Chapter Five

Freda’s POV

The bidding started before I could even breathe.

The dining hall—meant for celebration—had been rearranged into something ugly. Tables pushed back. Chairs dragged to face the Alpha like some twisted theater audience. And me… dragged to the front beside him like a thing to be displayed.

Not a wolf.

Not a girl.

Just an object.

The room felt too small for all the eyes tearing into me.

Sun Blood Pack never dealt with slaves. Never. Yet tonight, with visitors from other packs filling the hall and liquor softening their morals, they suddenly acted like this was normal.

My stomach tightened.

Slave.

Was that my fate now?

I wasn’t a princess, but I had never been branded—or priced.

I thought turning eighteen meant freedom from maltreatment. Instead, it felt like I had stepped into a deeper hell.

My gaze drifted—stupid, hopeful—and landed on Adrian.

He sat beside Nina.

She leaned into him, whispering something behind her hand, her lips brushing too close to his ear. Adrian didn’t pull away. He didn’t even look uncomfortable. He simply stared ahead as if I didn't once mean something to him.

When he finally turned and our eyes met, a cold shudder rolled through me.

When did this start?

He used to ignore her… treat her like she didn’t exist.

But now they looked practiced—comfortable.

Like lovers.

A voice boomed beside me. “Good evening, everyone!”

I jerked my head toward Beta Jaden, who stood proudly like this was some grand event. “I know this wasn’t part of the agenda, but I promise this side attraction will interest every single one of you. Who doesn’t want someone to ease their workload?”

Murmurs spread across the room, excitement flickering through the gathered packs. The heat of their attention pressed against my skin until I could barely breathe.

Jaden grinned, riding the energy. “Exactly. A dream come true, yes?”

He turned to me, eyes gleaming with something that felt like cruelty wrapped in cheerfulness. “And tonight, someone’s dream is about to come true.”

“Can we get this over with?” Alpha Ron snapped, boredom dripping from every word. He flicked his fingers toward me as if I were a stain. “Move it along. I don’t want to stare at that all evening.”

That.

The word stung deeper than any blow.

He used to care about me. Or at least pretend to.

Jaden cleared his throat. “Right. Apologies.”

He stepped forward, voice ringing out. “This Omega, Freda Aton, is hardworking, obedient, and trained in every domestic task. She cooks, cleans, and takes instructions well. She’ll make a perfect helper for anyone who buys her.”

Each word stripped something off me.

The hall quieted, everyone suddenly alert.

“Starting bid,” Jaden announced, “is fifty gold pieces.”

My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.

Silence stretched…

Then—

“Sixty.”

A deep voice from the right.

My eyes darted to the source—a muscular wolf from the Dark Claw Pack. His gaze crawled over me in a way that made my skin crawl.

“Seventy.”

Another.

A woman this time, her tone sharp and businesslike.

The room woke up.

“Eighty!”

“Ninety!”

“One hundred!”

My pulse hammered with each shout.

They weren’t bidding for a chair or a bottle of wine.

They were bidding for me.

My knees trembled. I tried to keep my head high, but every number felt like a slap.

“One fifty!” someone yelled.

Jaden practically vibrated with excitement. “Now we’re talking!”

My eyes flicked to Adrian again.

Nothing.

No anger.

No shock.

Just cold silence.

Nina whispered something else. He didn’t push her away. He smiled at her, linking their fingers together.

A hollow ache spread in my chest.

“One seventy!”

“One eighty!”

“Two hundred!”

A loud voice boomed from the back—Alpha Rowan of Iron Mane Pack. A giant of a man. Known for brutality. The kind of alpha who didn’t hire help… he broke them.

Terror shot through me.

Jaden’s grin widened. “Two hundred going once!”

“Two twenty.”

A calm, unfamiliar voice cut through the room.

Heads turned.

A hooded man stood near the door. Tall. Still. Shadowed. I couldn’t make out his face, but something about him pulled the air from the room. He didn’t look excited. Or eager. Just… certain.

Jaden hesitated. “Uh—two twenty from… the gentleman by the door.”

Alpha Rowan growled. “Two fifty.”

My breath hitched.

No.

Not him.

Jaden lifted his arm dramatically. “Two fifty going once—!”

“Three hundred.”

The hooded man didn’t raise his voice, yet everyone heard it clear.

A hush fell.

Even Jaden froze.

Three hundred was outrageously high for an Omega.

Alpha Rowan’s jaw tightened. His hand twitched as if ready to tear someone apart. But after a long, tense moment, he sank back into his seat, muttering curses.

Jaden recovered quickly, voice trembling with excitement. “Three hundred going once! Going twice—!”

His gaze swept the room, daring anyone to counter.

Silence.

“Sold!” Jaden slammed his hand down. “To the gentleman by the door!”

My chest constricted.

Sold.

I was officially someone’s property.

The hooded man stepped forward, slow and deliberate.

And as he approached, the faintest whisper brushed my ear—

the same voice I heard in the dungeon.

“Freda.”

My blood turned cold.

Could it have been this man calling my name in the dungeon?