The new head of the Whitehead Family!

There was complete silence in the room. Three of the new arrivals looked from Reign to Uncle Elion, and there was a silent battle of glances between them.

“Reign?” I asked him with the hope that he would confirm that this was all a lie.

After all, if my uncle was right and not lying, then he definitely wouldn’t sign my sale to the redhead now, favoring Beta Deegon. At that moment, the front door slammed again, and another footstep was heard on the stairs. Reign tensed, put his hand on my waist, and pulled me closer.

“Get your hand off my niece, Hellhound,” Elion emboldened, suddenly gritted through his teeth.

He puffed out his chest as if he had every right to do so and then looked behind me. But I didn’t have to do that, a second before I felt the chill from behind me, and the hairs on my skin were tangled. I wanted to turn around so as not to turn my back on the threat, but Reign’s firm hand only pushed me away from someone else’s path.

“What’s going on?” Deegon’s harsh voice was full of bewilderment.

I pressed my lips together in amazement at his acting skills. More than sure, it was Uncle who first enlightened him about the change of the head of the Whitehead family. My family.

“Mr. Beta,” Elion immediately fawned, almost bumping his forehead to the floor in subservience and sycophancy.

It was disgusting even to watch from the sidelines. A man shouldn’t be like that. How can a man disgrace our noble family name? This member of the family could not understand such a notion. It was not for nothing that grandfather doubted his paternity. But the smell could not hide it, so there was no way to doubt that my uncle belonged to our branch of the Whitehead family.

“Mr. Deegon,” the three men greeted the Beta politely. “We have come to witness the disability of Rehan Whitehead and temporarily hand over the reins of the family to Mr. Elion. If you don’t mind, we’d like to finish up. We have a few more calls around town.”

But the chief among the trio held himself upright, firmly, and didn’t look away. Beta nodded, letting them do their job. And they, with his encouragement and consent, approached my father, who was still lying, performing some kind of manipulation. I sobbed, unable to contain my cry and my emotions. I leaned against Reign’s chest, looking for support when suddenly there was a disgruntled growl, after which I froze anxiously.

“Hands off!” Deegon barked.

And then I was pulled violently to the side so that I suddenly found my back against the hard stone chest. I lifted my head and looked into the eyes of the Beta. I swallowed and sank into the abyss. The throbbing increased again between my legs, and my thighs were wet with increasing desire.

“Fuck off, Deegon,” a lazy tone from Reign, and then I was taken from the older man again.

I felt at this point like a trophy that everyone was trying to snatch away. My heart thudded, ready to burst from my chest. My pulse quickened with anxiety, and the words of the strangers were drowned in the hum of growls.

“The document of sale was signed in the night. Let’s go to Mr. Rehan’s office to make sure. And I advise you not to put your hands on my wife!” Reign finally hissed menacingly.

And his words gave me relief. My father would not have wanted Elion to control my fate. I glanced at my father, still, and tried desperately to tell myself it would be all right. I’m sure he’ll make it, and he won’t let anything bad happen in this house. In the meantime, ... For now, I’m going to carry out his order. He approved of Reign, so I should be his wife.

At that moment, I was young and naive. I didn’t know that other people’s will sometimes make no difference to others...

“Let’s wait for the verdict and pass,” My Uncle grinned and nodded at the trio.

We all stand in the room, waiting for their verdict.

“The triad declares Mr. Rehan as incompetent, and as such, Mr. Elion is appointed the new head of the Whitehead family. Mr. Deegon, we take our leave, business,” Briefly and sharply, the three wolves of the clan of the city decided the fate of my family.

Uncle sharply tossed his head up as I noticed a fleeting victorious smile on his lips, but it passed so quickly that no one else saw it. The Triad in our lives is the three most respected wolves who decide many traditional and judicial matters. They are elected by vote of the heads of the most powerful families, and ours is still among them, thanks to my father. Bye...

“Have a good day,” Mr. Deegon said to the triad, nodding slightly respectfully.

My uncle, on the other hand, bent over, showing both gratitude and subservience. This moment seemed strange and unpleasant to me as if he had now lowered our family’s pride. But the feeling passed quickly as the three men walked past me, blowing a whiff of air. One of them, walking on my side, suddenly threw an ironic look at Reign, who was standing beside me. He looked at me, grinned, and then the men disappeared into the doorway; only the sound of their retreating footsteps echoed to me.

