˙❥

"Sold?" I heard the shock in her voice.

Earlier today, in this cold room, I found myself. Wrapped within a brown, filthy rag gown.

I had opened my eyes and what came into view were three young girls, from the opposite holding, all watching with cold sneers.

"You look like that witch who died years ago in Hallow Wood pack," one taunted loudly.

It was my pack, the Hallow Wood pack. The pack I was thrown out of. That had laid false accusations on me.

That had left me here to die.

A low, painful groan rumbled in my chest. The silver was wearing but not without leaving my inside burning with pain and my whole body weak.

I stared at them again, blowing off the strands of hair that had lain beside my lips. "If I were a witch, I would make sure I leave here on time, then burn this whole place." I laughed menacingly.

"You can't leave here even tomorrow, witch, you're just brought in. We have been here for years and you think you will be exempted?"

Behind me, with my hands chained and my legs too weak to make huge steps, the handler pushed me forward but I didn't forget to stick out my tongue to the girls who had doubted me. Now I wish I were a witch.

It must have been cool, right?

"You know... You aren't supposed to be sold. Not today, not tomorrow, or even a year later," the handler stated.

"Then why?"

"I don't know, but maybe you hold some power, witch."

We reached the 'Red Den,' a term I heard from the handler for the large hall meant for the auction.

Before the affluent buyers at the stage of the hall, iron, dirt bars designed in the form of a kennel stood. Not too huge but large enough to contain two people. Without care, I was shoved inside.

The guard whom I just knew to be Doom, chuckled. He stepped closer to where I was, his ragged breath fanning the hairs on my skin, "If you look closely, you will see them. The wolves. The unmerciful. The ruthless. They buy slaves annually and best believe, you don't wanna know why?"

"Pleasure," I answered with my head riled back, eyes shut from the throbbing pain in my wrist.

"Not just that," he chuckled dryly. They make sure they breed.

My whole body shook with tremor. "And what happens to the pups"

"They continue what their mothers started. Satisfying the unending urges of the powerful men. They said c*nt like yours tasted like heaven."

"Pervert!"

"No, hun. The only perverts here are these pot-bellied wolves looking at you from beneath." And with that, he left, and my legs wobbled.

The omegas' are lowest in the pack. Born not of their own will but segregated by their very kind. We were told we're weak with wolves that could only purr. They said it can't hunt because it can't detect scent yet our scent turns their wolves on, making them yelp daily to be leashed out.

We aren't just wolves, we're a commodity, the most sought after, not out of pity or care but for labour and labor.

Slowly, I raised my head and I saw them. Their greedy eyes as they lay on me, sweeping over my form like a predator would over its prey. Like I was some artifacts, or maybe I am.

I forced myself to look up, to hold my head up high until my eyes met brown ones.

It was brown but dark in some way. I hated how my body shivered subconsciously.

What was that?

I averted my gaze and a loud voice blared within the large hall.

"This, as you can see, is a rare breed. A virgin omega," the auctioneer, a bald, ugly man, stepped closer to where I was. "Age 19 and of course, very pleasing to the eyes and in bed." He cackled.

"Oh, you don't believe me?" He ignited. Immediately, a young girl dressed in a short purple gown walked forward, hips swaying in precise motion with a smirk on her red cheek.

Before I could understand, the brown robe was yanked from my body, cold air hitting my skin. My hand flew to cover my bre@st, but it was held back by the cold, thick chains bound around my wrists.

There were loud hushes among the crowd.

"Oh, she has a very firm bosom." The elites didn't hide their amusement.

"The bidding starts at three hundred gold!" The auctioneer said.

"Five hundred gold," a young woman shouted immediately, my eyes widened in size.

"One thousand gold."

Tears clung to the corners of my eyes, threatening to fall.

"She looks weird but then, I love weird things," a pot-bellied man chuckled. "Two thousand gold."

I thought of my pack, my friends. Of the memories.

Of my mother. I was supposed to be mourning her death but here I am, being priced like cheap livestock.

"Six thousand gold." A voice that sent chills down my spine echoed within the hall, and it felt like there was no one else. Just space and air but my chest felt tight.

Even the auctioneer's mouth hung widely

"Six thousand gold?" I murmured to myself and my eyes trailed to the voice in the crowd.

