The story begins with Mirabel in her room, trying to sleep. Almost immediately, a knock comes from her door. When she goes to the door, she finds a slave, Sarah, who tells her that Alpha Mortis had summoned her. Full of curiosity, Mirabel goes to Alpha Mortis' chambers and finds him there with another Alpha, Kairo. Upon further conversation, she learns that she is about to be sold to Alpha Kairo for pleasure. Immediately Mirabel learns of her fate, she turns and tries to run away. However, she is pulled back by Alpha Mortis, who growls at her, re-establishing her status as his property. Mirabel is subsequently sent away from Mortis' chambers, after learning that she is to follow Alpha Kairo back to his own pack. Mirabel is heartbroken and sad. After staying with Mortis for over a year and not bearing any children for him, she had assumed that he would send her back to her stepfather, who had sold her in the first place. After much thought, she finally decides to run away from the pack for good. She packs her belongings and makes to flee from the pack house. However, she is stopped by Alpha Mortis himself, accompanied by two wolves, who asks her where she is headed to. Scared and tongue-tied, Mirabel is full of despair that she had been caught. Then, on Mortis' orders, the wolves attack her. Mirabel is barely able to protect herself from their vicious fangs and claws. Just as she is about to be overpowered, a strange wave of energy surges through her and she morphs into her wolf form, throwing the wolves off. Then she successfully escapes. As time goes on, Mirabel is seen racing through the forest, scared and alone. When she decides to catch her breath, she hears several voices in the forest. She then decides to hide among some bushes. A group of men emerges into the clearing. One of the men catches her scent, and traces her to where she is hiding. The man, who turns out to be Alpha Jesse, ends up forming a mating bond with her. Mirabel is taken aback by this development, as she had formerly shared a mating bond with Alpha Mortis. Alpha Mortis, however, was not aware of this bond, and had treated her as vermin. Mirabel is confused, but Alpha Jesse promises to bring her to his pack and take care of her. However, he keeps the news of Mirabel being his mate secret from his escorts. Mirabel is still confused and perturbed about this humane behaviour from him, as everyone she had ever met always treated her with contempt. Jesse is the first good person she has met all her life. Soon enough, she understands why he wants to keep the news of his mating bond a secret. When he takes her back to his camp, she discovers he already has a Luna, Freya.
Chapter 1 Bargain of fate
Mirabel's POV
I have been in this strange land for one year.
I have nothing but myself and my dark thoughts to keep me company. I’m tired, mentally and physically, and yet they don’t wanna let me go.
This wasn't the agreement Alpha Mortis had with my stepfather. The plan was to stay with him for a year, bear him some children and be taken back home.
And yet, more than twelve moons later, I’m still stuck in a strange pack, with strange people and a mate that barely notices my presence. I don’t care much if he did anyways. Alpha Mortis never looks twice at anyone if they aren’t important.
I yawned in exhaustion, listening to the chatter of some slaves as they passed by the closed door of my room, oblivious to the troubled life of the Alpha's mate within these four walls.
I scoffed as that last thought filtered into my head. The Alpha's mate? I was nothing more than a trophy for Alpha Mortis, nothing more than a milk-producing machine for the children I was to bear for him. In over a year, I haven’t stepped foot outside this pack house. I have no free-will, no words or decisions of my own. I’m as useless and yet as useful as a mere household item.
I have no say in my cruel life, yet I’m being forced to live it.
The days were getting longer, the tiredness worse with every passing minute. How I longed to go back home, even if it meant enduring the abuse and beating from my stepfather. Home was Moon Stone Pack.
Suddenly a loud knock on my door pulled me away from my depressing thoughts. I cursed under my breath, frustrated.
"Who in the world is that?" I snapped. This was the closest I would get to having some rest of my own, and someone had to come disrupt it.
Letting out a string of profanities, I hurried to the door and turned its knob. On the other side of the door was a young, freckled maid.
"What do you want, Sarah?" I asked impatiently. "I was about to take a nap."
Sarah eyed me with barely-concealed disdain. I could almost read the thoughts going through her head. I was a slave, like her. And yet, I was treated as though I was better, all because I was supposed to bear children for Alpha Mortis. I even had a room of my own, which is a rarity amongst slaves in the pack.
"My apologies, Mirabel," Sarah mumbled, a scowl on her face. "But Alpha Mortis asked me to fetch you this instant. You are needed in his chambers."
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Whatever for?"
"I have no idea!" Sarah snapped impatiently. "You should know. You're the Alpha's mate, are you not?"
And without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving me with my confused thoughts.
I quickly shut the door behind me, contemplating Sarah's words. Alpha Mortis never asked for me, except when he wanted me to warm his bed or give me a chore to do. My best guess was that he wanted to have sex with me again.
Biting my lips in frustration, I watched Sarah's retreating back, considering my choices. Ignoring the Alpha's call was not an option, as It would only earn me more punishments. I had no choice but to heed his call.
And with that thought in mind, I slipped out of the room and closed the door as quietly as I could. Then I walked down the corridor to Alpha Mortis' chambers.
