"Nessa Gray," Alpha Thorne said. "We have some questions for you."
I forced myself to stay calm, to keep my face neutral. "Of course, Alpha. How can I help?"
The stranger stepped forward, circling around me slowly like he was examining a piece of merchandise. I kept my eyes down, but I could feel his gaze on me, assessing.
"Tell me, girl," he said, and his voice was smooth like honey. "Where were you born? Do you remember anything about your parents?"
"No,sir," I said quietly. "I was found at the pack borders as a baby. I don't remember anything before Silverwood."
"Interesting," the stranger said, still circling me. "And this birthmark you have, the one on your shoulder. May I see it?"
My stomach dropped. How did he know about my birthmark? It was hidden under my dress, shaped like a crescent moon wrapped in chains. I'd always thought it was just an odd marking, nothing special.
"I... I suppose so," I said, glancing at Alpha Thorne for permission.
He nodded curtly. "Show him."
With shaking hands, I pulled down the shoulder of my dress just enough to reveal the mark. The stranger leaned in close, his eyes widening with something that looked like recognition.
"By the Moon Goddess," he breathed. "It's true. She's one of them."
"One of what?" Alpha Thorne demanded, leaning forward in his chair.
The stranger straightened up, a slow smile spreading across his face. "She's Silver Moon bloodline. I'd recognize that mark anywhere, it's the symbol of the ancient Silver Moon pack. They were thought to be extinct, wiped out twenty years ago in a massacre. But it seems at least one survived."
My blood turned to ice. A massacre? Twenty years ago, right around the time I would have been born?
"The Silver Moon pack was one of the most powerful bloodlines in existence," the stranger continued, speaking to Alpha Thorne but keeping his eyes on me. "Their Alphas were said to possess abilities beyond normal wolves, enhanced strength, speed, healing. Some even claimed they could use moon magic, whatever that means. If this girl truly carries that blood..."
"Then she's valuable," Alpha Thorne finished, his eyes gleaming with greed. "Very valuable indeed."
The stranger nodded. "Extremely. Other packs would pay handsomely for a Silver Moon wolf, especially one who could potentially breed and pass on those genes. Or..." He paused, his smile turning cruel. "There are those who would pay even more to ensure the bloodline is eliminated once and for all."
I couldn't breathe. They were talking about me like I was a commodity to be sold or a threat to be destroyed. I'd been right to hide what I was, but somehow they'd found out anyway.
"How did you know?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
The stranger laughed. "My dear girl, word travels fast in the werewolf world. When I heard that Marcus Thorne's fated mate was a supposedly powerless omega with no family history, I got curious. And when I heard she'd been found as a baby with a silver blanket and a strange birthmark? Well, I had to come see for myself."
He stepped closer, and I could smell something off about him, something that made my wolf snarl in warning.
"My name is Victor Strand," he said. "And I've been searching for surviving Silver Moon wolves for a very long time. Your parents thought they could hide you, but in the end, they failed. Just like they failed to protect themselves when I found them."
The words hit me like a physical blow. "You... you killed my parents?"
"I killed many wolves twenty years ago," Victor said casually, like he was discussing the weather. "The Silver Moon pack had grown too powerful, too influential. They threatened the natural order of things. So I gathered allies and we eliminated them. Every last one. Or so I thought."
Rage flooded through me, so intense I could barely see straight. This man, this monster, had murdered my parents. Had slaughtered my entire pack. And now he stood here smiling about it like it was an accomplishment.
"Why?" I demanded, my voice shaking with fury. "Why would you do that?"
"Power, my dear," Victor said simply. "The Silver Moon Alphas were the only ones strong enough to challenge my plans for the region. With them gone, I could consolidate power, control territories, build alliances. And it worked beautifully. Until I learned that one little wolf pup had escaped."
He reached out to touch my face, and I jerked back instinctively. His smile widened.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to kill you. Not yet, anyway. You see, I've learned that Silver Moon wolves don't fully manifest their powers until they're bonded with their fated mate. And since your mate rejected you..." He glanced at Alpha Thorne. "She's essentially powerless. A curiosity, but not a threat."
"So what happens now?" Alpha Thorne asked.
"Now, we make a deal," Victor said smoothly. "I'll pay you handsomely for the girl. I have buyers who collect rare bloodlines. She'll live out her days in comfort, just... elsewhere."
He was lying. I could hear it in his voice, see it in his eyes. Whatever he had planned for me, it didn't involve living in comfort. More likely, he'd kill me the moment Alpha Thorne handed me over, finishing what he'd started twenty years ago.
I had to get out of here. Now.
"I need time to consider your offer," Alpha Thorne said, but I could see the greed in his eyes. He was going to sell me to my parents' murderer.
"Of course," Victor said. "I'll be staying in the area for a few days. We can finalize arrangements then." He turned back to me. "Until then, my dear, I'd suggest you don't try anything foolish. I have associates watching, and if you attempt to run, they'll catch you. And I promise, you won't like what happens after that."
The guards stepped forward and grabbed my arms. I was too shocked to resist as they dragged me out of the office and back down to the basement. But instead of taking me to my room, they shoved me into a storage closet that was even smaller than my usual space.
"Alpha's orders," one guard said. "You stay here until he decides what to do with you. No food, no water, no visitors. If you try to escape, you'll be punished."
They slammed the door shut, and I heard a lock click into place. I was trapped in complete darkness, surrounded by cleaning supplies and old boxes.
I sank to the floor, my mind reeling. Everything made horrible sense now. My parents hadn't abandoned me, they'd been murdered. I'd been hidden at Silverwood's borders by someone trying to save me from Victor Strand. And now, twenty years later, he finally found me, and Alpha Thorne was going to sell me to him.