02 – THE MYSTERIOUS MAN

POV: AIRYS

"My wrist!" the short, repulsive man groaned, still trapped in the grip of the giant in front of me. A sharp crack echoed through the hall, followed by a piercing scream of pain.

"Ah! Please… ah…"

The smell of sweat and fear poured off him.

"S-sir, please…" the auctioneer stammered, his voice trembling. "The merchandise has already been sold. The hammer has already fallen."

The imposing man holding the disgusting one twisted his wrist once more, forcing another groan of agony before releasing him abruptly.

"Two million dollars." His voice came out low, deep, cutting, and sharp. "And your limbs intact."

The threat was clear. Either they accepted, or they would die right there.

"What?!" Eloy’s shrill voice burst into an irritated scream, making me grit my teeth. "Airys isn’t worth that much! Why pay so much for her?!"

"The auctioned merchandise is my renegade Luna!" Malik intervened, trying to maintain his composure but failing miserably. The slight tremor in his legs did not go unnoticed. "I approve her sale to the first gentleman who purchased her. She deserves the fate that has been sealed for her."

My fingers curled into fists, hatred consuming me. Liar!

"Malik, you bastard!" My voice tore through my throat, dry and raw, but I didn’t stop. "If anyone here should be punished, it should be you and Eloy!"

He didn’t dare look at me.

But the man…

The man who broke the other as if he were nothing looked at me.

And it felt like the ground disappeared beneath my feet.

His eyes held me in place. Dark, earthy, and fierce. He studied me without hurry, tracing every detail, warming every place his gaze touched. The pressure of his power was overwhelming—I could feel the vibration of his aura raising the hairs on my skin without him even touching me.

"What are the charges against this slave?" The question came out laced with pure disdain.

My breathing faltered.

That man…

He exuded something no one else there possessed: absolute authority.

Malik puffed out his chest, trying to appear more threatening. If it weren’t for my aching body and miserable state, I would have laughed at his pathetic attempt to assert himself.

Pathetic.

I was only a human, but I could tell that the man who had interrupted the auction was no ordinary one.

He was dangerous. Lethal.

Every cell in my body warned me to run.

But there was nowhere to go.

My husband turned to me, pointing his finger at my face, pressing it harshly against my cheek in condemnation.

"This bitch here is a sinner. An unfaithful woman." Malik spat the words, wrinkling his nose at me.

He shoved me brutally backward. My body slammed against the cold floor, and pain shot through my back like sharp needles.

"A traitor who spreads her legs out of lust. She doesn’t have a wolf. She’s just a dishonored human who doesn’t deserve attention."

My throat burned. My hands trembled.

"That’s not true…" I murmured, my breath coming out weak. My eyes stung, but I refused to cry. "You drugged me. You set me up. Why are you doing this to me?"

"Liar!" Malik lifted his leg to kick me. I curled in on myself to protect my body, but to my surprise, that man grabbed his leg firmly, and Malik groaned in pain. "Why are you defending this prostitute? Her place is—"

"Do not dare damage what I came to claim." His tone grew deeper, rougher, more primitive. The atmosphere shifted—the ground itself seemed to vibrate under the weight of his hostile presence.

"Who are you, and why are you defending her?" Malik stepped back, taking a defensive stance. Several wolves rose at his side, forming a circle around us. "You’re at a disadvantage here."

The wolves growled, ready to attack.

A low sound—somewhere between a growl and a dark laugh—slipped past his fangs, pure contempt laced in it.

"Numbers are not strength." He lifted his chin in pure dominance. "A leader who needs his lackeys to fight his own battles…"

Disgust. He didn’t need to say it—the contempt was written all over his eyes.

He raised a hand to his face, ripping off his mask and tossing it to the ground.

A scar cut across his eyebrow; another marked his cheek. Dark hair, faintly copper-toned, tousled by the wind.

Malik froze.

"Nothing but an insect wearing an Alpha’s title!"

The silence was deadly.

