My Ex Alpha Tried Abducting Me

The crystal chandeliers of the Howell Auction House cast a golden glow over the sea of elite werewolves gathered for the annual Pack Charity Gala. I smoothed the silk of my midnight blue gown, a smile playing on my lips as I watched the bidding war escalate over a rare moonstone necklace. Three years as Lycan Queen had taught me to enjoy these moments of opulence—especially knowing this entire establishment was a mating anniversary gift from Leonardo.

"Elena, darling, you've outdone yourself with tonight's selection," Victoria Sterling, an Alpha female from the Eastern Territories, whispered beside me. "The turnout is exceptional."

"Thank you," I replied, my fingers absently tracing the legendary blue diamond ring on my finger—the mark of the Lycan Queen that Leonardo had placed there the day we completed our mate bond. "The proceeds will go directly to the Omega Rehabilitation Program."

Victoria's eyes flickered to my ring, a subtle nod of respect crossing her features. Few recognized its true significance, but those who did never failed to acknowledge it.

The auctioneer's voice rose as he introduced the final item—a dazzling diamond ring worth tens of millions. "Ladies and gentlemen, this exquisite piece concludes our evening..."

I was about to signal the end of the night when a commotion at the entrance caught everyone's attention. The crowd parted like the Red Sea, whispers rippling through the room.

"He's back."

"The new Alpha of the Ross Pack."

"Nathaniel Ross."

My spine stiffened at that name. Three years. Three years since I'd rejected our arranged mating after catching him with Liana in London. Three years of peace.

I turned slowly, coming face to face with the man who had once claimed to be my destiny.

Nathaniel stood tall in a tailored tuxedo, his chestnut hair slicked back, his jawline sharper than I remembered. But it was his eyes that caught me—arrogant, entitled, and utterly convinced of his own importance.

"Elena," he called out, his voice carrying across the hushed room.

I felt Victoria tense beside me. "Do you need an exit strategy?" she murmured.

"No," I replied, my voice steady despite the sudden acceleration of my heartbeat. "I'm exactly where I need to be."

Nathaniel's gaze never left mine as he approached, stopping at the auction display. With theatrical flair, he raised his paddle. "Fifty million for the ring."

Gasps echoed through the room. The bidding had barely reached twenty million.

"Going once... going twice..." The auctioneer's gavel fell with finality. "Sold to Alpha Nathaniel Ross!"

The lights dimmed momentarily before the main screen behind the display illuminated with Nathaniel's pre-recorded message:

"Elena, I promised that once I took over the Ross Pack as Alpha, I would make you my Luna."

The room erupted in murmurs. I remained perfectly still, my expression unreadable despite the storm brewing inside me.

Nathaniel strode toward me, the diamond ring glinting in his hand. Behind him, I caught sight of Liana—her face a careful mask of support that couldn't quite hide the jealousy simmering beneath.

"Elena," Nathaniel said, his voice dropping to that Alpha tone that once made me shiver. Now it merely irritated me. "I've fulfilled my promise. I've returned as Alpha, just as I said I would."

He extended the ring toward me. "You will be my Luna—my trophy to display at every pack gathering. Liana will handle the... practical matters. The pack affairs, the bed..." His lips curved into what he probably thought was a charming smile.

I felt a ripple of disgust crawl up my spine. Did he really think I'd been waiting for him? That I'd welcome this arrangement?

"Your Alpha tone has no effect on me anymore, Nathaniel," I said, my voice ice-cold and carrying enough authority to make several nearby werewolves step back.

His brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about? You're still unmated—"

"Unmated?" I laughed, the sound sharp and cutting. "Is that what you believe?"

Nathaniel's gaze dropped to my blue diamond ring, then dismissed it with a scoff. "Nice fake. Very convincing, but I know the Montgomery Pack is struggling since your rebranding to Howell. Bankrupt, are we? Wolfless, perhaps?"

Without breaking eye contact, I plucked the multi-million dollar ring from his palm and tossed it at Liana's feet.

"I wouldn't waste such a pretty trinket on a woman who means so little to you," I said, turning back to Nathaniel. "But then again, you've always been wasteful with things you think you own."

Liana's face contorted with shock and humiliation as she stared at the ring by her feet.

"Elena," Nathaniel growled, his Alpha aura flaring—a mistake that would have once intimidated me. Now it merely highlighted his insecurity.

I stepped closer, allowing just a hint of my Lycan Queen aura to surface—enough to make him stumble back a step.

"You abandoned me for power and lust," I whispered, for his ears alone. "And now you've returned for nothing but your own ego."

The confusion in his eyes slowly morphed into something darker as he realized his carefully orchestrated spectacle had backfired spectacularly.