Chapter 1: Getting sold
"Daddy please don't let me go to him. I will work hard. I will do every thing else, I will work as your maid, but please not to the alpha", I plead with tears and snort running down my face.
My jeans ripped at the knees from kneeling and crawling around to plead with my step father.
"Don't you get it? You are just a burden and if you continue to be like this, I will leave you and your mother alone", he spits and drags his pants from my hold.
But If I remember vividly well, they were never his, they belonged to my father who died of a stroke two years ago.
About the same time I was put into this deep mud of misery.
"You bitch, didn't you hear him? Stop begging" mom kicks the maid who was subjected to pedicure and stands up in a jolt.
I watch her as she approaches me and even though all hope is lost, the sight of my mother calms me for a brief second.
Maybe she would talk to Jeffery to make a compromise.
But then, a hot slap lands on the side of my face and before I know what is going on, I hit the ground hard from the force of the slap.
I want to cry, but I find myself laughing in mockery.
I can not help but mock myself. What did I expect?
Sympathy?
From a woman who refused to breast feed me because she wanted to keep in shape or the woman who did not hesitate to bring in her boyfriend the day after my dad's death?
Rose was never the kindest, in fact, she was never kind and sometimes, I am convinced she wasn't born with a conscience towards anyone especially me.
Right now, Jeffery, her third boyfriend since dad died is all she can think about even in the house that my father built and for some reason, I understand that even Jeffery is going to be a thing of the past soon.
"Are you laughing? You bitch!" She says as she stomps on me with the heel of her right foot just in time for the door to burst open and people I can only recognize as the soldiers of the alpha king storm in.
And in that brief moment of recognition, I find a strength in me to pick my weak self up and run.
Anywhere away from them, anywhere away from the alpha king, because I know that if I go in with them, there will never be a chance for me to have my own life.
Never!
I race through to the kitchen and am about to break through the wooden door headfirst when I feel myself getting pulled back.
My heart quickens and I fight back with everything that I have.
Every part of my might both physical and mental that for some moment, I believe that my sheer determination will make me escape.
"You bastard, stay and let them take you. Or just die!" She screams and I realise who was holding me back.
My mother.
My heart breaks at the realization that even until the very end of it, she wouldn't stand up for me.
Because I was a mistake to her, she never considered me human.
That explains her lack of hesitation to sell me, her virgin daughter to the Alpha king who is in heat.
This happens every year, but I escaped because I was underaged.
Turning eighteen changed everything for me. They let me grief for two years and now, my life is about to skydive into a journey of misery I could never be saved from.
Some girls didn't even make it out alive, they said.
And that is about to be my fate too.
I soften as I am reached and dragged back to the living room by the soldiers.
My heart is shattered and I just want to die now that there is no more hope for me.
"You would never have amounted to anything anyways. Just bear the Alpha king a son and be grateful that you were even chosen", she says as if she isn't just glad about the thousand dollars wired into her account in exchange for me.
But that isn't all, because her words strike two cords in my heart.
I have always wanted to be someone who people could look up to with respect.
I have a dream, one she just talked down like ashes.
And that sharpens my resolve.
My dream?
I will achieve it and prove to her that I can amount to something great.
While she just like she has always wanted will stop being my mother.
"As from this moment onward, you are nobody to me", I tell her with spite laced in my words but something in me wishes that she would plead to take me back.
That she would realize how bad this is and save me.
Those are practically the last words my energy can form.
"You know I never wanted you anyways. So thank you. Everyone heard this bastard, I am no longer her mother", Rose says with a joy and laughter I have never seen her show before as I am taken out of the house that used to be my home with my father who loved me unconditionally.
My hope drains.
I feel weak as I am being dragged into the huge black car with expensively customized interiors which I immediately pass out in.
One minute, I am put into the vehicle that would lead me to the very end of my life, the next minute I find myself amongst another set of twenty three girls who are here for the same reason, but unlike me , they are all dressed prim and proper.
Was I drugged?
Each one of them trying to show off their personality which totally confuses me.
What are we here for?
A match-make ceremony or the end of our lives?
None of them is showing fear or disgust towards the situation they are about to be thrown into.
I am slumped on the edge of the chair beside some other expensive looking girls who make it a big deal to keep a distance from me.
Why though? I wonder mentally, and I get my answer when I look ahead at my reflection.
But I don't feel bitter because of how unkempt, out of place and dirty I look, instead I start to see the bright side of it.
"I wonder how she got here", someone says, drawing my attention from the odd reflection of me.
