SOLD TO THE RUTHLESS ALPHA

Hunted

The forest blurred around me as I ran.

Branches clawed at my arms and face. Twigs snapped beneath my feet. My lungs burned with every breath I took, but I refused to stop.

I couldn't stop.

Not after what had happened.

Not after what my father had done.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I pushed through the darkness.

"You should be grateful."

His words echoed inside my head like a curse.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

Grateful?

Was I supposed to be grateful because he had sold me?

Was I supposed to thank him for placing a price on my life?

My chest tightened painfully.

I stumbled over a root and nearly fell, barely managing to catch myself against a tree.

For a moment, I remained there, bent over and gasping for air.

The forest was quiet.

Too quiet.

The kind of silence that made you feel as though something was watching you.

Slowly, I slid down the trunk until I was sitting on the cold ground.

The tears came harder this time.

I couldn't stop them.

Everything hurt.

My heart.

My pride.

My soul.

The image of my father signing those papers replayed in my mind.

His trembling hands.

His guilty expression.

The way he couldn't even look at me afterward.

A fresh wave of pain washed over me.

I buried my face in my hands.

"Why?" I whispered.

The question disappeared into the darkness.

Why wasn't I enough?

What had I done to deserve this?

Growing up, I had always believed my father loved me.

Maybe not in the way other fathers loved their daughters.

Maybe he wasn't affectionate.

Maybe he was distant.

But I believed he cared.

Now I wasn't so sure.

A memory surfaced.

I was ten years old.

A terrible storm had destroyed part of our cottage.

Rainwater leaked through the roof all night.

My father had worked tirelessly to repair it.

I remembered helping him carry wood despite being exhausted.

When we finally finished, I had smiled proudly and asked if I had done a good job.

He hadn't praised me.

He hadn't smiled.

He had simply nodded and walked away.

Yet I remembered feeling happy.

Because I thought his approval was something I had to earn.

Something worth fighting for.

A broken sob escaped me.

How foolish.

All those years.

All that effort.

And in the end, I had been worth less to him than money.

Suddenly, a distant howl shattered the silence.

My body froze.

Fear swept through me instantly.

They were searching.

For me.

I quickly wiped away my tears and forced myself back to my feet.

I couldn't stay here.

Not if Alpha Kael's men were nearby.

My legs ached as I continued deeper into the forest.

The darkness thickened around me.

The moonlight barely reached the ground through the dense canopy above.

Every sound made me jump.

Every rustle of leaves sent my heart racing.

I had no idea where I was going.

I only knew I had to keep moving.

Hours seemed to pass.

My feet hurt.

My throat felt dry.

My body was exhausted.

Then suddenly—

Crack!

Pain exploded through my ankle.

A cry escaped my lips as I crashed onto the forest floor.

For several seconds, I couldn't breathe.

The pain was unbearable.

I looked down and immediately saw the problem.

My ankle had twisted badly.

Panic rose inside me.

"No, no, no..."

This couldn't be happening.

Not now.

I tried standing.

The moment I put weight on it, another sharp pain shot through my leg.

I nearly screamed.

Tears filled my eyes.

I was trapped.

The realization hit me hard.

I couldn't run anymore.

If they found me now, I wouldn't stand a chance.

A trembling breath escaped me.

I crawled behind a fallen tree and pressed myself against it.

Maybe they wouldn't find me.

Maybe they would lose my trail.

Maybe—

The sound of footsteps interrupted my thoughts.

My blood turned to ice.

Someone was coming.

Slow.

Steady.

Confident.

The footsteps grew closer.

And closer.

I covered my mouth to stop myself from breathing too loudly.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

Please.

Please don't find me.

The footsteps stopped.

Silence.

For a brief moment, hope flickered inside me.

Then a deep voice shattered it.

"Aria."

My eyes widened.

Alpha Kael.

Of course it was him.

Who else could track me this easily?

I remained hidden.

Maybe if I didn't move—

"You're injured."

My stomach dropped.

How did he know?

The voice sounded closer now.

Far too close.

I slowly lifted my head.

