VALERIE
I couldn’t breathe.
I hadn’t expected the Alpha to address me directly. No one addressed slaves directly. We were property and doing so was about the equivalent of speaking to vase or a painting on the wall. We were expensive, but not valuable. We were disposable. We weren’t people, but things.
What had your parents done?
I wished I knew. I wished I could formulate any kind of proper response, but my blood was in my face and my heart was in my throat, and words were not something I could choke out when the Alpha’s eyes bore into me like this.
I wish I knew what my parents had done. I wish I could absolve myself of the anger and suspicion. I almost wished they were guilty of some heinous crime, so my heart would stop beating with vengeance at the mention of them.
I didn’t know how to answer.
I felt a slap on the back of my chair, and a whoosh of air—like it had been whipped with a twisted rag. “The Alpha asked you a question!” Aunt Rita snipped. The aunts loved to threaten us with the little rags they carried around to dust the shops, but really, they weren’t allowed to lay a hand on us. Even knowing that, I coiled at the thought of what they might do to me if I did not comply.
The Alpha’s calculating eyes slid up to Aunt Rita’s face. “I appreciate your help,” he said, sounding like he didn’t much appreciate it at all, “but please allow me to give the orders.”
Aunt Rita turned a shade of pink and retreated back a step to bow her head and nod. “Yes, my Alpha. I do not mean to interfere.” She rang the rag in her hands. “My concern is only…well, this girl is not the best choice for you. We have better—“
“Is she a virgin?” asked the Alpha.
Aunt Rita opened her mouth, but no words came out. It was as if she couldn’t possibly imagine anyone would want a slave like me—especially the Alpha.
She wasn’t wrong. I was not as pretty in body or face as the others. And I was…flawed.
When Aunt Rita failed to answer, Aunt Louis stepped up. “Yes. She is a virgin.”
The Alpha gave me a steady once-over. “Why hasn’t anyone purchased her yet?”
I tried not to meet his eyes, but I could feel his gaze burning into my skin no matter where I looked. Suddenly, my flesh was on fire. My clothes were too small, too constrictive.
“Her eyes,” Aunt Louis answered flatly.
“Eyes?” asked the Alpha.
“They’re quite peculiar. Different from the other girls. Guests find it…ominous.”
“Ominous?” Aunt Louis’s explanation seemed to only pique the Alpha’s interest more. He suppressed a chuckle and said, “My wolves? Afraid of a little human girl?”
Aunt Rita pressed her lips into a flat line. Then softly, she explained, “Her eyes are considered…a bad omen.”
I had heard mention of my eyes before—how some guests thought them to be hideous and others were intrigued, but afraid of what the color in might mean. Never had I heard they were a bad omen, but I supposed it made sense. Even the aunts were often too afraid to get close to me—like I might strike and bite them on the palm like a cottonmouth.
“Look at me,” the Alpha ordered. “Let me see your eyes.”
I was afraid to. I had kept my gaze on the reflection of the glass, the floorboards—even the lapel of his jacket. But I could not look him in the eyes.
When finally I did force my gaze to his face, I was struck by the beauty of him. I had never seen him so closely before. His face was sure and strong, young and handsome. His hair was short and black, but untidy. It looked mussed, like he had just run a hand through it prior before coming in—something I had not expected from a wolf of such high regard.
His eyes were low and sheening in the light of the chandelier above. A lovely gray color, with a shimmer of blue in the depths. At first, they looked calm and easy—the eyes of a man who knew his power and feared no one. Then, as they stared into mine, they began to widen.
I looked away, afraid that he would fear me like the others. That maybe, he’d think me a monster and have me sentenced to death for this omen the aunts spoke of. But as I turned away, the Alpha cupped my jaw and turned my gaze back to him.
His eyes were heavy—cutting through me like blades. The expression in them was curious and perplexed, like he was looking into a math equation, rather than a set of human eyes. His brows furrowed and his head tilted slightly to the side.
I shivered. The longer he stared at me, the more I felt my clothes stripped away fiber by fiber. I had been comfortable in my rags a moment ago, but now I felt naked under his gaze.
“It is unique,” he commented and turned my head gently to see the mark on my neck. “Did you get this in the war?” he asked. I felt his fingers graze the skin feather-light before I jerked away, frightened by his touch.
“It is alright,” said the Alpha, lowly—as if only I was meant to hear. “I won’t touch you again.” Somehow, even though he frightened me, his comfort settled inside of me like a warm ember.
