Betrayal and Voluntary

POV: Vivian

Standing outside my father’s study with a glass of medicine in my hand, I heard his wet groans and the loud slap of skin through the wood as he fucked his mistress on the leather couch while my mother lay dying three rooms away.

"Harder, Marcus..." Lori groaned, her voice breathy and loud, like she's almost at climax stage. "What if your sick wife hears us?"

My father let out a rough laugh, the heavy thud of his body echoing through the door. "Let her hear. That useless bitch can barely draw breath in there. She’s been nothing but a ghost in my house for three years. I should have thrown her out the day her wolf gave up."

"You're terrible," Lori giggled.

"When are we moving into the new house?"

"Next week," my father panted, his breath heavy. "I sold the house today. Once I get the gold, I’m dropping my wife at the public hospital to die. Vivian can rent a cheap maid's room, and Toby can go work in the iron mines. I’m done throwing away my money on a dying woman and school fees. It's time I get what's mine."

My hands shook so bad the water spilled over my fingers, dripping onto my worn skirt.

I couldn't breathe. He wasn't just having sex behind my mother's back.

He was selling our house, tossing my sick mother into a public cot to die alone, and sending my brother to work in the iron mines—all so he could move his mistress into a new house on the ridge.

I hated him so much in that second I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kick the door open and smash the heavy glass right into his face. But a cold, terrifying thought stopped me: He is the Beta of this pack. If I make a scene, he will beat me, lock the door, and throw my mother out into the freezing street tonight.

I backed away silently, my boots swallowing every sound, and walked back to my mother’s bedroom. It smelled like sickness and cheap rubbing alcohol. She looked so small under her wool blanket, her skin yellow and dry.

"Vivian?" she whispered, opening her eyes weakly. "Is your father home?"

I thought about how she would handle the feeling, if she actually knew someone she had spent years with, and sacrificed for is currently banging another woman right under her nose.

"No, Mom," I said softly, setting the water down. I pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, keeping my face totally smooth. If she sees me cry, she’ll know he's cheating and selling our home.

"He’s still at the hall."

She smiled weakly, reaching out her paper-thin hand. "He works so hard for us. Make sure there’s dinner saved for him."

A sharp, horrible knot tightened in my chest. She still thinks he cares. She has no idea he's fucking the baker's widow and selling her bed. I forced a nod.

"I will, Mom. You should rest now."

Ten minutes later, I put on my coat and walked out into the cold night air. My wolf was pacing inside me, furious, but I kept my head down as I walked to the town square.

***

The Great Hall was packed with people for the monthly assembly. Torches burned along the stone walls. Up on the stage, our Alpha stood next to an old elder from the Blood River pack.

"Silence!" the Alpha yelled, and the crowd went quiet. "Blood River is facing a big problem. Alpha Gideon’s wife is really sick and cannot have a baby. By pack law, if Alpha Gideon doesn't have a child before the next blood moon, his evil stepbrother Silas will take his throne."

Everyone started whispering. Silas was a monster. If he took over, our border trade would end.

"Because our laws ban fake methods like IVF," the elder said, "Alpha Gideon needs a surrogate mother. A healthy female with clean blood. The pay is one hundred thousand gold credits upfront to her family, plus full hospital bills."

One hundred thousand gold credits.

My heart stopped. The math ran through my head like lightning. That money is enough to send Mom to the best private hospital in the capital. It's enough to pay for Toby’s school. It's enough to buy back our freedom from my father.

"The selection starts tomorrow," the elder added. "Whoever wants to volunteer must step forward tonight."

A young warrior near the front laughed out loud. "Who would sell her body like that? Having sex with another Alpha for money? It’s embarrassing."

My father was standing near the front, laughing right along with him. Lori was holding his arm, smirking.

Looking at his stupid, smug face, remembering how he planned to throw my mother into a ditch like garbage, something inside me broke. The quiet girl who had spent three years scrubbing floors and taking his abuse died right there.

I held my hand high in the air.

"I volunteer!" I shouted.

The whole hall went dead silent. Hundreds of people turned around to look at me.

My father turned around, his smile completely disappearing. His face went bright red when he saw me. "Vivian?" he yelled, pushing through the crowd. "What are you doing? Put your hand down!"

I kept my hand up and looked straight at the elder on the stage.

Let him be mad, I thought, my heart turning into a cold, hard stone inside my chest. Let the whole pack judge me. I am taking that gold.

"My name is Vivian," I said loudly. "Daughter of Beta Marcus. I meet the rules, and I volunteer."