Free Web NovelChapter 123: Chapter 123
Aria’s POV
For a heartbeat, the entire auction house went dead silent. Then a wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. Wolves, even low-rankers with weaker senses were blinking in disbelief, scenting the air like they expected the necklace to suddenly reveal some hidden magic.
But there was no magic.
Just cruelty, just Nathan...throwing money around because he could afford to do so.
My heart dropped so fast it felt like I’d been punched from the inside.
One hundred million, for Grandma’s ordinary pearl necklace.
My wolf whimpered, curling tight in my chest. He’s doing this on purpose.
Of course he was. He could crush us with a twitch of his finger, and he knew it.
Rowland went pale. Even his wolf scent dimmed like cold ashes after a fire.
“Sorry,” he muttered, guilt coating his voice, “I don’t have that kind of money on me right now...”
I forced a soft smile and squeezed his hand, mostly to ground myself.
“It’s okay, really.”
It wasn’t.
It hurt so badly I could barely breathe.
I lowered my head, and before I could stop it, a single tear slid down my cheek.
Grandma... I’m sorry. I failed you.
I bit my lip, trying to silence my sob, but Rowland heard it. His wolf was too sensitive not to. His eyes softened, glowing faintly with sympathy.
Just then, my sharp ears caught a shrill scream.
“Nathan! You’re the best!” It was Sophia’s voice.
I glanced at them as I sniffled.
Nathan answered, his voice calm and unfazed. “Yeah, it’s a nice piece.”
My wolf bristled at the sound of him, dominant and infuriatingly unbothered.
“Absolutely! It was Grandma’s, and I’m head over heels for it,” Sophia bubbled as she grabbed his arm.
He shifted away subtly, but enough that my wolf caught it.
But Sophia didn’t care. She slid closer, pretending not to notice, leaning against him like they were mated.
And the crowd ate it up.
“Alpha Nathan spoils her so much!”
“He spent a hundred million just because she liked it!”
“That’s real love, no price too high!”
Love?
The word burned.
Sophia covered her face shyly, like she couldn’t believe her good fortune, then shot Nathan a look dripping with adoration. He remained a frozen mountain, cold, unmoved and impenetrable.
Of course the contrast made the crowd swoon. Sophia basked in it, drinking in every envious whisper.
Then her gaze slid to me.
She wore a smug, triumphant expression.
Like she was already Luna of the Ironclaw pack and I was the unwelcome Omega sniffing around her territory.
She angled her head, resting it against Nathan’s shoulder. He didn’t lean in, didn’t reciprocate, but his strength, his intimidating presence, still gave her what she craved.
And watching her cling to him felt like trying to breathe under a collapsing mountain.
My wolf’s ears flattened. My chest tightened painfully.
I bit my lip so hard the metallic taste of blood flooded my tongue.
My eyes burned.
I hated that he could still hurt me this much.
---
Kate, my grandma, never liked Sophia. That much was obvious to anyone with a nose. And that was because Sophia had never respected Kate when she was alive. How could she possibly cherish Kate’s relic now?
A cold shiver tore through my chest, slicing straight down to my wolf’s core.
My palms, pressed against the silk of my pink dress, were damp with nervous sweat. The fabric clung to me the same way my heart clung to its last shreds of strength, barely holding on, fraying, helpless.
It felt like being slapped awake by reality in a hard, cruel and undeniable manner.
A bitter defeated smile tugged at my lips.
I caught Rowland looking at me from the corner of my eye. His wolf scent changed, deepening with worry. I could feel his urge to pull me into his arms, to shield me, to promise safety I wasn’t sure anyone could give me anymore.
The auction dragged on, but I barely processed any of it.
After the necklace fiasco, neither Rowland nor I lifted a paddle again. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
The cheerful energy from the start of the night had evaporated. Wolves were sensitive to moods. As for me... I felt carved out, empty, like someone had scooped out everything inside and left only a shell behind.
Lana must’ve sensed it too. The little pup was unusually quiet in Rowland’s arms.
Then...Bang!
The auctioneer’s hammer fell, signaling the end.
Lana immediately reached out with her chubby hands and patted my cheek gently. Her baby scent rose into my nose, and my wolf stirred.
Her eyes were round and shiny, as if saying,
“Don’t cry, Mommy. Lana’s here.”
A fresh wave of emotion slammed into me. I picked her up and held her close, burying my face in her tiny shoulder. Her warmth, her innocence, her soft coo... it made the ache inside me swell until I thought I’d burst.
What did I ever do to Nathan?
Why did he have to crush me like this? freёwebnoѵel.com
Was it really too much to ask to reclaim my grandmother’s relic?
And hadn’t I paid enough?
A whole year and half behind silver bars... wasn’t that punishment enough?
Nathan had always looked down on me, fine. He’d always believed I wasn’t worthy, fine.
But I left. I walked away.
Shouldn’t that have satisfied him?
Why was he still coming after me?
My knees felt weak.
A strange numbness washed over my limbs. I wanted to cry so badly my throat burned... but my eyes stayed stubbornly dry.
In the end, all I could manage was a brittle, pathetic smile.
Rowland noticed everything. He stood beside me, fists clenched, jaw tight, utterly heartbroken and utterly helpless.
Why am I like this?
Why am I falling apart over a necklace?
Rowland’s gaze flicked toward Nathan who was now rising from his seat, leading Sophia to collect the necklace. The sight made Rowland stiffen.
“Aria,” Rowland said suddenly, his voice rough and resolute, “I’ll do everything I can to get that necklace back for you.”
I stopped walking for half a second.
My wolf twitched.
Hope flickered... then died.
I forced a tiny smile and whispered, “It’s okay.”
But my voice cracked with despair.
Rowland inhaled sharply, as if my broken tone physically hit him. His wolf bristled with protectiveness.
He didn’t speak again, he just followed closely behind me, making a silent vow I could feel even without words.
This time, I didn’t argue.
Didn’t pretend to be strong.
Didn’t push him away.
I just slipped into his car and let the door shut between me and the world.
As we pulled away, I felt a presence at the entrance.
A shadow watching.
I turned my head just in time to see him.
It was Nathan.
Tall, still, his eyes dark as the pits of the moon.
He stared at the car speeding away—
with a look that made my wolf shiver.
