“I am the Alpha King and I chose you. From now on, you are my possession, mine to keep and mine to protect. You will stay by my side, Sarah...where my eyes can always reach you.”

“A-Alpha King…?”

As her throat tightened, she felt suffocated by the fear that coursed through her. Gasping for air, her mind backtracked to a few months back, the day Mr Knack had brought in newcomers.

She remembered how the cold water from the rusty shower-head had drummed against the open slashes on her back as she listened to the quiet murmurs of the women in the stall next to her.

‘...The Alpha King that sits on the throne is nothing but a thief--’ The newcomer had said, ‘---a cold-blooded thief who ruthlessly wiped out the royal family and stole their place! Anyone who crosses that man –whether young or old, strong or weak-- would have to face the blazing fire from the pit of hell! And that isn’t all! If a wild wolf howls or a deer hollers and disrupts his slumber, it would face its demise that very night! He’s a Devil, I tell you! A devil!’

‘Hey!’ A woman cackled, ‘Your crazy exaggerations won’t scare me. If I become his slave, I’m gonna have him hunt you down first for spewing such--’

‘Hush, Silvya!’ Another hissed, ‘Its true! The King hates everything that breathes! Its why he doesn’t even have servants serving him. I’ve seen him, believe it or not...the day my Alpha dared to defy him. I escaped his clutches by the skin of my teeth, only to be captured by these savages in the end...’

Sarah trembled, staring into those cold hazel eyes of his.

Ruthless, sinister, cold- blooded… were just a few out of the many used to describe the Alpha King. If this man, Damon Kalesto, was truly the King, then today must be the day she would have her last breath.

‘I chose you...”

‘…you are my possession…’

‘…mine to protect...’

Why would someone like him utter such words? The Alpha King didn’t protect anyone! Was he just a cruel predator playing with his prey before the fatal blow?

“I won’t hurt you...” He muttered, his voice low and careful as if trying to comfort a scared child. He pushed his stool back, putting more distance between them. “... so just stay by my side.”

Was that his way of telling her that he’d be watching her every move and then the moment she messed up, he’d end her?

“N-No...” She trembled, her voice a shaky rasp climbing her throat. “This c-can’t be happening...”

Who would've thought that the master who took her from the depths of that dungeon after five whole years, would be the King himself? But that place might’ve been safer than this!

What was she to do? Fall to her knees before him? Cry and beg for mercy?

But as she stared back into those unblinking eyes, she found herself pulling her knees to her chest and reaching up, brushing the spot where his finger had grazed her lip just briefly. It had wobbled the moment he touched it, but a strange tingling sensation persisted there even now.

“Why--” She squeezed out, “--Why does it tingle?”

Damon’s tense shoulders loosened at her words, his lips twitching slightly as he leaned forward an inch, “I told you...You are mine.” His voice was still forced into a careful murmur, but his eyes held an unyielding firmness, reflecting a truth even she could not deny.

Her innocent gaze searched his face, each passing second filling Damon with a strange sense of satisfaction. But just over her shoulder and hanging against the wall, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror, the slight curve of his lips an unfamiliar sight. His smile fell in an instant, face hardening.

For once, he didn’t want fear. For once, his mind was free of everything else and filled with her.

He liked the feeling...however, that didn’t mean it wasn't wrong. Yes, they were mates but if she continued to make him waver... it’d be dangerous. She had too much hold over him.

“The tingles...” He said, shifting on the stool as he avoided her eyes. “... are a sign that you belong by my side, as my mate.”

“Mate?” Her breath trembled.

He was saying...she, a human and a filthy one at that, was his mate? It had to be a lie, a cruel joke of his perhaps?

But deep down, she knew he had no reason to lie.

“A mate is so—”

“I know what it means, that much at least.”

“Oh...” Damon blinked. “I see.”

It had been years... since anyone had cut into his sentence. The last time it happened, the foolish Alpha’s tongue had left his mouth the next second. Now, however, he didn’t even have the slightest thought of hurting her. Instead, he wanted nothing more than to continue hearing her soft voice, to nuzzle against her neck and to hug her like his life depended on it.

