Chapter 1: Sold

Senna’s POV

The iron bars were colder than I expected.

Leaning my forehead against them anyway, I let the chill sink in. When Kalen asked to see me last night, I assumed he was going to propose. But instead, I was tossed into this iron cage with no explanation.

The contract mark on my wrist throbbed, raw and fresh.

“Comfortable?”

Looking up, through the bars, my eyes landed on Kalen. He sauntered into the room, a smug smile on his face, Mira in tow. My eyes fitted between them, searching for understanding.  

Mira was my best friend, but her expression held no sympathy, only relief. Kalen’s expression was indignant.  

My chest tightened.

“Kalen, please,” I started. “The money I gave you…” But he cut me off with a short laugh.

“The key word there is ‘gave’, Senna,” he said with a smirk.

My heart dropped. I’d handed over all the money I made in the past three months from foraging in the mountains to Kalen. I’d trusted him. He was my boyfriend. I thought he was going to be my husband.  

“You took everything,” I said, locking eyes with his. His gaze was cold and indifferent. It sent shivers down my spine.

“You handed it over,” he replied easily. “That’s on you.”

“You told me you had a surprise,” I forced my gaze to stay on him. I didn’t understand his cold expression. “You said you were saving for something big. That’s why I gave you the money.”

“I do. I am.” Curt. Cold. Followed by a wry smile.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. He tossed at me through the bars.

“Surprise,” he said, his tone flat. “Read it.”

I didn’t move right away. Something in my chest already knew. The cage. The searing contract mark on my wrist.

His cold, hard glare.

“Now, Senna,” he instructed, his voice low. A bemused smile tugged at his lips. Crouching, I picked up the paper and unfolded it slowly.

The words blurred at first. My heart raced, my mind struggling to process what I was reading.

But then the words sharpened.

Voluntary agreement. Labor rights forfeited. Personal freedom surrendered. Property of…the Morven family?

Length of contract…indefinite.

My fingers curled around the paper as my blood froze. With my eyes averted, I whispered:

“You sold me.”

“No,” Kalen replies, almost bored. “You sold yourself. Signed and everything. It’s all right there.”

“I never signed…” My voice trailed off. I brought my eyes up to his. Mira chuckled, linking her arm in his. He looked at her with adoration.  

All the pieces fell into place.

They betrayed me. Both of them. My boyfriend and my best friend. They sold me into slavery. I now belonged to the Morven family, a true-blood noble family that lived at Wolfspire City.

“Why would you do this?” I asked, biting back tears.

Kalen snorted. “You don’t have a wolf, Senna. You were always dead weight.”

The words landed clean. Precise. Like a quick blade to the heart.

Inhaling a deep breath, I folded up the paper and pushed back my tears. They didn’t deserve the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

“You’ll regret this,” I told him.

He ignored my threat. “The transport is on its way. So long, Senna.” He cast me one last sly smile before he and Mira turned on their heels and left the room.

Two hours later, I was being loaded into the transport vehicle, along with twenty-eight others.

With a low grinding rumble that vibrated through the ground, the vehicle took off down the way, away from District 6 and the only home I’d ever known. The descent down the mountain was sharp and winding. We all sat, avoiding eye contact, quietly accepting our fate.

Only four of us were Empty Shells, the name given to the wolfless. The rest had wolves: I could sense it, layered beneath their sweat and fear, their primal beasts giving them reassurance in their darkest hours.

Resting my head against the glass, I told myself it was okay. I’d survived without a wolf this long. I’d managed to live, scraping out a mediocre existence with my bow, scavenging the mountains hugged our district.  

I could survive whatever lay ahead.

The transport jolted forward, metal clanging around us. I focused. Counting turns, surveying the slope of the road, feeling the air change as we moved farther from the highlands. I was an expert tracker and scavenger, and I tracked our voyage in minute detail.

Time stretched. Hours, maybe more.

Until the capital came into view.

Towering crystal spires with neon lights that stretched to the sky in the dusk nigh air. I’d heard rumors of Wolfspire City, of its grandeur and wealth. But nothing could have prepared me for the sheer opulence splayed out before me. The air carried scents I didn’t recognize: perfumes, roasting meats, smoke, and the something sharp and metallic.

The vehicle lurched to a stop and we all stepped out. Craning my neck to the sky, I saw no stars. The neon lights had swallowed them.

“Move,” a guard snapped at me, shoving me forward. “They’re waiting for you.”

Turning around, I found myself at the base of a massive mansion. It sprawled endlessly, with towers that seemed to breach the horizon.

The guard grabbed me roughly by the elbow, dragging me along, as my struggled to keep up with my eyes.

Moments later, we found ourselves lined up in a vast hall. A man in a dark coat walked down the line. He inspected us with clinical precision, his expression unreadable. When he got to me, he paused. His gaze flicked to my wrist, then back to my face.

“Wolfless,” he murmured. “She won’t last long.”

I didn’t know what he meant. But I knew enough to not respond. He continued down the line, and I exhaled deeply.

That’s when the air shifted.

Two guards opened the large mahogany door, revealing a man. He walked into the room like he owned it, his chin lifted, his expression stoic.

His presence was authoritative. Everyone straightened up immediately on instinct. He came towards us in long, purposeful strides. His dark hair fell over his forehead, his features were sharp, his jaw tight.

The man who had inspected us addressed him.

“They are all here, Master Kalev.”

He gave a curt nod. “Thank you, Elvin.”

My eyes narrowed. I fixed him with a hard glare.

Master Kalev.

As in…Kalev Morven.

My buyer.