A Dark Transaction

Zane’s deep, commanding voice broke the heavy silence of the tense room, easily cutting through the suffocating anxiety radiating from the pack elders. "Get the transfer documents ready," he instructed Alpha Roman, his tone brooking no argument. "I will sign them immediately."

Before he reached out to take the pen Roman hurriedly offered, his piercing green eyes swept over Aria’s frail frame. His assessing gaze traveled down the length of her trembling body, but abruptly stopped. His eyes locked onto the angry red finger marks bruising her delicate neck. A dangerous, low growl rumbled from deep within his broad chest, the lethal sound vibrating violently through the hardwood floorboards beneath their feet.

"How did you get those?" Zane demanded, his voice dangerously low.

Aria froze like a deer caught in headlights. She looked up at him with wide, doe-like eyes, entirely terrified. She was completely unable to reply. Her father, Garrett, was standing right beside her, his massive frame radiating barely contained rage. She knew all too well that if she exposed him, she would get another brutal beating the second they were alone. Her trembling fingers instinctively reached up, lightly brushing against her bruised skin as she kept her gaze glued to the floor. "It is nothing, Sir," she muttered quickly in a frail voice.

Zane’s eyes narrowed with cold suspicion. "Did someone try to strangle you?"

Aria’s eyes flung wide open. Pure panic flooded her veins. She glanced at her father, completely terrified of his reaction. Garrett, sensing the sudden danger and deeply annoyed by her pathetic weakness, instinctively stepped forward. He raised a thick hand toward Aria in a threatening gesture, fully prepared to strike her to keep her quiet.

But before his hand could even descend, Zane whipped his head around. He pinned Garrett with a lethal, terrifying glare. "Watch yourself, Garrett," Zane commanded in a low, rumbling growl.

His voice was laced with such absolute, suffocating dominance that it felt like a physical vise crushing everyone's minds. Garrett froze instantly. The older werewolf was forced to bow his head in immediate fear, completely submissive to the Lycan King. Zane wasn't even his Alpha, but his ancient power over all werewolves was absolute. Garrett was nothing but a small fly in the face of such monstrous authority.

Zane turned his intimidating gaze back to Roman. "I will be leaving now. I will return at exactly 5 PM to collect her and take her to the Shadowwood." He paused, casting another critical look at Aria. "She looks very pale. Make sure she is fed a proper meal. And make sure she is kept safe from any further harm. Because if she isn't, I won't be pleased." He then muttered under his breath, "She is too thin."

Alpha Roman visibly panicked. The Lycan King was taking far too intense of an interest in her physical state. Roman feared Zane might reject Aria right then and there due to her fragile, bruised condition. If the offering was rejected, his pack would face the king's devastating wrath. Eager to salvage the situation, Roman quickly stepped forward.

"If you like, Alpha Zane, you can take Chloe instead!" Roman offered eagerly, pointing directly at Aria’s younger sister.

Aria snapped her head up, staring at Roman and then at her sister in complete shock. To her absolute bewilderment, Chloe wasn't terrified. Instead, a pale blush rose on Chloe's cheeks. She batted her eyelashes at the imposing Lycan King, shifting eagerly on her toes under his intense gaze. She looked entirely willing to take Aria's place.

But Zane didn't even blink. He gave Chloe a brief, dismissive glance before completely ignoring her existence. His cold, emerald eyes locked back onto Roman, entirely unamused. "Just get the financial transaction papers finalized," he demanded coldly, brushing past the ridiculous offer. "I will sign them when I return, and the money will be transferred after that."

Alpha Roman winced, shrinking back. "Of course! Please, don't worry."

Money?

The word hit Aria like a physical blow to her hollow stomach. She was utterly aghast. Alpha Roman was actually going to receive real money from the Lycan King. She had foolishly thought her father would receive some sort of compensation from Roman for letting Ryder break the mate bond. The sickening, undeniable clarity of the situation crashed over her.

This wasn't some holy treaty to save the pack. This wasn't a noble sacrifice for the greater good. She was literally being bought and sold like common livestock. And her abusive family was undoubtedly getting a financial cut of the profit.

The truly overwhelming stress of the ultimate betrayal, the severe physical exhaustion from the abuse, and the sheer lack of food all caught up to her at once. Weird colors exploded violently across her vision. The grand hall began to spin wildly. Her head reeled so fast she couldn't catch her breath.

