Owned by the Rogue Twin Alpha's (A Breeder for the King)

Zaya

I was sold for just five crates of silver bullets and an oath of peace.

Funny.

I always thought I'd be worth a little more.

I never considered myself special or rare by any means but at least to be with someone that I truly loved would have been enough for me.

I'm nineteen now. A woman, by law. But in this world, filled with packs, blood, rogues, and politics, I'm nothing more than a bargaining chip with a working womb and a pretty face.

Emphasis on the working womb.

The face is just an unfortunate bonus which I happen to come with, but what is most important is the fact that I was fertile.

The night they handed me over, it rained hard. The kind of rain that soaks into your bones and washes away hope.

The sky was dark, a glaring representation of the fate I was to face and the rain masking the taste of my salty tears.

I still remember my Alpha father's voice stern, cold, but cracked with a tinge of regret.

"Zaya, don't fight it. It's what's best for the pack."

I looked up at him from the mud, my clothes soaked, and my heart shattering.

"What's best for the pack?" I hissed. "Or best for you?"

He flinched.

But didn't deny it.

"Ryan agreed not to destroy us if we offered him... an heir."

"An heir?" My voice broke. "You're giving me to him to breed like an animal?"

No one answered.

Two guards came. They didn't touch me roughly. Just... carefully. Like they were afraid I'd break before the Alpha rogue ever got the chance.

And maybe I did.

Inside of me, something died that night.

Something soft.

Something bright.

That was three weeks ago.

I sat on the edge of the stone bed now, the cold biting into my skin. My long black hair clung to my back from the bath I was forced into earlier. The healer said I needed to be "clean" for tonight.

Whatever that meant.

The door creaked.

My heart leaped towards my mouth but I didn't show it. I'd learned that fear excites him.

Ryan entered.

All six-foot-five of him. Dark shirt, sleeves rolled, veins taut in his arms, black ink crawling up his neck. Eyes like frost. No expression. No warmth.

Just the kind of man who made the moon hide behind clouds.

A dangerous beauty that tempted you to come closer just so he could crush you. He was a raging flame that destroyed everything in his path.

His voice was quiet. Always quiet.

"Did you eat?"

I didn't answer.

I didn't want to talk to him, to open my mouth and sound like a screed mouse so that he would have more power over me.

He came closer, eyes scanning me, but never with lust. Never like he wanted me.

Just... like I was a tool.

A piece of meat that he had purchased from the market and wondering what to do with me, which if you really think about it, there wasn't much of a difference.

I was purchased to serve a duty, one which I had no interest in but also had no choice.

"Zaya." His voice dropped a little. "You'll need strength soon."

"Strength for what?" I whispered.

"For what your body is made for."

Something snapped made me irrational and I glared at him with so much hatred in my eyes.

I stood up suddenly, fists clenched. "Say it. Go ahead. Say that you bought me like a far animal and want to breed me like one"

He stared at me for a long moment.

Then...

"You're here to give me a legacy. Not a fucking love story."

I walked right up to him. "What happened to you?" I asked bitterly. "Who made you like this?"

Something flickered in his eyes.

There was a change from his usual stoic expression, it was like a tiny window was opened and I could see the storm brewing in his eyes.

He reached up slowly and for a second I thought he might strike me. But instead, he touched a strand of my wet hair and said, almost too quietly,

"You smell like lavender. She loved lavender."

I froze.

"She?"

He dropped his hand. "Get some sleep."

His voice was gruff and he looked away from me.

"No." I blocked the door. "Tell me. Who is 'she'?"

His eyes narrowed. "That is none of your fucking business woman!"

"You mean your mate," I insisted. "She died. And now you're taking it out on the world. Keeping me here against my will"

He didn't speak. But the air changed. Thickened.

Then, suddenly-

"She was pregnant," he said.

I stared at him, stunned.

He took a big gulp of air like it was too painful to get out the words he wanted to say.

He was venting, not even talking to me at this point but talking either way.

"I was late," he continued. "Ten minutes. That's all. I tore through ten rogues to get to her. But I was ten minutes late."

Silence stretched between us. Only our breathing.

"She died screaming," he whispered. "That's why I hate noise."

I swallowed hard. "So now you take breeders instead of mates?"

His jaw tensed. "I don't need love, or someone to replace her. What I need is a bloodline."

"And where does that leave me? What if I don't want to be yours?"

"You do not have much of a choice Zaya you have to obey me"

I tipped my chin stubbornly "and what if I do not want to obey?"

His eyes bored into mine.

They were piercing, angry and I got the memo of his message, mess with the devil and find out/

"Then you'll learn to obey."

