The Shocking Slice
Logan's POV
Eleven years later…
Surrounded by fellow Alphas, I moved through the crowd with effortless grace, exchanging nods and firm handshakes. Laughter and conversation filled the air, but my attention sharpened when Alpha Alex turned to me, his eyes gleaming with admiration.
"Logan, it won't be long before your daughter, Serene, becomes the best acrobat in the country. She's not just talented—she's exceptional for her age."
Pride settled deep in my chest, unmistakable and fierce. I lifted my glass, meeting his gaze with a confident smirk. "She gets it from me. Greatness is in her blood."
The sight of that gold medal in her tiny hands filled me with pride. She was only six, yet she never failed to make my heart swell.
Serene, my daughter, my greatest treasure. She was the undeniable proof of the love I shared with Natalie.
She was everything I had ever dreamed of—sharp, capable, and gifted beyond her years.
A firm voice cut through my thoughts. "The auction starts in twenty minutes. I trust you're ready, Alpha Logan."
I turned to face Alpha Nolan of the Silver Moon pack, meeting his gaze with unwavering confidence. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I let a slow smirk tug at my lips. "Prepared?" My voice was steady. "What belongs to me will always find its way back to me."
The smirk on his face faded, giving way to a deep scowl.
If he wanted to sulk, that was his business, not mine.
Becoming one of the youngest billionaire Alphas had put the world at my feet. Most Alphas from other packs admired me, some even envied me. But not Nolan. To him, I wasn't someone to look up to. I was someone to beat.
But that didn't matter. I already had everything I could ever want.
I had everything—wealth, a perfect family, respect, power, and fame. With the world at my feet, why would I waste a single thought on Nolan?
I stepped past him, my focus set on the main hall where the auction was about to begin. But before I could take another step, Dante, my Beta and personal assistant rushed toward me.
His breath came fast, his voice edged with urgency. "Alpha Logan, we have a serious problem."
My steps faltered. A problem? My brows knitted together as I tried to make sense of his words.
"What kind of problem?"
Dante shoved the tablet into my hands, and the moment my eyes scanned the screen, my stomach twisted. What the hell? My pulse kicked up a notch as disbelief morphed into boiling rage.
I clenched my jaw, my grip tightening around the device. "How did this leak? How in the world does the outside world know what's happening in our pack house?" My voice came out low, edged with fury.
Dante exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "I don't know. But it looks like someone sold us out."
My gaze snapped to Natalie across the room. She laughed, effortlessly blending into the crowd, as if she had no clue about the fire she'd just lit. My hands curled into fists, anger surging through my veins.
Online gossip sites and tabloids exploded with headlines exposing Natalie's cruelty toward the Omegas working in the pack house. And as if the words weren't damning enough, they even attached a video for proof.
This was beyond frustrating—she had taken things too far!
It was like Natalie lived to tarnish my name. First, it was headlines of her mistreating employees, then for throwing a public tantrum at the mall. And now, this scandal? How much more damage was she going to cause?
I was exhausted from constantly bribing blogs to erase the scandals. No matter how many times I tried to clean up the mess, it kept piling up.
This was the last straw.
I shoved the phone back into Dante's hand, my voice sharp. "Get those articles taken down, every single one of them. We'll release a statement after the auction. And find out who recorded that video!!"
"Yes, Alpha Logan."
Each step toward Natalie felt like adding fuel to the fire raging inside me. My jaw tightened, but as I reached her, I forced a smile, concealing the fury bubbling beneath. Without a word, I grabbed her arm and steered her toward the balcony, away from prying eyes.
I locked eyes with her, my gaze cold and unyielding. My jaw tightened, and for a moment, I nearly growled, but I forced my voice to remain steady.
"Do you even realize the damage you've done? How could you be so cruel? You beat a maid so badly she almost lost her sight, now it's all over the internet! Do you have any idea what this means for me?"
I searched her face, hoping for a hint of guilt, but all I found was fury. Her hands shot up to cover her mouth as her eyes darkened with rage.
"She dared to snitch? She actually turned on me?" Her voice dropped, venom lacing every word. "That traitor… I swear, I'll have her head for this!"
As she moved to brush past me, I caught her arm, my grip firm, my patience hanging by a thread.
"Do you even think before you act? All you had to do was sit tight and wait until the auction was over! That land is the key to multiplying my wealth, and if you ruin this for me, Natalie, I swear, you won't like the consequences!"
She scoffed, flicking her brown hair over her shoulder before storming off like she couldn't care less.
I exhaled sharply, resisting the urge to throw my hands up. Dealing with her was beyond exhausting.
Just as I turned to leave the balcony, something made me stop. A pair of legs stuck out from behind the slightly open door. My breath hitched.
Someone was spying on me?
