7: Cold and shivering

Cold and shivering, I slumped to the ground with my head feeling dizzy. It was seven days since I left my pack, Moonraven, and ran to the vast outskirts of Seattle from Vancouver, scared that Benedict's men must be hunting me down. But I guess this is the farthest I could get with no money and food.

I leaned on the tree and closed my eyes. The light from the horizon was starting to fade and I could barely see a faint light from where I was because of the tall trees surrounding me. Sure, it was a good place to die, somewhere peaceful and calm. But should I allow myself to just die like this after my parents sacrificed themselves for my freedom? Should I put their efforts into waste by giving up?

I don't think I have the heart to do that. But I also don't know where I can get strength in the middle of wilderness.

I can't help but ponder about some things. Too much trust and kindness were my father's weakness. He trusted Benedict and the people surrounding him too much that he was blinded by their lies and deceptions.

Back then, seeing how kind my father was, I was always proud of him. I looked up to his pure heart and I once dreamt of leading the pack with the same kindness he showed our people. But when I saw how those he trusted took advantage of his good heart, I wished he wasn't good at all. If one is too kind, it is easier for the wicked to take everything from you. What's the use of being good when you will receive no goodness in return?

The same time the darkness finally dawned, consciousness slipped away from me.

I woke up in a dimly lit room, doubting if I was in the afterlife. But after a few moments and feeling the pain in my head, I realized I was lucky enough to be still alive.

I heard muffled voices and cries and that was when realization hit me. I figured out I was tied, slumping in the cold tiles with thin clothes that could barely protect me from cold, and I wasn't alone in the room. There were like a dozen women, barely clothed and tied like me. Some were crying while some remained silent but had forlorn expressions on their faces.

"What's this?" I asked the girl close to me confusedly. I remember I was in the woods, alone and barely breathing. Why am I suddenly in a room with weeping women as if they were to stay here against their will?

"I have no idea myself…" the girl replied in a shuddering voice. "I-I was on my way home from school when a man suddenly grabbed me and put me inside a van. I can't remember anything else aside from that. But I think I know who those people are."

"Who?"

"Human traffickers from underground society. I know about this because my father used to be a part of it… and I know once in a while, like in several months or a year, they hold an auction in which women are the ones to be auctioned."

I was shocked. I didn't know something like this was happening in the city. I was raised in a town in Vancouver and spent my past nineteen years in a peaceful environment with the pack but today, I proved that I am yet to know many things in the world. I can't say that humans alone are the mastermind of this. Wolf shifters have a fair share of evil too and I have already seen it with my own eyes.

I want to shift and save myself from damnation but I was too weak to even move. Besides, humans had long known the existence of wolf shifters. They have advanced weapons to kill us and considering my state, I'd just end up dying so quickly than one could imagine. I better save my energy to see a way out from this hell.

After a while, armed men arrived along with a blonde woman who must be in her forties. She threatened the other girls to stop crying or else she would send them to the stage naked. I gritted my teeth in silence, pinning in my mind the image of the woman so I won't forget.

We were untied and told to go out without creating a fuss. The armed men were by our sides, ensuring that we won't be able to escape. I didn't feel the urge to cry. I was furious at how helpless I was in my situation. I was living the life of a town girl peacefully a week ago and now I have to face such cruelty. Moon goddess, what have I done to receive such a punishment? I never did evil to anyone.

The sharp light directed to us on the stage was blinding. The crowd cheered when we were pushed to the stand in front of their eyes, and from their voices, I could say that the majority of them are men, if not all of them are.

When I was put to the stand to be auctioned, my fist clenched at my side as I watched the evilness in every man's eyes looking at me. There were a lot of them and I don't know if Benedict was there or one of his men was, but one thing was for sure at that point. I will be sold to a man like a creature nothing less than an animal. Who knows what will happen to me in his hands, but I will do whatever it takes to survive even if it means losing my soul in the process.

"Two thousand dollars!"

"Five!"

"Ten!"

"Fifteen!"

I looked at the crowd with nothing but the glowing wrath in my eyes. I wanted to kill every man who looked at me as if I was just a thing at their disposal. How I wished I could.

"Fifty!"

"Eighty!"

"One hundred and fif—"

"One million."

The crowd fell silent, even the host was shocked. I was, too. But then weren't these men from the underground society? Their money for sure came from illegal doings. I shouldn't be surprised that they didn't care about spending hundreds or a million dollars just to have a woman sweep off their feet.

"I am surprised, I must say! That is the highest bid so far!" blabbered the host.

My eyes stayed at the sea of men, searching for the man who was willing to buy me for a million dollars.