Her trembling knees completely gave way beneath her. She felt herself falling, plummeting hopelessly toward the hard, unforgiving floor.

But before she could impact the ground, two powerful, incredibly warm arms wrapped securely around her waist. They caught her effortlessly, hauling her into a protective, rock-solid embrace.

Aria was instantly enveloped in the rich, intoxicating scent of dark cedar and cool morning mist. She realized she couldn't move, her energy entirely depleted. As she was supported against his massive, muscular chest, she slowly tipped her head back. Her bright blue eyes locked directly with Zane’s intense emerald gaze.

A strange, incredibly warm sensation began to spread through her freezing body. Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she felt herself melting under his assessing stare. The warmth easily chased away her paralyzing fear. Gently, with surprising, breathtaking tenderness, Zane lifted his large hand. His rough thumb brushed softly against the dark, angry bruises on her delicate neck. Aria was taken completely by surprise, frozen completely in the safety of his arms.

Then, a sudden, irritated growl rumbled from the doorway.

The harsh sound shattered the fragile, intimate moment. Aria instantly snapped out of her daze and quickly stepped back, untangling herself from Zane's personal space. She lowered her gaze to the floor immediately, her heart hammering violently against her ribs.

Zane looked thoroughly annoyed by the sudden interruption. He swallowed hard, a rough exhale escaping his lips as his jaw clenched tight. "I will take my leave," he announced curtly. Without another word, he and his intimidating guards turned and left the grand hall in a rush.

The moment the heavy double doors clicked shut, every werewolf in the room let out a massive, collective breath of relief.

As for Aria, her tension only multiplied tenfold. She was being sold by her Alpha to the Lycan King, a man considered to be entirely ruthless, and who was taking her away solely for breeding purposes. She didn't know what was the better of the two evils anymore. On one hand, Alpha Roman would undoubtedly throw her in the dungeons if she refused to go, making her life a living hell. And on the other hand, Zane would also likely throw her in his own dungeons, but only after having pups with her.

Her only chance to survive this nightmare was to escape somehow. She needed to call her friend Mila over here and run far away into the dense woods. She felt exactly like a trapped, terrified bunny in the midst of bloodthirsty wolves, all of whom were staring or glaring at her frail form. Not knowing what to do next, she grabbed the sides of her ruined bridal gown with clammy, shaking hands.

"Great!" Alpha Roman announced, his face splitting into a relieved grin. "Now that the sacrifi—" he checked himself immediately. "The offering is accepted, you can take her back to your home! Get her over here before 5 PM."

"I don't think we should let her go from here," Ryder suddenly stepped forward, his deep voice slicing through the room. His hands were clenched into tight, furious fists at his sides, his jaw ticking as he stared relentlessly at Aria. "If Alpha Zane comes back before 5 PM and she is not here, it would become chaotic. It is far too risky."

Sienna looked thoroughly surprised by Ryder's sudden interjection, but she didn't speak a single word against him. But if looks were daggers, the venomous glares she shot at Aria would have killed her on the spot.

Roman mulled over what Ryder just said, rubbing his chin. "Okay, she can stay here!" he agreed with a careless shrug. He pointed upstairs. "But she has to stay locked in the guest room, and Chloe will have to stay here as well with her."

Roman then looked at Garrett and Brenda. "You both can leave now. I will wire your financial cut of the sale shortly after Zane transfers it."

Aria's mouth fell to the floor. She watched her jubilant father and stepmother with absolute disgust. They had successfully sold her. Rather, they had only gained massive profits from this twisted, sick deal.

Her parents left without a single goodbye. Aria was desperately hoping that her father would at least glance at her now that he would never see her again, but it remained entirely wishful thinking. They practically rushed out of the massive double doors, looking incredibly happy and relieved to offload their unwanted burden.

As soon as they were gone, Ryder aggressively came to her. He grabbed her upper arm with completely unnecessary force, his fingers digging into her bruised skin. "Come!" he growled darkly, his eyes flashing.

He forcefully pulled her towards the secluded corridor that led to the guest rooms, with Chloe and a glaring Sienna following very closely behind them, the heavy silence thick with unspoken anger.

The moment they entered the quiet corridor, the heavy tension finally snapped.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sienna snapped viciously at him the moment they were entirely alone in the shadowed space.