CHAPTER 34: THERE’S NOTHING TO HIT BACK THERE.

"Huh? Is he pricing me too now?!" Victoria thought in disbelief as she continued to struggle against Zephyr’s unrelenting grip. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest. What did I even expect? she scoffed internally. He’s a notorious playboy...of course he frequents a place like this!

"Really? Five billion gold?!"

Alpha Philip raised an eyebrow, his expression contorted in utter disbelief. Even Victoria was speechless. Her mouth fell open slightly as she stared at the two men.

What kind of lunatic would pay five billion gold just to have his way with a woman?

She had thought Alpha Philip was insane for offering a billion. But now, watching Zephyr throw out five times that amount without flinching, she realized that he might actually be even more unhinged.

"Make it ten billion gold then. You can have this bitch," Alpha Philip sneered, his voice dripping with malice. A wide, taunting smirk stretched across his face. "I don’t want her anymore anyway. Might end up killing her if I keep her."

"Stop pushing your luck, Philip," Zephyr replied coolly, his voice laced with quiet menace. "You know I could take her without paying a single coin. Five billion gold, or not....your choice." His lips curled into a smug smile as he tightened his grip on Victoria.

Can he just let go already?! Victoria winced inwardly, her wrist aching terribly beneath Zephyr’s iron grasp. Is he seriously trying to break my hand?!

"Fine!" Alpha Philip barked, frustration flashing across his face. Zephyr didn’t even blink. He reached into a small, well-secured sack tied to his belt and tossed it into Philip’s hands. Without another word, Philip caught it with ease and turned on his heel, stalking off deeper into the brothel to find another prostitute to amuse himself with.

This idiot isn’t seriously going to....

Before Victoria could even form a full thought, she was suddenly hoisted over Zephyr’s shoulder like a sack of grain. A wave of shock and terror flooded her entire body. The room spun around her as he began striding through the crowd, completely ignoring the attention they were attracting.

"Where are you taking me?!" she shrieked, writhing violently in his hold the moment she realized he wasn’t heading toward a VIP room...but rather, toward the exit.

To his house? Her eyes widened with dread. It’ll be much harder to kill him there...

Before she could squirm any further, a sharp sting exploded across her backside. She gasped.

"Just shut the fuck up," Zephyr growled, delivering the harsh smack without hesitation. Then he waved the same hand in the air, clearly unimpressed. "Damn. You’ve got a plank back here. There’s not even any flesh to hit."

D.. Did he just call me flat?! Victoria’s cheeks flushed red not from embarrassment, but fury. She stopped struggling, though. If he truly intended to have his way with her, she’d already formed another plan. A deadlier one.

Of course he would. He just threw away five billion gold like it was spare change. What else would a spoiled, womanizing Alpha do?

They exited the building, and Zephyr led them around the back where a sleek, black car waited. He finally set her down on her feet, his grip loosening at last. But before he could utter a single word, Victoria was already moving.

With lightning speed, she reached into the locket hanging around her neck and summoned a glinting silver dagger, its curved blade coated in a slick layer of poison. She immediately raised it, pressing the tip dangerously close to Zephyr’s throat.

"Let me go. Now. Or die here," Victoria said, her voice low and lethal, her eyes narrowed. "This dagger is made of silver. Coated in poison. One strike...and you’ll be joining your ancestors."

Zephyr raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. He scoffed. "You’re threatening me? You want to kill me?"

"Try me," Victoria shot back, her grip firm, her tone unwavering. "If it’s about your money...fine. You’ll get it back. But not five billion. Just the one billion that useless Alpha paid."

"Oh, I see..." Zephyr murmured, lifting his hands in mock surrender. "Fine then. As long as my money comes back to me." He began turning away, casually moving toward the driver’s seat.

Victoria’s shoulders sagged slightly in relief...just slightly.

But before she could even take a breath, he twisted back in a flash. With terrifying speed and skill, he closed the gap between them. In the blink of an eye, the dagger was no longer in her hands. It now rested in his...its point angled toward her neck instead.

