LOGINXlynor's POV
“Huh?” Her doe eyes glanced around, unsure if my words were meant for her.
I caught her chin, forcing her trembling gaze to meet mine. She shivered slightly.
The moment our eyes locked, I felt an energy shift that made even my demons stir. The air thickened between us. “I can’t hear a heartbeat, you don't have a heartbeat.” I murmured, tilting my head to the side. “What are you?”
She swallowed hard but didn't speak.
“She’s… human, with a heartbeat, Alpha,” the lady standing beside the silver-haired said, her voice trembling as if she were being forced to speak.
Human with a heartbeat when I couldn't hear a thing myself? Interesting.
No one could hold my gaze for even a minute, yet this defiant woman stared straight into my eyes, into my soul—without blinking once.
This wasn't the eyes of a woman fawning over me, it looked different, felt different, but I just couldn't pinpoint it.
I gave a lopsided grin then brushed my thumb against her lips. There were traces of dried blood there, it looked like she had been tortured more than the rest.
I stood straight, a smug smirk plastered on my face. These silver-haired people had a thing for messing with me. It had to be the hair.
Silver-haired wolves were said to possess powers beyond the ordinary abilities of werewolves. Mating with them as a normal werewolf had a way to boost your abilities and, somehow, they were highly sought after, but this one right here was said to be human.
I had met lots of silver-haired wolves and each time, their energy seemed to be repelled by my demons, but this silver-haired was different and that wasn't a conversation I was ready for.
With one last glance at her, I adjusted my hood then walked over to the left corner of the hall. I could perceive Nyx’s scent emanating from there.
The hall maintained a palpable silence ever since I stepped in, that even a pin drop could be heard, and I loved it that way.
“You came.” Nyx whispered the moment I took the seat next to her.
I didn't respond, I maintained my poker face, wishing for all this to be over with before I snapped. The thought about the silver-haired had vanished just as it came.
I could feel Eryndor’s hateful glare on my skin, but I didn't bother sparing him a glance. I leaned into my seat then shut my eyes.
“Going for a hundred and fifty?” The lady at the podium whispered into the microphone, obviously scared to speak out loud.
“Three hundred.” I heard a baritone voice I was forced to believe belonged to Eryndor speak.
I stilled, was this bastard interested in a slave? For the first time he showed interest in something?
I glanced at him, catching his death glare. I smiled slyly then shut my eyes back.
“Four hundred!” Nyx snapped, standing to her feet.
“Four fifty,” Eryndor countered, his demeanor calm and collected, unlike Nyx who looked like she was at the point of bringing this hall to the ground.
At this point, I could almost believe that he was doing this to spite Nyx because the Eryndor I knew would rather spend his money on books and research, not a random slave.
“Five hundred thousand dollars!” Nyx slammed her palms against the table, already trembling in anger.
Whatever Eryndor thought he was doing was actually working, or maybe I was wrong.
“One million dollars!” Eryndor muttered.
My eyes snapped open. Did I just hear properly?
“Wha…what?” Nyx stuttered, her eyes wide.
“One million dollars for the human slave,” Eryndor spelt out each word, finally standing to his feet.
Nyx's feet stayed rooted to the spot as she chuckled in disbelief. “You just bought a slave for a million dollars?” She stuttered.
My gaze narrowed as I watched Eryndor walk over to the slave.
This wasn't about him wanting to piss Nyx off, he really wanted that slave. The satisfied smile on his face said it all.
I frowned. Why did he want her so badly? Why was he willing to spend so much to have her when he could have anybody he wanted? Lots of questions lingered in my mind and it aroused my curiosity.
Eryndor stopped right in front of her then grinned widely… a sight I rarely saw.
“I won, I guess you're mine now,” he said, his tone too cheeky, like it was only both of them in this hall.
My jaws tightened at that word. His? For some reason I couldn't explain, it didn't sit well with me.
And the silver-haired? She just knelt there staring at him like he was her salvation… her eyes had no fear for someone being sold to a Dark Hounder.
My lips twitched, and my fists curled on their own.
