Rejected and Traded to the Ruthless Alpha

Chapter4 The Bond I Do Not Understand

Aria Vale’s POV

His eyes stayed on me, not moving and not blinking, it was like I was already his and my chest rose fast.

I couldn’t breathe well, I didn’t even notice when the guards stepped forward, not until rough hands grabbed my arms and I gasped.

“Move.”

I stumbled to my feet and my legs felt weak and I tried to pull back.

“Please…” I whispered but no one answered me, no one even looked at me and I turned my head fast.

“Kael…”

The name slipped out before I could stop it, he then looked at me, for a second, just one second and his face showed nothing, nothing at all, like I never mattered, like I still didn’t .

My throat burned and I looked at Lyra, she held his arm and her fingers were tight around him and then his eyes met mine.

And she smiled. That smile… It cut deeper than anything.

I then stopped fighting and the guards dragged me away.

My feet scraped the ground and my heart beat loud, no one stopped them, no one spoke and no one cared.

This was not marriage, this was punishment, the thought hit me hard and I felt it in my chest, in my stomach and in my bones. I have heard the stories, everyone had.

Lucien Draven did not take wives, he took what he wanted and when he was done…They disappeared.

“They say he broke his last mate in one night.”

A voice echoed in my head.

“They say she begged him to kill her.”

“They say no woman lasts with him.”

My breath shook, I didn’t want to go, I didn’t want this.

“Please,” I said again and my voice was small and weak.

“Please, I will leave. I won’t come back. Just let me go.”

The guards didn’t stop and they didn’t even slow down and one of them tightened his grip.

“Quiet,” he said and I bit my lip and blood filled my mouth again.

I stopped speaking, there was no point, they pushed me into a room and the door slammed behind us and I flinched.

My eyes moved around fast, the room was large but it felt tight, like the walls were closing in.

Then a woman stepped forward, she didn’t smile and she didn’t greet me, she just looked at me.

“Undress her,” she said and my body went still.

“No,” I whispered, and two other women moved toward me and I stepped back.

“Don’t touch me!”

They didn’t listen, they just grabbed my dress and I struggled.

“Stop!”

The fabric tore and I froze and then my hands flew to cover myself.

Tears burn my eyes.

“Please…”

No one answered, they just pulled a new dress over my body, it was white and heavy.

It did not feel like a wedding dress, it felt like something else, something final and my hands shook as they fixed my hair.

No one spoke and no one explained anything and I felt like I was not a person anymore, just something being prepared, for him.

The door then opened again.

“Bring her.”

My heart jumped. No. No, not yet.

But they didn’t wait, they just dragged me again, back into the hall and everything felt different now.

The crowd was still there, but no one was smiling.

There was no music, no joy but only silence, heavy silence.

The Alpha King stood in front and Lucien stood beside him, he was still, watching and waiting and my body trembled.

They pushed me forward and I fell to my knees again, right in front of him and then my hands hit the ground.

I didn’t look up, I couldn’t .

“Stand.”

His voice was low and commanding and my body reacted fast.

I then rose to my feet and my head stayed down.

I didn’t dare look at him and the Alpha King spoke.

“This bond will be sealed now.”

My chest tightened.

So fast, so soon, no time, no choice and no escape.

My fingers moved into the dress and I closed my eyes.

This was it, this was where it ended. Or maybe…

This was where I broke.

“Look at me.”

His voice again and it was closer this time and then I opened my eyes slowly and my gaze lifted and there he was, right in front of me and too close.

My heart rang hard and I could hear it and feel it.

Every beat was loud in my ears.

He then stepped closer and I stepped back, but there was nowhere to go and his hands were wrapped around my waist.

It was firm, and strong and then I froze and my breath stopped.

“Don’t move,” he said and I didn’t, I couldn’t and then his other hand lifted and touched my neck and my body shook.

This was it, the mark, I had seen it before, he would bite, it would hurt, it would burn and it would break me.

I then squeezed my eyes shut and I waited.

Then my breath came fast and my heart raced.

I then prepared for pain, for something sharp and for something cruel.

He then leaned closer andI felt his breath against my skin, it was warm, slow, then…he stopped.

My brows pulled together.

Why did he stop?

His face was close to my neck, too close and I felt his nose brush against my skin.

It was light and slow and my breath caught.

What is he doing?

He inhaled, deep and slow, like he was taking in my scent and my body reacted.

A strange feeling then spread through me and my wolf stirred.

But it was stronger than before and then my fingers trembled and his grip tightened on my waist.

It was sudden, and hard and I gasped.

His control slipped, just a little but I felt it.

“What are you?” he whispered and my eyes snapped open and then my heart stopped.

What?

“I… I am an omega,” I said fast and my voice shook but he didn’t respond and his grip tightened more.

It was like he did not believe me, like he knew something I didn’t .

Fear then ran through me.

“What does he see? What does he feel? Why is he looking at me like this?”

Then… he bit and my body jerked and I gasped.

I waited for pain, for burning and for something sharp.

But…It didn’t come, instead…Something rose, it was strong, wild and alive.

My wolf.

It surged forward, it was not weak and not broken, it was strong and powerful.

My eyes widened and my body reacted on its own.

I then grabbed his arm and my nails dug into him, like a sound escaped my lips, it was not pain but something else.

Something I didn’t understand and my energy spread through me, it was fast and warm and it filled every part of me.

My heart beat harder and my breath turned uneven.

What is happening?

This was not normal, this was not how it should feel.

His grip loosened, slowly and then I opened my eyes and I saw him.

Lucien.

For the first time…His face changed, his eyes widened, it was filled with shock, real shock and my breath caught.

And then he stared at me, like I was something impossible.

Something he had never seen before and my heart rang again, it was loud and fast.

“What did I just do? What am I?”

His hand lifted and touched the mark on my neck, it was slow and careful. It was like he did not understand it, like he did not understand me.

The silence around us grew, it was heavy and tight and in that moment…I realized something.

This was not supposed to happen, not like this, not to me, not with him.

And the way he was looking at me now…

It was not normal, it was not safe, it was something else, something dangerous and something I could not run

from.

Because now..He knew, I was not what I said I was.

And that might be the biggest mistake of my life.