To make money and support the little life growing inside me, I took a part-time job as a maternity model.

But when I got there, I realized I was trapped in a glass cage, put on display like a product.

And in the crowd below, my ex-mate, Damon, watched me with nothing but contempt in his eyes.

"Whose bastard is it?"

"How could you say that? This is your child, Damon!"

Damon's eyes turned red—a sign of an impending werewolf frenzy.

He held up a paternity test in front of me. It showed that the baby I was carrying was not his.

"No, that can’t be true.” I stammered. “This must be a mistake! "

Before Damon could respond, a man beside him spoke, "Alpha Damon, the auction is about to start. If you have anything to say, you can do so after the auction."

Auction?

Kelly had clearly told me this was just a photoshoot.

Talia POV

"Stop! No! What are you doing?!"

Two men shoved me into a dark room and tied me up.

Suddenly, a blinding spotlight flashed, shining directly on me. It was then I realized I was trapped inside a glass enclosure, spinning like a rotating music box.

Seated around me was a group of men. I couldn't tell if they were werewolves or ordinary humans—perhaps both. But regardless of their race, they were all looking at me with lewd, predatory gazes.

I stared at them in terror, understanding all too well what was about to happen. Despair spread through my heart.

"Pregnant women really do have a unique allure. Look at her chest, it's huge," One of the men said, his voice dripping with vulgarity as he ogled at me, resting his chin on his hand.

I glanced down at me. My thin white dress barely covered my voluptuous breasts. I wanted to cover myself, but my bound hands left me defenseless.

"Shameless. That belly is huge, and she's still out here selling herself. How desperate must she be?"

"I can smell her from between her legs already."

"Her face is beautiful, but she's just a fragile human. Probably won’t last long being played with."

...

I never imagined that, at four months pregnant, I would become an item to be auctioned off.

Tears stung my eyes, humiliation and helplessness overwhelming me.

But the men continued their vulgar remarks, unaffected by my fear and tears.

That woman, Kelly, had assured me this was just a maternity photoshoot. So, how did I end up in this mess?

The rotating table under me spun slowly, making me dizzy and my vision blur.

But before I could zone out completely, a familiar scent—a mix of musk and smoke—hit my senses. And through the haze, I saw a striking, cold face.

"Damon?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

I must be dreaming again. There was no way he could be here.

As I mocked myself, the table stopped spinning, and Damon’s icy voice cut through the room.

"Whose bastard is it?"

"Damon, is that really you?" I reached for him like a drowning person, grasping for a lifeline, only to be yanked back by the chain around my neck.

"I'll ask you one more time. Whose bastard are you carrying?" He roared.

"How could you say that? This is your child, Damon!" I cried through my choked neck.

"Mine?"

Damon's eyes turned red—a sign of an impending werewolf frenzy.

He held up a paternity test in front of me. It showed that the baby I was carrying was not his but that of Carson.

Carson was my college classmate who had once pursued me. But by then, I was already Damon’s mate.

"No, that can’t be true.” I stammered. “This must be a mistake! This is your child! Carson and I are just friends. ,.

Before Damon could respond, a man beside him spoke, "Alpha Damon, the auction is about to start. If you have anything to say, you can do so after the auction."

Auction?

Kelly had clearly told me this was just a photoshoot.

"Where’s Kelly? I want to see her. I was tricked!"

I struggled desperately, the ropes biting into my wrists until they bled.

"Talia, you’re already selling yourself. Why bother pretending?" Damon sneered.

"What are you talking about?!" I shouted.

"Hmph. You signed the contract yourself. Deny it all you want! But Abby was right. You’re nothing but a lowly gold digger."

"I never signed any contract!" I protested loudly.

Abby, Damon’s Beta, stood by his side, looking at me with disdain. She was one of the rare female werewolf warriors and his most trusted confidante.

"Alpha Damon..." The auctioneer intervened again.

Damon nodded and walked to the VIP seat opposite me.

"Starting bid: 200,000. Each increase by at least 100,000. Begin."

