The door swung open into a dark booth lined with crimson fabric on all surfaces. Compared to the cells holding the omegas, this was spacious. The far wall was a sheet of glass looking out into a dark space. At the center of the room was a plush leather chair, and beside it, a soft table lamp that barely illuminated a small table with a glass of wine. In the chair, sat a suited figure.

He didn’t even acknowledge me as I entered. I’m sure that in his mind, I was one of the men downstairs come to check on him and offering him another drink or something. Little did he know what was going down on this estate while he sat here bidding on people’s lives.

I stepped to the side as he scribbled something in a notebook. I remembered Billy’s description of Marcellus: “He’s a big guy. Lots of rings, pinstriped suits. He’s also enormous, Aiden. So be careful.”

The man seated in front of me met none of these descriptions. His hands were bare and his suit was simple and gray. He was also short and lanky like a ghoul wrapped in expensive fabric.

“Yes?” he snapped, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. “What is it?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but realized I had no idea what to say. I could still taste the blood in my mouth and my heart was pounding. All I wanted to do was tear him limb from limb.

Someone stepped up behind me, and I turned to see Kitchi and Bryce, their eyes fierce and ready.

“It’s not Marcellus,” I whispered.

“We’ll take care of him,” Kitchi replied. With a nod, I stepped past them into the hallway. As I moved away from the door, I heard the man inside gasp as he realized what was happening.

“Wait!? Who the fuck are you!?”

He cried out, but was instantly silenced.

I came to the next door and reached out for the handle, but before I could reach it, the door swung inward and I found myself face to face with a man. A cigar sat between his fat lips, and with one look at him, I instantly knew who he was.

“Marcellus,” I growled.

Billy was right – he was a beast of a man. Everything about him screamed “gangster.” He was stuffed into his pinstriped suit, which was the color of blood, and gold rings adorned each of his fingers.

“Who the fuck are you!?” he asked, his lips twisting around the cigar end he was sucking on.

A hatred unlike anything I’d ever known took me over, and I could barely get the words out before I shifted.

“Your worst nightmare!”

My wolf took the reins and I shifted, leaping at the horrible man at full speed. For his size, he was surprisingly fast, and twisted out of the way as I snapped at his neck.

I hit the ground and skidded on the stone floor, spinning around to face him as he shifted, exploding out of his designer suit into a horrible monster, a wolf built like a tank. His teeth were a sickly yellow and he was drooling as he snarled at me.

I growled at him and darted forward, nipping at his leg. But for such a massive frame, Marcellus was quick, and leapt back as my jaws bit down on nothing but air.

He had no idea who I was, and I could see it in his eyes, but he was going to fight me just the same. His legs kicked hard and he sprang at me, his enormous jaws open and his yellowed fangs aimed straight for my neck. I managed to duck in time. His bite missed me but his massive frame slammed into my back and crushed me down against the floor, forcing all the air from my lungs.

I gasped and struggled to my feet as Marcellus spun around and sank his teeth into my ankle. Yelping in pain, I kicked hard to free myself, but he had a good hold on me and I couldn’t break free.

I whipped my body around and snapped at him as I pulled, fighting with everything I had to get loose of his jaws. A thick growl escaped his lips as he held me in his grip, sinking his fangs deeper into my flesh.

The rest of my pack had to be close, but this was my fight, and Marcellus was mine. It almost broke my back, but I twisted and forced myself forward and managed to get my teeth into the fur of his shoulder. I bit down with everything I had and finally Marcellus let go of my leg.

Blood spurted from my wound onto the cold stone floor as I slid away from him. The pain was like a hot rod poker shoved beneath my skin, and I knew the wound would slow me down. I was bleeding hard and wouldn’t be able to last long like this. I had to make my move.

From somewhere behind me, a cry rang out. My pack had invaded the auction. Footsteps rang out, human and wolf, as people ran, chased and were taken down. Someone gurgled and died and someone howled.

Not one of ours, I thought as I narrowed my eyes on Marcellus.

He was on his feet and ready for me. The wound I’d given him was nothing compared to what he’d done to my leg. I could feel my blood seeping out onto the floor, but I pushed the pain from my mind and focused. Billy had told me he was big, but I had never run into someone like this.

He was bigger than me, faster than me and I was wounded. But nothing was going to stop me. This son of a bitch had taken my Billy from me and wasn’t getting out of here alive.

My emotions were at an all-time high. Rage was flowing through me like waves of hot lava and my heart was pounding so fast I thought it was about to explode.

Marcellus’s face was twisted in a grin that made my soul cry out in hatred. This man was evil, pure evil. I knew he was looking at me like I was nothing – just a smaller alpha to be crushed under the boot he crushed everyone with. I should have waited for the rest of my pack. Together, we’d be able to overwhelm him easily. But my hatred was too high and I couldn’t wait.

I did something I shouldn’t have done – I shifted back to human form. Bracing myself against the stone, I sucked air and spat at Marcellus.

“Do you know who I am, you bastard?” My throat tore as I screamed at him. I was on the verge of losing control. Shifting was impossibly stupid, but I couldn’t finish this without letting him know who it was that bested him.

Confusion laced his eyes, and I saw the urge to strike while I was vulnerable, but the attack didn’t come. Instead, to my surprise, he shifted as well. His thick human form was disgusting. Everything about him screamed out greed, decadence and cruelty. It was like staring at the Devil.

“I know exactly who you are,” he laughed. “You’re that dumb fuck wannabe-alpha whose omega I took back. Of course, he was mine the whole time, you only thought he was yours.”

He knew!? But how!?

Of course – I thought back to the day at my house when Billy had been taken away from me – Marcellus’s black sedan pulling away as I chased him. He must have seen me then.

The image of him laughing as he sat in his car, my Billy in the back seat, as he pulled away from me filled my mind and I screamed with all the air in my lungs.

“He is mine! My mate, and you’re going to pay for what you did to him!”

“Bring it on,” he snarled. “Come and meet your death.”

I shifted – he shifted, and I bared my teeth. With a snarl, I summoned all my strength, pushed the pain of my leg aside and leapt forward.