VALERIE
None of us had seen the Alpha. His name was one that was tossed around constantly, almost like a fictional character from a fairytale, or a celebrity always causing waves.
The Aunts spoke about him often—but their stories and gossip about the Alpha were flung around for the sake of entertainment and nothing more. No one ever seriously expected to meet him.
They said he was young. They said he was smart and handsome. They said that he would be mated this year. Last I’d heard them speak of the Alpha, the aunts mentioned that he was betrothed to the princess of the northern Eclipse pack.
Thinking about it, their engagement should have been just on the horizon.
The Alpha wasn’t only a celebrity to the Aunts, but also a tool they used to keep us in line. “You should be happy to live such comfortable lives,” they would remind us. “Be grateful to the Alpha for his generosity.”
It was a silly thing, to be grateful for the lives we had been fated with. But the aunts had a point; the Alpha was far more benevolent than his predecessor.
Two years ago, he took the throne from his father and made a decree that changed the way slave shops operated. Slaves were given meat and milk every week, physical abuse from our shop masters was prohibited, and female slaves were separated by males and managed strictly by she-wolves.
It was grim to think of life before the new Alpha. I couldn’t imagine what slaves went through before the decree. Some slaves thought of the new Alpha as a hero, but it was difficult to tell if his decisions were made out of mercy or convenience. After all, the turnover rate had improved. It was a huge improvement to his economy.
Occasionally, slaves also spoke of the Alpha, but we knew only what we had been told. Gossip between us was mostly imaginative. He had become known as a savior to some—foolish girls who dreamed silly little fantasies about a white-knighted Alpha king stealing them away.
Ashley craned forward, her long blonde hair sweeping her crossed knees. “Did you hear them?” she asked, her whispers elevated in excitement. “It’s the Alpha!”
Too loud. She was too loud.
I grimaced as a shout came from the back, “You two! Keep your head down!”
I dropped my head before Ashley did. I didn’t care about the Alphas. I didn’t care about the fantasies of romantic, loving masters. I had no place imagining myself like that.
I wouldn’t be bought by anyone.
I focused on my reflection in the glass, reminding myself of my strange indigo eyes, of the dark birthmark staining my neck.
The chatter from the front door wrenched me out of my thoughts. The Alpha had stepped inside, followed by three male wolves, large and muscled and attentive.
The Alpha’s footsteps were like thunder, striking the ground. One loud, heavy step and then another. It sounded the way I imagined monsters walked—with powerful, labored steps.
I couldn’t help but look.
I glanced over my shoulder, watching him stride, his black boots embroidered with the mark of the Silver Moon pack. He was a large figure, passing through a shop filled with much smaller beings.
I supposed that was why his footsteps sounded so heavy.
The aunts had not over-exaggerated when they gossiped about how handsome he was. I almost understood the slaves’ fascination with him. He was tall and muscled, young and sharp. His eyes swept the room with calculation and control.
He was very attractive.
I suppressed a shiver and turned my eyes away, forcing a smile at a stranger passing by. They paid me no mind and shuffled along with their head low.
I couldn’t grasp their conversation until they’d entered the room. Then the words became much more clear.
“Business has been…a bit slow,” one of the aunts was saying.
“I see,” replied the Alpha. His voice was coarse and smoky—but smooth. The voice of a man who knew his power. “Fortunately for you, that seems to be the general consensus around the market. But I haven’t come here to talk business. I’m investigating the incident that took place in the trade district yesterday evening.”
I glanced to Ashley, who met my eyes with a look of excitement and curiosity. He had come to investigate the attack.
“Oh,” replied a second aunt. “Well, that’s a good walk from here. We only heard word of that late last night. Terrible situation though, isn’t it?”
The Alpha hummed, a deep low sound from his chest. “I understand. Please keep an eye out for any…unusual guest activity.”
“Of course, my Alpha,” replied several of the aunts at once.