The auctioneer’s announcement ignited the crowd.

"200,000..."

"300,000..."

"1 million..."

...

"3 million..."

The bid climbed quickly, each increasing number cutting deeper into my soul.

As the auctioneer called out, "3 million once, 3 million twice...a bald man with a round belly and greasy face raised his hand.

"5 million..."

Nausea surged in me, and I dry-heaved.

The room fell silent, but just then, Damon’s voice suddenly echoed.

I looked at him with a glimmer of hope. We had once been mates. Surely, he couldn’t bear to hurt me.

But his next words plunged me back into despair.

"6 million. I’ll buy her... and let everyone here have their turn."

Talia POV

"Damon...What the hell is wrong with you?!"

I shouted at him, fury surging through me. He had always been cold, but I never imagined he could be this cruel.

The auctioneer hit the gavel with finality and declared me as sold.

The glass enclosure opened, and Damon’s Beta, Abby, approached me.

She wore her signature high ponytail. Her sharp cheekbones and icy blue eyes gave her a fierce appearance.

When Damon and I were together, she wasn't exactly kind to me, but she wasn’t outright cruel either.

She leaned closer, whispering in a mocking tone. "Talia, Damon asked me to give you a special gift."

Before I could react, she swiftly forced a bitter pill into my mouth.

I tried to spit it, but she clamped her hand over my mouth. I had no option but to swallow, and a wave of heat surged through my body.

"What... what was that pill for?” I stammered.

"Just helping you enjoy the party!" she sneered and winked at me.

My jaws clenched, bitterness filling my chest.

Damon ordered to drug me. The man who once held me close can hate me and stoop to this level.

Just four months ago, he told me I was the most precious thing in his world, and today, he handed me to other men. How could he?

Soon, the men in the audience began approaching me, and Damon, standing in the distance, watched the scene unfolding.

At that moment, whatever love I had for him dissolved into utter hatred.

Suddenly, an unbearable pain rippled through my abdomen, and my consciousness began to fade. Strangely, I felt a sliver of relief.

Perhaps dying would be a better option at this moment.

I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but when I woke up, the smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils.

I blinked to find myself in the hospital, and my hands instinctively moved to my stomach.

Oh, thank god, my baby is safe.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Muffled voices reached me through the blue curtain surrounding my bed.

"Stay here and watch her. When she wakes up, bring her over."

"Yes, Alpha Damon."

I froze.

Damon and Abby are here. They have no plan to spare me.

Moments later, I heard Damon’s footsteps fading, and Abby slid the curtain aside. I quickly shut my eyes, feigning sleep.

"When you wake up, I’ll send you back to that place. You think playing dead will help you escape?" Abby leaned down and patted my face mockingly.

That place? My heart sank.

Damon wanted to send me back to the auction. So he still wanted to punish me. He didn’t save me out of love or pity.

Damon, how can you be this heartless?

I forced back my tears, determined not to let Abby notice anything.

"Nurse, didn’t you say she’d wake up soon? It’s been over an hour, and she’s still unconscious. What’s going on?" Abby demanded.

"Her vitals are normal. We already checked, but it’s probably because of her pregnancy. Don’t worry, she’ll wake up soon. "

Abby sighed in frustration as the nurse adjusted my IV and left.

"Humans are so fragile," Abby muttered before her phone chimed. She answered it and walked out of the room.

The second she left, I ripped the needle out of my palm and slipped out of the bed barefoot.

Peeking out, I saw Abby still engaged in a call, her back facing me.

This is my only chance. I couldn’t let them send me back! I have to save myself and my child.

I gathered my courage and bolted for the elevator.

Each step felt like walking on blades and my heartbeats thudding in my chest, but I succeeded.

I ducked into a narrow alley as soon as I got out of the hospital.

Werewolves have a hundred times stronger sense of smell than mine. s I had to get as far as I could before they tracked me down.

A taxi approached, and I stumbled into the street, flagging it down.

"Take me out of the city!"

The driver alternated his eyes between my hospital gown and swollen belly, "Are you okay?"

