Chapter 4- Sold

Zephyra

When I opened my eyes, I thought I would find myself drowning again but I was no longer inside the water. I wasn’t even sure if I was still alive because where I was didn’t look like any place I was familiar with.

Just ahead of me, there was a giant heavy door and I was in a line with people in white clothes who wanted to make it into that door. Could this be the heavens? Or was I dreaming?

There was no way I was dreaming because I couldn’t have possibly survived that heavy waterfall.

The line moved a little and I followed the others as they stepped forward, even though my entire body was in pain.

"Wake up, you slave. It is time for you to be useful," a voice shouted. I looked around to see who had spoken, but no one else seemed to have heard it— it felt like I was the only one hearing that voice.

Slave? I am not a slave. I am a princess and my father was an Alpha. Why would anyone call me that? Maybe I heard wrong and no one really said anything.

The line moved forward again and my feet dragged across the cold ground.

“Wake up now!” A stronger, deeper voice ordered.

The moment I blinked again, I found myself in a different place and I realized I was having a hard time breathing.

As I tried to take a breath, I coughed up the water that had been stuck in my throat.

Water dripped down from my hair and covered my face as I glanced around, trying to figure out where I was. I was in a large bath tub filled with water….. This was someone’s home and not mine.

Turning to my right, I saw two older women standing over me, watching me as if I were a lost animal they wanted to take care of.

One had black curly hair that framed her face, and the other had straight brown hair that reached her shoulders.

“How long do you plan to sleep?” the woman with black hair asked. Her voice was far from gentle.

I stared at her, completely confused and then I looked down only to realize I was naked.

Why wasn’t I wearing any clothes? What had happened to me? Overwhelmed by embarrassment, I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to cover my breasts.

“We will make so much money from this one,” the black haired woman said to the other. “She’s pretty enough for the Lycan King.”

Lycan King? What did they mean by that? My eyes opened wide as it finally occurred to me that I wasn’t in my world anymore….. I was far away from home.

“Get out of the bath and get dressed,” the brown haired woman ordered.

My voice came out shaky. “Please… tell me… where am I? And…who are you? How did I get here?” I didn’t understand what was happening but I knew that I wasn’t dead and I survived when I shouldn’t have.

The black haired woman stepped closer and grabbed my chin so roughly, it hurt. “If you think you’re dead, forget it, you’re alive,” she snapped. “We saved you from the water and took care of you.”

Save me? But why did it feel more like they caught me instead?

She let go of my chin and looked me up and down with cold eyes. “And as for who we are? We’re traders. We sell slaves like you to the highest bidder, but you’re special,” she stated before her lips turned into a mean smile. “Your beauty got you to the best place and you’ll serve in the Lycan King’s palace. Honestly you should consider yourself lucky.”

My entire heart shattered. Lucky? I just escaped death and now I was being sold as a slave.

The woman with the black hair turned to a servant standing at the corner and gave her a command. “Get her ready, they’re waiting,” she said without looking back.

The servant moved closer to me and forcefully pulled my hands away from my body so she could bath me. I knew better than to fight with her because I didn’t know where I was and I had no strength of my own.

…….

The next thing I knew, I was in a car. The women from earlier drugged me so I wouldn't see where they were taking me too.

As my eyes opened, the car was already moving and I couldn’t help but notice it was similar to the one my father used to own.

Two men sat in front, one was driving and the other sat beside him while they spoke quietly. I was alone in the back seat, with my hands tied up.

They must have realized that I was awake because they stopped talking the moment one of them turned around to look at me.

After a long silent ride, we reached a place with the tallest gates I had ever seen. They were golden, covered in strange symbols. Guards stood on both sides and when they saw us, they opened the gates without asking questions.

However, I had questions…like where was I? Why was I being taken as a slave? If this was the moon goddess’s plans for me, she should have just let me die instead of bringing me back to life.

As we entered the city, it felt like stepping into a completely different universe. The beauty of this place was unlike anything I had ever witnessed before.

This must be Eboncrest…. I overheard those women who took me in, talking about sending me here to serve the Lycan King.

My father once told me about this place. Eboncrest is the capital of Thyrenna, a Lycan city that is famous for its power and ruthlessness. I had never seen it with my own eyes until now.

“Come down, slave,” a deep voice said.

My body jumped at the sound of his terrifying voice. As soon as he opened the door, I stepped out carefully with my feet bare on the ground and then I studied my surrounding.

The streets were really spacious and tidy, with tall buildings that seemed to stretch all the way up to the sunny sky.

Some people walked proudly in their beast forms, while others strolled in their human forms as they looked at me strangely.

I was scared, but not as much as I should have been, it was strange. Maybe it was because I had already lost everything. I lost my right to rule, my mate and the people I called family.

“Follow me,” the man said as he untied my hands.

I nodded and walked behind him. His legs were long, and I had to almost run to keep up with his movements. My heart pounded, not from fear, but from the unknown because I didn’t know what to expect.

We reached a grand mansion that was bigger than anything I had ever seen….. if I didn’t know better, I would have called it a castle. Bright lights shone everywhere and guards were also stationed around.

No wonder they called this place the capital city of Thyrenna, the protection here was tight and the beauty was something that couldn’t be bought anywhere else.

A tall woman with long blonde hair came towards us with no smile on her face. Everything about her was cold.

“Nysha,” the man beside me called her name as he stopped walking and looked at her. “Get her ready. She will serve the King tonight,” he said.

Nysha bowed her head slightly. “Yes, my lord.”

He didn’t give me another glance since I was nothing but a product to him. He left me alone without another word.

“Follow me, slave. We don’t have much time,” Nysha said.

I obeyed her and moved my feet even though I was in so much pain but I couldn’t complain. Even if I was hurt, I couldn’t make myself look fragile in front of anyone here.

We entered a large room filled with clothes, perfumes, and shining mirrors.

I was washed again and my hair was dried.

Nysha took out a simple floral dress and handed it to me. “Put this on,” she ordered.

My fingers shook as I dressed without saying anything to her and she also didn’t speak to me. She just watched me like if I made the wrong move, she would kill me. My stomach cried for food but I did not think anyone here cared if I had eaten or not.

Nysha braided my long brown hair and added some ornament that sparkled under the light. If I was just a slave, why did I need to be dressed so beautifully?

When she was done, she stepped back and looked at me. “Listen carefully,” she said. “Tonight, you will serve the Lycan King and you will do everything he tells you to. Never say no. If you want to live, you must obey his every command.”

My heart dropped to my stomach. “I… I don’t understand,” I whispered.

Nysha’s eyes grew colder. “The King hates disobedience,” she continued.

Then she asked me one question that caught me off guard. “Are you a virgin? I hope not. The King doesn’t like inexperienced women.”

I wasn’t expecting her to say anything like that to me and I felt my cheeks burning up from embarrassment. I opened my lips to speak but nothing came out.