SOLD TO THE RUTHLESS ALPHA

Chapter 1 The day I was sold

Golden sunlight stretched across the rooftops of our pack as if it were any ordinary morning. Birds sang from the trees, children laughed in the distance, and the scent of fresh bread drifted through the air. Everything looked normal. Peaceful, even.

But there was a strange heaviness in my chest that refused to leave.

I stood outside our small cottage, a basket of herbs hanging from my arm, watching pack members move through their daily routines. Yet something felt different. People glanced at me when they thought I wasn't looking. Conversations stopped when I walked by. Whispers followed in my wake like shadows.

A chill crawled down my spine.

What made it even stranger was my father. He had passed me several times that morning, yet he refused to look me in the eye. He paced back and forth like a man waiting for terrible news. His hands trembled, and his face looked pale.

Something was wrong.

I didn't know it then, but before the sun set, I would lose everything I had ever called home.

Trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in my stomach, I adjusted my dress, picked up my basket, and headed toward the center of the pack.

That was when I saw them.

A line of luxury black vehicles rolled through the gates, surrounded by armed escorts.

The entire pack seemed to freeze.

People stopped what they were doing and hurried to the roadside.

My heartbeat quickened.

Who could possibly command this much attention?

Then the door of the first vehicle opened.

A tall man stepped out.

The air itself seemed to change.

He was dressed in black from head to toe, his broad shoulders radiating authority and danger. His dark hair was slightly tousled, and his sharp features made him look both handsome and terrifying.

Alpha Kael.

The Ruthless Alpha.

Stories about him had spread across every pack in the region. Some called him a monster. Others called him a king.

Either way, everyone feared him.

Including my father.

To my surprise, every member of the pack immediately lowered their heads.

Even my father bowed.

I stared in confusion.

Why was Alpha Kael here?

One of his men stepped forward carrying a brown envelope. He pulled out several documents and handed them to my father.

My father's hands shook as he signed the papers.

A strange feeling settled in my chest.

Then Alpha Kael spoke.

"Aria."

The sound of my name coming from his lips made me freeze.

My blood ran cold.

Slowly, every pair of eyes turned toward me.

Confusion twisted inside me.

Why were they looking at me?

Why had Alpha Kael called my name?

I looked at my father.

For the first time, I noticed the guilt in his eyes.

And suddenly...

Everything clicked.

The documents.

The whispers.

The strange looks.

The fear.

I wasn't standing there watching a deal happen.

I was the deal.

My basket slipped from my fingers and crashed onto the ground.

Herbs scattered across the dirt.

"No..." I whispered.

My father lowered his head.

The world around me seemed to spin.

"No."

Tears filled my eyes.

"Tell me I'm wrong."

Silence.

My chest tightened painfully.

"Dad?"

He finally looked at me.

And what I saw in his eyes shattered my heart.

Defeat.

Shame.

Regret.

"I'm sorry, Aria."

The words hit me like a knife.

I staggered backward.

"No."

"The pack owed Alpha Kael a debt."

I shook my head.

"No."

"We had no way to repay it."

"No!"

My voice echoed across the square.

My father clenched his fists.

"I had no choice."

I laughed bitterly through my tears.

"You had no choice?"

The entire pack watched in silence.

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody helped.

"You sold me?"

My voice cracked.

"You sold your own daughter?"

My father looked away.

The gesture hurt more than anything else.

"I did what I had to do."

My stomach twisted.

Years.

I had spent years trying to make him proud.

Working.

Helping.

Obeying.

Loving him.

And none of it mattered.

To him, I was nothing more than a payment.

A debt to be cleared.

Then he said the words that destroyed whatever remained of my heart.

"You should be grateful."

I stared at him.

Grateful?

"Alpha Kael paid more than anyone else would have."

The tears stopped.

For a moment, I couldn't even breathe.

Then anger replaced the pain.

"You think I should be grateful because you sold me?"

My father didn't answer.

His silence was answer enough.

I wiped my tears furiously.

"I won't go."

The crowd gasped.

My father's expression hardened.

"You don't have a choice."

"I do."

"No, Aria."

"I said I won't go!"

For the first time, I turned toward Alpha Kael.

The infamous Ruthless Alpha stood a few feet away, watching everything unfold.

His expression remained unreadable.

Cold.

Calm.

Dangerous.

Yet there was something strange about the way he looked at me.

He wasn't looking at me like property.

If anything, he looked curious.

The realization irritated me.

I marched toward him despite the fear crawling beneath my skin.

"You can't buy people."

A murmur spread through the crowd.

Nobody spoke to Alpha Kael that way.

Nobody.

One of his men immediately stepped forward.

"Watch your tongue."

But Alpha Kael raised a hand.

The man instantly fell silent.

His dark eyes remained fixed on mine.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he asked quietly,

"What is your name?"

I blinked.

Surely he already knew.

Still, I answered.

"Aria."

Something flickered across his face.

It disappeared so quickly I almost imagined it.

"You are correct," he said calmly.

My brows furrowed.

"About what?"

"People cannot be bought."

Confusion washed over me.

"Then why am I here?"

For the first time, his gaze shifted toward my father.

A dangerous look flashed in his eyes.

"Because your father sold a promise."

I frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Before he could answer, my father suddenly stepped forward.

"Please, Alpha. The agreement is done."

Agreement?

What agreement?

Questions flooded my mind.

But nobody was answering them.

Alpha Kael's jaw tightened.

The atmosphere grew tense.

Then his eyes suddenly flashed gold.

A low growl rumbled from his chest.

Every wolf in the crowd immediately lowered their heads.

Fear swept through the square.

Even my father took a step back.

My pulse raced.

The growl wasn't directed at me.

It was directed at him.

For some reason, Alpha Kael looked furious with my father.

And that terrified me even more.

Because if the Ruthless Alpha was angry, nobody was safe.

Then he turned toward me.

His expressiPp. on softened ever so slightly.

"Take her to the car."

My eyes widened.

"No."

Two guards stepped forward.

Panic exploded inside me.

"No!"

Without thinking, I spun around and ran.

Straight into the forest.

Branches scratched my skin as I pushed through the trees.

My lungs burned.

My heart pounded wildly.

I didn't care.

I just kept running.

Behind me, I heard shouting.

Then Alpha Kael's cold voice echoed through the air.

"Find her."

Fear shot through me.

Because deep down, I knew one thing.

There was nowhere in this world a Ruthless Alpha couldn't find me.

As twilight cloaked the forest, I stumbled into a hidden clearing where ancient stones stood silent. Gasping for breath, I pressed my hand to a carved sigil glowing faintly in the dim light—a symbol of an old pact long forgotten by most. Could this be my salvation? Suddenly, a whisper drifted on the wind: “Not all debts are paid with chains.” Hope sparked; perhaps fate had more to offer than cruel bargains and ruthless kings.

As the last light faded, a shadowy figure emerged from behind the stones—a woman cloaked in midnight blue, eyes shimmering with an otherworldly glow. “You carry more than just herbs,” she said softly. “The old magic stirs again. If you want freedom, Aria, you must reclaim what was lost before this night ends.” Her hand extended toward me, promising power and peril intertwined.

I hesitated, torn between the desperate yearning for freedom and the fear of unknown forces. The woman’s gaze held a promise deeper than any bargain my father made—one that could shatter chains or forge new ones. As her fingers brushed mine, warmth surged through me, awakening something dormant inside. “You’re not just a pawn,” she whispered. “You are the key.” Behind us, distant howls warned that time was running out.