I removed the pink crystal necklace from my neck and handed it to him.

"Please, do as I say!” I begged.

This necklace was Damon’s birthday gift to me six months ago. I continued to wear it even after I rejected him, but now it meant nothing.

Talia POV

"Miss, we’ve now left Turin. Where exactly do you want to go?"

The driver asked after driving for more than an hour.

"Please help me find a nearby motel," I replied.

“Sure.” He replied positively, and a few minutes later, he pulled up to a decent motel.

"Here we are."

"Could you... lend me $1,000?" I asked the driver hesitantly."This necklace is worth at least $30,000."

He looked back at me with furrowed eyes. "We had an agreement, right?!I drive you out of the city, and you give me the necklace. How can you go back on your word? Besides, just because you say it's worth $30,000 doesn’t mean it really is. Now, get out!"

His words hurt me, but I had no choice. I got out and stood in front of the motel, having no clue what to do without money.

Just then, a group of men on motorcycles pulled up at the motel entrance.

"Well, well, look what a pretty little thing we have here,” A red-bearded man said with a smirk. “ Did some guy knock you up and dump you?”

Seeing the danger, I walked away, to which he got off the bike and followed me.

Oh god, princess, look at your swollen feet. Why don’t you be my woman? I’ll take good care of you."

He let out a sharp whistle, prompting laughter from his companions.

I quickly turned and tried to run into the motel, but they blocked my way.

Before I could scream for help, a strong voice echoed. "Let go of her!"

I turned toward the voice and froze.

Carson!

He stepped between me and a bearded man, his posture confident.

"I’ll give you $10,000 if you let her go. Otherwise, I’m calling the police," Carson said, his voice firm.

The red-bearded man gave Carson a once-over. "You her husband?"

Carson didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled out his wallet and handed over all the cash he had.

"She’s just a pregnant woman. Let her go," Carson said politely, and the man ordered his group to leave.

Once freed, Carson turned to me. “Are you okay?

“Mmm…But how did you find me?” I asked curiously.

"There’s no time to explain. Get in the car. Damon’s on his way," he said, ushering me into the car.

Before I could even buckle my seatbelt, I caught sight of a black Lamborghini in the rearview mirror.

“Damon is alreay here, Carson!” Fear gripped my heart.

Carson sped off. but Damon’s car closed in even faster, and with a loud crash, his car rammed into ours.

I clung tightly to the door handle, my body drenched in cold sweat by the time Carson’s car came to a stop.

Before I could balance myself, Damon opened the door and yanked me out.

"Damon, how can you be such a bastard?! Talia is carrying your child!" Carson shouted, jumping out of the car and grabbing Damon by the collar.

But his strength couldn’t match Damon. He was just a human like me.

Damon sneered and pushed Carson to the ground with a single punch. "My child? This is probably just your excuse to protect your own."

"Alpha Damon," Abby cut in, approaching Damon with a small bag of white powder. "This was found in their car. It’s the same wolfbane that’s been used against our pack’s werewolves."

Damon sniffed the powder, his expression instantly darkening.

"I loved you so much, and yet you keep betraying me! You even conspired with your lover to harm my pack! Maybe I should’ve never trusted you malicious humans in the first place!" Damon shouted, his hand closing around my neck.

I wanted to defend myself, but I could barely breathe.

"Damon, have you lost your mind? We didn’t do anything!" Carson said, struggling to his feet and prying Damon’s hand away from my throat.

"The evidence was found in your car, and you still dare to deny it?" Damon snapped. "Abby, take them both to jail. I don’t want to see them again."

Abby nodded.

"Damon! I didn’t do anything! You have to believe me—I was framed!" I coughed and called after him as he walked away.

"Damon!"

He didn’t look back.

"This is your doing, isn’t it?!” Carson turned to Abby, his face reddened with rage. “You’re the one who framed us! You planted that wolfbane in my car.”

Abby instantly shifted into her wolf form and slashed Carson’s chest with her claws.

And before we could do anything, a police car pulled up and stopped right in front of us.