Chapter 1On my eighteenth birthday, my first heat hit.
Enzo Blackwood — the school's dominant Alpha — pinned me down.
I bared my nape in despair, faking calm, begging silently for his mark.
He gave it.
Then he pulled out a switchblade, heated the tip, and carved into my chest:
Enzo's Puppy.
I gave him everything after that. My body. My loyalty.
When the test turned blue, I thought we'd finally bond for real.
Then I unlocked my phone.
Our most intimate moments. Trending. Everywhere.
His voice on the line, cold as steel:
"Now the whole city knows you're just a rutting bitch in heat."
That's when it hit me.
He never wanted me.
He wanted revenge.
Revenge against my father — a respected Beta professor.
He claimed my father ruined his childhood best friend Mia.
And I, the lowly Omega, was just his weapon.
"You wouldn't even be worthy of a glance — if not for my vendetta."
That same night, my father collapsed. Paralyzed.
Our home — auctioned off.
My future — erased.
I had lost everything.
Except the one secret that would bring him to his knees.
---
Seven years later, our paths crossed again.
Enzo was now the undisputed Alpha king ruling the city's underworld, surrounded by ruthless enforcers, firearms, and a noble Luna by his side.
As for me?
I worked as a cocktail waitress at his rival's strip club, earning a mere hundred US dollars every single night. As an Omega, I'd learned to keep a smile plastered on my face no matter how many lewd, filthy eyes lingered on my figure.
That night, my boss summoned me to the private VIP lounge. Stepping inside, I saw a crowd of Alphas staring greedily in my direction, the air thick with repulsive cigarette smoke and cheap cologne.
"Good evening, Alpha Russo," I glided over to sink onto his lap, looping my arms around his neck skillfully while fighting back the urge to gag.
He reeked of stale cigar smoke, and his hand slipped straight up under my dress without hesitation.
"Evening, sweetheart. Come say hello to our Alpha Enzo over there."
I turned my head, and my smile froze solid on my face.
At the far end of the room sat Enzo, holding a glass of Scotch whiskey in one hand with Mia nestled comfortably against his arm. He looked at me as if I were nothing but trash, and the overwhelming oppressive aura of a top-tier Alpha instantly engulfed my whole body.
Russo bared his yellowed teeth in a vulgar grin. "Enzo, you want this little Omega to keep you company?"
Enzo's gaze never strayed from me for a second.
"I don't touch used goods," he said icily.
Loud bursts of laughter erupted from everyone present.
I smoothed down my dress, maintaining my professional smile all the while as I stood up to pour more drinks for Russo.
A bald Beta draped in gold chains tossed a stack of cash onto the table.
"Take off your dress," he ordered, his tone laced with unbridled humiliation.
The rest of the men cheered loudly.
I picked up the money, climbed onto the table, and slowly unbuttoned my blouse one by one.
The old carved words on my chest had faded over the years, yet the scar tissue still drew all their gazes—an indelible brand left behind by an Alpha.
Whistles and cheers echoed nonstop, and flashing lights blurred my vision into pure white. Still, I kept smiling; I'd long mastered this act.
I'd sold my body a thousand times over, and I was fully prepared to do it a thousand times more.
Enzo watched me with an unreadable expression, until I hooked a single finger under the strap of my bra. He rose to his feet and let out a cold mocking laugh.
"Disgusting whore."
I shrugged my shoulders, even as the wolf within me ached sharply beneath his stare.
"Whatever you say, Alpha."
Chapter 2
I hooked one finger under my bra strap just as they had demanded.
Enzo stood rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed firmly on me, cold restrained anger swirling deep within them.
"Filthy mongrel."
His voice was low yet clear enough to cut through the blaring music and reach every corner of the room.
I chose to ignore his harsh words, letting the strap slip slowly down my shoulder, my smile never faltering for a moment.
Enzo said nothing in reply. He simply stood there, his towering Alpha frame casting a heavy shadow over me, freezing the air in the room and hushing the noisy chatter of the other Alphas.
He smoothly plucked a lit cigar from the ashtray, its glowing ember flickering faintly. Then he strode forward and pressed the burning end hard against my chest.
A sharp sizzling sound filled the air.
Before the pain fully hit me, the stench of searing flesh flooded my nose. I held back every scream, biting down hard on my lip until I tasted the metallic tang of blood, staring blankly at the wall. I was an Omega, and obedience was all I knew, even in the face of such degrading torment.
"Don't let my mate catch a whiff of your repulsive scent," Enzo's eyes turned ice cold. "It'll ruin her appetite."
He tossed another wad of cash straight onto my chest, landing right on my fresh burning wound. The banknotes stuck to my skin for a split second before fluttering down to the floor.
"Take the money and get out of my sight."
My whole body trembled violently. Silence settled over the room, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioner and the slow dripping of blood from my chest wound.
A soft yet piercingly condescending voice rang out.
"Honey, don't be so cruel. Let's leave."
Mia, Enzo's soon-to-be Luna, gently linked her arm through his. She shot me a glance mixed with pity and undisguised disgust, then draped her cashmere coat over my shoulders.
"Oh poor thing," she cooed at me as if soothing a stray dog. "You're still so young with your whole life ahead of you. Why destroy yourself like this? Omegas ought to have more self-respect."
I knew exactly who she was—the pure true love dwelling deep in Enzo's heart, the very woman he'd ruined my entire life for.
She lived in utmost luxury now, enjoying the finest things the city had to offer, fully protected by the most powerful Alpha around.
In contrast, I scraped together money for my child's medical bills by any means possible, living in a shabby leaky apartment deep in the slums. If it hadn't been for Enzo, I could have walked a completely different path, kept playing the cello and even performed in Vienna someday.