One complimented him on his health, then another congratulated him on his upcoming engagement to the Northern Princess.
Then he passed behind us.
I listened to his footsteps, one after another, floating past me like a ghost. Then…suddenly, they stopped.
I glanced up to the glass, catching his silhouette in the reflection. He was standing behind me, staring in my direction.
I swallowed, my heartbeat steadily elevating in my chest as he began to move again, coming closer. Closer. Suddenly, I was watching his boots sweep in front of me. I felt his eyes on me, pressing in on me with a curious gaze. He didn’t say a word. Didn’t utter a sound. Just stood there. But I could sense the strange emotion ebbing off of him, maybe a sudden flux of irritation or bloodlust at the sight of me.
I didn’t understand why he kept looking at me.
I kept my eyes on the floorboards, gripping the sides of my seat, too fearful to look up.
We were supposed to smile at all guests, but how was I to work up a grin with the great Alpha glowering at me from inches away?
My heart stammered.
Did I annoy him? Was it because I was too ugly and strange for the display box?
My breath quivered. I wanted to cry.
One of the aunts spoke up, “Oh, are you interested in a slave, my Alpha? I can assure you, we have a very nice selection of virgins.”
VALERIE Certified virgin slaves were a rare commodity, because it was difficult to ensure a girl was intact. Werewolves didn’t know much about human anatomy, and they didn’t care to invest the time into checking each and every one of us. But the girls at this particular shop were extracted from The Cell—a place where underage humans were imprisoned until they reached the ripe age of sixteen. For most of us, there was no chance to ruin ourselves. In fact, for most of us, it had been a decade since we saw a human boy in person. I was brought to The Cell at thirteen-years-old. They stuck me in that place for three years, before I was transported here, to Lockheart Botique—a small slave emporium in the market district. Sixteen was not the age of purchase for a slave, but rather, the age where we first began our lessons. We were taught how to provide for our masters, how to please them, and how to act as good service for the rest of our lives. The aunts wanted us well-prepared before we
VALERIE I couldn’t breathe. I hadn’t expected the Alpha to address me directly. No one addressed slaves directly. We were property and doing so was about the equivalent of speaking to vase or a painting on the wall. We were expensive, but not valuable. We were disposable. We weren’t people, but things. What had your parents done? I wished I knew. I wished I could formulate any kind of proper response, but my blood was in my face and my heart was in my throat, and words were not something I could choke out when the Alpha’s eyes bore into me like this. I wish I knew what my parents had done. I wish I could absolve myself of the anger and suspicion. I almost wished they were guilty of some heinous crime, so my heart would stop beating with vengeance at the mention of them. I didn’t know how to answer. I felt a slap on the back of my chair, and a whoosh of air—like it had been whipped with a twisted rag. “The Alpha asked you a question!” Aunt Rita snipped. The aunts loved to threat
VALERIE I gulped. One of the Alpha’s men came forward and offered a hand to help me from my chair. I wobbled as I stood, my legs numb and weak beneath me. The moment they had the coin in their hands, the mood in the shop shifted dramatically. Smiles blossomed over their faces and they looked to one another giddily. “How generous of you, my Alpha. You are correct—she is quite a unique girl. Won’t find another like her. Please do enjoy!” Aunt Rita, who just a moment ago looked like she was going to faint, was suddenly revitalized. She fluttered in front of him and gestured back toward a large display of “tools” used to keep slaves in line. Things like collars, cuffs, whips and a variety of toys—some I knew the purpose of and others that were simply question-marks on the wall. I shivered at the thought of any of those items being used on me. The Alpha’s gaze flickered back to me. There was a slight tilt to his lips—the slightest twitch of a smirk as he said, “No need, thank you.” M
