Alpha Darien's pov
It seems I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Why the hell am I being forced to sit in a room full of aging council wolves just to deliver news to a supposed nobody?
Honestly, I don't get their obsession with her. It's only been a day since she showed up, and already, chaos clings to her like smoke. She's like a walking storm .... The one everyone pretends to hate, yet they can't stop watching her every move.
She already looks like she's breaking under their pressure still.... They won't let her be.
And knowing my father, when he told the omegas and maids to "welcome" her, I'm sure they've done everything else but that.
I sat silently behind him, scrolling absently through my phone until he shot me a look — the kind that said "respect the room." I tucked it away and watched the old men argue like it was 1920 instead of now.
Behind the elders stood a few younger warriors, suited in the black uniform of the modern-day guard. And beside them stood the new Gamma — the man who had, too conveniently, replaced her uncle. Her uncle had taken over as Beta almost overnight...
Her father's former position. It wasn't just strange but something deeper...fishy!
That move was too smooth. Too clean and without a loophole. Even though I couldn't say it out loud, I smelt a rat...it actually oozed.
The doors to the chamber opened with a hiss, thanks to the automated sliding hinges we installed last year. Even the old pack house was evolving… unlike its leaders.
In she came — the girl of the hour. The amusement of the entire pack. Or more accurately, she was our sacrifice of the day.
Our kind lives beneath the radar of human society, but inside? We're no different from monarchs with digital locks and blood-soaked rules.
According to the old codes — the same ones transferred down even as we now hide behind VPNs and encrypted pack networks.
when a wolf is stripped of their rank, they fall to the very bottom of the food chain. A nothing. A possession. A slave without honor.
Even naturally born omegas who were poor, yes, were still protected under the law and they had more rights than her because currently, She had none.
And though humans believed slavery ended a century ago, we knew better. The system just changed names. Among us, omegas still serve high standing families and old bloodlines — and girls like her?
They become whatever the highest bidder wants.
The meeting, officially, was for "status reclassification." yes stripping her of her status publicly.
But anyone with half a brain — anyone who's lived in this house — knew better.
She was led to the front of the council. The overhead light panels buzzed above her like they always did when the room got too tense. The elders didn't hide the way they ogled her. She stood awkwardly, with her coffee brown hair like a bird's nest while her fingers trembled.
She tried to look strong. But I could see her internal struggle.
her fear filled the air, and everyone could smell it. And these elders , they thrived on the fear of the weak and defensless. Their ego fed on it like some twisted sick game.
She looked like a lamb brought to slaughter. And she was, technically.
I didn't care about her, not really.
But there was something I could read beneath her innocent gaze....something raw and restrained.defiance?anger? Or maybe fierceness. The look of innocence covering something much sharper.
My father spoke first.
"Do you know why you are here, Anna?" he asked while studying her expression to understand her stance and demeanor. To read her.
She raised her chin a little. "No, Alpha."
He turned to Elder Thorne and signaled him to speak. Or rather pass judgement!
"Anna," Thorne began, "despite your mother's betrayal, sleeping with another and lying about your paternity, ....your father still raised you well. A good father to you, a good mate to your mother and a great beta to this pack. But Even now, with your mother exiled and your father gone, you must face the consequences."
She blinked, trying hard to process the words Thorne spoke. First a flicker of confusion showed then her brows furrowed and slowly understanding.
Gone?!
She swayed, then collapsed to the floor, burying her face down in despair. No one moved. Not even the guards.
That moment cracked something in me.
But not enough to speak.
Not yet.
From where I sat,
I could hear her light sobs that came in breaks as though her lips were trembling.
"So it is with a heavy heart," Thorne said dramatically, "that we announce the death of your father… and his removal from all pack records."
My jaw tightened and my palm clenched with my nails digging deep into my palm. Her father wasn't just gone .... But they were erasing him. Like he never existed!
Anna knelt down on her knees and slightly sat on them for support she looked completely....stunned if not confused. She was in a dazed state... As if in trance.
Her fingers dug into the floor, her body trembled violently as a scream tore from her throat and tears filled her eyes. The tears she must have been holding back.
She let out another soul cry. She was broken.
But no one cared.
Because it wasn't about grief.
It was about claiming rights.
It was the Power Crown
In our world, you don't buy people with money.
You buy them with legacy.
The Power Crown was not an object — it was an unspoken pack law, passed down through bloodlines and rituals that predate most of the digital age. It gave certain wolves the right to speak, to bid, to own.
It had three levels — and only those who carried its mark could bid in the claiming.
Level I – The Dominus Crown
Wielded only by the Alpha and his heir. It allowed them to initiate or end any claim, and enforce bond laws with a single command.
Level II – The Claim Crown
Held by nobles, Gammas, Betas. It allowed them to offer service, land, or status to win a claim, but they could not override the Alpha.
Level III – The Oath Crown
Held by common-ranked wolves. Rarely won. Mostly used to show loyalty or offer protection through service contracts.
All claims had to be judged under moon law, which made her presence here… legal. But barbaric.
Only my father or I could stop this.
And we both sat in silence.
And here came the bid.
"She is now subject to the moon's judgment," Elder Thorne said, his voice ringing through the great hall. "Let those who hold Crown speak."
Only my father and I held Crown Authority in this region. That meant only we could stop the bidding.
But of course...
we weren't going to stop it.
Elder Hale stepped forward first. "I offer twelve years of service. She'll work in my estate until she earns her keep."
Elder Mavin followed. "I offer her as a housemaid, with nighttime privileges."
She jerked.
Elder Dros: "I claim her as breeding stock."
The fourth simply submitted a transfer code a digital contract, silently approved on the pack system.
Then came the worst of them.
Elder Falk. "I offer a blood bond. She'll bear my heir and serve beside my chosen mate."
She was shaking harder now.
And then, her uncle stepped forward.
"I offer her a place in my home. She'll serve me in silence and work to repay the shame of her mother's betrayal."
That was a lie. He wanted her under control!
I sat frozen, my chest tightened while my wolf whispered furiously in my head.
"She doesn't belong to them."
Yet I hushed him.
"Stop it. Now."
"Shut up now or I would put you to sleep lax" I snarled back at him. He always was to emotionally connected, unlike how we should be .. detached.
"Say something before it's too late." He snarled again. And my insides tightened as I tried to restrain him from taking control and acting out of character.
"CLAIM her." He growled at me ... Loudly this time, that a low growl escaped my throat, which i tried to suppress.
I couldn't.
I wasn't supposed to.
But then she looked up — straight at me... And into my eyes
Her eyes were broken… and beautiful.
And before I could think, I stood.
The room fell silent.
My voice came out deeper than it ever had. Not just mine — his voice too. My wolf.
"I claim her. With my enamel."
Gasps filled the room. And most of the elders had a bewildered expression. Elder Thornes mouth fell open and my father's eyes widened in surprise.
Suddenly the room fell deadly silent.
The Beta — her uncle — paled like he'd seen a ghost.
My father turned slowly. His expression unreadable.
I hadn't planned this.
But my wolf had.
Anna stared at me. Shaking. Eyes wide. Her lips parted.
The digital claim was already uploading.
And no one… no one could undo it now.