Then there I saw a man who stood out amongst the crowd. There was distance between him and the people as if he didn't want to be touched by anyone. He wasn't an old man with wrinkles on his face like I expected. He was young, probably just a few years older than me, and his height and build were not average. He was in a dark three-piece suit without a tie, his short black hair was neatly combed back, and his eyes were… amber.

That made me realize he wasn't human. He was a wolf shifter.

"Going once!"

"Going twice!"

"Sold!"

My heart skipped a beat.

I'm not sure if the man meant luck or misery, but at that point I only know one thing. I can use him to get out of this hell. I have no idea what he's planning to do with me but I'm ready for the worst. If he will have me as his whore or his slave, then so be it. Staying pure doesn't matter now. Staying alive does.

I need to live no matter what the odds are because that's the only way I can avenge my family.

"You are one lucky lass. You got a rich man to take you in," said the woman who is dressing me up. I don't have the energy to move so I just let her do what she wants.

I stared at the mirror mindlessly, and didn't have the time to care how I looked or what dress I was wearing. The bruises in my arms I got from running in the forest were covered with long sleeves of my knee-length dress. The other girls were dressed with short sleeves, I was the only exception and I guess it was because I'd looked horrible with my bruises. My pale lips were also now painted with rouge. But no matter how decent I look as of the moment, I knew it was all a façade. I've been sold to a man I didn't know.

It would have been better if he was just a human. I could easily escape him once I regained my strength, but that wasn't the case. The man was a wolf shifter just like me. He looked strong. He looked like someone not easy to deal with.

I was ushered to a different room right after and the staff who went with me left immediately when I stepped inside. The room was spacious and grand but dark. The tall windows were fully covered with dark curtains. Only some candles were lit up, which was not enough to lighten the entire room. It was rather creepy.

Suddenly, a man stepped from the dark and I instantly stepped back. I stopped when I recognized him as the man who boldly bid a million dollars for me.

"Who are you?" I asked because I knew he couldn't have done it just because he wanted to bed me or to enslave me. Even if he's someone so rich like he's breathing money everywhere, he won't spend that big just for a whore who's not even special.

I had a fair share of suitors. I had boyfriends, and most of them told me I was likable enough, lovely. But I know better. I can be called lovely but I know a lot of girls are much prettier than me. I'm what people call the "average".

And this man certainly doesn't belong to the average station. He's oozing in manliness. He doesn't just have a pleasant face, but he's also very attractive. Attractive in a very odd and dark way. He can look at you and say he'll kill you through his eyes. He's manly, so manly, that I can imagine how strong he will be once he's shifted. And I wonder what color his fur is, if he's the alpha of his pack, where he came from, or if he even has a pack.

It's impossible for a man like him to take a whore like me. Not that I'm looking down on myself, but I prefer the truth. I always do.

There are few possible reasons why he bought me for a million dollars and reached this far. First, he has a weird preference and really wants to bed me. Second, he's a filthy rich psycho who murders people without reason and I'm his next victim. Third, the most crucial, he knows Benedict, maybe he's a partner of his or a friend, and he knows who I am and he plans to sell me to him at a much bigger price.

But I'm more convinced of the latter.

And it's making me freaking nervous I think I'm going to kill myself from acting rash in front of this man.

"You're so tense. Loosen up a bit and take a seat, Madeline," he spoke calmly and sat on the one-seater sofa across from her. Beside him is the table where some of the candles are, allowing her to see him clearly.

I remained standing. "Why do you know me?"

"Madeline Devitt, right?"

The crease on my forehead grew deeper along with my confusion. Those people handling the auction never asked me about anything, including my name. I guess it wasn't needed and I was glad I didn't need to tell them anything about me. So, how come this man knows who I am?

"Are you here to take me from Benedict?"

His eyes narrowed to slits. "You mean Benedict Dawson, the new alpha of Moonraven?"

My jaw clenched at the mention of the traitor's name. It is enough to make my blood boil. I listened as he spoke again.

"I've never seen you before. I just happened to find out about Lawrence Devitt's only child when I investigated him."

"How did you know my father?"

"Your father owes me a big debt. I want him to pay it but after I learned about his death, I figured I can go after you instead."

Although none of my assumptions of what he wants from me are right, I know it's too early to say he's harmless. He looks vicious and rather cunning. The way he speaks and acts let me know that he's a man who doesn't do things that won't benefit him. He gives off that cruel air.

"You bought me for a million dollars just to ask for payment from me? Is that it?"

He nodded slowly, a small smile creeping on his lips.

"But not the kind of payment that will require you any money. As you can see, money is not a problem."

"Go straight to the point, Mr. Who-ever-you-are. I don't like beating around the bush, so I'd appreciate it if you will tell me now what you want from me."

"I've always hated Benedict, and I'd love to see his downfall."

My brow raised in suspicion. I waited for him to make it clear.