A king had control of everything. But that tight grip he had on his own feelings was gone. It was beginning to feel upsetting. And he couldn’t even direct his anger at her if he wanted to, for those blue eyes of hers would shut him up in an instant!

How long until he became a slave to her will?

Damon clenched his jaw and stood abruptly, the stool flipping over behind him. “Clean up if you want, I don’t care. And there’s food in the fridge. If you’re hungry, make it yourself.” Without waiting for a response, he stormed off, waves of rage rolling off him.

Sarah flinched back, gripping her legs. Somehow, his demeanor had changed in a matter of moments. She watched his back as he disappeared around the corner. He was seething, any fool could tell. Was he going to rip her to shreds the next time he saw her?

The least he could've done before feeding on her flesh and hanging her remains on the walls, was make her food, bring her warm clothes and have her enjoy her last few moments inside this stunning place.

Certainly, he was as cold-hearted as they said.

After a few long minutes of glancing around with reasonable caution, Sarah slipped off the couch and allowed her bare feet to touch the fluffy mat on the floor. She didn’t know where to go, or what her duty entailed of while she was alive and kicking, but she took hesitant steps forward, exploring what was apparently her ‘home’ until he decided to end her.

‘For now, it’ll be fine, right?’

Sarah’s feet led her straight into the kitchen. She was hungry, her stomach feeling as if someone had dug a knife through her. It wasn’t a new feeling, considering how she’d been living, but since she had the chance to help it, why not? Besides, Damon said it himself that she could eat.

She first opened all the cupboards and found nothing but sugary cereals, noodles, snack foods, bowls... Closing it, she moved to the fridge and grasped the large handle, its expensive-looking black surface making her pull softly as if the slightest mishap would damage it.

There, she was met with rows and rows of food, like a dashing ray of sunshine in a place that only knew darkness. There were things that she rarely ever saw much less ate, and others that she was used to seeing rotten rather than fresh.

Meat sat at the top with quite the variety, placed in neat, airtight containers sitting side by side. Raw foods, fruits and greens sat on the shelves below that and at the middle, another set of containers were organized, with what seemed like cooked dishes set aside for other days. At the very bottom, countless bottles stood upright, a mix of liquor, drinks and water.

She couldn’t get a glimpse of everything, but with so much to choose from, she found herself hesitating everytime she reached for something. She wanted to taste a bit of everything, but that would’ve been impossible. And she wouldn’t dare try cooking in his kitchen, so not even something as simple as eggs were an option.

In the end, she took ice-cream, yogurts and two plates of food that she was too scared to even heat up.

It was a bit much, but she would gladly eat it all. Even if he slitted her throat tonight, at least she would die with a full stomach.

Licking her lips, she glanced around, confirming there were no prying eyes. Then, she dug in, smiling as the cold ice cream melted on her tongue.

Before she got captured by the Traders, she was living on the streets, eating scraps passerbys would throw at her or rummaging through bins for the crumbs the fortunate discarded. She had nothing back then, no family, no money, no food and no shelter...nothing. That was why, at first, the Traders were her saviors. They gave her food without pay and though she sat around in her cell, cut off from the world... she had shelter.

That was until she overstayed her welcome.

While the others were fed once a day, Sarah was fed according to Mr. Knack’s cruel whims. She was the worthless one, the one who’d been ‘mooching’ off him the longest.

Now that she thought about it, it was fortunate to have a taste of luxury, even if it was just for a while.

What more could a girl like her ask for?

Sarah finished her food with a shiver. Everything was cold and her stomach felt tight after eating it all but it was good. She patted her stomach as she stood up, stumbling slightly. Now, she was feeling sleepy.

Dragging her feet across the kitchen, she cleaned up, washing the containers and setting them to dry. Then she walked out, rubbing her eyes as she turned towards the stairs, her hand sliding along the banister. Rather than worrying about when her master would kill her, she was going to take a bath then head to bed before he showed up again.

