Chapter 4

After a short rest, I still fulfilled my duties as Head Beta and went to the werewolf auction.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our final and most anticipated item of the evening...a moonstone of 99.7% purity."

The auctioneer's voice echoed through the lavish hall.

I sat in the front VIP section, representing the pack at this private auction.

This moonstone was a sacred artifact for the pack's most important ritual.

Without it, the new Alpha’s ceremony could not proceed.

And our pack had every intention of securing it.

"Starting bid, ten million."

I raised my paddle. "Fifteen million."

"Fifteen million from seat number two." The auctioneer had barely finished when a sharp voice called from the back of the hall.

"Twenty million!"

Everyone turned.

Chloe swept in through the back doors, wearing a glittering gold dress.

A priceless diamond necklace adorned her neck, obviously a gift from Isaac.

"Thirty million!" She raised her paddle again, her voice loud enough for the entire hall to hear.

Whispers broke out.

This girl clearly had no idea how these things worked.

At an event like this, you bid incrementally, not in wild, desperate leaps.

"Ma'am," the auctioneer reminded her politely, "are you sure about thirty million? That will require immediate verification of funds."

Chloe's face flushed, but she held her head high. "Of course! I am Isaac Ryder's fiancée!"

I watched the farce with cold eyes.

The moonstone's true value was its purity and ritual importance, not its market price.

Thirty million was an insane price for a stone of this size.

But for the pack, it was a necessity.

"Fifty million," I said calmly, raising my paddle.

Chloe’s eyes widened. "Eighty million!"

The room gasped.

Even the auctioneer was stunned.

"Ma'am, for eighty million, you'll need to provide proof of funds..."

"I told you, I am Isaac Ryder's fiancée!" Chloe's voice grew shriller. "Is the Ryder pack's credit not good enough for you?"

I saw several pack elders in the middle section exchange worried glances.

This girl was dragging the Ryder pack’s reputation through the mud.

"One hundred million," I said flatly.

This time, Chloe was silent.

She clearly hadn't expected me to go that high.

"One hundred and ten million!" she shrieked, grinding her teeth.

"Ma'am," the auctioneer's patience had run out, "you need to provide immediate proof of funds, or we cannot accept your bid."

Chloe's face was completely red now.

She obviously didn't have the paperwork.

Just then, the doors to the hall were pushed open.

Isaac hurried in, his face a mask of fury.

He strode directly to my seat.

"Kira, stop it!" his voice was jarring in the quiet hall. "You're doing this on purpose to embarrass Chloe!"

All eyes were on us.

I slowly stood up to face him. "Embarrass her? I'm just bidding."

"Just bidding?" Isaac sneered. "You know she doesn't understand the rules, and you're deliberately driving up the price to make a fool of her!"

"If she doesn't understand the rules, she shouldn't be here."

"She just wanted the stone!" Isaac's voice rose. "Her honesty and innocence are qualities you lack!"

Chloe came up from behind, tears in her eyes. "Kira, why are you doing this to me? I just wanted a pretty stone."

I looked at her, my voice ice-cold. "That stone is a sacred artifact for the pack's most important ritual. It is not your plaything."

"See!" Isaac pointed at me, speaking to the crowd. "This is the real Kira! Cold, ruthless, turning everything into a business deal! Not an ounce of compassion!"

He turned to the pack elders, his voice ringing with self-righteous fury. "A cold-hearted creature like this doesn't even deserve to be a Beta!"

The air froze.

Everyone in the hall held their breath.

“You don't think you can be so proud just because you chose my uncle, do you? I tell you, I'm the next Alpha. He's nothing!”

Just then, a voice came from the entrance of the hall.

It was deep, cold, and carried an authority that could not be questioned.

"And who," the voice cut through the tension like a blade, "said my Luna… is not worthy?"