"Let's say I want to play a game. You want to get even to him, right? I can lend you a hand. In exchange, you will let me use you."

"In what way should I let you use me?"

"You can pretend as my fiancé."

I'm shocked but I maintain a poker face. I can't get through this man's mind but I'm sure his thoughts are running in a maze. And I've never liked maze. In fact, I think it's dangerous. His spooky eyes slanting every now and then like a demon cat's made me feel something weird. Like I shouldn't trust him. Like I should be trying the best of my luck to escape him instead of talking with him like he isn't someone who's willing to toss a sack of money just to toy someone he hates.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I said which I truly meant.

"I don't care if you think it's a good idea or not. I only want to know if you can work with me or not. If you can't, then I'll figure another way how you can pay your father's debt."

"My father's debt is not mine," I snapped and a low growl escaped my throat.

He grinned. "What a temperament you have, little wolf."

The way he said "little wolf" felt like he was belittling me. Like he knew how inferior I was to him. It annoyed me.

"But whether you like it or not, you're living at my mercy now, Madeline. I bought you, if I must remind you. And it's not like you can do anything about it. You're a wolf shifter, a daughter of an alpha, but you are weak, fragile. You can do nothing against me," he said in a dark tone. His eyes screamed with viciousness.

I'm right. He isn't someone to be trusted. He's vile. He's willing to step this low just to get what he wants. Just like another version of Benedict. I really should learn from these men so I'd know better than to associate myself with people like them in the future. If ever I have a future.

"I can't show up in Benedict's face anytime soon. He'd kill me."

"Not when you're with me," he retorted which surprised me. He sounds confident, like he's so sure of himself.

"Are you sure you can vouch for that? I know nothing about you apart from my father who owes you a debt and you hate Benedict. Do you even know how many capable men Benedict has?"

He smirked wickedly, his eyes turning darker. "The truth is, I can kill him anytime I want to."

"Then why don't you just kill him and get over it?"

The thought of killing someone was disturbing for me before as I've been sheltered by my parents from violence since childhood, but after my parents died and I had to leave my pack, the once fragile heart I had turned to stone. I'm dead sure if Benedict is in front of me right now, I can kill him without a blink.

But as much as I want Benedict to die, I'd rather have him killed by my own hands. Not through this man.

"Yes, I can kill him. If he has a pack, then I also have mine. But I'm not that shallow, Madeline. If I want to kill someone I loathe, I don't give him an easy death. First, I play with him… then torture him, steal his everything until he's got nothing, before pushing him to death. That is the game I want to witness."

"You are ruthless," I spoke my mind out. "You want to use me as your pawn."

"Exactly," he agreed without any remorse or guilt. I'm not even sure if he is capable of feeling those. It's like he's been living in darkness for a long time and he's completely consumed by it with no hope of redemption.

"But why me? Benedict doesn't want to marry me because he wants me to be his woman. He thinks that by marrying me, those people in our pack loyal to our father will respect him as the new alpha. He wants to use me to have their sympathy. He's an asshole."

"Because a man like him, his ego will surely be hurt once he'd find out that you're with me. He will want you more. He will do everything to win you over. He'll try his best and you need to do your part, Madeline. Fool him like he fools you. Make him fall. It's a honey trap. And while you're at the pretense, we'll ruin him in the shadows. That's it."

"So," I breathed, eyeing him critically. "You want me to pretend as your fiancé, provoke Benedict so he'd win me over, then after he tries his best, I'll pretend that I'll submit to him, and while we're at it, we'll see how to pull him down?"

"Indeed, Madeline. Do you think you can make him pay for what he's done just by killing him?" He shook his head. "Killing him alone requires you strength and enough power, which will take a lot of time for you to have. But to win a battle, strength can't be as useful as knowledge. If you're smart enough to outwit your enemy, then you have a higher chance of winning. What I'm trying to say is, this is the best way you can avenge your family. Play Benedict's game as if you're a foolish prey who jumped in the predator's den. Watch his actions closely until you find more of his evildoings. Then strike him where it hurts the most. If you can make him fall for you, then that's better. But I doubt an evil like that bastard is capable of loving someone. I know because I'm as evil as him."

Great. Now I'm stuck between two devils. What a great way to start a perfect revenge plan, Maddy.

"So, what can you say, Madeline?"

"How can I trust you when I don't even know your name?" I asked. I'm puzzled by him but I think this, siding with him, is the easiest way to get my revenge as soon as possible. He has the resources. He looks credible. I can't trust him, alright. I'll trust nobody. But I have faith in the grudge that's motivating him to do this.

"Lucius Voss, alpha of Devon Pack. I own the largest real estate company in Washington, the Voss Landscapes."

A billionaire and alpha. Sounds appealing enough for an ally.

"Fine. I'll work with you," I said after a moment of silence.