A Dangerous Bid

SIENNA

I forced myself off the dirty mattress, my bruised ribs protesting with every sharp breath I took. The physical pain from Cole’s beating pulsed in time with my frantic heartbeat, but I swallowed back the tears. I had a job to do. If I failed to set the dining table for their VIP guest, the punishment would be far worse, and I could not risk further harm to the tiny life growing inside me.

It took me three grueling hours to prepare the lavish spread with the other maids. We polished the heavy silver cutlery until it gleamed, arranged the delicate crystal glasses perfectly, and set out plates of roasted meats and rich delicacies that I would never be allowed to taste. Every time I stretched my arms to reach the center of the long mahogany table, a fresh wave of agony shot through my torso. Neither Alpha Lawson nor Cole bothered to inform the staff who was coming, but the sheer extravagance of the preparations and the nervous energy buzzing through the pack house were enough to reveal it was someone of terrifying importance.

When my tasks were finally complete, I slipped away unnoticed and hurried back to my cramped, dimly lit room on the ground floor. I locked the flimsy door behind me and dropped to my knees, sliding my hand under the loose floorboard beneath my bed. My fingers brushed the worn fabric of my hidden backpack. I pulled it out and unzipped it, carefully inspecting the meager contents one last time.

A small stack of crumpled cash that my friend Nadia had lent me sat tucked inside one of the pockets, right next to the pitiful remainder of my own secret savings. Three faded t-shirts and two pairs of worn-out jeans were folded neatly at the bottom. There was nothing else. No sentimental items, no jewelry, nothing of value that I could take without Lawson noticing its absence.

I sat back on my heels, anxiety clawing at my throat. I had no idea how I was going to survive once I crossed the pack borders, but Nadia was my lifeline. She had pulled off a miracle. She had spoken to her aunt, Tessa, who lived on the outskirts of the Willow Pack territory. The Willow Pack was an old, respectable community situated about a hundred kilometers west of this hellhole. Unlike Alpha Lawson, who was obsessed with hoarding wealth and asserting cruel dominance over everyone beneath him, the Alpha of the Willow Pack, Alpha Silas, governed with a focus on harmony and peace.

Nadia’s aunt had actually approached him, asking for permission to let a runaway rogue join their ranks. To my absolute shock, Alpha Silas had agreed. Alphas almost never accepted outsiders, especially weak, unmarked wolves like me, viewing us as liabilities. Yet, he had extended an open invitation. He was ready to grant me sanctuary, a safe haven where I could raise my baby in peace.

My phone vibrated against my thigh, snapping me out of my thoughts. I pulled it from my pocket and opened a new text message from Nadia.

*Aunt told Alpha Silas everything about your situation. He still wants you to join the pack. Everything is set. Make it out now, C. I am rooting for you. XOXO.*

A shaky sigh of relief escaped my lips. I typed out a quick *okay, thank you so much*, and immediately deleted the conversation thread. If Cole or Alpha Lawson ever got their hands on my phone and saw those texts, they would kill me before I even reached the front door.

I was so consumed by the logistics of my impending escape that I failed to hear the heavy footsteps approaching my room. The door was suddenly shoved hard, rattling the cheap lock before a maid barged inside, standing over me with a look of utter disgust.

"Luna wants to see you," she sneered, crossing her arms.

"Luna?" My eyes widened in genuine panic.

Luna Vera was Alpha Lawson’s mate. She treated her duties as Luna like an irritating burden, preferring to take random, luxurious tours around the globe. She vanished every other week and returned whenever she pleased. No one in the pack dared object to her absence or suggest she should stay and care for her people instead of running off to spend pack funds on herself.

"Why do you need to be told everything twice?" the maid hissed, her lip curling. "Get moving," she snapped before spinning on her heel and storming out into the hallway.

I stood there, my blood running cold. Why was she back now? My heartbeat quickened into a frantic, erratic rhythm as terrifying scenarios flooded my mind. If Alpha Lawson and Cole were the devil's spawn, Vera was the devil herself. She thrived on psychological torture. If she was sitting in that dining room right now, she had a specific reason, and it meant hellfire was waiting for me.

I forced myself onto my weak feet, wincing as a sharp stab of pain shot through my bruised hip. My body still hurt like hell from Cole's boots. There was nothing I could do to speed up the process. My natural healing abilities were pathetically weak, and without a wolf to channel energy, it took me weeks to recover from injuries that normal shifters healed in days.

Enduring the intense, rhythmic waves of pain, I limped out of my room and slowly made my way down the long, carpeted corridor toward the dining room. As I neared the heavy oak doors, the oppressive aura leaking from the room made my breathing turn ragged. I could hear different voices echoing from inside.

