The Alpha King's Regret

The man’s fingers dug into my arm like claws as I stumbled beside him, barefooted and shaking from the cold, as my skin burned under his grip. He didn’t care that I winced, or care that I could barely walk.

“Keep walking, bitch,” he spat, his voice sharp like broken glass.

I didn’t ask where we were going. I already knew it was nowhere good. 

At the edge of the street, a black car waited, and two huge men in black stood by it. They didn’t smile or blink. Their eyes moved over my body like they were measuring a thing. Like I was already bought.

Behind me, Uncle Greg lit a cigarette. His face looked relaxed, as if he had just finished a hard job and was proud of himself. He didn’t even glance at me.

“Is this her?” one of the men asked. His voice was low and cold.

Uncle Greg nodded. “Yeah. Human. Still a virgin. Should be perfect for what your Alpha wants.”

The taller man stepped forward and looked me over. His stare made my skin crawl.

“She looks weak.”

Uncle Greg chuckled and blew out smoke. “She is. But she won’t make noise cause she listens. Won’t even fight back. You won’t have trouble with her. She’s been trained to obey.”

My chest tightened. I lowered my eyes, not because I agreed, but because I was tired. So damn tired of being talked about like I wasn’t there. Of being passed around like I wasn’t human.

One of the men dropped a thick envelope on the pavement. The slap of it hitting the ground made me jump.

Uncle Greg didn’t open it. He smiled wide, like this was the best deal he ever made. Like selling me was his way of winning at life.

“She’s yours now,” he said. Then he turned his back and walked away without glancing at me or feeling remorseful for selling me out.

He just left.

They pushed me into the car. The door slammed shut, trapping me in silence. My heart thudded in my ears as I pressed myself into the seat, wishing I could disappear.

The man beside me didn’t speak. He just stared straight ahead like I was a luggage.

I wanted to ask where they were taking me but my throat closed in. I couldn’t get the words out. Because fear sat heavy in my stomach.

After a long drive, we passed through tall iron gates. Armed guards watched us as we entered, and my chest squeezed tighter.

The mansion ahead was huge. Cold. Silent. Like the kind of place where nightmares lived.

The car abruptly stopped, and suddenly, they pulled me out like a prisoner.

Inside, the air smelled rich and sharp. Everything looked clean. Fancy. But nothing felt warm.

They didn’t talk to me. Didn’t explain. The just dragged me through wide halls until we reached a room.

A man sat there. Alone. His legs crossed. Fingers tapping slowly on the armrest of a dark leather chair.

He looked calm, with a dangerous cold expression. I could feel the danger coming off him like heat.

His black hair was messy, falling over his forehead in a rich curly wave. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, showing a bit of a tattoo on his chest. He looked like someone who didn’t need to try. Because power was him itself.

Now his eyes found mine.

“So,” he said. “This is the girl?”

His voice held no feeling. No interest. No surprise. Just boredom.

The man beside me nodded. “Yes, Alpha. This is her.”

He stood up slowly, each movement smooth and quiet.

He stepped closer, and suddenly my body felt different. My chest tightened, and my breath caught.

He stopped inches away.

But then, his scent hit me.

It was sharp and clean, with something darker underneath. My knees weakened on the spot, making my blood go warm. It spread fast, thick and strange.

He looked at me, his eyes turning dark and unreadable.

“What are you feeling?” he asked, in a low, deep voice, while he puffs out his cigarettes.

I couldn’t answer. I didn’t know what to say because my mouth opened but nothing came out.

“Answer me,” he snapped making me flinch.

“I… I think you’re my mate,” I whispered.

His body went still. And from the corner of my eyes, I could see the shocked expression on his handsome, godlike face.

The room suddenly felt colder, and the air cracked open with something heavy.

His face twisted. But in disgust on realization of what I was actually feeling.

"No," he growled. "That’s not possible. The moon goddess must be so drunk to pair me with you."

My breath caught in my throat.

“You’re human. Weak. Pathetic. There’s nothing in you that matches someone like me.”

I stepped back. I couldn’t look at him anymore. I was shaking, trying to hold my ground as my legs suddenly turned jelly.

“I didn’t choose this either,” I said, my voice breaking.

“You can’t be mine,” he said, louder now. “You are not fit to stand near me, let alone be claimed by me.”

His words hit harder than his hands ever could. They stabbed every broken part of me that had just begun to hope.

“I reject you,” he said coldly. “I, Caden Holt, Alpha of the Redfang Pack, reject you as my mate.”

The room spun. But tears refused to come. But inside, something shattered. Loud and painful.

He turned away without looking at me again.

“You’ll be given to another Alpha by morning. Someone else that can deal with your weakness.”

I stood there. Frozen and heartbroken. 

The guards came quickly and dragged me out.

They threw me into a dark, damp room. A small stone cell with no windows. No bed. No blanket. Just dust and cold.

The door slammed shut and locked.

I curled into a corner, holding my knees to my chest.

I wanted to believe in something once. That maybe, one day, someone would see me. Want me. Save me.

That maybe my mate would be the one.

But he looked at me like I was trash. Like I was some mistake the moon goddess as made an error with.

Just like Uncle Greg always did.

Just like the world always had.

I pressed my head to the wall. My body was hurting, but my heart hurt more.

I remembered what Uncle Greg told me over and over when I was small.

“You’re a curse. Your parents died because of you. I’m stuck with you. You bring nothing but problems and shame to me.”

I tried to be good. To be quiet. To be invisible.

But it never mattered.

He still hated me.

And now, so did my mate.

The door creaked open again. And my heart jumped.

Two men walked in. They wore different clothing from the men who initially brought me in earlier.

I sat up quickly.

“What do you want?” I asked, my voice sounding thin and low .

“You’re being moved,” one of them said.

“Where?”

“Alpha Mason bought you.”

“What?”

Who the hell is Alpha Mason?

“You’ve been sold,” the other said, grabbing my arm.

“No. Wait. Please. You can’t—”

They didn’t stop.

They pulled me out as I stumbled, more fear rising all over again.