I raised my chin. "Or you'll kill me?"

He smirked, wickedly. "No. Killing you would defeat the purpose."

He stepped back, opening the door. "Rest. Tomorrow... we begin."

I should've felt dread.

But all I felt was rage.

That night, sleep refused to come. I lay there in the darkness, tracing the faint scars on my wrist. Little reminders of the first year after my mother died. Back then, I thought pain was the only way to breathe.

She had been everything to me. The only person who ever truly loved me without conditions. She understood me, every broken piece, every sharp edge, and somehow made me feel whole. When she was still here, life had color. With her gone, the world felt gray and heavy, and I was just... surviving. Existing, not living

I wasn't weak. At least, that's what I told myself. I had carried so much already, but sometimes the weight of the world pressed too hard. Even the strongest wolves crack when the storm refuses to end.

I closed my eyes, willing sleep to take me. Ryan's voice echoed in my head, steady and certain. He had told me I needed strength, that I couldn't afford to fall apart. He believed in me more than I believed in myself, and maybe that was the only reason I kept holding on.

Five minutes passed. I knew because I was counting sheep like a child, desperate to drift off. But sleep still wouldn't come.

Then the sound came. The door creaked open slowly, the kind of sound that makes your stomach twist. Heavy footsteps followed, deliberate and unhurried, moving closer to my bed. My body froze. I forced my breaths to remain even, pretending I was asleep, even though my heart pounded so hard it felt like the whole room could hear it.

I didn't want to die. Not now. Not like this.

The mattress dipped beside me, sinking under another weight. I stayed perfectly still, my hands trembling under the covers. Then cold fingers slid through my hair, brushing against my scalp in a way that made my skin crawl. I felt him lean closer, his presence pressing into my space.

And then it happened.

A tongue slid across my face, starting at my lips and dragging upward until it reached my eyes. My stomach lurched. Revulsion clawed at me, and every part of me wanted to scream. If I hadn't been frozen in terror, I would have spat out how disgusting it was. But fear locked me in place, trapping me in silence.

Then he spoke. His voice was low and heavy, curling around me like a chain I couldn't break.

"He may have bought you first, baby girl, but you are mine."

Chapter 2

Ryan

I hated her.

I hated the way Zaya made me feel. It was different, too intense, and I despised it.

I had not felt anything since Franciscka, my darling. The memory was too painful. Ten minutes was all it took to lose her and our child.

We were supposed to be happy.

We loved each other. We were going to be parents. Then the rogues came, kidnapped her, and in a single instant, everything was taken from me.

"Big day today, right brother?"

That voice irritated me instantly.

"What do you want, Liam?"

I was not in the mood for his antics. If there was one thing about Liam that drove me insane, it was his inability to take a hint.

He clutched his chest dramatically and gasped.

"That is no way to talk to your older brother, is it?"

He always had to remind me. Six minutes. That was all. Six minutes older, and he never let me forget it. But it did not matter, because I was the Alpha, not him.

Liam and I were complete opposites, fire and ice.

And he was insane, not in a playful way but in the most dangerous way possible.

"I heard you bought yourself a breeder to give you kids," he said with a mocking laugh.

My glare was sharp. "Shut your mouth."

He only laughed louder. "You bragged about finding your mate before me, about getting her pregnant first. But in the end, you still buried her first."

My fist moved before I thought, landing square on his face with a satisfying crack.

That was Liam's gift. He could drag out the darkest emotions without even trying.

He wiped the blood from his nose with a smirk, proud that he had made me react.

"You will not speak to your Alpha that way," I growled.

That wiped the grin from his face. He might have been next in line for the throne, but he was unworthy of it. My parents knew it. The pack knew it. Everyone knew it.

Then his fist slammed into my face, and I felt the warm blood run down my nose.

"You took everything from me," he spat, his voice full of venom. "I was meant to be Alpha. I am the true leader."

I smirked. "What you are is incompetent."

He charged again, but this time I was ready. I blocked him and drove my fist into his stomach.

"You are a fraud," he hissed, before shoving his elbow into my ribs.

My claws slid out, sharp and gleaming, just enough to let my wolf surface. His claws were already out, his forest green eyes turning pitch black, identical to mine.

I hated that we looked alike. Two opposite sides of a coin sharing the same face.

"You are despicable," Liam said through clenched teeth.

I shrugged. "And you are a crazy son of a bitch."

His claws tore across my face, blood spilling warm down my cheek.

"I will kill you," he swore, his voice shaking with rage.

I tackled him to the ground and unleashed blow after blow, blood smearing my knuckles. He got in a few hits, but he was no match for me. There was a reason I was Alpha and not him.

