Chapter 2

Ronika

I barely had time to react when a deep, fiendish growl from my father resounded throughout the entire pack field. The alpha power in the full throated grunt compelled every single werewolf to roll over on the ground, showing their bellies as an act of total submission. Those who hadn't shifted were wrenched down by the dominant aura, kneeling before the alpha male, including me.

My father, the alpha of our pack, stood at the very centre of the field, his solid black wolf emanating pure power. Even our attackers couldn't resist the rawness of his rage, except for one man who stood unfazed a couple of steps beside me.

The Luna, my mother was dead.

I didn't know what to feel or how to react, even as my father approached where she lay, blood still gushing out of her cut. He carried his tail high in his wolf form, snarling as he finally stood before the man who had murdered my mother and Luna.

I could hear my pack members whimpering at her death. Some couldn't contain their loud cries even as they remained in submission to their alpha. She acted like glue, holding the pack together while she ruled with kindness and love. Now she was gone, and the effects could be felt in our pack link as it stretched and snapped, indicating that her link to us had been severed.

As for me, my emotions remained paralysed and numb, still processing everything. I watched closely as my father's enraged wolf muzzle connected with the neck of the man who had just taken the life of his mate. Then his jaw extended, but before his canines could sink deep into the flesh, I was wrenched upwards on my feet, then backwards.

Then a pair of warm, rough palms were placed firmly on either side of my head. I knew it was the man who had not been affected by my dad's alpha's stupendous power. His profile behind me sent icy chills down my spine and into my trembling legs. I closed my eyes as they stung.

"Alpha Zeke," the man addressed my father in a deep, calm voice that held so much raw power in it. The proximity allowed me to feel the vibrations of his chest on my back as he spoke.

My dad's wolf froze before whipping its head towards us, snarling at the man. His attention shifted completely from my mother's murderer, focusing on us. He moved, his wolf's paws coming into contact with the ground as he stepped forward.

"One more move, and I will snap your daughter's neck," the man warned. The stern tone of his voice was clear as day, and so was my need to be reunited with my mother.

I was going to die.

I swallowed hard, trying to soothe my dry throat. My dad attempted to move again, making the man apply more pressure on my head. I tried stifling a whimper of pain down my throat, but the pain was becoming unbearable by the minute.

"Shift," the man ordered, making me wonder who he was, commanding my father. I thought my father wasn't going to relent, but my jaw dropped as I watched as he shifted back into his human form, his eyes connecting with mine in silent communication. I kept my eyes on his face because he was nude, and even though it was our nature, I didn't want to be disrespectful. If I could, I would have mind-linked him and assured him that everything would be okay, but I couldn't.

"The big bad alpha is listening to me," the enemy mocked.

"Who would have thought?" he chuckled loudly before going suddenly silent.

"I'm sorry," my father whispered, making my eyes go wide. I had never seen my father so emotionally struck in my life. He was always the alpha male he was supposed to be—fierce and dominant. He told me time and time again to never fear any man, and yet here he was, submitting to a younger werewolf. Hurt by the deaths of his mate and his daughter at the hands of the same enemy, surely that must have been overwhelming for my father.

"We had an agreement, Zeke; you signed the contract."

"I had an agreement with your father, not you." My father gritted his teeth.

"And yet he sent me instead," the enemy responded, reducing the pressure on my temples. I was floating, trying to make sense of what they were talking about.

"Not in her presence, Quinlan," my dad begged. So that was his name, I thought. It sounded so familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had heard it.

"This involves her; she is not a child anymore." Quinlan paused.

"You tell her, or I kill her," he threatened once again, making my father sigh as he briefly closed his eyes.

"Ronika honey," My father's voice was enfeebled and heavy with worry.

"Papa," I answered back in a barely audible trembling voice.

"You have to go with him." He cast his head down, not daring to meet my eyes.

"What!" I couldn't believe my ears. Had he suddenly become crazed? I had heard that when one's mate died, the remaining one would either run mad or commit suicide. It was unheard of for anyone to survive after the bond was broken by death, so maybe my mother's death was already affecting his mental state.

"You, my darling, are my property," Quinlan addressed me. He let go of my head, then stood beside me, his gaze directed to my dad. I couldn't look at him, though, not when my mind was in a jumble of thoughts and questions. His words and the conversation he was having with my father didn't make any sense to me, not even one.

"You have to go with him, Ronika, please," my father begged, his voice breaking. He was on the verge of breaking into sobs, a thing I had never seen him do. Even when my grandmother passed on, he never shed a single tear.

"Father, what is going on?" I wanted to run towards him and shake him, make him explain.

"Twenty-one years ago, your father here..." The heartless man pointed at him with his index finger.

"Came to my father for help after rogues invaded your pack, killed dozens of the pack members, and seized the land from him," he started narrating, relaying a story my father had told me multiple times.

"He needed my father to help him in the fight and give him land to cover for the lost one." I didn't know about that part because my father never mentioned getting any help from anyone else. He hated rogues and never talked about them; now I knew the reason.

"My father helped him win the fight and gave him this territory you have thrived in right now, but it wasn't for free. Your father agreed to give a  collateral, incase he failed to repay my father." My heart dropped into my stomach as his words sank in. So in short, the land that I was brought up believing belonged to us was never ours, but I still couldn't understand why, after all those years, my father never told me.

"I still don't understand why I have to go with you," I said to Quinlan, looking at my father, waiting for him to say something.

Quinlan let out a deep, throaty laugh, stepped forward in front of me, and held my chin roughly. I didn't look at him; I cast my eyes down, convinced that what he was about to say next wouldn't be fun to hear.

"The loan payment was due two weeks ago, so I have come to retrieve the collateral as agreed upon." His voice had become disturbingly low, and his whole demeanour changed before he finally uttered seven words.

"You, my darling Ronika, are the collateral," he dragged the words, making sure every single one was heard over the cries and whimpers of my pack members.

One look at my father, and I knew for sure that he had used me as security for the land, even before I was born. His glossy eyes, his silence, and his demeanour told it all—my own father had given me away to the enemy. I understood then why my mother had taken me to the safe room; she knew they were coming from me but didn't want to tell me the truth. My vision tunnelled further as nausea crept up from my stomach. My head felt so light, while the rest of my body felt too heavy for my feet to carry.

The last thing that went through my mind before I slipped into the creeping darkness was that I was now someone's property, betrayed by my own father.