Sold To Alpha Kael

"Kaida! Kaida!!" My name echoed through the dim corridors, sharp and grating, like nails on a chalkboard. It was definitely my stepmother. Even the birds weren’t awake yet, and there she was, ruining my sleep as usual. With a deep breath, I rose from my little bed, which was barely comfortable enough for me to lie on, let alone sleep soundly. The maid's chambers were cold, and my thin blanket did little to keep me warm. Before I could even make it to the door, she barged in and slapped me across my face. "Are you suddenly Cinderella?" she mocked, her voice dripping with venom. My cheek stung, and I clutched it with my hand, trying to steady my voice. "I’m sorry, I... I had a lot to do last night, so I slept late." "That’s none of my business," she snapped, her eyes narrowing. "There's a lot of work to be done downstairs, or have you forgotten your father left us in debt?" I rolled my eyes as I headed downstairs, a familiar routine. She never missed an opportunity to remind me of the debt, always blaming my father when it was her extravagant lifestyle that drained us. In the kitchen, Selene threw her laundry at me. She was my good for nothing, spoiled and lazy stepsister. "Hey! I need this dry cleaned." "I have work to do, Selene," I said, tiredly. "You can fix that up yourself." She stopped and turned to face me, her eyes blazing. "Are you talking back to me?" "There’s nothing wrong if you do things yourself for once in your life," I replied, unable to keep the irritation from my voice. "How dare you!" she roared, just as Lupa, my stepmother, approached. "What is going on here?" she demanded. "I was going to—" I started, but she cut me off. "Don’t tell me you haven’t even started preparing today's bread yet?" she said, her voice rising. "I was about to—" Another slap landed on my face. "You good for nothing! All you’re good at is causing trouble, just like your useless mother!" "Don’t bring my mother into this," I managed to say through the pain. "Oh, isn’t she useless?" Lupa sneered. "What mother would bring a weakling like you into this world? You are weak, and you are nothing. That’s why you still can’t perceive your mate! Only God knows if he will ever accept you!" Selene chimed in, "No one would ever accept a loser like you, Kaida. You were destined to be a slave for the rest of your life!" Their words cut deep, fresh wounds on old scars. They were always right about one thing: I was weak. The weakest in our pack, and no one cared about me. A year ago, I got my wolf and thought I would finally be free from the pain and torture. I thought my mate would find me and set me free. But I couldn’t perceive a thing. Everyone else found their mates, and I was left alone, wandering in circles until darkness fell and I returned to my coven. Selene found her mate, Theron, the beta of our pack. Good things always seemed to come to bad people. Lupa spat, "Oh God, I can’t wait to get rid of you as soon as possible!" She walked away, leaving me standing there, tears welling in my eyes. Selene kicked her clothes at my feet. "I need them for my mating ceremony this evening. Get them dry cleaned before you get thrown out of the house!" I knew the consequences. If I was thrown out, no one would take me in. A weak, homeless wolf like me was only useful as a s*x slave to other deranged wolves Today was Selene’s mating ceremony and all I could do was imagine what it would be like to find the other half of my soul. In no time, I had finished baking bread for breakfast and completed Selene's laundry. I couldn't help but admire her beautiful dresses, imagining how stunning she'd look for her mating ceremony. Of course, I wouldn't be attending. My stepmother always said I was an embarrassment, and she was right. Even my mother couldn't hold me once before dying the moment I was born. I never saw her, and Papa married Lupa five years later because he thought I needed a mother. He was right, but the one he got was the devil herself. She treated as a maid in my own home, things only worsened after Papa died of a heart attack a few years back. I held one of Selene's dresses, lost in thought, when I heard her voice behind me. "You wish, right? You'll never have it." I quickly hung the dress to dry and picked up the basket, heading to the market for groceries. This daily routine was the best part of my day because I could escape and see my best friend, Claudia. "Kaida! Kaida! Over here!" Claudia whispered as she spotted me from afar, my basket in hand. I ran towards her, a smile breaking across my face. "I really needed someone to talk to." Claudia nodded. "I know how you must be feeling, especially with Selene's mating ceremony today." I sighed. "Everyone else has been lucky except me." "Don't say that," Claudia said. "I'm sure your mate will sense you soon." "It's been a year, Claudia, and my prince charming isn't coming. My stepmother was right. I'm not Cinderella, and this isn't a fairytale." Claudia looked at me with pity. "Oh Kaida, but will you at least attend the mating ceremony?" I laughed bitterly. "To make more of a mockery of myself? I better get going before I get into more trouble with Lupa." I left, heading straight to the market, avoiding further conversations about the ceremony. On my way home, I saw a strange carriage parked at the backyard entrance to the kitchen. I found it extremely odd. If they were here for Selene’s ceremony, they should be parked at the front. I whispered to myself, "Hmmmmm..." Slowly, I walked to the kitchen and hid behind the wall, pressing my ear to it. I heard voices. "You'll have to add more gold," Lupa said. "By the time I pay up my debts, I wouldn't have anything reasonable." I recognized her voice. "That's all we have to offer," a male voice replied. "For a pure virgin?" Lupa insisted. "You'll have to add something more if you want to buy her." My eyes widened. Buy who? It was clearly a transaction, but what was being sold? The man said, "A pure wolf, you say? I'm sure my master will like her." "I assure you, no one has touched her," Lupa said. "She is just weak but she is pure. So do we have a deal?" Suddenly, Selene’s voice cut through the air as she spotted me. "Kaida!" Startled, I dropped my basket, drawing Lupa and the man's attention. Lupa rushed outside, rage contorting her face. "You good-for-nothing weakling! Were you eavesdropping?!" My heart pounded as I took a few steps back. In Lupa's hand was a sack filled with money and gold. The strange man looked at me, and the carriage stood ominously behind him. But where was the merchandise? Realization hit me like a punch. I was the merchandise. "f**k," I muttered, turning to run. But I didn't get far. The man grabbed me, throwing me over his shoulder. "Let me go! Let me go!" I screamed, seeing the satisfaction on Lupa and Selene's faces. "Please, Lupa!" I cried. She smirked, caressing the gold in her hands. "For the first time, you're useful to me, dear."