Enslaved To The Alphas-Chapter 127: Taken

"We have her. Now, give me the money."

The man who had kidnapped Emira up extended a gloved hand toward the car and his eyes flicked briefly over the three men standing in front of him. He was a rogue and nothing more than a hired hand, but this was, without question, the biggest mission of his life.

After all, everyone in the realm knew that the warriors of the Stormhold Pack were the fiercest, their defenses impenetrable. But now, he would be famous for having broken into the pack,

And yet, here she was.

Who would have thought it could be this easy?

A small, crooked smile tugged at his lips as he leaned slightly against the car. A little help from the inside, that was all it had taken. Even the strongest fortress fell when betrayal opened the door. And the funniest thing was that the person who had let him enter was not even a part of the Stormhold Pack.

Fortunately for him, the Omega had been alone when he’d found her. That part had been pure luck. No guards, no witnesses or anyone to stop him.

He had moved quickly, drugging her before she could even realize what was happening to her. Though for a brief moment, he couldn’t help but frown. That drug could knock out even the most powerful Omegas but it hadn’t worked as smoothly as it should have. She had resisted longer than expected.

Thakfully, in the end, she had gone down. And that was enough.

He shook off the thought with a shrug. His job was finished. Whatever happened next was no concern of his. Whether she woke up screaming or didn’t wake up at all-it wasn’t his problem. He wasn’t paid to care.

The three men standing before him exchanged quick glances before one of them stepped forward and without a word opened the car door to check the "goods."

Once they had, the three men quickly threw the bag of money at him, got into the car and drove away. He scoffed. Fools. They should have changed the car at the very least..

Even though he had been careful that he would not leave his scent behind, the Stormhold Pack was no joke. But these men seemed unbothered. Probably they were just fools who wanted to get high.

The man whistled as the car disappeared down the dirt road and slid his hands into his pockets , grinning to himself.

He had done it.

Two successful captures in less than a week. First, the Omega from the Redwood Pack. And now, this one. The prized Omega of the Stormhold Pack. Her scent alone would make the buyers lose their minds.

He chuckled softly. "Guess I’ve still got it," he muttered under his breath, patting the bag that he had just received. It was enough for him to retire and enjoy the rest of his life with some other rogue female or even a human...

He tilted his head, glancing once more in the direction of which the car had left.. "Now," he murmured, "time to run the other way and live like a king."

He turned, stepping away from the empty road and into the trees. Those fools were from the south so he would avoid that. And of course he not stay here in the north. So, that left going east or west.

Hmm. He should go somewhere cold, where the weather was like his old pack. But here, no one would know his name or fear him....

He’d dye his hair, grow a beard, change his scent with that potion he’d bought from a witch in the Blood Markets. By the time the packs came looking, he’d be gone, far beyond their reach.

He smiled at the thought.

"Easy money," he whispered.

But just as he took another step, a faint rustle came from behind him.

He froze.

His head turned slightly, eyes scanning the shadows to see if someone was there. His wolf was on alert too but all he could sense was his own scent. He frowned. There was no one around. Then why did he suddenly feel something was wrong?

And that is when he realized. The forest was quiet, too quiet. Even the crickets had gone silent.

He frowned, and tried to tell himself that he was only panicking due to the latent fear of the Stormhold Pack. But even as he tried consoling himself, he quickened his pace, pulling his coat tighter around himself.

Then- A hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

The world spun. His feet lifted off the ground as he was yanked backward with such force that his breath caught in his throat. He tried to shout, but all that came out was a strangled gasp. His hands clawed at the grip on his neck, but it was useless. The fingers holding him were like iron.

His eyes widened in terror. He couldn’t see the face behind him, but he could feel the power and the raw fury radiating from the one holding him. He tried to shift. Fighting was always better in wolf form. But before he could shift, a voice came from behind.

It was low and rough and... dangerous.

Just one word, but it sliced through the silence like a blade.

He knew exactly what the voice meant. Who had hired him. Who had helped him get inside Stormhold territory. Who had betrayed the pack.

His mind raced. If I speak, I’m dead. If I don’t...

He tried to shake his head, tried to make his lips move, but the grip on the back of his neck tightened painfully, choking off any sound. His vision blurred.

"I—I can’t..." he croaked, but before he could finish, he was hurled forward.

He hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him. Pain shot through his ribs, and for a moment he lay there gasping, dust filling his mouth and nose. He scrambled to his knees, and tried to shift, but even as he started to shift, a boot slammed onto him, stopping his shift mid process. He screamed in pain. For a werewolf, there was no in between.

The bones shifted to either fully human or fully wolf. But this man had stopped it mid change... making his body stretch in odd angles, his bones protruding... 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

He screamed, as pain made him desperate, but the boot pressed down harder, pinning him in place.

"Please—please. I didn’t mean to-"

"Who?" the voice asked again, quieter this time. Deadlier.

He trembled. Every instinct told him to stay silent, but the fear clawing at his chest was unbearable. He turned his head slightly, trying to look at the one standing above him.

The first thing he saw were the boots. Then, as he looked higher, he saw the figure looming over him - tall, broad-shouldered, and radiating an aura so intense that it made his skin crawl.

The man’s breath caught in his throat. His stomach twisted as the truth hit him like a hammer.

He knew those eyes. Everyone did. There wasn’t a soul in the realm who didn’t.

The air around them seemed to hum, heavy with power. The temperature seemed to drop.

"No..." he whispered, voice barely audible.

His blood ran cold. His body went limp with terror.

Because standing above him was....