a gold coat that shun with the moonlight. Though I had never seen him, his kingdom was always at odds with mine which means that he always has problems with the Alpha Emeral.

I sat at the corner of the parlour—as always—the Alpha lord Emeral spoke in a loud voice. My father has just requested five thousand gold coins for my trade.

"Five thousand?!" The Alpha Emeral shouted almost angrily.

Beside him sat his daughter Lyxia. She eyed me from time to time and I imagined what living in the same mansion as her would be like. Simply hell, worst than my father and brother. I was going to be their slave, their instrument for torture. My life would not get any worst.

"Five thousand? Just for a slave?" Lyxia concurred, making sure that she made the 'slave' aspect of me very clear.

Jack sat beside my father, he did not include in the bargain but glanced at me from time to time.

"With a due respect, Alpha, she is to be betrothed—"

"She is a to be my slave, a slave betrothal!" The Alpha barked, slamming his large fist on the thick table.

It was then that I broke, I couldn't do this... Not anymore. I'd kill myself rather than to be a slave to Lyxia. There would be more peace in my death than living that kind of life.

Aftet a few more back and forths the large Alpha stood up and almost flipped the table before he took tow large steps to me.

I felt his gaze on my face but I kept my eyes to his.

Slowly a cou smile drew on his face.

"Not bad, a definite beauty and a fit woman to bear me children."

I felt disgusted at his lust. The way he had claimed me and to bear children for him. The Alpha may have been powerful but he was an evil man, one I would never want to live with. But I had no choice, and the thought made me cry silent tears.

"From now on you shall address me as master you understand?!" The Alpha Emeral's voice was twice as terrifying as his face.

I nodded stiffly, avoiding the lust and greed in his eyes.

"Then it is settled! We leave now, the matter must not be dragged any further!"

The Alpha had a strong grip on my wrist as he pulled me behind me. Gave one last look at the sad look on my mother's face as she wept on the ground. But I would not allow them to get away with this!

I remembered what Deron had told me and suddenly I felt uneasy in my stomach. The love I had planned all my life for Deron was only a fairy tale now.

But this was not the end. My father may have succeeded in selling my off but I would stay strong if not for myself then for my mother.

This was not the end.