SYLVARA POV

The corridor was quiet, but my heart thundered everyone had gone to the great hall of the dance ceremony.

I stormed down the marble steps, straight for Aedric caught up with him. I couldn’t stay in the hall any longer, pretending that his betrayal didn’t hurt. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, trembling with anger, with disbelief.

“How could you?” I demanded, voice shaking but loud enough to echo off the walls. “How could you sell me off like I was nothing? Like I didn’t matter?”

Aedric flinched, as if I had struck him, but he didn’t step back. He looked at me with that familiar calm, though today it only made my fury boil higher.

“Sylvara… I had no choice,” he said quietly. His words were calm, careful, but they rang hollow. “You have to understand…”

“Understand?!” I cut him off, my voice rising with every word. “That's your new word now, what is it that I don't understand… the fact that you gave me out like a piss of shit.. Like trash. I thought I mattered to you!@

He swallowed hard, glancing away. “I… I’m sorry. Truly. I didn’t want this for you…”

“Don’t,” I spat, my throat tight. “Don’t say that. You can fix this. You can undo what you’ve done. You’ve ruined everything!”

A sharp noise from the far end of the corridor made me spin around. Shadows shifted, and a figure stepped out. Leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed, dark eyes fixed on us. Kaelen.

I froze. My chest tightened. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but my legs refused to obey.

“Time to go, Slyvara,” he said smoothly, voice low and teasing.

I whirled toward him, fury sparking through my veins. “Don’t you dare call my name!” I shouted.

He shrugged, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “I call whenever and however I like. Now, let’s not waste time.”

I took a step toward him, heart pounding, voice trembling. “How could you… buy me off? You can’t just…!”

Kaelen leaned slightly, casual, unbothered by my shouts. “You said you wanted to leave this bloody place,” he said. “I’m helping.”

I felt my anger flare even higher. “Helping?” I yelled, almost hysterical. “By buying me like I’m property?”

“Honestly,” he said, tilting his head, his tone calm and deliberate, “my first idea was to kidnap you. But then I saw Aedric’s face…” He smirked faintly. “…and I couldn’t resist.”

Aedric’s jaw tightened. “Kaelen!” he hissed, fury lacing his voice. Then he turned to me, eyes softening, full of guilt. “Be careful of him. His a monster I’ll come get you back when I can. I promise. I’m sorry for all the pain, Sly.”

I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms. “I don’t need your pity!” I spat. “And don’t pretend that your promises mean anything. You’ve already betrayed me.”

Kaelen chuckled softly. “Oh, please, brother,” he said, voice smooth and calm. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

I took an instinctive step back, staring at him. His presence made the air feel heavy, oppressive. I could feel the power radiating from him like heat. “I am not going anywhere with you!” I yelled, stamping my foot.

Kaelen’s eyes narrowed. Suddenly, the air shifted, dark and commanding. “Bunny,” he said, voice hard, sharp, leaving no room for argument, “we can either do this the simple way… or the hard way. Your choice.”

I shook my head violently. “No. I refuse. I will not go with you!”

He sighed, as if disappointed in my obstinance, and moved before I could react. One arm was around my waist, the other slid under my knees. I thrashed, kicking and yelling, but it was useless. His grip was iron.

“I warned you,” he said quietly, lifting me onto his shoulder like I weighed nothing.

I shrieked, pounding my fists against his chest, but he didn’t even flinch. He carried me down the corridor, past the open doors, past shocked maids and pack members who quickly looked away.

Outside, the carriage waited, horses stamping, nostrils flaring. Kaelen placed me on the seat, still ignoring my screams and struggles, and climbed in beside me. He adjusted the reins with ease, one hand steady on the leather, eyes forward.

“Where are you taking me?” I shouted again, voice hoarse from screaming.

“Home,” he said casually. “Velkorin. Stormfang Pack. You’ll learn to call it home soon enough.”

My stomach dropped. “Stormfang Pack? Velkorin? You can’t just…”

He ignored me, calm, in complete control. His presence filled the small space of the carriage, leaving no room for argument, no room for resistance.

I pressed my face to my hands, heart hammering, lungs burning. The betrayal, the humiliation, the sheer impossibility of it all was crushing.

“Do you always make people this angry, bunny?” he asked casually, smirking from the corner of the carriage.

I glared at him, shaking with fury. “I hate you.”

“Not yet,” he said lightly. “Give it time. You’ll get used to me.”

