Chapter Two

What do you think you're doing?" Alpha asks angrily. It's been years since I last saw my father like this.

Zya starts trembling, "I only wanted to teach her a lesson, I didn't mean to hurt her."

"Isn't she older than you? Who should be teaching whom a lesson?" He questions, and Zya remains silent. I can't believe my father is publicly defending me like this. I thought he had forgotten about me long ago. His eyes briefly meet mine, and he seems stunned before quickly looking away. Nothing has changed; he still can't bear to look at my face.

"Are you alright, child?" He asks softly, avoiding eye contact.

"I'm fine, Alpha. Thank you for your concern," I reply, bowing my head respectfully.

I miss the time when he was still a father to me. We used to be inseparable, and I would cry whenever he wasn't around. Even my mother was envious of our bond. But now, look at us. It's nobody's fault but his.

He reaches out for my arm, but I instinctively step back, feeling uncomfortable with his touch. Sadness flickers in his eyes, and he looks hurt for a moment. However, it does little to sway me. He has no idea what I have endured in this place.

"Come with me!" He commands in his alpha tone, giving Zya one last glance. "As for you, go and kneel in the front yard until the sun sets."

Zya initially prepares to voice her objections, but quickly decides against it and obediently responds, "Yes, alpha." She then starts walking towards the front yard as instructed.

Meanwhile, Alpha turns in the opposite direction, and I am left with no choice but to follow him, despite having just promised the luna that I would stay away from their sight forever. I hope that all of this will come to an end soon so that I can escape to a place where no one will ever find me, as I have planned.

He leads me to his living quarters, and as we enter the building, a middle-aged woman appears. She greets Alpha and he introduces me as his daughter, Harlow. He entrusts me to her care and she assures him that she will do a good job.

With that, Alpha walks away, leaving me alone with Mary. "Come on, miss," she urges, "there's no time to waste." Mary takes me to a stream and instructs me to undress. When I refuse, she undresses me forcefully and pushes me into the water, scrubbing my back vigorously with her strong fists.

Once the torturous bath is over, Mary leads me to a small room where she proceeds to dress me in a luxurious silk robe. It looks incredibly fancy and expensive. "Excuse me, but are you sure there isn't a mistake here?" I can't help but question. My father's sudden change raises many doubts and uncertainties.

"There is absolutely no mistake whatsoever," Mary says, gently brushing my hair. "You will see for yourself, but for now, please sit still and let me do my work." I do not press further, and as time passes, I begin to doze off until Mary taps me back to consciousness, indicating that she is finished. She instructs me to follow her, and although reluctantly, I get up and trail behind her, yawning every five seconds.

After walking through the long corridors for several minutes, Mary stops in front of a black door. I yawn widely, but Mary turns to face me, causing me to freeze mid-yawn. "You must close your mouth when you enter that room," she warns, and I find myself nodding in response.

I quietly close my mouth, being careful not to make a sound. Mary is satisfied with this and proceeds to pull the door handle, although she does not enter with me. My heart pounds heavily in my chest, but I gather the courage to step into the room.

The room is spacious, with white-painted walls. In the center, there is a large table surrounded by numerous chairs. The alpha sits at the head of the table, with two men positioned on either side. They appear to be engaged in a conversation, but pause as I enter, turning their heads in my direction.

The alpha seems pleased, while the men gaze at me with an expression that I cannot quite decipher. It makes me incredibly uneasy, and I have an urge to hide away. However, I gather my strength and continue moving forward.

"This is my daughter, Harlow," the alpha proudly introduces me.

They erupted into applause, marveling at how the beautiful gem had been kept hidden for so long. The potbellied bald man, who appeared to be in his forties, spoke up, asking if she was a virgin. Another man, much younger but with an unappealing face, joined in the inquiry. Alpha confidently confirmed that she was indeed a virgin, causing everyone to laugh, completely disregarding my presence. I felt disgusted and uncomfortable among them, but I could only listen silently.

The bald man then proposed a deal, offering fifty plots of land in exchange for the girl. Alpha seemed to consider it, but before he could respond, another man interjected. He offered to marry Alpha's daughter and in return, presented an enticing offer of fifty cattle and sixty plots of land.

Alpha was about to speak, but the man with the unattractive face beat him to it, proudly proclaiming his offer of a hundred cattle and a hundred plots of land, convinced that no one could top it.

Alpha turned to Marc, a man who had remained silent throughout the conversation. Only one side of his face was visible to me, revealing his good looks. Alpha asked for his input, and Marc cleared his throat before speaking up. He offered an impressive deal of two hundred and fifty horses, a hundred cattle, and two hundred acres of land in exchange for Alpha's daughter's hand. He then turned to Henry, awaiting his response.