Claimed And Sold At The Lycan King's Ball

CHAPTER 1

AVA'S POV

"You're just a Beta's daughter, Ava," Jax's voice echoed in my head. "I'm going to be Alpha. I need a mate who brings power, not just... you."

The silence in my bedroom was trying to choke me. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, but I didn't recognize the girl looking back. My eyes were puffy and bloodshot, the skin around them had turned red from hours of wiping away tears. Two years. I gave him two damn years of my life, trying to be exactly what he wanted, and this was how it ended in front of half the pack.

"I loved you," I whispered, my voice breaking even though I hated myself for it. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of them

Jax laughed. "Love? Come on, Ava. You're just ordinary. The King's ball is in two days and even your stepmother knows you don't stand a chance. Face it you're not queen material. You're nothing special."

My stepsister Selene's loud laugh cut through the noise like shattered glass. My chest ached. Ever since he said that. My wolf had gone silent. The forest didn't smell like pine. Her fur was no longer fluffy; she just curled into a shivering ball. He hadn't even waited for the Moon Goddess to reveal our fates. He had just decided I wasn't enough.

"Ava, open this door."

The sharp click of my stepmother's heels against the floorboards made my stomach twist.

She pushed the door open before I could move. Lydia stood there, holding a dress that looked expensive and suffocating.

"Look at you," she hissed, her eyes looking over my tear-stained face with disgust.

"Crying over a boy who had the guts to throw you away. Get up. Wash your face. You're going to the Lycan Ball."

"I'm not going," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "I can't stand there and watch everyone find their happiness while I..."

"You're going because this family is bankrupt Ava." She stepped closer. The scent of her perfume made my stomach turn. "Your father's debts are piling up. The Lycan King has been looking for a Queen. If you can even get a Beta or a General to look at you, we might survive the winter."

"You want me to sell myself?" I asked a hint of anger in my voice. Lydia stood in front of me pressing her lips into a thin line. "I want you to be useful for once in your life. Now, put on the dress, or I'll have the guards drag you there in your nightgown. Your choice." She turned to leave then muttered half way. "If you don't find someone, then don't bother coming back. Because the locks would be changed."

***

The carriage ride to the Royal Palace was a mix of rain and ache. The corset was pulled tight that I could barely breathe. Girls were discussing how they were going to be or make a good queen. But my thoughts drifted to Jax. And Ash let out a low whimper that echoed through my chest, she was still mourning the pack we were supposed to build together.

When the door opened, the wide scale of the palace swallowed me. It was a fortress made of blackstone and gold glowing under the moonlight. Inside, the air was heavy with the scent of hundreds of wolves. It was overwhelming. The air smelled of musk, sweat, pheromones, and floral perfumes.

I stayed near the walls, trying to hide in the shadows. I watched as girls laughed, showing their necks to every high-ranking male that passed. My hand reached for the expensive necklace Lydia made me wear. We could barely afford it. But she did anyway with the hope that I could seduce the king.

The drums rolled. And Alphas who had been boasting minutes ago went silent. The whole room also went silent. It wasn't the kind of silence that comes from respect; it was the silence of fear. At the top of the grand staircase stood a man in black. He looked like he had been carved from the very mountain the palace was built on. King Draken Voss. His hair was raven black, and his eyes were glowing like gold. He didn't smile. He didn't wave. He just scanned the crowd like a god who's been bored looking down at us like we were insects. I looked down at my shoes, praying to the Moon Goddess to make me invisible.

I felt a sudden strange pull in my chest like an invisible thread was tied to my heart and he was holding the other end. No, I thought, holding my chest. It's just the stress. It's just the heartbreak. Then the scent hit me. A brewing storm, wet earth, and something dangerously sweet like dark honey. "DANGER," Ash suddenly hissed, her ears finally lifting back. She stopped whimpering. For the first time in more than twenty-four hours, she stood up. "SOMETHING IS COMING."

I raised my head up and my breath hitched. His gaze locked onto mine. His eyes didn't just see me it felt like it was piercing through me. They turned to a molten, glowing gold.

