Sold to the Alpha king

I sat stiffly beside my mother and father and the Queen and King of Eliron facing a sea of people twirling and laughing in the great ballroom. Today was supposed to be about me. My twenty-first birthday. A grand ball held in my honor. Not that I’d had any say in the matter. If it were up to me, I’d be curled up in bed, nose-deep in the scandalous romance novel I started last night, the one where the brooding Lord Alexander finally claimed his bride in a lonely, creaking manor house. Instead, I was stuck here, smiling politely at strangers whose names I didn’t even know. I let out a slow breath, resisting the urge to slouch. Tonight wasn’t just about my coming-of-age, it was also the centennial celebration of the Great Peace, the treaty that ended the bloodshed between humans, wolves, and magic-users a hundred years ago. My stomach twisted just thinking about it. The stories I had read about the old wars still haunted me. Tales of villages burned to ash. Children stolen in the night. Humans hunted like game by beasts with sharp teeth and hungrier hearts. I shuddered, pushing the images from my mind. The wolves were still out there beyond the ancient borders, behind the enchanted forests. We lived separately now, each in our own kingdoms. That was the agreement. That was the peace. And for that alone, tonight deserved a toast… or three. I reached for the goblet at my side, taking a sip of the spiced wine, letting its warmth steady me. I forced my focus back to the celebration, pretending to be interested in the swirling dancers and glittering lights. Just a few more hours. All I have to do is Smile. Dance. Make it through the night. Then I could go back to my room, pull the curtains closed, and return to the only world that made sense to me, the one inside my books. I leaned closer to my mother, keeping my voice low. “Mother, may I go for a short stroll? Just around the gardens. It’s… stifling in here.” She looked at me, her eyes softening. “Not too long, Elira. The announcement is soon.” “Of course. I’ll be back before anyone notices I’m gone.” She brushed a stray curl from my face, her hand lingering there for a moment longer than necessary. Almost as if she wanted to say something else. But then she smiled and nodded. I rose from my seat with a curtsy and slipped away from the high table, careful to blend into the flow of courtiers and servants bustling at the edges of the ballroom. The minute I was through the gilded double doors, I exhaled sharply and picked up my skirts, hurrying toward the gardens. I knew exactly where to go. Past the rose archways, down the narrow stone path, hidden from the lights and noise, the old fountain courtyard. Where he always waited for me. And there he was. Austin, one of my fathers loyal guards and the love of my life. Leaning against the worn marble, his blond hair a little messy from the evening breeze, his blue eyes lighting up the moment he saw me. “My lady,” he said, bowing low with a teasing grin. “I thought you might have forgotten me amidst all the excitement.” I laughed, unable to stop the way my heart raced. “Never.” He caught my hand, pressing a kiss to my knuckles, so careful, so reverent as if I were made of glass. For a moment, the world fell away and it was just us. “Come,” he said, tugging me closer. “Dance with me. Just once away from all their watching eyes.” I hesitated, glancing back toward the palace where music still floated on the wind. One dance. What could it hurt? I smiled, slipping into his arms. I let myself twirl to the soft music drifting from the ballroom, my chestnut hair flowing behind me in the evening breeze. Austin’s arms tightened slightly around me, steadying me as I spun back to him. “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are, Elira?” he asked, his voice low and tender. “My love.” I smiled up at him, my hazel-green eyes locking onto his deep blue ones. “Yes, Austin,” I said softly. “But I never get tired of hearing it.” He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face, and for a heartbeat, I wished I could freeze the world right here with him, with this feeling. But reality tugged at me. “I really must go now,” I said, pulling back a little. “The party is about to end. My parents will be looking for me.” He didn’t let go right away. His thumb brushed lightly over my hand. “Will I see you tonight?” he whispered. “At our spot?” I nodded, squeezing his hand before letting it slip away. “Yes. Of course, my love.” Reluctantly, I turned and hurried back toward the palace, the music growing louder with every step. I tried to smooth my skirts, tried to wipe the blush off my face, but I could feel it burning bright across my cheeks. The moment I stepped into the ballroom, I spotted my mother. Her eyes were sweeping the crowd, frantic and searching until they landed on me. Relief flooded her face so quickly that it twisted my heart. I crossed the marble floor and slid back into my seat beside her, trying to look composed. “What took you so long?” she whispered, her hand brushing my arm. “Nothing, Mother,” I said lightly, forcing a small smile. “Just needed some air.” She studied me for a moment longer, as if she could see all the secrets I was trying to hide. Then she nodded, and together we turned back to the stage just as my father rose to his feet, his goblet raised high. The hall fell into expectant silence. My father stepped forward, his presence commanding the attention of every soul in the grand ballroom. His deep voice echoed across the marble floors, steady and proud. “First of all, I want to thank all of you,” he said, raising his goblet high. “Nobles, merchants, scholars, warriors, every man, woman, and child who calls Eliron home. Today is not only a celebration of my beloved daughter’s coming of age…” He paused, casting a heavy glance toward me. I forced myself to smile, even as unease stirred inside me. “It is also a celebration of one hundred years of peace,” he continued, his voice swelling with pride. “A century without blood staining our fields, without the cries of war echoing through our streets. A century where human hands built, dreamed, and prospered free from fear.” The crowd erupted into cheers. I clapped with them, though my hands felt strangely numb. “Long ago,” my father said, his voice softening, “our ancestors fought a brutal war against the wolves and the magic-blooded. A war that nearly destroyed all that we held dear. But from that darkness rose a fragile hope, a treaty that has protected us, guarded our lands, and allowed us to thrive.” His gaze swept across the hall, somber now. “But peace is not kept by words alone. It must be nurtured. Strengthened. Renewed.” Another pause. My heart began to beat faster. “And so today,” he said, “I stand before you not just as your king, but as your protector. And it is with great honor and great sacrifice that I announce the renewal of our sacred treaty.” Murmurs rippled through the crowd, curious, eager. I sat up straighter, a sharp knot forming in my stomach. “My daughter, Princess Elira of Eliron,” he said, voice ringing clear, “will be wed to Kael of the Northlands, the Lycan King as a symbol of our enduring alliance.” The words fell like stones into silence. The air seemed to vanish from the room. I heard someone gasp perhaps my mother, perhaps myself but I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. “The Lycan King has pledged himself to the peace between our peoples,” my father said, as if he hadn’t just shattered my world. “Through this union, the bloodshed will be kept at bay. Our children, and their children after them, will know only peace.” I stared at him, uncomprehending. Kael. The monster from the stories. The wolf with blood on his hands. My hands gripped the sides of my gown, twisting the fabric. My mouth was dry. My heart thundered in my ears. My father lifted his goblet once more. “To Princess Elira. To King Kael. And to the future of Eliron!” A roar of applause broke out across the hall, hollow and distant in my ears as my world crumbled around me