The moment the gavel struck, sealing my fate, a hush fell over the chamber.

Two hundred million.

That was my price.

The weight of it settled over me like a steel collar tightening around my throat.

A guard yanked my chains, forcing me off the auction platform. My feet stumbled against the stone floor, but I kept my chin high, swallowing down the sickness twisting in my gut.

I didn’t dare look at the man who had bought me.

Not until I had no choice.

Two figures flanked me as I was dragged toward the private lounge area behind the stage. The space was lavish yet suffocating, the scent of expensive cigars and aged whiskey heavy in the air. Dim golden lights flickered above sleek black marble floors.

Then I saw him.

Alpha Damian.

He sat at the head of a polished table, legs spread lazily, one hand resting on the arm of his chair.

I had seen powerful Alphas before, but there was something different about him.

He wasn’t just powerful—he was untouchable.

Midnight-black hair, cut clean and precise. Dark, piercing eyes that held no mercy. Dressed in a crisp black suit, tailored to his lean, muscled frame.

His aura crackled like a storm contained within human skin.

I hated that I felt it.

The guard shoved me forward. I clenched my fists.

“Don’t fall apart now.”

Damian studied me for a long moment.

Then—he smirked.

“You’re not even going to thank me, little rogue?”

The sound of his voice sent a shiver down my spine.

Low, smooth, dripping with something dangerous.

I lifted my chin. “For what?”

He leaned forward slightly, fingers tapping against the table. “For saving you from the other bidders. They wouldn’t have been as… patient as I am.”

The words sent a fresh wave of rage through me.

I yanked at the chains around my wrists. “Let me go.”

Damian chuckled. “Let you go? I just spent two hundred million on you, sweetheart. You belong to me now.”

My stomach twisted.

“Go to hell.”

His smirk deepened, but something cold and unreadable flickered in his eyes.

“You don’t seem to understand the situation, rogue.” He rose from his seat, moving toward me with slow, deliberate steps.

I didn’t step back. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

Damian tilted his head slightly, as if amused. “Your pack is gone. Your people are either dead or locked in cages. You have no home, no power, and no name left to protect you.”

His fingers reached out—I flinched—but he only brushed a strand of hair from my face.

“I own you now, Selene.”

I stiffened.

“He knows my name.”

My pulse pounded violently, but I forced my face into a mask of defiance.

“Then you wasted your money,” I spat. “I’ll never obey you.”

Damian exhaled a quiet laugh, eyes glinting with something almost amused.

“That’s what they all say in the beginning.”

A sharp knock sounded at the door. One of Damian’s men stepped inside, dressed in a sleek black uniform.

“Alpha, the car is ready.”

Damian nodded, then turned back to me. “Let’s go, little rogue.”

The guards moved forward, but Damian lifted a hand.

“No chains.”

I froze.

One of the men hesitated. “Sir, she—”

“She won’t try to run.” Damian’s gaze burned into mine. “Will you, Selene?”

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