I turn to where the voice came from.
"I know right, she is so dirty, she has no chance, I have a better connection and that's why I got in here. I didn't really do it for the money", one of the well dressed ladies sitting and looking prim and proper says as she spares me a glance full of disgust and hatred at first sight.
There is a determination in her eyes that makes me look away.
"Me too, I tried last year and all those who didn't look half as good as me were eliminated in the first round. I made it up to the fifth round before I had to go home", her friend says, trying to sound more mature because of her experience.
"That means she has no chance!" The first lady who looks to be about three years older than me says.
"Exactly, plus she looks barely legal. She is simply no competition for us", they say before moving their attention to how much they want to be the alpha king's Luna even if it means they would just have to bear him children in a loveless marriage.
And that has told me everything I need to know.
I couldn't argue at all with their talk about me being barely legal, because aside from my small size, I literally began to shrink in size after my dad's death.
Malnourishment and eating only for survival brought me this far.
Everything to also sharpen my conviction that I might get a chance at having a normal life.
I will return after I am deselected in this round, then make a name for myself.
I slump into the chair then let exhaustion wash over me.
Until I am startled into waking up with a rapidly beating heart.
What is going on?
There is a shuffling going on around and I find myself trying to sit up as well.
The progress of everything is weird, but this will be the only phase I will be going through here anyways, so I sit up just like the others. I wouldn't want to stand out too soon.
Whispers from the other ladies float around, but who are they kidding?
We are werewolves, so the whispers reach my hear like normal speech would and I find myself smiling even harder because as a little girl, I have always wanted to marry for love like my father even though it was not reciprocated.
But at least, he was happy to be with the one that he loved even though Rose only loved him for his Irish money.
They keep talking about how I don't have a chance at this.
And why in the world would my heart not stop beating so fast?
I find myself turning my head around in search of something, or is it someone?
I can't really place my hand on it, but the desperacy in this search is about to make me go crazy because I can't stop it.
Someone opens the door and a lady who appears to be in her early sixties with the milky skin of a thirty year old comes in.
She is holding a walking stick and escorted by some palace soldier guards who I immediately recognize by the badges on their chests.
A deafening silence follows, but I still find myself shuffling my seat in search of what my heart wants.
She clears her throat as she approaches us and I have no doubt that she was trying to caution me because of the dirty look she sends my way.
I lower my head, because no matter what, I can not bring myself to disrespect an elder even though she already hates me at first sight and is doing nothing to hide it.
I raise my head to the sight of her smiling at one of the other girls, particularly the one who had flaunted her connection.
'Good for her', I find myself thinking with a smile before my partly settled heart starts to race hard against my ribcage again.
I clutch my chest in pain as I bend forward while she makes the announcement.
"The Alpha King Warren Lucas will be selecting his breeder from the first selection and the rest of you will be sent home the moment he does." She starts and concludes her information in one sentence and my heart did not fail to leap out of my chest at the mention of his name.
At this rate, I feel like it is my heart disease acting up, because this is a little to much for me to handle.
Just then, the door is pushed open again and I immediately swing my head to the side.
No one comes in, but I can feel a presence that despite how strong and domineering it is, it instantly puts my heart back in its place.
Then he shows his face.
The smirk that has been rumored to never leave his face is what appears first, then his full big well sculpted body walks in.
Is it him? No, that can't be!
My heart can't possibly be in search of the viscous alpha who I want to escape from as soon as I can.
And as if he feels my gaze on him, he turns his head and our gazes lock and somewhere in the depths of my heart that sought him, I feel myself leaning in towards him.
As much as I try to hold myself back and tell myself that he is the reason why my life is so miserable.
That he is the reason why I might never get a normal life if everything goes according to Rose's and Jeffery's plans, I find myself looking at him, into his eyes without the fear I am used to.
"She is the one, I pick her", he says in his rich baritone voice as he stops right in front of me, then everything goes blank.
