CHAPTER ONE

Freedom: You Are Safe!

All chaos was alive within the Dark Market. The noise was nothing but a constant; the voices shouted, bargained, and called out prices. The people crowded every corner, jostling for space. The stalls lined the market, selling everything from different corners with knives and weapons, while others with animals caged, crying, and scratching at their bars. But the darkest part of the market lay right at its center, where people were sold as slaves, in chains, and on display.

Before a stand caked with filth, a young woman sat with her hands tightly bound in coarse ropes; the wrists were red and raw. Long hair fell uncombed about her face, shading her eyes as she stared at the ground. She was about twenty, but days of hunger had made her thin, far too thin. Her clothes were loose on her body, hanging in torn and stained tatters, but beneath the grime and exhaustion, her beauty was undeniable: eyes fierce, even bowed, as if holding on to her last shred of dignity.

Her name was Emerald, and she'd been here for days now while waiting for that moment she knew would arise. She had watched others take away her friends and packmates, all of which were sold to fates unknown. She watched what happened to those who resisted: the cruel hands that shoved them back in line, and the laughter thereafter; she saw their tears, their empty stares. And not one came back.

But Emerald's spirit hadn't been broken yet. She refused to be dragged onto that display platform like some sort of animal. The sellers tried to force her, but she had fought back, kicking and twisting, earning herself more bruises and a slap or two across the face. Still, she had held on to what little strength she had left. Sharp, constant pain clutched at her wrists to remind her of what her situation held, but she wouldn't show them her fear.

What Emerald didn't know was that someone was staring at her.

On the crowd's edge sat a tall figure on horseback, an unwavering gaze fastened to her. Something catches in Alpha Joel Kain's chest as he gazes at this girl standing before him, reminding him so much of someone he once loved, now gone. His mind whispers a name: Lena. Her face appears before his eyes-the smile that would soften his heart, the voice still haunting him to this day.

But Joel heaved the thought away and clung to reality. This wasn't Lena. She was dead, and she was never coming back. And yet the resemblance. The resemblance was undeniable. He watched the girl squirm in her ropes, stubbornness in even the weakest of movements catching his curiosity. And something else.

Joel swung off his horse, and in the movement, there was such fluidity, such certainty that commandeered attention. His dark form parted the crowd; people fell back before him; eyes wide they stared at the Alpha. The seller who had been eyeing up Emerald with impatience looked up, saw Joel, and his whole manner changed. His face split into a wide greasy smile, and he hurried forward, bowing low.

Alpha Joel! It is an honor to be graced with your presence," the trader fawned, his voice heavy with false respect. "Looking for something or someone?

Joel tried to tune out the man's efforts at flattery, still focused on Emerald. She had her head down, but he could see the tension in her jaw, the clenching of the hands in her lap, even through the pain. Something about the defiance there, sparking in her manner, had reached him.

"That one," he said only, nodding toward Emerald. His voice was low, steady, without any doubt, and brooked no argument. "Name your price."

The trader blinked, quite caught off guard by the straightforwardness. He stuttered, fumbling for the highest price at which he could get away with it. "Ah, yes, of course! She's… well, she's special, you see. Quite rare, hard to come by a beauty like this. The price is… is rather high, you understand…"

Joel's eyes are slitted, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. Saying nothing more, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a heavy pouch of coins. He flipped it to the seller, the clink of metal against metal as it fell into the man's hands. The man's eyes lit greedily, his fingers curling around the pouch as he weighed it in his hand.

“Can I take her now?” He asked coldly.

"Yes, yes! She is yours, Alpha Joel," he almost stammered as he fumbled over his feet to set Emerald loose from the ropes that hitched both her wrists. She flinched at the release, rubbing her sore wrists, her gaze still down, not daring to look up.

A shiver ran down her spine as the weight of what had just happened hit her. She'd been bought,  just like that. But when she risked a glance upward, her breath caught. The man in front of her was… breathtaking.

Imposing over her with height and strength, he was a presence akin to a natural phenomenon. His black hair was tousled, framing a face that was both rough and hauntingly handsome. Piercing eyes as dark as midnight were full of a quiet, intense power. There was an intimidating yet captivating sharp jawline and hard expression.

The emerald's heart was racing as she looked at him, her fear mixing with something else: a strange relief. After so many days in this dark place, to be bought by someone who looked like him felt almost like a stroke of luck. But she pushed the thought aside. She couldn't afford to hope.

Joel stepped forward, the space between them closing down, his gaze softening just a fraction as he took in her appearance. She looked exhausted and worn down, yet there was a fire in her eyes that intrigued him.

He reached out, his gloved hand brushing gently over her cheek. The touch was warm, jarringly at odds with his icy expression. "You're safe now," he said in a calm, commanding tone. "Come with me."

Emerald's heart thundered as she looked up into his eyes. There was no hint of cruelty in them, only a bright, almost haunted calm. She swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. "I. I'll go with you."

Joel nodded a trifle, then held out his hand. After a moment of hesitation, she glanced down at his proffered hand. But taking a breath, she laid her hand in his sureness in his grasp, the warmth and solidity of his hand, lending for the first time in days, a sense of safety.

The seller beamed, happy with his fat payment, and called after them, "Pleasure doing business with you, Alpha Joel! Feel free to come by anytime!"

Joel paid him no mind, guiding Emerald through the crowd as his hand fell with a firm gentleness upon her shoulder. Those around them gave way, their faces filled with curiosity bordering on suspicion as they eyed this girl who had suddenly been chosen by the Alpha. And Emerald knew the weight of their regard upon her, yet she refused to back down, to show even a trace of fear. She didn't know what lay ahead, but it had to be better than what awaited her here.

As they neared Joel's horse, Emerald couldn't help but shoot his glimpses. His eyes stared ahead, his jaw clenched, his face unreadable. She wondered who he was, why he'd chosen her. He was like nobody she'd ever seen, powerful and confident, yet with a sadness buried in his eyes, something dark and far away.

Joel swung her up onto the horse, then swung up behind her, his arms circling her to take hold of the reins. It was too much to bear, the feel of him, and as the horse walked forward, Emerald felt a surge of anxiety mixed with odd calm.

They rode away from the market, the sounds it held falling away as they rode into a future as unsure as it was inevitable.