Chapter 2

I barely had time to run to the pack house after dropping off my mother. In the back room, I could barely wipe the blood from my skin and clean my wounds before throwing on my uniform.

“You’re late!” the matron, Ana, yelled, her face flushing red. “Did I not instruct you to come earlier than usual? Do you know how important this meeting is?”

I bowed my head low, my hands trembling. I couldn’t lose this job, it paid most of what I earned. If I lost this, given our new situation, my mother wouldn’t last a week under the stress.

“I am so sorry, Matron. I was taking care of my mother.”

She snorted, her eyes dragging across my body, her lip curled in disgust. “And that’s why you look bloodied and bruised? Are you sure it’s not from your night job as a bed warmer?”

The other servers chuckled in the background, making me blink back tears of embarrassment. No one respected my mother or me in this pack anymore; my father had made sure of that. It placed me at the bottom of the food chain, and I couldn't dare speak back to stronger wolves.

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again, Matron.” I bit my lip, praying she would let me stay.

She sighed. “Whatever. I can’t afford to swap maids this late into the meeting. It’s a crucial gathering between us and Thornwood pack, and I need all hands on deck.”

My shoulders dropped in relief. “Thank you, Matron—”

“If—” she grabbed my chin in her hand, forcing me to look up. “If you’re late to another meeting, Aria, I will give you a punishment far worse than what you sold your body for tonight.” She shoved me away, leaving me to gather my serving trays.

I lost hope long ago that anything would change. Born a defective wolf who couldn't even shift, this had always been my reality. Unless a miracle happened, my life would stay this way.

I picked up my tray and stepped into the hall. The oppressive aura of the Thornwood delegation made my bones freeze. Thornwood was the largest pack in the northwest, making ours look weak in comparison. Their Alpha was rumored to be a cold, ruthless beast, but brilliant.

Their presence today was baffling. A pack that powerful never needed us for anything.

“As we mentioned to your Alpha,” the lead delegate spoke. “Our Alpha sent us today for an arrangement that must be handled with total silence. As you all know, every powerful Alpha needs an heir.”

I barely listened as I set down refreshments, trying to serve as many tables as possible for extra tips.

“Their Luna is terribly sick,” our Alpha, Theron, quietly chimed in. “It’s a pity. She used to be a formidable wolf.”

Alpha Theron used to be friends with my father back when my father pretended to be a good man. After my father abandoned us, their relationship crumbled to strictly Alpha and Beta business. Theron had offered to help my mother directly, but she was too proud to accept. Still, he made sure I got these catering shifts whenever possible.

“Yes, she is,” the delegate continued. “Which brings us to why we are here today. We need a surrogate.”

Hushed shouts and murmurs erupted from every corner of the hall.

“A surrogate?” Alpha Theron asked, clear shock on his face. “Surrogacy is so outdated. Women prefer to work these days. Why can't your Alpha take a second wife?”

“Our Alpha treasures his mate too much to take another wife,” the delegate replied. “And since our world forbids artificial means, he needs a fertile virgin willing to do things the traditional way. He is willing to pay handsomely for her services.”

That made me lock in.

“Finding a virgin over eighteen is rare,” Theron noted. “Most wolves find their mates the moment they turn eighteen.”

Except me, I thought. The odds of finding a mate were slim for a weak, dormant wolf who couldn't even shift.

“We understand that,” the speaker said. “Which is why we’re offering this to your pack. His Highness is ready to pay a massive sum.”

“How much?” someone in the crowd called out, asking the one question burning in my mind.

I held my breath. After today, I was desperate enough to consider anything. We could only stay at Sarah’s house for a few days—she lived with her mate in a small place. With housing, medical bills, and Leo’s tuition piling up, I needed a way out.

“Five hundred thousand dollars,” the delegate declared. “And that is negotiable.”

“I’ll do it!”