Chapter 2 Handed Over

These thoughts clouded my mind and made me toss and turn before finally sleeping off.

"He's here! He's here! everyone wake up. Alpha Aiden of Synx is here! Wake up, everybody!"

The loud gong stirred me from my deep sleep and out of fear, I rushed to wear my work clothes before running outside. I thought it must be early morning if the gong is being beaten.

To my surprise, the clock said twelve midnight, and the sky was still dark. I scowled at the gong beater.

"Why are you beating the gong so early? Don't you know you're disturbing the peace of everyone here!?" I snapped, but his expression remained shocked as his eyes grew wider. But I was too sleepy and too pissed to see. "Don't be childish. You know very well what you're doing is stupid. And I don't care whoever the fuck arrived, you have to learn how to announce his arrival some other way."

"B...b...but," he pointed an index finger.

"What? Like I said, I don't care who it is. Learn to respect that people are asleep. If he can't respect that, then he is a bigger asshole than you are."

"Did you just call me an asshole?"

I jumped and turned around to face a huge man whose body is no different from a wall. He was tall and heavily built like a man perfectly moulded for war. He was dressed in a warrior's attire, his hair fell over his shoulders and forehead, making me want to part them with my fingers. But he was way taller and it would take more than going on my toes to reach.

His dark eyes his behind hooded eyelids and adorned with beautiful long lashes. He had frown lines between his full brows and his nose could breathe fire as they were carved like a Greek god's. His lips were full and plump, thinning in anger as she stared up at him.

"Aren't you a slave? Why are your eyes meeting mine?"

Rude. I thought as I tore my eyes away from this beautiful human.

"Alpha Aiden! Welcome to our humble abode." Aaren's voice thankfully interrupted. "Kindly forgive our slave. She's unfortunately not the brightest as you can see. Come on in, let us make you feel welcomed."

But he lingered for a second or so. Watching me keenly with interest as thought he was a hawk and I was his prey. My eyes didn't leave the ground until he was gone. That's when I realized I'd been holding my breath.

By the time I'd lift my head, I saw Lena standing across the garden. She had heard the gong too.

I tried to wave at her but the moment she saw me, her expression became rigid. I folded my hand and dropped it to my side.

Perhaps, I'd lost the only person capable of loving me just like I lost my parents. Speak of the devil, I entered into the palace through the back door to watch the scene unfold.

As he entered through the main entrance, his presence commanding authority, everyone became tensed. The air was so thick it could only be pierced through with a knife. Even my stepbrother, whom I grew up to see as fearless, could barely hold eye contact with him.

He was tall, muscular, and in every manner masculine. His body told tales of every war he's fought, and I couldn't deny, despite his ruggedness, spoken of cruelty and how our worlds were apart, something within me got excited.

They started discussing, first, the war and how it had impacted so many people's lives. It irked me so much seeing my brother praise the same man who killed our father and my mother.

"Your skill and might is a story we might tell for generations to come. You are indeed a hero to our kind." He'd say.

Alpha Aiden didn't seem impressed as his grim expression didn't for once falter. Instead, he leaned forward, his dark gaze holding everyone captive.

"I haven't come for chit-chat. I have come to ask what you guys have to offer in exchange for your lives," he raised a hand. "For many years, you ran and hid from my wrath while I watched from afar, hoping you'd come to your senses and come to me. Hoping you'd offer gifts of thanks to me for sparing your lives. I knew where you hid, I just watched."

Aaren visibly shook and his sisters squirmed behind their mates. His words held threats and spoke of doom. I wonder how anyone could be so cruel. How anyone could look down on others as though they are worthless to him.

"Wh...what do you want, your highness."

I wanted to listen, to know what he wanted and maybe stand up to him if he said the wrong thing. All to prove to my family that I wasn't worthless.

"I, Alpha Aiden of the most powerful Lycan pack, claim your sister to be my slave in exchange for peace."

Anna and her sisters had started wailing, their mates clinging to them for dear life. But I knew he wasn't talking about them.

He was talking about me. His eyes roved over me like I was some kind of product. I wanted to move closer and choke him to death but my legs were frozen. There is no way in hell my family would let me go with a demon like this man. I almost slapped him but my brother's words stopped me in my track when he said the word that torn my world apart.

"You may have her."

"You may have her" my stepbrother said with no remorse in his eyes or his voice. He's willing to let go of me to a man who is nothing but a devilish intimidating alpha.

The tears I never knew welled my eyes dropped down to my cheek as I turned to look at my stepbrother.

"w...what?" I choke in whisper.

" You may have her" my brother said again, this time louder to the hearing of everyone gathered in the hall.