Chapter One
1715 Words
Elena's POV
Rain hit the roof so hard that I thought it would break through completely. Water dripped from the ceiling into old metal bowls we kept around the house because the leaks had gotten worse again.
The wind pushed against the walls like it was trying to tear the whole place apart, and honestly, I thought maybe it should. There wasn’t much left worth saving anyway.
I sat near the fireplace sewing a ripped sleeve onto my dress while trying not to think about how hungry I was. Dad sat at the wooden table with another bottle in his hand. His eyes looked tired and empty, and the smell of alcohol filled the room so badly it made my head hurt.
He didn’t even notice when I pricked my finger with the needle. I sighed quietly and wiped it away quickly before he noticed.
Not that he cared much anymore. Ever since Mother died two years ago, everything changed. He used to be happy before. Now he only drinks and gambles
I tied the thread carefully before finally looking up at him.
“You should sleep,” I said softly.
He gave a dry laugh without lifting his head.
“Can’t.”
“You said that yesterday too.”
“And I’ll probably say it tomorrow,” he replied.
I frowned a little and the rain outside became louder.
He suddenly looked at me and his face softened a little, and somehow that scared me more than when he shouted.
“You look like your mother tonight,” he said.
Pain twisted inside my chest immediately. Whenever my father talked about my mom, he always looked like he was about to completely fall apart. I looked back down at the dress.
“I don’t remember her voice anymore,” I admitted.
The room became silent. He stared at the table for a long time before speaking again.
“She used to sing while cooking,” he whispered. “Terribly.”
I smiled a little despite myself.
“She wasn’t terrible.”
“She forgot half the words.” he replied
“That’s because she made up her own songs.”
A tiny smile appeared on his face, the first real smile I’d seen in weeks. But it disappeared almost immediately just like always.
Suddenly the front door shook violently. I jumped so hard the needle slipped from my hand another loud bang followed.
“Victor!”
A voice echoed through the storm outside. Father instantly went pale. Fear crawled into my stomach.
“No..Not again”
He stood up too fast, nearly knocking the chair over.
“Elena,” he said sharply, “go upstairs.”
I frowned. “Who is it?”
Another bang hit the door harder this time.
“I said go upstairs.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Elena.”
His voice cracked slightly and that scared me but before I could answer, the door burst open so hard it slammed against the wall.
Three large men stepped inside covered in rain. A cold wind rushed into the house immediately. The tallest man looked around with disgust before laughing.
“This place smells even worse than I remembered.”
He swallowed hard.
“Please,” he said quickly. “Just give me more time.”
The man ignored him completely and stepped farther inside. His boots tracked mud across the floor.
“You’ve had enough time,” the man said coldly.
“The people you owe are tired of waiting.” His hands shook.
“I can pay.”
“With what?” the man snapped.
The other two men began looking around the house carelessly. One picked up a cracked picture frame from the shelf. The only good photo we have of mum. He smirked before tossing it back down roughly. The glass cracked loudly. My chest tightened.
“Don’t touch that,” I said angrily.
The man looked at me then he smiled slowly. I wished I hadn’t spoken.
“Well,” he said. “What do we have here?”
Dad moved in front of me.
“No.”
The collector laughed.
“No?” he repeated mockingly. “You don’t get to say no anymore, Victor.”
Fear twisted painfully in my stomach now.
I grabbed his arm. “What’s happening?”
He didn’t answer me which made everything worse.
The l collector looked me up and down carefully before speaking again.
“She’s pretty.”
My entire body went cold.
Dad stepped forward immediately. “Stay away from her.”
“Then pay your debt.”
Silence filled the room except for the storm outside. I looked between them in confusion. I knew Father owed money, but not enough for this.
The collector suddenly smiled again.
“There may be another way.”
Dad's breathing became uneven.
“No,” he whispered instantly.
The man shrugged carelessly. “Seems fair to me.”
“What seems fair?” I asked sharply.
Nobody answered. Fear spread deeper inside my chest.
“What are you talking about?”
He still refused to look at me.
“No.” Father closed his eyes.
“No,” I repeated louder.
“You owe money,” the collector said calmly. “A lot of money.”
