Chapter 003

“The selection is about to begin. Cast your eyes on the ground girls!” Madam Claudia said from the far end of the hall, her voice echoing.

There was a little whispers, then there was silence. All you could hear were the slow pairs of boots walking on the paved floor.

I looked down, my chest thumping against my skin.

“Breath Astrid, or you’re going to collapse.” Aria whispered from my side.

I nodded, taking deep breaths and exhaling, what was going to be my fate?

Would I rather be picked than stay here for the rest of my life.

Oh Selene if you can hear me, please be less cruel to me today. I prayed, hoping that at least I wouldn’t get noticed, and just maybe I could escape the cruelty of Renee if only she gets picked today.

Then a pair of boots stopped in front of me, my breath caught in my throat. The shoe was a brown leather, one you could only see on the feet of the rich.

It smelled like it had been polished a million times over that morning and I wondered if it was someone like me that did that.

“Who is she?” The man grunted to madam Claudia, I think.

“That’s Aria Blackwood, daughter of Alpha Dain Blackwood, she was banished from her pack when she was 14.” Madam Claudia’s ringing voice answered.

“What was her offence?” The man asked again in a huffed voice.

“Stealing” madam Claudia said, a certain amount tightness in her voice.

I scoffed, does our offence for banishment really matter, it’s not like they would treat us any better.

“I’ll take her.” He said.

My eye’s widened in surprise, I turned to my side, just as I saw tears streaming down Aria’s face.

“Why are you crying?” I whispered.

The tears kept pouring with no response.

“You have to smile Aria, or Madam Claudia is going beat you even before you leave.

Aria nodded, cleaning her tears.

“I’ll miss you Astrid. If you ever get out of here please get in contact with me.” Aria sniffed.

I smiled, knowing that she couldn’t see it. I was happy for her, and still hope that he would treat her nice.

“I will.” I said.

“Get up Aria, take away your blind fold.” Madam Claudia said.

I heard shuffling as she stood up. There was silence for a good minute or two then the man growled,

“Mate” a thrill laced in his voice.

I didn’t know when tears fell from my eyes, if Aria had found her mate that means she will at least get treated right.

I was happy.

The three of them walked away, their footsteps fading as the went towards the “dark room,” where all purchases were finalized.

“Aria has been bought and she found her mate,” I whispered to Ruby.

“Really?” Excitement oozing out of her. “Ohh she is so lucky…. The moon goddess must have really blessed her, keeping her all this years just to finally meet her mate.”

“Yeah.” I said smiling. Even if today wasn’t going to end well at least one of us got a good match and for that I was happy.

I could hear the girls getting picked out of the crowd, some excited, some scared while others indecisive.

I badly wanted to know if Renee got picked, because if she didn’t then that would mean trouble for me.

“Ruby? Do you think Renee got picked?” I asked.

“I don’t know, I can’t see here,” Ruby said.

I sighed, resting in the knowledge that my life was doomed.

“Stand, girl.” A man said. His voice hard and gruff.

I turned my head, but the shoes was in front of Ruby, brown like the one of Aria’s mate.

“What is you name?” He grunted.

Ruby whimpered, like she was scared. “Ruby Darkfire of the Nightbloom pack.”

Wait! What? Did she just say Nightbloom? That is my pack or rather was my pack. How come I never knew her?

“Why were you banished?” The man asked again.

“I wasn’t sir……..I ran away.” Ruby whispered.

Yeah we all knew Ruby’s back story, she was harassed by her father and betrothed to the Alpha of the pack, which apparently i’m just finding out that it was my father.

I sighed, I heard the news about my father taking a third wife, which had gotten my stepmother into a shitty mood, hence i’m here.

Ruby was lucky and smart to have run away and not get caught. At least she wouldn’t have to deal with my stepmother.

“Do you rather be a whore than to belong to a pack.” The man spat. “You belong to me now, and i’m Alpha Logan to you.”

“Shit,” I muttered. That wasn’t good. Ruby was still a child, and she was very fragile, and this man doesn’t really seem to talk nice.

“W…..wh…what?” Ruby stuttered, fear laced in her voice.

“You belong to me now l, whore. And incase of next time, I don’t like repeating myself.” The man sneered.

Ruby was dragged off, by one the guard dogs, her stifled cry echoing in my ear:

Ruby and I weren’t really friends but we were not enemies either, I wouldn’t want this for her, I couldn’t have wished it for her.

“Alpha Logan.” I whispered seething my teeth. If I came out of here and had a way, I’d find him and take Ruby away from him.

I knelt there for maybe another hour or so, I couldn’t feel my legs and my neck was getting cramped. I badly needed to use the bathroom but I knew I couldn’t, so I held it in, “ just a little more time and it will be over?” I said to myself over and over again.

Just then the bells started ringing, signaling the end of the selection, i heaved a sigh of relief. It was finally over, the remaining girls were starting to get up when the door badged open, a stream of light flooded my eyes, I had removed the blindfold from my eyes earlier and was about standing up.

“Claudia I need to speak with you.” His rough voice drifted across the room.

He is handsome.

His thick brown hair, was long that it grazed his shoulders. He had piercings green eyes and a firm nose to the face.

As he walked towards the dark room with madam Claudia, his gaze caught mine. I couldn’t breath for a second, it was like the whole world had gone silent.

His lips pressed into a thin line.

His gaze washed over me and It felt like standing under a cold shower as it pours down your body, it’s an inconvenience at first but comforting, then relaxing to a point you never want to get out.

“I guess it’s just me and you now,” Renee sneered to my side.

I broke my gaze away from the man, turning to face her.

“Who was that?” I asked, completely oblivious to the group of girls surrounding me.

“What do you think? That he will be your knight in shining armor.” Renee scoffed, hitting the back of my head with her hand. “Wake up Astrid, no one is coming to save you now.”

“That was Alpha Kael of Red Moon pack, the most ruthless and sexiest Alpha,” one of the girls in the group drooled.

“It was said that he killed his father without batting an eye.” Another said.

“What? Do you want him? You think his pretty? Do you want to get in his pants?” Renee taunted, hitting my head with each question.

“Stop that this minute!” Madam Claudia roared, causing us shriek and to turn in fright.

“Sorry ma’m,” we whispered scatteredly, bowing our heads to the floor.

“Astrid? Come with me.” She commanded, turning away from us and walking towards the dark room.