One

The ice-cold water splashed against my knuckles as I scraped the fabric against the washbasin. I watched in satisfaction as the soil of the day washes clean in the river, making me wish I could do the same and wash the filth of my life away. Since the day I was born, of unknown origin, I was taken into a house of horror and abuse with the Emery family.

Magnus Emery, Alpha of the Rafina Pack, is the worst of them all. I was found outside the Alpha house as a newborn, with no note or explanation as to where I had come from. I was given the name Sevika, which I learned later in life was a name that meant ‘slave’. Pretty fitting.

I cooked and cleaned like a slave, even some of the servants were treated better than me. They had their own quarters available, while I was awarded the shed out back. There were rare times I slept in a comfy bed, but I never got any sleep.

Those were the nights that Magnus took me to bed and used me in any way he saw fit. He defiled and traumatized me beyond any man could ever, taking away experiences I wanted to save for only the loveliest in my life, but I was a fool to ever think I would meet a person like that.

Because it is on this day that I learned the last sacrifice I would make for this family.

“Sevika, enough with the laundry! Alpha wants to see you, now,” a voice called from behind. I turned to see Faye Thurlow, the supposed future Luna of the Rafina pack, with rumours circulating that she was discussing marriage to Magnus.

Despite this, it hadn’t stopped him from calling me to his room time and time again.

“I’ll be right there, I’m almost done,” I called back.

Faye stomped over and swatted me in the back of the head.

“Did you not hear me? I said now. Don’t make him wait.”

Why me? I dropped the clothes back in the basket and left them there. If he wanted to see me that badly he could send someone else to finish my job, I assumed.

I followed Faye back to the Alpha House where it looked like every one of the family members had gathered in the living room. A disturbed feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

“There she is, finally,” I heard Alaira Emery call out. She was pouting on the couch next to her father.

“Welcome, Sevika, have a seat,” he said.

There weren’t any seats available, but Magnus quickly tapped his lap with a grin. I wanted to scoff at him for his actions with his future wife standing right behind me, but nobody objected which forced me to follow order to avoid causing a scene. As Alpha, Magnus could’ve easily commanded me to do whatever he wanted, but he liked it better when I submitted myself.

I sat down on his lap and ignored the glare that Faye gave me.

“We called you here because we have something we wanted to offer you, and as a member of our family, we have taken care of you as well as we can,” Sir Emery started speaking. “We recently received a marriage proposal for Alaira here, but as you may know, we have already made plans for her marriage.”

I hadn’t heard anything about her marriage or who she was betrothed to. It was obvious that they wanted to avoid sending their daughter off to an unknown place and wanted to use me as a backup.

But this was also my chance to get the hell out of here. Is there anywhere else worse than here? If so, maybe I would finally be put out of my misery and have this horrid life end.

“What is it you want me to do?” I asked.

“I want you to take my place.” Alaira snickered, enjoying every moment of this.

“You want me to marry instead of you? Is that allowed?”

“The proposal is only for the daughter of the Emery family, I guess they failed to realize we now have two daughters and didn’t specify which one,” Sir Emery said.

I held my tongue in reminding them that he mentioned mere minutes ago that the proposal had come for Alaira. Regardless of what I said, it seemed they had made up their mind.

“May I ask who it is that I am marrying?” I asked.

Magnus tightened his grip on my waist. “Don’t worry about that, sweetheart. You’ll find out tomorrow when we send you off.”

Despite his words, I felt I needed to be very concerned.

It is Lady Emery who spoke up for me. “She at least deserves to know where she is going, this is a rather large sacrifice she is making, and she won’t be returning. Her service over the years here has been spectacular, it’s best to prepare her.”

Sir Emery waves her off. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.” He turned to me with a sombre look. “The marriage proposal has come from the Alpha King, Caspian Eros.”

The Alpha King? The rumoured tyrant king who has slaughtered every wife before and torments any of those who defy him?

It is clear now what their motive was; I was being sent off to die in place of Alaira.