Page 2 of The Alpha's Sold Pregnant Mate

“Your mom is a liar!” Esme interrupted her.

“Hey, watch it!” One of Erin's friends pushed her back, ready for a fight.

Erin continued, “As I was saying, before the orphan so rudely interrupted,” she said to her friends, and they laughed. “My mom says no one really knows where you came from, and that old man Job found you back in the woods one night and brought you home.” She smirked at Esme and added, “Looks like you really are a forest baby.”

Erin and her friends laughed at her, “Forest baby!” They mocked while pushing Esme and ruffling her hair.

“Stop…I'm not a forest baby…” Esme had tried to object but to no avail. They laughed at her scornfully.

Their mockery of her hurt so much because she had already come to terms with the fact that she didn't have any friends. Esme had understood that it was better to stay alone and avoid trouble or any unnecessary insults. But that day, trouble had come to her.

The rejection and stigmatization were too much of a burden for a child her age, but she had to grow up fast and mature quicker than her peers. She had to teach herself a lot of things because no one was there to teach her.

Esme once had a friend, or someone who could have been a friend, Tori. She was such a good girl with a kind heart, a sweet smile, and soft, lush black hair. She remembered her because she was the first and, so far, the only one to ever make her feel like a person deserving of love.

Tori was kind to Esme, always defending her, even against her parents’ commands. She had saved Esme from Erin and her friends a couple of times, brought her lunch, or shared hers with her. Unfortunately, that relationship had lasted only a week, but those were the best seven days of Esme's life.

Tori and Esme were playing at the park one sunny afternoon when the former suggested that they take turns pushing each other on the swing.

At first, everything was fine; they were both having fun, smiling and laughing. Esme didn't realize that she was pushing too hard and that Tori was swinging higher than she was supposed to.

Over the next couple of weeks, Esme would try to convince herself that it was an accident—that it wasn't her fault Tori slipped and fell off the swing, breaking her arm.

Oh, the look on everyone's faces while they stared at her contemptuously. She tried to explain to Tori's mom, who had immediately rushed over to her daughter that it wasn't intentional, but the woman told her that she was cursed.

“You're a cursed child! That is why everything you touch…you destroy,” were her exact words.

“I'm so sorry… I didn't mean for her to fall,” she said, attempting to vindicate herself, but no one seemed to be listening.

“She did it on purpose, I saw her!” Erin literally pointed an accusing finger at Esme.

“No, I didn't, I swear…” Esme said defensively as her teary eyes shifted across the angry faces of those around her.

Tori's father made matters worse. He charged over to her, fuming, and then he yelled, “You're the devil's child, assigned to take my daughter's life.” He hit her with the back of his hand, and she fell. “You're a witch!”

What he had assumed did not in any way make any sense to the little girl, but that was what he thought.

Esme was heartbroken, but what hurt more was the way Tori looked at her as if she were a wicked witch who was after her life. She looked terrified.

“You stay away from our daughter and learn to keep your cursed hands to yourself,” Tori's mom said to her as they left with their daughter.

What exactly did they think I was, the devil's child, a witch, or a cursed child? None of it mattered anyway, she thought.

It would have been a lot better if her dad had left her to die in the woods that night. At least that way, she would not have had to face this humiliation, this rejection, and this much hatred from people who barely even knew her.

Meanwhile, as the rain grew heavier in the garden, she lay in the dirt, crying and begging the tomatoes and potatoes to grow back. “Please… You heard my dad. He wants you guys back to the way you were before I came along to play,” she sniffled. “Please, grow back… Please...” At this point, there was a loud crash in the dark clouds above.

Esme buried her hands in the sand, but she was too busy crying to notice the energy slowly slithering out of her. There was a tingling on her fingertips, but she was quick to dismiss it as nothing. Soon, she fell asleep and was unconsciously aware of the movements around her. Esme was cold, but somehow, she felt something wrap around her gently as if cuddling her.

It was bright and early the next morning. The rain had stopped and the sun was crisp with the remaining droplets from the previous downpour.

The door opened, and her father stepped out. He was obviously about to come raise hell when the sight he beheld forced him to stop abruptly, frozen in shock.

Somehow, Esme had managed to convince his tomatoes and potatoes to grow overnight. His garden was blossoming with fresh tomatoes and potatoes, fully grown and ready for harvest. Their leaves, a bit larger than normal, covered her as she lay beneath them, asleep.

“What the…?” His jaw dropped.

Chapter 1 - Asher

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