The Alpha's Bargain

Aurora's POV

The kitchen was abuzz with fellow slaves, all of us preparing for the Alpha's mother's birthday celebration. Some of us toiled over hot ovens, baking and cooking, while others, like myself, scrubbed and scoured dishes until they shone.

It was the busiest day I had experienced since my capture two weeks prior, when my father's pack was ravaged and burned to the ground. I, along with the other female captives, had been forced into slavery and our freedom and old life was stolen in an instant.

Rosa, the kitchen supervisor, a stern and unforgiving woman, stormed through the kitchen, her eyes blazing with intensity.

“Hurry up, you lazy fools!' The harshness of her voice echoed off the walls and they irritated me as always. “The guests will be arriving soon, and I'll make sure you all suffer the consequences if anything goes wrong!'

Her harsh words stung, but they also fueled my determination. I scrubbed the dishes with renewed vigor, my hands moving at a pace I never thought possible.

As a former princess, raised in the comforts of my father's pack, I was used to such menial tasks. For twenty one years, I had lived a life of luxury, never once lifting a finger to help in the kitchen. Now, as a slave, I was forced to do the things I would never have done. My sluggishness and inexperience made me slower than the others, but there was nothing I could do about it. Better to be sluggish than to get on Rosa's nerves.

If I was still a princess in my father's pack, a mere kitchen supervisor wouldn't have the balls to speak to me in such a manner.

As I rushed to keep up with the demanding pace of the kitchen, a fellow servant girl hastened past me, accidentally brushing my shoulders and causing my grip on the delicate ceramic dish to slip. As it slipped from my grasp, it plummeted to the ground with a piercing shatter that seemed to reverberate through the entire kitchen.

The sudden silence that followed was enough to let me know that I was going to be screwed for this. With my heart racing in fear, I stood frozen, my eyes fixed in horror on the scattered fragments of the expensive dish.

"How could you be so stupid?!” Rosa's voice shrilled, piercing the air as she charged towards me in rage.

In an instant, her palm connected with my face in a stinging slap, sending my head jerking to the side. The force of the blow nearly knocked me off balance, and I stumbled, my eyes watering from the sudden pain. The kitchen fell silent once more and the only sound that could be heard was Rosa's ragged breathing and my own quiet gasps.

"Do you know how much that dish costs?!” Rosa's voice escalated into a deafening scream as she struck me again, her palm cracking against my cheek. This time, I stumbled and fell to the ground, my lip throbbing in pain as I tasted the metallic tang of blood. Tears streamed down my face, mingling with the humiliation and fear that washed over me.

Rosa laughed now, her laughter bitter and mocking and her eyes blazed with contempt.

“What am I even saying?” She sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. “Of course, you know the price, Princess. You were once accustomed to luxury, but let me make one thing clear. Your privilege ended the moment you were captured and brought to this pack as a slave. Your pretty face and fragile body mean nothing here. You will work, and you will value every single one of the Alpha's possessions. Do you understand me?!”

At first, I remained silent, my eyes cast downward in pain and embarrassment. But when Rosa's foot connected with my side in a brutal kick, I nodded hastily, the pain and humiliation forcing me to submit.

“Yes.” I whispered, my voice barely audible. Hate and disdain for her brewed inside my stomach and in my head, I imagined myself grabbing one of the kitchen knives and plunging it into her neck, ending her once and for all.

I only wished my imaginations were real and not mere imaginations. Still, I would find a way to kill her whenever I get my chance. That, I swore on my life.

…………..

An hour later, I found myself navigating the grand hall with a tray of drinks, offering them to the esteemed guests with a subservient smile. The room was abuzz with elites dressed in their finest attire, with Eleonor, the Alpha's mother, shining like a diamond among them.

The air was thick with the clinking of wine glasses and the hum of conversation. As I moved through the crowds, a wave of nostalgia washed over me, transporting me back to a time when my father would host lavish parties in our castle. Now, I was forced to serve in someone else's domain as a slave.

For a millionth time, my heart burned at the reminder.

It was all his fault. Him.

My gaze drifted to the Alpha, standing tall and imposing alongside his brother and a guest. While the others laughed and smiled, his face remained a mask of stone, devoid of expression. Rumors had it that he was a soulless man, who never cracked a smile nor had any hint of emotion on his face.

Despite being younger than my father, the Alpha's ambition and lust for power knew no bounds. He had callously destroyed our pack and even had the audacity to capture those of us who remained and made us slaves in his own pack, all for his self serving desires. My hatred for him burned with a fierce intensity.

A subtle movement of the Alpha's fingers broke me from my thoughts as he signaled me over with a mere flicker of his index finger. I swallowed hard, steeling myself for the encounter, and approached him with a deliberate lack of enthusiasm. I refused to mask my disdain with a fake smile; he didn't deserve the courtesy.

When I reached him, he plucked a drink from my tray, our eyes locking in a brief, charged moment. It was then that I noticed the striking sea-green hue of his eyes, and the chiseled perfection of his features was even more captivating up close. Yet, my resentment and anger toward him proved stronger than my appreciation for his physical beauty. I found myself holding his gaze for a fraction of a second longer than necessary, my glare a silent rebellion.

“What happened to your face?” His smooth, velvety and silky voice came as his brow arched with a hint of curiosity, his gaze lingering on the cut on my lips and the bruises that marred my cheek.

I snapped my eyes away, fixing them on the ground, my cheeks burning with a mix of shame and anger.

Shit! I had been caught staring at him. Why was he even bothering to ask about my face, anyway? Not like he cared. He was a devil, devoid of feeling any human emotions.

“Excuse me, my Alpha.” I responded instead and swiftly turned my back on him, hastening my pace, eager to put a distance between us.

As I walked away, I heard his brother’s remark in a low, quiet tone.

“That servant girl...she is beautiful.”

“Yes.” The Alpha agreed, his voice like a gentle, smooth wave. “She is.”