Sold to the Cruel Alpha

TWO

The voice of two people talking woke me up from my deep sleep, I slowly opened my eyes only to close it immediately after the bright light pierced into it. I groaned softly as I tried to turn but my bones felt sore and heavy. I was tethering between waking up and sleeping but I didn't have to think for long because the next thing I felt was cold water hitting my skin. I jumped awake in a second to see my mother with an empty bucket in her hand, she had drowsed me with cold water to wake me up.

“Get dressed and try to look decent at least, your stepfather gave you fifteen minutes to do that, don't waste a minute more” She said in a uninterested voice and threw me a pack of clothes which I caught, she didn't wait for my reply, she just turned and left.

I stood there still reeling from the shock of being doused and looking at the dress in my hand. What was going on?

I looked around the familiar room of the attic, there were boxes in the corner and the place was poorly furnished, but it was my room; I have stayed here all my life.

I tried to remember what happened before I fell asleep and that's when the memories all came flooding in, Cole and my rejection in front of everyone. I felt a dull throbbing pain in my chest as I thought about it, tears gathered in my eyes.

Why did I wake up? The pain would have simply just killed me but no, I was still alive and back here to my cruel life. I sniffled and looked at the pack of clothes in my hands, where is stepfather taking me?

I shivered from the cold and began go get ready, wherever he was taking me I'll have to find out on the way, I knew better than to make him wait.

***

I felt like a birthday present as I followed my stepfather, Rohan quietly. I was dressed in a flowery gown with a corset top, my hair was in curls and I had simple flats on my feet, it was the most dressed I have been since I was born. I usually wore old clothes that had seen many years, which made me wonder where we were going for me to be dressed like this.

I was forbidden to go outside, my mother had said I was too much of a disgrace to go out so I was always indoors except I was given permission for an errand or something. Yesterday I left home because I was feeling restless, there was an annoying scratch at the back of my mind that kept urging me to go outside. When I couldn't take it any longer, I ran out of the house and that's when I met my mate. I had thought it wouldn't matter once I saw my mate, he was going to protect me from the wrath of my mother and Rohan and then take me away. But now, I was back home without a mate with my stepfather extremely angry at me. I had expected that he would give his usual punishment like starving me for days, getting whipped, being in a certain uncomfortable position for hours. I had braced myself for what was to come but nothing prepared me for the journey we were on.

Something told me whatever punishment this was, would put the others to shame.

“We are here” Rohan announced, causing me to stop and look up. The building in front of me was majestic, it was the largest house I had ever seen. There were two guards at the entrance so we walked towards them.

“We are here for the auction,” Rohan said to the guards calmly.

Auction? Why were we attending an auction?

The guards nodded promptly and opened the gate. I followed closely behind Rohan as we entered the compound and soon we arrived at a door. Rohan turned to look at me and I quickly lowered my head in subservience, I was forbidden to look anyone above me in the eye.

“Be at your best behavior and don't you dare utter a word, understood?”

I nodded quietly, I wasn't given a choice to act otherwise anyways, this was the summary of my life.

He turned back and knocked on the door, the door opened after a few seconds by a guard dressed the same as the ones in the main gate. The room was large and had an ancient look to it, the walls were stony and some chairs were neatly arranged in the middle of the room. There was a raised platform in front of the chairs but it was left bare, I wondered if there was going to be a performance later.

“Go stand on the platform there” Rohan ordered.

I nodded perplexed but still went to stand there regardless, I was very confused at this point, I didn't know what was going on. Rohan took a seat on one of the chairs with a blank look on his face, I couldn't read his expression. Few minutes later, some men walked in. I have not seen them before but with the way they were dressed, they looked powerful and rich. Rohan greeted them happily and sometimes they would glance at me and continue talking. I felt dread form in the pit of my stomach slowly as the room began to fill up. Although my head was lowered in respect, I could feel that stares and it made me uncomfortable.

Five more girls joined me on the platform, they were just like me, Omegas. My mind began to reel in fear of what was happening but I dared not believe it.

“Let's all stand to welcome our king, Alpha Reece” A woman came into the hall and announced.

The men who were sitting stood up respectfully as a tall slightly muscular man walked in. I couldn't help but sneak a peak at him when I got a whiff of his scent, he smelled like caramel and coffee. He had a squared jaw with striking blue eyes, nose pointed and thin lips. He was captivating.

“You better lower your head if you don't want to be beheaded,” The girl standing beside me whispered.

I was jolted out of my trance and realized I was literally swooning at the king, I quickly lowered my head and mentally slapped myself to focus. What's going on? Why am I finding the king's scent intoxicating, was the effect of yesterday still not gone?

I was still trying to figure out what was going on when the woman who announced the king's presence before said to us, “Strip”

Wait, what?

The girls shared shocked glances at each other then at the woman, they were as shocked as I am.

