CHAPTER 1

Aria's POV

The smell of whiskey and cigarettes clung to our run-down apartment like a second skin. I scrubbed the kitchen counter harder, trying to ignore the sound of my stepfather's slurred voice from the living room.

"You better make yourself useful, girl," Victor called out. "That pretty face of yours is the only thing keeping a roof over our heads."

I bit my tongue. Three more months. Just three more months until I saved enough to leave this place forever. My wolf stirred restlessly inside me, as desperate for freedom as I was.

The front door slammed open, making me jump. Victor stumbled in, but he wasn't alone. Three men in expensive suits followed him, their presence filling our small apartment with the scent of power and danger.

"Where is she?" The tallest one asked, his voice carrying an alpha's command.

"Aria!" Victor barked. "Get in here!"

I dried my hands on my apron, walking slowly into the living room. The moment I entered, all eyes turned to me. But I only noticed one pair—striking grey eyes that seemed to look right through me. The man they belonged to stood apart from the others, radiating a darkness that made my wolf whimper.

He was massive, at least 6'4", with shoulders that looked like they could carry the world. His jet-black hair was perfectly styled, and a thin scar crossed his left eyebrow, making his already intimidating face look dangerous. Everything about him screamed power, from his perfectly tailored black suit to the way the other alphas stepped aside when he moved.

"Is this her?" His voice was deep, emotionless.

Victor nodded eagerly, wringing his hands. "Yes, Alpha King. My stepdaughter, Aria. She's twenty-two, healthy, omega wolf. She'll give you strong pups."

My blood turned to ice. "What?"

The Alpha King—Damon Blackstone, ruler of the Northern Mountain Pack—studied me like I was livestock at an auction. His grey eyes traveled from my face down my body, assessing.

"She's untouched?" he asked Victor, not even addressing me directly.

"Of course, of course," Victor stammered. "Pure as snow. She knows her place, keeps house well. She'll be a good breeder."

Breeder. The word hit me like a physical blow.

"Victor, what did you do?" My voice came out as barely a whisper.

My stepfather couldn't meet my eyes. "I owed the Alpha King money. A lot of money. One million dollars."

"So you sold me?" The words tasted like poison.

"It's a good arrangement," Victor said defensively. "You give him an heir, you get your freedom. Two years maximum. Then you can go wherever you want."

I looked at the Alpha King, searching for any sign of humanity in those cold grey eyes. "I'm not property to be sold."

He stepped closer, and my wolf did something unexpected—instead of cowering, she pressed forward, yearning. His scent hit me like a thunderbolt. Pine, winter frost, and something uniquely him. Every cell in my body screamed one word: Mate.

But his expression didn't change. No recognition, no warmth. Nothing.

"The contract has already been signed," he said simply. "Your stepfather had the legal right as your guardian. You leave with me tonight."

"Please," I tried once more, even as my traitorous wolf begged me to go with him. "You can't just buy people."

"I can and I did." He turned to the man beside him. "Marcus, take her to the car."

The beta, a man with kind brown eyes and bronze skin, stepped forward apologetically. "Miss Bennett, please don't make this difficult."

I looked around the room—at Victor counting his money with shaking hands, at the Alpha King already walking toward the door like I was just another business transaction completed, at my entire life crumbling in the span of ten minutes.

"Can I at least pack my things?" I asked, hating how small my voice sounded.

"Five minutes," the Alpha King said without turning around. "Marcus will accompany you."

I walked to my tiny bedroom in a daze, throwing my few possessions into an old duffel bag. A photo of my mother, my favorite sweater, the little bit of money I'd saved. Marcus stood in the doorway, looking uncomfortable.

"He's not as bad as he seems," Marcus offered quietly.

I laughed bitterly. "He just bought me like cattle."

"The Alpha King... he's complicated. He needs an heir, and he believes he'll never find his mate. This is just business to him."

But it wasn't just business to me. My wolf was howling inside my chest, recognizing what should have been the most important moment of our lives—finding our mate. Instead, I was being dragged away as breeding stock, sold by the only family I had left.

As I zipped up my bag, I caught sight of myself in the cracked mirror. Auburn hair that fell past my shoulders, violet eyes that everyone always said were unusual for a wolf, a small frame that made me look younger than my twenty-two years. I looked like prey.

But I'd survived Victor for six years after Mom died. I could survive this too. Give the Alpha King his heir, earn my freedom, and never look back. Even if my wolf cried for our mate every single day.

"Time's up," Marcus said gently.

I followed him out, passing Victor without a word. He didn't even look up from his money.

The Alpha King waited by a black SUV, typing on his phone. He didn't acknowledge me as Marcus opened the door and I slid inside. The leather seats probably cost more than everything I'd ever owned.

Damon got in on the other side, still focused on his phone. The distance between us felt like an ocean, even though we were in the same car. My wolf whined, wanting to be closer to our mate.

As we drove away from everything I'd ever known, I stared out the window and made myself a promise. I would give him his heir, earn my freedom, and guard my heart. He would never know we were mates.

He would never know he owned my soul along with my body.

The car climbed higher into the mountains, toward the fortress of the Northern Mountain Pack. Toward my prison. And despite everything, my wolf sang with joy at being near our mate.

Even if he would never love us back.