"MATE." Ash screamed in my head, so loud I nearly fell to my knees. "THE KING IS OURS."

The King had stopped in the middle of the floor. And the crowd parted as he began to move. He wasn't looking at the Alphas or the beautiful daughters of the elite. He was looking directly at the girl in the corner who had been broken.

My human instinct screamed Run away. But Ash wagged her tail insisting. "GO TO HIM."

He stopped in front of me leaning down, his nose brushing against my neck. I felt the "sparks" people talked about. They felt like fire, burning through my skin.

"I have waited a decade for this scent," he growled. My legs went cold and I could barely stand. He looked up, his eyes was completely black, the Lycan had taken over.

"Mine," he barked. And it echoed across the hall.

"I... I don't want you," I whispered, my voice trembling. As I moved backward. My back hitting the stone wall. The King moved fast. He gripped my waist, pulling me against his hard chest. His eyes narrowed, a possessive smirk pulling at his lips.

"Little wolf," he muttered against my ear, "The Moon Goddess doesn't ask for permission. And neither do I."

No this can't be the end for me. I won't go willingly, neither will I go back to Lydia or the pack. If the bond killed me, I'd take them both down first.

Then I smelled it, sharp. In the middle of everything. Jasmine and Old wine cutting through.

CHAPTER 2

AVA'S POV.

He bent down and his fangs sank into my neck. A wave of pain and unwanted pleasure crashed through me. The bond snapped. When he finally pulled back, blood on his lips and pure possession burned in his eyes. My knees felt weak and I could barely stand. But he still held me.

"I don't want this," I gasped, tears slipped down my cheeks. "I don't want you."

His jaw locked. "The bond doesn't care what you want, little mate. You belong to me now."

He took my hand and pulled me through the crowd. I looked around for help and all I could see was the jealous, hateful glare of women. I saw Selene amongst the crowd and she looked at me with pure hatred and disgust.

The King took me to a private study that smelled of old leather and books. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. The marking bite burned under my skin. Then the smell of Jasmine and old wine hit the air. Lydia was there her smile was too wide. Too fake. My gut twisted hard and I stared at the floor.

"Your Majesty," she said sweetly, bowing so low that her forehead nearly touched the floor. "What a blessing. My stepdaughter is yours. Of course, a girl of her kind requires a certain compensation for the family she leaves behind."

Air left my lungs. "What are you doing?" I whispered.

King Draken didn't even look at her. He kept his eyes locked on me. "Name your price," he growled.

"King Draken, no." I gasped, my voice finally coming back. "I'm not an object. You can't just- "

"Quiet, Ava," Lydia snapped, then turned back to the King with a fake smile. "The South Pack needs timber, five hundred head of cattle, and a monthly stipend of gold. Do that, and she is yours. You can take her tonight."

I looked at the woman who had raised me since I was six. She wasn't giving me away; she was trading me for cows and wood.

The King pulled a fountain pen from his desk. He signed a paper without blinking. "Done. Now get out."

Lydia grabbed the paper like it was a holy relic and walked out of the room without looking at me. She didn't even say goodbye.

The door closed. And I was alone with the Lycan King.

"You bought me," I whispered, tears falling down my cheek. "The 'Mate Bond' is just a transaction to you."

Draken walked toward me, his heavy boots thudding on the rug. He grabbed my chin, and forced me to look up at him. "Your family would have sold you to the highest bidder eventually, Ava. I simply ensured that the bidder was me."

His words hit harder than I expected. My chest tightened. I wasn't a person anymore. I was a property.

I tried to pull my chin out from his iron grip but it didn't bulge.

"You speak as if you've done me a favor," I whispered. "But you're just another man deciding my fate for me. First Jax, then Lydia and now you."

I mentioned Jax's name. Draken's eyes flashed with a dangerous anger. He released the grip. And that alone made me stumble back until my back hit the wood of his desk. He leaned over me pinning me to the desk.

"Do not mention that weakling in my presence again," he rumbled, "He threw away a treasure he was too blind to see. I, however, know exactly what I have bought."

