Bitter Truth

Elora's POV

“Huh? What do you mean?” I muttered in puzzlement, my eyelids fluttering incessantly like a butterfly’s wing.

What did he mean by selling me off to the Greyhound Pack?

The Greyhound Pack, I very much knew. It was one of the realm’s most popular Pack, or Kingdom in the case, only second to the Crescent Pack.

I heard that their Lycan King, Alaric Greyhound, was more of a dictator than a ruler, but no one has ever left the kingdom. Instead, more people flocked under his iron-fisted rule, since that was what made the kingdom so prosperous.

Tch. Why am I even thinking about that now? Now wasn't the time for history, now was the time to make history… Hopefully one with a good conclusion. Selling me off to another Lycan King was absurd.

I was the daughter of a Lycan King myself. Though I must say that my father is quite old and has gotten weak, due to the many battles he fought in the past. It was thanks to people like him that most kingdoms now lived at peace with each other.

But still, even though he was now a somewhat frail old man, the people of the kingdom rever and respect him. Then why was he selling me off? Did I do something wrong? Hunting and training secretly to improve my strength couldn't have given him enough reason to trade me as punishment… right?

Still frozen on my knees — not like I could move freely anyway — I saw my father stretch his left hand to the side, then he flicked his palm towards himself.

Out of the shadows came four uniformed men, with domineering heights and statues. I could easily tell that they were guards due to their uniform’s slight resemblance to those here. But theirs was laced with gold, adding this beautiful aesthetic.

I couldn't even compare them to the palace guards. Not only was their uniform more profound and elegant, their physique was something else. Damon paled far in comparison to any of them.

“These are the four horsemen of the Greyhound pack,” my father said with a tone of respect and satisfaction. “They'll be the ones to escort you to their kingdom.”

I don't know what came over me at that moment, but I snapped, “Father, what's the meaning of this?! Is this some kind of joke? Why would you sell your own daughter to another Lycan King?!”

My mother simply turned her teary eyes away, while father sighed ruefully.

He rubbed his forehead as he began, “Look, Elora, I think its best that I don't give you my reasons. I don't want to hurt you any further. Just remain silent as we proceed with the trade.”

My brows twitched at his every phrase, “Hurt me any further? There's nothing that you can say that'd hurt me more than I already am! You want to sell me off, what could possibly hurt more than that?!”

On any normal day, I would cower before his presence, and keep my thoughts and opinions to myself. I'd usually tell me mother a part of it, then she'd pass it on to him like a mediator.

But today wasn't just any normal day. Today was different and a drastic pivoting point in my life. The rest of my life would be ruined if the right decision wasn't made at that moment.

Father closed his eyes as he exhaled deeply. It made me wonder the gravity of what he was about to say. Could his words really hurt me more than I already was?

He opened his eyes and looked straight at me, “You almost died when you were born, Elora. It was by a miracle that you survived and have made it this far. You're weak and useless…”

‘Useless?!’ my eyes shrunk.

“You can't contribute anything to the kingdom in your condition. Even if you were to get a mate, you won't be able to breed; I doubt your body can handle the strain. I could continue listing more reasons why you are of no use to us. You'll just be wasting space in the place.”

My eyes quivered as he kept talking. Was I hearing things?

He leaned forward, “That's why I've gone out to find you some use.”

“As a slave,” I found myself saying. I was still shaken by the whole thing, but there was this subtle anger that gradually riled up within me.

“It's better than nothing. Besides, you're being traded for a symbiotic relationship with Greyhound. I'm sure you're aware of the current scarcity in Dunham. They'd help build and revitalise our kingdom with their abundant resources, while we offer our loyalty to them.”

My mood switched from anger to surprise again. I stared at him blankly, “Wait, so you're selling me off as a slave, just to also place the entirety of Dunham into slavery too?”

My father creased his brows, “What do you mean?”

“Pledging your loyalty to another Lycan King is no different than slavery,” I answere curtly.

He scoffed, “Heh. What do you know about these things? You are but a child.”

I simply shook my head. I didn't know what to think at that point.

“Well, enough talk. You're being sold to Greyhound, and that's my final verdict,” he said with authority. The council members bowed in agreement, including my mother.

I was at a loss for everything. Where did all their feelings go? Did they only care about power and relevance?

At the corner of my eye, I could see Damon shaking where he stood, his nails beginning to grow longer…

My father's voice drew my attention back to the throne.

He stood up, his hands spread wide as he smiled, “Now, shall we proceed with the trade?”