Iced Warmth: The Alpha’s Trial Mate

“Fifty million dollars. Who dares to raise the bid?” The crippled man’s voice boomed through the auction hall, silencing everyone. I froze on the stage, the blinding lights burning my skin. I was Item 344, a slave, a toy to be sold to the highest bidder. My father had sold me, and now, I was being fought over like a piece of meat. “Sold!” The auctioneer screamed, trembling with excitement. I looked at my buyer. He sat in a wheelchair, his legs covered by a blanket, his face handsome but cold as ice. A cripple? I scoffed inwardly. I was a hybrid—half vampire, half werewolf. Even without an inner wolf, I had powers. I could control minds. I would wipe his memory, steal his money, and escape before the night was over. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I hissed as his guards approached me. I pulled out a hidden knife, ready to slit throats. But a sudden, overpowering dizziness hit me. My body went weak, my vision blurred. When I woke up, I was in a luxurious car, bound by cuffs. The cripple was sitting next to me, watching me with predator eyes. “Who are you?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Your new master,” he replied calmly. “You wish.” I muttered. In a flash, his hand wrapped around my throat. He moved faster than any human, faster than any cripple should be able to. His grip was steel. “You seem to forget that I own you now,” he whispered dangerously, his face inches from mine. “Act as my mate for the Alpha selection, and I let you live. Refuse, and I’ll kill you myself.” I tried to slip into his mind, to control him, to make him let me go. I pushed against his mental barriers, expecting them to crumble like everyone else’s. But I hit a wall. Shock paralyzed me. I couldn't read him. He smirked, as if he knew exactly what I was trying to do. “We’re home, Jaslyn. Welcome to hell.”