He wasn't hard to see, of course. Amongst the crowd, his golden hair shone brightly, and his black coat, which clung to his body, gave off a dark, melancholy ambiance.

My skin tingled again, his gaze boring deeper than before, making my legs feel like jelly.

"No, please," I muttered inaudibly, praying to the moon goddess that someone else beat the price, but not one person did.

No one could.

"Did I hear six thousand gold?" The auctioneer finally spoke.

"Last chance..."

My heart beats loudly in my chest.

"The hammer is about to fall... Three... two.. one."

Silence.

"Sold!" The wooden gravel hit the hard surface.

Doom arrived at the cage, a playful smile visible on his scarred face.

"He's Alpha Ryker, the son of the community whore, Alpha Rheagor," Doom whispered, draping a thick robe over my body.

I hate that just anyone can touch me but I was left with no choice.

"And what do I need this information for?" I snort.

"Alpha Rheagor is said to buy slaves annually. He's obsessed and doesn't mind passing the tradition to his son. He's ruthless and the son... He's said to have killed the greatest rogue alive."

Fear slithered through me like smoke.

"It pains me that you have to go so quickly but I know I could only wish. For an omega with such vibrant, unique features, my chance of ever having the feel of your kind is rare." Doom added, but I was too preoccupied with my shaking thoughts to care.

The man who was able to kill the Rogue king.

I have heard the stories and now... My fate is taking me there.

I didn't know when we reached another building. A different design from the 'holding' and the auction hall. There, seated and dressed in that same intimidating coat with a daunting look, was Him.

★ RYKER

My fingers weaved carefully around the red piece of the coat's button, tightening the woven mold thread into the small hole.

"Your father awaits you in the carriage." Blaise, my beta walked into the room, his eyes void yet cloaked with something I couldn't decipher.

"What?" I scoffed.

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that attitude."

He turned around, taking in the grey decor of my room as if he hadn't been here countless times.

"You're joining your father in the annual slave purchase?"

It wasn't a question. It was a statement, but I answered anyway. "Hmm." I drew in a quiet, slow breath. "I know you don't like the idea, even I don't but believe me, I'm nothing like my father."

Blaise didn't speak; instead, he brought out my body scent from the drawer and sprayed it over me, the fragrance embracing my skin like a veil.

"Look and smell good for a family practice."

"Blaise."

"Okay, okay, sorry," he uttered, holding his hands up in resignation.

.

.

As we arrived at the 'Red Den,' my wolf, Karl, stirred.

"Karl, what is it?" I asked but he didn't respond. I could feel how restless he was. I let out a low growl. Steadying my butt carefully on the intricate, red chair, my eyes wandered.

Something wasn't right, or is Karl against this journey like I was?

Inside, the spacious hall was decorated in dark, red curtains with large portraits of ancient drawings of naked women and men, hanging firmly against the wall. This den is said to be almost a hundred years old and its activities are an illegal but common practice amongst the strong people of different packs.

"Three...two...one... Sold!" The auctioneer screamed, and a young omega, red-haired, clad in a filthy robe, was sold. The conversation between Blaise and me surfaced in my head. My father, Alpha Rheagor, was known for not just being ruthless but also buying slaves annually, used for labor and, of course, pleasure.

He's called the 'pleasure monger, ' a name he takes pride in and I hate it that this year, I had to partake in his addiction. A recurring action he took a year after the death of my mother. Seated in this hall filled with greedy men, I couldn't help but feel unease.

Another werewolf omega was sold. Short, hair trimmed- almost bald, was bought by a young, chubby woman, probably an Alpha. As time passed, my stomach fluttered with nervousness.

Karl clawed at my inside the moment the next omega stepped in, an intoxicating scent hitting me. A mixture of cinnamon and vanilla wafted through like smoke, embedding into my nostrils like it was air. An alluring figure emerged from behind the curtain - white hair and striking eyes of the same colour, almost unusual, like a witch.

A low purr reverberated within me. I almost jumped from the seat.

"Are you okay?" My father turned to me briefly.

"Yes... yeah." My voice cracked.

"She was banished from her pack because she killed her mother. She has beautiful features but then, she's a witch." My father whispered, his head bent slightly toward my side. "I wonder who would spend a dime on a witch." He laughed.