Dad looked completely broken now.
“I had no choice,” he whispered.
I stepped backward slowly. “You wouldn’t.”
“Elena”
“You wouldn’t!”
Tears instantly burned my eyes. The collector smiled like he was enjoying this.
“You should be grateful,” he said. “Girls disappear for less than this every day.”
I hated him immediately. The way he looked at me like I was something being traded at a market.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I snapped.
The man laughed. “You don’t decide that.”
Father grabbed my wrist suddenly.
“Elena listen to me”
“Did you sell me?”
The room became silent. Even the storm outside somehow felt quieter. Father couldn’t answer.
That was enough. Pain exploded through my chest so hard I thought I might actually throw up.
“You sold me?”
It felt like the floor dissapeared beneath me. Like every terrible thing that happened after mom does suddenly made sense.
The collector looked impatient now.
“We’re wasting time.”
I backed farther away from them. I wanted to wake up and realize none of this was real. But it was and he chose money over me or maybe survival over me. Honestly, I didn’t know which one hurt more.
Then suddenly a voice came from outside.
“She’s not yours to take.”
The entire room froze instantly. Even the collectors looked nervous now.
Heavy footsteps approached slowly through the storm outside. Something about those footsteps made fear spread through the room like smoke.
Then a tall figure appeared in the doorway. Dark coat, black hair is wet from rain. Eyes so cold they didn’t even look human.
The storm behind him seemed smaller somehow. Like even nature moved aside for him.
The tall collector straightened immediately.
"Alpha.”
Alpha?
My stomach dropped. No way. Everybody knew stories about the Northern Alpha. The ruthless king of the North.
The monster wolves feared. The man people whispered about like he wasn’t fully human anymore. And now he was standing inside my house.
His gaze slowly moved across the room before stopping directly on me. My heart skipped pain.
Something strange flashed across his face for half a second. Not surprise but Recognition. Like he already knew who I was.
The collector cleared his throat nervously.
“You’re late.”
The Alpha ignored him completely. Instead, he kept staring at me. Father lowered his head respectfully.
“Alpha Kael.”
So it really was him. Fear curled tighter inside me. Kael stepped farther inside calmly. The room suddenly felt too small for him.
“I heard there was a debt problem,” he said evenly.
The collector nodded quickly. “ He owes more than he can repay.”
Kael’s gaze finally shifted toward Father.
“How much?”
The collector named the amount. Even hearing it made me feel sick. We could never pay that back.
But Kael didn’t react at all. He simply reached inside his coat and dropped a heavy pouch onto the table.
Gold coins spilled everywhere. The collectors stared in shock. Father looked like he forgot how to breathe.
“It’s settled,” Kael said calmly.
My confusion grew instantly. Why would he pay our debt?
Nothing about this made sense. Then Kael looked directly at Father again.
“You understand the agreement.”
Agreement?
Cold fear spread through me again. Father nodded slowly without looking at me. I looked between them.
“What agreement?”
Dad looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole. Then Kael finally spoke.
“She comes with me.”
Everything stopped.
“What?”
My voice barely came out. Father still wouldn’t look at me. Pain crashed into my chest again.
“You sold me to him?”
“Elena”
“You sold me to him?!”
Tears finally spilled down my cheeks. I hated crying. Especially in front of strangers. But nothing hurt worse than this.
Kael watched silently through all of this like emotions didn’t touch him. I guess it didn't.
“I’m not going,” I whispered shakily.
Kael stepped toward me slowly and somehow that was more terrifying than if he had shouted.
“Yes,” he said quietly.
“You are.”
I stared at him with hatred burning inside me.
“I’d rather die.”
For the first time, something strange flickered in his icy eyes. But it vanished too quickly.
“You won’t,” he said softly.
A loud wolf howl suddenly echoed through the storm outside.
Every single person in the room froze. Kael’s expression darkened instantly. Another howl followed closer this time.
The collectors looked terrified now.
One whispered shakily, “How did they find her already?”
Before I could ask what he meant, something huge slammed violently against the side of the house, the wall cracked loudly and Kael turned toward the darkness outside with murder in his eyes.
- Writer