"I am not a treasure," I snapped. "I am not a thing. You bit me without asking. You bought me without saying a word to me. Is this how a King treats his mate?"

Draken's gaze lowered to my neck, to the red mark he had left. His expression softened for a moment. But it vanished again. "I am a Lycan, Ava. We do not ask. We take. We protect. And we never let go."

His thumb rubbed the edge of my jaw. The sparks were so intense That I had to bite my lip to keep me from crying out in pleasure.

"Tonight, you will learn what it means to belong to the Crown.

You will sleep in my chambers. You will wear my mark. And you will forget that the boy who broke your heart ever existed. Do you understand?"

My breath hitched for a moment. "I will never be yours," I whispered, my voice trembling despite my bravado. "You can buy my body, Draken, but you will never own me."

A predatory smirk pulled at his lips. "We have an eternity to see about that, little wolf."

He released the grip. Then straightened.

"Guards." His voice echoed across the study. The oak doors swung open and two huge men stepped in. They didn't look at me. They just looked at their king. "Take the Queen to the Royal Chambers," Draken commanded. "She is not to leave those rooms. If a single hair on her head is harmed, or if she disappears from your sight. I will have your heads." Then he turned to me. "Choose Ava. Walk or be carried."

I stared at him, jaw locked. "Don't touch me." I walked past the guards myself. "I'll walk. But don't mistake it for choosing you. Draken."

I said it low enough that only he could hear. The guards led me out through the lit hallway. I was no longer Ava of the south pack. I was the King's captive. And the worst part? Ash was starting to crave the monster that had taken everything from me. I am a wolf. Wolves don't stay caged. As we turned a sharp corner toward the royal wing, a movement caught my eye.

I froze for a second, my breath hitched. At the far end of the dim corridor, a shadow moved. It was tall. I squinted, trying to make out a face, but all I saw were glowing pairs of golden eyes. The figure didn't move; it just watched me.

"Keep moving, Luna Queen," the guard said. I stumbled forward, my skin prickling with the sensation of being watched.

CHAPTER 3

AVA'S POV

As we took the hallway to the Royal wing the figure who had been lurking in the shadows stepped out. It appeared that he was a man. Who looked almost like Draken. He had a tall frame and a built body, his eyes were golden and just above his right eyebrow he had a scar that added to the handsome build of his face.

He was a mini version of Draken but looks more easy to breathe around. He stepped in front of the guards. And they bowed immediately. "Prince Kael."

He waved his hand.

"Leave us. I'll take her from here." The guards immediately bowed and left.

I lifted an eyebrow wondering how easily the guards obeyed him. The guards had called him Prince Kael. So he was probably Draken's brother. He took a step closer. His gaze looked at me with pity. He didn't even talk to me. He just stared at my disheveled dress and my tear-stained cheek which had dried off. He lifted a hand almost touching mine and I pulled back and snapped at him. "I've been bought by one Lycan king tonight. I don't need a second one touching me."

He smiled a genuine smile. "So this is the girl who finally tamed the beast."

"I'm not a pet." I snapped.

He chuckled then leaned on the wall close to me. "My brother has the grace of a mountain. I heard about the transaction. I am truly sorry." He said softly. "He sees the world as a territory and it has to be conquered. He's forgotten what it's like to be human."

"He feels safe." Ash whispered her ears perking up. "too soft." I ignored her. I no longer trust soft. Soft was what Jax used to be before he traded me for a stronger pack.

"If you're sorry, then let me go. Open the front gates and tell the guards to look the other way while I walk."

His smile faded. He reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear, but I flinched away. He dropped his hand. "I wish I could. But Draken has already marked you. If I helped you run, he wouldn't just kill me. He'd burn the South Pack to the ground to find you. You're his obsession now."

He leaned in closer, And whispered. "Sleep with one eye open, little wolf. My brother doesn't know how to love. He only knows how to own." He snapped his fingers and the guards appeared again. "If you ever want to find me. Just say the words and the guards will answer." He whispered one last time. The oak doors opened and I was escorted into a suite that was larger than my entire house. The doors were shut and I was left alone.

