His to claim

AVA'S POV

"Please," I pleaded.

My limbs were numb, my body a gallery of bruises. My sore fingertips traced the strange mark on my left wrist.

The memory of the previous hours trooped in.

That morning...that morning after my birthday.

I tiptoed into the house through the back door of our house.

My head was beating drums, the consequences of my careless drinking.

I hugged my arms around myself, trying to appear nonchalant, as if I hadn't spent the night in a bar all curled up with a total stranger, a bartender. Shame burned my cheeks.

I’d barely managed to slip inside when a mocking voice broke the peaceful morning . “Well, well, Who do we have here?”

My heart sank. My stepsister, Nina , stood in the hallway, her arms crossed, a smirk twisting on her not so pretty face. My stepmother, Kasha, emerged from behind, wiping her hands looks like she just had a party in the kitchen. She was wet with sweat. The dignified Luna tried cooking, I bet the entire Kitchen has been given a makeover. Her eyes, cold as usual, glinted with malicious intent.

“Ava, darling,” She broke the silence acting all lovely. “Just where have you been? Your father has been worried sick.”

My jaw clenched. “I just… went for a walk. I couldn’t sleep.” My voice was shaky, Scared was an understatement. This same old trick they have been using for years.

“A walk?” Nina scoffed, stepping closer. “Or were you out on another one of your… midnight adventures?” Her eyes flicked down to my rumpled clothes, bite marks , then lingered on my wrist. I instinctively pulled my sleeve up , but it was too late. Her gaze sharpened.

Kasha's eyes followed Nina's .“What is that on your wrist, Ava? Is that a tattoo? Darling, you know permanent marks are strictly forbidden in our pack.” Her voice had this caring tone but deep down, I could see through her intentions.

“It’s not a tattoo,” I insisted, trying to defend myself . “I don’t know what it is. I just woke up with it.”

“Oh, how convenient,” Nina scoffed. “Woke up? With a man, no doubt. Out running wild, just like your pathetic late mother .”

Just then, the front door opened, and my father, Alpha Rowan, stepped in, his face laced with worry. He had become a shadow of himself ever since he brought Nina and her mother in, he disregarded me as his daughter but at least he wasn't affectionate to Nina too.

Worry?

“Ava! Where were you?” He questioned

Before I could answer, Kasha rushed forward, clutching his arm, her voice dripping with feigned concern. “Oh, Rowan, thank Moon Goddess you’re back! Our poor Ava… she snuck out last night. She was gone all night!” She swung her hands dramatically.

“And look!” She grabbed my arm, yanking my sleeve up, exposing the strange mark. “She’s come back with this… this bite marks and a tattoo ! I fear she was with a wild man, a rogue! No respectable member of our pack would ever inscribe such a thing, nor behave in such a reckless manner.”

I could see Father’s eyes widen, first with shock at the mark, then hardening as he looked at me. The accusation in his gaze stung on me. He believed her. He always believed her. Once again he chose her over me.

“Is this true, Ava?” His voice was cold, distant. “You spent the night with a… a wild man?”

My throat tightened. How could I explain? How could I tell him I’d had a one-night stand with a barman, of all people? That I barely remembered his face, but now I had this mark? The shame was overwhelming.

“No, Father, it’s not…” I started, but Kasha cut me off.

“She’s lying, Rowan! She always lies! She’s a disgrace to this pack, to our family!"Her voice rose.

Father closed his eyes, a deep sigh escaping his lips. He ran a hand through his hair, looking utterly defeated. “Ava, I… I don’t know what to do with you.” His words were a dismissal, a final abandonment.

My heart shattered into a million pieces. He was letting them do this. He was letting them destroy me.

The next few days were a mixture of cold shoulders, whispered insults, and my father’s silence. I was confined to my room, treated like a traitor. Then, one evening, as bedtime came near, a knock came at my door.

“Ava,” Kasha's voice, devoid of its false sweetness, was tight with triumph. “Your father has made a decision. For the good of the pack, for your good, we’ve arranged for you to go away for a while. To reflect.”

My blood ran cold. “Go away? Where? Human world?"

“That’s not for you to know, darling,” she responded and opened the door. Two men, harsh faces and warrior bodies stood behind her. They weren’t from our pack. They were rough, their scent alien.