CHAPTER 2 - I FOUND MY TOY. Alpha Warren Lucas's POVI have never hated anything more than this stupid selection I am forced to partake in. For the past five years ever since my twenty fifth birthday and fifty second victory of the fifty two battles that I have gotten into, Nanny Deliana, my grandmother decided that it was the best and only compromise I could make since I didn't have a Luna yet. "You could find a worthy Luna or maybe your mate during it", she had said after threathening me to die without seeing her great grand child. Not like I blame her though, her only son and former alpha had died in an ambush with his wife, leaving me to succeed immediately I clocked eighteen. But I was always ready. I was born and raised as an alpha, so nothing ever proved difficult for me except escaping the topic of getting a mate or at least someone who would bear me a son. "The males in our lineage do not live long. Someone has to succeed you", she would always say and now, here I am be
CHAPTER 3"Heather Rhys Sage!" Godmother calls in a way that makes my heart shake in its rib cage from fear. It's been two weeks. Two weeks since my parents forced me to a new type of hell, one that makes me feel like I will be trapped till forever. One because of the heavy security that sends me back everytime I reach the gate and two because of the mate bond. Everyone seemed to have realized it on that day except for him or was he pretending not to because he was embarrassed of me?And before we had had the chance to even talk, he was out. Out after threatening to break me in a way. Now, I do not know if I ought to be happy or not that he is not back, but then… "Rhys?" She calls me by the name dad used to call me when he was alive, except there is no love in her tone. "Yes godmother?" I answer as I race my way down the stairs, stopping to maintain a steady pace the moment I sight her in her favorite couch in the mini living area. "Don't you feel it? Can't you tell if he's al
CHAPTER 4: "Why do you think I am dressed like this?" She scoffs. The same way she did the time she was bragging about her connections. But I am still confused. "I don't get it", I mutter as I try to conjure the situation. But nothing comes to my head. It still doesn't make any sense. But she seems so smug and proud about it. "This time, I will get the alpha and we will be mates and I will have his son and be his Luna. You are not the only one who knows how to play dress up", she says and I frown as I am more confused. Because it doesn't look like dress up. Right on her shoulder is a red mark shaped like an iron and it looks pretty recent. A wind blows through and she winces in pain. There are bruises on her face too. "So you did all of this to win the alpha's attention and have him sleep with you?" I ask her and she nods, looking quite satisfied with herself. "Yes and it doesn't end there, you put all of this marks on me", she says."No I didn't." Her gaze flickers to the
CHAPTER 5: MARA SEDUCES LUCASAlpha Warren's POVAfter a few moments of trying to relax in the shower and on my bed, I still find myself stuck in my thoughts. Heather couldn't have done that, but grandmother can not possibly be lying to me. She has only ever wanted the best for me and that I found someone to bear a child with which I have done. Everything is fishy and I feel so bad about it. The room is still filled with the scent of Heather from the time she stayed here. I insisted that she be treated in my room, but I doubt if Nanny let her stay if she had those suspicions towards her. The actions and evidence are outrageous and they have left me ever so confused. Then I hear a knock on the door. My heart skips in excitement and anticipation for Heather."Come in", but the sight of the person who enters my room is none other than Mara. I thought she was passed out. Her body is scantily covered and I can see the bruises on her skin as she slowly approaches me with a tray in
CHAPTER 6 - WAKING UP TO A SAD REALITY Heather's POVBeing bullied by my parents in the past made waking up to pain a norm for me, but today's is different. There's an ache in-between my legs that brings memories rushing through my head. As I force myself to sit up and face the mirror on the other side of the wall, I realize how red my face has turned. Although it aches, I know that I would do it again and again if time rewound. The way he touched me and called my name made me feel so beautiful in ways I had never felt before. He said he inched to bite me and mark me but although he didn't, I don't feel bad at all. Him seeking me out to sleep with me and eventually making love to me all night must mean something. It must mean that although he could not fight for me yesterday, he realized how wrong things were and he wanted to make it up to me. He must have realized that we were mates and that he was just too awkward to acknowledge it at first. I'm so glad. I'm so grateful to
CHAPTER 7 - Alpha Warren's POVA week goes by and I must say I have never been torn in between emotions as much as I am with Heather. Most times, she's the woman I want to wrap around and scoop and kiss and fuck and I even get the urge to mark her and make her mine, but the other times, she's talking back to my grandmother and Nanny Deliana is always having to report her to me. Those times just override the good joys and thoughts I have of her which has in fact forced me to ignore her and with everything in me avoid her since the morning I woke up to her in my bed. It's all suspicious. The fact that she keeps trying to see me to plead and explain to me that she's misunderstood while my grandmother says she's the villain. My grandmother will never do anything to hurt me, but this just keeps getting me confused. "Alpha, Heather is here to see you again and she appears even more aggressive than usual", my secretary says as he hands me an iPad with a live security feed. One of Hea