The room was a blend of luxury. Intimidating, and cold. My eyes drifted to the four poster bed with black silk sheets that could accommodate five people. My stomach twisted with the sudden realization that I was going to share this bed with a monster. The room smelled of Brewing storm and Dark honey. I heard Ash moaning and wagging her tail at the scent. But my chest tightened.

Just as I turned toward the lit fireplace. A side door opened and four women walked in. Three of them looked stern and the other who was younger looked nervous. They weren't guards.

Their scents were omega wolves. "What is this? Who are you? I backed away. "The King has requested you be prepared for the night," the oldest woman said. She didn't wait for my permission. With a nod, the three younger women grabbed my arms.

"Don't touch me." I snapped.

They didn't listen. They were stronger than they looked. They dragged me into a bathroom. It was built with white marble and gold designs. In the center sat a large tub, steam rising from water that smelled of Lavender and crushed lilies. They stripped away my ballgown. The one my stepmother had made me forcefully wear. I felt cold run through my body. Ashamed that I was naked before them.

"I can wash myself." I snapped. "The Luna Queen should be perfect." The older woman said. "The king's scent is the only scent you should wear."

They forced me into the water. The scrubbing began. It wasn't gentle. It felt as if they were going to peel my skin off. I wanted to cry, but I refused to give them the satisfaction.

"You're scrubbing too hard." I said through gritted teeth. The older woman didn't even look up.

"We need to scrub out the southern pack smell, and the smell of that ex-boyfriend of yours. The king's scent is the only scent you should wear."

"Is that how the king wants his women scrubbed like Livestock?" The youngest replied.

"The king's never had any woman in his chambers before," She whispered. "He waited for decades." When they were done, they pulled me out and forced me into a silk dress that looked like a spider's webs. They led me back into the main chamber and forced me to sit on the edge of the massive bed.

"Wait here," the old woman said. "The King does not like to be kept waiting."

As soon as the door closed behind me. I ran to the balcony. The drop was hundreds of feet down to the sea. I went to the door and threw my weight against it. It didn't budge.

"Dammit!" I screamed, kicking the wood.

The mark on my neck and Ash moaned. Mine is coming. "Let him come," I hissed.

I scanned the room for a weapon. My eyes landed on a heavy, silver letter opener shaped like a dagger on the writing desk. I grabbed it, I wasn't going to be the submissive little mate he bought.

I paced the room for what felt like hours. Every time I thought of Draken's fangs in my neck, the sparks of pleasure mixed with pain returned, making my knees weak. I hated him for having this power over me.

Suddenly, the air in the room shifted. The scent of a brewing storm and dark honey filled my lungs.

The door didn't just open. It was pushed aside. I spun around, holding the letter opener behind my back.

Draken stepped in. He was no longer in suit. He was wearing a loose black trouser and a thin linen shirt that hung open, revealing his hard tattooed chest, His hair was damp, falling over his forehead, and his eyes were glowing.

He looked raw. Like the monster from the legends.

He didn't speak. He just watched me, his chest rising and falling in deep, slow breaths. He moved towards me.

"Don't come any closer," I warned, stepping back until the backs of my legs hit the bed.

Draken's gaze dropped to my hand hidden behind my back.

He smirked, his fangs showing. "You have a toy. Are you going to use it, Ava?"

"I'll kill you before I let you touch me again," I said, my hand trembling as I brought the silver blade forward, pointing it at his heart.

He didn't stop. He walked right up to me until the tip of the blade pressed against his chest. I could feel his steady heartbeat.

He leaned down, his face inches from mine, He wrapped his large hand over mine, and pushed the blade deeper into his skin.

"Then do it," he whispered, his voice a low growl that sent a shiver down my spine. "Push it in. But know this, little wolf-the Moon Goddess tied our souls together. If I bleed, you bleed. If I die, you die."

His other hand slid around my waist, his thumb rubbing the marking bite on my neck. I closed my eyes. "So choose," he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. "Kill me and end us both, or drop the steel and admit that your wolf is screaming for me to take you to this bed."