The Alpha Bought Me for Revenge

The first time Aria realized her father didn't love her, she was seven years old. She remembered it clearly. The memory had never left her. It was her birthday. She had spent weeks waiting for it. Weeks imagining what he would say. What he would give her. How he would smile. The way other fathers smiled at their children. She had waited by the door from sunrise until evening. Every time footsteps approached, her heart had leaped. Every time someone else entered, disappointment followed. By nightfall, she was still waiting. Still hoping. Still believing. Then her father finally came home. Tired. Silent. Uninterested. He walked straight past her. Straight past the little girl holding a handmade birthday card. Straight past the cake her mother had helped her bake. Straight past her excitement. Straight past her. As though she didn't exist. That night, Aria cried herself to sleep. And somehow... Things only got worse from there. --- Years later. Nothing had changed. The sound of laughter echoed through the packhouse. Aria stood alone in the kitchen. Sweat covered her forehead. Her feet ached. Her fingers burned from cooking since dawn. But she ignored it. Today was important. Today was her father's fiftieth birthday celebration. The largest event their pack had hosted all year. Guests had arrived from neighboring territories. Warriors filled the grounds. Music drifted through the air. Everyone was celebrating. Everyone except her. She adjusted another tray of food. "Aria." She looked up. Her mother stood in the doorway. Unlike her father, her mother's eyes were always gentle. Always tired. Always carrying sadness. "Everything is ready?" Aria forced a smile. "Yes." Her mother hesitated. Then quietly brushed a loose strand of hair from Aria's face. A simple gesture. Yet it nearly broke her. Because it reminded her what affection felt like. Something she rarely received. "You should rest." "I'm fine." "You've been working since morning." "I'm okay." Her mother sighed. Both of them knew she was lying. But neither said anything. Because some truths hurt too much. A loud cheer erupted from the main hall. The celebration had started. Her mother's expression darkened. "He wants everyone gathered." Aria's chest tightened. He. Not Father. Not Dad. Just... He. Even her mother barely used his name anymore. --- The hall was magnificent. Hundreds of guests filled the room. Crystal chandeliers illuminated the ceiling. Expensive decorations covered every wall. The smell of roasted meat filled the air. Laughter echoed everywhere. Aria entered quietly. As she always did. Trying not to draw attention. Trying not to be noticed. Trying not to exist. Her younger sister Lily immediately spotted her. "Aria!" Lily waved excitedly. Unlike their father, Lily loved her. Which somehow made everything worse. Because it proved she wasn't impossible to love. Their father simply chose not to. Aria sat beside her sister. Across the room stood Alpha Marcus. Their father. Tall. Powerful. Respected. Feared. Everyone admired him. Everyone except the daughter who knew him best. A glass rose into the air. The hall fell silent. Marcus smiled. "Thank you all for coming." Applause erupted. Aria watched quietly. The same smile. The same warmth. The same kindness. The version of him everyone loved. The version she had never known. "I couldn't have built this pack without my family." More applause. His gaze moved toward Lily. Pride filled his expression. "My daughter Lily has become a woman any father would be proud of." Cheers followed. Lily blushed. Aria smiled for her. Genuinely. She wasn't jealous of Lily. She loved her sister. But the familiar ache still appeared. Because there were two daughters. Yet only one ever seemed to matter. Marcus reached into his pocket. Gasps spread through the crowd. A beautiful necklace sparkled beneath the chandelier lights. Silver. Elegant. Expensive. The kind of gift most girls dreamed about. "Lily." His voice softened. "This belongs to you." The crowd erupted. Lily's eyes widened. "Father..." Marcus placed it around her neck. The applause grew louder. Aria clapped too. Even though every clap felt like another crack in her chest. She shouldn't care anymore. She was twenty years old. Not seven. Not ten. Not fifteen. Yet somehow... The little girl inside her still waited. Still hoped. Still wanted her father's approval. Still wanted him to choose her. Just once. Just once. Marcus looked around the room. Then his gaze landed on Aria. For one brief moment. Hope sparked. Tiny. Fragile. Dangerous. Maybe... Maybe this time... Maybe he had something for her too. Maybe— "Some children bring honor to their family." The room became quiet. Aria froze. Something about his tone felt wrong. "Others..." Marcus continued. "...become disappointments." The hope died instantly. Guests exchanged uncomfortable glances. