Chapter 3

Chapter 03

ZARA'S POV

"The guests are here!!", Miriam rushed into the kitchen and alerted the maids with a sense of urgency. "I need everyone on deck! Get to serve them their food immediately! I don't want anyone acting like an old woman here! Get their food to them quickly and carefully!!", She yelled instructions to each maids as they hurried out of the kitchen with the food I just made.

After almost getting hit by a bunch of rich fools and trekking to the border to get wolf peppers, I ended up staying choked in the kitchen making a three course meal for the guests that we were going to have.

From what I heard, our guests where the Alpha and Beta of Blood moon pack the strongest pack in all of the wolf Kingdom, with an Alpha that couldn't be looked in the eyes even by the greatest men because of how ruthless, heartless and cold he was.

Miriam was supposed to be one to cook or at least supervise it, but she made me do it and took all of the credit.

"And what are you doing there?", I saw her narrow her dark gaze to me. "Didn't you hear me say that I need all hands on deck? Or do you think you're off the hook just because you made little contribution to my cooking? Get this tray of food to the dinning table before I roast you over that cooker", she threatened and I knew better than to call it bluff.

I hadn't been fed anything yet, and I felt like I could be carried away by the wind. I had a bad migraine and my legs threatened to give way, but I was too tired to argue.

I simply carried the tray of food and joined the maid in the living room.

They were talking about a peace treaty when I got there and I was about to drop the tray when my body stopped functioning for a moment.

Were my eyes playing a prank on me?

Seated just across my father was the same man I encountered on my way to the border?!

This had to be a joke.

I made eye contact with the men, and my throat dried up in an instant.

They recognized me too!

Wait a minute.

That meant that I called Beta and Alpha of Bloodmoon pack, rich good-for-nothings?

I was fucked.

I swallowed and acted like everything was alright. I began serving their food as quickly as I could so I could get out of here.

"So, just to be clear, we've finalized the peace treaty, right? Or is there any other thing you want to add to the list?"

"Yes, actually", Alpha Damon said, his eyes on my body.

"And what would that be?"

"I want her."

*

The whole dining room became so silent, I could hear my own palpitating heart.

I froze to standstill where I was and gawked and the psychopath of a werewolf was staring at me with his piercing eyes.

What was his request supposed to mean?

"Ermm, Alpha Damon", my father cleared his parched throat. "Could you please explain what you mean when you say you want her?"

"Let me make this very clear to you, Donovan", he began without even batting an eyelid. "I want to rewrite the terms of the peace treaty which you are offering to me. I've changed my mind. I do not want lands or soldiers or gold or silver. Keep them for yourself and your struggling pack. I want this lady standing before us as mine. She is the only exchange I shall need in exchange for revenge. In other words... It's either I go back to my pack with this woman as mine, or I go back to inform my soldiers that we have lives to take in the Redmoon pack."

"I do not want you!", I yelled desperately like my life depended on it. "I know you're doing this as revenge for what happened earlier today, but over my dead body will I go anywhere with you-"

"So you mean that if I give her off to you, I get to keep my lands and my pack?"

Wait.

Was my father considering it?

I swerved to him and fell on my knees. "Father, please!", I began to beg. "Don't allow me to go with this man! He's going to kill me! I know you hate me, but for the sake of my late mother, please have mercy on me! I don't want to go with him."

Without even looking my way or giving it a second thought, he turned to his Beta. "Get me the peace treaty and a pen immediately"

"Father!!", I begged, but they fell on deaf ears.

"Asher", I turned to my step brother and heir to the throne who was seated with them. "Please beg father on my behalf! I have done nothing wrong to be used as a sacrifice for the kingdom!!", But he just looked on like I didn't exist.

The peace treaty was immediately handed to him, and my full name ZARA SMITH was written boldly as the term and condition.

Alpha Damon was the first to sign it before sliding it over to my father.

I grabbed my father's legs with my shaky hands. "Please, father! I'm your child too! Don't sell me off like this-"

He kicked me away from him like I was an unwanted animal, and I watched as he signed the treaty, my fate being decided without even considering my stance.

"Good. I need to attend to something important in my pack, but my beta will stay with her in your palace tonight to guard my property. First thing tomorrow, I'll be back to her with me", Alpha Damon said as he got up.

"And she'll be ready to go with you", my father rose up too and they shook hands before he left.

"Father-"

"I am not your father, Zara. You have been useless all your life and this is your one chance to be of use to me. You should be happy I'm selling you off to a man like him", he turned to the guards. "Take her away."

His words were like a sharp spear that through my chest and came out my back. It was so painful, tears began to roll out of my eyes as I was bundled to my room and dumped on the bed without any care.

I sat in the dark, sobbing and wishing that my mother was alive to see all of this.

I was better off dead than living this miserable life.

No matter how much I cried, my wolf couldn't calm down.

She was restless and screamed "a way out!" Over and over.

It only meant one thing.

There was only one way I could evade being under the possession of that evil tyrant.

I had to rewrite fate.

I needed to escape this godforsaken palace tonight.