Sold To The Alpha Of Darkness

Chapter 4

Lilly’s POV

That was the last I heard from Festus or any member of my family.

I was in physical pain after he rejected me, yet he never once came to check whether I survived it or not.

I was dehydrated from weeping profusely because of the nagging heartache consuming me, and weak to the bone from hunger. The lady who occasionally brought me meals stopped coming entirely.

I lay on the cold cement floor, my eyes shut as I curled into a ball against the freezing temperature of the dungeon. Cold seeped into my body, my lips chapped, and my hair tangled into a disheveled mess. There was no denying it, I knew I looked like a wanderer.

The bars creaked open as a guard stepped inside.

“Stand up. You have been summoned by Alpha Festus.”

He probably expected me to leap to my feet at the mention of my ex-mate because his brows furrowed when I didn’t move an inch.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to obey, my body had simply lost the will to function.

He crouched and yanked me up effortlessly by the arm. “Disobedient b***h,” he snarled, his spit landing on my face. “No wonder you got rejected,” he added mockingly as he dragged me outside without releasing his grip once.

Instead of taking me to the courthouse where Festus spent most of his time when he wasn’t in Fiona's bed, I was brought to the maiden quarters, where I was bathed and dressed in a plain cream gown.

My hair was packed into a lazy bun. Looking at myself in the mirror, I barely recognized the reflection staring back at me.

My eyes were lifeless, my skin pale, and my clavicle protruded so sharply it looked like some luxury accessory.

A contrast to who I was before being mated to Festus, before being placed in Aunt Billy’s care.

“Come with me,” the maiden who dressed me uttered.

I stood and followed closely behind her toward a table set with plain rice, curry soup, and a glass of water at the side.

My mouth watered instantly, and I swallowed hard as I glanced longingly at the meal.

“Eat,” she said coldly.

I didn’t wait for her to finish speaking before sitting down and gulping the water greedily, eating like a starved beast.

I choked midway and pounded my chest, yet I still didn’t stop stuffing food into my mouth. The Omega stood watching the entire time without offering to help.

Afterward, she led me toward the courthouse.

I stopped my thoughts from wandering, refusing to search for clues about why I had suddenly been released.

The moment I stepped inside, I saw Festus and Aunt Billy seated with two hefty men dressed in black suits. Their dark eyes studied everything around them.

The aura in the room was suffocatingly dark, so dark it sent chills crawling down my spine. With every step I took, my heartbeat quickened and my palms grew clammy with sweat.

It wasn’t because of Festus, or Aunt Billy. I’ve been summoned by them so many times and haven’t felt this way for once. Something fishy was going on.

I stopped in the center of the room. The two Gammas positioned behind me halted as well.

Festus smiled broadly. “This is Lilly, daughter of Alpha Vincent.” His eyes gleamed the same way they always did whenever he got what he wanted.

The men observed me quietly, as if I were an object being inspected.

I glanced between them uneasily, uncertain of whatever scheme Festus had prepared.

“I’m sure she will serve your Alpha well. She has been useful to this pack for years, and from what I’ve heard, Alpha Malek prefers his meals untouched. She’s a virgin,” Aunt Billy added proudly.

If that information was supposed to impress the strange men, it didn’t show on their faces.

My eyes widened as reality slammed into me.

This was an auction.

An auction to hand me over to Alpha Malek.

Everyone knew the Alpha of Darkness. The most powerful Alpha in the hierarchy. A man feared and revered by all.

Aside from the moon goddess herself, he was considered the greatest Alpha to ever live. He was known for his strength and terrifying gifts.

Being blessed with the powers of darkness and fire wasn’t something ordinary. But as I had heard countless times before, immense power always came with a terrible price.

The gift twisted Alpha Malek’s mind so badly that he became the most ruthless Alpha in existence.

I shook my head slowly, refusing to believe I was about to move from one nightmare into an even darker one. No one who was sent to him returned alive. He suck out life out of everyone both male and female.

