Bonded to the maniac alpha

“The Northern Alpha King just ordered the beheading of his thirty four soldiers. His own soldiers! He's ruthless I tell you!” “Shut your mouth or your head would be the next to roll. Let's get these bitches packed up for business.” My head throbbed fiercely as their hushed voices reached me, each word like a dagger cutting through the fog of confusion clouding my mind. The sharp smell of smoke and cigarettes filled the air, stinging my nostrils and making it harder to focus. Did I go to hell? The darkness that pressed around me felt suffocating, punctuated only by the orange glow of flickering flames in the distance. And was that the Hell King they were talking about? Where the hell was I? My thoughts were muddled up as I groaned. The last thing I remembered was falling to my death. My step sister and Fiance's betrayal. The thought of them sent tears streaming down my eyes and my heart squeezing painfully and beating hard in anger. “They killed my unborn child and killed me too!” I choked out, as my body trembled in rage and fury. “Arrrrgggh! I want to be a ghost and haunt them forever!” I cried out in the darkness where I sat. A moaning sound shocked me out of my stupor, and I looked towards the direction where it came from. I was not alone. “Who's there?” I asked with a teary voice, trying to tame my fear. This was a new realm after all and I was already dead. “cgklfgj…” a voice mumbled. Huh? I couldn't understand what they were saying. The language sounded strange. Was that Crench or maybe Soviak? Was this the language of the hell realm? “Who are you? Show yourself!” I demanded, though my voice wavered. If this truly was hell, then I had nothing left to lose. It's not like I could die again. The voice came again, clearer this time, but I still could not understand. Before I could take a step, a sharp metallic clang rang out, and the strange language stopped. The sound of heavy boots approached, and I shrank back, pressing myself against the cold, uneven wall behind me. “Looks like someone’s awake,” a gruff voice said, its tone laced with menace. My heart sank as the figure stepped into view, the firelight reflecting off a wicked blade in his hand. His eyes glinted like a predator as he sized me up. “Get up everyone, we have to do running rounds before continuing our journey.” He bellowed. At that, I heard groaning sounds all around me and realised with a shock that there were quite a number of people in the room. The heavy clanging of a latch echoed, and a flood of harsh light streamed into the dark space. I winced, shielding my eyes from the sudden brightness as the door swung open. My surroundings became clearer, and I froze in shock. I was in the back of a large, grimy truck. Around me were girls, all looking no older than sixteen, their faces pale and frightened. Some were trembling, their wide eyes darting nervously between the gruff man at the door and at me. I blinked rapidly, as my mind struggled to understand the reality of what I was seeing. Where am I? Who are these girls? The man barked an order in that strange, guttural language, and the girls scrambled to their feet, panic etched into their every movement. I stayed rooted in place, my limbs heavy with confusion and a growing sense of dread. "Move it, or you’ll regret it!" the man snapped in a broken tongue. My breath hitched as I stumbled to my feet, trying to fit in with the others. Then it hit me. I had woken up before, just briefly, but what I had seen then felt like a fever dream. “My hands…” I looked down at my hands now, and my heart stopped. They were smaller, delicate. The faint scars I had once gotten from years of hard labor were gone. ‘This isn’t my body.’ I forced myself to focus, my mind racing as broken memories surfaced. I looked into a shard of glass on the floor and saw a stranger staring back at me. Her long, silver hair and haunting green eyes weren’t mine. But they were now! I blinked as the man barked again, his voice snapping me out of my thoughts. I followed the others as they began climbing out of the truck, my body moving on autopilot. I died. I know I did. But… I’m alive. I’ve been reborn! The blazing sun made my vision blur for a moment. I inhaled the dry, dusty air and I coughed, trying to take in my surroundings. What I saw made my stomach turn. We were in the middle of an open market. But they weren't selling goods. They were selling people. "Strong backs! Good for labor!" one merchant called out, smacking a young man on the shoulder as if to prove his worth. “Exotic beauty, straight from the Northern regions!” another called out, gesturing toward a trembling girl who couldn’t have been more than twelve. My mouth hung open in horror. This was human trafficking! The girls from the truck huddled close together, their faces pale with fear. I glanced at them, my stomach twisting. Were we the next? “Move it!” the guard behind me barked, shoving me forward. I stumbled, barely catching myself before falling to the ground. "No, no, no," I whispered under my breath. The man who had barked at us earlier climbed onto a platform, his voice booming as he addressed the crowd. “Fresh stock!" he announced with a twisted grin. "Healthy, young, and untouched omegas. Perfect for any use you see fit!” The words made my skin crawl. My eyes darted around, looking for an escape, but guards were stationed everywhere. One of the merchants approached, his calculating eyes scanning the girls. He stopped in front of me, his gaze lingering. “This one,” he said, pointing at me. His voice was smooth, “She’ll fetch a good price. Look at that hair, those eyes. Rare.” My heart sank as the guard grabbed my arm, yanking me forward. I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the panic bubbling inside me. As the merchant inspected me, I forced myself to stay calm. ‘Think, Jaiyana. If you’ve been reborn, there’s a reason. You didn’t survive death just to end up as a slave.’ “Take your hands off me,” I spat, yanking my arm free. My voice was steady, but inside, I was shaking. The merchant’s snake-like eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought he might hit me. Instead, he smiled, a cold, snakey smile that made my skin crawl. “She’s feisty. That’ll cost extra,” he said, turning back to the crowd. The bag of coins jiggled as he threw it to the ground. “Pack her up.”