CHAPTER 2: THE TRANSACTION

"Wait!" Alan exclaimed, stepping into the circle where Summer was held firmly.

"Do not kill her yet." Alan let out and the guards holding on to her turned around to stare at him with surprise written all over their faces.

"Before you kill her, make her dance to her music. We do not want her to just go through a painless death, or do you? Torture her first, make sure she feels the impact of killing her parents." Alan smirked and rubbed his hands maniacally.

The people cheered the moment Alan said that, it was evident that they were all in support of what Alan had just said. To Summer, the cheers and excitement of the people hit her like a brick wall, it felt as if she was in another world entirely. She couldn't believe how quickly the people turnned against her, how quickly they believed that after all these years of protecting them, she would be able to commit such atrocity—killing her parents.

"Yes. That's right, let's torture her until her body cannot take it anymore." Someone from the crowd yelled out. The guards let go of her hands, leaving her to drop to the ground like a mere piece of item.

Summer had now been turned into an object of ridicule, and everyone, including the elders, began to spite her. Some spat at her and those who were bold enough to get close to her regardless of the guards before her, tugged at her and slapped her across the face.

Summer's face had been battered and was left in ruins so much that she was unrecognizable. She was going through so much pain that her body suddenly went numb.

"That's enough!" A male voice boomed from behind the crowd, all of a sudden. All heads turned around to behold who had the nerve to stop them from unleashing justice on a murderer.

"I said that is enough!" The Lycan king, whose head was above every other, emerged from amongst the crowd, strolling casually into the room.

"You all have had your fun so let the woman be," Dominic added as he made his way toward Summer.

Everyone who had been attacking Summer moved to the side as Dominic advanced further. Most of them wondered what the Lycan king was doing here, and the rest of them whispered to themselves as they were in awe of the Lycan king's presence.

Alan was mostly speechless when he saw Dominic. Alan couldn't help but wonder what Dominic was doing here and why he had decided to indulge himself in the affairs of mere werewolves since he was a Lycan.

Dominic hovered over Summer, who was on the brink of passing out. "How much would it cost for you to sell her to me?" Dominic went straight to the point, addressing a surprised Alan.

"Uhm, I am sorry but this woman isn't for sale," Alan stated, looking from Dominic to Summer.

"As the Lycan king, I demand that she be sold to me. Name your price, werewolf and I'll have the money ready this instant." Dominic boomed.

Alan swallowed and took a step backward. Why would Dominic suddenly demand to buy Summer? He didn't even know her and besides, he had no idea what Dominic's plans for Summer were.

Alan swallowed the bile in his throat, opening his mouth to speak but hesitated and closed his mouth back.

"Have you suddenly gone speechless?" Dominic questioned Alan rhetorically.

"Well then, if this werewolf has gone dumb, can someone tell me how much it would cost me to buy this battered werewolf on the floor," Dominic asked the crowd, gesturing toward Summer, but nobody responded to him.

Alan clenched his teeth and rolled his fists into balls. He knew that if the Lycan king wanted Summer, he had no other choice than to sell her to him. He tried to look at the bright side and imagine the huge amount of money that he could make off Summer, and probably the price that Alan would put on her head would discourage him from buying her.

"Alright!" Alan let out, grabbing Dominic's attention, "I'm going to sell her to you." Alan forced himself to say. He looked at the elders for a moment before moving closer to Dominic to whisper the amount he wanted to sell Summer for in his ear.

"That is outrageously expensive!" Dominic bellowed when Alan had told him the price. Alan tried to discreetly signal to him not to disclose the price that he had told him.

"I will be back here tomorrow to pay you the money." Dominic said to Alan, "....and you can count on my word." Dominic added and crouched to pick up Summer from the floor. He didn't mind the blood that spilled from her body and soiled his clothes as he made his way out of the throne room.

The people couldn't help but stare at Dominic as he walked away, blood dripping from Summer's body. Dominic made his way to his pack.

"Why did you sell her to him?" An elder came to Alan and grabbed his hand, shaking him in the process.

"What do you suggest I should have done instead?!" Alan sneered at the elder as he yanked his hand away from the elder's grasp.

"You know that Summer doesn't deserve to live after what she has done." The elder continued.

"Why don't you ask the Lycan King to return her to you so you can strangle her with your bare hands?" Alan replied sarcastically.

The elder looked at him for a moment before he stepped back.

"He's right, Alan, Summer doesn't deserve to live." Davina chipped in.

"Listen, the Lycan king had already agreed to pay the money that I have requested from him, and I don't want you or any other person to ruin this for me, do you hear me?" Alan said, addressing Davina and the elders, before storming out of the throne room.

Davina stared at him in disbelief as he walked away and slowly the crowd also began to disperse, as each returned to their houses obviously shocked at the turn of events.