CHAPTER 0

The room erupted into applause, not because anyone was celebrating. Not because the audience was happy. But because the auction had just ended with a record-breaking bid.

History had just been made that night.

The dealer stood proudly on the auction stage, his smile impossibly wide as he raised the polished ebony gavel.

"Ten billion...going once!", The dealer's grin stretched from ear to ear.

The number echoed throughout the luxurious underground auction hall.

Crystal chandeliers shimmered overhead, casting golden light across rows of masked guests—mafia bosses, billionaire Alphas, influential politicians, weapons dealers, and crime syndicate leaders from around the world.

A few wealthy Alphas clenched their fists in frustration. Others simply sighed, knowing they couldn't compete with someone willing to throw around such an absurd amount of money. Every pair of eyes was fixed on a single steel cage displayed beneath the spotlight.

"Going twice!"

Several bidders cursed under their breath. One Alpha slammed his fist onto the armrest.

"Damn it! I should've bid higher."

Another simply leaned back with a defeated sigh.

"Ten billion...only a madman would pay that much."

A voice from the back quietly replied. "Or someone who knows exactly what he's buying."

The dealer lifted the gavel high.

"SOLD!"

The gavel slammed against the podium with a loud BANG!

The sound exploded across the hall. Inside the reinforced cage, Shasha flinched violently.

"Congratulations to our honored guest!"

The crowd applauded politely.

His snowy white wolf ears flattened against his head. His entire body trembled as the sudden noise frightened him. He instinctively crawled backward until his back pressed against the cold steel bars. His knees were drawn tightly against his chest. His fingers trembled as they clutched the oversized white shirt hanging loosely from his thin frame.

Everything around him felt wrong.

Too bright. Too loud. Too many unfamiliar scents. Unfamiliar faces...

His breathing grew uneven. His vision remained blurred from the injections forced into his body earlier.

His skin burned. Every heartbeat felt hotter than the last.

Everything felt...Hot. Too hot.

"Mmnn..." A tiny whimper escaped his lips.

He didn't understand why he felt this way. He didn't know why his chest hurt. He didn't know why tears were falling. He didn't know why every strange scent in the room suddenly became overwhelming.

Didn't understand why his body refused to listen to him.

Didn't understand why strangers kept staring or why they smiled whenever they looked at him.

His mismatched eyes—one sapphire blue, the other molten gold—wandered across the crowd in confusion.

So many humans. So many strange smells.

He wanted...

Home.

Because that was all he had ever known.

He wanted his master, his owner.

Even if home had never truly been kind.

Even if he had always worn a collar around his neck.

Even if he had eaten from a metal bowl placed on the floor.

Even if he had slept inside a kennel instead of a bed.

Even if he had never been allowed to sit beside his owner during meals.

Even if every mistake ended with punishment.

It was still home. His home.

Because "home" was the only world he had ever known. To be truth, he had never been taught that the world was bigger than one mansion.

He had never been taught there was another way to live.

Never taught what an Alpha or Omega meant...

He didn't know what schools were.

Didn't know how to read.

Didn't know how to write.

Didn't know what money meant.

Didn't know why everyone kept calling him an Omega.

To him...

He wasn't an Omega.

He wasn't even human.

He was simply...a Shasha. His owner's pet dog. To Shasha, humans were confusing creatures that talked far too much.

___________________________________

The dealer spread his arms dramatically before he stepped toward the cage with theatrical enthusiasm.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

His booming voice reclaimed everyone's attention.

"What you have witnessed tonight is not merely an auction..."

He gestured grandly toward the frightened young man inside the cage.

"It is the sale of a miracle."

Whispers immediately rippled through the audience.

"A miracle?"

"What makes him so special?"

"This is no ordinary omega." The dealer's grin widened.

"This...", He pointed toward Shasha. "...is a naturally born Dominant White Wolf Omega."

Silence. Then—the hall exploded with murmurs.

"A White Wolf?"

"I thought that bloodline went extinct decades ago."

"No...I've only read about them in old records."

"My family searched for one for years."

"Incredible..."

"But that isn't all." The dealer raised a finger.

"He possesses naturally occurring heterochromia. He carries an exceptionally pure bloodline. And according to our examinations...", The dealer paused deliberately. "...his compatibility with Alpha genetics exceeds every documented record."

The room buzzed even louder. Someone whispered,

"He could change the balance of power."

Another replied. "Entire syndicates would wage war for blood like that."

A third voice muttered. "He's worth far more than ten billion."

The dealer chuckled. "His genetics alone could reshape an entire bloodline."

Another wave of whispers.

"Imagine producing heirs with him..."

"His pheromones alone are priceless."

"What a shame. He would've made me a fortune for years."

Shasha blinked as he looked from one face to another. Nothing they said made sense to him.

He tilted his head. "Woof?"

The hall fell silent. A heartbeat later, laughter erupted.

"He barked."

"Did he actually bark?"

"I thought that was a joke."

"Does he not understand us?"

