Chapter 1 Sold Out

• When Elsie awoke, all she felt was her body throb, as if she was run over by a truck.
• She was stark naked, and her body was covered in hickeys.
• The room was unfamiliar, and she was the lone inhabitant. The air smelled of pine.
• Elsie massaged her head, trying her best to remember what occurred the night before.
• It was the mating ceremony for Frolida's werewolves.
• The Alpha and Luna of every wolf pack would bring their unmated members to the Dark Moon Forest in a bid to search for a mate during the ceremony.
• However, Elsie knew she would fail in the ceremony. After all, she had not awakened her wolf.
• In the heart of the woodland glade, a mighty bonfire sprang to life, casting flickering shadows upon the youthful werewolves gathered in a circle, commencing their annual mating ritual.
• Elsie, feeling an acute sense of alienation, quietly extricated herself from the throng, her steps leading her deeper into the whispering forest.
• Amidst the murmur of the trees, she caught the sound of familiar voices. Peering through the foliage, she saw her father, Tom, engaged in earnest conversation with her twin sister, Juliet. Their closeness was evident, a poignant reminder of bonds that eluded her.
• A sharp pang of sorrow pierced Elsie's heart. Her father's words had never borne such warmth for her; she was a perpetual source of disgrace in his eyes.
• Tom, the Alpha of the Blue Moon pack, bore the burden of an eldest daughter who had not manifested her wolf.
• This deficiency marked him with shame among his peers. Juliet, by contrast, had awakened her wolf at sixteen, basking in their father’s approval.
• Elsie, poised to retreat further into the shadows, was arrested by the resonance of her father's voice, compelling her to linger and listen.
• "Jon awaits at the Eclipse Hotel. Deliver Elsie to him, and we shall secure a formidable alliance for the Blue Moon pack," Tom proclaimed with an air of finality.
• Juliet's laughter, light and carefree, pierced the tension. "Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll ensure she ends up in Mr. Queens’ bed."
• Elsie’s world crumbled around her, the words hitting her like a bolt of lightning. She stood, immobile, eyes wide with disbelief as she heard her father’s cold resolve.
• He intended to trade her to Jon!
• Jon, the notorious Beta of the Snow Moon pack, bore a sinister reputation. Since the demise of his destined mate, he had taken six wives, each meeting a mysterious and untimely end under his cruel proclivities.
• Now, for the sake of an alliance, her father would consign her to this fiend?
• Reeling from the shock, Elsie stepped back, her foot snapping a twig beneath her weight, the sound echoing ominously.
• "Who’s there?" Tom and Juliet’s heads whipped around, their sharp gazes falling upon her hidden form.
• Elsie turned to flee, but Tom’s voice, heavy with authority, commanded, "Elsie, halt!"
• Bound by the power of his Alpha command, Elsie froze, tears streaming unchecked down her cheeks as her father and sister approached with swift, purposeful strides.
• Tom’s countenance was severe as he regarded her. "How much did you overhear?"
• Through her sobs, Elsie managed to stammer, "Dad, you ... you’re giving me to Jon? Do you not know what he did to his six wives?"
• "Dear sister," Juliet sneered, her tone dripping with disdain, "you lack a wolf. You will never find your fated mate. Father has secured a mate of influence and prestige for you. You should be thankful. Marrying Mr. Queens will persuade the Snow Moon pack's Alpha to ally with us. You will be doing your duty for the Blue Moon pack."
• Elsie shook her head vehemently. "I refuse! Mother would never agree to this!"
• Tom’s fury ignited. "Silence! Were it not for you, your mother would still be alive!"
• Their mother, the Luna of the pack, had perished due to grievous blood loss during the birth of Elsie and Juliet. A witch’s prophecy had declared Elsie the harbinger of disaster, the curse upon the Blue Moon pack, destined never to possess a wolf or find her true mate.
• In the twenty-third year of her life, the absence of her wolf appeared to confirm the foreboding prophecy of the sorceress.
• Tom's patience dwindled, his eyes fixed upon Elsie's. "Elsie, I command you to journey forthwith to the Eclipse Hotel and seek out Jon. Now."
• "No, no ... "
• Despite her fervent resistance, Elsie found herself advancing, each step reluctant, towards the majestic and imposing edifice of the Eclipse Hotel. With every footfall, her heart plunged deeper into the pit of despair.
• Unexpectedly, upon crossing the hotel's threshold, Elsie's despondency was shattered by a sudden, beguiling aroma of pine. It was unlike any scent she had known, and it was irresistibly captivating.
• In that fleeting moment, the authority her Alpha father wielded over her seemed to wane.
• She ceased her path towards Jon's chambers, instead drawn towards an adjacent suite by the bewitching fragrance that pervaded its confines.
• As if propelled by an unseen hand, Elsie extended her arm, poised to rap upon the door of the suite.
• Suddenly, the door swung wide, and a robust hand seized hers, pulling her inside ...