"Excuse me, Alpha."

I froze and turned. Nathan, my beta, stood there unimpressed. He had seen us fight too many times to count.

Straightening, I wiped my face. "What is it, Nathan?"

"Everything you asked for is ready, Alpha."

"How many times do I have to tell you? Just call me Ryan."

"I am sorry, Alpha Ryan."

I groaned. There was no changing him. "Lead the way."

Before leaving, I looked back at Liam's limp body.

"Have someone take him to the healer."

"Yes, Alpha Ryan."

The chamber had been prepared, but when I stepped inside, I frowned.

"What the hell is this, Nathan?"

He raised his brows. "Is there a problem, Alpha?"

"I said I wanted a clean, open space for mating. So why does this look like some kind of honeymoon suite?"

Nathan met my eyes. "With all due respect, Alpha, I may be your beta but I am also your friend. I will not let you make her first time a nightmare."

"I paid for her, Nathan. She means nothing to me."

The moment I said it, regret hit me hard.

Nathan's expression flickered, and I realized my words had cut deep. My father had saved him from an illegal child trafficking ring years ago, and he carried that scar every day. To him, people being treated like objects was not just a story. It was his life.

And here I was, speaking of Zaya as if she was nothing.

The guilt was crushing. She might not mean anything to me, but she was still human. She was still someone.

"I am sorry," I said quickly.

Nathan gave me a small smile, but it did not reach his eyes.

"I can change it back if that is what you want."

"No," I shook my head. "Leave it. And Nathan... I really am sorry."

"It is alright, Alpha."

But we both knew it was not.

Zaya

"The Alpha sent me to get you ready for tonight."

That was the first thing the woman said when she entered my room. No greeting, no smile, no warmth, just those words, clipped and cold. From her appearance, I guessed she was some sort of housekeeper. Her dark gray uniform was neat but plain, her hair tightly pinned into a bun. She looked like she could have been in her late fifties, but with werewolf genes, age was a tricky thing to measure. She could've easily been older.

And still, the sight of her made my stomach churn.

I had known this moment would come eventually. I wasn't stupid. I'd been dreading it since the day they brought me here, but the reality of it closing in on me was almost unbearable. My chest tightened, my hands suddenly grew clammy, and I felt like I might throw up right there on the floor.

Earlier, they'd served me a meal fit for royalty-a steaming plate of roasted lamb, mashed sweet potatoes that melted like butter, and some strange vegetable side dish I couldn't even name. It was delicious, almost suspiciously so, but instead of comfort, it filled me with unease. It felt less like hospitality and more like I was being fattened up, prepared for slaughter.

The thought alone drained all the fire from me.

I was terrified.

Now, this woman was standing in front of me, saying the Alpha had sent her to "get me ready." Ready for what? Like I didn't already know. Like we were in some prehistoric era where women were simply dressed and delivered for breeding.

I pushed myself shakily to my feet. "What does that even mean?"

If she heard me, she chose to ignore me.

"So rude," I muttered under my breath.

"Please follow me, madam," she said, her expression was stiff, her eyes avoiding mine.

"Just Zaya will do," I corrected.

"Right this way, madam." She dismissed me again, pretending I hadn't said a thing.

I bit my tongue to stop myself from snapping back and followed her down the hall until we reached the bathroom. The air was already warm and scented with lavender. A steaming bath waited for me, bubbles clinging to the surface and candles lit along the counter.

"Please take off your clothes and step in, madam," she instructed.

I hesitated, my cheeks heating. Still, I obeyed. Slipping into the hot bath, I let out an involuntary moan. The heat seeped into my aching muscles, chasing away the tension in my body. When she began washing me, I nearly melted. I had never, in my life, been washed by another person. Her hands were gentle, moving with practiced care. When she massaged shampoo into my scalp, I swore her touch felt divine-like the Moon Goddess herself had sent her hands just for this.

If I was going to be treated like property, like a prize to be cleaned and polished, then I might as well enjoy the fleeting moments of comfort.

When she finished, she dried me carefully, wrapped me in a soft robe, and led me back to the vanity. She brushed my hair, curling it into soft waves, and then applied makeup with skilled precision. When I finally looked into the mirror, I gasped.

"Is... is this me?" My voice cracked with disbelief. The girl staring back was almost unrecognizable. My skin glowed, my eyes sparkled brighter, my lips looked fuller. I looked... beautiful. Truly beautiful.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I'd never seen myself like this before. Never felt like this before. But I blinked quickly, refusing to let the tears fall. I didn't want to ruin all her hard work.

"You look like a princess," the woman said softly. It was the most human thing she'd said to me since walking into the room.