Her heart dropped.

Shit!

She knew some martial arts, yes. Enough to defend herself from drunks and low-tier thugs. But she hadn’t anticipated just how much stronger, faster, and more dangerous an Alpha like Zephyr truly was.

"Are you going to kill me now for threatening you?" she asked bitterly, her heartbeat thundering in her chest as she stared into his eyes.

Zephyr tilted his head slightly, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "You were holding the dagger like this," he murmured.

Then, to her astonishment, he pulled her closer by the waist. Their bodies were inches apart now, only the dagger between them, yet Victoria could feel his warm breath fan across her face.

"Huh?" Victoria raised an eyebrow, swallowing hard as the dagger hovered inches from her throat.

"You need to hold the dagger like this if you actually want to strike," Zephyr said calmly, his voice laced with authority. "And your speed? Pathetic. You’ve got to work on that. And your so-called martial arts... it’s crap. You have a lot to learn."

He let out a mocking smirk as he slowly lowered the dagger from her neck. Victoria exhaled sharply, finally able to breathe properly.

"Anyway," Zephyr continued nonchalantly, tucking the blade’s tip downward, "it’s late. You can’t go back to the training grounds by yourself. I was heading that way anyway...I’ll drop you off."

He handed the dagger back to her, and Victoria didn’t hesitate. She snatched it from his hand immediately, afraid he might change his mind and decide to finish what he started.

"And don’t worry," Zephyr added, the corner of his lips twitching into a wicked smirk. "I’m not interested in claiming you. You’re not my type. I prefer flesh...not bones."

His words sent another wave of shock and unease down Victoria’s spine. Her mouth parted slightly, stunned by the insult, but he didn’t even spare her a second glance. He simply turned on his heel and headed for the driver’s seat, sliding into the car with practiced ease.

"I’ll find my own way back to the training ground," Victoria said stiffly, forcing authority into her voice, though it quivered with tension.

Zephyr leaned over, resting one hand casually on the open passenger door. "Hop in. Or you might meet other werewolves who will have their way with you....for free, this time. Considering what you’re wearing... or rather, not wearing."

Victoria’s eyes widened. She glanced down at herself. He was right. The thin silk material clung to her body and barely offered any protection, let alone modesty. Alone on the road at night, she’d be a walking target.

She swallowed her pride and her fear...and climbed into the car.

The tires screeched softly against the pavement as Zephyr started the engine. His eyes remained on the road, calm and focused. Victoria sat beside him in silence, tense, her fingers curled tightly around the dagger in her lap. She didn’t trust him...not even for a second.

"I’m curious," Zephyr said eventually, breaking the silence as his fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel. "How did you end up at that brothel anyway? You could’ve really gotten claimed if I wasn’t a regular there."

Oh yeah, Victoria thought bitterly, her jaw tightening. Who sold me to a brothel in the first place?

Her mind raced. Could it be those ladies? Of course it was them. Those bastards!

Zephyr chuckled under his breath, his voice low and amused. "Judging by the kind of person you seem to be, I’d say you’re the type who’s always getting into trouble."

Victoria shot him a glare, but he didn’t even look at her.

"Anyway," he added, tilting his head slightly, "have we met before? You look familiar... and yet not. It’s like I’ve seen you before, but your face doesn’t quite fit the memory."

Victoria didn’t respond. She clenched her jaw and stared out the window as the scenery passed by in silence.

The car soon came to a stop in front of the training ground gates. Without wasting a second, Victoria opened the door and stepped out. Her grip on the dagger hadn’t loosened once.

"Thanks for the ride," she said curtly, not looking back as she made her way toward the entrance.

Zephyr remained in the driver’s seat, one brow lifting in surprise.

"Did she just... ignore my question?" he murmured aloud, stunned. His eyes followed her figure until she disappeared past the gates.

His lips twitched into something between amusement and annoyance. "This girl’s really asking for trouble," he said to himself. "Does she think I’m someone to brush off like that?"