Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1: 0001

Lorelei POV

The second I was born, they labeled me a curse.

"Hold her down."

My twin sister, Callista, stood above me with a knife clenched in her fist and pure hatred burning in the green eyes we shared.

"What do you think you’re doing?" I managed to choke out despite the two guards pinning my arms and legs against the cold stone floor.

Before I could even blink, she slapped me hard across the face. My head snapped to the side, and my vision blurred with tears I refused to let fall.

"You don’t speak unless I permit you to," she hissed, leaning so close I could smell the jasmine perfume she always wore. "Everyone keeps whispering that we look alike. I’m just fixing that little problem."

But how could we not look alike?

We were mirror images.

The same pale blonde hair spilling like liquid moonlight. The same emerald eyes that should have meant sisterhood instead of this nightmare. Our faces were identical... except hers was flawless and pampered like the Beta daughter she had been born to be, while mine was gaunt beneath dirt and rags, worn down like the slave I had grown into.

Her lips curled into something vicious.

Suddenly, she fisted my hair and yanked my head back so hard my scalp burned.

"First, the hair," she said.

Then she brought the knife to my hair and hacked off a thick chunk.

Then another.

And another.

All I could do was stare in horror as my long strands, the only feature that could never truly be hidden, fell to the stone floor around me.

"Now the face..." Callista purred, twirling the knife between her fingers.

Her expression darkened, and a shiver crawled down my spine.

"Callista, please..."

"Shut up," she hissed, pressing the edge of the blade against my cheekbone, right where our dimples would match if she had ever smiled at me without cruelty. "I hate you."

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for what was about to happen.

"What’s going on here?"

A male voice suddenly cut through the tension, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.

And I recognized it instantly.

Jaxen.

Relief hit me so hard my chest almost gave out.

I opened my eyes and found him standing there in front of us.

At that, Callista turned to him, and within seconds her expression shifted into an innocent smile.

"Jaxen," she pouted, gracefully tucking a strand of her flawless blonde hair behind her ear. "She attacked me. You know how fragile I am. I just wanted to teach her a little lesson."

"With a knife to her face?" Jaxen pointed out.

Her expression flickered for the briefest second before smoothing out again.

"She’s a maid," she said, tightening her grip on the knife. "Don’t tell me you’re siding with a servant."

"I’m not," Jaxen corrected quickly, his eyes darting toward me for half a second before returning to Callista.

Then he stepped closer to her, placing one hand on her shoulder while the other gently pried the knife from her grasp. He forced her fingers open until the blade finally slipped into his palm.

"But even with maids, there are limits," he continued calmly. "Pack law says no permanent disfigurement without council approval. You know that."

At that, Callista’s smile returned, and she leaned into his touch in a way that made my chest tighten with a pain far sharper than the blade ever could.

"You’re right, of course," she said softly, lowering her lashes in perfect imitation of remorse. "I let my temper get the better of me. I’m sorry."

Jaxen nodded once before stepping back and breaking contact.

"Go to the Great Hall. Your father is looking for you. I’ll deal with this."

Callista’s eyes brightened with triumph.

"Of course," she said sweetly, smoothing down her dress with graceful hands.

Then, with a toss of her perfect blonde waves over one shoulder, she glided toward the door as if none of this had ever happened.

"You two, leave us," Jaxen added, turning to the guards.

The guards exchanged a quick glance before finally releasing me completely. They bowed their heads and backed out of the room, slamming the heavy door shut behind them.

Now it was just the two of us.

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