"I am telling you, Alpha Declan, we only have two other people in the house. You already met the head maid. The other girl is just a useless helper," Luna Vera's sickeningly sweet, deceptive voice carried through the crack in the door, making me swallow hard.

"Call her here."

The new voice struck me like a physical blow. It was a deep, rumbling baritone that felt like a caress of desperately needed warmth on a freezing night. Violent tingles shot down my spine, carrying a heavy, electric weight through my bloodstream. A sudden, heavy, wet heat pooled directly between my thighs, an instinctive flush that left my lower belly aching in a way I had never experienced.

The voice sounded so strangely familiar, echoing in the darkest corners of my memory like a forgotten dream.

I shook my head, trying to clear the sudden, intoxicating fog from my brain. I pushed the heavy door open and entered the dining room, instinctively keeping my gaze lowered to the polished hardwood floor to avoid eye contact with my tormentors.

"You called, Luna?" I asked, my voice trembling as I nervously licked my dry lips.

"It’s been so long since the last time I saw you," Luna Vera spoke to me in a surprisingly pleasant tone, one usually reserved for wealthy guests and allied Alphas. I was a punching bag. I was never spoken to like that.

"Greet Alpha Declan, Sienna," Alpha Lawson scoffed from the head of the table, his tone laced with venom.

I forced myself to glance up, intending to offer a quick, submissive nod, but the moment my eyes lifted, they refused to look away.

My hazel eyes locked onto a pair of intense, blazing silver orbs. It was like the sun colliding with the moon. The blinding bright crashing against the all-consuming dark night.

A violent jolt of raw energy shot down through my chest, striking my core and tightening every single muscle in my body until I was rigid. It felt exactly like getting struck by lightning in a downpour. The raw sensation of the current jolted every dormant nerve ending awake, leaving my skin buzzing and hot.

My breath caught permanently in my throat. I couldn't look away from his face. I dropped my gaze from those silver eyes to his proud, straight nose, and then to his thick lips. He stared back at me and slowly licked his bottom lip with the lazy, calculated patience of a starving predator that finally had its prey cornered and planned to savor every single drop of blood.

"Sienna?" he rumbled, testing the syllables of my name on his tongue.

A full-body shudder racked my frame. The way he said it sounded too dark, too hot. The temperature in the massive dining room spiked instantly, suffocating me.

"Yeah, she is the rascal who got my Gamma couple killed years ago. Still, we took pity on her pathetic life and gave her shelter inside our home," Alpha Lawson sneered, leaning back in his chair with a mocking grin.

Hot humiliation tainted my cheeks red, allowing every powerful person in the room to see my shame burning on my skin. I swallowed the thick lump forming in my throat and forced my gaze back down to my worn-out shoes.

My heart was in a race of its own, hammering against my bruised ribs. I didn't even know what or who it was trying to outrun. I clasped my shaky hands tightly together in front of me, digging my nails into my palms to hold them still.

"Why is she bruised?"

The startling, booming authority of the stranger's voice made me flinch. I stumbled a step backward, finding the sheer weight of his presence too much to bear. My knees went weak. The strange, slick heat pooling in my lower body was becoming too intense to handle. I had never experienced this kind of visceral, instinctual reaction to a man before.

"She slipped in her bathroom. She is quite clumsy. She has the brain of a chicken," Cole chuckled from his seat, sipping his wine like he hadn't just kicked me into a bloody mess hours prior.

The lie was utterly humiliating. If I could dig a hole through the hardwood floor and bury myself there for the rest of my miserable life, I would have done it without hesitation.

"Bathroom?" Declan's voice dropped lower, shedding its previous volume for a throaty, dangerous growl. The sound reverberated directly in my lower abdomen, vibrating through my bones and almost making me gasp out loud.

"Yeah, Alpha! She is just like that sometimes, always tripping over her own feet," Luna Vera added smoothly, offering a fake, sympathetic smile.

A heavy, suffocating silence descended over the room. I stood frozen, feeling the scorching, physical heat of Declan's unblinking stare burning into the side of my face. It made my skin prickle, forcing me to shift uncomfortably from my left foot to my right.

"I need her."

Alpha Declan issued the command without raising his voice. It was arrogant, overflowing with supreme confidence, and entirely non-negotiable.

My gaze snapped back to his face in pure shock. I stared at the man, truly taking in his features. He was ruggedly handsome, possessing a sharp, chiseled jawline that could rival a Greek statue. But it was his sheer size that dominated the space. He was built like a mountain. Thick, corded muscles bulged visibly against the fabric of the tight white dress shirt he wore beneath a tailored black jacket.

I noticed the dark, intricate ink of tattoos peeking out from above his collar, crawling up his thick neck. I instantly tore my gaze away from his throat, looking back up at his face, terrified he would catch me staring.