The journey took nothing more than a few steps, as Alpha Mortis made sure I stayed only a few rooms away from his chambers. It was as though he wanted to be a part of every single second of my life, as though he wanted me to breathe the same air as him at all times.
The idea of being so close to him made my skin crawl, but the choice was not mine to make.
When I got to his chambers, I knocked on the door twice, then waited for a response.
"Come in," came his familiar voice.
With fingers slippery from sweat and fear, I held the doorknob and turned slowly, walking in.
Alpha Mortis was at the very end of the room, facing the open window. He stood behind a desk laden with several parchments, empty ink bottles and quills. To the left of where I stood was a closed door that led to his bedroom. I knew this from the several nights I was forced to spend with him.
As I walked in, Alpha Mortis turned from the window to face me. I took in his familiar features: from the white-blonde, almost silvery hair held up in a ponytail, to the terrifying, pale grey eyes and well-known scowl that set his face in a permanent grimace.
Immediately his eyes met mine, I pulled them away, gaze sinking to my feet. I knew enough about Alpha Mortis to know he never liked a slave looking at him in the eye. The welts on my back still stung from when he had used the whip on me for doing just that.
He never failed to somehow ignite fear deep within me, even with a single glare. Every seconds spent in his presence were terrifying.
Mouth bitter with terror, I waited for him to speak. It wasn't until he did that I noticed the other person in the room.
"Kairo, this is the slave." Alpha Mortis murmured.
My brows furrowed at his words. What was he trying to do?
I heard the loud creak of a chair as it was shoved back. "Look at me, slave!" The person spoke.
Slowly I lifted my head and stared at the visitor, who was sitting in a corner. He was a wrinkled old man with tufts of white hair on his head, a prominent moustache and pale, inexpressive blue eyes.
I immediately hated him on the spot.
"Mm," the wrinkled old man grunted, his face set in a grimace as he stared at me.
Suddenly he turned his gaze from mine, turning to face Alpha Mortis instead. "How much do you want to sell her for?"
Ah, I thought. That was why Alpha Mortis had refused to return me to my father.
Alpha Mortis sneered, his cold eyes narrowing at Alpha Kairo. "I know you're a miserly old man. She was made to fulfill her purpose as a slave. Would you be willing to pay her price?"
Alpha Kairo chuckled, a raspy sound that sent shivers down my spine. "Everything has a price, Mortis. Even your so-called prized slave here. After all, she is merely for giving me pleasure. Why should I pay so much for her?"
I felt a chill in the air as the two Alphas locked eyes in a silent battle of dominance. Here I was, being haggled over, like I was nothing but livestock. I remained silent, praying that this meeting would not end in more suffering for me.
"Name your price," Alpha Kairo demanded, his gaze piercing through the dimly lit room.
Alpha Mortis leaned against his desk, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "She's invaluable. Priceless. I won't let her go for anything less than a substantial fortune."
I bit down on my lip, a mixture of hopelessness and anger welling up inside me. All I could do was watch both Alphas.
The wrinkled Alpha Kairo eyed me as if assessing my worth. "I've seen my fair share of sex slaves, Mortis. She is young, but not extraordinary. You can't expect me to pay a king's ransom for her."
Alpha Mortis smirked, his arrogance dripping from every word. "She is not just any slave. She is a descendant of the Moon Goddess. a true Wolfborn, Kairo. Any child she has will grow to be a powerful Lycan wolf, stronger than anything anyone has ever seen. That, my friend, is a rare quality."
I bit my lip, trying to remain composed despite the degrading conversation about my fate. The room seemed to close in on me as the Alphas continued their ruthless negotiation.
"What's your offer, Kairo?" Alpha Mortis' voice dripped with disdain.
Alpha Kairo scratched his scruffy chin, a wicked glint in his eyes. "I'll give you five hundred gold coins. That's more than generous for a scrawny thing like her, in my opinion."
I felt a lump in my throat, realizing that they were haggling over my value as if I were a mere object. The hushed negotiations left me feeling more helpless than ever.
Alpha Mortis scoffed, clearly offended by the offer. "Five hundred gold coins? You insult me, Kairo. I won't settle for anything less than a thousand."
The room fell into an intense silence, broken only by the creaking of the chair as Alpha Kairo leaned back. "Six hundred, Mortis. Take it or leave it."
Kairo paused a bit, waiting for Mortis’ response, then he continued negotiating.
"Seven hundred...."
"Eight hundred, final!"
Alpha Mortis glared at Alpha Kairo, contemplating the offer. "Fine. Eight hundred gold coins. But not a silver coin less."
Alpha Kairo nodded, sealing my fate with a transaction that reduced me to a mere possession.
My heart hammered heavily in my chest as I stared in despair at both men. I knew my fate was sealed already, I knew there was nothing I could do. But the prospect of being used as a sex machine for this wrinkled old man left a sour taste in my mouth.
I could not be subjected to this.
And without thinking more, I turned and fled towards the door.