The Rogue Alpha's Sold Mate

03||~Needle.

03||~ Rumi.

~~~~

I hid the thought in the deepest part of my heart.“Yes, Master,” I said, offering him the ugliest smile I could ever muster.

He seemed pleased with this, so he nodded and returned to whipping the horse with so much force. I almost felt the pain in my bones.

I had learned from other slaves that obedience makes your master lower his guard around you, and that was exactly what I needed to escape this man.

Unlike Lady Azalea, he wanted something from me that wasn't my life. I tried not to shudder in disgust at the thought of what he wanted.

For a moment, I found myself wondering if someday Lady Azalea would also feel even a fraction of the pain she had put me through. Perhaps slipping on the stairs and twisting her ankle, or maybe even worse, having someone carve a nasty scar on her face that she cherished so much.

Of the nine masters I had been sold to, she was the worst, not because she hit me the most, but because nothing I did pleased her. Not my obedience, not my silence, not even the fact that I remained breathing after each of her torturous actions.

I really did wish that she got what she deserved, or found herself in my position one day.

Rumi, what are you thinking? I caught myself.

I shut down the thought as quickly as it came. This wasn't me. I couldn't be consumed by hatred, or I would become another Lady Azalea, and that was the one thing I would never wish to become.

A pair of shining golden eyes filled my head, and I found myself wondering about that mysterious man.

Who was he? Why did he suggest that Lady Azalea sell me? What exactly was he trying to achieve by it? He definitely couldn't be trying to save me from death.

So what exactly did he want?

“We are here.”

My new master's voice jerked me away from my thoughts, and I sucked in a deep breath as I took in the appearance of the detached hut standing desolate in the woods, surrounded by mountains and nothing but trees.

Beside the hut was a small stable building, and that was it.

My new master jumped off the carriage, his boots making a crunching sound beneath his feet as he came to my side.“Here, let me help you down,” he offered.

I was beginning to shake my head when his expression changed, completely changing my response.

“Thank you, Master,” I stuttered. His smile returned, and his rough hands gripped my shoulders as he pulled me down from the carriage, not too gently.

My leg met the ground harshly, and my ankle twisted to the side with a sharp snap. I swallowed my cry of pain and squeezed my eyes shut.

Just endure it, I told myself.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his expression taking on one of concern.

I instantly shook my head.“Yes, Master. I am perfectly fine.” In response, satisfaction showed in the grin he offered me.

“Then let's go.” He began leading me towards the hut, ignoring my limp.

The hut was way worse than it looked on the outside. There was a small bed frame that looked like it could collapse at any time. The walls were covered in grime and moss, as though the place hadn't been cleaned in a very long time.

The room had scarcely anything in it, just a few things: a small cupboard, which I suspected held his clothes, a table, and a chair.

That was it.

While I was assessing the room, my new master was busy assessing me.

“You should go and get changed. All that dirt on your face make you unpleasant to look at.”

I nodded sheepishly. “Yes, Master—”

“Don't call me that!” he snapped, making me flinch. His expression eased, and he said it slowly again. “Just call me Orlan. Orlan de Fort.”

“Thank you, Mas- Orlan,” I said.

“Good. Now go and get bathed. I'll be right here waiting for you.” He swiped his tongue over his lower lip, and I shuddered before hesitantly turning towards the only door. “Everything has been prepared for you. The bathroom is over there.” He jerked his head towards a small door on my left, and I rushed towards it, limping as I went.

As I shut the door behind me, I was met with a bathroom even worse than the room.

There was some kind of strange white liquid on the ground, and the room smelled as though it hadn't been cleaned in forever. There was dirt and dust everywhere.

Thankfully, the water in the bathtub was clean.

I shed my torn clothes and slipped into the bathtub. My eyes darted around in case Orlan, my new master, was peeping through some kind of hole just to look at me.

Once I was immersed in the water, I let myself relax and began scrubbing at my skin.

My wounds hadn't healed. They were taking longer to heal than before, an effect of the wolfsbane. It always numbed my pain and sometimes made me feel stronger. But the downside was that my wounds healed more slowly.

