Auctioned To The Alpha King

A piece of Burger

Alpha Nathan’s POV

A wave of shock ran through me, quickly turning to anger and frustration.

“Take me to her,” I ordered, pushing past the guard. He led me quickly, footsteps echoing off the stone walls as we headed down to the cells.

Arriving at the cell, I found Lisa lying on the cold stone floor, blood pooling around her. One of the guards' daggers was clutched weakly in her hand.

“Get the healer!” I barked at a guard, who ran off. I knelt beside her, torn between anger and a prickling guilt. Her breathing was shallow, her skin pale, as if her life was slipping away.

“Why would you do this?” I muttered, unsure if I was asking her or myself. She struggled to focus on me, her eyes hazy with pain yet filled with relief.

“Better… to die… than to live as your slut,” she whispered. Her look was one of pure hatred, piercing me like a dagger. My wolf stirred, uneasy, as if worried about her situation.

Anger flared again, masking the guilt clawing up inside me. “I won’t let you escape that easily, Lisa,” I said in a low growl. Her lips twisted into a bitter, victorious smile that made my chest tighten.

“Sorry, beast… I’ve already escaped.” She smiled bitterly and attempted to close her eyes, causing fear and panic to wash through me.

“Get the healer!” I screamed at the top of my voice, fear clouding my entire being.

The healer arrived, kneeling beside us and working quickly. She pressed a cloth to Lisa's wounds, using herbs and murmuring spells to stop the bleeding, while I stayed, torn between leaving and feeling a strange pull to remain.

Minutes felt like hours, but finally, the healer looked up. “She’ll live,” she said, her expression full of relief. “But she’s weak. It will be days before she regains her strength.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak as I looked at Lisa’s pale face, her breathing still shallow. Despite everything I’d done, she had still found a way to get through to me. The thought hit a nerve, making me feel more vulnerable than I had in years.

“Lock the cell. No one goes near her without my permission,” I ordered. The guards obeyed, but I lingered, looking down at her one last time. Seeing her in such a lifeless state stirred something unfamiliar within me. Something I had never felt before.

Leaving her cell, I went back to my chambers, my mind uneasy. Despite how much I didn’t want to think about her, I just couldn’t stop. And then there was my wolf, who was angry at me for silly reasons.

“You went too far, Nathan!” he snapped at me, causing my frown to deepen as I refilled my glass.

“Let her go, Nathan. Her father is no more; he has paid for his crime,” my wolf pleaded with me, but I shook my head. “No, he hasn’t paid for his crime, and I’m not letting his daughter go. She is bound to me for life.” I grunted and continued drinking, struggling to take my mind off her, though I couldn’t.

I knew she was out of danger, but I was a bit worried about her lying on the cold floor of the cell. Despite how hard I tried not to, I couldn’t help it. For several minutes, I tried to push her out of my head, but it wasn’t working, so I had to give up.

“Guards!” I called, and two guards walked into my chambers. They bowed their heads and waited for my order, but for a moment, I couldn’t say it; the words felt heavy on my lips. After a few seconds of battling with myself, I decided to speak. “Take the slave to one of the guest rooms and lay her on the bed. Also, inform me when she is awake,” I instructed. I saw the look of disbelief in the guards' eyes; they were shocked at my decision. But I don’t blame them—I was shocked myself.

James, the head of the warriors and my Beta, walked into my chambers and bowed. “The woman you asked for is here; she’s in the waiting room,” James announced, and I sighed in relief. Finally, there was good news.

Getting up, I followed James to the waiting room, where I found a familiar woman waiting for me. The moment she saw me, she stood and bowed respectfully, but I didn’t say a word or make a move. Instead, I just kept staring at her, remembering how this same woman, who was once a maid in this mansion, had helped me.

Twenty years ago, after I watched my mother beheaded by Gamma Titus, I fainted under the wardrobe. When I woke up, I found myself in her home. She told me how she had helped me escape the mansion and brought me to her room.

She and her daughter were loving toward me for the two days I stayed in her home, but soon rumors began spreading that I might not be dead and was hiding in someone’s home in the pack. She overheard one of the guards saying they were going to search every home, so she had to send me away into the forest to save my life. I was just ten.

“How are you?” I asked, stepping closer and flashing her a grateful smile. She was one of the people to whom I owed my life.

“Alpha… I didn’t know you would still remember me.” Her voice wavered, filled with a mix of surprise and emotion. She clutched her hands together nervously, as if unsure how to act around me now that I was Alpha.

