Chapter Two: The Savage Alpha
985 Words
The wagon jolted violently, jerking me awake.
Pain shot through my spine. My wrists were raw where rope bound them together, my ankles too. The air smelled of sweat, blood, and rusted iron. Around me, other girls lay huddled—silent, some crying, others staring blankly at nothing. All of us were in cages, packed into the back of a wooden transport rolling through dirt roads and dense trees.
The rogues hadn’t said much during the journey, only that we were “merchandise” and we were being “delivered.” I didn’t want to know where. But deep down, I already suspected.
The black market.
The one they whispered about back in the Moonlight Kingdom. A place where fated mates meant nothing, where females were sold like cattle to the highest bidder—wolves, hybrids, vampires, worse. I had no family who would search for me. No pack who would send warriors. I was alone.
And I was going to be auctioned.
I clenched my teeth and tried to breathe through the ache in my chest. My wolf remained curled tight inside me, too weak to rise. I was terrified. But not broken. Not yet.
The wagon stopped. The door creaked open.
Sunlight stabbed through the darkness, revealing a desolate compound—crumbling stone buildings, rusted fences, and guards with black masks and rifles slung over their shoulders. They pulled us out one by one, dragging us past snapping dogs and jeering men.
When they grabbed me, I didn’t scream. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. I walked, stiff and silent, chin held high even as blood trickled down my wrists.
They threw me into a concrete holding room with other girls. Some were older, some younger. All looked terrified. A girl with fiery red hair leaned in beside me and whispered, “Auction starts tonight. They clean us up, dress us in silk, and put us on display like dolls.”
I didn’t ask how she knew. I could see it in her hollow eyes. She’d been here before.
I won’t be sold, I told myself. I’ll find a way out. I have to.
But when night came, escape was impossible.
We were scrubbed clean, forced into sheer gowns and led down dark corridors into what looked like an old theater. Velvet curtains, broken chandeliers, rotting wood masked by perfume and illusion. Wolves filled the seats—rich, powerful, many of them Alphas, their eyes glowing in the dark.
We were paraded across the stage, one by one.
Cheers. Growls. Bids shouted over wine and laughter.
When it was my turn, I walked slowly, my hands bound in front of me, shoulders square.
Whispers rose from the crowd.
“She’s a virgin.”
“She smells like Moonlight blood.”
“Look at that hair...”
I kept my eyes forward until a low, gravel-rough voice cut through the noise.
“Ten thousand for the girl.”
The entire room went silent.
Heads turned.
A shadow leaned against the back wall—massive, broad-shouldered, his face obscured beneath a hood. I couldn’t see his eyes, but I felt the heat of them. Felt the power curling around him like smoke.
“Fifteen,” someone shouted.
“Twenty,” barked another.
But the first man didn’t blink. “Fifty thousand.”
Gasps echoed. Even the auctioneer stammered.
“F-Fifty—sold!” he shouted quickly, gavel slamming down.
And just like that, I was sold.
A hooded man stepped forward. Guards moved out of his way like shadows parting before a storm. He approached slowly, stopping at the edge of the stage. When he looked up, I saw him clearly for the first time.
He was enormous—taller than anyone in the room, with skin tanned and scarred, lips pressed into a hard line, and eyes like amber fire. His jaw was cut from stone, his body all muscle and menace. A heavy black coat hung over broad shoulders, and he moved like something barely chained.
Our eyes locked.
And something shifted.
A heat surged low in my belly. My heart kicked. My wolf stirred for the first time in days.
He said nothing.
He simply took my leash from the auctioneer and turned without a word, dragging me behind him.
The guards didn’t dare stop him.
Outside, a black SUV waited with tinted windows and heavy tires. He opened the door, shoved me in gently—surprisingly gently—and climbed in beside me.
I stared at him, hands trembling. “Who are you?”
His jaw ticked.
He turned his face toward me slowly, fire flickering in those dark, golden eyes.
“I’m Alpha Kael Thorn,” he said. “Of Savage Hollow.”
I flinched.
Everyone knew that name. The most feared Alpha in the region. Rumored to have slaughtered an entire pack in one night. Savage. Ruthless. Heartless.
And now he owned me.
“I don’t want to be your breeder,” I whispered, voice shaking. “Please... I—”
He raised a hand, silencing me.
“I didn’t buy you to breed,” he said coldly. “I bought you to marry.”
I stared at him, stunned into silence. “Wh-what?”
“I need a wife,” he said flatly. “You’re it.”
It didn’t make sense. He didn’t even know me. He hadn’t asked my name, hadn’t touched me, hadn’t smelled me. There was no claim. No bond.
“But... why me?” I croaked.
Kael’s eyes darkened, and he reached forward, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers lingered for a second longer than they should have.
“Because you smell like moonlight,” he murmured. “And you don’t know what you are yet.”
I swallowed hard, pulse racing.
“What am I?”
Kael leaned closer, his voice a growl against my cheek.
“Mine.”
- Writer
