1|| A Daughter’s Sin

“No! No, I won’t do it! I said I won’t!”

The slap came out of nowhere, landing hard before I could react. My face snapped to the side, and I gasped, my trembling hand reaching up to touch my stinging cheek.

“Are you stupid? How dare you defy me, Daliha!” my father roared, his voice thundering so loud it passed through the ringing in my ears. I stumbled, hitting my back on the wall trying not to crumble to the floor.

“You’ve been sold to the king,” he said coldly, his gaze piercing through me. “In two days, you will leave this pack and move to the palace, whether you like it or not. Defy me again, and I swear you’ll regret it.”

I wiped my tears with the sleeve of my dress and turned to face my father, only to find him glaring at me with a look that froze me in place. There was no trace of fatherly love or warmth in his eyes, only a cold hatred that seemed to steam from within. It was the kind of look you gave an enemy. Someone you wanted dead. Who’d have thought that a father would look at his daughter that way.

“F-Father,” I stammered, my voice cracking. “Do you hear yourself? You sold me to the ruthless Lycan king? How could you ignore his reputation and send me to the palace? No one has ever gone there and come back alive!”

This couldn’t be real. No, it couldn’t. Everyone knew the king’s reputation. He was a man as ruthless and bloodthirsty as they came. No one had ever seen him in person, yet his name struck fear in every heart. He was the Lycan King, living in seclusion within his haunted palace.

According to rumors, he was cursed, and anyone who came near him and looked into his eyes always met a gruesome end. It was said he was hideous, so much so that he always wore a mask to conceal his face. And now, my father was selling me to him.

“You’re not deaf, are you? You heard me the first time,” he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’re marrying the king to pay off my debt, and that’s final! Do you know how many families would love to be relatives with the king? You’re going to be his concubine. How worthy do you think you are to even be a slave? Instead of you being on your knees, thanking me for all I have done for you, even putting a roof over your head after what you did, you murderer!”

I flinched at the sharpness of his words, and the tears came in waves as I looked down, guilt crushing me.

“You killed your mother and brother. Don’t forget that you’re indebted to this family. You should pack your bags immediately and prepare to leave in two days and don't think of doing anything silly. Be warned, or else…” His threat hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. He huffed in irritation before turning on his heel and leaving me standing there to absorb the full weight of his cruel words.

Before I knew it, my legs felt weak, and I fell to the ground, blinking in disbelief as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. The ache in my chest was unbearable, like a dagger had been plunged directly into my heart.

It was real. It was really happening. My father was selling me to pay off his debt. I was going to be a concubine of the Lucan King. The most terrifying monarch in the history of Veyndral.

I had known it ever since that day my father lost my mother and brother that my life was never going to be the same. Every ounce of love he had for me had turned to hatred and pure disdain.

He blamed me for everything and mistreated me and every night I’d tell myself I deserved it. It was all my fault. I had killed both of them. So, I worked tirelessly to be the perfect daughter, always trying to atone for my sins.

He demanded my obedience, and I gave it. He expected my respect, and I gave it. He wanted a meek, compliant daughter, and I became that, too.

If he wanted my neck, I’d lay on the platter. Because the fact that I am alive is wrong. I shouldn’t be the one that was still here. It should be my promising brother. Who was the only pure alpha my family had had in eons. He was my father’s heir. And was going to turn Moonfang into a prosperous Pack. And my mother, my father’s true and only mate. Compared to them, a wolf-less, useless person like me should have died at birth.

…yet. Yet, I thought if I worked hard enough I could get him to forgive me.

“Oh my Goddess, why so much drama this early in the morning? All this noise woke me up from my sleep.” A high-pitched voice brought my attention back to the present, and I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

It was Coralie. My older sister.

I wiped my tears and glanced up as she walked down the stairs. Her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her blue eyes were fixed on me, her lips curled into a sneer.

“Why are you crying so early? I could hear you all the way from my room,” she said, stopping just inches away. She leaned against the railing, nonchalantly lifting her hand to inspect her manicured nails.

“C…Coralie..”

“Don’t cry, and tell me. What’s wrong?” she yawned, tilting her head as she waited for me to explain.

Seeing her like this, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, she cared. Perhaps she could help me convince Father to change his mind.

“Coralie, you have to help me. Talk to Father! He wants me to sell me to the king to pay off his debts,” I said, crawling toward her and clutching the hem of her dress as more tears streamed down my face. “I know you can talk to him, he always listens to you. Please, talk to him and stop him. I-I can’t go to the palace, if I do then I will die”

“Really?” Coralie gasped, her eyes widening in shock as she looked down at me. “Now that’s bad. Why would Daddy do such a thing?” She shook her head, then crouched down to my level, taking my hand in hers.

For a moment, relief washed over me. Coralie was the apple of our father’s eyes. After suffering so much loss he cherished her at the expense of me. He gave her everything so I dared to hope that maybe she would help me. But then her next words shattered whatever hope I had left.

“I told him to wait until after breakfast to tell you. Now look, you won’t even be able to cook properly after all this. I hate Daddy,” she scoffed, flicking my hand away from hers.

“Y-You knew about this?” I asked, stunned, staring at her in disbelief. “You knew about this and yet—” I trailed off.

She raised her hand to silence me, then sighed, brushing off her dress.

“Of course I knew, you idiot. Who do you think told him to do it? Father’s drowning in debt, and I’m the one who suggested he sell you off to that ugly bastard. Every family that offers their daughters to the King gets showered in gold, and their pack gets enough resources to last the winter. I’m furious I didn’t think of it sooner”

I blinked, and it felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over me. How could she do this to me? How?

“Coralie… how could you?” My words trembled as I stared at her. “How could you do this to me? You know what kind of person he is, but yet… you… you did this to me.”

“Aw, dear Dahlia, don’t look so sad,” she cooed, her pink-manicured nails digging into my jaw as she held my face. “You should be grateful you’re finally of some use to this family. Father should have cast you out years ago after what you did, but he was kind enough to keep you here and feed you. It’s time you paid him back, don’t you think?”

I shoved her hand away and stumbled back. My breath came out in violent gasps as she laughed. A full, delighted sound, like this was the best joke she’d ever heard.

“Come on, little sister, don’t be scared. How about this—” She crouched to meet my eyes, her smile sharp. “We both know you’re not beautiful. Even a monster like the king, who fucks anything with a pulse, wouldn’t look twice at you. So keep your head down, act like you’re dead. If you’re lucky, he’ll forget you even exist. You can stare at your walls all day in your quarters, and no one will care. See? Happy ending.”

Her smile fell immediately. “Now get up and go make breakfast for the house. And don’t forget to keep it healthy. I’m on a weight loss plan, you know” she added with a wink before walking back to her room.

As I watched her retreating back, I couldn’t say anything… What else could I possibly say? I couldn’t move either. I could only stare in defeat.

Was this my punishment for my sins?

Yes, I killed my mother and brother. It was all my fault, and I hadn’t lived a single day without blaming myself for their deaths. But… It was all a mistake.

A mistake that had cost me everything