01 – I WAS SOLD AS A SLAVE

POV: AIRYS

I was auctioned off.

As a high-ranking Luna, the mate of my pack’s Alpha, I was supposed to be respected, protected, and revered. But no.

I was betrayed. Abandoned. Sold like cheap merchandise.

And the most humiliating part? The one who handed me over was the man I swore to love and serve for the rest of my life.

My head throbbed, and a relentless ringing pounded in my ears. I groaned, trying to open my eyes, only to be met with a blinding light that burned my retinas. Something rough scraped against my skin, cutting into my already injured wrists. My joints screamed in protest.

Breathing was a challenge. The cold collar around my neck tightened with every attempt to draw in air; even swallowing was difficult. Every movement was a punishment. My ribs ached, proof of the brutal beating I had taken before being thrown in here.

All for a lie. A cruel setup.

And the one responsible?

The woman I trusted most in my life.

My own sister.

The same one I caught in bed with my husband.

My stomach churned. A bitter taste rose in my throat, but I swallowed it down, refusing to show weakness in front of the crowd of wolves waiting for my fate like vultures circling carrion.

I was tied up like an animal.

Bound to a stake.

Vulnerable.

Exposed.

The thin nightgown covering me was nearly transparent, reducing me to nothing more than an object on display. My dignity had been ripped away by force, along with my title, my family, and my pack.

Traitors.

All of them.

The stench of the place was unbearable—a mix of sweat, blood, and rot. The odor of submission clung to the air, leaving a metallic taste on my tongue. The lights were dim but enough to illuminate faces hidden beneath luxurious masks, eyes gleaming with perversity.

I was the prize of the night.

"Just look at this, gentlemen!" the auctioneer’s voice echoed through the hall. "A rejected Luna!"

The murmurs grew louder.

"A woman who failed as a wife…" He paused theatrically, letting the tension settle. "Caught betraying her mate with another male."

My eyes widened in shock, a sob escaping me.

"She reeked of another!" he spat the words with disdain. "Pure betrayal!"

Shouts of outrage and disgust filled the room.

My hands trembled.

"A she-wolf without a wolf." The auctioneer continued, his voice dripping with disdain. "Rejected by the Moon Goddess. Exiled for her actions. Now, she will pay the price for her infidelity!"

"No, that’s not true…" My voice came out in a broken whisper, tears streaming down my face. A knot formed in my throat, my lips trembling.

And then I saw him.

Seated like a king, relaxed, savoring his drink with a look of pure contempt.

Malik.

The man I swore to love.

The man who sold me.

"Malik, you can’t do this to me! You can’t betray me like this!"

My cry was swallowed by laughter.

"Well, well. For a human, she’s quite fierce." Malik mocked, his tone laced with pure sarcasm.

The laughter grew louder, drowning out my words.

"Darling, please, don’t do this to my little sister." Eloy forced a sweet, sniffled tone. "You know I love her. I know she made a mistake by betraying you, dragging our family’s name through the mud… But what can you expect from a woman whose own mother chose to kill herself rather than raise her?"

My muscles tensed.

"Even the Moon Goddess rejected her." Eloy sighed, her performance flawless.

"Your heart is truly kind, Eloy. Your sister doesn’t deserve you." Malik smiled, a cold, cruel gaze fixed on me. "At last, we’ll be free of that damned agreement and contract my father made with yours."

So that was it?

All this time… I was never chosen.

I was nothing more than an unwanted contract.

My eyes burned, but I didn’t cry.

Hatred pulsed in my chest.

"Liars!" I shouted, each word burning in my throat. "You were having an affair!" I turned to Eloy, pleading. "You drugged me and threw me into a stranger’s bed to hide your own sins! Why did you do this to me, sister?"

The silence shattered with a sharp slap.

My head snapped to the side, hair falling over my face. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

"Silence, slave!" The auctioneer grabbed my chin, his fingers digging into my skin. "Tighten this bitch’s collar!"

The pressure around my neck intensified.

"Ah, please…" I whimpered. "It hurts…"

My vision blurred.

Goddess, help me.

The hatred and disgust were unbearable.

"Let the auction begin!" the auctioneer shouted.

The hall erupted in shouts and numbers.

My fate being fought over by masked monsters.

"One hundred thousand for this pretty little thing." A fat, sweaty man raised his paddle.

Silence fell.

No one else placed a bid.

Malik smiled, as if he were enjoying himself.

"Sold!"

The smell of cigars clung to him, thick and suffocating. The hot smoke burned my eyes as he blew it directly into my face, chuckling under his breath—a repulsive sound.

Then he grabbed my hair brutally, yanking it upward with force, making me look at him.

"Well, well… You’re young, that’s wonderful!" His voice dripped with venom, his eyes gleaming with a sick hunger as he ran his tongue over his dry lips. "You’ll make me a lot of money in my brothel. You know… my clients love a pretty little thing like you."

Disgust.

My stomach churned at the mere thought of being touched by those monsters.

His fingers slid along the outline of my body, a sticky, repulsive touch.

Rage boiled inside me, every fiber of my being screaming to react.

I would never be theirs. Never!

My reaction came before I could even think.

I spat.

The warm spray hit his sweaty face. Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth.

His eyes widened, first in shock, then in pure fury.

"You filthy bitch!"

He let go of me for a second—and that was enough. I threw my body forward, straining against the ropes, fueled by hatred and defiance:

"I’d rather die than do what you want!"

The blow came fast.

His thick hand grabbed my neck, squeezing without mercy as he yanked me away from the ropes. My body lifted off the ground, my feet kicking the air in instinctive desperation.

I couldn’t breathe.

The pressure increased, his thumb pressing into my windpipe. My vision darkened for a moment.

"I love the rebellious ones." He laughed perversely. "I enjoy breaking them in myself before sending them to my clients’ rooms."

No.

A scream of pure rage tore out of me before I sank my teeth into his hand.

The taste of blood filled my mouth.

He roared in pain, throwing me to the ground violently. The impact made my entire body throb.

Get up.

Come on, get up, Airys!

My hand shot to my neck, massaging the sore skin as I lifted my face.

"If you touch me again, I’ll kill you!" I gasped through clenched teeth.

His eyes burned with fury.

"You bitch!"

His arm rose into the air, ready to strike.

I closed my eyes.

My body curled in a reflex of fear. I waited for the pain. I waited for the violence.

But it never came.

Something changed in the air—a powerful, predatory, lethal presence.

I swallowed hard, slowly opening my eyes.

And then I saw him.

Tall. Broad shoulders. An imposing stance.

His sculpted muscles were hidden beneath a dark suit, but it was his presence that suffocated me more than the tight collar around my neck.

He radiated danger.

Brutality.

Contained fury.

His eyes swept across the room, assessing everyone there as if he were the ultimate predator in a room full of pitiful prey.

The tension was palpable.

The disgusting man who had attacked me trembled like a frightened child.

The auctioneer swallowed hard, his sweaty hand gripping the papers on his stand.

Then he spoke.

"One does not damage merchandise." His voice was deep, low, and dangerous.

The hall seemed to tremble.

A low murmur spread among the spectators; their fear was unmistakable.

The disgusting man stepped back, shrinking before him like a rat before a lion.

His eyes met mine.

I gasped at his presence.

"I bid one million dollars for the human."

My breath hitched.

That amount…

Those earthy eyes looked familiar… It couldn’t be, could it?

I blinked a few times, forcing my vision—his irises shimmered blood red, even under the dim light. That gaze…

My body trembled.

Not from fear.

But from something instinctive.

This man… Who was he? Had I known him before?