Mario’s POV

" Toss her in the dungeon" I ordered harshly looking away from her face. It was first time I had said those words, I was not sure if it would be the last.

I look at the sky, it was dark blue, the full moon hanging in a bulb pale and bright. Stars littering the sky like small crystals, I found it annoying this full moon. It meant one thing, I was unmated Alpha, one who had to rule large community of werewolves, a community that placed stock on a family man rather than capability. I needed an heir and I could only get one if I had a mate, so far I had no luck having spent seven years after my mating ceremony had not gone unnoticed, so here I was at the slave market, rumors had it that, a true blood was on the market, if I was not getting a mate I needed a child from a woman with pure blood so here I was at a slave market, a place I had never thought I'd be at in my life because frankly I didn't want to see the product of a war that had cost me everything.

My beta rushed out if the car and opened my door, I sighed looking to him, if it would actually work I would have reminded him that I was capable of opening my own door, but Frederick was my butler,we had been together for almost twenty years he had stopped listening to me for far longer that was plausible.

I got off the car and stood surveying the room around me,it was filled to the brim, people from all over the continent spread around the room, reaching for the merchandise that were laid across the stage, women, men, all in various states of undress.

I knew her as I saw her,she caught my attention with a pull that I couldn't explain, her hair was a dark inky black packed in a random and tardy plait and then there was a scent that she had so thin that I didn't realise it until I was very close to her, peaches and wildflowers,I stiffened my body reacting to that scent but then it disappeared and I wondered if I had been wrong.

She was wearing a short, sheer pink gown, it wrapped around her drawing attention to her skin,she looked perfect so at least looks wise my children would be perfect, I drew closer to the stage, the muttering got silent and the owner of the place a trader called Travis a thin man who loved money almost as much as he loved himself,drew closer to me huddling by my side

" Is this the true blood" I asked and he nodded frantically

" She’s the prime stuff, if I had known you were coming, I'd have reserved her for you" he muttered and I grimaced, I walked to the girl, she shivered her coal black eyes turning distant and filled with fear, lifting my hands to her face I smiled when she flinched, lowering them to run over her chest ,she shivered, her eyes looking to the floor then up at me, I looked to the man by Travis a short and broad man with a balding spot and terribly hawk like eyes

" Is she good for breeding" I asked Travis and he grinned, I could hear the murmur of excitement going through the room, unlike most Alpha's I didn't chase women, I wanted ad little to do with them as possible the only woman who would have been worth my time would be my Luna. I knew it was coarse to make such statements but it was the truth, people called me cold and psychopath for saying what I felt, I found them to be hard cored liars. I looked to the uncle who for whatever reason was selling his family member,and then to her – she'd likely be better off with him

"How much, I want her" I muttered, she stiffened and I smiled, the man in front of my raised his brows and muttered his price, I smiled, he could have gone higher, Travis definitely knew that because he was dismayed when I murmured. I turned to my beta nodding my assent, and because I could hear Travis teeth grinding, I leaned into him and muttered that he give Travis a tip.

I looked to the woman who I had effectively bought and gestured to her to follow me, I turned walked a few feet and paused when she wasn't behind me.

I turned to her and glared

" Don't make me say it again" I gritted,she bent in on herself and followed me off the stage,

She got into the car and we drove off immediately on the drive i worked on the issues the pack was having, the Red Raven was one of the largest packs in the territories, with over five thousand werewolves and a few humans, we had borders and land to protect which meant every once in a while I had to play the posturing game with other Alpha's and elders. It was annoying and frankly a waste of my time, an a reason I was here in the first place.

She kept peeking at me, I wasn't sure what she was hoping to find but I was getting irritated by all the glances, each time I looked to her she avoided my gaze

" Do you want something" I asked finally and she stilled, I sighed closing my laptop

" I'm listening"

" Why did you buy me" she whispered her voice almost to low to actually hear what she was saying but werewolf hearing kicked in

" I need an heir hence I need a breeder" I shrugged

"Why not find a mate" she asked looking at me with a wary expression, I stared into her eyes

" I don't have one" and she shrunk into her seat, her discomfort amused me but I refrained from smiling, normal people were offended when I did that.

The rest of the drive was spent in silence, she was either too uncomfortable to say more or just tired, I didn't care either way so I went back to work.

I got off the car and ordered a maid to take her to a room, I stalked forward to my office, my beta and a few others following behind me,

" What is the problem" I asked and Richard, another close beta and a good friend tossed a file onto my desk, I picked it up and opened it scanning through it I huffed with annoyance

" They couldn't fucking wait" I muttered,

The Red Raven pack was made of pack land that spread over two hundred acres, with that much land we had neighbors, to the south was mostly just forest but up north was a small pack the Howl, those one were complacent enough, it was the pack next to them, on the west of our borders that caused me constant headaches, the Golden Wolves, those one figured that they could rule the Coast if they tried hard enough so they were always crossing our border lines. I hissed at the headache, normally I'd go there and wipe them off but I did need to do this diplomacy thing.

I tossed the file to the table

" I'll see Alpha Krane" I muttered,palming at my forehead, I heard a crash then running feet and I tensed. I knew that scent peaches and wildflowers, I smiled darkly and bolted.

Running along the hall my ears sensitive to the sounds around me as well as that god-damned scent that I followed, she rushed out the hall into the corridor and out an open chaise door, I followed in hot pursuit cutting her off just as she was about to enter the forest cover, she squirmed in my grasp hitting at my arm and squealing, annoyed beyond measure, I twirled her around and set her in her feet slapping her immediately, the sounds rang around the clearing she stiffened, her hands cradling her cheek, I stalked over to her looming over her

" I own you! Do this again and I'll fucking kill you" I warned, she shrunk in on herself as I nodded to a guard

" Lock her in the dungeon" I ordered, she paled as they grabbed her hands, pleading and begging her face white and blotchy red , tears already forming as they pulled her away.