Trading Souls With The Alpha

Chapter 1

There was only one conclusion to everything she had heard so far: her father, the Alpha, wanted her dead.

Blood-chilling rumors had spread like wildfire about the Prince of the Northern Pack, and now, she was asked to walk straight into his lair.

She had respectfully kept her hands folded at her waist all along, but as soon as those words left her father's lips, her hands fell to her sides and her brows pushed together.

“This is all a joke right?" She asked, waving her hand in the air.

“Lyra." Her mother called out. It was a silent warning for her to behave but Lyra ignored her.

“Do you even understand what you're asking of me?" Her eyes swept over the large semicircular table where the twenty elders who made up the High Council sat.

"I'm not asking for your opinion on this matter, Lyra,” her father corrected with a frown. "This is an order and it is not up for debate."

“You're not thinking this through, Father!" She raised her voice and a few of the elders gasped softly in surprise. The others just sat still and watched, already used to Lyra's fierce temperament.

She was a girl who had not been denied anything she wanted since she was little and although her father hated it, her mother always secretly provided everything she wished.

Now, Lyra had grown to hate being told "no” and she fought till she got what she wanted.

“The Prince is a monster! You're sending me out there to be killed!”

“You are a princess before you are anything else, Lyra!” Her father thundered.

“And this alliance is the best decision for the Pack at this moment. The negotiation has been concluded and the terms are clear. You will marry the Alpha Prince of the North and in return, our armies will be united and our borders will be fortified!”

"I didn't ask to be born a princess,” Lyra spat. "Besides, this alliance you speak of sounds more like a death sentence to me. That man has no good attributed to his name. Mother, won't you say something?!" She glared at her mother.

"The good of the most is superior to the good of one, Lyra,” her mother replied and Lyra huffed, folding her arms.

“Well I'm not marrying the jerk so find someone else to…”

"Enough!” The King bellowed, rising from his throne. The Council chambers stood still and breaths were held. His words rolled out like thunder, and even the giant chandeliers seemed to shake.

"You will fulfill your duty. You must marry the Alpha Prince of the Northern Pack."

Lyra tried to shake her head in disagreement but the pain from resistance to that Voice seared through her body and caused her head to lower in submission instead.

She finally gave in and bowed, letting out a helpless exhale as her body obeyed against her will. Tears welled up in her eyes and she pressed them together, feeling completely humiliated.

"Leave,” her father ordered and without hesitation, she turned and ran out of the chambers.

She let out the restrained tears as soon as she pushed open the door to her grand bedroom.

Filled with rage, she picked up the vases of priceless crystal decorating her room and smashed them against the wall, screaming and cursing.

"Princess Lyra! Princess are you okay?" One of her maids called outside her door, knocking softly.

"Leave me alone!!" She yelled as she heard sounds of footsteps scrambling away.

Panting heavily, she stared at the mess she had made and moved to seat in front of her large gilded mirror.

"I never asked for this!” She banged her hands on the table. "I wish I was never here!” she screamed and rested her head on the table, sobbing helplessly.

***

In a different world, the sun cast long shadows on a rundown, dilapidated High School.

Elena did not see the blow coming.

Her head banged against the hard concrete and she felt her skin tear from the impact.

"P-please, please…” she pleaded, but loud, cruel laughter was the response.

“You thought you could escape by locking yourself up in the bathroom? You dummy!" One of the three bullies slapped her hard and the girls laughed.

Elena winced and panic clawed at her chest. If they went on like this, she might die and no one would ever find out who was responsible.

The girls had gagged her to stop her from screaming and dragged her to the school's backyard where no one could hear her screams.

“I'll give you anything you want, please," she begged helplessly while saliva and blood dripped through the gash on her mouth.

Jessica, the leader of the gang and Elena's archenemy laughed mockingly.

“You? What do you think you can give me? You dared to answer a question I didn't know and had everybody staring at me like I'm an idiot! I'd make sure that smart mouth of yours finds it difficult to speak next time!" She grabbed Elena's face in one hand while using the sharp stiletto nails of the other to viciously claw the sides of her mouth.

Elena cried and screamed and tried to wriggle free but the other two girls held her down, laughing loudly.

Satisfied with the punishment, Jessica spat on Elena's face and walked off with her minions behind her.

Elena's eyes fluttered and her breathing slowed. After about thirty minutes, she managed to take off her socks to wipe the blood off her face before staggering to her feet.

She put on her worn-out hoodie to cover her face, grunting at the pain in her sides while she slowly walked to the rusty front gates.

Thankfully, her mother's beat down car drove up at that moment and she rushed to it, pulling her hoodie even lower.

“Thank goodness you're out early. I have to rush down to pay off the money I borrowed from…” her mother paused. "Are you alright?”

"I just fell, that's all,” Elena lied, looking out the window to shield her bruises.

The drive was ws quiet and slow as the car could out move faster than it was.

"How was school today?" Her mom tried to lighten up her mood, glancing at her occasionally and she groaned.

“Can I please change school?” she responded instead.

Her mother sighed. "Not this conversation again, Elena. You know I can't afford that and your father's in jail otherwise he would've…"

“I know," she cut in quickly, fighting off the emotions that clawed her throat.

Her mother sighed again but the rest of the ride went on in silence.

When they arrived at their home; a cramped, moss-covered apartment, Elena pretended to be packing up her bag so her mother would leave first.

Afterwards, she rushed through the back door to their bathroom and stood in front of the mirror.

She slowly pulled the hoodie off and gasped at her battered reflection. She looked like she had only just narrowly escaped a bear attack.

“Why does it have to be me?" she asked quietly as a tear escaped, the saltiness burning her open wounds. "I really wish I was someone else and make all of this go away.”

“Are you alright, Lena?” Her brother's tiny voice asked from behind the door and she quickly wiped her eyes.

"I'm good, Larry. Just hold on a minute okay?” she lied, staring at her reflection in the mirror, not recognizing her face.

***

THE NEXT MORNING

Sunlight beamed on Lyra's face and her eyes fluttered open while she yawned.

"Grace!” She called out for her personal servant.

There was no response.

Grunting, she sat up, her eyes half-open and the bed surprisingly creaked.

Looking down, she saw dirty brown sheets and her eyes flew open.

She scanned her room, only to see that it had reduced almost ten times its size and the walls had spiderwebs and moss on them.

"Grace!!!” She screamed out in horror.

Chapter 2

Lyra remained frozen on the bed, consumed with both shock and confusion.

There was a sudden large screeching sound and her head snapped towards the door.

It sounded like the engine of a vehicle trying desperately to turn on but lacked the energy to do so.

“What in the…” she muttered just as the screeching noise grew even louder outside.

She tried to cut off the sound from her mind using her energy but she felt nothing. Her wolf presence did not even feel weak, it felt non-existent.

Surprised at her powerlessness, she abruptly stood to her feet and a groan escaped her lips when she felt a sharp pain at her side.

Even worse was the pain in her jaw she felt when she screamed. It seemed like she had suddenly opened up many bruises around her mouth.

Lifting a hand to her face, she could feel marks around her mouth.

Her gaze rested on a cracked mirror hung crookedly on the wall so she staggered to it, breathing heavily