Chapter 45: The Stake

Damien sat down heavily on the seat while Sofia positioned herself tightly behind him, just as the other females did.

​The dealer began to slide the cards across the green felt. The stakes were astronomical—hundreds of thousands of dollars were tossed into the center of the table like they were nothing but pocket change.

​Sofia watched the game closely. She felt the heavy, lustful gazes of the men at the table drifting toward her ample chest, but she was focused on the cards. She knew Damien was a master at this; back when they were younger, he had spent hours teaching her the tricks of the trade: how to read a bluff and how to count the deck. But tonight, he was off. His eyes kept darting to her, then to Alexander, then to Zach. He was playing with his temper, not his head.

​The first round went to Alpha James.

The second round was claimed by a quiet Alpha from the North.

​By the third round, Alpha Zach leaned forward, a greasy smirk stretching across his face. He had noticed Damien’s lack of focus. “You’re playing like a pup tonight, Damien. Heart’s not in it? Or is it just… preoccupied?”

​Zach signaled the dealer to stop. He leaned over the table, his eyes locking onto Sofia’s voluptuous hips before moving to Damien’s face.

​”I’m bored of playing for paper, Damien,” Zach purred. “Let’s make this a personal game. Just you and me. Three rounds. If you win the best out of three, I’ll hand you a million dollars in cash, right here, right now.”

​The room went deathly silent.

​”And if I win?” Damien asked, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low challenge. He already knew what Zach wanted.

​Zach’s eyes flashed with a sick hunger as he gestured toward Sofia. “If I win, I get your slave for the night.”

​Sofia’s heart stopped. Her breath hitched, and she looked up at Damien, her eyes wide with terror. Please, say no, she pleaded silently. Don’t do this.

​Damien’s jaw tightened, his wolf growling in rage. “No. She isn’t part of the pot.”

​”What’s the matter, Damien?” James teased from across the table. “Afraid your luck has run out? Or are you just scared Zach might show her a better time?”

​”He’s terrified,” Zach laughed, leaning back. “The great Alpha Damien can’t trust his own hands to win a simple game of cards.”

​The other Alphas joined in, their taunts echoing in the high-ceilinged room. Damien’s pride was being stripped away in front of his peers. His wolf roared in his mind, hating the disrespect, hating the challenge. He looked down at Sofia—her beautiful face pale with fear—and then back at the cards.

​”Deal,” Damien growled, the word sounding like a death sentence.

​Sofia felt the blood drain from her face. He had bet her. Like she was a watch or a car, he had put her on the table.

​The first round began. The tension was so thick it felt like it could be cut with a knife. Sofia watched as the dealer handed out the cards. She looked at Damien’s hand and her stomach flipped. He had nothing. He was bluffing, and Zach knew it.

​Zach flipped his cards. “First round to me,” he gloated, his eyes traveling over Sofia’s curvy frame like he was already deciding where to touch her first.

​The dealer reshuffled the cards for the second round. The room stayed silent, every Alpha leaning forward now. Even Zach’s smirk faded as the stakes became real.

​Damien straightened in his chair. This time, his focus snapped back into place. His eyes were sharp, cold, and deadly calm.

​The cards were dealt.

​Sofia watched Damien’s hands carefully. Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure everyone could hear it. She didn’t understand all the cards, but she saw the slight change in his posture. His shoulders relaxed. His jaw unclenched. For the first time tonight, Damien was focused.

​Zach played aggressively, slamming chips into the center of the table. Damien matched him, move for move, never breaking eye contact.

“Second round to Alpha Damien,” the dealer announced.

​A low murmur rippled through the room.

​Zach’s face darkened. His playful attitude vanished, replaced by something sharp and serious. He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he studied Damien like a predator reassessing prey.

​Sofia’s knees felt weak. One more round. Just one more.

​Her thoughts spiraled. What would Zach do if he won? The way he had looked at her earlier made her skin crawl. The idea of his hands on her—of being taken away—made her chest tighten in panic.

​Without thinking, she leaned forward and whispered into Damien’s ear, her voice shaking. “Please… don’t let him win. I beg you.”

​Damien stiffened.

​She felt his breath against her cheek as he replied quietly, cruelly, “You should be happy. You’ll get a taste of another man.”

​Her heart shattered.

​”No,” Sofia whispered, tears burning her eyes. “Please, Damien. I don’t want him. Please.”

​For a split second, Damien didn’t respond. Deep down, something dark and possessive stirred inside him. What made her think he would lose? Losing wasn’t an option. For Damien, losing meant losing his life.

​The idea of another man touching her—of Zach laying a finger on her hips or kissing the mouth he had just claimed—felt like someone was pouring acid into his veins. He would burn this entire building to the ground before he let that happen.

​The cards were dealt. Zach looked at his hand, and a slow, triumphant grin spread across his face. He went all-in, shoving the million dollars into the center.

​The room was so quiet you could hear the hum of the air conditioning. Zach flipped his cards: a Full House. The other Alphas gasped; it was a nearly unbeatable hand. Zach stood up, already reaching across the table toward Sofia. “Come here, sweetheart. Looks like you’re mine tonight.”

​But Damien didn’t move. He slowly flipped his cards one by one.

​A Straight Flush.

​The silence that followed was deafening. Zach froze, his hand suspended in mid-air, his face turning a sickly shade of purple. He had lost.

​”Winner,” the dealer said clearly, “Alpha Damien.”

​The room erupted.

​Zach slammed his fist on the table, rage twisting his face. Sofia’s legs nearly gave out in relief. She grabbed the back of Damien’s chair to stay standing.

​Damien didn’t celebrate. He didn’t smile. He simply reached back and grabbed Sofia’s wrist, pulling her close to him in a hard, possessive grip.

​”You lost,” Damien hissed. “And if you ever look at her again, I won’t just take your money. I’ll take your head.”

​He didn’t wait for the money. He turned and marched Sofia out of the room.

​The moment they reached his private suite, Damien slammed the door shut behind them. Sofia barely had time to turn before Damien grabbed her arm and spun her around, pressing her hard against the wall. His forearm came down beside her head, trapping her in place. The anger rolling off him was thick, heavy, and terrifying.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep