His words hung in the air, leaving me stunned.

Why would someone like him offer help to a lowly omega like me? The question lingered, perplexing me.

As I pondered, he did something unexpected – he reached out and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. The physical contact startled me, as such displays of affection were unheard of in my world.

His actions left me even more bewildered, struggling to make sense of the situation.

Suddenly, a deep, dark chuckle disrupted our silent exchange.

"An alpha smitten by a simple omega. What's so special about her, Orion?" Alpha Zion inquired, his strong arm slinking around my neck as he pulled me firmly against his hard chest.

A chill coursed down my spine as his rough fingers closed around my neck. I couldn't help but notice the cold touch of his rings against my skin.

My heart thudded loudly in my ears. As I locked eyes with Alpha Orion, I saw fury, pure fury, reflecting in his intense gaze. His focus was on my neck, and I noticed his jaw clenching.

Now, I was curious as well.

Why was Alpha Orion interested in me? And I knew because of his interest, Alpha Zion bid for me, they were arch-rivals after all.

Phew! I did remember something.

Alpha Orion approached, his anger palpable. His normally grey eyes transformed into a deep midnight black.

"You may have won this round," he said, getting closer, "but don't forget, if anything – and I mean anything – happens to her, you won't live to see another sunrise. Mark my words," he warned with intensity, his gaze piercing.

All the wolves from Argent Crest growled, their eyes glowing as they surrounded us in a circle.

Alpha Orion openly threatened their Alpha, not to mention for ME!

For the second time tonight, this Alpha has displayed kindness in public for an omega. My mind refused to wrap around the fact that this was actually happening.

An Alpha was actually defending me.

This was so unreal. None of this made sense.

"Why don't I just end her right now and let fate decide who sees the next dawn?" Alpha Zion sneered, his fingers tightening around my throat, cutting off my oxygen supply. I gasped for breath, my chained hands involuntarily rising in a feeble attempt to break free.

"Le-Lea... Let go..." I struggled to speak, tears welling up in my eyes as I tried to escape his grip.

"Enough of this!" Alpha Orion's authoritative voice thundered through the room.

After a few agonizing seconds, Alpha Zion released his grip, but his hand lingered around my neck as I coughed violently, gasping for air.

One thing was clear: Alpha Orion and Alpha Zion-who were having a fierce stare-down- they were brimming with a burning desire to tear the other's throat out, and I was caught in between their animosity.

Fuck my life!

Alpha Zion released his grip on my throat, his disgust evident as he spat, "Unchain her, Cillian."

As much as it killed me to admit it, there was no denying the powerful authority that glistened around him.

He pushed me toward Beta Cillian who silently observed the scene with his green eyes. Why was he telling his Beta to do this work when he could ask any other lower-rank wolf?

To my surprise, Beta Cillian didn't drag me forcefully; instead, he gently removed the cuffs from my wrists. He motioned for me to uncuff my ankles, which I gladly did, feeling a newfound lightness in my legs.

Alpha Zion's authoritative voice echoed, "Come, slave."

I could sense he was addressing me without even looking. Knowing better than to defy him, especially with his wolves ready to strike at any sign of rebellion, I obediently followed his order.

Now, don't get me wrong—I've got a backbone. But even the bravest of slaves understand when it's time to toe the line.

Suddenly, a voice popped into my head, quite literally.

"Seriously? You're saying that, someone who decided to spit in my face."

I was taken aback, and before I could respond, he added, "Relax."

I stood there, baffled, and my whole body felt like it lost all strength.

What on earth just happened?

I'd never experienced anything like this before.

Alpha Orion fixed his intense gaze on me, irritation vivid in his stormy eyes. "Keep that fiery spirit alive, Aliyah," he said, his tone cold but oddly gentle.

I was taken aback that he used my name; it had been months since anyone bothered. Tears formed in my eyes – this marked the third occasion he had treated me with kindness and respect.

Suddenly, Alpha Zion let out a low, almost animalistic growl that reverberated through his chest. He grabbed my forearm, surprising me, and then:

"Get her to the carriage," he commanded, his tone stern. "We're leaving immediately."

Dread washed over me; he was actually planning to take me along. Panic set in, and I couldn't believe this was really happening.

My mind raced, chanting, 'This can't be real! This can't be real! This can't be real!'

He effortlessly held me back, my futile struggles against his grip proving useless.

Alpha Orion's gaze locked onto mine, and I silently begged him to rescue me from the impending doom.

For some strange reason, I trusted him. However, as his once stormy eyes turned pitch black without any intervention, my last glimmer of hope faded away.

With a sharp turn, he walked away, leaving the hall in a storm of emotions.

Panic surged through me, pushing me to break free from this beast.

Driven by desperation, I aimed a series of punches at Alpha Zion's chest, gearing up for a fight with every ounce of strength I had left.

"Let me go, you piece of crap!" I bellowed.

His eyes flickered, turning a radiant golden hue, intercepting my next punch and inflicting a painful twist on my wrists.

"Ah!" I exclaimed in agony.

A sharp, snapping sound echoed through the air. Despite the pain coursing through me, I pressed on, refusing to surrender without a fight. My world turned to chaos as a cold object pierced my skin, causing an instantaneous numbing effect.

Heavy lids closed over my eyes, and everything faded to black around me.

.

.

I jolted awake, feeling a tingling sensation spreading across my skin like wildfire. As I slowly opened my eyes, I winced and rubbed the sharp pain throbbing on the left side of my neck.

"Ouch, that stings!" I muttered, my hand instinctively reaching to massage the sore spot.

A tense pain hammered away on the right side of my head, making me wince even more. My neck felt stiff and achy, and my whole body seemed to ache.

I groaned, "What on earth happened?" while trying to piece together the events that led to this uncomfortable awakening.

My eyesight was all fuzzy, and darkness engulfed me. 

Struggling to rise, my body seemed to have a different plan. A groan escaped my lips as I rolled onto my side, attempting to get up. 

Dizziness washed over me, making me feel all woozy. Against the odds, I managed to prop myself halfway up, only to come crashing down again.

"UGH! Where the hell am I?" I exclaimed, squinting into the darkness, conscious of the weight of the black coat clinging to me.

Hold on, the coat?

The sudden appearance of the Alpha with piercing silver eyes in my thoughts brought back a rush of memories. It all circled back to the auction, where Alpha Orion had unmistakably shown his interest in me. 

The events unfolded, leading to Alpha Zion confidently staking his claim over me.

A chill ran down my spine as the reality sank in—I was now his. He had chosen me as his slave.

Taking in my surroundings, I observed the grim reality of my situation. I found myself confined in a cage, the air tainted with the unpleasant odors of urine and vomit. The stench of death lingered, intensifying the eerie atmosphere.

I'm now labeled as the dark Alpha's chosen slave. My eyes widened with fear, but I mustered the strength to rise. 

Getting out of there was my priority!

First things first, I had to find something to defend myself. Frantically, I scanned the surroundings for anything useful— a rock, a stick, anything. Unfortunately, my search yielded nothing. Then, a thought struck me, and I quickly checked the pockets of my coat.

In a matter of seconds, my fingers seized something cold. As I pulled it out, I discovered a folded knife.

"YES! YES!"

Fueled by a surge of determination, I pounded on the cell door. Perhaps, I thought, my relentless banging would provoke the guard on duty into making a fatal mistake – either they'd end my torment by killing me, or I'd seize the opportunity to make a daring escape.

"Let me out! Let me out! Now!"

My desperate cries echoed through the confined space, reaching a menacing-looking guard who stormed over, kicking the front bars of the cage in response to the commotion.

"What's going on in here?" he barked, his voice rough and gruff, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.

His eyes glowed with a golden intensity, revealing his displeasure at my interruption. I didn't feel the least bit sorry for whatever I had disrupted.

But then again, he shouldn't have locked me up in that cage. I shot back a fierce look to match his hateful stare as he sauntered in with a smirk playing on his lips.

"Didn't anyone tell you it's not polite to stare, little girl?" he taunted.

Little girl? Seriously?

I retorted, " Screw you."

Oops, I messed up my words big time. Without warning, he grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me out of that darn cage. I couldn't help but kick and scream – that's just me. All the while, he was so fixated on me that he completely missed the fact that I had a knife in my other hand.

My scream echoed as I thrust the knife into his neck. He let go of me like a hot potato, and I struggled to regain my balance, scrambling back onto my feet.

With no clue about where I was headed, I just knew it had to be lightyears away from that place!

I sprinted down a dim, cramped hallway, never once glancing over my shoulder.

My heart thudded like clouds thunder as I sprinted, my go-to skill. Back home, I'd put in the effort to boost my endurance, always prepping for the worst. 

You know, gotta stay strong to survive.

Amid my frantic dash, I risked a quick glance backward. 

Phew, no one on my tail. But out of nowhere, bam! 

I crashed into something as solid as a rock. I looked up, and the piercing arctic gaze I met sent my heart into a frenzy.

"Damn it!"