Chapter 1: Getting sold

Cara’s pov

My heart was pounding like a war drum as I sprinted up the worn stairs of the old building. The cold, damp air bit at my skin, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop.

“Cara, wait!” Alice's voice echoed through the empty corridors, filled with concern. Her plea was swallowed by the groaning of old wood beneath our feet, but I didn’t turn back. 

I forced myself forward, bearing the exhaustion that wanted to engulf me. unshed tears burned my eyes.

“Just leave me alone!”

I choked out, my voice raw and trembling. I didn’t care how broken I sounded, I just needed to escape this endless nightmare to find some sliver of peace.

My pack, bluecreek pack, is a very big pack. It has many structures and investments to its name, example is this old building where the servant and the Omegas call home. A building that has been left in the mercy of destruction by my alpha, but seeing that his labour force, practically us the servants, were increasing in number, decided to renovate the abandoned property.

I ran blindly to my room, not caring about my worried friend running after me. I just needed some space after being treated like a remote-controlled pet, which I already was anyway after coming from the alpha office.

I fumbled with the right key on the lock, but my shaking hands just can’t cooperate with me. But at last, the door opened, and I stumbled inside, locking the door behind me.

Leaning against the door, I slid to the floor, gasping for breath. The tears that I had tried so hard to hold back earlier when I was in the Alpha office, now spilled freely, blurring my vision as they fell. 

I clutched my head, as if I could somehow block out the tormenting memories. 

It all started this morning… 

flashback*****

(In the morning)

I had just woken up from my sleep, dragging myself out of bed. The icy chill of the morning air kissed my skin as I dragged myself out of bed. The cold bath I forced myself to take did little to wake me from the numbness that clung to my soul. 

Standing in front of the cracked mirror above the rusted sink, I stared at the girl reflected back at me, a shadow of who I once was. My pale, gaunt face, framed by limp hair, stared back at me. My cracked lips and hollow cheeks bore the evidence of years of suffering. 

I hissed in pain as I carefully unwrapped the bandages around my arm, revealing yet another scar to add to the collection etched onto my skin. My once-smooth flesh now served as a canvas of my torment, each mark a reminder of the punishments I’d endured. The Bane Whip, dipped in wolfsbane to resist our natural healing, had left scars down my back that would never fade. 

The faded marks of my past punishments mocked me as I touched the most recent wound, still tender and angry. My fingers trembled, but I forced myself to focus. Years of tending to my own injuries, and sometimes those of others, had made me an unwilling expert in first aid. 

My hair, still damp from the bath, was piled carelessly on my head, a far cry from the long, silky locks that used to flow down my back. Not that it mattered. Here, in this hellhole, appearance was the least of my concerns. 

With a sigh, I slipped into the tattered dress that marked me as an Omega. The fabric hung loosely on my thin frame, a reminder of how little we were given and how much was expected in return. 

As I stepped out of my room, Alice’s cheerful voice greeted me. “Good morning, damsel in distress!” 

I rolled my eyes, a small, involuntary smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “Who’s a damsel, you old witch?” I retorted, nudging her playfully. 

Alice, my only friend in this forsaken pack, had a way of lifting my spirits even in the darkest moments. She was a refugee too, her pack destroyed by rogues, and her cheerfulness was a small comfort in this shared misery. 

“Are you ready for the big day?” she teased, her voice laced with excitement. 

“It’s just a party,” I muttered, shaking my head. Alice’s boundless enthusiasm was both admirable and baffling. 

As we made our way to the dining hall, she chattered on about the upcoming celebration, some grand affair to announce the Alpha’s son as heir. The thought of celebrating anything in this wretched place felt absurd to me. 

Seated at the table reserved for Omegas, I listened to the hum of gossip around me. Alice and Julia, another servant, debated the party details. My attention waned until Julia leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. 

“Did you hear? The Rogue King was spotted near the neighbouring pack.” 

I widened my eyes in shock as the “Rogue king” as was his title, was a well-known figure in the whole of Ellorin. My heart skipped a beat. The Rogue King was a name whispered in fear, a figure of legend and terror. 

Though it was not proven, many regard him as the notorious king of rogue wolves and consider him the strongest wolf no alpha has defeated till now.

“No wonder security’s tighter,” Alice muttered, her tone uneasy. 

I nodded absently, the weight of their words settling over me like a heavy blanket. 

But the meal was abruptly interrupted. Aaron, one of the Alpha’s errand boys, approached our table, his expression unreadable. 

“The Alpha wants to see you,” he said, his eyes fixed on me. 

I was led to the pack house where the alpha's office was located. A three story building that was the biggest in the Pack. I shivered as I was led to his office. Alpha Black was a huge bulky man who had ribbed muscles with an imposing air. menacing tattoos were drawn all over his huge arm, which is the size of my head in width.

I bowed my head as his alphas' presence was pressuring.

“Cara sit down” he said in his baritone voice, surprisingly calm, he gestured to me.

There’s something important I need to discuss with you,” he began, his tone cold and matter-of-fact.

“From now on, you will no longer be part of this pack.”His words hung in the air, freezing me in place. I couldn’t comprehend what he was saying, couldn’t process the implications. 

“You have been selected,” he continued, his voice like a hammer driving the words into my skull, “as a sign of goodwill for the relationship between our pack and a neighbouring one.”

I blinked, the reality of his words crashing over me like a tidal wave. My chest tightened with fear and confusion. To be sent to another pack as a gesture of goodwill? What did that even mean? My mind raced through the possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last. Would I be a servant? A concubine? Or worse?

“Cara, you should be grateful,” Alpha Black said, his voice cutting through my panic. “This is an honor. A service to the pack that saved you.”

But there was nothing honourable about it. I was being sold, handed off like a piece of property. My thoughts spiraled, a storm of fear and anger that I couldn’t control.

end of flashback******

(Back to present)

Tears streamed down my face as I recalled the Alpha’s words. What did it mean to be offered to other packs? The thought of being used by another Alpha sent chills down my spine.

I was jolted into reality by the loud banging on my door.