Chapter 2

"What's that scent?" a low growl nearby us was heard. Zen and I were hiding our tiny figures in the garden, but I think we're doomed now. 

"What do you mean, Thomas?" his beta asked and Thomas shushed him up. The moment I tried to stand up, the Lycan King had already pinned me on the ground.

"Mate," he hissed and looked at me in the eyes. I was shocked to hear him say that, but I was more shocked by the fact that my mate is royalty. 

The Lycan King is my mate? 

No, it can't be! 

He has royal blood in his veins while I don't have!

His fangs were ready to bite me, but I screamed at the top of my lungs to stop him. The smell of lavender musk and the aftershave of my mate enthralled my nose and system. I crave for his touch, his smell, his voice. I want all of him. 

With all my remaining energy, I pushed his chest and managed to get up. His beta helped me and asked if I was okay. I just nodded at him, my eyes still on the Lycan King in front of me. 

His eyes glow in red while looking at me. His head shaking while looking at me up and down. "You can't be my mate. There must be something wrong."

"But you just told me-"

"It doesn't matter," he cuts me off. "I already have a wife. I'm going to meet her tomorrow."

It felt like someone stabbed me in the heart a million times. Does that mean he rejects me? 

Without further ado, I was left there in shock and his men vanished in seconds. 

Zen and I swore to the Moon Goddess that we wouldn't talk about what happened. I cried in her arms because I was excited to meet my mate, only to find out it was the Lycan King Thomas. No wonder I can't keep my eyes away from him at the party! After one hour session of crying, we return to our respective houses.

As soon as I arrived, I saw how the pieces of furniture in our living room were broken. 

"You imbecile and cruel father—”

I shut my eyes closed, afraid of what might happen. However, I saw my sister stop my mother who was about to slap my father. She whispered in a shaking voice, "T-That's enough, m-mom. I'm going to marry and meet him tomorrow.”

"Tanya…" I whispered unknowingly, and the three of them looked at where I was standing.

Despite all of this, my sister still smiled at me. "Go back to your room and have your rest, Margareth.”

I didn't. I was still watching them. Tanya turned to my mother. 

"Dad is right. I couldn't do anything about it. Sooner or later, I will marry for business. I expected this already, mom.”

"Tanya, you're still too young - “

"Mom, don't be funny. I'm already twenty years old. Now's the time to get serious in life and marry.”

My mother hugged her. That night, I couldn't sleep comfortably knowing that my father just sold my sister and that she will be meeting her husband tomorrow morning. 

I went to my sister's room to see how she was holding up, but when I opened the door of her room, I didn't any trance of her.

"Tanya?" I asked, slowly walking towards her neat and clean bed where I saw a white envelope. I froze while looking at it. My heart thumps loudly on my chest while I grab it on the bed. Looking at the white envelope in my hands, I already have my hunch on what it is.

"Tanya!" I screamed and one of our maids must have heard me because she appeared in the room.

"What's the matter, Margareth?" she asked me, worriedly looking at the envelope in my hand.

"My sister… I think s-she's gone!" I stutter and immediately walk toward her cabinet. To my horror, it's already empty.

"Her clothes are not here anymore!" I told the maid.

"What?!" She said, horrified because we knew what that meant. My father barged in the door, together with my mother, who I think just woke up.

"What's happening here?!" My father asked in a deep and dangerous voice.

My legs started shaking when he saw me. I pinch my fingers and look down, not wanting to meet his eyes because he looks so scary right now. My mother's voice bombarded my ears.

"Margareth,” she heaved a deep sigh while looking at me, "where is your sister?”

"I… I d-don't know…”

My father asked me. "What's that stupid envelope you were holding?”

I gasped when he marched at me and snatched the envelope in my hands.

"It's from Tanya...” I whispered. Different ideas were running inside my head, thinking about my sister who I think just fled from home, and the answer lies in the white envelope my father was holding.

My stepfather had no time to read the white envelope when the engine of a car pulled up on our lawn. I could see familiar men in a black suit entering our house, each one of them had a gun in their pocket.

