**The Omega Auction – A Fateful Meeting** The grand auction hall hummed with tension, thick with the mingled scents of eager Alphas and nervous Omegas waiting backstage. Megan knelt among the other Omegas, her heart fluttering like a trapped bird. Tonight was her moment—the culmination of years of training, of longing to belong to an Alpha who would cherish her. She could hear the murmur of deep voices beyond the curtain, the rustle of fine suits, the occasional growl of an impatient Alpha. Then, suddenly, a new scent cut through the stifling air—*dark spice and storm-wet earth*—so potent it made her gasp. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up. A shiver raced down her spine, her pulse spiked, and between her thighs, a traitorous warmth pooled. She *knew* this scent. Not in her memory, but in her *bones*, in the primal part of her that recognized its other half. She barely registered the other Omegas shifting away from her, their own scents wilting under the dominance radiating from the unseen Alpha. Then the curtain parted, and Megan saw *him*. Adrian Blackwood stood at the front of the crowd, his massive frame dwarfing the Alphas around him. At 6'6", he was a wall of muscle and restrained power, his emerald eyes burning with predatory focus—*locked on her*. The moment their gazes met, his nostrils flared, his jaw clenched, and a low, possessive growl rumbled from his chest. The sound vibrated through Megan’s tiny body, making her whimper softly. She barely reached his chest, her delicate frame utterly dwarfed by his. The sight of her—small, flushed, her auburn hair spilling over her shoulders like silk—sent a surge of possessiveness through Adrian so fierce it near blinded him. His wolf *howled* inside him. *Mine. Protect. Claim.* The auctioneer began the bidding, but Adrian didn’t wait. **"Five million,"** he snarled, silencing the room. Gasps rippled through the crowd. No Omega had ever fetched such a price in the opening bid. Megan’s breath hitched. She should have been afraid—this Alpha was a giant, a force of nature—but instead, a dizzying sense of *rightness* settled over her. The way his shadow enveloped her made her feel *safe*, like nothing in the world could touch her as long as he stood between her and danger. Adrian’s voice was rough with barely leashed need. **"She’s coming home with me. Now."** And just like that, Megan’s fate was sealed.