Chapter 3 Sold As A Slave

LENA.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice shaking, my throat closing up tight with fear. My lips trembled as I stared at my uncle.

This couldn't be happening. He wasn't for real. He must be drunk-he had to be playing some sick joke.

"Please tell me you're joking," I whispered. "You're just trying to scare me, aren't you?"

I looked around the room, telling myself this was all a bad dream. Maybe I fainted from the hurt earlier and none of this was true.

I lifted my hand slow and slapped my cheek-light at first, then harder.

"Wake up, Lena," I mumbled to myself. "Wake up from this. It's just a nightmare. The Moon Goddess must have made you sleep. This can't be real."

But nothing changed. My uncle still stood there. That same nasty smirk on his face.

I looked into his eyes, begging for a sign-anything-that he was lying.

"Uncle... look at me and say it's not true," I said, stepping closer with tears blurring everything. "Say it's a joke. A mean prank. Please, I'm on my knees here."

I reached for his hand. I just wanted him to hold it for a second. Pat my head and say, "Lena, you dumb girl, of course it's a joke." I prayed for that.

But instead...

He grabbed my head and smashed it against the wall, hard.

"Aaaah!!" I screamed, dropping to the floor as pain exploded in my skull. It burned sharp, like my brain was splitting open.

Blood started pouring out again. I felt it trickling down my forehead, past my nose, soaking into my ripped dress.

"No... no, please no!" I sobbed, pressing my hand to the wound, but it kept coming. It wouldn't stop.

I looked up at him through my watery eyes, shaking all over.

He snorted and folded his arms, rolling his eyes like I was being silly.

"Why are you whining like a baby?" he said, his voice ice cold. "Why cry over nothing?"

I blinked at him, shocked.

"You're not supposed to bleed so easy," he went on. "If you were a real wolf, strong like us, a little bang like that would toughen you up. But no, you're weak. Bleeding like trash. Crying like a worthless pup. That's why you're nothing."

"That's why I sold you," he said, like it was no big deal, like selling old junk. "Sold you to the alpha of our pack. Now you're gone, and I get money. Good deal for me."

My heart broke more. I wanted to yell. To run. But I couldn't move.

Another tear fell.

He smirked again.

"You wanted to know if this was a dream?" he mocked, throwing my words back. "Well, slamming your head proves it, right? Feel that pain? That's real."

I pressed my shaky hand to my forehead, trying to stop the blood. My eyes were still blurry, and blood tasted salty in my mouth.

"Get ready," he said flat. "They come for you today."

He sat back in his chair, grabbed his old newspaper, and started reading like I wasn't there.

"Please..." I whispered, throat dry, lips cracked. "I'm begging. Not for me, but for my dead parents."

My voice broke as tears came again. "Think of them. Just once. How they'd feel... you selling their girl for cash."

He didn't look up. He just smiled.

"How they'd feel?" he mocked. "Grateful, that's how. Grateful someone took their useless omega kid who can't do a thing right. They'd thank me for dumping the load."

My heart twisted hard.

I fell to the floor. I wanted to scream. To disappear. But I just cried.

I looked up, still crying. "You hurt me because the ones who'd save me are dead."

He dropped the paper, stared right at me, and spoke again.

"Right, Lena. They're dead. And guess what? You killed them."

"You heard me. Your cursed birth killed them. So no, they can't help now." His voice dripped hate.

"Be thankful," he said. "I thought you were worth zero. But you fetched a bit. So hey, not total trash."

I dropped to my knees in front of him.

"Uncle... please..." I cried. "Tell me the price. I'll work hard. Ten times harder. Pay you back double, I swear. Just say how much they paid for me."

He didn't flinch.

"You couldn't earn that in your sorry life," he said cold.

The front door creaked open.

I turned fast, wiping tears with my hand. It was my aunt.

For a second, hope flickered.

She's here. She'll stop this. She won't let her niece get sold like meat.

I stumbled toward her, falling at her feet. "Auntie, please," I sobbed. "Please, don't let them take me. Don't let him sell me. I'll do anything. Please."

She didn't answer.

Instead, she shoved me out of her way-hard enough to make me hit the floor-and walked straight toward the table.

Uncle pulled out a fat envelope, slammed it down, opened it, and spread cash like a prize.

"Too late," she said, smiling like she loved my pain. "Paid already. Debt gone, and this"-she pointed at the extra money-"is bonus."

"This... is my worth?" I whispered, voice gone.

She scoffed, arms crossed. "Be lucky. Thought you were worthless like your dead mom. But offer came, we grabbed it fast."

Pain got worse.

"Cry all you want, Lena. Scream, roll around. Won't change a thing. Guards are here now. You'll go."

I knew I was nothing. Felt it daily. But why rub it in? Why laugh?

Why do people love reminding the broken they're broken?

I should've stopped hoping.

No words could fix it. Their minds were alreadymade up.

I turned slow.

Through the window, I saw them waiting for me outside.

I started crying hard again.

"Please... one more chance," I begged her, clutching her dress. "Don't do this today."

She shoved me off.

"Get out," she said cold. "Or they'll drag you."

I had no choice.

I walked to the door, tears streaming.

The guards grabbed my arms rough and they pulled me to the car.

I climbed in as I was still crying.

One of the guards finally spoke.

"You should save your strength," he said without looking at me. "You'll need it once you reach the pack. A lot is waiting for you there."

His words didn't help. If anything, they made the fear worse. But what could be worse than this?

The ride felt like it lasted forever. Trees blurred past.

By the time we stopped, I was numb again.

The guards led me inside, saying nothing. I followed them.

We walked through long halls for what seems like eternity.

Finally, they stopped at a small door and opened it.

"This is your room," one of them said, tossing a bundle of clothes onto the bed. "Get dressed. You have five minutes. The Alpha is expecting you."

He turned to leave but paused at the door. His eyes flicked to my face.

"And clean that mess off," he added flatly. "The Alpha won't want to see you looking like roadkill."

Then they left.

The room was tiny-barely enough space to breathe. Just a single bed, a small sink, and a cracked mirror on the wall.

I picked up the clothes.

The fabric was rough and smelled faintly of soap and harsh chemicals. My fingers shook as I unfolded it, staring for a long time before forcing myself to change. The dress scratched my skin, clinging to every bruise.

When I finally looked into the mirror, a stranger stared back. Pale skin, eyes red and swollen, a faint line of blood still dark along my temple. I turned on the sink, washed my face, scrubbing until the last trace of red was gone.

Just as I was about to open the door to leave, something hit me.

I don't even know where the Alpha is.

Oh no. I don't know where to go.

Panic crawled up my throat.

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the room anyway.

I'd have to guess. Maybe I could find the Alpha's chamber just by instinct.

I walked slowly through the halls, hoping no one would yell at me or punish me for being lost. My hands kept shaking as I touched the cold stone walls to guide me.

Then I saw a grand door-tall, carved, with gold handles and a dark wolf insignia in the center. It looked like something out of a fairy tale.

This had to be it.

I swallowed hard and reached for the handle. My heart was beating so fast I thought I'd pass out. I didn't even knock. I just... opened it.

And that's when I saw something that made my whole body freeze.

"So... you're the one who's been sneaking in to watch me get naked?"