I was the sole object of his attention. His intense silver stare never faltered, tracking my every micro-expression. I took another step back, unable to withstand the sheer gravity of his focus.

"Uh, Alpha Declan. What does that mean, exactly?" Luna Vera spoke up, her fake smile faltering as she asked the one question that threatened to split the ground open and swallow me whole.

"You heard me. I need her," he repeated. Every single word hit a raw nerve deep inside my chest, stealing the oxygen from my lungs.

"She is not up for sale, if you think this is some kind of auction," Cole hissed, slamming his glass onto the table, his sudden defense surprising me. He wasn't defending my honor; he considered me his personal property, his favorite punching bag.

He was talking about buying me? What the hell was happening?

"Shut your mouth," Alpha Lawson growled at his son, his eyes flashing with warning.

"Dad—"

"Cole," Luna Vera warned, her voice dropping its sweet facade for a fraction of a second.

Cole clamped his mouth shut, his jaw ticking in rage. I looked at his frustrated, glaring eyes for a moment before deciding it was far safer to stare at the intricate patterns on the floor rug.

"What are you suggesting, Alpha?" Luna Vera's voice shifted, coming out breathy and sultry as she leaned forward, trying to charm him.

"Name the price. What do you want for her?" Declan spoke with a chilling indifference and icy coldness that stripped the air from the room, making the entire situation feel sick and disgusting.

My heart lurched violently. I took another unsteady step back. It was nearly impossible to stand on my own two feet. They were casually sitting over dinner, discussing selling and buying me like I was a broken, useless piece of furniture.

"Why do you want her, Alpha?" Luna Vera stressed, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I need her. And it’s none of your business." Declan shut her down with a harsh, grating voice. A lethal warning lingered on the sharp edge of each syllable, daring her to try poking her nose into his affairs again.

"What if we say... ten million, Alpha Declan? Will you be willing to pay?" Alpha Lawson chuckled nervously, throwing out an astronomical number as a joke, testing the waters.

Panic seized my throat in an iron grip. "You can't just sell me. I am not up for sale," I muttered, the words spilling out before I could stop them.

My gaze collided with his scorching silver eyes again. My very soul trembled under the sheer intensity of his focus. The tension in the room skyrocketed, and the temperature shot to a new, unbearable height.

"We will always decide what is best for your future, Sienna darling. Don’t doubt it, and stay silent," Luna Vera spoke pleasantly, but underneath the sugar-coated words lay a venomous, hidden warning that only I could decipher.

*Try speaking again, and I will cut your tongue out.* That was the true message she wanted me to receive.

My heartbeat pounded so hard I felt it in my teeth. I gripped my fingers together, my nails drawing half-moons in my skin to ground myself and remain calm.

I lowered my eyes, taking a fearful peek at the imposing man. I found him calmly typing something on his sleek phone. His dark brows bunched together as he concentrated, radiating a dark, terrifying vibe that made the hairs on my arms stand up.

Why was he doing this? Who was he? What did a monster like him want with a pregnant, broken rogue like me?

"The money is in your pack’s account. Hand her over." He shoved the phone back into the inner pocket of his dark jacket and stood up.

Suddenly, the massive dining room felt no bigger than a closet. I stumbled backward as he strode forward. He moved with deliberate, lethal preciseness, closing the distance between us in heavy steps that left my heartbeat drumming loudly in my ears. The world tilted on its axis, throwing my reality into chaos.

"You can take her in the morning. We want to say a proper goodbye to her, Alpha," Alpha Lawson said, jumping up from his chair and stepping quickly to block Declan’s path.

I knew exactly what Lawson meant. He wanted to keep me here tonight to forcefully abort my baby before handing me over to this stranger.

"No." Declan refused instantly, his voice a low crack of thunder.

This couldn't be happening. A few more steps and this massive stranger would literally drag me out of the pack house by my hair. All my carefully laid plans, my ticket to the Willow Pack, would be destroyed. I would be dragged into an unfamiliar nightmare.

I was stuck. There was a roaring inferno marching right toward me, and the absolute promise of destruction standing behind me.

Declan shoved Alpha Lawson out of his way with casual, terrifying ease and closed the remaining distance. My heartbeat slowed down to a heavy, agonizing thump until I couldn't even hear it anymore.

He halted directly in front of me, leaving mere inches between our chests. The silver moon in his eyes burned down into the hazel sun in mine, threatening to consume all the heat in my body and still remain starved. The intense, crackling energy between us left me panting, my chest heaving up and down.

I only came up to the base of his thick neck. I had to throw my head back to look at his face from this proximity. He was devastatingly intimidating, and the raw heat rolling off his large frame left me tingling and hot everywhere.

I took one final, desperate step backward. My shoulder blades hit the solid wall behind me, closing off my last route of escape. I was pinned between the wall and a predator.

