Chapter 2

• The sound of horses’ hooves echoing against the cobblestones brought an immediate sense of dread that settled deep in my chest. When the carriage came to a halt, everything stilled for a moment—except for my pounding heart. The familiar creak of the wheels ceased, and the next thing I knew, I heard a clap. Strong, rough hands yanked me out of the carriage, their grip unrelenting as they dragged me along with them.
• A rich, heady scent of sandalwood permeated the air, an unexpected contrast to the terror clawing at my insides. The fragrance should have calmed me, but I was too far gone in fear to appreciate it. My body tensed, and confusion flooded me. Why couldn’t I still see? My vision remained engulfed in a suffocating blackness, the blindfold tight over my eyes, cutting me off from everything around me.
• “She looks more beautiful than the rest of them,” one of their voices grated near my ear, the malice dripping from his words sending shivers across my skin. “I bet she’d last a while.” His voice was coarse and demeaning, twisting the fear in my gut into something even worse.
• I flinched as his words pierced the air. Panic welled up inside me, clawing at my throat, but I forced it back down. No matter what happened, I couldn’t let them see my fear. Another voice broke through, this one mocking, filled with cruel amusement.
• “She looks malnourished,” the second man sneered, his tone venomous. “She might die after a single whip.”
• His words hit me like a blow, and I felt my stomach drop as their implications sank in. Dread weighed heavily on me, thicker than the blackness that still cloaked my vision. I had heard the rumors about the girls sold into this life—girls who never lived to see another week. Now I was one of them.
• Seven long years of suffering. Seven years of stale bread and dirty water. Seven years behind bars, hoping for an escape, for salvation. I had foolishly clung to the hope that being sold might offer me some form of relief. Maybe my new master would be kinder—maybe there’d be some light at the end of this tunnel.
• But the Goddess seemed to delight in my torment.
• “Take her to my chambers. I’ll join her soon,” came the sharp command from my master.
• A jolt of pain stabbed through me at the sound of his voice, and I bit back a cry. His men hauled me up the stairs, dragging me higher and higher with each step. My body was limp, my strength drained. The air grew colder, the walls tighter around me, and finally, I was shoved onto a soft mattress. It was a shocking contrast to the cold, hard floors I had grown used to. My limbs ached as I tried to push myself upright, but the chains at my ankles restricted me.
• I shivered as fear gripped me anew. Was this the end? Was I going to end up like the other girls? The whispered rumors of their fates echoed in my mind, fueling my growing terror.
• Suddenly, the door flew open, crashing against the wall. The quiet of the room was shattered, and I scrambled to my feet, instinct taking over. My heart pounded as his presence filled the space, drawing closer with each step.
• “Well, well, well,” he drawled. His voice was smooth, but there was something sinister in its undertone. “Look what we have here.”
• His fingers, cold and rough, gripped my face, squeezing my cheeks with enough force to make me wince. His touch was possessive, suffocating.
• “You. Look. So. Sexy,” he breathed, each word lingering in the air, heavy and menacing. “What is your name, Omega?”
• My lips quivered, too terrified to form words. He took my silence as an insult, and I could feel his anger simmering beneath the surface.
• “Answer me!” he barked, his voice sharp as a whip.
• “A-Aria,” I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.
• He stepped closer, his hand leaving my face to trail down the side of my neck. I shuddered as he touched the vulnerable skin, my pulse quickening under his fingers.
• “So, little Aria,” he murmured, his tone dripping with cruelty. “I assume you’re ready for me tonight?”
• My knees buckled at his words, my body crumpling as I surrendered to him. The room was spinning, my mind foggy with a mix of fear and defiance. Why him? Why did it have to be him?
• He gently pulled the blindfold from my eyes, and I blinked as the light from the room flooded my vision. My gaze fell on the man standing before me, and my heart lurched with recognition.
• Alpha Dendrick.
• The bastard who had ruined my life. The tyrant who had torn my world apart. The same despot who had robbed me of my mother's life. The man whose every breath reminded me of all the suffering I had endured.
• His face twisted into a smirk as he studied me. The scar over his left eye only added to his menacing presence. His brown eyes gleamed with a hunger that made my skin crawl.
• Bastard!
• Monster!
• Devil!
• I wanted to fight him. I wanted to tear him apart. But I couldn’t move, couldn’t act on the rage bubbling within me. He had the upper hand, and I was powerless.
• “Get on your knees,” he ordered, his voice low but commanding.
• My body obeyed before my mind could catch up. I hated myself for it, hated the way I bent to his will. But what choice did I have? He could end me with a single strike.
• “Good girl,” he said softly, brushing my hair away from my face. He stepped away momentarily, returning with a pair of black leather cuffs. “Hold out your hands.”
• I complied, my wrists trembling as he bound them tightly. He tossed the key onto the bed and looked down at me, his eyes dark with amusement.
• “Oh, Aria,” he chuckled, crouching to my level. “What should I do with you?”
• His thumb pressed against my lip, silencing any response I might have had. The cruel satisfaction in his eyes was unmistakable as he stood up, yanking me to my feet by my hair. My arms were pulled high above me, secured to hooks on the ceiling.
• “Get ready to be sick of me,” Alpha Dendrick sneered, removing his belt with a slow, deliberate motion.
• I shook my head in desperation, but all he did was smile—cold and cruel. The belt cracked against my back with such force that I let out a scream, pain ripping through me like fire.
• “Alpha!” I cried out, but no help came. No one would save me from him. Not here. Not ever.
• The belt struck again, harder this time, and my knees buckled under the force. My head hit the floor, and the world around me spun into darkness, pain swallowing me whole.
• The last thing I heard before everything went black was his voice, cold and unrelenting.
• “I am your Master. You are mine.”