Owned By The Alphas novel Chapter 8

“Have a drink.” I pushed a cup toward her.

She grabbed it and gulped it down, then nodded in thanks.

“You’re from the Water village?” I asked, and she nodded again.

“Are you excited for the picking ceremony tomorrow?” I tried to distract her. It worked, her eyes lighting up at that.

“I have my dress picked out, and my mom bought some flowers from your village to put in my hair. I can’t wait. My dad visited me a fortnight ago and said he had arranged a suitor for me. He’s so handsome,” she rambled, and I tried to stay interested.

I wasn’t though.

The idea that I was going to stand there and get judged by boys from the village I wasn’t allowed to visit just so I could bear children to them made me sick.

I had never met them before, and I was supposed to give them my life? Didn’t sound like a perk to me. Luckily for me, I was winter born. No one was going to want me.

“What does he do? What’s his name?” I asked, keeping her talking.

“Oh, well, I don’t know the details, but my father was quite certain he was suitable.

All the girls wanted to have him, but he’s choosing me. He likes my body.”

She grinned as if that was something to be proud of. Maybe it was, maybe I was just broken, but maybe they could stop marrying off their kids based on their physical attributes.

Admittedly, the girl was stunning. Her body was thin but full in all the right places.

Her nails were manicured, and her face had a small nose, rosy lips, wide, innocent eyes.

She was a natural beauty that would have her pick of husbands, if I had to guess.

I wondered what happened to the girls who were less desirable…like a winter born.

What if they weren’t picked?

“Then focus on tomorrow. It’ll help.” I ended the conversation, going back to my own thoughts.

What if nobody picked me? I had no idea what that meant. Nobody had ever had that happen.

My mom reassured me I’d be fine, that having her figure and my father’s coloring of skin and hair meant I was bound to be chosen.

I had tits, I had an ass, men liked that, but what they didn’t like? Curses. Winter borns. Rumors. And I came with all of that.

My brother was meant to choose a wife tomorrow too. Luckily for him, a girl can’t say no. Otherwise he would be in the same boat as me, with no one.

I was excited for him to find a wife though. It meant he was moving back to the hut with me and Mother.

Until they had kids, of course. If it was a boy, they’d move back to the men’s village at puberty. If it was a girl, they’d stay. I hoped for that.

My attention was snapped back into place as the alphas came back out. The girls they’d just fucked were nowhere to be seen as they came and took their next offering.

My mouth ran dry at the sight. All three of them, sweating, flushed, shirtless. It was distracting and hot. Yeah, the whole winter born thing had really fucked me up if I was lusting after wolves.

They disappeared again, and the noises started again. I huffed and emptied my glass. This whole offering thing was such bullshit.

A whole bunch of virgins giving themselves over for protection? Like we needed it.

The vamps hadn’t been on werewolf territory in years, and if they did, we’d handle it ourselves. We had an army.

My dad ran it.

The men’s village was full of soldiers for my dad’s army. He collaborated with the wolves, the only one from our village who was allowed access to them.

That’s why he and my mother weren’t cast out as cursed for bearing winter born children. Because the army was his, and he had the respect of the alphas.

I suppose that should make me grateful, but I wasn’t feeling very grateful yet, so I grabbed Nikolai’s cup and drained the last of his wine too.

I had no idea what it was or why it left me like that, but I didn’t want them to know.

Or anyone else for that matter.

They already thought I was cursed. Seeing red eyes that came with whispers and numbness was not going to convince them otherwise.

I ignored the stares and reached my shaky hand out for another drink. Nikolai’s hand landed on mine.

“I said no more,” he snapped.

I scowled, then leaned back in my seat. “Whatever. Carry on.”

I shooed him away, and he growled under his breath, stalking away and grabbing another offering, half dragging her through to the room. I let out a shaky breath and closed my eyes. Why did I have to be the broken one?

I was still being watched though. I opened one eye and Braxton was watching me.

“What’d you see?” he asked, looking up at Derik, who pointed to his watch. Brax gave him a nod, then looked back at me for an answer.

“I…I don’t know,” I said, telling the truth because I really had no fucking clue.

I’d never seen the eyes before. I’d never felt them on me, or the voices. I was pretty sure the channeling thing had always been a part of me though.

My parents said I was intuitive, but they meant cursed. And I was starting to believe them.

Braxton narrowed his eyes. “Don’t leave this room. Even if something makes you feel like you should,” he said knowingly, and left with his next offering.

It took two more hours—most of which, I napped through—before I was the last offering.

Nikolai seemed to take a little longer with his girls. I don’t know whether that was a good or bad thing, but I was about to find out because the door opened and his eyes went to mine.

It was my turn.