Heat surged through my veins as I squared my shoulders. "Step out now," I ordered, my voice sharp. "Unless you want to face the consequences."
For a moment, silence. Then, hesitantly, a boy with golden-blonde hair peeked out, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. Before I could process it, another boy stepped forward. Then another.
I sucked in a breath, my eyes widening. "Triplets?"
The boy with blonde hair locked eyes with me, something unreadable flickering in his expression.
The moment our eyes met, something inside me faltered. My heart gave a stutter, an unsteady beat that threw me off balance.
As I took in the sight of the three boys, an odd sensation stirred deep within me. My wolf hummed with recognition, a pull I couldn't explain. It wasn't just curiosity—it was something stronger, something primal, like an invisible thread tying me to them.
Then it hit me. Their faces, their features... it was like looking into a mirror reflecting a younger version of myself. How was that even possible?
"We're sorry," they said in unison, voices hurried and nervous. Before I could find my words, they turned and bolted, vanishing before I could stop them.
A whisper slipped past my lips as I stood frozen in place. "Who… are they?"
*********************
The sharp crack of the gavel echoed through the room, silencing the hushed murmurs. The auctioneer's voice rang out, firm and commanding. "Order, please."
Beside me, Natalie leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "They're all on edge because of you. You haven't made a move yet, and it's driving them insane."
A slow smirk tugged at my lips. "They should be nervous. Once I secure that land, do you have any idea how much I'll turn around in a few months?"
I leaned in close, my voice barely above a whisper. "Word has it the land is hiding gold beneath its soil. That's why everyone's desperate to claim it. But tell me—how can they take what's already as good as mine?"
Natalie chuckled, resting her head lightly against my shoulder. "I'm lucky to have you as my mate."
I smirked. "You should be."
The auctioneer's voice rang through the hall, but my attention was locked on Alpha Nolan as he confidently lifted his paddle. "200 million dollars."
Our eyes met. He smirked, a silent challenge. My fingers curled around my paddle, and without hesitation, I raised it higher. "350 million dollars."
The room fell into a hushed silence. Let the games begin.
Nolan's eyes flared with shock as he lifted his paddle. "400 million dollars!"
A slow smirk tugged at my lips. I leaned back, letting the tension stretch before I raised my own paddle. "550 million dollars."
His chest rose and fell in sharp, angry breaths. His glare could've burned a hole through me, but I stayed calm, exhaling slowly. This victory was mine.
The auctioneer's voice rang out. "Five hundred million dollars! Going once… going twice… and the land goes to…."
Before the final word left his mouth, a voice sliced through the air like a blade.
"Two billion dollars!"
My breath hitched. What?!
That couldn't be real.
My head snapped toward the source of the voice, my pulse quickening. In the second row, a woman lifted her paddle, her face partially hidden behind a pair of sleek sunglasses.
She was mesmerizing, poised, effortlessly elegant. There was something about her that commanded attention, leaving me momentarily breathless. But one question gnawed at me, who was she to throw around that kind of money so easily?
Then, just as my mind spun with questions, my gaze drifted past her and landed on the man seated behind her. The instant our eyes met, a jolt shot through me, my chest tightening as if my heart had just slammed into a brick wall.
A wave of fury burned in his eyes, pinning me in place. My breath hitched, and before I knew it, I sank into my seat.
No. This couldn't be real. He was dead.
I had killed him with my own hands. Felt the life leave his body.
So how was he here? How was the rogue king, someone who should have been nothing but a ghost, sitting right there?
The room buzzed with whispers, a mix of shock over the staggering bid and the impossible presence of the man everyone believed was long gone.
Then the auctioneer's voice sliced through the noise.
"Miss, may I have your name?"
All eyes turned to her as she slowly removed her sunglasses…
She slipped off her sunglasses, setting them on her lap as she crossed one leg over the other. Then, with a slow, deliberate turn, her eyes met mine.
Something tugged at the edges of my memory. A sense of familiarity. I knew her. But from where?
Her gaze shifted back to the auctioneer, and then she spoke.
"Anna."
The name hit me like a shockwave, drowning out everything else. Anna? That name belonged to the past—a past I hadn't thought about in years.
But the Elodie I remembered wasn't like this. She had been different—heavier, disheveled, always hiding behind puffy, tear-streaked eyes.
And yet, the woman before me now? She was mesmerizing. No, beyond that—she was stunning. Almost unrecognizably so.
The woman before me wasn't just beautiful, she was breathtaking. Maybe even the most stunning woman I had ever laid eyes on.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. Then, with a voice as smooth as silk, she spoke.
"Anna Blackwood Cyrus."
The name crashed into me like a wave, sweeping away every thought.
Anna.
The same Anna I once knew.
No, the woman before me had risen from the ashes of who she used to be. And for the first time, I wasn't sure if I should be in awe… or afraid.