Chapter 1

Layla's POV

I was standing in the middle of the bustling and charming downtown of Atlanta, staring at the Wolfclaw pack that was featured with ancient stones walls, with carvings that glistened in the moonlight. 

It was as though each carving transmitted a message, or perhaps, told the stories of the heroes of the past, fallen for the arrival of the pack. 

Apparently, my aunt had just sold me out to the Alpha King of the pack as a slave. In her words, she could no longer tolerate my excesses anymore, and so was forced to get a bit of profit from me, thus, selling me off.

I stood with uncertain eyes and with a throbbing heart in front of the great doors of the Alpha King's palace. My train of thoughts were disrupted when the huge doors creaked open, and I found myself in a large hall decorated with luxurious decorations.

"You wait right here. Don't step an inch further. The king will see you soon." The guard who ushered me said to me with a deep tone before he left me.

I had my eyes scouting the entire room, dazzled by the aesthetics and beauty of the room, something I had never seen before. Yet, as I stared at the wonder of the house, I could hear the whispers of disdain from the side, words spoken intentionally to my hearing.

"The new slave is finally here. I wonder where she came from. Ew! She looks so unkept..." I turned my eyes to where my ears picked up the words, staring at the other two slaves afar off who spoke with their eyes fixated on her with disgust.

"You could say that again. Would you blame her? I heard she killed her parents, and that her aunt sold her. What a pathetic one..." The other uttered from the side.

How these ones had gotten to know about that was a wonder to my soul, but I wouldn't deny that it hurt me so bad to be the centre of the conversation between slaves.

While I stood with my face lowered to the ground in shame, I could hear footsteps approaching me, and feel the presence of another imposing figure before me. The light had vanished, and there was this pleasant smell that filled my nostrils and caused me to look upwards, to the imposing sight of the Alpha king himself.

"Hmm! Quite fascinating." He started off as he looked down at me before he continued. "You must be the new slave" he said in a low voice, his hands folded and fingers caressing the beard on his face. 

My eyes rheum in fear, accompanied by a heavy swallow as I responded, "Yes, sir"

The lips of the king curled in a malicious smile. "I'm certain you know who I am. What is your name?" He asked me with his hands folded and his eyes looking down on me.

"I'm Layla Caldwell" I responded as I curtsied, lowering my head to the ground. 

I could still feel his eyes on me, and at that moment, I knew it attracted the attention of the others in the room. I could still hear the whispers from the side, the side talks that filled the air as they watched the Alpha king converse with me.

"You will see that life here can be... quite challenging and a bit difficult" Alpha Alex said emphatically. 

"But you must adapt quickly if you want to survive. It's more of a dog eat dog world right here. The weak can never handle it. This is not a playground for kids, Layla. Am I understood?" He asked.

"Yes, Alpha Alex" I answered. I wondered if he heard as he had already turned around, and walked away, leaving me amongst the curious onlookers.

My heart throbbed against my chest as I heard those words, watching as he walked majestically with his footsteps echoing in the room as he departed the room.

"Come with me to your cabin if you choose to stay alive." One of the Omegas in the Lycan Kingdom commanded from the side into my ears, causing me to shriek in fear. Apparently, I was so lost in my train of thoughts that his deep tone had caused me to quiver into the real world.

He took me to a secluded cabin near the palace. My heart dropped as I realized the depth of the unpleasant situation. I was literally a stranger in this kingdom, an object of ridicule by even those who were supposed to be my mates. I was like the lowest of slaves.

Two days had passed since I began working as a slave here. The workload piled on me was just too numerous for my fragile skin. I struggled with the jobs assigned to me and even those the other slaves pushed to me in their pride.

"They can't stand me, they hate me. Even the other slaves despise me. They call me weak each time." I said to myself with tears drops rolling down my face, but wiping them off immediately while I scrubbed against the ground tenaciously. I didn't need anyone to see my tears, if not, that would attract more side talks.

"Did you see that? Layla is struggling to fulfill the tasks again today? She is useless. She shouldn't be here. Oh, and she's even crying." One of the slaves spat the words with a tune that made me feel too terrible for a person. 

They had seen my tears, the very thing I didn't want them to witness.

"Yes, and she is just an outcast. If she complains, she's in trouble. Who will believe her?" Another answered with a slight cackle that tormented my thoughts.

I looked upwards, and I saw as their eyes were fixated on me, their lips curved in repugnance. I was certain that I was the centre of the conversation, and I thought of reporting it to the Alpha King. 

"Reporting them won't change anything, they'll never trust a stranger like me." I said to myself on a second thought.

The loud voice of the palace guard disrupted my train of thoughts, for the second time, returning me to the real world as I heard the words, "The king wants you to see you in his throne room! Immediately!" He barked the words

"Me?" I questioned with my fingers pointed to myself in disbelief. What could I have done that would have attracted the Alpha's attention?

While I still remained puzzled with the entire scenario, I watched as the guard walked towards me fiercely and wrapped his hands around mine, dragging me out of the room to the alpha's throne room.

Once he reached the alpha's room, he threw me on the ground, making me crawl my way to stability before I greeted the alpha 

"Your Majesty, may you reign forever. You asked for me." My voice trembled as I was dropped on the ground. I picked myself up from the ground and curtsied, lowering my head to the ground. 

"Layla, I noticed that you are lazy in fulfilling your duties. Is that so?" Alpha Alex said to me in a calm and not-so-rude voice, sipping from his glass before he dropped it.

"No, Alpha" i argued with my face lifted up immediately, my heart throbbing hard before I lowered my head and continued with my words, "I'm getting used to the palace now."

"Very well then! How would you like another job?" Alpha Alex asked me. 

"Another job?" I whispered.

His words had caused a tingle in my ears, and a thought rising in my heart, hoping for something else which would relieve me of the constant ridicule thrown at me. 

"Anything to please you, Alpha Alex. I am at your service" I said with my head still lowered to the ground. 

"I need you to do a very sensitive job for me. But it will not be here in the Wolfclaw Pack. It'll be in the Moonstone pack!" He said to me.

"Moonstone pack?" I questioned again with a quizzical look on my face, lifting up my face to stare at the alpha. 

"I need you to lay low there, and give me all the information concerning the Alpha of that pack. In simple words, I want you to be my spy in the Moonstone pack!" He said to her again 

"Spy?" I questioned with a whisper to herself, my eyes rattling in the sockets as I tried to decipher what could have made him choose me over the others. 

"Trust me! Your reward will be beyond what your mind can fathom. You will be rewarded handsomely. You'll get a new status, and you wouldn't have to scrub the floors again, for the rest of your life. I will give you a new life, a new start!" He said to me. 

"What do you say?" He aske

d me with his legs placed over the other, staring at me with that eerie smile on his face.