Page 17 of Scarred Savages
“Five years,” Alpha Hudson says.
“Two,” I say, lifting my chin.
He smiles. “Three.”
My mind whirls as he steps back and leans against the door frame.
The flesh market is a nightmare I can’t face, but could I endure the demands of an Alpha and his pack?
“Tell me,” I demand. “What it means to… to go with you.”
“You’ll live with us, be protected by us,” he begins, each word deliberate. “In return, you’ll fill a role in our pack.”
I swallow the lump forming in my throat. The implications make my stomach churn.
Service.
Submission.
But the alternative… I shudder, picturing the horrors I’ve heard of the flesh market.
No, I can’t end up there.
“Protected? Or owned?”
“Protected,” he assures, the corner of his mouth twitching as if the distinction amuses him. “We’re not monsters, Luna.”
“Feels monstrous,” I whisper, the words laced with bitterness as anger swirls within me.
It all feels so unjust—the crushing weight of debt, the sting of rejection, and these impossible choices laid before me.
“Life is seldom fair,” Alpha Hudson replies as if he can sense my turmoil. “But within my pack, you’ll have a chance. A fresh start.”
“Fresh start or gilded cage?” I counter. “Seems like I’m trading one prison for another.”
“Perhaps,” he concedes, his gaze unwavering. “But in one, you’ll have freedom within boundaries. In the other, you’ll be nothing but a commodity.”
My fists clench, nails biting into my palms as his words cut deep. There’s a painful truth in what he says, and it stings like salt on an open wound.
How did I end up here, faced with such shades of captivity?
“Listen, I know this isn’t what you envisioned for your life,” Alpha Hudson continues, surprising me with the gentleness in his tone. “But we can provide safety, a place where you can belong.”
“Belong…” The word reverberates in my mind, hollow and haunting. It has always been out of reach, a dream dangled before me only to be snatched away. And now, that dream comes shackled with chains.
“Is there no other way?” I ask, desperation creeping into my voice. “Anything else I can do?”
“Your debt is substantial,” Alpha Hudson says, his expression somber. “And time is not on your side.”
“Because of a system that was supposed to protect me!” I erupt, frustration spilling over. “It promised me a mate, love, acceptance! And when everything crumbles, I’m the one left to bear the cost!
“Sometimes, the system fails us,” Alpha Hudson acknowledges. “But in those moments, we must forge our own path and carve our own destiny.”
“By being indebted to you?” I shoot back.
“By taking control of the options available to you,” he clarifies. “Not ideal, but it’s power, nonetheless.”
“Power,” I scoff, the concept feeling foreign and distant. Yet, something about Alpha Hudson’s words sparks a tiny ember of resolve within me.
