Claimed and Sold at the Lycan King's Ball

CHAPTER 1

Broken

AVA'S POV

“You’re just a Beta’s daughter, Ava,” Jax’s voice echoed in my head. “I’m going to be Alpha. I need a mate who brings power, not just... you.”

The silence in my bedroom was trying to choke me. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, but I didn't recognize the girl looking back. My eyes were puffy and bloodshot, the skin around them had turned red from hours of wiping away tears. Two years. I gave him two damn years of my life, trying to be exactly what he wanted, and this was how it ended in front of half the pack.

“I loved you,” I whispered, my voice breaking even though I hated myself for it. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of them

Jax laughed. “Love? Come on, Ava. You’re just ordinary. The King’s ball is in two days and even your stepmother knows you don’t stand a chance. Face it you’re not queen material. You’re nothing special.” My stepsister Selene’s loud laugh cut through the noise like shattered glass. My chest ached. Ever since he said that. My wolf had gone silent. The forest didn't smell like pine. Her fur was no longer fluffy; she just curled into a shivering ball. He hadn't even waited for the Moon Goddess to reveal our fates. He had just decided I wasn't enough.

“Ava, open this door.”

The sharp click of my stepmother’s heels against the floorboards made my stomach twist.

She pushed the door open before I could move. Lydia stood there, holding a dress that looked expensive and suffocating.

“Look at you,” she hissed, her eyes looking over my tear-stained face with disgust.

“Crying over a boy who had the guts to throw you away. Get up. Wash your face. You’re going to the Lycan Ball.”

“I'm not going,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “I can't stand there and watch everyone find their happiness while I…”

“You’re going because this family is bankrupt Ava.” She stepped closer. The scent of her perfume made my stomach turn. “Your father’s debts are piling up. The Lycan King has been looking for a Queen. If you can even get a Beta or a General to look at you, we might survive the winter.”

“You want me to sell myself?” I asked a hint of anger in my voice. Lydia stood in front of me pressing her lips into a thin line. “I want you to be useful for once in your life. Now, put on the dress, or I’ll have the guards drag you there in your nightgown. Your choice.” She turned to leave then muttered half way. “If you don’t find someone, then don't bother coming back. Because the locks would be changed.”

***

The carriage ride to the Royal Palace was a mix of rain and suffocating ache. The corset was pulled tight that I could barely breathe. Girls were discussing how they were going to be or make a good queen. But my thoughts drifted to Jax. And Ash let out a low whimper that echoed through my chest, she was still mourning the pack we were supposed to build together.

When the door opened, the wide scale of the palace swallowed me. It was a fortress made of blackstone and gold glowing under the moonlight. Inside, the air was heavy with the scent of hundreds of wolves. It was overwhelming. The air smelled of musk, sweat, pheromones, and floral perfumes.

I stayed near the walls, trying to hide in the shadows. I watched as girls laughed, showing their necks to every high-ranking male that passed. My hand reached for the expensive necklace Lydia made me wear. We could barely afford it. But she did anyway with the hope that I could seduce the king.

The drums rolled. And Alphas who had been boasting minutes ago went silent. The whole room also went silent. It wasn't the kind of silence that comes from respect; it was the silence of fear. At the top of the grand staircase stood a man in black. He looked like he had been carved from the very mountain the palace was built on. King Draken Voss. His hair was raven black, and his eyes were glowing like gold. He didn't smile. He didn't wave. He just scanned the crowd like a god who’s been bored looking down at us like we were insects. I looked down at my shoes, praying to the Moon Goddess to make me invisible.

I felt a sudden strange pull in my chest like an invisible thread was tied to my heart and he was holding the other end. No, I thought, holding my chest. It’s just the stress. It’s just the heartbreak. Then the scent hit me. A brewing storm, wet earth, and something dangerously sweet like dark honey. “DANGER,” Ash suddenly hissed, her ears finally lifting back. She stopped whimpering. For the first time in more than twenty-four hours, she stood up. “SOMETHING IS COMING.”

I raised my head up and my breath hitched. His gaze locked onto mine. His eyes didn't just see me it felt like it was piercing through me. They turned to a molten, glowing gold.

“MATE.” Ash screamed in my head, so loud I nearly fell to my knees. “KING IS OURS.”

The King had stopped in the middle of the floor. And the crowd parted as he began to move. He wasn't looking at the Alphas or the beautiful daughters of the elite. He was looking directly at the girl in the corner who had been broken.

My human instinct screamed Run away. But Ash wagged her tail insisting. “GO TO HIM.”

He stopped in front of me leaning down, his nose brushing against my neck. I felt the “sparks” people talked about. They felt like fire, burning through my skin.

“I have waited a decade for this scent,” he growled. My legs went cold and I could barely stand. He looked up, his eyes was completely black, the Lycan had taken over.

“Mine,” he barked. And it echoed across the hall.

“I... I don't want you,” I whispered, my voice trembling. As I moved backward. My back hitting the stone wall. The King moved fast. He gripped my waist, pulling me against his hard chest. His eyes narrowed, a possessive smirk pulling at his lips.

“Little wolf,” he muttered against my ear, “The Moon Goddess doesn't ask for permission. And neither do I.”

No this can't be the end for me. I won't go willingly, neither will I go back to Lydia or the pack. If the bond killed me, I'd take them both down first.

Then I smelled it, sharp. In the middle of everything. Jasmine and Old wine cutting through.