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Aria couldn't breathe. She already knew where this was going. Marcus looked directly at her. In front of everyone. In front of the entire pack. "My eldest daughter has spent her life wasting her potential." Silence. Complete silence. The humiliation hit harder than any slap. Still... Aria forced herself to smile. Because crying would only make it worse. Marcus turned away as though nothing had happened. As though he hadn't just shattered her in front of hundreds of people. Conversation slowly resumed. People began pretending they hadn't heard. Pretending they hadn't watched. Pretending they hadn't seen her heart break. Aria stood. Quietly. Carefully. Before anyone could notice the tears threatening her eyes. Then she walked away. --- Hours later. The celebration finally ended. The guests departed. The music stopped. The laughter faded. Only silence remained. Aria sat alone behind the packhouse. Moonlight illuminated the empty grounds. For the first time all day... She allowed herself to cry. Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just silent tears. The kind that came from years of pain. Years of rejection. Years of wondering why she wasn't enough. Footsteps approached. She quickly wiped her face. Her mother. Of course. "Aria." "I'm okay." "No you're not." The words shattered her remaining strength. A sob escaped. Her mother immediately pulled her into an embrace. And Aria broke. Completely. "Why doesn't he love me?" The question slipped out before she could stop it. Her mother's body stiffened. Pain flashed across her face. The answer was obvious. She knew. She had always known. But she couldn't say it. Couldn't explain it. Couldn't reveal the truth. Because some secrets were too dangerous. "I'm sorry." That was all she whispered. "I'm so sorry." --- Much later. Long after everyone had gone to bed. Aria couldn't sleep. The humiliation kept replaying inside her mind. Again. And again. And again. Eventually she gave up. She needed air. She quietly left her room. The packhouse was dark. Silent. Empty. Then she heard voices. Her father's office. At this hour? Curiosity made her pause. The voices sounded tense. Angry. Fearful. She stepped closer. And froze. A stranger sat across from her father. Dressed entirely in black. Danger radiated from him. The kind of danger that made instincts scream. Her father looked terrified. Terrified. She had never seen that before. "We're done waiting." The stranger's voice was cold. Marcus swallowed. "I need more time." "You've had three years." Aria's eyes widened. Three years? "What happened to the money?" The stranger asked. Marcus looked away. Silence. The stranger laughed. A cruel laugh. "You lost it." More silence. Then... A folder landed on the desk. "We're collecting the debt." Marcus visibly paled. "I can't pay." The stranger leaned forward. "Then we'll take collateral." A chill ran through Aria. Something felt horribly wrong. "What collateral?" Marcus whispered. The stranger smiled. And pointed toward the hallway. Toward her. Toward the daughter hidden outside the door. Toward Aria. The world stopped. "We'll take the girl." Her blood turned to ice. No. No. No. This wasn't real. This couldn't be real. Marcus closed his eyes. The stranger waited. Seconds passed. Then one minute. Then two. And finally... Marcus nodded. "Take her." Everything shattered. Aria stumbled backward. A sound escaped her lips. Tiny. Barely audible. But enough. The stranger's head snapped toward the doorway. Their eyes met. And Aria ran. Fear exploded through her body. She sprinted down the hallway. Footsteps thundered behind her. Faster. Closer. Closer. She burst through the front door. Cold night air struck her face. The forest lay ahead. Freedom. She ran toward it. Branches tore against her skin. Roots nearly sent her crashing to the ground. Still she ran. Because if she stopped— They would take her. Her own father had sold her. Sold her. Like property. Like an object. Like she meant nothing. Tears blurred her vision. Yet she kept running. Until suddenly— A figure stepped from the darkness. Directly into her path. Aria skidded to a halt. The stranger was enormous. Tall. Broad shoulders. Black clothing. Silver eyes. Power rolled from him like a storm. Not a normal wolf. Not even close. Something about him felt terrifying. Ancient. Deadly. The man studied her. For a long moment. Neither moved. Neither spoke. Then the men chasing her emerged from the forest behind. One of them stopped beside the stranger. "Sir." The stranger never looked away from Aria. His gaze remained fixed on her face. Cold. Calculating. Interested. Then he finally spoke. And the words turned her blood cold. "So..." A faint smile touched his lips. "This is the girl Alpha Kael supposedly paid millions to acquire." Aria froze. Supposedly? The stranger took another step forward. Moonlight revealed something dangerous in his eyes. Something that made her instinctively back away. "Interesting." Her heart pounded. What did that mean? What was happening? Why did he say supposedly? The stranger's smile widened. And suddenly... It looked like he knew something she didn't. Something terrible. Something that could change everything. "Tell me, little wolf..." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Do you know why the most feared Alpha in the kingdom would want you?" Aria couldn't answer. Because she didn't know. And somehow... She was beginning to suspect the answer was far worse than being sold.