But as she was about to enter the hall, three human barricades came out of nowhere and stood at the top of the stairs, arms crossed over their chests and their eyes running over her figure. They snickered after examining her and Sarah swallowed, gripping her filthy dress in her fists.

These women, dressed so elegantly, were sex-slaves... just like her. The small numbers burnt into the side of their necks told her so.

It wasn’t anything strange that the Alpha King already had slaves, yet her heart did an unwelcomed clench at the sight of them. She shouldn’t have been surprised, in fact, she shouldn’t have felt anything, but alas, she couldn’t deny her bitter feelings towards the situation. She resisted the urge to walk by them without a word and bit her lip. “Hi. I’m Sarah,” she said. It was supposed to come out cheerful or at least polite, but distaste was unfortunately thick in her tone.

The women looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

“Uh…” Sarah cocked her head, watching them. Was it her name they were laughing at? “Did I...say something funny? Is my name strange?” She was genuinely confused, but the girls took it as her attempt to be insolent.

The first to glare was Alexis, her laughter gone in an instant. “Wow.” She scoffed. “You sure are daring having that look in your eyes despite the ragged piece of cloth wrapped around that filthy body of yours!” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, rudely sizing Sarah up with her eyes. “If you think you’ll be treated better than us just because you happen to be his mate, then you’d better not kid yourself!”

The two apparent lackeys beside her nodded frantically in agreement, their chins pushing out as if trying to look intimidating.

“I’m the one who gets all the attention around here.” Alexis declared, “If you want to live peacefully, drop that proud shit and lower your damn eyes! It’ll be better for you that way...”

Sarah blinked, utterly taken aback. She could not say she liked the fact that they were here, but she didn’t hate them or anything. She was even ready to make friends if they wanted to! But a slave telling another slave to lower their eyes was ridiculous.

“I’m unsure where this is coming from.” Sarah said, “I greeted you three and you burst out laughing. Aren’t you the ones who seem too arrogant for fellow slaves? I doubt I’m mistaken about that branding on your neck.” The words came filing out before she could hold them back.

Her mouth had betrayed her.

The astonished looks on the their faces made her quickly try to fix her words. “I d-didn’t...erm...” She scratched her neck. “I just meant that you--“

“Shut it!” Alexis was fuming now. Sarah had successfully gotten on her nerves. First, she came looking all high and mighty, then she dared to talk back, and now she was acting innocent! Who did she think she was?!

Clenching her jaw, Alexis took several steps down the stairs and met Sarah in the middle, the movement frightening not only Sarah but the others as well.

The girls attempted to remind her of Sarah’s status as Damon’s mate but Alexis was quick to raise her hand, shutting them up in an instant. Her eyes then narrowed in on Sarah’s figure.

“YOU—” Alexis spat. Her right hand reached over in Sarah’s direction, fearlessly poking her in the chest. Sarah was forced to take steps back whilst she took steps forward. “—were here last, so YOU should know your place! Who the hell do you think you are, bitch?! You’re no better than us…!”

As Alexis sent a train of insults at her, Sarah continued to move back and in her haste to get away, she tripped over her own feet. Gasping, her hands made a swift move to grab for the banister but failed miserably.

Then and there, she was bound to fall to her doom…but her back never collided with the hard floor. Instead, she fell against something warm and familiar tingles immediately spread across her skin.

It didn’t take a genius to know who had just saved her from death’s grip...

Damon's hands gripped her shoulders tightly, holding her against his chest. Silence stretched between them, a deafening silence that made Sarah uneasy. Against her back, she could feel the soft rise and fall of his chest, along with the erratic thumps of his beating heart. And on her cheek, his taunting breaths incited those familiar, inescapable tingles that ran amok across her skin, wanting to devour its entirety.

She was sweating, too scared to move much less breathe. Sucking in a breath, Damon’s grip tightened as he lifted her off her feet and tucked her behind him as if she was a weightless doll. She stood there facing the warmth of his back while he stood tall, towering like a brick wall.