Enzo didn't spare me a single extra glance. He wrapped an arm firmly around Mia's waist and led her out of the lounge.
The men went back to their drinking, and the women resumed their idle chatter as if nothing had happened.
I stared down at my chest, the fresh burn scar overlapping the old carved brand, making it even harder for me to earn a living. No client wanted an Omega dancer covered in unsightly scars. I took a deep shaky breath, forced myself to stand straight, and pushed open the door to leave.
A palm as hard as steel suddenly slapped hard across my cheek. I crashed heavily onto the sticky grimy floor, blood pouring from my nose and staining my lips red.
A woman dressed in extravagant fur looked down at me with blazing fury—Russo's mate.
"You shameless little slut!" she spat viciously. "Do you really think you can steal my Alpha away from me?!"
She pinned me ruthlessly to the ground, her sharp nails scratching harshly across my cheeks, neck and exposed shoulders.
Those very Alphas who'd leered at me moments earlier all turned their heads away, pretending to see nothing at all.
I had no idea how long passed before she finally calmed down, fixed her hair proudly and strutted away without a second glance.
I was left all alone, covered in blood with torn clothes and every inch of my body throbbing in agony.
Some staff member, either a security guard or a waiter—I could not tell them apart—grabbed me by the arms and dragged me all the way to the back alley exit.
I tried my best to sit upright, but dizziness washed over me in waves. Just then bright car headlights cut through the darkness, shining directly on my battered figure and cutting through the fog of my pain.
The car door swung open, and Enzo's face came into view within the vehicle. His dominant Alpha pheromones instantly wrapped me up completely.
"Get in."
I shook my head weakly, my voice barely audible. "I'm fine. I can walk home on my own."
He stepped out of the car, his tailored suit fluttering gently in the night wind.
Before I could refuse further, he lifted me effortlessly into his strong arms and tossed me roughly onto the passenger seat. The sudden movement tugged sharply at my chest burn wound, and I gasped sharply as searing pain shot through every nerve in my body.
The car door slammed shut harshly, and Enzo's face darkened with rage.
He tossed a small tube of healing ointment over to me.
"Put it on yourself," he snapped coldly.
I caught the ointment and hastily spread it over my injured chest. The cool herbal essence eased the burning sting, yet the throbbing ache pulsed relentlessly in time with my heartbeat.
He started the engine, tires screeching loudly against the ground as the car sped sharply out of the narrow alley.
Chapter 3
I told him to pull over when we neared my run-down neighborhood.
"Stop right here."
He glanced over at me, then his gaze dropped down slowly.
His eyes locked onto the tangled scar tissue covering my chest, the old carved words still faintly visible beneath my fresh burn mark—the permanent mark he had left on me as an Alpha.
"…Enzo?" I froze in place, not daring to move an inch.
In the next instant, he leaned forward and sank his teeth fiercely right into that old branded scar.
All the bitter memories flooded back in an instant, a faint mate bond sparking briefly between us, drawing out a soft whimper from the wolf deep inside me.
Agony exploded across my chest, stinging my eyes and leaving me utterly dazed. I arched my back, struggling to twist away, yet he seized both my wrists and pressed them firmly down against the car seat to hold me still.
He pressed his teeth deeper, tracing every curve of the carved words as if desperate to erase them completely.
"Does your father know you're selling yourself out like this?" His hot breath fanned over my skin, thick with potent Alpha pheromones. "The respectable professor's own daughter reduced to a common whore. I bet that would send him straight into another heart attack."
"I suppose you wouldn't dare take his charity money either, seeing as you're his own flesh and blood."
His hatred toward me still burned fiercely because of that past incident.
Back then, Mia, his perfect so-called victim, came to my father's place every night for private tutoring lessons. When she failed to get accepted into her dream conservatory, my father could only express sincere regret for her. That was when malicious rumors began to spread like wildfire.
Mia publicly accused my father of abusing his position to harass her, then attempted suicide by slitting her wrists right after posting her accusation online.
My father collapsed completely under the public backlash and shut himself away at home day after day. That was exactly when Enzo began his ruthless revenge plan against my whole family.
He never bothered to dig up the full truth, nor did he know my father was now confined permanently to a wheelchair with no way to defend himself.
I shoved him away with all my remaining strength.
"Enzo! You bastard!"
He blinked slowly, traces of my blood staining his lower lip.
"I am nowhere near as terrible as your father ever was." He wiped the blood off casually. "Didn't Mia suffer far more pain than you ever have?"
I stared at him hard, my chest heaving rapidly as I struggled to find the right words to retort.
He leaned in closer and whispered in a low dangerous tone.
"You're nothing but a whore, Jade. Act like one. Show me exactly what filthy favors you do for all those worthless scumbags."
I exhaled slowly, forcing all emotion out of my expression until it turned cold and empty.
"You're absolutely right, Alpha, but my shift is over for the night."
With that said, I pushed open the car door and stepped out into the cold night air.
"You're nothing more than a cheap public toy, Jade. Deep down you only crave cold hard cash, don't you?"
He raked his eyes over my figure slowly, a mocking smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"You begged me to claim and mark you back then, and you'll end up on your knees begging me all over again sooner or later."
I clenched my fists tightly and walked away without looking back, the frigid night wind cutting sharply against my exposed skin.
"How much do you make every single month?" he called out toward my retreating back.
I never turned around. "Twenty thousand."
His sharp icy laughter echoed through the quiet street.
"You truly are pathetic."
The car engine roared to life, tires screeching once more before he drove off into the distance.
Hot silent tears streamed freely down my cheeks.
