Sold

CHAPTER 2

SOLD

AVA'S POV.

He bent down and his fangs sank into my neck. A wave of pain and unwanted pleasure crashed through me. The bond snapped. When he finally pulled back, blood on his lips and pure possession burned in his eyes. My knees felt weak and I could barely stand. But he still held me.

“I don’t want this,” I gasped, tears slipped down my cheeks. “I don’t want you.”

His jaw locked. “The bond doesn’t care what you want, little mate. You belong to me now.”

He took my hand and pulled me through the crowd. I looked around for help and all I could see was the jealous, hateful glare of women. I saw Selene amongst the crowd and she looked at me with pure hatred and disgust.

The King took me to a private study that smelled of old leather and books. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. The marking bite burned under my skin. Then the smell of Jasmine and old wine hit the air. Lydia was there her smile was too wide. Too fake. My gut twisted hard and I stared at the floor.

“Your Majesty,” she said sweetly, bowing so low that her forehead nearly touched the floor. “What a blessing. My stepdaughter is yours. Of course, a girl of her kind requires a certain compensation for the family she leaves behind.”

Air left my lungs. “What are you doing?” I whispered.

King Draken didn't even look at her. He kept his eyes locked on me. “Name your price,” he growled.

“King Draken, no.” I gasped, my voice finally coming back. “I’m not an object. You can't just— ”

“Quiet, Ava,” Lydia snapped, then turned back to the King with a fake smile. “The South Pack needs timber, five hundred head of cattle, and a monthly stipend of gold. Do that, and she is yours. You can take her tonight.”

I looked at the woman who had raised me since I was six. She wasn't giving me away; she was trading me for cows and wood.

The King pulled a fountain pen from his desk. He signed a paper without blinking. “Done. Now get out.”

Lydia grabbed the paper like it was a holy relic and walked out of the room without looking at me. She didn't even say goodbye.

The door closed. And I was alone with the Lycan King.

“You bought me,” I whispered, tears falling down my cheek. “The ‘Mate Bond’ is just a transaction to you.”

Draken walked toward me, his heavy boots thudding on the rug. He grabbed my chin, and forced me to look up at him. “Your family would have sold you to the highest bidder eventually, Ava. I simply ensured that the bidder was me.”

His words hit harder than I expected. My chest tightened. I wasn’t a person anymore. I was a property.

I tried to pull my chin out from his iron grip but it didn't bulge.

“You speak as if you've done me a favor,” I whispered. “But you’re just another man deciding my fate for me. First Jax, then Lydia and now you.”

I mentioned Jax's name. Draken's eyes flashed with a dangerous anger. He released the grip. And that alone made me stumble back until my back hit the wood of his desk. He leaned over me pinning me to the desk. “Do not mention that weakling in my presence again,” he rumbled, “He threw away a treasure he was too blind to see. I, however, know exactly what I have bought.”

“I am not a treasure,” I snapped. “I am not a thing. You bit me without asking. You bought me without saying a word to me. Is this how a King treats his mate?”

Draken’s gaze lowered to my neck, to the red mark he had left. His expression softened for a moment. But it vanished again. “I am a Lycan, Ava. We do not ask. We take. We protect. And we never let go.”

His thumb rubbed the edge of my jaw. The sparks were so intense That I had to bite my lip to keep me from crying out in pleasure.

“Tonight, you will learn what it means to belong to the Crown.

You will sleep in my chambers. You will wear my mark. And you will forget that the boy who broke your heart ever existed. Do you understand?”

My breath hitched for a moment. “I will never be yours,” I whispered, my voice trembling despite my bravado. “You can buy my body, Draken, but you will never own me.”

A predatory smirk pulled at his lips. “We have an eternity to see about that, little wolf.”

He released the grip. Then straightened. “Guards.” His voice echoed across the study. The oak doors swung open and two huge men stepped in. They didn’t look at me. They just looked at their king. “Take the Queen to the Royal Chambers,” Draken commanded. “She is not to leave those rooms. If a single hair on her head is harmed, or if she disappears from your sight. I will have your heads.” Then he turned to me. “Choose Ava. Walk or be carried.”

I stared at him, jaw locked. “Don't touch me.” I walked past the guards myself. “I'll walk. But don't mistake it for choosing you. Draken.”

I said it low enough that only he could hear. The guards led me out through the lit hallway. I was no longer Ava of the south pack. I was the King's captive. And the worst part? Ash was starting to crave the monster that had taken everything from me. I am a wolf. Wolves don't stay caged. As we turned a sharp corner toward the royal wing, a movement caught my eye.

I froze for a second, my breath hitched. At the far end of the dim corridor, a shadow moved. It was tall. I squinted, trying to make out a face, but all I saw were glowing pairs of golden eyes. The figure didn't move; it just watched me.

“Keep moving, Luna Queen,” the guard said. I stumbled forward, my skin prickling with the sensation of being watched.