He let go of me and drew back, waiting for an answer.
I clutched my fingers into a fist to keep from covering the side of my neck and replied, my voice trembling, “It is a birthmark.”
“A birthmark,” the Alpha echoed. “Interesting.” He straightened and clasped his hands behind his back—the proper stature of a wolf who knew war. “I suppose I could use one more servant to help in the castle. What do you think, Ralph?”
I had not noticed the man standing beside him until the wolf was clearing his throat and bowing. “Whatever you see fit, sir.”
“I’ll take her,” said the Alpha.
My heart doubled—or perhaps it stopped. I wasn’t sure anymore.
“What is her price?” he asked.
At first, no one responded. The aunts looked frozen, their mouths ajar, each of them glancing to one another in awe.
I could tell they would have loved to be rid of me. But they feared the repercussions. Giving away such an underwhelming slave to someone like the Alpha…the aunts would never put their reputation at risk like that.
“My Alpha,” stammered Aunt Rita, “I’m afraid she’s too dangerous. She’s the child of criminals—of men who used violence against our kind. Goddess knows what she will do.”
“What is your name?” asked the Alpha, his eyes on Aunt Rita now.
“R-Rita,” she stammered.
“Rita,” replied the Alpha. “I don’t think it would be wise of you to challenge a guests’s decision so vehemently.” The color drained from Aunt Rita’s face. At the mortified look she wore, the Alpha’s lips cracked into a slight smile. It looked like he was biting back another laugh. “I understand you concern,” he said kindly, “but if I can’t handle something like this, who do you think will be able to?”
Aunt Rita let out an exhale—looking a little dizzy as she stepped back and bowed. “Her price is five-hundred coins, my Alpha.”
Five-hundred coin?
Were they joking?
Five-hundred could would have bought most of the girls in this place. The aunts were either very daring or very stupid, taking advantage of the Alpha like this.
The Alpha’s eyes fell back to mine. My heart beat against my ribs like a hammer, eating thump making me more and more lightheaded than the last.
“Five-hundred it is,” said the Alpha. He snapped his fingers and his guard stepped forward with a sack of coins in his hand.
VALERIE I gulped. One of the Alpha’s men came forward and offered a hand to help me from my chair. I wobbled as I stood, my legs numb and weak beneath me. The moment they had the coin in their hands, the mood in the shop shifted dramatically. Smiles blossomed over their faces and they looked to one another giddily. “How generous of you, my Alpha. You are correct—she is quite a unique girl. Won’t find another like her. Please do enjoy!” Aunt Rita, who just a moment ago looked like she was going to faint, was suddenly revitalized. She fluttered in front of him and gestured back toward a large display of “tools” used to keep slaves in line. Things like collars, cuffs, whips and a variety of toys—some I knew the purpose of and others that were simply question-marks on the wall. I shivered at the thought of any of those items being used on me. The Alpha’s gaze flickered back to me. There was a slight tilt to his lips—the slightest twitch of a smirk as he said, “No need, thank you.” M
VALERIE The Alpha said nothing as we continued our walk out of the market square, where a vehicle awaited us. Wolves themselves didn’t require cars. They were much stronger and much larger than humans—and in their shifted form, they had enough endurance to travel at quick speeds all day long. But then again, Alphas probably preferred to be driven around on business. The car that awaited us was like nothing I had ever seen before. It was sleek and low—the kind of car that probably used to air on television ads decades ago. Vehicles were hard to come by since the factories all closed—but of course, the Alpha had his connections. It was more than likely that he had the thing personally designed and built just for him. It was a wonder what the wealthy did with their money while others starved. I found my reflection in the dark windows. I was such a ragged, unkempt thing. Why would he want me? Chad took the driver’s seat and the engine roared to life like a wild beast, woken from its
VALERIE I didn’t know what to say. What was allowed when speaking to an Alpha? Was I to wait until he addressed me? Could I speak first? Surely, I couldn’t just say something like, “Can I call you Alpha instead?” Could I? After a moment of my silent deliberations, the Alpha seemed to give up on any chance of a reply. “Nevermind,” he said. Then he turned to the glaring man in the passenger seat. “That’s enough, Ralph. You can rest easily now. This journey has been tiresome enough.” I wasn’t sure what he meant, but Ralph nodded his head and his unfriendly gaze finally lifted off of me. Truly, he couldn’t have thought I would try to hurt the Alpha. What was he, a damned guard dog? Outside, the landmarks had finally begun to change. A greenness began to take over the earth—a color I hadn’t seen since my parents were still alive. I gaped at the vast forest of trees awaiting us, a slight excitement beating in my chest. Calm down, I told myself. You’re still a slave. Your life is still
