Irina’s POV

I flinched.

The word "whore" hit like a physical blow. My body reacted before my brain could catch up—shoulders hunching inward, spine curling, making myself smaller.

Smaller meant safer. Smaller meant less of a target.

Old habits.

I scrambled backward until my spine hit the headboard. The blanket twisted around my legs as I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them.

A shield. Pathetic, but it was all I had.

My heart slammed against my ribs. Too fast. Too hard.

He was angry. So angry. I could feel it rolling off him in waves—thick and suffocating and ready to explode into violence.

I knew what came after anger.

Pain. Always pain.

My hands trembled as I pulled the blanket up, dragging it over my head. The fabric was soft—expensive, probably—but it felt like paper-thin armor against what was coming.

I buried my face against my knees and waited.

For the hit. For the grab. For whatever punishment he’d decided I deserved.

Through the blanket, I heard him move.

A sharp exhale. Frustrated. Furious.

Then footsteps. Heavy. Deliberate.

Moving away.

The door slammed.

The sound cracked through the room like a gunshot. I jerked, nearly falling off the bed.

Then—silence.

I stayed frozen under the blanket, barely breathing. Listening.

No footsteps returning. No door opening again.

Just quiet.

Minutes crawled by. Or maybe hours. Time had stopped making sense.

My legs cramped. My arms ached from holding myself so tight. But I didn’t move.

Couldn’t.

What if he came back?

What if this was a test? What if he was waiting outside, ready to punish me for leaving the safety of the blanket?

My father used to do that. Walk away. Let me think it was over. Then come back swinging.

Eventually, my body made the decision for me.

I needed air.

I pushed the blanket down slowly. Inch by inch. Peeked out.

Empty room.

No alpha king looming over me. No hands reaching for my throat.

Just furniture. Expensive furniture. Dark wood and heavy curtains and that massive bed I was curled up on.

I let out a shaky breath.

Okay.

Okay.

I unwrapped my arms from around my legs. Straightened slowly. Every muscle protested—stiff from being held in that defensive position for so long.

The room came into focus properly now.

Big. Way too big for one person. High ceilings. A chandelier that probably cost more than everything I’d ever owned combined.

And quiet. So quiet I could hear my own heartbeat.

I looked down at myself.

Different clothes.

When had—?

I touched the fabric. Soft cotton. A simple black t-shirt and loose pants. Clean. Comfortable.

Someone had changed me while I was unconscious.

The thought made my skin crawl. Hands on my body while I couldn’t fight back. Couldn’t say no.

I shoved the thought away before it could spiral.

Focus. Look around. Figure out where you are.

I pushed myself off the bed. My legs shook but held.

The floor was cold under my bare feet. Hardwood. Polished to a shine.

I took one step. Then another.

Toward the window.

Heavy curtains blocked most of the view, but I could see light filtering through the gap.

Light flooded in. I squinted against it.

Outside—

Not outside. Not really.

I was looking at more building. High walls. Concrete and steel.

A courtyard, maybe? Small. Enclosed on all sides. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Nothing like the auction hall. No stage. No crowds. No leering faces.

This was... quiet. Private.

Still the underground trading post, probably. But a different section. Somewhere in the back.

My fingers tightened on the curtain.

Why was I here? In this room?

The alpha king had marked me. Claimed me in front of everyone.

But then he’d called me a whore. Asked if I wanted to go back to "my alpha."

My alpha.

Maxim had never been mine. Had never wanted to be.

But Nicolas didn’t know that. Or didn’t believe it.

He believed the rumors.

Of course he did. Everyone did.

My stomach twisted.

I turned away from the window. Looked at the door.

Should I leave? Could I?

What if he was out there? What if—

Stop.

I forced myself to breathe. In. Out. In. Out.

I needed to see. Needed to know where I was. What my options were.

Even if those options were "nowhere" and "nothing."

I crossed to the door on unsteady legs. Pressed my ear against the wood.

Silence.

My hand found the handle. Cold metal under my palm.

I turned it slowly.

Click.

The door swung open.

A hallway. Empty. Clean.

And standing right outside—

I jumped backward, hitting the doorframe.

A girl. Young. Maybe my age. She wore a simple gray dress—omega servant uniform.

Her eyes went wide when she saw me. Then she smiled.

Actually smiled.

Like seeing me was... pleasant.

"Oh!" Her voice was soft. Gentle. "You’re awake. I’m so glad."

I stared at her.

"I..." My voice came out hoarse. I cleared my throat. Tried again. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—"

"No, no!" She shook her head quickly. "Please don’t apologize. You’re allowed to be up. Of course you are."

Allowed.

The word felt foreign.

She gestured down the hallway. "Would you like some water? Or food? You must be hungry—"

"Can I..." I interrupted, then immediately regretted it. Interrupting was rude. Rude got you punished.

But she just waited. Patient. Kind.

"Can I walk around?" The question came out barely above a whisper. "Just... just for a little bit?"

Her smile widened. "Of course you can! You’re the alpha king’s mate. This is all his territory."

Mate.

The word hit different when someone else said it. Made it real.

"You can go anywhere you’d like," she continued. "The courtyard is through there—" She pointed to a door at the end of the hall. "It’s quiet. Peaceful. Most people prefer it to the..." She trailed off, expression dimming slightly. "To the other sections."

The auction sections. The cells. The stage.

I nodded. "Thank you."

"Of course." She dipped her head respectfully. Actually respectfully, not the mocking version I was used to. "I’m Sofia, by the way. If you need anything—anything at all—just call for me."

Sofia.

I committed the name to memory. Filed it away with the handful of people who’d ever been kind to me.

The list was pathetically short.

She stepped aside, giving me space to pass.

I moved slowly. Carefully. Like any sudden movement might shatter this strange, fragile moment.

The hallway stretched ahead. Clean. Well-lit. Nothing like the basement corridors I’d been dragged through earlier.

How long ago was that? Hours? Days?

I didn’t know.

My bare feet made no sound on the polished floor. I kept one hand on the wall as I walked—steadying myself, grounding myself.

Sunlight hit my face. Real sunlight, not the artificial lights inside.

I stepped out into the courtyard.

Small. Maybe thirty feet across. Enclosed by high walls on all sides—no way out except back through the building.

This place was nicer than anywhere I’d been in months. Cleaner. Quieter.

But it was still a cage.

Just a prettier one.

I made it halfway around the courtyard when I heard it.

Footsteps.

Behind me.

I froze. Every muscle locking up.

"So there you are."