"They're people who will, you never can tell," I answered truthfully and he nodded uninterested.

She was taken into a thick, metal cage where the others were being kept until they're bought.

Her eyes darted around the crowd, as if searching for her missing shoe.

It's even more intriguing as her snowy eyes took me in instantly. Those icy white orbs lingered on for an ample amount of time and Karl shifted again, more anxious than ever.

Did she feel it too? I mumbled inwardly. Her gaze shifted.

The man who had brought her in was different from the others. His eyes shone with bright mischievousness, head bent until they were inches from her ear. I watched as his lips moved up and down, and Karl flared, making my insides burn with feral rage.

"Damn it!"

"This, as you can see, is a rare breed. A virgin omega. Age 19. Very pleasing to the eyes and in bed," the Auctioneer said. "Oh, you don't believe me?" he added.

The brown robe she was wearing was pulled from her body, and oh, Moon goddess, my breath stuck in my throat.

Her body was pale with her pinkish nipples protruding instinctively from the cold air. Her hands moved almost instantly to cover them but the chains restricted the movement.

I could see the falling and rising of her chest, my feet tapping on the hard floor, holding myself from the last thread of patience before I rushed forward and dragged her from there.

"No one should see what's mine," Karl screamed. I almost gave in, my eyes narrowing into something dark, fighting with Karl as he tried to storm out until the auctioneer's voice snapped me out of the internal turmoil.

"The bidding starts at three hundred gold!..."

"Five hundred gold..."

"... One thousand gold."

"She looks weird but then, I love weird things. Two thousand gold." A pot-bellied man chuckled, and I imagined a hundred ways I would snap his head off his body.

Seeing that no one else spoke and the smug smile on the lips of the pot-bellied man made my jaw clench so tight it hurt, I broke the silent chaos. My voice echoed within the large hall.

"Six thousand gold."

The hall fell silent, and my father snapped his head to my side, his eyes wide as a saucer. Even his mouth didn't hold back. "Are you crazy?!"

"Do I hear six thousand gold?"

"I'm sorry, but I would have to make you break your records. This time, don't buy any slaves and let me do it." I smiled sheepishly.

"Last chance..."

"...Sold!"

"That's not it," he thundered, pointing his finger at the stage. "She's a witch and I swear to the moon goddess, I will kill her before the break of the day."

"Then you'll have to kill me first." The words left my lips before I could stop them but then... that was it.

"He would have to get past me before he harmed our mate." Karl spat.

My words were final.

I felt the gaze of the elites within the hall, their eyes undressing me, but worst, was my father's; dumbfounded, I would say.

I was ushered out quickly by one of the handlers who took me to a room. Red as the auction hall but warmer. Beside the spacious velvet sofa at the side of the room was a coal and short steel, burning in the intense furnace.

Shortly after, the door creaked open to reveal the witch Omega. Her eyes settled on me before moving to the other corner, landing on the hot coal.

I felt her breath stop.

˙❥ VALKYRIE

I didn't know when we reached another building. A different design from the 'holding' and the auction hall. There, seated and dressed in that same intimidating coat with a daunting look, was Him.

My heartbeat spiked.

I darted my eyes almost immediately but I wished I hadn't because it landed on the hot coal with a steel inside.

Nobody needed to tell me what it was.

I turned toward Doom, who had a playful smirk etched on his face, and back to the one man I now wish to kill; he wasn't smiling like Doom. No, his face was stoic, reserved and I wanted so badly to get into his head to see what he was thinking because no way an enthralling being could be this cruel.

As if to prove my thoughts wrong, his lips broke in a sudden, subtle arc.

"No, no, no!" I shook my head, unable to contain the long-held tears as reality finally dawned on me. A sob tore through my throat - raw and broken, making my whole body quiver in fear.

Doom pushed me forward, my head colliding with the sofa's edge. He cuffed my chain around a thick, iron pole that was situated in the middle of the room, a demarcation between where the cruel man was seated and the burning coal, but I didn't prepare for what came after as the hot, sizzling steel rod came in contact with my skin - on my neck. He was so swift, so smooth. So inhumane.

It was the slave branding.

An ear-splitting shout burst from my lips, sharp as a whip crack. I tossed and trashed, but I was held tightly until Doom was satisfied, until I couldn't scream anymore.

