Chapter 1

Selena POV

“…cannot keep doing this.” I froze instantly as the voice belonged to my father’s Beta.

Another voice answered sharply. My Father’s.

My chest tightened slightly knowing that they were arguing.I stepped closer to the door without thinking.

“You think I enjoy it?” Father snapped.

“What I think,” the Beta replied bitterly, “is that I’m tired of selling our women like livestock.”

I stopped breathing at the word selling. Confusion swirled through my head.

Father lowered his voice, but I still heard him clearly. “It keeps the vampires away from our borders.”

A chill spread through my entire body. No. That couldn’t be what he meant.

“The next batch leaves tomorrow night,” the Beta muttered.

Batch?Fear slowly began creeping into my chest. My mind struggled to understand the conversation happening beyond the door.

Then the Beta spoke again. “And Selena?”

Silence followed briefly as my heartbeat became painfully loud.

“She was promised years ago,” Father finally answered.

The world around me seemed to tilt violently.

“What?” the Beta hissed. “She’s your daughter.”

“She belongs to the agreement.”

My hand flew to my mouth. No. No, no, no—

“The high lord specifically requested her since birth,” Father continued heavily.

Terror crashed into me so suddenly my knees nearly gave out. I couldn’t breathe. A vampire lord? Me?

I just celebrated my Eighteenth birthday!!!

The Beta cursed under his breath. “You’re truly sending her with the others?”

Father didn’t answer immediately. But eventually— “Yes.”

The single word shattered something inside me. I stumbled backward silently, tears burning my eyes.

All those girls who disappeared over the years…They hadn’t left to marry wolves from other packs like I was told by my father.

They had been sold to vampires and tomorrow night, I would be one of them.

Footsteps suddenly approached from inside the office. Panic jolted through me and I quickly hid behind one of the stone pillars just as the office door opened.

Father and the Beta stepped into the corridor.“She must never know,” Father said quietly.

My chest hurt so badly I thought I might scream as I watched the two men walk away.

I remained frozen behind the pillar until their footsteps disappeared completely. Then slowly, I stepped into Father’s office.

The room suddenly felt unfamiliar and cold.

My gaze landed on my mother’s painting hanging behind the desk. I stared at it through blurred vision.

‘Did he truly love her? Did he truly love me? Or had he spent my entire life preparing me for this?’

A sob escaped my throat then my eyes fell on the large ledger resting on the desk. I remembered seeing Father write in it many times before.

Slowly, I opened it and my stomach twisted instantly. There were names, ages, dates and trade records of girls from different packs.

I felt sick seeing this was real. All of it.

My breathing turned shaky as I grabbed the ledger quickly. Then I snatched Father’s spare cloak hanging nearby and hurried from the office.

I didn’t think anymore.I just ran.

Rain soaked me the moment I stepped outside the castle. The cold wind whipped against my face as I rushed toward the stables.

My hands trembled while preparing one of the horses. “I need to hurry,” I whispered desperately.

Within moments, I climbed onto the horse and rode into the storm. Away from Nightbane, away from my father and away from the fate waiting for me.

Rain lashed painfully against my skin as the horse raced through muddy paths and dark woods. Tears blurred my vision the entire time.

Every memory hurts now.Every smile, every embrace and every moment Father told me he loved me. Had all of it been a lie?

I crossed the pack borders sometime before dawn but still didn’t stop.

Eventually, the forest ahead became too thick for the horse to move through properly. I climbed down shakily and began leading the animal on foot instead.

Thunder cracked loudly overhead.

My thoughts spun endlessly until suddenly— A growl echoed through the trees.

I froze as another growl answered from somewhere behind me and fear shot through my body instantly.

Shadows moved between the trees then men slowly emerged from the darkness surrounding me. Their clothes were torn, their eyes wild, their teeth bared viciously.

Rogues.

One of them snarled at me hungrily. Another circled toward my side, snapping his teeth.

The horse panicked beside me as the rogues closed in on us.