The carriage jostled along the uneven road, the city fading behind us. I didn’t know where Velkorin was exactly, but the forested mountains and mist rising in the distance promised nothing comforting.

I pressed my face into the folds of my gown, angry tears sliding down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe it.

I, Sylvara Rynne, the girl who had nothing, had been taken… sold, really… to the most feared Alpha of the northern packs. The one whose name alone sent shivers through the elders’ lips.

I had so many questions. And yet, as the carriage continued through the winding mountain roads toward Velkorin, I realized there was nothing I could do but endure.

The castle came into view before long...dark stone, towers that scraped the sky, walls that seemed impossibly thick. Smoke rose from chimneys, curling into the clouds above. This was his domain, his home, and I was now a part of it.

The horses slowed, and the carriage came to a stop at massive doors guarded by armored wolves. Kaelen didn’t speak, didn’t even look at me. He stepped down, lifted me easily, and carried me inside as though I weighed nothing.

Inside, the halls were vast and dimly lit, tapestries hanging on the walls depicting hunts, battles, and the sigil of the Stormfang Pack... a black wolf with silver eyes. The air smelled faintly of pine, metal, and something rich and alive.

I struggled to breathe. I was trapped. Alone in the world that had just been ripped away my freedom from me, and into the hands of the most ruthless, feared Alpha I had ever known.

Kaelen set me down gently but firmly. “Here we are,” he said softly, almost mockingly, his eyes holding mine. “Welcome to your new home.”

I pressed my hands to my face, shaking, furious, humiliated. “This isn’t my home! I don’t belong here! You…”

He stepped closer, dark eyes still locked on mine. “Bunny, I told you. You’ll get used to me.”

Sylvara Pov

Velkorin was nothing like my old pack.

My old home smelled of wet soil, smoke, and too many memories. But Velkorin… Velkorin smelled like cold steel, pine trees, danger, and savagery. The place looked carved out of dark stone, sharp and tall, like the mountains around it. Wolves here walked faster, spoke less, and stared hard. Every step I took felt like stepping into another world.

And I was here not as a guest… but as something bought.

Sold out of my will.

I kept replaying the moment Kaelen threw me over his shoulder as if I weighed nothing. The way he didn’t listen, didn’t slow down, didn’t even look back as I yelled until my throat burned. I had kicked, punched, and hit him, but he didn’t move an inch.

And now here I was… in his kingdom.

His pack.

Velkorin.

My heart beat too fast as I stepped into the main hall. Wolves stood on either side, tall and strong, watching me with unreadable faces. Some looked curious. Some looked annoyed. Some looked like they wanted to know why their Alpha brought home a stranger.

A powerless omega. My failed marriage to Aedric spread like wildfire after the girl left at the altar.

Unwanted.

I didn’t blame them.

I didn’t understand it either.

Why did he bring me here?

Kaelen was a few steps ahead of me. His long black hair fell over his shoulders, his coat heavy and dark, lined with sheep fur. He looked made for this place… dangerous, cold, untouchable.

He didn’t look at me as he spoke, “Try to keep up, bunny.”

“I have a name,” I muttered.

He ignored me. Of course.

We entered a huge room with tall windows and a fire pit in the middle. The heat felt nice after the cold outside. Kaelen turned around with that same expression he always had… annoyed, bored, half-done with everything.

“You’ll stay here for now,” he said.

“For now?” I asked. “What does that even mean?”

“It means,” he said slowly, “you’re not ready to be seen by everyone.”

I crossed my arms. “I didn’t ask to be seen.”

“And I didn’t ask for your opinion,” he replied easily.

I glared.

He looked at me like he enjoyed the glare.

Before I could answer, he lifted his chin and called out, “Talia.”

A few seconds later, a woman walked in….around my age, maybe a bit older. Beautiful dark skin, thick curls in a braid, warm brown eyes that didn’t judge me. She bowed to Kaelen first, then gave me a small smile.

“You called for me, Alpha?”

He nodded at me. “This is Sylvara. Show her the chambers. Help her clean up. Dress her. Make sure she looks presentable.”

I blinked. “Presentable for what?”

“For when I introduce you to the pack,” Kaelen said.

My stomach dropped. “I don’t… Kaelen, no. I don’t want a public scene. I don’t want anyone staring at me like…”

“Like what?” he asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

“Like... You know the rumors about it are everywhere. And the fact that you bought me from your brother,” I whispered.