And there he was.

Standing only a few feet away.

Moonlight filtered through the trees, illuminating his face.

He looked even more intimidating out here.

His broad shoulders seemed larger.

His golden eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.

Yet something surprised me.

He didn't look angry.

If anything, he looked...

Concerned.

I immediately pushed the thought away.

Concerned?

This was the man who had bought me.

Concern wasn't part of the equation.

"Go away," I said.

My voice came out weaker than intended.

He didn't move.

"I can help you."

I laughed bitterly.

"Help me?"

His expression remained calm.

"You don't seem capable of walking."

"I'd rather crawl."

For the first time, something resembling amusement flickered across his face.

It vanished quickly.

"I believe you."

That only irritated me more.

I glared at him.

"You think this is funny?"

"No."

His voice softened slightly.

"I think you're hurting."

The words caught me off guard.

Because they were true.

And because nobody had acknowledged that all day.

Not my father.

Not the pack.

Nobody.

I looked away.

The tears threatened to return.

I refused to cry in front of him.

For several moments, neither of us spoke.

The forest remained eerily quiet.

Finally, I broke the silence.

"Why did you buy me?"

His jaw tightened.

The reaction didn't escape my notice.

Interesting.

The mighty Alpha suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"I didn't buy you."

Anger flared inside me.

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not."

I scoffed.

"I watched my father sign papers."

"Yes."

"I heard him say he sold me."

A shadow crossed Kael's face.

"And that was the first mistake he made."

I frowned.

"What does that mean?"

His gaze met mine.

For the first time, I noticed something unexpected inside his eyes.

Regret.

The sight confused me.

Why would he regret anything?

"You don't know the whole story."

I stared at him.

"Then tell me."

Silence.

The muscles in his jaw tightened.

For a moment, it looked as though he wanted to say something.

Then he shook his head.

"Not yet."

Frustration exploded inside me.

"Not yet?"

I struggled to my feet despite the pain.

"You drag me away from my home, chase me through the forest, refuse to answer my questions, and all you can say is 'not yet'?"

Pain shot through my ankle.

I lost my balance.

Before I could hit the ground, strong arms caught me.

The world seemed to stop.

For one brief moment, I found myself pressed against his chest.

His scent surrounded me.

Pine.

Rain.

Something uniquely him.

My heart skipped.

Not because I liked it.

Because it felt strangely familiar.

The realization terrified me.

I immediately pushed away from him.

"What are you doing?"

His expression darkened.

"Preventing you from hurting yourself further."

"I'm fine."

"You can barely stand."

I hated that he was right.

More than that, I hated the concern in his voice.

Because concern didn't fit the image I had built of him.

Monsters weren't supposed to care.

And yet...

The longer I looked at him, the less monstrous he seemed.

That frightened me most of all.

Because if Alpha Kael wasn't the villain...

Then the real villain was my father.

And that truth hurt far more than I wanted to admit.

A distant howl echoed through the forest.

Kael's expression instantly changed.

The warmth disappeared.

The Alpha returned.

Alert.

Dangerous.

Focused.

"What is it?" I asked.

His gaze shifted toward the darkness.

For the first time since meeting him...

I saw genuine concern.

Not for himself.

For me.

"We're no longer alone."

A chill ran down my spine.

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, he stepped in front of me.

Positioning himself between me and the forest.

A low growl rumbled from his chest.

The sound sent goosebumps racing across my skin.

Then I heard it.

Movement.

Not one person.

Several.

Closing in from every direction.

My pulse skyrocketed.

The shadows between the trees seemed to move.

Golden eyes appeared in the darkness.

Watching.

Waiting.

Hunting.

And suddenly I realized something terrifying.

Those wolves weren't part of Alpha Kael's pack.

They were something else entirely.

Kael's voice became deadly calm.

"Stay behind me, Aria."

Fear gripped my chest.

"Who are they?"

His eyes never left the darkness.

When he finally answered, his voice was colder than the night itself.

"The people who have been searching for you far longer than I have."

And then the first wolf stepped into the moonlight.