Chapter one

Aria's POV

“Let me go!” I demanded, struggling, but their grip was iron and my pleas seemed to amuse him.

“I’d love to let you go.” The first man said, his voice low, almost taunting. “But unfortunately, your father decided to use you as collateral.”

My stomach lurched and my mind spun, trying to make sense of his words. “Collateral?” I whispered, disbelief freezing my tongue. “Wh… what do you mean?”

He tilted my chin up with one hand, forcing me to meet his cold gaze. “Your father owes a significant debt. You, my dear, are the repayment so I’m afraid that I have no choice but to sell you to the slave traders to settle it.”

My day had started out pretty normal, with my regular physician job–the only thing that gave me joy from my fast crumbling life. As a weak wolf, volunteering at the clinic was the only way anyone could see relevance in me.

‘Slave traders,’ all my knowledge of English flew right out of my head on the spot. I had to take a minute to process, while struggling with the strong grip around my arm.

Who… Who are you?” I asked, two more figures dropped silently from the trees above, landing with near-perfect stealth, circling me and my heart raced.

My wolf knew this meant danger and my instincts screamed at me to run. I tried to, but any movement I made tighten his grip around my arm. I winced in pain. “Whatever this is, I'm sure we can talk about it and come up with a solution that works for us both,”

The gang leader laughed. “And she wants to negotiate,” he mocked. “Come here!” He pulled me forcefully, while the other two followed behind.

My whole life flashed before my eyes. I knew my father's gambling was bad. It had taken us from royalty to debt, after my mother's passing, but I knew giving me up was a line he wouldn't cross, or at least I hoped so.

“If you'd just give me a minute to relax my bladder,” I interrupted the rhythmic sounds of our feet on dry grass. His hesitation was obvious, but then he handed me over to the two men, who escorted me slightly away from the path.

One of the men stood a distance away and the other would not go more than one foot away from me. I bent down, pretending to relax my bladder when I stretched my leg and with a firm push in between his legs, I threw him on the ground.

I got up and ran as quickly as my legs could carry me.

“Hey! Come back here!” The second bolted after me immediately and that kind of chaos was not something the boss would miss. He joined in the chase almost immediately.

I bolted through the trees. I did not dare to look back. I could feel their wolves closing in on me, but then I soon began to recognize the environment. ‘I was almost home’. I took a sharp turn around the small town, which I had come to know very well and as soon as I was out of their sight, I hid in a giant fruit crate.

“Where is she?”

“She couldn't have gotten far,” I heard their voices from inside the crate. My legs trembled, even though I was bent to fit into the crate.

“Argh! Find her!” The gang leader kicked the crate and the movement forced a whimper out of me. I pressed my hands over my mouth, trying not to breathe. I knew the men were suspicious just by how quiet it had become outside.

I waited for almost an hour and only after I confirmed that the coast was clear did I sneak back out of the crate. The city had gone quiet. There was not a single person in sight.

Hunger and fear were my companions as I staggered through the lonely roads to the small wooden cabin I shared with my father.

“Well,” I heaved a sigh of relief and fell onto the couch as soon as I arrived home. My eyes closed immediately after my back hit the foam.

I made an adjustment, trying to find comfort in the work dress I was still putting on, but nothing worked. I opened my eyes to finally get a change. I usually took all the rest it was possible to get, before my next night shift.

“Ahhh!!” I yelled at the top of my voice as I sighted his hovering presence.

“Relax! It's just me,” my father held me in place. I scratched my eyes.

“Good morning, father,” I stretched open, getting up from the couch. From the brightest of the sun, you could tell it was already at least 7am.

“Good morning, Aria. You returned later than usual from work,” he noted. I walked over to the kitchen counter to make his breakfast, so I could return to sleep. I assumed it was the reason he woke me up.

“I encountered some kidnappers who said you had given up as collateral.” I turned my back to him, trying to turn on the fire. “I knew it was not possible. They were lying, so I had to come up with a plan for my…” I turned back around and found my father had company.

“What is going on here?” I recognized his company–the same three men who had tried to take me away just a few hours ago.

“I've told you before. Your father owes a huge debt,” I turned to my father. He was shivering and could only mouth ‘I’m sorry’, which felt very useless to me at the time.

“I suggest you corporate this time, because we're taking you–dead or alive,” the gang leader announced. I looked around, deciding whether to be taken dead or alive.