Two Alphas , One mate

Chapter 4: My Mate’s on the Auction Block

Alex POV

This place is a freaking cesspool, and my wolf, Conan, won’t shut up about it. “Evil vibes,” he keeps growling, like I can’t smell the stench of sweat and bad decisions myself. I’m ready to punch something just to feel normal again.

“Man, why are we even here?” Derek, my beta, whines as we trudge toward this sketchy bar on the edge of Red Moon Pack territory. “This pack’s got a rap sheet longer than my dating history. Cruel, creepy, and led by that tool, Ryan Reddock. Can’t we hit up a normal spot with, like, actual fun girls?”

“Ryan’s a Grade-A jackass,” I mutter, my mood already in the gutter. We’ve been at each other’s throats since forever. He backed a nutcase Alpha in the last war, while I was on Team Sanity, fighting for the king. I ended up killing his brother, Felix, in the chaos, which made me Public Enemy Number One in Ryan’s book. Fine by me. Feeling’s mutual.

Derek’s still ranting. “Seriously, a bar this nasty? Bet they serve drinks in dirty socks. Why not a cute diner with waitresses who don’t look like they’ll shank us?”

“King’s orders,” I snap. “We’re here to sniff out what Ryan’s up to. Quit bitching.” Truth is, I’m not thrilled either. Red Moon’s got a rep for being a pack of sadists, and this bar’s basically their playground. My wolf’s been on edge since we got close, and Conan’s not exactly Mr. Chill on a good day.

Derek sighs dramatically. “Big Alpha, you should’ve claimed this territory when you had the chance. You killed Felix, so it was yours for the taking. Now Ryan’s running this clown show.”

“Drop it,” I growl. He’s not wrong, but I didn’t want to play babysitter to a pack of psychos. I was too busy hunting traitors and—okay, fine—looking for my mate. Conan’s been losing it, whining about not finding her. I’m pushing 26, and the whole “fated mate” thing’s starting to feel like a fairy tale. I’m not like Derek, who’s out here collecting flings like Pokémon cards. It’s her or nothing for me, and I’m starting to think it’s nothing.

We reach the bar, and it’s worse up close. “Smells like a porta-potty at a music festival,” Derek gags, waving a hand in front of his face.

“Shut up, beta,” I say, shoving our stolen invites at the doorman. My vampire buddy Jonas hooked us up with these to get in and dig up dirt on Red Moon’s shady dealings. The doorman glares but lets us pass.

“Dude, clean your doorstep,” Derek calls over his shoulder. “It’s rank.” I yank his arm before he starts a brawl. The guy’s got a mouth that writes checks his fists can’t cash.

“Focus,” I hiss. “We’re here to get intel, not pick fights. Ryan’s running something dirty, and we need to know what.”

“And to keep Conan from going feral,” Derek adds, giving me a look. Yeah, okay, my wolf’s caused some… incidents. A few bar fights, some spilled blood. He’s a loose cannon, and I’m barely holding the leash.

Inside, the bar’s a nightmare—dim lights, sticky floors, and a crowd that looks like they’d sell their own kids for a beer. Jonas slinks over, sipping red wine like he’s at a fancy gala. “Alex, you look like s**t,” he says, all blunt concern. “What’s with the hobo beard?”

I growl, tempted to deck him. “Watch it, bloodsucker.”

Jonas is ancient, practically immortal, and loves poking at me. Derek jumps in, grinning nervously. “Yo, Jonas, maybe don’t mess with the guy whose wolf eats people for fun. He’s, uh, touchy.”

“Why do you look like someone living in a cave,” says Jonas while ignoring his face. “What if your mate sees you like this? You gonna woo her with that lumberjack chic?”

“I will make sure to find her, and dance on every single one of their corpses,” I roar, and I mean it. My well curly hair is now a mess, and my trim beard is out of shape. I don’t care. I stopped caring a while ago.

“Poetry,” Derek mutters, fake-coughing. Jonas laughs, but my glare shuts them up.

“That's enough of the chit chat,” I tell. “So what's up with this environment?”

Jonas gets serious. “Red Moon runs this dump. They’re trafficking—humans, wolves, you name it. Slaves, basically. They exploit and abuse ‘em, then sell ‘em to the highest bidder. My contact gave me names of the big buyers, but it’s ugly.”

My stomach twists. Ryan’s always been a sleaze, but this? It’s next-level vile. Conan’s pacing in my head, growling louder, and I’m about to ask for more details when it hits me—a scent so good it stops me dead. Gingerbread, warm and sweet, like Christmas at my mom’s when I was a kid. It’s the best thing I’ve ever smelled, and Conan loses his damn mind.

“Mate! Mate!” he howls, practically doing cartwheels. My heart’s pounding, and I’m frozen like an i***t in the middle of the bar.

“Yo, Alex, you good?” Jonas asks, waving a hand in front of my face.

“What’s up, man? Grunt or something!” Derek says, grabbing my shoulders. “You see a ghost?”

“My mate,” I choke out, barely believing it. “She’s here.”

“Here?” Jonas says, eyes wide. This ain’t exactly a romantic meet-cute spot. If she’s in this hellhole, she’s in trouble.

“No way,” Derek says, then drops to his knees like he’s praying. “The Moon Goddess heard me! Hallelujah!”

I’m already moving, following the scent like a bloodhound. My body’s shaking, and Conan’s screaming, “Go, go, go!” Derek and Jonas are on my heels, probably worried I’m about to Hulk out. The gingerbread trail leads me to a stage, and what I see makes my blood boil.

It’s an auction. And my mate—she’s up there, chained, half-naked, with some sleazy host pawing at her. The crowd’s laughing, bidding, shouting gross s**t. She was scared, as she clutched to her torn dress. I can already feel her fears like it's mine.

“There is no fuvking way,” I screamed , my voice thundered across the room.Conan’s ready to rip throats, and I’m right there with him.

“Alex, chill!” Derek yells, grabbing my arm. Jonas is on my other side, trying to hold me back.

“I’m gonna kill every last one of these bastards,” I snarl, my vision going red. My mate my mate is being sold like a used couch, and I’m not letting it slide.