"Is something wrong with him?"

"Does he not understand the human language?"

"Is he mentally disabled?"

The dealer quickly cleared his throat. "As everyone can see...", He forced another smile.

"...the omega has been raised under...unusual circumstances."

The dealer forced an awkward smile.

"Our young Omega experienced a rather...unique upbringing."

Nobody laughed now. Not because they pitied him. But because something about him suddenly felt unsettling.

He wasn't pretending, the Omega's confusion was genuine.

None of them knew the truth. Only the traffickers who had stolen him knew.

Shasha had spent eighteen years believing he was literally a pet dog.

Not a metaphor.

Not an insult.

An actual dog.

For eighteen years, Shasha had never been allowed to think of himself as a person.

He had eaten from bowls.

Been praised with dog treats.

Rewarded with head pats whenever he obeyed.

Locked away whenever he questioned anything.

Punished whenever he acted "too human."

Every time his instincts tried to awaken, his owner injected another dose.

Whenever his wolf instincts tried to awaken...

Another syringe followed.

Another dose.

Another command.

Another lie.

Again and again.

"You're a good dog."

"Dogs don't ask questions."

"Dogs stay beside their owner."

"Dogs don't need the outside world."

Until eventually, the lies became his reality. His wolf remained asleep. His identity disappeared.

Leaving behind only unquestioning obedience.

_____________________________________

The dealer clapped once.

"Escort our honored buyer to the stage."

The enormous steel doors at the far end of the hall groaned open.

CLANG...

CLANG...

CLANG...

Every conversation died instantly.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the chamber.

First came the guards. Dozens of them.

Black tailored suits.

White gloves embroidered with a silver wolf.

Cold expressions.

Perfect discipline.

Not one of them looked left or right. Not one spoke.

Their synchronized movements were unnervingly precise. Several mafia leaders instinctively straightened in their seats.

One quietly muttered. "They're here."

Another swallowed. "So the rumors were true."

The guards surrounded the stage with practiced efficiency, creating an invisible wall between their leader and everyone else. Only then...

Did the man who had bid ten billion finally appear.

He wasn't flashy, he didn't need to be.

A charcoal-black suit tailored to perfection.

Dark gloves.

Polished shoes that echoed softly against the marble floor.

His posture radiated effortless authority. His face was calm and unreadable, almost unnaturally composed. The air itself seemed to change as he approached.

He stopped before the cage. His crimson eyes settled upon the trembling omega.

Neither moved.

Shasha slowly looked up.

Their eyes met. The world seemed to disappear around them.

Instinctively, Shasha sniffed.

Once.

Twice.

The stranger smelled unlike anyone else in the room. Cold rain. Ancient cedar. Steel.

And beneath it all...the quiet scent of a wolf.

Strong.

Steady.

Protective.

Without realizing what he was doing, Shasha crawled toward the front of the cage.

The audience collectively held its breath.

"Woof?", his soft voice echoed through the silent hall.

One guard stiffened. "He approached the Boss..."

Another guard whispered. "Does he have any idea who he's looking at?"

The Alpha slowly lowered himself into a crouch until they were eye level. He didn't speak. He just simply observed. Carefully and patiently as though trying to understand the frightened creature before him.

Shasha leaned closer, his nose pressed gently against the cold steel bars. He sniffed again. Then, after deciding the stranger didn't smell dangerous...

He hesitantly slipped one small hand through the narrow gap.

His fingertips brushed against the sleeve of the man's suit.

A simple gesture.

Curious.

Trusting.

Almost puppy-like.

Several guards instinctively reached beneath their jackets, grabbing their guns.

"Boss—"

A single raised finger stopped them immediately. No one moved again.

The hall became deathly quiet. For the first time that evening, a faint change crossed the Boss's face.

Not quite a smile. Not surprise.

Just the slightest softening in his eyes.

"So..." One guard whispered. "He isn't afraid of the Boss."

Another quietly replied. "No. He doesn't even know what an Alpha is."

The Boss finally broke the silence, his voice was low and calm yet firm.

"Open the cage."

The dealer hesitated. "Sir...he may attack."

"I wasn't asking." The Alpha's crimson eyes shifted toward the dealer.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. The dealer visibly paled.

"O-Open it!"

The electronic lock disengaged.

Click.

The heavy steel door slowly creaked open. For the first time since his capture, the cage stood open.

No chains.

No lock.

No barrier.

Freedom was only a single step away. Every eye in the hall watched the omega.

Would he run?

Would he attack?

Would he transform?

Shasha simply stared at the open doorway. Then, he looked up at the unfamiliar Alpha standing before him.

He didn't move.

He didn't try to escape.

He didn't even seem to realize he could.

Instead, the omega remained exactly where he was, gazing up with wide, innocent eyes. Waiting, so patiently as though expecting someone to tell him what a good dog should do next.

And in that heartbreaking moment, everyone in the room understood. The strongest cage around Shasha had never been made of steel.

It had been built inside his own mind...

TBC.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***