Chapter 5

Following my declaration, the auction hall fell into an eerie silence before erupting in derisive laughter.

Emma laughed hysterically, clutching her stomach. "Oh my goddess! You're so desperate for Alphas that you dare fantasize about Ethan? Look in the mirror and see if you're worthy!"

The crowd joined in with cruel amusement. Someone declared loudly, "I'd twist my head off and use it as a soccer ball if the Royal Pack's Queen could possibly be someone like her!"

"Pathetic!" another voice chimed in. "Does she think we're all idiots?"

"The Royal Pack's Alpha with a pregnant omega nobody? What a joke!"

Derek's expression turned terrifyingly dark as he roughly dragged me from the ground, his fingers digging painfully into my arms.

"Still lying to get my attention?" he snarled. "How could Ethan - an Alpha of his stature - possibly want damaged goods like you? You've lost your mind!"

Emma kicked my face with her shoe tip, the sharp heel catching my cheek. "Poor thing, pregnancy-induced depression and psychosis are really serious conditions," she said with fake concern. "We should get her professional help."

Derek looked down at me condescendingly, his voice dripping with disdain. "I originally wanted to give you a chance for carrying what I thought was my pup, but now I realize you're not only despicable but completely insane."

The pain in my abdomen was getting worse, and I could feel more warm liquid trickling down my legs. Something was seriously wrong with my pregnancy.

My wolf whined pitifully, sensing our pup's distress but unable to help in my pregnant state.

"You'll pay for today's actions," I gritted out through clenched teeth, trying to focus through the haze of pain.

Derek treated it as a joke, laughing coldly. He grabbed a glass of red wine from a passing server's tray and poured it over my head without hesitation.

"This is the price for impersonating Ethan's mate," he declared triumphantly.

The cold liquid streamed down my hair, staining my white maternity dress crimson. The wine mixed with the blood from my various injuries, creating dark patches across the expensive fabric.

Alice screamed and tried to intervene, but Emma grabbed her hair violently.

"Little omega," Emma sneered, "we should send your dream-obsessed sister-in-law to the cold storage to sober up. Maybe the chill will knock some sense into her delusional head."

Derek's eyes lit up at this idea. "Perfect. The auction house has a temperature-controlled storage room for valuable items. She can contemplate her lies in there."

I began retreating while protecting my belly, one hand pressed against the growing wetness between my legs. "I'm pregnant! You can't do this!"

Derek dismissed my concerns with a wave. "That bastard isn't mine, so no one cares about it. Security!"

He turned to the guards who had been watching the spectacle. "Lock her up so King can see this impostor's fate when he arrives. I'm sure he'll find it amusing."

The crowd murmured approval, some even clapping at Derek's decisive action.

"Serves her right for such ridiculous claims!"

"The audacity of some wolves these days!"

"Alpha Derek is being too merciful!"

Alice made one final desperate attempt to break free, her wolf pushing through the silver's burning agony. But with three warriors restraining her and the silver sapping her strength, she could only watch helplessly as they dragged me away.

Just as the guards moved to grab me, more warm liquid suddenly gushed down my legs, soaking through my already ruined dress.

"My water broke!" I cried out desperately. "I need an ambulance! The baby is coming!"

Emma scoffed loudly. "What an impressive act! Such dedication to her performance. These fraudsters really deserve punishment for their elaborate schemes."

"Please!" I begged, feeling the contractions starting. "Something's wrong with my pregnancy! I need medical help!"

But my pleas fell on deaf ears. The security guards roughly grabbed my arms and began dragging me toward the back of the auction house.

The cold storage room was located in the basement, designed to preserve valuable artwork and antiques at precisely controlled temperatures. As they threw me inside, the bone-piercing cold of negative fifteen degrees Celsius immediately penetrated my marrow.

The heavy iron door slammed shut with a resounding clang that echoed through the small space.

I found myself in complete darkness, surrounded by metal shelving units holding wrapped paintings and sculptures. The air was so cold that each breath felt like ice crystals forming in my lungs.

Curled up on the floor protecting my belly, I weakly pounded the door with bloodied fingernails, my strength draining away with each passing second.

"Please!" I called out, my voice barely a whisper now. "Save my child! I'm having complications!"

But the thick metal door muffled my cries completely.

Outside, I could hear Alice's desperate screams echoing through the corridor.

"Let her out! She's really pregnant! You'll kill them both!"

The sound of flesh meeting flesh rang out repeatedly.

"Shut up, little omega!" Emma's voice was shrill with excitement. "Your crazy sister-in-law deserves this! Claiming to be mated to King - the nerve!"

More slaps followed, each one making me flinch even through the door.

"My brother will make you pay for this!" Alice sobbed. "You don't know who you're dealing with!"

"Your brother?" Emma laughed mockingly. "What can some nobody Alpha do against Derek and me? You're both delusional!"

Derek's voice joined in, cold and amused. "Maybe this will teach both of you some respect. Your sister-in-law can freeze in there until she admits her lies."

I pressed my back against the wall, trying to conserve body heat as my teeth began chattering uncontrollably. The contractions were getting stronger, and I knew something was terribly wrong.

My wolf was too weak to use mind link. I could only try to contact Ethan on my phone. But my fingers were already going numb from the cold. The device slipped from my grasp and clattered across the floor, the screen cracking against the concrete.

"Ethan," I whispered into the darkness. "Please find me."

Through our mate bond, I tried to send him my distress, hoping he could sense my location and the danger to our pup.

Outside the storage room, the commotion continued. More voices had joined the crowd, and I could hear people discussing the entertainment of my situation.

"How long do you think she'll last in there?"

"Probably start begging within the hour."

"Serves her right for such outrageous lies!"

Suddenly, a different sound cut through the chatter - approaching footsteps with a measured, confident pace that seemed to command immediate attention.

The conversations died down gradually, replaced by an expectant hush.

"Who is that?" someone whispered urgently.

"Look at that suit - that's custom tailoring from the Royal District!"

"The way he walks... that's Alpha presence if I've ever seen it."

A tall figure had appeared in the corridor, his perfectly tailored charcoal suit accentuating broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Even from inside the storage room, I could sense the shift in atmosphere as his presence filled the space.

Someone exclaimed in shock, their voice carrying clearly through the door: "It's King! The Royal Pack's Alpha really came!"