I pushed away the thoughts and ran my hand through my matted mane of ivory hair. My hand caught something sharp and cold, and I pulled it out.

A needle.

One of the slaves who had killed my sixth master had used this very needle to slit his throat.

Even though I couldn't do something like that, I was determined to protect this one thing I had. Countless men and masters had tried to take it from me, but I had always found a way to protect it.

I clutched t tightly as a new form of fear grew within me. Rght now, Orlan and I were in the middle of nowhere. There was no way I could call for help.

So perhaps, for the first time in my life, I would have to hurt someone.

“Beautiful, are you done?" I jerked in the water, making it splash.

“Y-Yes, Mas--Orlan,” I stuttered, returning the needle to my hair. Then I slipped out of the bathtub and pulled on my clothes.

When I walked out and Orlan saw me, he seemed to fall into a trance. His lips parted, and his already big, leering eyes grew wider.

“Goddess!” he exclaimed. “You are even more beautiful than I had been told. Why were you hiding your beauty under all that dirt?” He spread his arms and came towards me to hug me.

I took a step back, lowering my eyes.

“Master, you must be tired from the journey. Why don't you let me make you some food?” I asked.

“Oh, you don't need to make me food. My food is right here.” His words sent a shiver through me, and it took everything in me not to run.

Orlan ignored my stiff form and hugged me tightly, so tightly that I almost couldn't breathe.

I tried to place my palm on his chest, trying to push him away, but he was too big, and his strength was more than I had imagined. “Orlan, please stop. Wait, I need to... I'm on my period. I can't do this right now.”

I tried every excuse I could offer, but he didn't listen.

The next thing I knew, he began kissing my neck, and my heart spiralled out of control.

If I didn't find a way out of this, I was going to lose the one thing I had risked everything to protect all these years. So I did the only thing that came to my mind.

I bit him on the neck.

I bit him so tightly that I tasted blood, and for some reason, I felt a pang of satisfaction at the taste of his blood. “You b***h!” he screeched, striking me across the face.

My head snapped to the side, and I fell to the floor, cradling my cheek. I crawled to the wall. I knew my plan had been foiled. There was no way he would let me go now.

He strode over to my side and kicked me right in the stomach. At this rate, I would have more wounds than I did before. His kick was so powerful that I felt my empty stomach react, and I writhed on the floor.

However, Orlan didn't care about this.

He descended on me and punched me one more time. Then he wrapped his hand into my hair and used it to drag my head up.

“You promised to be obedient. How dare you try to defy me? No matter how beautiful you are, you are just a slave. Did you think some powerful man would buy you and use you, or that you could sell yourself to them? That is not happening. You are my slave now, and I will do with you as I please.”

Tears filled my eyes, and I shook my head.

“Please, Master,” I begged, reaching for his hand and trying to remove his fingers.

I took this chance to slip the needle into my hand. I continued begging as I gripped it tightly, preparing myself to fight back. “I am not a slut, and I refuse to be your slave!”

I jabbed the needle straight into his foot.

He let out a sharp cry, releasing my scalp. I yanked the needle out, scampered to my feet, and limped towards the door. “You b***h!”

Thankfully, he had not locked the door. While he was crying out in pain, I pulled it open and limped straight towards the horse.

I loosened it from the carriage as quickly as I could. Right as I sat down on it, the door of the hut flew open.

Orlan stood by the door, his eyes shining an ominous gold. “I will kill you!” he roared, and fear began to take over as he started to shift.

I didn't wait to see him shift completely before I turned the horse in the opposite direction and slapped its flank.

It let out a sharp neigh and took off.

As it did, I risked a glance back. My eyes locked with Orlan's powerful brown wolf as it let out a howl and a snarl before racing after me. With my heart in my throat, I turned back towards the road and gripped the reins tightly, praying that the horse was faster than a wolf.

If it caught me, I would definitely die this time.

And it would be a painful death.

~P-Lia~