I would never see them again… unless the Alpha King allowed it.
But I knew better.
I was no longer my own. He had bought me in exchange for my pack’s safety, and a man like King Damon didn’t grant favors.
He was impossible to please. His reputation alone sent shivers down the spines of all who knew his name.
Getting his permission to visit my parents?
That was like expecting an arthritis-ridden man to run a marathon.
It was a foolish dream.
And yet, my heart pounded against my ribs as I desperately searched for ways to make it happen.
Even if it was just for thirty minutes.
An hour.
Even five minutes.
All I wanted was to see them, to feel their warmth, to hold them close and breathe in their familiar scent one last time.
But wishing wouldn’t change anything.
Memories were all I had left of them. They were the only fragments of my past that still belonged to me, the only reminders of the love I once knew. I would cherish those moments forever, keeping them alive in my heart like an eternal flame.
Yet, disbelief crashed over me, a dreadful unease twisting in my gut.
Everything had happened so fast-too fast-like a fleeting, cruel dream I couldn’t wake from.
I still couldn’t grasp how my life had unraveled so drastically in just a matter of hours.
If someone had told me I would one day surrender myself for the sake of my pack, I would have laughed in their face.
After all the suffering, after finally reuniting with my parents, I had vowed that nothing in this world would ever tear us apart again.
But I was wrong.
The image of my mother’s terrified expression as I was dragged away was burned into my memory.
She hadn’t just looked scared-she had looked like she was watching me walk to my death.
Why?
How terrible was the Alpha King?
Aurora
My mind drifted back to the first time I met him.
I couldn’t deny that something about him had stirred unexpected emotions within me, tempting me to believe he wasn’t entirely the monster he was rumored to be. But the Alpha King was unpredictable.
Who would have thought he’d let me go so easily after I had knocked into him, sending a set of dishes crashing to the ground?
Anyone else would have expected an immediate punishment, a swift and merciless consequence for my clumsiness. Instead, he had simply ordered someone to clean up the mess.
That was nothing like the terrifying ruler I had heard about.
I would never forget the moment he had intervened to ruin Nathalia’s plan of humiliating me. He had acted like a gentleman, and for that, I would always be grateful.
A strange tingling sensation spread through me as the memory of his piercing gaze resurfaced.
Despite how cold and brutal his eyes appeared, I could swear they had softened, just for a fleeting second, when they met mine.
The intensity of his stare had sent my heart into a frenzy. A part of me found it exhilarating, while another part felt unnerved by the weight of it.
But no matter how much his gaze affected me, I didn’t want him to look away.
Maybe the rumors weren’t entirely true.
Maybe, beneath the ruthlessness, there was a man capable of kindness. A man waiting for the right person to unlock the side of him that no one else had seen.
But could that person be me?
Perhaps, if I proved my worth, he would grant me the freedom to live my life on my own terms.
Maybe, just maybe, this was for the best.
Still, I had to tread carefully.
One wrong move, one careless mistake, and I might not live to regret it.
A sick feeling washed over me as my head throbbed painfully. Still, I couldn’t stop drowning in my thoughts, nor could I find answers to my questions.
The relentless questions kept echoing in my mind, stealing any chance of sleep.
Why did he want me to be his property?
What did he see in me?
Of all the things he could have asked for in exchange for my pack’s safety, why did he choose me?
What did he want with a maid? Because that was all I had been the last time we met.
Was it because of our last encounter?
Or was there something special about me?
A weak chuckle escaped my lips at that last thought.
What could the Alpha King possibly find special in me that he couldn’t find in another girl? Or was there more to his request than I realized?
Goddess, I needed answers.
My breath hitched, and my heart skipped a beat as a dreadful thought struck me.
Could he have chosen me to punish me for bumping into him?
I thought he had forgiven me.
Numbness spread through my body, and my head began to pound more fiercely. A wave of heat flushed through me, making my body unnaturally warm.
The thought of whatever punishment awaited me only made the sick feeling intensify.
Desperate to shake off the creeping anxiety, I let myself get lost in the memories of my send-off party.
For the first time in my life, I had felt important.
I had become a part of my pack’s history. No matter what happened to me now, I would always be remembered as a brave woman.
But would I come to regret my decision?
Would it somehow work in my favor in the end?
Silence filled the car as the driver sped through the lonely woods.
His hard expression betrayed no emotion. Not a single sound came from him as he remained focused on the road.
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