CHAPTER 8 - betrayal in guilt Alpha Warren's POVShe looks helpless, defenseless and so vulnerable and it feels like deja vu all over. I'm back to the first time I laid my eyes on her. When she looked so weak over the shoulders of the soldier that carried her into the palace. Limp and extremely vulnerable and again, she has my attention. My undivided attention as she doesn't try to defend herself like the other times rather her eyes and full gaze are on me and piercing into my soul. Without words I can hear her pleas. Plea for me to remember something, a plea for me to fight for her, a plea for me to do something.And I try, I will myself to try very hard to remember what it is that I have to, my mind travels back to that morning when I woke up naked beside her. That morning still puzzles me, I still wonder what happened that morning. Had we really slept together? No, I disregard that thought immediately, because if she is really the woman my grandmother paints her to be, the
Chapter 9 Heather's POVHe'll be out of the palace in two days and for twelve days, I have requested to meet him. I have fought and screamed on top of my longs, I have tried all I could to communicate with him, to tell him, to help him remember because it seems like all the passion that we shared that night have gone deep deep down in his memories. And I can't seem to find anything to help simulate it. His family isn't helping, Doctor Killian has been completely bought over that he has refused adamantly to check me up even though I complain of sickness. Sometimes, it feels like I am going to pass out from the sudden exhaustion, pain and irritation I feel, but I am abandoned. Nobody seems to be on my side, in fact they aren't. God mother Deliana seems to be glad as her plan to have Lucas's eyes away from me has worked. Five weeks away from him and I don't feel good at all, it feels like the end of the world and everything in its entirety. It feels like I'll never recover. And
And as he does so, he answers the question he literally forced me to ask while my moans and screams are confused with eachother. "No one else fucking wants you", his moves are so tight and almost forceful that I can't help but wonder how in the world he still has all that stamina. "It hurts", I moan as I try to reach for his waist and push again, but he slaps my hands away and grabs my boobs. "Didn't you want it hard? I'm doing just that, or do you want me to leave? Did you have a change of mind?" His fingers are giving my nipples the tightest pinch they've ever gotten and his palms remain firmly pressed on my breasts. "You'll barely be able to walk when I'm done", he pauses as I start to feel his manhood harden and pulsate inside of me. Dripping hot precum also starts to coat my inside and mix with my wetness as he continues his movement. "And you know what will happen when I'm done?", through my glassy eyes, I notice the smirk on his face, "I'll take you again and again a
Heather With Mara gone, the estate felt peace and calm, like the storm had passed. Some funny thing is no one grieved over Mara's death, even though she was once the Luna. Even her son, Archer. Lucas never loved her in the first place. He softened to me and more wary of letting fear rule him. Our bond emerged stronger for enduring the trial. Together Lucas and I slowly mended torn relationships throughout the pack, reassuring all of our peaceful intentions. Keegan’s wisdom and discretion proved invaluable in maintaining stability through the transition. And Alex’s calm strength gave me courage when threats of fresh dissent arose. He would make a fine leader someday, if we could break the bleak cycle of suspicion and isolation. Archer remained more inscrutable, keeping his own counsel for a time. But Alex's tireless faith seemed to gently erode his walls. And seeing Lucas choose unity over vengeance clearly gave him much to ponder internally. I hoped in time the seeds of healing
Archer's POV The commotion in the hallway drew everyone's alarmed attention from the dinner table. Shouts echoed, then Keegan appeared supporting mother's distressingly still form. Dark blood stained her robes and face."What has happened?" Father demanded, rushing over with the others. But none needed ask as the gruesome truth became painfully clear. Mother had taken her own life, reasons unknown. An icy void opened within me. I know why. She chooses this for herself.In the chaotic hours that followed, I retreated numbly to the solitude of the grounds, tormented by guilt and questions. What had driven the proud Alpha female to such an extreme end? She had appeared the very picture of health mere hours before at dinner. Nothing made sense.Over the next harrowing days, the murky circumstances came to light under Keegan's discretionary investigation. Among mother's things he uncovered incriminating letters - one for father pleading again to cast out Heather before she destroyed him.