Immediately, my mother snatched it and tore the white envelope; reading the letter in front of us. 

The letter was from my sister who ran away together with her boyfriend.

Pregnant.

I can't believe this is happening!

My heart shattered as I looked at the man entering our house. I was in hysteria because of the commotion and didn't notice him, not until I could feel the intensity of his gaze. 

Dark and brooding eyes. Wide shoulders. Stoic face. Tall and dangerous aura. He was sitting in an angled-four position in our cushion like he owned the whole house.

Why is he so familiar?

He tilted his head while staring at me. An evil smirk plastered on his face, clearly enjoying the shocked reaction on my face. 

He's the man at the party! I gasped, his name registering in my mind now.

Lycan King Thomas.

It was my mate who rejected me that night!

Why is he here inside our house? And why are his men, together with his beta, guarding the door as if someone will run off anytime?

"So my supposed-to-be bride ran away?" Lycan King Thomas's voice thundered in the room after a long and eerie silence. My father fell to his knees and bowed his head in front of Lycan King Thomas.

"My apologies, Your Highness. I will immediately find her - “

Thomas raised his arms, signaling to stop my father from talking. While he did that, he didn't break our eye contact. 

"Mr. Cullens, you know what will happen if you break the contract, right?”

My father started shaking. 

I have never seen him this terrified in my life. He's the one who's scary in our household, yet this man in front of me made him flip in one second. 

"I won't break the contract, Your Highness! I made a promise to you!”

Lycan King Thomas grins and looked at my father. He crosses his hands and slouches on the sofa to meet my father's eyes.

"I want a pure woman who can produce the heir for me. If words get out that I'm going to marry a slut and undignified woman, what do you think will happen to me?”

I hate his tongue. How dare he call my sister a slut! 

My father whimpers and kisses his toes. 

I gasped because I couldn't bear the sight anymore. 

He said, "It was not my intention to damage your reputation, Your Highness! I will find my daughter right now and give her back to you - “

Lycan King Thomas heaved a deep sigh like he was sick of the conversation already.

"I didn't know you were stupid, Mr. Cullens. What I meant to say is, I won't have your daughter anymore.”

"W-What… W-What? S-So, w-what about o-our deal?”

"There's no deal anymore. I will kill you.”

"Your Highness! We're businessmen here, I'm sure we can negotiate this out."

My father keeps on bowing his head up and down, begging Lycan King Thomas for our lives. I saw my mother's terrified face, and she collapsed on the floor, mimicking my father's moves.

"Your Highness! Please forgive us! We will find a way to repay you. Please forgive us!" My mother keeps on repeating the last phrase. I fell on my knees, too. If we won't please the Lycan King, I will be killed, and the rest of us in our house.

"Lycan King Thomas, please… forgive us,” I whispered those words and silently pray that my sister will appear in front of us. But that didn't happen. 

Lycan King Thomas was in front of me while I'm on the floor. He kneels his one knee on the carpeted floor and put his finger on my chin, making me look up at him.

My breathing stopped for a moment when our eyes met. It was like a sunny and stormy day colliding. His jaw locked while looking at me, and I couldn't explain the burning feeling in my skin. His brooding stare makes me weak. Still, I couldn't stop looking at his dreamy eyes.

"S-She's my d-daughter, Lycan King Thomas!"

My father blurted out. 

Quickly, I bow down my head and pinch my fingers. 

Please, please, just don't look at me. I hope my father fixes this problem. I hope my sister's okay right now. I hope we can get out of here alive and breathing.

"I didn't know you had two daughters," Thomas muttered as he looked at my father. My father nodded twice. "Yes, I have two daughters. She just turned eighteen. Untouched. Virgin. She's obedient, too. Beautiful and has a voluptuous body, isn't she?”

My eyes squinted because never in my life my father has complimented me.

The moment I realized what he was planning, my eyes bulged out and my hands started shaking. 

No fucking way...

"She will be a good substitute bride to produce your offspring." 

He sold me to my mate?!