Chapter 2
1332 Words
Odessa took one look at Annika and knew instantly what she had been up to. Her face twisted into a frown.
"You stupid girl." She snarled. "You have the audacity to eavesdrop when you should be doing your chores!" She raised her hand and delivered a harsh slap on Annika's face.
Annika fell, blinded momentarily by the pain on her face.
"I'm sorry, stepmother." She cried, trying to crawl away. "I swear, I wasn't eavesdropping."
"Where do you think you're going? I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget." Odessa snapped and was about to kick Annika on the head when a hard voice ordered her to stop.
"If you put a mark on her, you will have to reduce her price."
Odessa turned and glared at Boaz, the man who was going to buy Annika. "We have a deal already." She muttered.
"No, Odessa." Boaz cut her short. He looked fearsome with his towering height and bald head. There was a deep scar beneath his left eyes, giving him a menacing look.
He walked out of the room, the other two men following closely behind.
"We agreed I would buy her for 200 pieces of silver." He continued. "If I find so much as a scratch on her, I'll drop the price. Take it or leave it."
"Fine." Odessa spat. "Have it your way."
"What is her name?"
"Her name is Annika." Odessa replied grudgingly. Her eyes were filled with venom as she glared at Annika.
“Has she shifted yet?”
She hesitated for a moment before answering.
“No. She hasn't. But she will.”
“How sure are you that she will?” Boaz snapped. “I didn't come all the way here for a wolfless brat! The deal is off.”
“She is just a late shifter. I promise you, she will shift soon.” Odessa rushed on to explain. “Besides, she is a virgin. Untouched. That should make up for the fact that she hasn't shifted.”
Boaz was silent for a moment, his eyes raking over Annika's body. Then he turned back to Odessa.
"Very well. Prepare her tomorrow night, Odessa. I will come for her myself. Don't make me regret doing business with you."
"Of course, Boaz. She will be ready."
Boaz turned away without another word and stormed out of the house with his escorts.
After he was gone, Odessa turned on Annika.
"You silly girl." She muttered. "If I were you, I'd pray to the moon goddess to take my life tonight. Because once Boaz comes for you tomorrow, you're dead."
"What are you talking about?" Annika whispered. "I'm not going with that man."
"You don't have a choice stepsister." Lupa cut in, smiling sinisterly. "No one will ever want you, not even your mate. You should be thankful to mother for giving you off to him."
"I don't care what you say." Annika retorted. "I won't go with that man. I'll find my mate tomorrow."
Odessa and Lupa laughed mockingly when they heard her.
"You naive fool." Odessa taunted. "You think I'll allow you attend the mating ceremony? You think anyone would ever want something to do with you? An omega without a wolf?"
She walked up to Annika and grabbed her hair tightly.
"The money I'll get from selling you will be my compensation for putting up with you all these years." She continued in a wicked tone. "And if you know what is good for you, you'd cooperate."
Annika gritted her teeth against the pain and forced herself to look Odessa in the eye.
"I'd rather die." She whispered.
Odessa's eyes flashed angrily. Since Boaz already warned her not to hit her, she could only seethe in silence.
She yanked Annika by the hair with force and pulled her towards the basement.
"I'll lock you up if that's what I have to do." She snapped. "Let's see how you plan to escape from your fate."
"Stepmother please, I beg you..." Annika pleaded as she was pulled along. "Please, just let me go. I'll never show my face here. Please don't sell me off."
But Odessa ignored her and shoved her into the basement.
"This is where you will stay until Boaz comes for you tomorrow night." She snapped. "Try to escape and I'll do what I should have done years ago. I'll kill you."
She turned around and slammed the door behind her. The sound of the lock turning told Annika that she had been locked in.
She rushed up to the door and banged her fists on the cold, hard wood, screaming to be released. But it was futile. There was no escape for her.
A strangled cry escaped her lips and she collapsed on the floor, crying her eyes out.
It was all over for her. She would never find her mate. She would never have the chance to escape her cruel fate. Once Boaz bought her, he would either use her as his s*x slave or something worse.
Fresh tears poured down her eyes and she cursed the day she was born. She cursed Odessa for ruining her life, she cursed Lupa for all the pain and torture, and finally she cursed fate for thrusting her into the life she had.
For hours, she lay on the cold ground. Hungry and thirsty, tired and fed up with life. She resigned herself to fate, waiting for the time she would be sold.
Night came and she remained in the same spot, her eyes red and swollen from crying. The next morning, as the basement brightened up, she sat up suddenly.
She got off the ground and moved towards a broken mirror in the corner of the basement.
Her reflection stared back at her. Midnight dark hair curling wildly around her face. Grey eyes, filled with so anguish. Pale lips. Reddened eyes and cheek from crying, and from the slap she received from Odessa the previous day.
She looked down at the dress she wore. It covered the scars on her body. She looked down at her bare feet, her toes discoloured with recent wounds.
She couldn't continue to live like this,she thought to herself. She needed to take her life into her hands. She needed to fight back.
She turned away from the mirror with a deadpan expression. Her eyes were determined as she looked towards the door. She would escape.
...
The day dragged on and Odessa returned with Lupa from their trip to the market.
"Go check on your stepsister, Lupa." She said to her daughter. "Boaz will come for her in a few hours."
"Do I need to?" Lupa complained. "I just want her gone. I don't want to see her. I can't even stand her anymore."
"After tonight, she won't be our problem anymore." Odessa assured her. "Just a few more hours. Take some food with you too. I've starved her enough."
Lupa sighed exasperatedly and walked towards the basement. The thought of standing before Annika was angered her, and she couldn't wait for Boaz to take her away.
She sighed again as she got closer to the door.
And then she froze.
Her blood drained from her face when she saw the basement door opened a c***k. She moved slowly towards the door and pushed it open.
The basement was empty. Annika was gone. She looked back at the door and noticed the entire lock was missing.
The brat had broken the lock and removed it.
"Mother!" She screamed, rushing out of the basement. "Mother!"
Odessa met her halfway, her face laced with panic.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"She's gone. Annika is gone!" Lupa screamed into her face.
"What do you mean she's gone?" Odessa yelled and rushed into the basement to confirm. She came back out immediately, fear etched into her face. "Goddess above, Boaz will kill me."
"What do we do?" Lupa's voice was shrill with fear and panic.
"We have to find her! Quickly. Before nightfall."
- Writer