The wolves hesitated.

"S-Supreme…" Malik stammered, dropping to his knees in haste, followed by the others. "I didn’t mean to offend or threaten you, my king."

The Supreme Alpha.

The monster even Alphas feared… was here.

I lifted my gaze to him, my breathing uneven.

My entire body trembled when his piercing eyes slid toward me from the corner of his vision.

I lowered my head immediately.

"Pathetic." The word was spat with disgust.

His canines lengthened, and he dragged his tongue over a sharp fang, as if already savoring blood.

Before anyone could react, the distance between him and Malik vanished in a blur of speed. In one brutal motion, his hand wrapped around the traitor’s neck and lifted him as if he weighed nothing. Claws sank into flesh without hesitation.

The air tore from Malik’s throat in a strangled sound. His eyes rolled back, his feet kicked helplessly in the air.

The wolves around them stepped back, lowering their heads in submission, fear saturating every breath in that hall.

"P-please…" Malik choked, his hands clawing uselessly at the wrist holding him. "Don’t… don’t kill me…"

His voice trembled, pleading.

"Malik, no!" Eloy sobbed, panic written all over her face. She shot me a desperate look before turning to the Alpha. "Please, have mercy!"

He ignored her. His eyes glowed a deep red, his expression dark, murderous.

Eloy’s desperation hit me. My chest tightened.

If Malik died here, what awaited me could be even worse.

I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. I didn’t want to ask anything of him, but I had no choice.

"Don’t kill him!" My voice came out low, hesitant.

His eyes moved slowly toward me.

The weight of that gaze crushed me.

"Please, Supreme Alpha… I beg you."

Saying those words made me want to vomit. I was begging for Malik?

That damned traitor deserved to suffer.

The Alpha frowned, his expression shifting. Something dangerous flashed in his gaze.

He saw me.

"Interesting." There was a hint of curiosity in his voice, his pupils dilating like a predator’s. In his scarlet irises, I could see the silhouette of his fierce beast, close to the surface, watching me—restless, observant, as if it wanted to break free and tear me apart like prey. "Not as unfaithful as this worm claims."

Without warning, he hurled Malik brutally into the chairs. The traitor crashed down, groaning in pain.

Walking slowly toward me with steady steps, like the deadly predator he was, the Alpha crouched in front of me, extending a claw and lifting my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"Why are you defending him?" His question was direct, his stare penetrating. I shuddered, feeling my heart pound louder. His eyes traveled slowly over my body, studying every detail before returning to where we touched. "Weakness."

The Alpha dragged his sharp claws across my skin, drawing a thin line of blood. He caught it on his fingertip and brought it to his lips, tasting it. He raised his large hand, and I closed my eyes on instinct, shrinking in on myself, expecting to be torn apart for interrupting his confrontation.

But instead, I felt relief at my neck and wrists. I opened my eyes slowly, bringing my hand to my throat, massaging it—he had broken the collar and the ropes.

In a swift movement, I was lifted off the ground and thrown over his broad shoulder as if I weighed nothing.

"W-what are you doing?" I stammered in shock, struggling, trying to break free, to fight, to run. "Let me go! Someone help me!"

But no one helped. No one looked. No one cared.

Eloy had dropped to her knees beside Malik, who clutched his throat, gasping for air. His eyes burned with hatred, but he didn’t dare raise his voice.

No one did.

"Save your strength," the Supreme Alpha cast me a cold glance over his shoulder. "You’ll need it, human."

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded nervously as he carried me to a parked car. He opened the door and threw me onto the seat without care. "I asked you a question!"

I slammed my hand against the window when he entered from the other side, shutting the door hard and leaning dangerously close—too close.

He braced an arm beside my head, trapping me against the seat. I pressed back into the upholstery, trying to escape his dominance. His scent was earthy and wild.

"To where you belong now." The Alpha growled darkly, pulling the seatbelt and locking it with a click beside me, then starting the car and driving away from my pack.