“I could never forget,” I said, a rare softness entering my tone. Memories of those two days in her hidden home rushed back, the only moments of peace in my brutal childhood. “You saved my life. I owe you everything.”

She bowed her head, clearly overwhelmed. “I was just doing what was right, Alpha. I was your mother’s maid, and it was my duty to serve.”

I nodded, appreciating her humility. “Your daughter… does she still live here?” I asked, curious about the girl who had been so kind to me back then, who shared her meals and even gave up her bed, so I could sleep.

She nodded, a warm smile spreading across her face. “Yes, she’s here. She wanted to work as a maid, but I didn’t let her because I couldn’t let her work under your uncle.”

I understood and took a deep breath, considering her words. I owed this woman a debt, one I could never fully repay. Allowing her daughter into the palace could be a start, a way of honoring what she had done for me. And perhaps it was time I started repaying everyone, not just to those who hurt me but to those who helped me survive.

“Very well,” I said, giving her a reassuring nod. “Get yourself ready and also tell your daughter that you two will be living in the palace, not as maids, but as my friends.”

Tears of gratitude filled her eyes. “Thank you, Alpha. I… I didn’t expect you to remember me.”

I shook my head, giving her a small, rare smile. “It’s me who owes you, remember? Take care of yourself, and tell your daughter I can’t wait to see her.”

I smiled at the aged lady one more time before leaving the waiting room and heading to my private chambers. As I settled into the armchair with my eyes closed, memories of twenty years ago played in my head. One particular memory resurfaced, one that had always stayed with me.

I recalled that fateful day in the forest. I’d been hiding there for days. Hunger gnawed at my stomach, and my legs felt weak and shaky. I was just a boy of ten, all alone, with no food and nowhere safe to go. My uncle’s men were hunting for me, so I hid, moving only when I had to, eating whatever berries or leaves I could find. But even then, I was barely surviving, my body aching, and my mind growing more hopeless with each passing day.

That hot afternoon, I was on the brink of death due to hunger when suddenly I heard someone humming softly nearby. Curious and cautious, I crept closer, my heart pounding. I didn’t know if it was a pack member or one of my uncle's men, but something about the sound made me want to see.

Through the trees, I spotted a little girl, maybe four years old. She had soft, black curls that seemed to catch the sunlight, and she was crouched by a patch of wildflowers, picking one with a look of pure concentration. She looked so different from the world I knew—innocent and free, untouched by the pain and fear that had surrounded me for so long.

She looked up and spotted me, her eyes going wide with curiosity rather than fear. We stood there, staring at each other in silence. Her gaze was warm and gentle, as if she were seeing right through my ragged clothes and tired eyes. It was strange, the way she looked at me—almost like she felt sorry for me, even though she didn’t know me.

Before I could say a word, I heard more footsteps approaching. My heart raced with fear, and I quickly hid behind a tree, peeking out just enough to see what was happening. A woman stepped into view—her mother, I guessed. She wore a worried expression and reached out to grab the little girl’s hand.

“There you are! I told you not to wander off alone,” the woman said, her voice a mix of worry and relief. “The forest is no place for a little one like you.”

The little girl looked up at her mother, but then her gaze drifted back to where I was hiding. I held my breath, hoping she wouldn’t say anything. But instead of calling out or telling her mother, she gave me one last glance—a mischievous little smile.

Then, as her mother gently tugged her hand to lead her away, the girl reached into her pocket and pulled out something small. Without saying a word, she dropped it on the ground just behind the tree where I hid, giving me one last look before she turned and followed her mother back through the trees.

When I was sure they were gone, I crawled over and picked up what she’d left for me—a burger wrapped in nylon. I held it in my hand, staring at it in disbelief. It wasn’t much, but it was food, and it was something. I took a bite into my mouth, savoring the sweetness as I chewed. It wasn’t much, but it was more than I’d had in days. It was a tiny act of kindness, and in that moment, it felt like a gift.

That little piece of burger kept me alive and gave me the strength to keep going. That small act of kindness kept me from giving up. Even now, as I sit here, that memory stays with me. I’m so curious to know who that little girl was. I believe she should be a grown woman by now. I want to find her, I want to meet her, and I want to let her know that the little piece of burger she threw at me saved my life that day.

A sudden knock on my door made me open my eyes, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Yes,” I said in an annoyed tone.

“Apologies, Alpha. She is awake.”