Ruined By My Three Billionaire Alphas

~Aquila~ Mate. Just as my wolf whispered the words, my eyes locked on the man who stood on stage. Golden eyes clashed with grey. A growl resounded through the room; the chatter halted like a secret pause had been pressed. I could swear my heart literally skipped a beat, then stopped beating. The whole world melted away, but in those liquid pools of molten gold, what I saw shattered my already fragmented world—pure disgust and rage. My legs trembled in fright, the tray in my grip clattering to the floor, and as if the spell had been broken, murmurs flooded in. "She's his mate?" "No way. It's not fair." "This thing?" He took a step toward me. Just then, the alpha of the pack—a balding, stout man in his 40s— the alpha of my pack, Alpha Herman squeezed out a smile, but even I could tell that it was strained and fake. "Congratulations to Alpha Damon for finally finding his mate. It seems the Moon Goddess really favo—" He choked on his words, sneaking a glance at my stick-thin, gaunt figure, limp, lifeless, dried hair— malnourished and ugly. Changing his words, he continued, "You are one step closer to stopping the effects of the curse," but he choked on his words once more with a sharp inhale of breath after the brooding alpha shot him a deadly glance. Chuckling awkwardly, he shoved me forward. "Well, here she is." Wait. Wait. I was still too stunned, my mind lagging behind. They wanted to gift me to him? To Alpha Damon? Who didn’t know him? His reputation alone stopped crying children, and his name disciplined the naughty ones. Was this the person they wanted to give me to? I understood that I was hated because of what happened years ago, but was it to this extent? Ten years of atonement could never be enough. My father made his way over. "Alpha Damon, this naughty girl is my child. Finally, she can have a home to stay in when I die." He wiped away false tears. "But you know, as a father, I have been taking care of her… money has gone into her care,” rubbing his palms together a money grubby glint in his eyes, “And you know the way things are now, it’s quite hard. If you take her away, how will I and old wolf live—" "Andrew," Alpha Damon called out, cutting off his lament, his voice deep and mellow. The man next to him, his beta, gave a nod, walking off. The next moment, he returned with a briefcase, shoving it into my father's hand. My father nervously held the suitcase. Opening it, he grinned, his eyes curving with glee that made my stomach drop. He snatched a stack of bills, smelling it like an addict to drugs in delight. It’s said that even a tiger will never eat its own cubs, but I watched my father sell me away for a stack of bills without blinking an eye. Turning to me, he shielded the briefcase, tucking it safely into his grasp, saying, "Aquila, you’re now the mate of Alpha Damon here. Follow him and be good. Make Daddy proud"—a greedy light flashed past his eyes. He needed more money to drown himself in bourbon until he wasn’t sober, living in another fantasy—a world where our family was complete—a world I destroyed. But knowing that didn’t make it any better. Being sold by your only relative left was worse. I didn’t want to endure any longer. For myself and for my future, something in me snapped. "I don’t want to marry him. I don’t agree." For the first time in ten years, I spoke boldly. The hall fell ghost-quiet, breaths lightening. The crowd gaped at me. My father glared daggers, tightening his grip on the suitcase while sneaking a glance to check Alpha Damon’s face. Breathing a sigh when all seemed well, he snapped at me, "What nonsense!" He spoke through gritted teeth. "She’s just playing, Alpha Damon— that I can assure you. You know she’s still a child and doesn’t know what she’s talking about, but don’t worry, I will make sure…" He glowered at me threateningly. "Who does she think she is, trying to reject Alpha Damon?" "I would have given her a slap or two myself." "Ungrateful…" a curse was thrown at me. On the other hand, Alpha Damon never said a word and never even glanced at me the whole time, as if I never existed. He spun around, heading for the door. Somehow, that stung more than anything else. Immediately after he left, my father stepped forward. His hand shot out, gripping me by the arm. He pulled me away from the hall. Stumbling after him, we exited through the backdoor. Harshly letting go of me, I crashed to the floor. Pain flared up, my skin scraped open, beads of blood trickling down. "Listen up, you little menace.” He growled lowly, his face changing like a switch, “That is Alpha Damon, a figure that you can never see in your lifetime, even if you wished for it. With him as your mate, what wouldn’t you get? Money, power— everything will be at your fingertips." He tried to confuse me. Usually, I would give in and agree, but today, watching my life being sold like a commodity—a lost spark of defiance lit in me. I asked, "But Father, haven’t you heard about him? Alpha Damon?" I began with a stutter at first, then bolder. "Who doesn’t know about him?" "It’s said he’s ruthless, that killing is as normal as breathing air to him. It’s said that body bags are wheeled out each day from his house, and no one works for him because of the death rate. Even his own father was scared of him." I mentioned it in one breath. Afterwards, my father became silent for a second, but before I could breathe a sigh that I had convinced him, he said, "Aquila, you’re no longer a child anymore. How can you be listening to rumors?" I gaped at him in disbelief. Rumors? How can he say that? "But Father—" "Enough!" he roared, raising his hand high. "You will follow Alpha Damon and become his mated one. End of discussion." I flinched, shutting my eyes.