“Now that the question of Whitehead’s supremacy is settled, please come to my office,” Uncle Elion said, coughing and taking over.

I clenched my jaw, hearing my teeth grind. But I couldn’t say anything, and I couldn’t object. That is the custom. A woman’s voice means nothing, and a half-breed’s isn’t worth a penny at all. Uncle went out first, like a new master of the family, leading everyone to the right room.

“Ladies first,” the husky voice of the Beta, who suddenly appeared nearby.

I raised my head to meet his eyes. The man was calm; only his dilated pupils gave off impatience, but his eyes froze me out of my gut. It seemed as if his eyes were steel, cutting without trial.

I swallowed the viscous saliva and looked at Reign, who at this moment held me close to him and looked menacingly and frowningly at Deegon. The latter’s gaze fell on the man’s hand that rested across my stomach. He clenched his fists but was silent for now; the question of ownership was not closed.

Reign’s hand pushed me forward, and I took a step across the threshold, stepped out into the hallway and seeing my uncle’s back as he continued into the office that had always belonged to my father for as long as I could remember. My heart bled as Elion’s hand fell on the doorknob and turned, opening the way to the holy of holies, where no one had ever been allowed to enter without Dad’s knowledge. Not even his little brother. Especially him.

“Nostalgia kicking in, Hellhound?” Deegon grinned from behind the Beta, and the way he spoke was so uncharacteristic of such a grown-up and serious man that I stumbled backward, almost plowing my nose across the dark red carpet.

But Reign’s arm supported me, keeping me from falling. It was only when my back slammed against someone else’s back that I could smell it...the hand holding me was Deegon’s. I shuddered in my stomach, my legs barely holding me, and I involuntarily exhaled with a groan. Suddenly, from behind me, the male’s calloused growl echoed through me like dried logs.

“Don’t be cheeky,” Reign’s cold voice with a growl, and then I was taken from his arms, only instead of relief, it made me feel worse.

I felt the sweat running down my neck, and my body felt hot. Everything told me that I would soon be climbing the walls with unsatisfied desire. I couldn’t wait for the paperwork to be sorted out.

I couldn’t hear what the beta replied to the redhead, but, supported by the man, I still managed to walk to the couch against the wall of the office. It was only then that I came to my senses again, looking at my uncle, who had the look of a master in my father’s chair. His fingers stroked the corners of the massive red walnut desk. And all this caused me such severe pain that I could hardly hold back the tears that were ready to roll down.

“Here’s the contract, not signed by Rehan, and two copies,” My uncle tossed the folder to the other corner.

Reign came closer, sat down on a chair, and opened the documents, leafing through them, peering into what was written. And his face grew darker by the second, giving me a look of horror.

“It’s all in order. I checked,” my uncle nodded at this point, glancing over at Deegon, who settled down beside me without touching me but close enough to make me nervous. “Here’s your signature, Mr. Hellhound, do you recognize it? My brother’s signature is not there.”

Reign raised his head, looking grimly not at my uncle but at the beta, throwing lightning bolts with his eyes and threatening to bring down the heavens on the man. I held my breath, turned my head around, glancing from one wolf to the other, and I realized that it was not going according to plan, not the way my father intended and planned. I felt everything inside me twist into a knot of fear. Was my uncle right... And the document wasn’t signed?

“How did you do that?” The redhead whispered through his teeth, glaring fiercely at Deegon Wolfhound.

He relaxed, feeling like he was the master of the situation. He smiled, looking straight at his rival.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he chirped and then placed his palm on my left knee.

I swallowed, feeling the heat of my skin even through my tight dress. It doesn’t escape me that this gesture is aimed more at the wolf marking. It’s how one male indicates to the other that this female belongs to him from now on. 

I lifted my head in horror and looked pleadingly at Reign. But he ignored my gaze and turned it to my uncle.

“How much do you want for your signature?” The question that fell into the void brings me relief.

Reign didn’t turn me down. And my uncle was too money-hungry to ignore such a generous offer. I took Deegon’s hand off my knee and relaxed on the couch, knowing the outcome of the bidding. Uncle was always predictable. Always...