SOLD TO SIX ALPHA'S

My eighteenth birthday was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Instead, my family sold me. I woke before sunrise, staring at the cracked ceiling of my tiny attic room. Today was the day every wolf waited for—the day the Moon Goddess could reveal our fated mate. For years, I had dreamed about it. Maybe my mate would love me. Maybe he would take me away from this house. Maybe, for once, someone would choose me. I touched the silver crescent necklace around my neck. It was the only thing I had from my childhood. I had been adopted when I was four, and no one had ever told me who my real parents were. A knock sounded. Before I could answer, my adoptive sister, Selena, opened the door. She looked beautiful in an expensive white dress. Her eyes traveled over my simple gray gown. "Still wearing that?" "It's all I have." She laughed. "Father wants you downstairs." I followed her. Something about her smile made my stomach uneasy. The dining room was unusually quiet. My adoptive father sat at the head of the table. My mother was beside him, and a strange man in a black suit sat across from them. I stopped. "What's happening?" "Sit," Father ordered. I obeyed. He pushed a document toward me. "Read it." My fingers trembled as I unfolded the paper. My eyes stopped on the first words. Transfer of Ownership Agreement. I looked up. "What is this?" Father's expression remained cold. "You've turned eighteen. Your obligation to this family is over." "I don't understand." "You've been sold." My heart stopped. "What?" Selena smiled. "You heard him." I stared at my mother. "Mother?" She wouldn't meet my eyes. "We took you in when you were four," she said quietly. "But we were paid to raise you." My breath caught. "You... don't love me?" Silence. That silence was my answer. Tears filled my eyes. "Then who am I?" Father stood. "That's no longer your concern." Two guards entered. I immediately backed away. "No." They grabbed my arms. "Please!" Silver chains snapped around my wrists. Pain shot through my body. I screamed. Then something strange happened. A voice whispered inside my mind. Lyra. I froze. My wolf. For eighteen years, I had believed I was wolfless. But she was there. Weak. Frightened. Alive. Who are you? I asked silently. Before she could answer, the guards dragged me outside. I looked back one last time. My adoptive family didn't follow. No one cried. No one regretted anything. They simply watched me leave. An hour later, I was taken to a luxurious building hidden outside the city. The moment I entered, I knew something was wrong. Hundreds of wolves filled the enormous hall. An auctioneer stood on a raised platform. He smiled when he saw me. "Bring her up." My stomach dropped. "No." The guards pushed me onto the stage. The auctioneer raised his voice. "Tonight, we offer a rare young female wolf. Eighteen years old. No known family. No Alpha protection." The crowd began bidding. "Ten million!" "Twenty!" "Thirty!" My eyes filled with tears. I wasn't a person to them. I was merchandise. Then the massive doors opened. The entire hall fell silent. Six men walked inside. Every wolf lowered their head. I knew those faces. Everyone did. The Six Alpha Kings. The most powerful Alphas in the supernatural world. The eldest wore black, his golden eyes cold enough to freeze blood. Beside him stood five others, each carrying an aura so powerful that even the auctioneer began trembling. Why were they here? The blue-eyed Alpha suddenly stopped. His gaze locked with mine. My heart slammed against my ribs. Something inside me stirred. My wolf whispered one word. Mate. I almost stopped breathing. No. That couldn't be possible. The Alpha looked equally shocked. "Impossible," he whispered. The auctioneer hurried toward them. "Your Majesties, welcome. If you're interested in the girl, the current bid is fifty million." The blue-eyed Alpha didn't even blink. "One billion." Silence. The auctioneer's mouth fell open. "No one dared challenge him. "Sold!" The chains around my wrists were removed. The blue-eyed Alpha approached me. I stepped backward. "Why did you buy me?" His eyes searched my face. "We didn't buy you." "Then why am I here?" Before he could answer, pain exploded across my wrist. I screamed. A glowing silver crescent appeared on my skin. The six Alphas froze. One of them whispered: "The Moon Goddess..." Another stepped closer. "That's impossible." The mark spread across my wrist, glowing brighter. Then a woman's voice echoed inside my head. My daughter. My blood ran cold. I saw a flash of a burning palace. A woman holding a baby. A silver crown. Six wolves standing beneath a blood-red moon. Then the woman looked directly at me. Forgive me, Lyra. The vision disappeared. I collapsed. The six Alphas caught me. When I opened my eyes, every person in the hall was staring at me. The eldest Alpha looked terrified. "She's alive." I swallowed. "Who?" He looked at me. "The lost princess." Before I could ask what he meant, a deafening roar shook the building. The doors exploded inward. Hundreds of red eyes appeared in the darkness outside. The six Alpha Kings immediately moved in front of me. The blue-eyed Alpha grabbed my hand. His palm suddenly began glowing. A mark appeared. Then another Alpha's hand glowed. Then another. Six marks. Six bonds. I stared at them in horror. "What is happening to me?" The eldest Alpha looked at me. His voice was barely a whisper. "The Moon Goddess has chosen you." "For what?" He glanced at the army outside. "To be ours." My heart stopped. Then the creatures outside roared again. And this time, they didn't call me Lyra. They called me by a name I had never heard before. "Princess!"