“Don't let me repeat myself, Strip” her voice was harsh and unforgiving, to think she was a woman herself.

I glanced at Rohan and he stared back with glazing angry eyes, as if he was daring me to do otherwise. I looked away immediately, returning my gaze to the girls and I saw that one of them had already started stripping, and then another and another, soon everybody was taking off their clothes except me. We were all wolves and being naked wasn't really a problem as wolves took off their clothes before shifting, but being naked in front of men who eyed us like preys was very uncomfortable. I fumbled with my gown nervously, my hands were shaking and I felt like I was being told to jump off a cliff. I wanted to run away from there but how?

“Waiting for a special invitation?” The woman asked me, her eyes were a warning to do as told.

I untied my gown and began to pull it off. I kept wishing someone would come up and stop this madness. Sadly I was completely naked a few minutes later, just like the other girls.

“Girls, form a queue” All the girls present including me immediately formed a queue, I was the last person.

“First girl, step forward, we shall start the bidding from 500 dollars” The woman said.

My heart skipped a bit as I heard her, my worst fear was confirmed, we were being auctioned and sold off to men like objects.

I sneaked a glance at Rohan, he was cheerfully discussing with other men, he didn't even feel the least guilty. I was very sure my mother knew about this, she agreed to sell off her own daughter. Tears trickled down my face the more I thought about it, as if yesterday's rejection was not enough, I was being sold today.

“600”

“650”

“800”

…

The men began to call their bids while eye raping the girl in front, if with was their mates that men looked at like that, they would have gone mad with anger. But it didn't apply to us, Omegas because we were powerless objects that could be bought, used and dumped. As much as it made me sad, it made me angry as well. What kind of community labels their own kind a slave? It was time the tradition was changed but apparently the king was in on it too, he didn't see the need to change such old disgusting laws, instead he sat on a chair staring at girls on display and wondering which one he should buy to be his concubine.

Disgusting

The previous thoughts I had for the king when I first saw him wilted and disgust replaced it. I was disgusted by him, to me, he was a terrible king. To let his people suffer for what they had no control over, I hated him.

While it is important to uphold one's tradition, refining them for your people can be done, there are also bad laws that should be completely eradicated because of the harm it causes to some group of people. If I was given a chance to rule, I would completely banish all laws that related to Omegas. The stigma would take time to amend but I'll make sure it happens. There will be no more weak people, strong people, only people and if there's anybody that cannot obey then they are free to leave the pack. I won't welcome any discrimination of any kind, that was how to be a good King, the current one had a lot to learn.

“Last price 1500 dollars… going once, going twice, sold” the woman called out. The girl stepped to the side and walked to stand beside the man that bought her. The man was plump with a bulbous nose and fat cheeks, he was old, ugly and wrinkly…

Poor girl.

He looked at her lustfully and raised his hand to press her perky breast openly, I could see her shiver under his touch, it was too much so I turned to look away quickly.

I began to contemplate running away, but how fast can I go with powerful wolves after me? Do I really have to accept my fate?

The next girl came forward and they started the auctioning again, a few minutes later she was sold to the highest bidder. It went on like that till I was the last person. My heart was beating hard against my chest as I stepped forward, thankfully with my head lowered they couldn't see my expression but I could feel their eyes boring into me. I didn't know if I should be worried about who was going to buy me, some men were old creeps and some were young obsessive, which was safer?

Perhaps young obsessive was safer, the old creep move back there to the first girl was just plain gross. I couldn't imagine facing such harassment from that old man, I would have fainted from the feeling of his hands on my body, I didn't have the mental fortitude. I prayed to the goddess quietly, they said everything that happened in the community was due to her planning so I guess this one was too. But if it was, does it mean she was watching her children suffer such harassment for the way we were born? That didn't sound very god-like but maybe she had a very good reason, I guess we'll see how it will all pan out. For now, I was still a naked girl waiting to be auctioned.

“Bidding starts from 1000 dollars” The woman announced.

“1100”

“1300”

“1500”

“2000”

…

The men began calling out their bids and it continued to go up along with my heart rate. I couldn't tell who was talking so I just continued to listen and wait for my sentence.

“3000” A man with a hoarse voice said. The hall was quiet and no one seemed to want to bid again.

The woman called out, “last price 3000… going once, twice…”

“5000” A deep voice that sounded too good in my ears said, interrupting the woman. The hall was still deadly quiet, my heart was beating so fast that I thought the whole room would hear it, I raised my head to see who was going to be my master.

“Last price 5000… going once, going twice, sold” The woman announced

Everyone clapped as I stepped down from the platform and walked towards my new owner, the King.

I was bought by the king…

As I walked towards him, our eyes met and a word fell out of my lips in a whisper, “Mate”

A second mate? What in the world is going on?