The Royal Alpha: Aden

CHAPTER 1 The Slaves Aden,The third of four princely heirs, his destiny lay beyond the borders of his home—to dwell in secret among mortals and stand as the unseen guardian of peace. He has spent nearly two hundred years living among mortals. Even the last person who knew his true identity has long since passed away, yet he remains, waiting for word from his father's Royal Kingdom on when he may finally return. And his fame has been buried in oblivion, seemingly becoming nothing but a work of fiction. Stories about him have turned into mere fairy tales—of an Alpha Prince who defeated evil rogues. "But if he truly exists, where is he now after all these years? Or perhaps, beings like him were never real at all. Clutching the dirty and tattered hem of her green dress, Laura could only gasp at what she had heard. Ever since she was a child, she had listened to these stories from the elders, yet she was convinced that no such creatures existed in their world. Because if they did, "Where is he? Why doesn't he help me escape this hellish life I am living?" Tears welled up at the corners of her eyelids, but she forced them back before they could fall and continued with her work. Carrying a bucket of water drawn from the well, she brought it into the pack's kitchen. As soon as she stepped through the door, she was met by the waiting Head Chef—someone who had never shown her an ounce of kindness. Seeing the smirk on her face, Laura knew instantly that she was not going to like what was about to happen. And soon enough, she discovered the reason behind that smirk. Within hours, she found herself among the slaves put up for sale. Barefoot, with chains bound to her hands and feet, she stood in a crowded alleyway near the town market. The day she had been expecting finally arrived. They were treated like mere ingredients in a dish, being peddled to those who were fortunate enough to have better lives. Yet, even as she was met with looks of disgust from the people around her, she felt nothing left inside. The feeling of shame had long abandoned her, and the fear of what was to come was something she had prepared herself for long ago. With luck, she might be bought by a good wolf from some respectable pack. But if misfortune struck, she could end up in the hands of a rogue. Her only thought was that it would actually be a privilege if someone decided to purchase her. Because if no one did, she would simply be sent back to the kitchen of her home pack, forced to continue living as nothing more than a slave. "Until someone finally stopped right in front of her. From below, she slowly lifted her head. Her gaze traveled from his feet all the way up to his face, meeting the eyes of the man who stood staring back at her. She immediately looked away, her voice trembling as she spoke— Forgive me for my insolence!" she exclaimed the moment their eyes met. Contrary to what she had expected, the man standing before her seemed to be in a similar plight as her. The only difference was that he bore no chains upon his hands or feet. Laura kept her head bowed, trying to sense his presence. She was certain that this man possessed no wealth, making it impossible for him to be the one to buy her. Besides that, her eyes fell upon his hand clutching an old bottle of liquor. It was no wonder that his entire presence reeked of alcohol. Even so, she was in no position to choose her buyer. If this man happened to have the money, it would be far better for him to purchase her than for her to be sent back to that pack. "Woman, what can I do for you?" the man asked in a low, raspy voice. His tone was distinct and husky. "Hey! Are you gonna buy her or what?" The slave trader shouted aggressively. He looked at the man with judgmental eyes before speaking again. “If you have the money, then buy her. But if you don't, get lost! Get out of here!" he commanded authoritatively. At that, the man turned his gaze back to the trader. He took just three steps forward and patted the trader lightly on the shoulder. "Do you have any idea what the punishment is for people like you, who are selling humans? “ He paused for a moment, smirking at the trader, then continued in a voice that was barely a whisper, yet chillingly clear. "They gouge out your eyes, cut out your tongue, and pull out your teeth... one by one." Said the man, whose clothes and posture resembled that of a beggar. He was clearly heavily intoxicated, spouting nothing but nonsense. "What are you talking about, you stinking old man?" the trader snarled, shoving him hard. Drunk as he was, the man lost his balance instantly and collapsed right in front of us. His movements made it obvious that he was dizzy and completely out of his mind due to the alcohol. I could only gasp as he fell flat on the ground. All eyes were now fixed in our direction, thanks to the trader's loud voice. He was overflowing with arrogance, acting as if he stood above everyone else. Though I felt pity for the ragged man, whose face was covered in unkempt hair and beard, I dared not find the courage to help him. I knew I stood even lower than him, and besides, I did not want to become the target of this trader's wrath. "If you're not buying a slave, then get lost! I might not be able to hold myself back any longer!" The trader added in a raised voice. Slowly, the beggar regained his footing and looked me over once again, his gaze seeming to wait for something I might say. "But I had nothing to say to him; instead, I simply looked away. From the corner of my eye, I saw him raise his bottle of liquor, take a long swig, and then continue walking away. Secretly, my eyes followed him until he was gone. That man didn't actually look that old. His entire presence didn't feel as heavy or oppressive as those arrogant and cruel masters, I thought to myself as he finally disappeared from my sight. Not long after, a man clad in a black cloak suddenly appeared and approached the trader. I could not hear what they were saying, but I saw the cloaked man pull out a pouch of gold coins from his pocket and hand it over. It seemed that at last, one slave was finally going to escape these chains. "Even from a distance, I could clearly see the wide grin spreading across the trader's face, confirming my suspicion. How fortunate that slave must be, I whispered to myself. It wasn't long before the trader approached us, accompanied by the man in the black cloak. The trader inspected us briefly, as if we were merely goods to be chosen from. "There are much younger ones here. Are you sure you want this one?" He said roughly, referring to me. My heart hammered violently against my chest as I realized—I was the slave who had just been sold. Meanwhile, the man with his face hidden beneath the hood said nothing. "Alright, alright!" The trader stammered hurriedly, quickly unlocking my chains." I can no longer remember the last time I felt this kind of relief. I literally let out a deep breath from my parched mouth the moment this ease washed over me, after the heavy chains binding my hands and feet were finally removed. After that, I was finally able to walk freely. The shameless trader’s confusion was written all over his face, wondering why among all the possible choices, I was the one who got bought. The other people around felt the same way. They probably recognized me since I had been at the market for so long as a slave up for sale. Aside from being small in stature, my body was thin, and to this day, I still do not have my wolf form. That is why they look down on me so much, and truth be told, it is not surprising at all. As I followed the mysterious man wearing a black hooded cloak, I kept my head bowed. I no longer wished to see the different kinds of judgment and thoughts written all over the faces of the people around us. I had been walking and following the mysterious man for nearly an hour when we reached the dense part of the forest. We were far away from civilization, and the sun was already beginning to set in the sky. I gradually started to feel the stinging pain on my bare feet. Even my knees were trembling from exhaustion and hunger. However, this feeling was nothing new to me, so even though my pace had slowed down, I continued to follow him. From time to time, the man would glance back at me, perhaps to make sure that I had no intention of escaping. I continued following the man until night completely blanketed the sky. I forced myself to keep him within my sight, even as my vision blurred and everything around me seemed to spin, until finally, a protruding tree root sent my body crashing down. As much as I wanted to stand back up, my entire being seemed to surrender to the comfort of lying down, until my consciousness finally faded into darkness. PROLOGUE "I was born during a time when everything was still peaceful. They say we should give thanks to the Alpha Prince who watches over our land. But before I even reached my twelfth year, a great conflict erupted between the rogues and the leaders of the leading packs in our territory — including my own father, Alpha Juaquin. Sadly, our pack was among those destroyed by the ruthless rogues. My father and many others perished, while I and the remaining women were taken and turned into slaves. Can you blame me for having long lost my faith in these guardians you speak of? Because if they truly exist, why did they never come? Where was he during those moments? If only he had arrived back then, perhaps my father and the others who died that night would still be with me today. If I were to face him now, I think I would feel sick rather than offer him any praise."