Bought by Her Mate

Ella's POV

I struggled, desperate to get away but the familiar scent of sandalwood filled my nostrils and my body stopped fighting at once. I raised my head to see who it was and my body froze.

Fear suddenly grasped at my soul as I realized that I had run back into the same hands I should have been running from. I didn't know how he found my house. Did he follow me?

I looked up to his handsome face and my silent wolf purred in my head. In the seconds that followed, I became lost in his stormy eyes. The world came to a stop and it was just the two of us. He looked gentle, harmless even.

But the bubble my mind had built got shattered as Anna yanked me roughly away from him and then she replaced me by his side.

"What are you doing here, handsome?" Her voice had taken on a pitch that was so irritating I couldn't help but growl at her.

"Are you here to see me?" She cooed, shamelessly leaning into him.

Ryker pushed her away and she stumbled close to me in shock.

"I am not here for you. I am here for her," he said pointing at me.

My cheeks heated up at once as everyone standing behind him fixed their eyes on me in that instance.

"Who are you?" My stepmother's hateful voice filled the area, causing everyone to turn to her. "Did her buyer send you to pick her up? Where is the money?" She hissed, her eyes burning with greed.

A tall man immediately stepped from behind the strange man before us and glared at her. "Next time you speak with that tone on Alpha Ryker, I will make sure you don't have a tongue anymore!"

My heart froze. My eyes blinked a couple of times as I tried to wake up from the nightmare I was living.

I had heard of Ryker, his pack was allied with ours. Many people were afraid of him because he was very powerful, very ruthless but he also killed like hell and was said to hate women.

And I slept with him.

My stepmother quickly positioned herself between me and Ryker. As if water had been sprayed on her little flame, she mellowed down at once.

"Oh, please forgive my manners, my lord. Do come in. Please, sit down," she offered beckoning to Ryker and his men.

The tall man came to my side and helped me to my feet then he waited for me to step in before he stood by the door.

"Has this good-for-nothing girl offended you in any way my lord? Please do not hesitate to tell me and I will give her the punishment she deserves!" Helen urged as they all settled into chairs in the living room.

Before he could answer, she turned her burning gaze to me. "Ella, go apologize immediately!"

I knew that disobeying her would only get me more punishment, so, I slowly moved closer to Alpha Ryker, praying to the goddess that he wouldn't recognize me.

He looked up at me and those stormy eyes of his made my heart flutter.

"Why did you leave?" He growled and my hope shattered.

"So you were with him! You slept with him!" Anna moved toward me screaming at the top of her voice but before she could come any closer, the tall man stopped her.

A deafening silence filled the room as the tension between all parties increased until Ryker's voice broke it.

"Ella belongs to me. She is my mate and soon she will become my Luna. I am here to take her," he said and my heart skipped a beat.

"I am sorry my lord but she has already been sold to another—" Anna cried out but he caught her off before she could finish.

"How much was the price?"

My stepmother's eyes widened and she said, "A hundred thousand pieces of gold."

I felt Ryker's strong hands on me as he got to his feet once again. "Moses, give them five thousand pieces of gold."

The tall man gave them a big bag full of money and my stepmother could not contain her excitement.

"Please my lord you can take her away now," my stepmother added and I felt horror flood into me.

In a blink of an eye, I slipped away from Ryker's hold and I fell on my knees before her.

"Please, I will do anything! I will work harder! I will try my best to earn even more money than that. I will do whatever you want... But please don't sell me away like this!" I begged, clutching my hands in front of me.

"Oh, don't be pathetic Bella, this," she said pointing at the bag of money, "is more than enough money for all the trouble you have put me through." Then she turned to Ryker, "Please good sir, take her away."

My hands trembled as I realized she wasn't going to listen to me. I desperately turned to Ryker. He couldn't have meant what he said.

"Please, you have a lover already. You don't need me. I know about Willow! Please just let me go!" I cried, hoping he would remember what he said to me.

How could I be with a man who already loved someone else? I would rather spend the rest of my days working like a slave for my stepmother —Helen.

Ryker looked surprised to hear me mention her name but the look vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.

"Moses, bring her to the car," he said to the tall man.

I tried to fight and push him away but it was useless.

"Stepmother please!" I begged, turning back to look at her but the excitement she had on her bag of money couldn't be swayed by my cries.

In the end, Moses placed me into the luxury car, where Ryker was already sitting with a smug look on his face.

"Here," he said, handing me a file.

With shaky fingers, I took the contract and looked into it. My eyes scanned what it was and a frown settled on my face.

"A marriage contract..." I raised my eyes at once to meet his. "What is this?"