He stepped closer… too close. His shadow fell over me, warm despite everything cold about him.

“Bunny,” he said softly, “they already know there's no use hiding. The earlier you face the easier the shame sets in.”

I swallowed hard.

“You can’t hide here,” he went on, voice deep. “This is Velkorin, not your old pack. You walk with your head up. If anyone dares to look at you wrong, they go through me.”

Why did that make my chest tighten strangely?

He stepped back before I could speak again.

“Talia will take you.”

I wanted to argue. I wanted to fight. But I was too tired, too lost, too angry at everything. So I just nodded once, not looking him in the eye.

Talia touched my arm gently. “Come with me, Sylvara.”

I followed her up the stone steps, leaving Kaelen behind in the hall. I could feel his eyes on me, heavy and unreadable, like he was studying something he didn’t understand.

Or something he wasn’t sure he wanted.

Talia led me through a long hallway with dark blue carpets and silver lanterns glowing along the walls.

“I know this must be… a lot,” she said softly.

“That’s one word for it,” I muttered.

She gave me a sympathetic smile. “The Alpha… he isn’t gentle. With anyone.”

“Really?” I asked dryly. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Talia laughed under her breath. “But he’s fair. Strict, good. He protects what’s his.”

“I’m not his,” I snapped.

Her brow lifted slightly. “He brought you here.”

“Because of a debt,” I said. “Because he wanted to annoy his brother. Because he wanted to win.”

“Maybe,” she said. “But Kaelen doesn’t take anyone into Velkorin just for fun. He doesn’t bring omegas here at all. You’re the first.”

My steps slowed.

Was I the first?

Great. Just great.

“Here we are,” she said.

The chamber door opened into a surprisingly warm room… soft furs on the floor, a huge bed, a balcony overlooking the mountains. It was… beautiful. Too beautiful for someone like me.

I didn’t know if I should be grateful or numb.

Or angry.

Probably angry.

Talia walked around, lighting more lanterns. “There are warm baths through that door. Clothes are in the wardrobe. If you need anything, you can call for me.”

She hesitated before leaving. “And Sylvara… Kaelen doesn’t hate you. He just… you'll see. You'll come to understand him.”

I looked down at my hands. “I don’t want to understand that monster.”

Talia gave me one last gentle smile before she left me alone.

The moment the door closed, I let out a long, shaky breath.

Velkorin wasn’t home.

Kaelen wasn’t safe.

Nothing here was certain.

But one thing was clear,

My life had changed forever.

And the man who changed it was downstairs, probably waiting, probably annoyed, probably planning the next thing I wouldn’t like.

I sat on the bed, hugged a pillow, and whispered to myself….

“What have you gotten yourself into, Syl?”

Sylvara Pov

The bath was hot and soothing, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside me.

My hands shook as I rubbed the soap across my skin. I kept thinking about him… … the way he had carried me like I weighed nothing, the calm in his eyes, the control he had over me.

I hated him. I told myself I did. And yet, every time I remembered his face, I felt a pull in my chest I couldn’t explain.

I shook my head and focused on surviving … getting ready for the introduction to his pack.

Talia had already brought the dress. I saw it draped across the chair, black silk with silver embroidery. And the moment I looked at it, I felt my stomach drop.

It was revealing.

Very revealing.

The top hugged my chest, pushing my breasts forward in a way I didn’t feel comfortable with. The skirt had a slit that ran almost to my upper thigh.

I swallowed hard. My cheeks burned.

I looked seductive.

“Are you serious?” I muttered to the empty room. “This… this is how he wants me to dress?”

But there was no arguing. If I wanted to survive here, if I wanted even a tiny shred of dignity, I had to wear it.

I slipped into the dress, feeling the silk cling to every curve. My heart pounded as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The dress screamed power, seduction, and danger… all things I didn’t feel, but all things Kaelen seemed to want me to display.

I straightened my back, took a deep breath, and tried to remind myself: I am not his. I am not anyone’s toy.

The moment I stepped into the main hall, the atmosphere shifted. Wolves of Velkorin stopped what they were doing. Eyes turned toward me. I felt their gazes, sharp and curious, cutting into me.

Kaelen was standing at the top of the throne room. He looked down at me, black coat falling perfectly around him, the dark fur lining his shoulders making him look larger, more dangerous. His dark eyes scanned me slowly, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“You look… tempting,” he said, his voice low.

My cheeks flushed, but not from pleasure. From fury. I took a step forward, hands clenched.