VALERIE The Alpha said nothing as we continued our walk out of the market square, where a vehicle awaited us. Wolves themselves didn’t require cars. They were much stronger and much larger than humans—and in their shifted form, they had enough endurance to travel at quick speeds all day long. But then again, Alphas probably preferred to be driven around on business. The car that awaited us was like nothing I had ever seen before. It was sleek and low—the kind of car that probably used to air on television ads decades ago. Vehicles were hard to come by since the factories all closed—but of course, the Alpha had his connections. It was more than likely that he had the thing personally designed and built just for him. It was a wonder what the wealthy did with their money while others starved. I found my reflection in the dark windows. I was such a ragged, unkempt thing. Why would he want me? Chad took the driver’s seat and the engine roared to life like a wild beast, woken from its
VALERIE I didn’t know what to say. What was allowed when speaking to an Alpha? Was I to wait until he addressed me? Could I speak first? Surely, I couldn’t just say something like, “Can I call you Alpha instead?” Could I? After a moment of my silent deliberations, the Alpha seemed to give up on any chance of a reply. “Nevermind,” he said. Then he turned to the glaring man in the passenger seat. “That’s enough, Ralph. You can rest easily now. This journey has been tiresome enough.” I wasn’t sure what he meant, but Ralph nodded his head and his unfriendly gaze finally lifted off of me. Truly, he couldn’t have thought I would try to hurt the Alpha. What was he, a damned guard dog? Outside, the landmarks had finally begun to change. A greenness began to take over the earth—a color I hadn’t seen since my parents were still alive. I gaped at the vast forest of trees awaiting us, a slight excitement beating in my chest. Calm down, I told myself. You’re still a slave. Your life is still
VALERIE It was a well-known fact that werewolves were among the most attractive species on earth, but this man was something else. He looked like a prince, plucked straight from a fairytale. His hair was blond, just long enough to curl beneath his ear. His eyes the color of lightning—blue and pooling with light. He was lean, but strong. Not quite like the burly guards that accompanied the Alpha. He wore a shirt, half-buttoned that showed his pale flesh beneath, white as the marble stone we walked upon. Tangled in his arms was a human girl. She reminded me a bit of Ashley, with her pretty face and her long golden hair. She wore nothing but a thin night dress that saved little to the imagination. But despite that she was human, she was donned in fine jewelry and makeup, which made me think that she was either from a prestigious family, or she had been gifted those things by someone much more fortunate. Her face was glazed in ecstasy, and I could tell from the lost look in her eyes th
VALERIE How had I not realized? He had all the traits of a vampire: a sharp-boned, handsome face, skin the color of fresh fallen-snow—and the glinting I’d noticed must’ve been his fangs peaking out over his devious smile. It wasn’t that I didn’t know what vampires looked like, or that I wouldn’t have been able to identify one in person—but this man called Lucas was different than the vampires I’d come to know. He was larger, stronger, almost the size of a werewolf. This was unusual for vampires, who were often just as small in stature as humans. Then again, I had only met a vampire once before. It had happened at a wedding reception I’d attended with my parents and Mathilda. The bride and groom had been close family friends, and they’d celebrated their marriage at their newly acquired home in a small, quaint little village. Things were different then. There was still good in the world, and the war had not destroyed most of what we held dear. The couple were deeply in love, and th
VALERIE I followed obediently. What else was a slave to do? As long as I obeyed, he hadn’t a reason to punish me. Once we reached the top of the staircase, I allowed myself to look around for the first time. Over the banister, a large lounge room came into view. It was dark and spacious, with leather furniture and walls made of stone. A fire radiated from somewhere inside. I wondered why so much space was necessary. Who would be spending their time in such a room? We passed, and heading toward a room at the end of another long hallway. Two ornate doors awaited us, the scent of sweet oak filling the air. As we approached, I noticed the guards at the door—two on either side. The door itself was made of a tawny bronze material, looking like it weighed more than the both of us combined. Was this where I would be kept? After all, making an escape through those doors would be impossible. I supposed it was better than a locked cell. The Alpha stopped before the guards, and waited as th