Sold To The Alpha King

Chapter Three

I stood frozen, my father’s words twisting and spinning in my head as if he had spoken some foreign language.

I had been handed to the Alpha King. All I could hear were the echoes of my father’s emotionless voice, confirming what I hadn’t even fully processed yet.

“You’ll serve him now,” he repeated, as though that would somehow make it easier for me to accept. “It’s what you deserve after winning.”

Deserve? Was that supposed to be a reward for something I never even wanted to be a part of in the first place?

I didn’t know what to feel. A part of me wanted to be relieved at being free from the shackles of my father, the brutal training, the punishments, the constant feeling of never being enough. I had dreamed of getting away from him for years, and now it was finally happening.

Instead of feeling free, though, I was terrified. My heart raced in my chest. My breaths were shallow and uneven. I wasn’t going to be free at all; I was simply being passed on to someone else. Another man who might turn out to be just as cruel, if not worse.

I glanced up at my father, and his unfeeling eyes met mine. He didn’t care what happened to me. I was nothing more than a tool to him.

And then, as if things weren’t bad enough, he looked up at the Alpha King and excused us.

“She doesn’t seem to know her full duties. I should tell her before she makes a mistake,” he said with a pretentious smile before taking my hand and walking away.

“You have another purpose, Lila,” he said when he found a hidden corner, his eyes narrowing at me. “Serving the Alpha King isn’t just about winning a tournament and joining him to fight his battles. It’s about ensuring our family’s future.”

My stomach dropped, a horrible feeling twisting inside me. “What are you talking about?”

He took a step closer, his presence looming over me like a dark shadow.

“Your real mission here is to seduce the Alpha King,” he said, making his words slow and deliberate. “Get close to him. Make him mate with you. And once he mates with you, you’ll carry his heir.”

I stared at him, my body going cold, the horror of what he was saying sinking in. “You can’t be serious.”

“You’ll carry royal blood,” he continued as if I had not just shared my disdain for that idea. “An heir to the throne, tied to our family. Don’t you see, Lila? This is our only chance to secure a future. This is how you’ll prove your worth.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My hands trembled, and I clenched them into fists to stop the shaking.

“No,” I snapped. “I won’t do it.”

My father’s eyes flashed dangerously, and he took another step towards me, his hand gripping my arm tightly.

“You will,” he hissed. “You’ll do whatever it takes to make sure our family survives. This is your duty.”

I yanked my arm away from him and stepped away from him. How could he ask this of me? Asking was generous. How could he demand this of me? Seduce the Alpha King? Have his child? That was impossible.

“I won’t do it,” I repeated, my voice shaking with anger now. “I won’t be a pawn in your sick plans. I’m not some breeding tool for you to use!”

Before I knew it, my father was grabbing me by the collar of my shirt, jerking me towards him with so much force that I stumbled forth.

“You don’t have a choice,” he growled threateningly. “This is your only chance to prove your worth to me, to our pack, to your dead mother. If you fail—if you disobey me—I’ll make you wish you were never born.”

The threat hung heavy in the air between us, and I knew he meant every word. He had used my mother to try and soften it, but I heard it loud and clear.

I had been on the receiving end of his punishments more times than I could count, but this… this was beyond absurd. This was no longer just about pain or punishment. This was about control. He wanted to control every aspect of my life, my future, my mate.

I ripped myself from his grasp, breathing hard and glaring at him with the hopes that he would take the hint—I was not going to do it.

He sneered, crossing his arms as if my defiance amused him. “You will die as a disgrace to this family. You’ll either succeed in this mission, or I’ll make sure your end is slow and painful. Do you understand?”

I stared at him as hatred brewed in my chest, but I knew that standing up to him would only make things worse. I had to be smart. I had to find a way out of this. For now, all I could do was nod and keep my head down to convince him that he had won.

“Good,” he said finally, turning on his heel and walking away. “I’ll bring you back tomorrow. Let’s go get your things.”

The moment he disappeared from sight, I crumpled to the ground, my body shaking as the weight of everything crashed down on me. I had always dreamed of leaving my father behind, of finding freedom somewhere far away from his cruelty. But now I was being sent into another cage, and this one might be even worse.

I didn’t want to be the Alpha King’s servant. But what choice did I have? If I didn’t do what he asked, my father would kill me. And as much as I hated him, I wasn’t ready to die and my act of so-called cowardice earlier that day showed it.

Tears stung my eyes as I got back home. How was I supposed to seduce the Alpha King? I didn’t even know him. I had never even seen him before today. And the thought of being forced into his bed, of carrying his child, made me want to throw up.

I couldn’t do it., but if I refused to do it, my father would make sure his fantasy of killing me would be brought to fruition.

An idea soon began to form in the back of my mind. It was dangerous, risky, and could get me killed if my father found out. If I played my cards right, though, I might be able to outmaneuver him.

I would go along with his plan. I would pretend to be the dutiful daughter, following his orders, doing what was expected of me, but I wouldn’t be seducing the Alpha King.

I would be looking for a way to escape, a way to break free from both my father and the Alpha King.

I wiped my tears and stood, determination hardening inside me. If my father wanted to use me, he would regret it. One way or another, I would find a way out of this.

And when I did, I would be free from him. Just not in the way my mother had freed her own self—by taking her life.