SOLD TO THE RUTHLESS ALPHA

The promise he kept

My hands shook.

The letter nearly slipped from my fingers.

I read the words again.

And again.

And again.

Protect my daughter at all costs.

My mother's signature stared back at me.

Real.

Undeniable.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

"What is this...?"

My voice barely sounded like my own.

I sat heavily on the floor.

The box remained open in front of me.

Pictures.

Letters.

Notes.

Years of them.

Years.

The oldest drawing looked like I was only seven years old.

Seven.

I swallowed hard.

That meant Kael had known about me for over a decade.

The realization made my stomach twist.

Why?

Why me?

Why had he been watching me?

Why had my mother trusted him?

A loud explosion echoed outside.

The walls shook.

I jumped.

For a moment, I had forgotten the battle.

The attack.

The wolves hunting me.

Fear rushed back instantly.

Another howl echoed through the night.

Closer this time.

Dangerously close.

My pulse quickened.

I should leave.

I should find somewhere safe.

Instead...

I grabbed the rest of the papers.

Because despite everything—

I needed answers.

Desperately.

My eyes landed on another letter.

This one wasn't from my mother.

It was from Kael.

My breath caught.

The paper looked old.

Very old.

I unfolded it carefully.

The handwriting was sharp and neat.

---

I swear on my life that no harm will come to her while I still breathe.

I will find her.

I will protect her.

No matter the cost.

—Kael Blackthorn

---

My chest tightened.

The room suddenly felt too small.

Why?

Why would he make a promise like that?

I didn't understand.

None of it made sense.

A loud crash interrupted my thoughts.

The door burst open.

I nearly screamed.

Rowan rushed inside.

Covered in dirt.

Covered in blood.

His hair looked like he'd lost a fight with a tornado.

For a second I stared.

Then—

A laugh escaped me.

I immediately covered my mouth.

Rowan blinked.

"What?"

Another laugh slipped out.

I couldn't help it.

The poor man looked ridiculous.

His face twisted.

"You're laughing?"

That only made it worse.

I laughed harder.

For the first time in days.

A real laugh.

Rowan looked offended.

Deeply offended.

"I could've died."

I tried to stop laughing.

I really did.

But then I noticed a feather stuck in his hair.

A feather.

"Why do you have a chicken feather in your hair?"

His eyes widened.

He grabbed the feather.

The look on his face made me burst out laughing again.

"Oh, Moon Goddess help me."

Rowan groaned.

"One battle."

He threw the feather away.

"One battle and suddenly I'm entertainment."

Despite everything—

The fear.

The pain.

The confusion.

I smiled.

A genuine smile.

It felt strange.

Like something I hadn't done in years.

Then Rowan's expression changed.

The humor vanished instantly.

And my stomach dropped.

Because that meant something was wrong.

Very wrong.

His gaze shifted toward the papers in my hand.

Then back to me.

"You found them."

I nodded.

Silence.

A heavy silence.

The kind that makes your chest hurt.

"Did he know my mother?"

Rowan looked away.

Which was answer enough.

Pain stabbed through me.

Everyone knew.

Everyone except me.

I hated it.

I hated being the last person to know my own story.

My life.

My family.

My truth.

The frustration boiled over.

"I'm tired of secrets."

My voice cracked.

"I'm tired of everyone deciding what I deserve to know."

Rowan sighed.

A tired sigh.

The sigh of a man who had seen too much.

"Kael was trying to protect you."

"From what?"

Silence.

Again.

Always silence.

I wanted to scream.

Throw something.

Break something.

Instead I clenched my fists.

"I hate that answer."

A small smile appeared on Rowan's face.

"Yeah."

His smile widened.

"I do too."

For a brief moment, I almost liked him.

Then the smile disappeared.

And fear replaced it.

My pulse quickened.

"What happened?"

Rowan's jaw tightened.

"The enemy isn't retreating."

My stomach dropped.

"What?"

"They're winning."

The words hit me like ice water.

Winning?

How?

Kael was powerful.

His pack was powerful.

They weren't supposed to be losing.

Rowan looked grim.

"There's someone with them."

A chill ran down my spine.

"What kind of someone?"

The warrior swallowed.

And for the first time since meeting him...

He looked afraid.

"Their leader."

Fear crawled up my spine.

Something about the way he said it made my skin prickle.

"Who is he?"

Rowan hesitated.

Then finally answered.

"A ghost."

I frowned.

"What?"

The warrior's face darkened.

"He was supposed to be dead."

My heart skipped.

Outside—

A terrifying roar shook the entire building.

The windows shattered instantly.

Glass exploded across the room.

I screamed.

The floor trembled beneath us.

And then—

A voice echoed across the entire territory.

Deep.

Powerful.

Ancient.

The voice carried enough authority to silence the battle outside.

Enough power to make every hair on my body stand up.

Enough power to make Rowan turn pale.

The voice spoke only four words.

"Bring me my daughter."

The world stopped.

My breathing stopped.

Even my heart seemed to stop.

Because somehow...

Deep inside...

I knew that voice.