I gave a small, sad smile. "It's too bad I'm dressed to be bred instead of for an actual wedding, isn't it?"

Her silence was deafening. She went back to her work without a word, but I caught the flicker of pity in her eyes. I hated it. Pity made everything worse.

Then she presented me with what she called "attire."

I gaped at the lingerie she laid out. White lace, delicate yet far too revealing. "You want me to wear that?"

"It is the Alpha's orders."

My stomach twisted with humiliation. Couldn't the arrogant bastard at least provide me with a dress? Something dignified? Instead, he wanted me paraded in scraps of lace, like I was meant to be some kind of offering.

Pervert.

With shaking hands, I picked up the lingerie. The material felt fragile, the straps thin and biting. When I finally put it on, the lace dug into my skin, the cups pushing my breasts upward in an almost mocking display of false innocence. White, the color of purity. The irony wasn't lost on me.

I turned to the mirror again, and the reflection staring back made my breath hitch. I looked like a stranger-a sultry vixen in delicate lace. Sexy, alluring. But it wasn't me. I wasn't her.

I crossed my arms, trying to cover myself, heat burning my cheeks. My heart thumped wildly. I wanted this day to be over. I wanted to disappear.

"The Beta will be here soon to take you to the Alpha," the woman announced.

"Wait," I said quickly. She turned, surprised, and I chewed my lip nervously. "What's your name?"

For a moment, I thought she would ignore me again. But then her eyes softened just slightly. "My name is Martha."

And then she was gone.

I began pacing the room, my nerves unraveling with every step. Would it matter if I told the Alpha this was my first time? Probably not. From everything I'd heard, Alpha Ryan was cruel. Ruthless. Unforgiving.

The door opened again, and I froze mid-step.

"I am Nathan, the Beta. I'll be taking you to the Alpha now."

He was tall, handsome in a rugged, boyish way. In another life, he would've been exactly my type. Someone I could've fallen for. Someone I could've loved. But not in this one. Love wasn't part of my story anymore.

"Lead the way," I whispered, forcing the words out past the lump in my throat.

He guided me down a long corridor in silence. My bare feet padded against the cold floor, my anxiety mounting with every step. When we finally stopped in front of a large door, he glanced at me.

"Good luck," he said simply, then turned and left.

My knees wobbled. My chest heaved.

"Please, Mother, be with me," I muttered under my breath, a prayer slipping from my lips before I could stop it.

I pushed open the door.

And gasped.

The room was decorated with candles and rose petals, the bed covered in crimson silk. It looked like a honeymoon suite, romantic and soft. But the atmosphere was heavy, suffocating

"This wasn't my idea," Alpha Ryan's voice cut through the silence. "If you think this is some kind of romantic gesture, don't. We're here to fuck, not to make love."

I spun to face him, trying so hard to control my anger which was already spiking through my fear. "Considering you bought me and kept me here against my will, Alpha, I think I'm well aware of that." Every word dripped with venom.

But then my eyes betrayed me. They swept over him before I could stop them.

He was standing there in nothing but black boxer briefs, his muscles carved to perfection, his skin golden under the candlelight. His body looked like it had been sculpted by the gods. And I hated it. Hated that even now, my body reacted, my cheeks heating, my breath hitching. It wasn't fair. How could someone so cruel look so devastatingly perfect?

"Stop staring at me and strip," he barked.

I glared. "What is wrong with you-"

Before I could finish, his hand wrapped around my throat. Not enough to choke, but enough to remind me of his strength. Enough to warn me.

"I don't like repeating myself," he growled.

My hands trembled as I undressed. One piece at a time, until I was bare before him. His eyes scanned me slowly, his expression unreadable. Goosebumps prickled across my skin under the weight of his gaze.

"Get on the bed."

I scrambled to obey, lying stiffly on the silk sheets. My heart hammered so loudly I swore he could hear it.

He climbed onto the bed, his body looming over mine, his weight pressing me deep into the mattress.

"I'm not here to make love to you," he said flatly. "Don't expect me to be gentle."

My throat went dry.

He positioned himself between my thighs, his hand gripping himself as he pressed against me. No tenderness, no care. Just cold, mechanical intent.

He pushed forward but stopped abruptly. His eyes flicked up to mine. "Are you a virgin?"

Shame burned through me as I nodded quickly.

His expression shifted. Anger. Fury. His eyes darkened to black, his fangs lengthening.

"Get out," he snapped.

My chest tightened. "Wait... but-"

"I said get the fuck out!" His voice thundered, shaking the room.

Terror exploded inside me.

I shoved him back with all the strength I had and fled.