My eyes fell on Kasha. She whispered into my ears. “You were always a mistake, Ava. A wild seed, just like your mother. Now, you’ll be where you belong.”

A sudden, terrifying realization dawned on me. The black market. The whispers of girls, unwanted or rebellious, sold off to the highest bidder. My stomach churned with hatred.This was it. This was my fate.

I screamed, tried to fight, but their grip was strong. They dragged me out, I begged for my father's care. He stood there unmoved, emotionless. Kasha simply watched, her smile widening as they forced me into the car they came with.

tears streaming down my bruised cheeks. The cage, the pain, the hunger—it all made sense. My stepmother had discarded me.

I was jerked back to life when the bulky man in charge of monitoring all the new girls came to my cage unlocking it.

"Get up," he grunted, grabbing my arm roughly.

I stumbled out, my legs weak and unsteady. "Where… where are you taking me?"

He merely shoved me forward. "Just move."

They dragged me out and before I knew it I was in the car, passing through bushes I never knew existed in my pack. Maybe this was never my pack to begin with.

And here we are.

This was it. The Black Market.

. “Alright, alright, gentlemen! Bidding will commence shortly! We have a fresh selection tonight, prime stock, Fresh chicks." The announcer informed and I could hear excited noises.

My stomach churned. Stock. We were livestocks.

One by one, girls were dragged onto the platform. Their clothes barely covered them, their bodies exposed.

The bids were chilling. Numbers called out in low, desperate tones. Girls were sold, then dragged off the platform by rough hands, their silent tears or strangled cries ignored. Each girl's departure was a weaking introduction of my own fate.

Finally, it was my turn.

"And now," the auctioneer stated, "our main attraction! A rare gem, gentlemen !”

One of the men around shoved me onto the platform. I stumbled, my knees almost making a collision with the ground. The harsh light blinded me, but I could feel hundreds of eyes on me feeding their eyes. The shame was unbearable. I hugged myself, trying to shield my bruised face, my tattered clothes.

“This one,” the auctioneer continued, “is a spirited one, yes. A bit wild, as some prefer! But strong, fertile, and… a true beauty underneath the dirt, wouldn’t you agree?” He grabbed my chin, forcing my head up. My eyes, defiant despite my fear, scanned the hungry faces.

“Starting bid," he announced, "five hundred thousand coins! Who will start us off?”

A few low bids rippled through the crowd. "Six hundred thousand!" "Seven-fifty thousand!"

Then, a voice cut through the murmurs, deep and calm silencing the entire clearing. It was a voice that commanded attention, power, and an undeniable authority.

“Twenty million coins.”

A collective gasp went through the crowd. The auctioneer's eyes bulged. He scanned the shadows, trying to pinpoint the source of such an exorbitant bid.

Then, a figure emerged from the dark corner stepping into the edge of the light. He was tall, powerfully built, his presence radiating an aura of strength. His dark hair was slightly scattered, his jawline sharp, and his eyes… even from the distance, I could feel the intense scrutiny of his gaze. He wore dark, rich clothing that suggested immense wealth and status. I’d never seen him before, but the air around him screamed power. This wasn’t just a rich man. This was an Alpha. A powerful one.

“Twenty million,” the man repeated, his voice low but firm, making no room for argument.

The auctioneer stammered, "A-Any more bids, gentlemen? Twent…twenty million… going once…”

Silence. No one dared to challenge him. The Alpha’s presence was too overwhelming.

“Going twice… Sold! To the gentleman for twenty million!”

The auctioneer’s eyes were wide with disbelief and greed. He looked at me, then at the powerful Alpha, then back at me, as if I had just transformed into a golden treasure.

Twenty million? For me? Who was this man? Why would he pay such a price for a supposed "wild seed" like me?

The Alpha stepped forward, his eyes never left mine.

He stood at the edge of the platform, his gaze , intense.

“Bring her.” His voice was a low growl, directed at a man, I suppose is his beta.

The man grabbed my arm, yanking me towards the Alpha. My legs felt like heavy. I was sold. I was no longer free. My fate was sealed. But as I was dragged closer, my eyes met his again and I heard the whispers. The powerful Alpha. The Alpha King, Kael, if the whispers held true. His gaze was piercing, unsettling. And I knew, with a terrifying certainty, that my life was about to change in ways I couldn't possibly comprehend.

Maybe death was awaiting me.