VALERIE It was a well-known fact that werewolves were among the most attractive species on earth, but this man was something else. He looked like a prince, plucked straight from a fairytale. His hair was blond, just long enough to curl beneath his ear. His eyes the color of lightning—blue and pooling with light. He was lean, but strong. Not quite like the burly guards that accompanied the Alpha. He wore a shirt, half-buttoned that showed his pale flesh beneath, white as the marble stone we walked upon. Tangled in his arms was a human girl. She reminded me a bit of Ashley, with her pretty face and her long golden hair. She wore nothing but a thin night dress that saved little to the imagination. But despite that she was human, she was donned in fine jewelry and makeup, which made me think that she was either from a prestigious family, or she had been gifted those things by someone much more fortunate. Her face was glazed in ecstasy, and I could tell from the lost look in her eyes th
VALERIE How had I not realized? He had all the traits of a vampire: a sharp-boned, handsome face, skin the color of fresh fallen-snow—and the glinting I’d noticed must’ve been his fangs peaking out over his devious smile. It wasn’t that I didn’t know what vampires looked like, or that I wouldn’t have been able to identify one in person—but this man called Lucas was different than the vampires I’d come to know. He was larger, stronger, almost the size of a werewolf. This was unusual for vampires, who were often just as small in stature as humans. Then again, I had only met a vampire once before. It had happened at a wedding reception I’d attended with my parents and Mathilda. The bride and groom had been close family friends, and they’d celebrated their marriage at their newly acquired home in a small, quaint little village. Things were different then. There was still good in the world, and the war had not destroyed most of what we held dear. The couple were deeply in love, and th
VALERIE I followed obediently. What else was a slave to do? As long as I obeyed, he hadn’t a reason to punish me. Once we reached the top of the staircase, I allowed myself to look around for the first time. Over the banister, a large lounge room came into view. It was dark and spacious, with leather furniture and walls made of stone. A fire radiated from somewhere inside. I wondered why so much space was necessary. Who would be spending their time in such a room? We passed, and heading toward a room at the end of another long hallway. Two ornate doors awaited us, the scent of sweet oak filling the air. As we approached, I noticed the guards at the door—two on either side. The door itself was made of a tawny bronze material, looking like it weighed more than the both of us combined. Was this where I would be kept? After all, making an escape through those doors would be impossible. I supposed it was better than a locked cell. The Alpha stopped before the guards, and waited as th
VALERIE By the time I’d arrived back downstairs, the foyer had filled with the wafting scents of fresh-cooked meats and baked bread. I wasn’t sure why I had been invited to dinner when it was probably more fitting for a servant to be in the kitchen actually cooking the meal, but I couldn’t deny that the smells wreathing me were irresistible. Flavor was not something we experienced often back at the slave shop. The aunts complied to the Alpha’s orders to feed us meat and milk every week, but seasoning and sweets were something we only caught a whiff of when the windows were left open on a windy afternoon. I rounded the foyer and stood at the threshold of the dining room, watching servants buzz around the table. They dropped off platters full of food, and laid out silverware in a distinct order. The sight made me nervous. Which spoons was I meant to use? Which knives and forks? One of the servants pulled back a chair when he spotted me and gestured for me to sit beside the Alpha, ac
VALERIE The Alpha had a point. Why would those vampires have risked their privileged lives to go up against the council? The council was full of hardened, unforgiving men. They would have been deprived of their luxurious lifestyles and been put on trial immediately, if not imprisoned entirely for their crimes. It was so like the high class to think they were above the treaty. It was so like vampires to believe they were above everyone. There had to be more motive behind their crimes. Vampires we not the most powerful creatures, but they were certainly smart. Smarter than the average human, and much smarter than the average wolf. Lucas frowned. Even his frown looked pretty. “Perhaps they’re after something…more attractive?” “Yes, much more attractive,” said the Alpha. “Attractive even to you and me.” I did not miss the rough, disgruntled edges to his voice as he said, “It’s related to the prophecy.” Lucas’s frown eased into a look of interest. All hint of playfulness had vanished