Chapter 7- pay the price

In the corner of the hotel.

"Stay here quietly until the banquet is over. Even if you're not chosen, you'll still get ten thousand Australian dollars." The leader's face was dark, his eyes gleaming with a beastly light.

"You... this is illegal trafficking! I'll report you!" Camille trembled with anger, feeling the pressure around her neck, as if an invisible wolf's paw was tightly squeezing her throat.

The leader sneered, his low voice seeming to come from the throat of a wolf. "Report me? Fine! Go ahead! Your passport, ID, and return ticket are all in my hands. If you want to go home and not end up sold to Rouge, then go ahead and report me!" He suddenly lunged at her like a beast, violently grabbing her neck, his eyes filled with possessiveness. "Little girl, you're just an omega. Now you have a chance to climb up the ladder and make a fortune, why not take it? It's worth more than struggling for decades in that slum of yours."

"Is... is what you're saying true? If I... if I'm not chosen, I can return to the pack?" Her heart raced, feeling like she was being pushed into a corner. A thought flashed through her mind: her passport, ID, and return ticket were the only chips she could control.

"Hmph! Stupid, ungrateful fool." The leader's lips curled into a cold smile, his gaze intense. "If you dare cause more trouble, I'll make sure you never come back!"

Camille lowered her head, feigning compromise. "I... I understand."

As soon as the leader left, Camille almost collapsed, weakly leaning against the wall. She frowned as she gazed at the flamboyant, illusory world at the end of the hallway. Her heart sank little by little. Her intuition had been right all along—she had been deceived. The other members of the group had known her situation all along, while she had been kept in the dark. This was the rule of the wolf pack: the weak were always just prey, and luck had no place in her world.

Just as she took a deep breath, preparing to gather her thoughts, she didn't notice a tall man walking toward her from the direction the leader had disappeared. His steps were steady and oppressive.

The man had a tall, slender build and an icy demeanor, with a gaze that carried an unchallengeable dominance—he was none other than the man from the Silver Moon Pack she had harshly rejected earlier. After their encounter on the plane, she had thought that, with so many people in the world, they would never cross paths again. But unexpectedly, at this final banquet, he appeared again, his eyes locking onto her.

Now that he knew she was one of the women from the elite escort group, he understood that she was nothing more than a pawn in the wolf pack. Regardless of what happened, he was determined to claim her, to repay the slap and kick she had given him.

"Camille, tonight you must accompany me," his voice was low and powerful, carrying an irresistible threat. "Otherwise, you won't be leaving this hotel."

Camille froze, her heart racing. She felt as if there was an invisible force in the air, suffocating her. This wasn't just one man's threat; it seemed like the oppression of the entire wolf pack. She turned to flee, but the domineering presence felt like invisible chains, binding her in place.

"You wish!" Her voice trembled, but she tried to stay calm, though the wildness inside her was on the verge of erupting.

The man took large strides toward her and, almost instantly, grabbed her wrist. His hand was large and strong, like a hunter tightly capturing his prey.

"Let go! If you don't, I'll scream for help!" Camille's voice was filled with intense anger and fear. She struggled wildly inside, but she knew that the man in front of her was not someone she could fight against.

"Go ahead and scream, let's see how many people will come to your rescue. Ha ha!" His large hand forcefully pulled her into his embrace, radiating a beast-like aura. He leaned down, aiming to claim her sweet, fragrant lips. The tension in the air grew, as if every movement he made carried the oppressive power of a wolf pack.

Anger surged in Camille's chest, but she didn't panic. Her body suddenly relaxed, as though she had become the weak prey, and she flashed the man a sweet smile. The man, thinking she had given in, loosened his grip. However, he didn't expect her to suddenly raise her knee, delivering a devastating kick.

"Ah—————damn woman——"

A scream that sounded like a pig being slaughtered echoed down the corridor, like a distant wolf's howl. The sound made Camille's heart tighten. She quickly glanced around and saw only a fleeting pink figure disappear up the stairs to the banquet hall on the second floor, while a Silver Moon Pack man angrily hopped up, rushing after her like a wolf chasing its prey, showing no signs of retreat.

Camille quickly ran up the stairs to the second floor, where small rooms surrounded the downstairs hall. She frantically pushed open one door after another, but each was occupied. The shouting behind her grew louder. The Silver Moon Pack man was relentlessly pursuing her, and her heart raced like a drum, terror sweeping through her body. She knew she didn't have much time left. As she reached the last corner, she saw the final door—only to find it guarded by four tall men. Their fierce gazes swept over her, and as she ran toward them, they immediately blocked the entrance.

Despair flooded her heart like a tidal wave. She cried out desperately, "No, please, please help me!"

The bodyguards coldly shoved Camille aside, and she nearly lost her balance, her body and mind exhausted to the point of breaking down. She turned around and saw the Silver Moon Pack man closing in again, his black eyes revealing intense desire and a need for control—there was a wolf-like intensity in them that sent a chill down her spine.

Just as she felt she was out of options, suddenly—

Click—

the door opened.

The sound was like the gate to hell opening, and her heart soared with an almost suffocating sense of expectation. Unlike the other rooms, this one was eerily silent and dark, as if a heavy curtain of shadow enveloped the space. A tall figure stood at the entrance, seemingly the only presence in the darkness. The light from the hallway only reached the man's feet. Before Camille could get a good look at his face, she quickly pulled away from the bodyguards and rushed toward him. She tilted her face upward, her eyes filled with panic and vulnerability, tears shimmering like droplets in her gaze. The expression on her face was one of desperate plea, making her appear utterly helpless.

"Sir, please... save me..." Her voice, soft and trembling, seemed like a gentle whisper in the dark.

The bodyguards had initially planned to drag her away, filled with doubt about whether she was a spy or a terrorist. But her identity clearly was more complicated than they had imagined. Their master was of the highest status, and a small mistake could mean their death.

Unexpectedly, the man raised his hand, and the door slammed shut with a force. The darkness grew even heavier, and in the silence, he stood before her, leaning down. His eyes locked firmly with hers, filled with panic and fear. His dark eyes, as black as the night, were cold yet full of unyielding authority, as if they pierced through her very soul.

In that moment, Camille could feel the pressure in the air intensify, as if she were facing a massive wolf. The dangerous aura emanating from his gaze made her heart nearly stop. His presence exuded a wild, cold intensity, as if every inch of his muscles warned her not to cross him.

Outside, it seemed someone had knocked heavily twice. The sound reverberated, directly pounding into her chest, making her heartbeat accelerate. She could almost hear her heart pounding like a drum.

Suddenly, everything in the space seemed to freeze. The atmosphere grew heavy and mysterious. As a faint breeze stirred, a deep, magnetic voice emerged from the shadows. It was filled with an unusual allure and danger, as if it came from another world, capable of penetrating every inch of her soul.

"Little wolf," the voice carried a hint of provocation and an undeniable authority, as though floating from the distant moonlight, filled with an irresistible magic. "There's no such thing as a free lunch. If you want me to save you, you'll have to pay the price. Understand?"

The words echoed through the air like a wolf's howl, carrying an almost imperceptible threat. The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly, bringing with it a bone-chilling cold.