CHAPTER 3: SECOND PULL

IVORY’S POV

“And where do you think you are going sister?” She questioned, twirling the glass of wine like a villain, that she was.

“Celeste please, I’m not in the mood.” I responded in annoyance, I have had enough for a day to deal with any of her schemes this evening.

“Oh look everybody, the curse of Silverstone pack now gets to dictate who does what.” She said loudly, which drew the attention of almost everyone in the room.

She was out to humiliate me tonight.

“What exactly is it you want from me, haven’t you taken enough to last a lifetime.” I demanded from her.

She laughed and stepped closer to me. “I should be the one asking you that question. Or rather how did you ever think a person like Caden could be your mate.” She asked with venom im her gaze. I gasped in surprise, how did she know? i asked myself.

“You are surprised right.” She chuckled, lowering her voice to the point it sounded like a whisper. “You think I didn’t notice how you look at him. It’s too bad you got rejected.”

“Get lost Celeste.” I muttered tiredly.

“Oh I will, in just about a...”Before she could complete her statement, the entire glass of wine landed on me, soaking me completely from head to toe. I gasped as the red liquid rolled down my skin.

“I never liked this dress anyway.” She said in satisfaction. I did not wait any further for her to embarrass me. I ran out of the hall and into the courtyard, wiping the dress as I moved.

I slowed down when I was far away from the ball, and closer to the trees. I sat down on a stump between an orchid and an oak tree, sucking in a deep breath as I looked at the sky

The red wine had soaked into Celeste’s old dress and was now sticking to my body as another layer of shame.

But I didn’t bother wiping it off, of what use would it be? Everything about tonight had gone exactly as I should have expected.

Caden’s rejection was still present in my heart, that hurt me more than, it was way beyond the wine. I stood there watching my own mate bond leave me and cling to Leanna… it felt like the Moon Goddess herself had laughed in my face one last time.

I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my head.

Another rejection. Another door slammed in my face. First it was my very own father, then my mate, and tomorrow…Elder Harkin.

I was tired of it all. So tired of fighting, of hoping and believing anything good could ever happen to someone like me. Maybe they were right, maybe I really was cursed.

A trail of headlights suddenly shone through the darkness. I lifted my head and watched as a long line of expensive vehicles drove slowly along the path leading to the pack house. They looked too powerful and grand to belong to any ordinary Alpha visiting Silverstone.

They had black and silver symbols I had not seen anywhere, embedded on the doors.

I stared at them absent mindedly,I was too drained to even feel curious as to what set of important people they could be.

Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with me. I was just the cursed girl sitting in the dark, soaked in wine, waiting for tomorrow to come and finish destroying the little I had left of my life.

One of the bigger vehicles in the middle of the convoy slowed down even more and through the tinted window, I saw a man inside. He was looking the other way at first, speaking to someone beside him. Then, as if something drew his attention, he turned his head.

And we were staring at each other.

For one complete minute, it felt like all my organs stopped working at once, I stiffened up and a warm sensation spread through my body.

It started from chest and moved further until it covered everywhere and then I felt lighter, like someone had lifted a heavy stone I had been carrying for years without even realizing it. The constant ache I had learned to live with…it suddenly felt lighter. What was that?

I quickly looked away, turning my face toward the trees. Whatever that was, I didn’t want it. I had felt a mate pull once tonight already and it had ended in public humiliation. I was done feeling things.

Suddenly I could hear footsteps now and it was coming straight toward me. The rest of the vehicles continued moving forward toward the pack house, I kept my head down, refusing to look up even when the footsteps stopped right in front of me.

“Are you alright?” His voice was deep, calm, and carried so much natural authority that it felt like even the atmosphere agreed with him.

I didn’t respond, I just stared at his shoes and stayed silent, but my heart was doing theexact opposite of being silent. Leave me alone. Whoever you are, just go.

He crouched down slowly so we were almost at eye level. “Why are you sitting here alone. And covered in wine?”

Still, I said nothing. What was the point? I had suffered beatings before for speaking when I wasn’t spoken to. What was one more powerful man adding to my pain? Besides, by tomorrow I would belong to Elder Harkin. So right now nothing else mattered.

I heard more footsteps rushing toward us. Then I heard Edward’s voice coming from behind, sounding unusually nervous.

“Your Majesty! I apologize. I was informed you had stopped but I didn’t know...” Edward stopped in his tracks when he saw me. His face twisted with irritation and embarrassment and he moved quickly to the man’s side.

“Your Majesty, please pay no heed to her. She is… nobody important. Just a servant girl who wandered too far from the pack house. Come, let me escort you inside. The ball is still going on and we have prepared everything for your visit.”

The man rose to his full height and heavens he was tall.

Very tall. “Who is she?” he asked, but his eyes never left me.

Edward laughed awkwardly. “No one you need to concern yourself with, King Zion. She is my… well, she’s cursed. Been nothing but trouble since the day she was born. She killed her own mother coming into this world. We are actually sending her off tomorrow to be married to Elder Harkin. A good arrangement for everyone.”

I couldn’t keep quiet and blurted out the words before I could stop them. “Sold off to die you mean,” I said bitterly, still staring at the ground.

“Zip it you fool!” Edward snapped at me.

Zion turned to look at Edward and silence followed immediately. “Sold?” Zion repeated. “Explain.”

Edward shifted uncomfortably. “It’s just pack business, Your Majesty. The girl is useless. She can’t even shift. We have an old debt with the Conclave and Elder Harkin agreed to take her as payment. She should be honestly be grateful.”

Zion went quiet for a long moment, then he spoke again.“And how much is this said debt?”

Edward blinked in surprise, but threw out a ridiculously huge amount, the kind of money no normal person would pay for a cursed, unshifted girl. “But that is quite the sum....” Edward started.

“Done,” Zion said without hesitation. “I will pay for it. She belongs to me now. I turned my head up and stared at him in shock.

Edward looked equally stunned but quickly and a greedy smile formed across his face. “Very well then,” he said. “She is all yours now.”