Convincing Aunt Billy was impossible, but maybe… maybe I could still convince Festus.

At one point, we had loved each other.

A foolish part of me still refused to accept that everything between us had been a lie, despite him saying it himself.

Taking a shaky step backward, I whispered, “No…” My gaze never left Festus. “Set me free instead. Let me go into the village.”

I would rather live an ordinary life than be under the control of Alpha Malek.

Festus’s eyes darkened instantly. “Don’t you dare embarrass me in front of my guests.”

Tears streamed down my face as the men from the Darkwood pack rose to their feet. Festus stood almost immediately too, adjusting his shirt nervously. It was obvious their presence unsettled him.

Without saying a word to him, the men dipped their heads briefly and walked toward the door.

I took that as my opportunity.

Rushing toward Festus, I fell to my knees before him. “Please, Festus, you said you loved me. Please, just prove it by letting me go. I’ll leave for the village and live quietly. Please.”

I didn’t want to stay there, and I certainly didn’t want to leave with those men. I doubted I would survive under someone even crueler than Aunt Billy.

Aunt Billy gestured toward me, signaling the guards.

I clung tightly to Festus, pleading desperately, but he simply stood there and watched as the guards pried me away.

I screamed and begged, but my cries fell on deaf ears as they shoved me into a black SUV.

My voice died in my throat the moment one of the men from Darkwood pack glanced at me.

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding as though I was being driven straight toward my execution.

The Gammas from Greenveil shut the car door, leaving me alone inside.

Festus exited the mansion shortly after and exchanged a few words with the men from Darkwood before shaking their hands. He fidgeted nervously at every movement they made.

I didn’t need to hear the conversation to know something was wrong.

And the moment the men turned toward the car while Festus exhaled in visible relief, the truth became painfully clear.

I hadn’t simply been handed over to Alpha Malek.

I had been sold.

I was nothing more than an exchange for Festus’s shortcomings.

My hands turned clammy while sweat drenched my body. The entire journey remained silent.

At some point, exhaustion overtook me, and I drifted asleep.

When I opened my eyes again, it was to the sound of massive gates creaking open.

We had arrived at Darkwood.

Everything I knew about the pack had come from old texts and stories, but nothing could have prepared me for the elegance… or the darkness.

The walls were lined with dark marble, as were the pathways. Their land stretched endlessly, so vast it felt as though it had no end.

There was almost no color anywhere.

For the first time in my life, I saw black flowers in real life, and a chill ran through me at the aura they carried.

The two maidens approaching the gates were dressed entirely in black and white as well.

We drove farther inward before the car finally stopped.

I hesitated before stepping out, then silently followed the men into the mansion, not wanting any trouble.

We stopped at the center of a large empty hall that appeared to serve as the living room.

I couldn’t stop myself from looking around.

The only thing bringing life into the space was the enormous painting of a jackal hanging on the wall. Aside from that, the place was pristine yet hollow, a combination of black and dark wood, with an unlit fireplace and a chandelier that seemed to exist solely for functionality rather than beauty.

I exhaled slowly, forcing my thoughts away from imagining how terrifying his dungeon would be if even his home felt this cold.

Before I even saw him, I felt him.

The atmosphere shifted violently as an ominous gust swept through the room, rattling the windows.

Maybe I was imagining things, but it felt like the darkness itself responded to his presence.

The two hefty men who brought me in lowered their heads respectfully, and I immediately followed suit, not daring to raise mine even after they did.

Fear made my heart race wildly as I clasped my trembling hands together.

When no one spoke, I slowly lifted my head and gasped aloud as they met his.

My eyes widened so much they nearly popped from their sockets, yet I couldn’t look away.

His well-defined jaw ticked as though he was visibly irritated by my presence, but beyond that, his expression remained completely blank.

And he was huge.

His broad muscles strained beneath the black shirt he wore, while dark tattoos peeked through the open buttons near his chest.