"I want to stay the night," I pleaded, staring up into those burning silver orbs, my voice barely a whisper. "Please."

A heavy, suffocating moment of silence passed. He stole a slow glance at my quivering bottom lip before dragging his gaze back up to my wide, moist eyes.

"Just tonight." He stepped back smoothly, giving me space as if he had only been waiting for me to speak up and claim what I wanted.

I released the breath I didn't know I was holding, spun around, and bolted out of the dining room. I didn't care about the crippling pain in my ribs or the limp in my step.

I couldn't go with that man. A powerful Alpha buying a rogue for ten million dollars didn't mean salvation. He would probably do far worse things to me than Cole ever did.

I would run tonight, and then I would never look back. All these horrible, rotten people would be left behind. It would only be me and my baby, safe and hidden where this silver-eyed stranger could never find us.

I reached my room, breathing hard, and immediately checked my hidden bag behind the small cupboard. Before I could catch my breath, the door to my room slammed open, hitting the wall with a crack. Luna Vera marched inside, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Lu—Luna," I stuttered, backing away.

"How do you know him?" she demanded, kicking the door shut behind her.

"I don't know him. I swear I have never seen him before in my life," I blurted, my hands raised defensively.

"Why is he so keen on getting you then?" She folded her arms tightly over her chest, stopping in the middle of the cramped room and glaring at me like I was a cockroach.

"I—I don't know." I frantically searched my memories, but I couldn't recall ever meeting a man with silver eyes and neck tattoos.

"Tell me the truth, Sienna. You know I won’t hurt you if you just tell the truth," she said, clicking her tongue in a mocking, motherly tone that made my skin crawl.

"I swear on Goddess Selene, I don't know," I shook my head adamantly.

"Annoying." She pinched the bridge of her nose, her fake patience evaporating. "Anyways, get ready. The doctor will arrive in exactly one hour. Get rid of that filth growing inside you and go with him in the morning."

My blood turned to ice. My body went completely rigid at the command. I blinked the hot tears back and stood my ground, my hands instinctively hovering over my flat stomach.

"It’s so good to finally be able to get rid of you and actually get paid for it. It's like a dream come true," she sighed dreamily, a cruel smile stretching her lips as she turned and walked out of the room.

It was all so sickeningly dirty. They were selling me. That man had bought me. They all viewed me as a meaningless, expendable possession.

The door clicked shut. I stood paralyzed in the center of the room for several agonizing minutes, waiting for the inevitable heavy footsteps of Cole coming down the hall to stand guard or beat me into submission before the doctor arrived.

I waited and waited, but even after half an hour, the hallway remained dead silent. The realization hit me like a splash of cold water. Alpha Lawson must have been holding Cole back, likely arguing over the ten million dollars or finalizing the arrangements with Declan.

This was it. This was my only window of opportunity.

I dashed toward the corner, grabbed my backpack, and slung the straps over my shoulders. I quickly shoved my feet into my worn-out sneakers and rushed to the window. I unlocked the latch and pushed the glass pane up, eternally grateful that they had forced me to live in this damp, ground-floor room. It made my escape possible.

I swung my legs over the sill and dropped quietly into the dirt outside. My heart skipped dangerous beats as I crept through the shadows of the pack house, freezing every time I heard the distant voices of pack members laughing in the courtyards. I stuck to the dense bushes, navigating the patrol routes I had memorized over years of observation.

The terrifying thought of a guard spotting me, or Alpha Lawson realizing I was gone, left me breathless and dizzy, but I forced my legs to keep moving.

After enduring endless years of abuse, isolation, and pain, it was finally time to break my chains. A massive wave of relief washed through my chest the second my boots crossed the invisible boundary line of the pack territory. The oppressive magic of Lawson's domain vanished from my shoulders. I was on the main road, heading straight for the bus stop.

I ran, my sneakers slapping against the asphalt, and I refused to look over my shoulder.

There was nothing keeping me here. No lingering attachment. No family. No home.

I reached the empty station just as the late-night bus to Oakhaven Town pulled up, its brakes squealing loudly in the quiet night. I paid my fare with trembling fingers and practically collapsed into a seat near the back.

It was only then, as the bus lurched forward and the pack lands faded into the darkness, that I finally allowed myself to look back out the dirty window.

As the trees blurred past, a strange, hollow feeling of intense loss settled heavily in my chest. A vivid image of those piercing silver eyes flashed brightly in my mind, burning into my thoughts and making that unexplainable heat return to my belly.

I shook my head violently, forcing the image away. I pressed my hands firmly against my stomach.

I had to do this for my baby. I would protect this child with every ounce of strength I had left, and I would fight against the rest of the world to keep it safe.