Sold by My Mate, Claimed by Another Alpha Chapter 04

Sold by My Mate, Claimed by Another Alpha Chapter 04

They left behind only one sentence—that they would come for me in three days—before driving off without another word.

When I pushed the door open and stepped inside, Clara, Rafael, and Cassian were in the middle of exchanging bond rings.

The second Clara saw me, she lit up with delight.

“I told you Grimwood Pack wouldn’t really do anything to Emilia!”

As she spoke, she placed an invitation embossed with the pack crest into my hand.

“Emilia, this is the invitation to our open mate arrangement. You have to come.”

I opened it and saw that the Mate Ceremony was set for three days later.

That just happened to be the same day I was supposed to be sent to the club to “learn my place.”

The whole thing was so absurd it was laughable.

I tossed the invitation into the trash and, for the first time, answered back.

“Don’t call me that. A mistress’s tagalong kid doesn’t have that right.”

The moment I said it coldly, both Cassian’s and Rafael’s expressions darkened.

“Emilia! You really never learn, do you? Two years in prison still wasn’t enough to teach you any manners?”

Right. I was about to go learn some more at the club, apparently.

I ignored him and turned to Rafael instead.

“I went to Grimwood Pack like you wanted. Where are Mom’s ashes? When are you giving them back to me?”

Rafael pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Cassian kicked my legs out from under me and sent me crashing to my knees.

The impact of bone against the floor cracked through the room with a dull, sickening sound.

Sharp pain nearly made me black out. Cold sweat broke across my skin, but I still lifted my head and looked stubbornly at Rafael.

And the only thing I got in return was this:

“Kneel and beg Clara’s forgiveness. I’m not going to keep indulging this kind of behavior from you again.”

That one sentence shattered the last illusion I had left.

“Rafael, do you remember what you promised Mom before she died?”

Rafael said nothing.

“She told you to protect me. She told you to stay with me until I found my fated mate.”

“I didn’t forget.”

“But this time, Emilia, you’re the one being unreasonable.”

I smiled, tears flooding my eyes, and lowered myself straight to my knees in front of them.

“I overestimated myself. I was delusional. Please forgive me.”

The wound I’d split open on my forehead while begging Christian for forgiveness started bleeding again.

I barely seemed to notice. I only kept staring at Rafael.

“What about now? Can I have the ashes now?”

Rafael avoided my gaze.

“In three days, Ashenfang Pack will hold the Pack Assembly. Since you’re asking for forgiveness, go kneel at the Moon Goddess’s altar.”

From that day on, I stayed by the Moon Goddess’s altar every single day.

Strangely, standing there made me feel a little lighter inside. Every night, I prayed to the Moon Goddess and begged her to let me leave all of this behind as soon as possible.

Everything of mine left in the basement had already been cleared out.

Once I was sent to the club, I wouldn’t need any of it anymore.

Over the next few days, people from Grimwood Pack came by and went through all my measurements and information.

They taught me the rules of the club too, and before they left, they reminded me to learn well.

Cassian and Rafael bowed and scraped as they escorted them out.

“We’ll make sure she learns her place.”

What they didn’t know was what kind of lessons I was really being prepared for.

Finally, on the morning of the third day, the pack elders gathered at the Moon Goddess’s altar.

One of Ashenfang Pack’s elders took out an ancient scroll and personally crossed my mother’s name off it.

At last, I was allowed to take down the small urn.

It was so cold. I pressed it against my chest, but no matter how tightly I held it, I couldn’t warm it.

Mom, even you won’t acknowledge me anymore, I thought sadly.

Cassian and Rafael were busy preparing for the Mate Ceremony, and no one noticed when I left.

So I took my mother’s ashes, walked straight to Grimwood Pack’s car, and got in.

The moment I arrived at the club, the madam wasted no time putting a price tag on me.

“Former champion figure skater,” “Ashenfang Pack’s Alpha heiress,” and “stunning beauty” were splashed across the most prominent parts of the poster.

The upper circles of the pack territories were bound to be shaken by me today.

Countless socialites and newly rich elites poured in, all willing to spend a fortune on me.