Sold To Be The Alpha's Caged Slave

Chapter 5 - Terms and Agreement

Piper’s POV

MORNING CAME like a slap.

I wasn’t in my bed.

The first thing I noticed was the softness beneath me—sheets that felt like silk, pillows that smelled faintly of lavender and something sharper, expensive. I blinked at the ceiling, disoriented. My dorm ceiling had cracks spider-webbing across the plaster, a faint water stain I’d stared at a hundred times when sleep refused to come. This one was smooth, ivory white, with crown molding at the corners.

My heart hammered. I sat up too quickly, the world tilting. My body still felt heavy, my mind sluggish, like I’d been drugged—but I remembered walking, reading that ad, meeting Kai… then blank.

Where the hell was I? This wasn’t the same room the mute maid brought me back last night after being… being caged in front of Julian…

‘Call me Alpha Julian…’ his voice echoed in my ears, and I flinched.

The room was enormous. High ceilings, velvet curtains, golden trim along the walls. A chandelier hung above, its crystals catching the pale morning light. I pushed off the bed, and my bare feet sank into plush carpeting instead of the threadbare rug I was used to.

I staggered toward the window and pulled the curtains back.

What I saw nearly knocked the air from my lungs.

Outside stretched a sprawling garden—hedges carved into perfect shapes, fountains gurgling, roses blooming in colors so vivid they looked fake. Marble benches dotted the paths, and the lawn rolled on forever like something out of a movie about royalty.

I pressed my hand to the cold glass, my reflection pale and wide-eyed. This couldn’t be real.

A knock startled me.

I spun around as the door creaked open. The maid from last night slipped in, the same one who’d guided me through the dim halls. She didn’t say a word—just carried a neatly folded dress and placed it at the edge of the bed.

“Wait—” My voice cracked. “Where… where am I? Why am I here? What happened last night?”

But she didn’t even flinch. Didn’t look at me. Just straightened her apron, set the dress down carefully, and turned on her heel.

“Hey!” I rushed forward, my voice sharp now, desperate. “At least tell me—”

The door closed behind her.

Silence pressed in, louder than anything.

My fingers brushed the fabric she’d left. It was pale cream, smooth under my touch, the kind of dress you’d see in designer shop windows I never dared step inside. Tailored. Elegant. Not mine.

I clenched my jaw. They wanted me to play a part already.

Still, my hands moved on autopilot. I shed my old clothes, the ones that still smelled faintly of smoke and campus grime, and slipped into the dress. It fit like it had been made for me—hugging my waist, flowing over my hips, the neckline modest but flattering. Too perfect.

Another knock.

This time, it wasn’t the maid.

Kai stood in the doorway, and my pulse skipped before I could stop it.

His dark hair fell just above his eyes, a little messy like he’d been running his hands through it. His build was lean, but there was power under his shirt, the kind that came from discipline more than vanity. He leaned casually against the doorframe, but his eyes… his eyes tracked me in a way that felt too aware.

“The Alpha is waiting for you,” he said smoothly. His voice was warm, deep, a contrast to the coldness of the mansion.

I swallowed, trying not to stare at the way his shirt stretched over his shoulders. “Alpha?”

“Julian,” he clarified. “He wants you in the study to go over your contract.”

My stomach twisted at the word. Contract. That was real, then. Not some dream.

“Thanks,” I managed, though my voice came out softer than I intended.

Kai’s gaze lingered, and for a heartbeat, something sparked between us. Not unkindness, not detachment like the maid—something sharper, hotter. His lips quirked, barely noticeable, as if he knew I’d felt it too.

Then he stepped aside, gesturing for me to follow.

THE STUDY looked like something pulled from a history book—mahogany shelves lined with leather-bound volumes, heavy drapes, a massive desk carved with intricate designs.

Behind it sat him.

Julian.

I hadn’t gotten a good look at him last night, everything blurred by exhaustion and shock. But now…

He was all sharp edges and stillness. Dark hair combed back, jaw clean and severe, his suit perfectly tailored. He didn’t bother to stand when I entered—just sat there, hands steepled, gaze locked on me like he could see past my skin.

Beside him stood another man—sleek, precise, his suit almost too polished. He looked like the kind of lawyer who could dismantle you without raising his voice.

“Miss Piper,” the man said, not Julian. His tone was smooth, professional. “Please, sit. We have much to discuss.”

I perched on the chair across from Julian’s desk, trying not to squirm under his eyes. Kai stood near the door, silent, watchful.

The man cleared his throat and slid a folder across the desk toward me. “This is your employment contract. It outlines your position here as a private tutor, as discussed.”

Tutor. The word sounded flimsy, like a veil draped over something heavier.

“You’ll be provided with housing, meals, and security. Your primary responsibility is academic support for the Alpha’s household. But there are rules.” His voice tightened on that word. “You may not leave the estate without approval. You may not ask questions outside your role. You may not involve yourself personally with any member of this household. Is that clear?”

My throat went dry.

“And the pay?” I forced out.

“More than generous.” He slid another page toward me, numbers that made my eyes widen. Enough to wipe away debt, to buy back dignity.

It was insane. Too good. Wrong.

My pen hovered when he pushed it forward.

But my hand stilled.

“Actually…” My voice shook, but I steadied it. “I’d like to negotiate something.”

The air shifted. The emissary blinked, startled, as if he wasn’t used to being interrupted. Kai’s head tilted slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes. Julian’s mouth curved—just a little.

“You want to negotiate?” the emissary repeated.

I nodded, forcing myself not to shrink. “I still want to finish my degree. College was the only thing my parents asked of me before they died. I won’t give that up.”

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Julian leaned back in his chair, watching me like a puzzle. “After the scandal at your school, you still want to show your face there?” His voice was smooth, mocking almost. “Why? To let them tear you apart again?”

My chest burned, but I kept my chin high. So it has reached them. “Because finishing what I started matters. Because it was their dream for me. And I won’t let anyone take that away.”

Julian’s eyes narrowed, holding me there. Then—slowly—he nodded once.

“Adjust it,” he said to the emissary.

The man hesitated, then scribbled changes on the contract. “You will attend classes three times a week. You will be escorted. And no one must know of your position here.”

I exhaled shakily, relief and dread colliding. “That’s… acceptable.”

The emissary gave a small smile, though his eyes were cold. “You’ll be protected. That’s the most important thing.”

Protected. The word curled in my gut strangely, heavier than it should.

I signed.

WHEN THE papers were gathered, I rose, heart pounding with the weight of what I’d just agreed to. Kai moved to open the door for me, his presence steady, reassuring in a way I didn’t want to analyze.

But Julian’s voice cut through the room.

“Stay.”

I froze.

Kai hesitated, then gave me a brief look before stepping out, closing the door behind him.

Now it was just us.

Julian leaned back, his gaze sweeping me from head to toe, deliberate, slow. My skin prickled under it.

“The dress suits you,” he murmured, voice low, smooth like velvet dragged over a blade. “I chose it myself.”

My breath caught.

Then his lips curved, and his next words made my pulse thunder.

“Tell me, Piper… do you like the room I brought you to last night?”