“I'm taking her.” I declared.
“Okay, what's really going on here? I just want her because I like her…” Nyx hissed.
“What?” Eryndor turned, his nose crunched up.
I stood from my seat, then took slow, deliberate steps towards the podium.
“I. Want. This. Slave.” I dragged my words, making sure that each of my words got stuck inside Eryndor’s brain.
I didn’t want a slave. Least of all, a weak so-called human, and a woman at that. The only women I didn't hate were Nyx and godmother Jojo.
My not-so-perfect mother had planted a trauma and deep hatred inside of me for women that I thought all of them except for Nyx and Jojo had the darkest of hearts.
“It's… an auction where the highest bidder gets the… price. Alpha.” The host stuttered.
I quirked the corner of my mouth as I watched her in amusement.
“I'm expected to bid for a slave?”
“No, Alpha.”
“Yes, you should bid, but it's already late.” Eryndor spat, cutting the host off.
My tongue flicked over my lips and I stepped closer, but Eryndor quickly stepped in front of the slave protectively.
“Stay back brother, I got her already.” He set his jaw, refusing to back down.
Seeing him so protective of her, I knew she was worth something and even though I had no initial plans of keeping her, I wanted her even more.
I didn't stop in my tracks, I kept walking and when I got to Eryndor he was flung away by an invincible force.
I stretched out my palms, grabbing the slave by the neck yoke and pulling her closer.
“No, not you.” I heard her whisper as she tried moving away from me.
The same woman that had locked eyes with me earlier without fear was now trying to escape my grasp for some unknown reason and at this point I knew I wanted her to be mine.
Fear looked special in her eyes or was that rage? Perfect.
I walked right into this hall, with something inside of her pulling me close. I should've known she was for me. Anyway, it was never too late to put my tag on her.
A slow smile curved my lips as I watched her struggle. “Yes, me Shenka. You're coming with me.”
“I’m taking her for five hundred million.” I clicked my tongue
I didn't wait for their response before my dark smoke covered every inch of the hall and I teleported with her.
PS: This is two chapters combined as one because I couldn’t bring myself to split them, so the coins for it would be a bit much. 🥹 I hope you love it(≧▽≦)Ivara's POVXlynor's hands slid from my face down to my neck, one threading into my hair. The shift of it should have grounded me, but it didn't. I wanted to touch him back, wanted to grab onto something solid like every stupid instinct I had suggested.But whatever scrap of sanity I had left said, “Absolutely not,” and kept my hands locked instead around the hem of my dress, fisting the fabric like it could anchor me to reality.He kissed me until every trace of the medicine's bitterness was gone, replaced entirely with the taste of him—faint mint underneath something sweeter, and beneath that, a metallic tang I couldn't place and didn't want to think too hard about.For the first time, I understood viscerally why people talked about addiction, why they described it with specific terms and why they became addicted to something
Ivara's POVI blinked rapidly at Xlynor.He filled my entire field of vision, and my lungs seemed to forget what they were supposed to do. With him this close, staring at me like that, the air just—left my lungs, and my thoughts froze.Why the hell was he even bringing this up right now, of all moments?A slow, knowing smirk curved his mouth. “Breathe,” he whispered.I swallowed instead, dragging my gaze away from his. I stared at the vanity like I had found something there that required urgent attention.“Kissing… kissing partners? Doesn't that sound a little too intimate to you? I—you can't just use that as compensation.” I pressed my lips together.“I want it as compensation. And it's only the top of the list.” He shrugged like we were discussing the weather.“That…” I swallowed. “That still sounds like a very efficient way to share bacteria. If you think a—”“Oh, you don't want to start with that argument.” A single brow lifted. “As far as I'm concerned, we've already shared plent
