Chapter One - Sold

Rose’s POV

The night before my father did the unthinkable and sold us, I begged him to reconsider.

“Alpha Horace won’t like it,” I argued. “Technically, we still belong to him.”

“Face facts, we’re rogues, girl. Is it wrong for me to want a better life for you and your sister?”

I sighed. “I suppose not.”

We shared a three-way hug. I wished for the millionth time Mom was here and not buried in that forest glade.

“I’ll miss you, Daddy,” Willow said, beginning to sob.

He passed a shaking hand through her unruly brown curls. “Make me proud, both of you,” he whispered.

“The least you can do is tell us about our new pack,” I said, unwilling to let him off the hook. “How come they’re so eager to accept us?”

He hesitated, unwilling to spell it out.

I knew the answer, of course. We were likely to become breeders. Though tiny, my sister had turned eighteen only last moon, and the village boys had begun to notice her. One in particular.

I’d lost count of the times I’d exited the cottage through the upstairs window to save her from losing her V-card.

Eventually, he delivered what I took to be a well-meaning lie. “They have a shortage of Omegas.”

My sister wrinkled her nose. “I’m not cut out to be a servant.”

Wasn’t that the truth.

“You could learn a lot from your sister.”

“I’d rather listen to Nathan,” she muttered.

It was his older brother who scared me. With any luck, Dean would never find us.

They came at first light to seal the deal. I was the one who answered the door.

“Jerome Harper?”

The Red Riding pack official was broad and bearded. He looked humourless and impatient so I didn’t waste any time in fetching my father.

“Already?”

I’d never seen him look so guilty. Serve him right for doing this to us.

“I’m Gamma Hodges. And these are the deeds to the cottage. No-one can evict you now.”

Willow was snivelling. Hodges told her to shut it.

We followed him to the car. At least we had our dignity. Until he began to frisk us for concealed weapons.

Glancing up at the grumpy Gamma, I realised he wasn’t interested in either of us.

I pretended to be cheerful once we arrived at our destination, a modern interpretation of a castle.

“Look, Lolo,” I said. “Straight out of a fairy tale.”

That impression was reinforced when we were given our uniforms. Puffed sleeves and tight red bodices over a full skirt.

I had to pinch myself. Was this the twenty-first century, or not?

We lined up with the other newcomers to await inspection. I assumed it would be by a housekeeper.

Instead the leader of the pack himself entered the cold room.

The Alpha had an aura which rendered me incapable of movement.

“Adequate,” he said, after stalking down the line.

I felt his pull receding.

Were his eyes really amber? And what was with the modern dress? Designer jeans and a dark sweater did nothing to hide his athletic build.

The sound of running feet made me panic. I felt for the woman, gasping for breath in the open doorway.

“Beg pardon, Alpha Lewis,” she panted. “I didn’t mean to be late, but – ”

“It won’t happen again, will it, Joan?” he interrupted.

“No, sir,” she said.

“As for these females, I suppose they’ll do. But watch the redhead. I sense hostility.”

I put a hand to my mouth, unable to believe what I was hearing. I bore him no ill will. Millicent was the one I despised for convincing my father to do this to us.

As the woman outlined various dos and don’ts, I began to feel uncomfortable. No going outside unaccompanied. That would hit me hard. I liked my rare moments of solitude, and if I took Willow she would probably try and sneak off.

I knew she would struggle with the no eye contact rule and generally behaving herself.

It appeared we were going to be sharing a room with all the other Omegas.

My sister stuck her hand up.

“Why?”

“Because that way you’ll learn quicker,” the woman said, leading the way to our new quarters.

The cots were lined up close to the walls on either side.

“Learn what?” she pressed.

“How to please the Alpha,” smirked a girl who had just entered our dorm.

I stifled a gasp.

“Natalie, you should know better,” Joan chided.

“That’s right. I was forgetting. He has peculiar tastes.”

Peculiar? Had she meant particular?

Hopefully not auburn haired females over twenty-one who had yet to find their fated mate.

Several days later Willow and I were scrubbing floors. We had been at it for hours. I didn’t really mind. The rain was lashing down outside.

“You!” thundered a voice. “Come with me.”

I looked up, expecting to have to find some excuse on my sister’s behalf only to find the guard was looking at me.

Had I done something wrong?

I followed the tawny-haired pack warrior down endless corridors before we ascended several flights of stairs. He halted before a set of double doors in the middle of a passage and knocked twice.

“Send her in, Connor.”

I gasped. That sounded like the Alpha.

What could he possibly want with me? As if I didn’t know. But this soon and when I still smelled of lemon floor cleaner … ?

“Go on, girl. Don’t keep him waiting.”

I looked up at his tone and saw that the guard’s blue eyes were friendly, unlike his tone.

“Do I have to?” I whispered.

He lowered his voice.

“Don’t worry, he only bites on Wednesdays.”

Yeah, right.

Turning the doorknob, I discovered there was no give after a point. The door must be locked.

I began to tremble. The notion that I would be punished for not doing the Alpha’s bidding promptly refused to go away.

My companion tried to assist me, but neither of us were getting anywhere until there was the sound of bolts sliding back and a key working its magic.

What game was he playing? Maybe he’d just forgotten.

“Oh, it’s you. I might have known,” Alpha Lewis said.

When I dared to raise my head I saw he wasn’t staring at the guard but at me.

Had he just asked for some random female to torture?

I made the mistake of turning around, but Connor was already retreating and would have been of no real help in any case.

That was when I thought about Willow. Rather me than her.

I bared my neck.

“How may I help you, Alpha?”

“I can think of lots of ways. Come,” he said, crooking his finger.

To my relief I saw this was his office rather than his bedroom. Papers were piled on the majority of surfaces, including the large mahogany desk. There was the aroma of filter coffee and something else: jasmine.

That was when I realised we weren’t alone.