“What’s going on here?” His voice boomed as he turned to his slaves, his hard expression promising a disaster.

Alexis, who was riddled with panic, drained of colour. Her gaze darted, glaring over his shoulder at a fidgeting Sarah. She hadn’t pushed her, she hadn’t! A poke barely enough to move a half-filled bottle of water couldn’t have sent her tumbling for the floor! Was this deliberate? Was this her declaration of war?!

If that bitch opened her mouth first then she would definitely have the upperhand!

Alexis trembled with rage, her fists tightening at her sides. She, a stunning beauty, had been Damon’s for years! She’d be damned if she allowed this troll of a mate to come between them! Over her dead body!

“She came up to us first!” Alexis cried, pointing a trembling finger at Sarah. “We were just heading to the kitchen when she approached us, saying this attire was unfit for useless slaves like us! A-And I didn't touch her, I swear! She fell on her own...”

“Is that true?” Damon looked back at Sarah, making her flinch. It was a lie, she should’ve said. But his hazel eyes, steely and unforgiving, made her lips wobble pathetically under his gaze.

“I-I d-didn’t-“ she swallowed, her fingers twisting before her nervously. Would he believe her? What if he begun to beat her and didn’t stop until her last breath?

“Are you incapable of speaking? Do I need to draw an answer out of you myself?”

Sarah could sense his distaste as he stared at her, stripping the room of air like a suffocating forboding of death. The careful tone he had used with her before was gone, replaced by an annoyed edge to every word.

Sarah glanced up at the slaves, feeling her stomach drop at the smirk Alexis gave her, lasting for a second before disappearing under her innocent facade. The other two were standing by her, so they were just as bad as she was.

“I didn’t...” She said, her voice barely a whisper. “I n-never said such things.” She caught the way Alexis stiffened instantly, but she didn’t let that make her waver. “She was the one who approached me and accused me of---“

“Enough.” The icy command cut her off instantly. “Trixie, Haguy.” He jerked his head towards Alexis’s lackeys. “Take her to her room. I’ll deal with her later.”

Sarah’s eyes bulged. “I...I d-didn’t do anything!” Her throat felt as if it was trapped in a tight grip, the words barely passing through. “She started this, I swear... She kept saying I--“ Before she could finish, her arms were locked in a tight hold by Trixie and Haguy, a hand covering her mouth. She struggled in their hold.

“Master has heard enough.” One said, yanking her forward.

She looked back and over her shoulder, her desperate eyes willing Damon to look at her if just for a moment. But he didn’t glance her way as they dragged her along.

Her writhing arms went lax. So, he didn’t even care to listen to her side? She stopped her useless fighting, following the girls up the stairs and through the hall.

It had only been a moment since she was happily eating at the table and now, everything had fallen into chaos.

She didn’t utter a word as she was shoved into a room, the door slammed shut behind her. With a sigh, she sat silently on the floor, leaning back against the cold wall. There was nothing surprising about this situation. Who would trust their newest slave?

Still...it hurt. It hurt that she wasn’t the one he chose.

‘I’ll deal with her later’

A chill ran down her spine. Though she was in a large room with a huge bed, pretty lights and sleek furniture, she didn’t spare the luxury any attention. There was too much promise in his tone for her to be at ease.

Sarah shifted, laying flat against the floor with dreadful anticipation coursing within her. Hugging her knees to her chest, she began to hum a soft tune, wanting to ignore thoughts of her impending punishment.

Minutes passed before drowsiness kicked in again, her eyelids drooping. A click sounded just then, and the door creaked open. Through the blur of her lashes, she caught a glimpse of him, Damon Kalesto. But her mind didn’t process the danger, her eyes slipping closed.

Footsteps sounded, then an arm slipped under her back and another under her legs as he picked her up against his chest. Sarah unconsciously nuzzled into his warm embrace, drifting asleep to the feel of tingles running wild on her skin.

“I’ve dealt with her for you...” His whisper slipped by her ear, but the sleeping woman had not heard a word.