Ivara's POVI exhaled and switched the dryer back on, working it through my hair section by section. My arm gave out faster than I expected, aching within minutes, but I pushed through anyway, trying to rush the rest before my strength disappeared completely.Half my hair was still soaked when my arm finally refused to cooperate any further. It trembled, and then the dryer almost slipped from my hand.I gritted my teeth and tried to keep going just to get the worst of the moisture out, but the dryer felt like it was made of something denser than metal.Frustration boiled over before I could stop it, and without thinking, I flung the dryer away with what little strength left in me, not bothering to look where it went.“Can't you consider me? Can't you see I'm trying? Why do you have to be so useless and so mean,” I muttered.I didn't know if I was referring to my arm, myself or the dryer. I braced my elbow against the vanity and dropped my face into my palm.My head spun, and I found i
Ivara's POVThe reflection staring back at me looked like something that had already given up. I had just finished dressing up when I decided to find out exactly what I looked like. Unfortunately, the mirror was not being kind.I looked so sickly and exhausted. I cupped my face in both hands and pouted at it, as if that could shame it into looking better.“Can't I at least die beautiful?” I asked the mirror. “Is that too much? Why do I have to look this bad, huh?”No answer. Why did I even think I could get one?A sigh slipped out of me as I leaned forward until my forehead pressed against the glass. It was cool against my skin, which felt like the only cool thing left in the world right now.I knew I was dying. That part didn't scare me half as much as the not-knowing when — the idea that I could just collapse at any moment, mid-sentence, mid-breath, with no warning at all.I was staring death dead in the face, and the worst part wasn't even the dying. It was dying having done nothin
Xlynor's POVGetting to the study just to make a call had taken longer than it should have. It was the only place I could be sure of my privacy.I had dismissed Kali earlier because Ivara was with me, then spent the next stretch of time figuring out how to get some privacy.I finally found a way, but I had to run Ivara a cold bath, then wrap the cut on my own palm. It wasn't going to heal itself, with or without Ivara.Only after both of those were handled did I finally get a free minute to deal with Kali, who decided when and how to respond to me.I put a call through, and she picked up… eventually. Probably after staring at my name and considering if picking up was actually worth it?“Your lordship,” she said, honeyed and insufferable. “To what do I owe the honor of your attention and this impromptu summons?”I sucked in my teeth, honestly not in the mood for her false formality. “Do you take pleasure in grating on what's left of my patience, priestess Kalindra?” I started, struggli
Xlynor's POVThe other thing gnawing at me was the shift in Ivara's symptoms. Yesterday she'd been cold, constantly murmuring about it in her sleep and curling into herself like she couldn't get warm no matter what I did. But today she was burning, practically radiating heat through my own skin. It felt like she was being heated from the inside.None of it lined up. Was this the bloodshield? The residual effect of Kali's mind-core penetration? Or just an ordinary fever for whatever she was— if her kind even got those? Because this didn't feel ordinary. Heat rolled off her skin in waves, too intense to be dismissed as a simple fever.Above all, I needed her away from me before Kali called or showed up. I couldn't have a conversation with Ivara draped over me like a second skin — except getting her to let go didn't seem to be an option currently on the table.I exhaled and pulled the ice pack from her forehead, reaching for the cup instead, and guiding the straw toward her lips.Her eye
Xlynor’s POV “You know how much I hate repeating myself, Aaron,” I muttered, my gaze fixed outside the window. “You and I both know this isn’t everything you stole.”“My Lord, please forgive me. I wasn’t in the right state of mind. I needed to sort my mother's bill and it was my only option. Pleas
IVARANo, this shouldn't be happening. Not after everything I went through just to escape.“Father!” I yelled, struggling with the guards who were trying to rip my clothes off me. Of course, they'd obey him, the almighty Gamma.Father stopped in his tracks, then spun around. Even the guards paused.
IVARA“What makes you think you should eat that when you didn’t spend a dime on it?”“You're useless!”“You should be dead! I blame Loyd for bringing this crap into our world!”“Look around, does anyone here live without a wolf? Even the Omegas are above you!” My stepmother, Maybelline’s insults an
IVARA What had just happened? One second, I was waiting for Adrian in the park, the next? I was here, half-conscious in some confinement.Confinement? A fvcking confinement! My eyes widened. What?I dragged myself up, my legs wobbling as the room spun around.“No, no.” I whispered, I couldn't poss







