Breeder To The Brutal Alpha King

Chapter 178: The Gamble

Rebecca’s POV

The grand double doors of the ballroom swung open, revealing a breathtaking sight of crystal chandeliers and hundreds of high-ranking wolves. The moment Kaden and I stepped inside, a silence spread through the room like a cold wave. Conversations died. Every single eye turned to us—or rather, to me.

​I felt the immense weight of their stares. I saw the women, their faces tight with jealousy as they judged my slim, perfectly contoured curves in the expensive red silk gown. I saw the men, their expressions shifting into overt hunger, watching the tight roll of my hips as Kaden led me through the crowd.

​"Keep walking," Kaden muttered, holding my arm tighter as his scent flared out, aggressively marking me as his property in front of everyone.

​After a brief, tense greeting with the host, Kaden was pulled away into a private side room for an urgent council meeting regarding the borders. He leaned into my ear before leaving, his grip tight on my waist.

​"Stay right here by the wall. Do not move. Do not talk to anyone. If I find out you so much as looked at another male, there will be consequences."

​I wanted to tell him to go to hell, but I just nodded tightly.

​Left alone, I felt completely defenseless. Seeking any kind of distraction, I walked over to the long buffet table and picked up a glass of sparkling cider, my hands shaking so hard the glass rattled against my nails.

​"A goddess shouldn’t be drinking alone," a smooth, oily voice purred right behind me.

​I jumped, nearly spilling the drink. I turned to find Alpha Zach standing entirely too close, his eyes fixed shamelessly on the tight plunge of my neckline.

​"He’s quite the brute, isn’t he?" Zach said, stepping right into my personal space. He reached out, his fingers tracing the line of my jaw. "Tell me... does he treat a woman with your gorgeous beauty the way she deserves?"

​My skin crawled with absolute nausea. Without hesitation, I slapped his hand away. "Let go of me."

​Zach grinned, his teeth sharp and white. "A little bite behind the beauty. I like that." His hand slid down, his palm grazing the completely bare skin of my lower back where the gown cut away tightly. "He’s busy talking politics, Rebecca. He wouldn’t even notice if we slipped away for a moment. I could show you what it’s like to be handled by an Alpha who actually appreciates a woman with a body like yours."

​He began to lean in, his lips inches from mine, trying to force a kiss in the middle of the ballroom as a direct insult to the King. Panic seized my chest. I looked around, but the crowd was just watching with sick curiosity.

​Just as Zach’s lips were about to touch mine, a hand made of solid iron gripped Zach’s wrist and violently wrenched it away from me.

​"I believe the lady didn’t give you permission to touch her," a cold, calm voice hissed.

​I turned to see a tall, strikingly handsome Alpha step between us. He wore an incredibly expensive suit, and his eyes carried an authority that made Zach instantly step back.

​"You’re overstepping, Zach," the man said smoothly. "Harassing a slave under the Alpha King’s protection at a peaceful summit is against the high laws. Move along before Kaden returns and turns this floor into a bloodbath."

​Zach growled, rubbing his wrist, but realizing he was outnumbered, he muttered a curse and disappeared into the crowd.

​I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, my legs shaking in my silver heels. "Thank you," I whispered.

​The stranger turned to me, his expression softening completely as he gave a respectful bow. "It was my pleasure. I am Alpha Alexander of the Nightshade Moon Pack." He looked at me, his eyes tracking the heavy silver collar around my throat. He looked genuinely puzzled. "Forgive my bluntness, but how could a beautiful, charming girl like you be a slave? You don’t look like a criminal."

​"It’s a long story," I murmured, taking a sip of my cider and looking away. I wasn’t going to trust another wolf, even a kind one.

​Before Alexander could say anything else, the heavy wooden doors of the council room banged open. Alpha King Kaden stepped out, his face etched with a dark frown. His eyes immediately scanned the room until they landed right on me—and then shifted to Alexander standing comfortably beside me.

​The temperature in the ballroom instantly plummeted. Kaden’s stride was purely predatory as he cut through the crowd. He didn’t stop until he was inches from Alexander, his chest nearly brushing the other man’s.

​"Alexander," Kaden hissed, his green eyes flashing with lethal gold. "I don’t remember giving you permission to talk to my slave."

​"I was merely ensuring her safety, Kaden," Alexander replied, completely unbothered.

​Kaden’s gaze snapped to me, looking for any sign that I had been touched. His hand shot out, grabbing my waist roughly and pulling my slim hips hard against his thigh.