“I am not here a thing of... ” I waved my hand helplessly. “Amusment!”

Kaelen’s smirk widened. “Oh, Bunny,” he said softly, using that nickname like it belonged to him alone. “You should learn to relax… you're mine no matter how much you deny it.”

I felt a rush of heat and anger. “I refuse to! I am not…”

Before I could finish, he raised a hand, and the hall fell silent. Pack straightened, their eyes on him, waiting.

“This omega,” he said, his voice carrying easily through the hall, “is mine. Not because she asked. Not because she likes me. Because I want her to. She belongs to me now. She will join my Harem, and every member of this pack will respect her as such.”

The hall went wild. Cheers, claps, wolf calls. Some wolves whistled. Others shouted words I didn’t recognize.

I felt my stomach twist in disgust. My hands shot out. “No! I will not be a part of your harem!” I yelled.

My voice cracked. “I am not some… sex toy for you to parade around!”

Kaelen’s smirk didn’t falter. “You’ll get used to it,” he said casually, turning his attention back to the pack. “ Now, let me introduce the rest of my harem.”

I froze. My pulse hammered in my ears.

Five women stepped forward. Beautiful, confident, each dressed in black silk that gleamed under the hall lights.

Kaelen’s pack murmured as they examined each one.

“First,” Kaelen said, “Liora. She has been with me for five years. Fierce, cunning, loyal. Meet Liora.” A red-haired woman with piercing green eyes, bowed slightly toward the pack.

Next, Seris,” Kaelen continued. A tall woman with silver hair and pale skin stepped forward. “She belongs to me—in every way that matters. Clever, strong… and bold enough that no one dares challenge her.” Her lips curved into a teasing smirk. “And she gives the best cock sucking.”

I felt a sharp gasp escape me.

“Then Ayla,” Kaelen said, smiling faintly at the raven-haired beauty. “Quiet but deadly. She knows how to take what she wants.”

“Fourth, Maren,” Kaelen said. “Bold, fearless, and never afraid to speak her mind. A true Beta.”

“Fifth, Ryn,” he said at last, his eyes lingering on her with a heat that made the air thrum. “Young… eager… still learning. In time, she will grow into her strength, but for now…” His lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. “I could bend her to my will, mold her however I desire.”

A shiver ran through me.

Finally, all eyes turned to me.

I couldn’t breathe. My chest tightened. I looked at Kaelen, fury and horror and disbelief raging through me.

“I… I will not be part of this,” I spat. “I will not…”

Kaelen’s dark eyes caught mine. He stepped down from the stairs, the air around him shifting. Every wolf in the hall could feel it…the power he exuded, the control he had over everyone. And over me.

“Bunny,” he said quietly, and somehow it was louder than anything anyone else had said. “You know you have no choice.”

I shook my head, anger boiling. “You can't just make the me..”

“Pack!” Kaelen called sharply. “You will treat her with respect. She is mine. She will follow the rules of the harem, as do the others.”

The pack’s reactions differ… some muttered, some stared, some nodded. But Kaelen’s voice brooked no argument.

I felt fury like fire in my veins. How dare he…? How dare he take me and sexually parade me like this?

Kaelen stepped closer. I tried to step back, but my heels scraped against the stone floor.

“You are mine,” he said quietly, letting the words sink in. “You will obey. And in time…” His lips curled into a smirk. “…you may even learn to like it.”

I glared, my teeth clenched. “I will never like anything that you are in!”

He chuckled softly. “Not yet. But give it time, Bunny. You’ll see.”

The other five women watched me, some with curious glances, some with friendly nods, some sizing me up like rivals. I didn’t care. My mind was full of anger, humiliation, and a flicker of fear.

And beneath it all, a strange, unwelcome pull.

Kaelen had made it clear:… I was his. His harem, his pack, his property for now. And whether I liked it or not, my life had just been rewritten.

I swallowed hard, trying to control my shaking hands. My chest burned, my mind spun, but one thing was certain:

I would fight him. I would resist him. I would not be a plaything.

But… deep down, I felt a spark of something I couldn’t name… something dangerous, confusing, and utterly infuriating.

Kaelen caught my glance and smirked. “Good. That fire will do nicely, Bunny. You’ll need it.”

I hated him. I hated him. I hated him.

But I couldn’t stop looking at him.

And for the first time, I realized that this… this hate, this anger, this fire… was only the beginning.