From my eyes that were weak and almost closed, I saw the small coal fire that had the rod in it, burning crystal red. My gaze shifted to see the smirk dancing on Alpha Ryker's face; a satisfying one.

The world blurred through my vision as I sobbed.

Removing the chain from the pole, Doom exited and the room was left to just the two of us. I stumbled back, trying to wedge the heavy robe over my shoulder and the chains that bit into my skin.

"Don't fret, girl," he whispered, like it was going to make me calm or make me hate him less. Writhing from the pain in the side of my neck, I tried to speak. "Why?"

"How do you have no wolf?"

"That's not the answer to my question." My lips trembled.

"Why?" He asked, his voice almost a whisper. "Because you're mine. Mine to own, to care and to possess."

Did he say care? I let out a shaking, muffled laugh. "You don't own me. I am not a chattel to be owned!"

"But you already are." His lips curved into a menacing arc.

Still on my knees, I trudged farther, farther away from him, from his daunting figure and mischievous smile but like when I was in the auction hall, the chains held me again.

"Why did you buy me?" My head moved in pain, shutting my eyes. There must be a reason I was bought by him. Why did he have to use so much money on me and not on other slaves that were auctioned before?

I'm a witch, a murderer, and wolf-less, yet he deemed it fit to spend ridiculously on me?

"You keep asking why, witch." He stood, his eyes throwing dagger stares while he walked toward me. I felt tremors wash over me. The hairs on my skin stood erect.

He crouched to my level, sliding a finger beneath my chin, exactly how Jayden had done. "Do I say... I was intrigued?" He turned to his side as if asking someone else before staring back at me. "I heard you killed your mother, it must have been fun. Easy."

"I didn't. Kill. My. Mother, and if I were truly a witch, I would pluck your ugly eyes out, feed them to the creatures of the sky, and make sure your mouth isn't left out!" I seethed boldly, mucus dripping from my nostrils.

"Exactly what I love..." he chuckled, returning to the sofa, "A sharp tongue. More reason why I'm grateful I spent a dime on you."

I gurgled loudly, tears filling my eyes and trailing down my cheeks.

I didn't speak, not when my neck was literally on fire, like the flesh was going to pull out.

The door burst open, revealing a muscular man with a long braided beard. He was Alpha Rheagor, the one Doom spoke about, the 'pleasure monger,' and now, I didn't know who to be more scared of.

Him? Or his son.

He walked slowly toward me, his hand grabbing my neck- the branding mark.

"Ahh!"

"You manipulative witch."

"Stop!" The word echoed fiercely from Ryker that the window pane shook and Alpha Rheagor's hand left my neck. His nose flared, chest rising and falling at an uneven pace.

"Thank you for letting me buy this time," Ryker muttered wryly.

A loud chuckle rippled from Alpha Rheagor before he took two more steps toward his son, "You're welcome. That shows how one around me can be strongly influenced, including you. From being reluctant to coming with me to buying a slave after, you're no different from me, son." He made sure to drag the last word.

Alpha Ryker didn't speak, but his fist clenched into a tight ball, veins popping out of his skin so that one could see the blood flow through.

"It's delusional for the pup to think it's any different from its father because it hasn't gone for its first hunt. My father used to tell me so before he died," I butt in, my gaze moving between the two Alphas who stared at me; one in anger and the other, in amusement

"Even your slave knows," Alpha Rheagor laughed. "Don't worry, by this time in the future, you won't know why you will keep coming here because this is just the beginning." Alpha Rheagor stormed out of the room, banging the door, the hinges rattled.

Doom and another man stepped into the room, their head low in respect, walking to where I was.

"Hello, princess." Doom flashed me that cocky smile and I knew it wasn't a good one.

Behind him, a syringe - sharp and sleek - peeked out from between his fingers.

"Please." I rolled back quickly, my shoulder slamming onto the sofa where Alpha Ryker was seated. My eyes bore into his brown ones. "Please, I beg you!" Cries burst out from my lips.

"Make it snappy," Alpha Ryker coldly said and my eyes widened in shock, in fear.

Doom held my hands while the other, my neck, and just like lightning, the sharp edge of the needle burrowed into my skin, my body shaking fiercely and eyes fluttering involuntarily until I went limp.

"Take her to the carriage." That was the last word I heard before black dots took over my vision.