​"We’re leaving," Kaden barked.

​"Kaden, wait!" Alpha James, the host, called out, stepping in front of us with a group of other Alphas. "The night isn’t over. We are heading upstairs to the private lounge for the traditional card game. You can’t leave now. Unless the great Alpha King Kaden is afraid of losing in front of his... prized possession."

​A low, terrifying growl rumbled from Kaden’s chest. His pride was being challenged in front of his peers. He looked down at my pale face, then back at the challenging Alphas.

​"Fine," Kaden snapped.

​Minutes later, we entered the private, high-stakes room. The air was thick with the heavy, suffocating scent of dominant males. Nine Alphas sat around a large green felt table, including Zach and Alexander. I took my position tightly behind Kaden’s leather chair, standing like a silent statue just like the other females in the room.

​The dealer began to slide the cards. The stakes were astronomical—hundreds of thousands of dollars were being tossed into the center like pocket change.

​I watched the cards closely. I could see Kaden was typically a master of control, but tonight, his focus was completely broken. His green eyes kept darting back to me, then to Alexander, then to Zach. He was playing with his explosive temper, not his head.

​By the third round, Alpha Zach leaned forward over the table, a greasy, triumphant smirk stretching across his face.

​"I’m bored of playing for paper, Kaden," Zach purred, his eyes locking directly onto my tight chest before moving to Kaden’s face. "Let’s make this a real game. Just you and me. One final round. If you win, I’ll hand you a million dollars in cash, right here."

​The room went deathly silent.

​"And if you win?" Kaden asked, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low pitch.

​Zach’s eyes flashed with a sick, hungry desire as he pointed a finger directly at me. "If I win, I get your gorgeous little slave for the night."

​My heart completely stopped. My breath hitched, and I looked down at the back of Kaden’s head, my eyes wide with pure terror. Please, say no, I pleaded silently. Don’t do this to me.

​Kaden’s jaw tightened, his inner wolf growling audibly. "No. She isn’t part of the pot."

​"What’s the matter, Kaden?" Zach taunted, leaning back with a loud laugh. "Afraid your luck has run out? Or are you just scared I might show her a better time than you can?"

​The other Alphas in the room joined in, their mocking laughter echoing off the high ceilings. Kaden’s pride was being violently stripped away in front of the entire council. He looked back at me—seeing my face completely pale with fear—and then looked down at his cards.

​"Deal," Kaden growled.

​The word sounded like a death sentence. I felt the blood drain from my face. He had bet me. Like I was a watch, a car, or a piece of land, he had put my body on the table.

​The cards were dealt. My stomach flipped into a sick knot as I looked over Kaden’s shoulder. He had a terrible hand. He was trying to bluff, but Zach wasn’t falling for it.

​Zach aggressively shoved his chips into the center, matched by Kaden, move for move. Finally, Zach flipped his cards with a loud, boasting slam.

​A Full House. It was an almost unbeatable hand.

​Zach stood up from his chair, a disgusting, victorious grin spreading across his face as he reached his hand across to grab my waist. "Come here, sweetheart. Looks like you belong to me tonight."

​My knees shook so hard I had to grab the back of Kaden’s chair just to stay standing. Tears burned the edges of my eyes.

​But Kaden didn’t move an inch. Slowly, deliberately, he flipped his cards over one by one.

​A Straight Flush.

​The silence that followed was completely deafening. Zach froze, his outstretched hand suspended in mid-air, his face turning a sickly, dark shade of purple. He had lost.

​"Winner," the dealer announced clearly, "Alpha King Kaden."

​The room erupted into murmurs of shock. Zach slammed his fist onto the table in pure rage, but Kaden didn’t celebrate. He didn’t even smile. He simply stood up, reached back, and wrapped his iron fingers tightly around my wrist, pulling me roughly against his side in a hard, possessive grip.

​"You lost," Kaden hissed across the table, his green eyes fixed on Alpha Zach. "And if you ever look at her again, I won’t just take your money. I’ll take your head."

​Without waiting for the chips, Kaden turned and marched me out of the room, dragging me down the hallway toward the elevators. The moment we reached his private penthouse suite, he threw the door open and slammed it shut behind us with a loud, violent bang.

​I barely had time to turn around before Kaden grabbed my arm, spun me, and pressed my back hard against the wall. His forearm came down right beside my head, trapping me completely in place. The raw, shaking anger rolling off his body was thick, heavy, and terrifyingly hot.