Sold To The Ruthless Alpha

Prologue

The night air cut through my skin as I stumbled through the forest, blood and sweat soaking my torn clothes. Each breath felt like a blade, each step a reminder of my broken body. Behind me, laughter echoed, cruel and mocking, mixing with the distant howls of wolves.

I had always been unwanted. From the moment I was born, I was a burden—a reminder of my mother’s failure to give my father a son. My existence had been a mistake. He had abandoned her, leaving her to wither while he took another mate who could give him what he truly desired—a child he could love.

But I killed that child.

Thirteen years old, and my wolf had manifested, burning through me with a feverish rage. I had gone to the lake, seeking relief from the fire inside, and she followed. I didn’t mean to shift. I didn’t mean to crack the ice. But I did, and the water swallowed her whole.

I tried to save her. I had tried. But no one cared about that. I became a killer, the cursed child. My father couldn’t even look at me, and Luna—my stepmother—made sure I paid for my mistake.

When she became pregnant again, I thought maybe, just maybe, I could disappear. If she had another child, another heir, I could fade into the background. But fate had other plans. The one time I let my wolf run free, Luna lost the baby. A son.

And that was the final straw. The pack turned on me completely, branding me a murderer. Tonight, they had decided to finish what they started.

My foot caught on a root, and I crashed to the ground, the sharp snap of bone sending pain through my body. I tried to stifle the scream, but it escaped anyway, a raw sound of agony. Desperate, I dragged myself behind a fallen tree, trying to stay silent, my ribs on fire.

The forest fell silent. Too silent.

A crushing weight slammed into my chest, knocking the air from my lungs. The scent of wolves filled the air, their eyes glowing with malice. I struggled, but the paw pressed harder, my vision blurring with pain.

“She reeks of fear,” one of them sneered.

I could feel my wolf stirring, desperate to break free, to tear them apart. But I fought her back, whispering, “No.”

Before I could stop her, a voice cut through the tension.

“She’s lucky the Alpha wants her alive.”

The paw lifted, and I gasped for air. Luna stood over me, her eyes cold with disdain. The men around her lowered their heads in submission, but the venom in her voice was unmistakable.

“You’re pathetic,” she spat, grabbing my chin roughly. “If it were up to me, I’d leave you here to rot.”

I met her gaze, swallowing the bile rising in my throat. She leaned in closer.

“But your father wants to see you,” she said, her tone dripping with mockery. “Today. Don’t make him wait.”

I didn’t need to hear anything more. My father was the Alpha.

Luna’s grip tightened on my chin, her nails digging into my skin as she hissed, “And if you ever pull a stunt like this again, I’ll make sure you suffer the way I did. You’ll feel the pain of losing everything.”

She shoved me away, and I fell to the ground like a ragdoll, her words echoing in my mind.

“Get up. Now.”

Every muscle screamed as I forced myself to stand, my body trembling with pain. My wolf snarled, her fury matching mine, but I shoved her down.

Not now.

I pulled together the tatters of my clothes and stumbled after Luna, each step agony. She didn’t look back, but her words stung.

“You’re a disgrace,” she hissed. “You’re alive because of him. Remember that.”

As I approached the packhouse, the weight of my father’s looming presence hung over me. My wolf raged inside me, but I had to pretend she wasn’t there. They had to believe I was wolfless.

Because if they knew, it would be over.

I had to survive.