MaraBitterness churned within me as Lucas welcomed Heather back so readily after all the grief her disappearance caused. She had stolen his affections from me long ago with her bewitching powers, and now the spell was cast anew despite my warnings. Lucas was blind in his obsession once more.I would not let her destroy my son again. Since reasoned arguments proved futile, more duplicitous means were required. I slipped tiny portions of monkshood tincture each day into Heather's wine at dinner, under guise of graceful hospitality. Just enough to make her sickly, not draw suspicion. Soon parallel symptoms began appearing in my soft-headed son as well - fatigue, headaches, fits of anger. But it was necessary collateral damage to free him from her toxins. Once weaned off her presence, Lucas would regain his senses. I remained vigilant for any opportunity to administer larger, more disfiguring doses when the time was right.But fate conspired against me when Archer noticed his ailing fat
LucasThe long road of recovery thereafter was its own grueling nightmare. My own weakness disgusted me. But Heather and Alex stayed steadfast through every faltering step, humiliation, and defeated curse. Their faith fueled me like oxygen to resume the fight each day. Leaving the bleak hospital at last to continue healing surrounded by family brought profound peace. Despite my grandmother's lingering wariness, she and Mara welcomed Heather back graciously. The circle had held through our darkest hour.My body gradually mended, though the leg brace and cane still left me reliant on others' assistance shamefully often. But Heather never allowed me to slip into despair, staying bright and gently scolding when I cursed my feeble condition too harshly. Her inner light sustained me, even through my blackest moods.Alex too helped ease the restlessness, smiling encouragement through each halting mile walked together around the grounds. In his eyes I glimpsed again the heroic father I had p
Heather Everything happened so fast - the gun, Lucas diving to shield me, the deafening crack of the shot. Then Lucas crumpling heavily to the floor amidst the chaos, dark red blooming across his chest. The scream trapped in my throat escaped as a shattered gasp. I rushed to Lucas's side with Alex, pressing my hands desperately against the gushing wound. Lucas's face had gone pale and slack, barely conscious. "No no no, stay with me!" I begged him. Our surroundings faded away, Ian's deranged shouting, the sirens outside, everything but Lucas's dimming eyes locked on mine. "Heather...forgive me..." he rasped faintly, each word clearly agonizing. His hand found mine, grip feeble. "Tell...Alex..." "Shhh don't speak, save your strength!" I pleaded, tears blurring my vision. But his eyes slid closed, body going limp. "Lucas! Lucas please!" My broken sobs echoed in the sudden quiet.Everything after became a hellish blur - police and paramedics storming in, Ian screaming threats and cu
LucasRage boiled through my veins as Richard tried to hit their car. I watched Keegan speed off with Heather. And I feel at ease. That damned snake Richard had nearly killed her! If I had arrived seconds later...I cut off the chilling thought, forcing icy composure over the maelstrom inside me. Now was not the time for blind fury. Richard remained barely conscious at my feet, helpless prey awaiting judgment. I could make his death agonizingly slow, wring every scream from his worthless hide... But no. That was the old madness. I would not sink to his level, however deserved such vengeance might be. Death would come by my hand swift and clean. The serpent had stolen too much time from me already.I hauled Richard up by his torn shirt, claws piercing through the thin fabric to dimple his skin. He peered at me with dazed yet defiant hatred. "You should have stayed dead, snake," I rumbled. My hand flexed, ready to shred his throat out in one vicious stroke. This would finally be fini
71 Heather's POV:My head spun as Keegan wove the disturbing tale of Ian's - no, Richard's - true identity and motives. The friend I had trusted so implicitly was merely using me as a pawn in some toxic feud with Lucas. And now he was regaining dangerous lucidity in the backseat, malice smoldering in his eyes."Just focus on the road ahead," I told Keegan, trying to ignore Richard's presence behind us. I clutched Alex's hand like a lifeline. We were so close now to real freedom. I refused to let Richard's poisonous schemes drag us back under. Not this time. Alex gave my hand a determined squeeze, meeting my gaze steadily despite the fear in his eyes. My brave boy. We would face whatever came next together. I offered him a reassuring smile before turning to Keegan."What's the plan once we get some distance?" I asked, keeping my tone low. Keegan's brow creased in focus as he navigated busy streets. "I have contacts out of state who can help get you set up with new identities and pap
Keegan Getting inside proved simple once Ian was safely unconscious - the wards recognized his signature and granted entrance readily. Moving cautiously, I followed the scent trails further inside until I located Heather and Alex in a barren side room. They both startled violently at my entrance with Ian's body slung over my shoulder."Keegan!" Heather gasped out, shock and alarm widening her eyes. "What are you doing here? What's wrong with Ian?" She started to rush over but I halted her with an upraised hand. "Please, I beg you to hear me out Heather. Ian is only sedated, so I could speak freely." I lowered Ian's limp form to the floor. "There are truths you need to understand before this goes any further."Alex moved in front of his mother protectively. "Truths? More like Lucas sent his lackey here to drag us back!" His young face hardened. "Well you can forget it, we're never going near him again."I held the boy's glare evenly. "I know you have no reason to trust me. But neithe