ASYA.

“We will send her. I have no doubt she’ll find a way to screw it up, but at least we will have given it a try. It’s better than letting her continue to stay here and mess our lives up even more,” my mother declares.

“Fine,” my father agrees. “I’m just saying… don’t get your hopes up. Chances are, she will fail us with this as she has with everything else she’s ever been asked to do on our behalf."

I feel my heart drop into my stomach, a lump that’s barely beating.

Is that really what my parents think of me?

Whatever it is they are sending me to do, it sounds terrifying. Maybe they are right and I can’t do it. I do fail so frequently at whatever they ask me to do. Their standards are unreasonable. At least, that’s what I tell myself.

There are other Alphas involved, so that means their standards will be just as high as my father’s.

No, I can’t do this. I want to run and hide! No matter what it is, it’s just too terrible for someone like me to even give it a try. I need to get away from here–

I hear footsteps coming in this direction and realize I need to hide the fact that I’ve been eavesdropping on them. I back up several steps to the sink and turn on the tap, grabbing a glass out of the cabinet and filling it, like I’m just getting a drink of water.

“Oh, there you are, dear,” my mom says, the word “dear” coming out of her lips like she had to force it. “We were hoping to speak to you. Wait–you weren’t listening were you?”

I turn and look at them, taking a sip of my water before setting the glass down on the counter. “No, I wasn’t listening,” I lie. She seems to buy it.

“What is it, Mom?” I ask curtly.

“Well, there’s a job opening up at the castle. Alpha Mateo is looking for a very special young lady to fill a specific role, and we think that you would be the perfect candidate for this new job.” My father smiles, like he really feels that way, even though I’ve just heard them both say that they think I can’t handle this job either.

“What job is it?” I ask. And why was it from the ruthless Alpha Mateo. My life would not be the same any more if I get involved with Alpha Mateo.

My parents exchange an uneasy glance, and once again, I am reminded of the sewage treatment plant.

Surely, it can’t be anything that shitty.

“Well, honey,” my mom says, “it’s a very important job."

Why are they stalling? Why can’t they just spit it out? “Yes, you said that,” I remind her.

“The Alpha is trying to have an heir seeing as he isn't getting any younger. He needs an heir who will take over his position as the next Alpha, once he retires." My dad explained

That will not be the case. “All right…” I sigh. “What does that have to do with me?”

Another uneasy exchange of glances passes between them. ,,“Since he has no children, he’s decided to appoint someone to give birth to his heir..” My dad smiles, like he thinks he might get the job.

“The Alpha is no longer younger. That means since he will still exit from the throne, he need to have an heir,” my mom explains. “And… that means… they need… a Breeder.”

The water I swallowed a moment ago seems to have come back up, and I find myself choking. No one asks if I’m okay or tries to comfort me as I attempt to breathe.

Eventually, I recover enough to ask, “A Breeder? You want me to be a baby making machine for an alpha?”

I can hardly believe what I’m hearing. I’m a virgin! I’ve never even kissed a man before! I’ve been saving myself in hopes of finding a true love match that will become a fated mate, but from what I’m hearing, none of that matters now.

“That’s right, dear,” my father says. “The pay is excellent, and it would give our pack some much-needed status in the kingdom.”

“But what about me?” I ask, annoyed. “You’re okay with essentially selling my virginity to some random Alpha?”

“Honey, it’s not like that,” my mom says. “It’s an honor. A lot of Alphas and Betas are sending their daughters to try for the position. We are only hoping that you’ll be the best suited.”

I shake my head. “No, please.”

My father’s hand lashes out and slaps me hard across the face. I recoil as my cheek lights on fire. I should’ve known better than to tell him no. This isn’t the first time he’s slapped me. “Don’t you tell me no, little bitch!”

I step back, out of his reach. “Mom, Dad, please! You know I’ve always done everything you’ve asked me to do, but you can’t seriously be asking me to do this! To sell myself to an Alpha I don’t even know?”

My dad takes a deep breath through his nose. “I think you’re misunderstanding a couple of things, Asya,” my father says. “First of all, we’re not asking you to do anything. We are telling you. You’ll leave tomorrow.”

“But Dad!” I begin. He holds up a hand to stop me, and I’m not sure if he might strike me if I don’t stop talking. He has done so before.

“The other thing you’re misunderstanding, Asya,” he continues, “is that you will not be a Breeder for a random Alpha.”

I take a deep breath, hoping that means I won’t be a Breeder at all. “I won’t?” I ask worriedly.

“No, daughter,” my mother says. “There are four Alphas, and they’ve already been selected, so it isn’t random at all!”

My spirits fall as I realize my misunderstanding had nothing to do with not having to become a Breeder. That is still the job they are giving me. It’s just the random part I was apparently wrong about.

“So… I’ll be assigned to one of the Alphas

as a Breeder?” I ask them.

Again, my parents shake their heads. “No, that’s not it at all,” my father says, clearly growing agitated again.

I lean back against the kitchen counter, feeling myself grow dizzy and weak in the knees from so much discussion about such a terrifying subject. “What is it then?” I ask.

They have an internal debate about who has to answer that question, and it is my mom who draws the short stick. With a deep breath, she says, “Asya, you won’t be a Breeder to any of the Alphas. You’ll be a Breeder to one of the Alpha .”

“Breeder to one of the Alpha ?” The words echo around in my head, but I can’t absorb them. It just doesn’t seem possible. My parents are willing to sell me to become a Breeder. Like, was this a joke or something?

I’ll have to have sex with the Alpha?

“No!” The word escapes my lips before I can even think about it, and once again, I feel the sharp blow of my father’s hand contacting my cheek.

The stinging inside of me is worse than the smarting in my cheek, though. I can’t do this….

That lightheaded feeling envelopes me, and the next thing I know, the world is turning dark at the edges, and I find myself giving way to gravity.

The last thing I hear is my mom saying, “Asya, really?” and then the world goes black.