Chapter 2

Isabella

I sighed and rested my cheek on my hand while looking out the bus window. My stepmother assigned me an errand to pick up a parcel from a remote area. Despite the fact that there was a post office in our town, her box somehow ended up in the next town over. 

After taking it up, I had already approached my house. I walked home from the bus station near my house. It wasn't my fault, so I hoped she wouldn't scold me for taking so long.

When I initially entered the house, I noticed it was decorated as if a ceremony was about to take place. I scowled, wondering how they had taken up everything so rapidly. 

As I approached my father's door, I overheard him talking to someone, so I opted to go up the stairs rather than ask him what we were celebrating. When I put my ear to the door, I heard my stepmother's voice. 

"Why would you consent to such behavior?" She spoke in a harsh tone. "Never, I would not allow you to entrust my daughter to a man like that. Have the rumors not reached you? He is a heartless man, and you don't have to listen to the rumors to know this,”

"I'm aware of it, Victoria, but I can't change it. You are aware of the amount I owe him, which I will never be able to repay,” My dad stated.

"He was really kind to offer this as an alternative, and I don't think we should let this opportunity pass by." I had no doubt he was now holding her hands in an attempt to appease her rage. 

I had no idea my father's debt troubles had gotten that terrible. He never discussed anything with me and, when I asked, he told me that everything was fine.

“No, Robert. Never, and that is final. You're going to have to kill me first before I'll let you sell my daughter in exchange for your debt." She spoke as if she weren't one of the reasons for his debt, the selfish woman. 

"We need to! We're not sure what he'll do to us all if we deny even this. It's not like you're prepared to present an alternative, because if you do, I'm more than willing to accept it," my father mocked. 

"I do have one," she responded, her voice lowering. 

"What is it?" My father inquired, his voice matching hers. 

"The Alpha hasn't seen our daughter before, correct? How about we give him Isabella instead?" my stepmother suggested, and I inhaled sharply.

"What do you mean?" My father asked her. 

"We trade Isabella for my daughter. Isabella gets married instead. The Alpha inquired blindly, as he had never met either of them. It's like killing two birds with one stone. We can clear your debt, and I can get the foolish girl out of my hair once and for all," she said and I could hear a smile in her voice.

"But what if.." 

"Don't worry; she'll be alright. She's a powerful, older girl. It is her responsibility to do whatever she can to safeguard her younger sister." 

My father remained silent after she said that. I knew he'd agree with her because he'd do everything to please her.

My stepmother disliked me and never tried to disguise it. Since she married my father, she had made it a point to make my life as miserable as possible, regardless of the circumstances. 

Both she and my step sister were a continual thorn in my side, and it appeared that they had finally discovered a method to get rid of me. 

I dumped the parcel on the ground, not bothering to offer it to her, and dashed downstairs to my room; all I could think about was how I could get out before I was caught.

I was so enraged that I nearly knocked over several items. I couldn't believe she would say something like that, and what surprised me the most was that my father said nothing about it. I packed a little bag and took out my piggy bank, which had all of my saved money. 

I simply pushed it into my backpack and zipped it shut. I flung it over my shoulder and proceeded towards my door. I cracked it open to see if there was anyone in the corridor, and when there wasn't, I slowly made my way out of my room and eventually out of the house.

Once out of the house, I began sprinting, trying to reach the bus stop, but I wasn't entirely focused on where I was going since I kept looking back to see if anyone had seen me and was following me. 

I started to cross the street, but I wasn't focused because I thought I heard someone shout my name, and while I was looking back, I didn't know I had stopped in the middle of the road.

The only thing I heard was a loud horn, and when I looked around, a car was driving directly at me at full speed. I was so shocked that I couldn't move, so I just remained there, paralyzed, waiting for whatever would come. 

People around me were already yelling for me to get out of the way, but I was frozen rigid. 

Surprisingly, the automobile squealed and stopped just a few inches in front of me. I collapsed to the ground as my body shook and I breathed heavily. 

I couldn't believe that I was about to die. The occupants inside the car had come out to see if I was alright.

They were asking me questions, but I couldn't answer since I was still in shock. 

"What is going on here?" A deep, threatening voice questioned, and everyone backed away. 

I looked up to see who'd spoken, and it was none other than the Alpha King. I gasped softly and looked away without saying anything. I must have had extremely awful luck to meet him in that manner. 

"I asked a question, and I demanded answers," he repeated. 

The man driving the car that nearly hit me began to explain. 

Because of the noise, a large crowd had formed around us by this point. The screech from the car as it came to a stop was almost deafening, so it's no surprise they were all outdoors. 

"You, why were you standing in the middle of the street?" He asked, looking behind me at the bag I was carrying. "You seem to be hurrying off to somewhere," 

"Isabella!" I heard my name and turned around to see my father and stepmother running towards us. 

My heart fell to my stomach. Everything went wrong. That was not how I intended for my escape to proceed. 

I was meant to make a clean exit, but it appeared that wouldn't be possible.