I had believed they couldn’t possibly hold three Kings.
I was wrong.
When the final bones were turned, my three Sevens were crushed beneath their three Kings.
The restraints cut into my flesh as I slumped back.
For the first time, despair outweighed pain.
The howls of triumph echoed through the sea-den, crashing against my ears like waves of mockery. The gathered wolves celebrated—not just their winnings, but the promise of what came next. My foster-dam, caged and vulnerable, would be their entertainment.
"I told you Kael Nightthorne would lose! A pathetic excuse for an Alpha like him could never defeat the Tidefang King in a Dominance Wager."
"Utterly delusional to even try."
Darian Frostveil exhaled smoke directly into my face, his posture radiating insufferable arrogance.
"Kael Nightthorne, how could you lose? Your mother is still waiting in that cage for you to save her!"
I lifted my head, my eyes burning crimson with barely contained rage. The final cards the dealer had thrown down were rigged—I had caught the scent of deception, noticed the subtle manipulation in the Tidefang King's movements. But what could I do about it? No one in this warded sea-den would believe me. Every wolf here wanted nothing more than to see me stripped of everything.
Before I could gather my thoughts, a sharp tearing sound cut through the den.
My heart lurched as I whipped around toward the cage. One of the males had seized Mara Nightthorne's outer garment and ripped it apart with brutal force.
"No! Get away from me! Get away!"
My foster-dam struggled desperately against her captors, but her Omega strength was no match for the males surrounding her.
The wolves in the crowd erupted with excitement, their predatory instincts inflamed.
"Look at that! Didn't I say this she-wolf had a fine form?"
"She doesn't look anywhere near her age! This will be entertaining!"
The more Mara screamed, the more frenzied their excitement became. Her distress was feeding their bloodlust.
I fixed my blood-red gaze on Selene Frostveil. She merely shrugged, utterly indifferent to the horror unfolding.
"Why are you glaring at me like that? This is entirely your fault."
"If you weren't such a worthless failure who lost the wager, she wouldn't be getting pawed at by these males."
"Though I should warn you—she's down to her last layer before they see everything underneath."
"Ha!"