Alpha Vesper who has fixed his gaze on her lips since she started talking, smiled, making Elara feel uncomfortable. "I'm... so sorry... for intruding."
She turned to leave the room, her legs clung against each other as she walked. Her awkwardness lured another round of devious smiles out of Alpha Vesper's lips.
He coughed and spouted to stop her, "Leaving just like that?"
A mixture of sadness and embarrassment showered her as his rocky voice paused her track, however, Elara didn't waver in her voice as soon as she turned to face him,
"Will you buy me as your slave?" She proposed, ardently conveying a serious face at him that Alpha Vesper almost choked.
"Buy you?!" He asked as though he hadn't heard her well.
Elara nodded and stepped closer to him, "I propose you buy me whenever I'm sold out."
Alpha Vesper smirked, there was nothing more amusing to him about her than her boldness and authoritative pose.
He lifted a dark nonchalant face to her, looking down at her with pity as he responded. "What value can a thief add to my Pack?"
His hand on his jawline, wondering if this girl really knew about the inferno pit she was ready to fall into.
"I'm not a thief!" Elara retorted, wondering how this man knew about the necklace, "It was my family heirloom." She revealed, biting down her lip for telling the truth.
A hard-to-believe frown plastered on Alpha Vesper's forehead, looking confused as per what she just said. "So you entered into my room to steal this cloth because it was your family heirloom?"
As he asked, Elara's eyes blinked severally. She waved at him a denying hand. —She had thought her brother had disclosed to him that she stole the necklace whereas the man was referring to the dress she changed into.
Elara looked down at herself again, remembering the story behind the cloth she wore, another tear wanted to spill out of her eyes but held it in with a sniff.
"I didn't mean to steal it. My clothes were torn and I saw the closet opened so I changed into this... since it look like my size." She murmured.
"Then what was that family heirloom you stole?" Alpha Vesper asked her with a straight face.
"I said, I didn't steal it! It belongs to me and I just came to pick it up!" She revolted, not wanting to accept she was a thief.
Alpha Vesper nodded like someone who falsely agreed to her claim."Okay! Fine, you didn't steal as you've claimed but what was that thing you… PICKED UP?" He asked, stressing his last words as she had emphasized.
Elara yielded to him by sluggishly bringing out the necklace and dangling it up for him to see. "It is complicated," she murmured, voice drooled like a flat song.
Alpha Vesper nodded with eyes conveying a silent understanding, then, gestured to her to continue. "So you want me to buy you? What is it that you can offer me when you look no worth than a slave?
"For every slave, there is a hidden story behind their situation…whether a born slave or the converted one." She replied under anxiety and bitterness, her fist clenched and shaking with an advert rages, "It does mean they are worthless."
As her final line spilled out, she lifted a straight fearless face to Alpha Vesper.
This girl wouldn't stop amusing him. Her sudden change of action could make a timid man pee in his trousers. Well, this was the kind of wolves Alpha Vesper wanted around him.
He smiled inwardly having confirmed all that he had witnessed and heard at the Arena.
"Ok… you seem not that worthless… at least you talked wisely. I will buy you but under a deal. I don't engage in favors… It is not fun." He shook his head negatively as he said.
"I will serve you diligently till I buy my freedom from you." Elara offered, as a means of a deal.
Alpha Vesper frowned over her words, "You mean your diligence will be worth the amount for your freedom? That's too cheap, what is my gain, Lady?"
Having thought for a while, Elara with a determined face held up the necklace and bowed her head to him, "This is my family heirloom. It is worth more than any luxury in the world. I will pawn my freedom with it until I'm able to pay you off."
Alpha Vesper looked at the necklace with intent as though analyzing all the elements it was made up of. "Okay…" he admitted, "You will be a slave to no other one but me, you will serve and listen to only me, and henceforth you are mine…only!"
Relief washed over Elara's face and gratitude in her eyes. Even though his words had a heavy impact on her, she smiled inwardly for the weird plan cooking up in her head. "Yes… I will be yours until I buy my freedom."
"Deal?!" Alpha Vesper proposed.
"Deal!' Elara accepted, feeling like heaven for having someone to trade her freedom with.
At last, she has a hope for revenge!
Elara was about to escape from the door when she swiftly turned back to him. Leaving an imprint of a confused frown on Alpha Vesper's face. "What again…" he hasn't release all his words when Elara stretched out the coin given to her by Freya.
"This is the richest amount I have now, I will start my payment with this and I am determined to pay as soon as possible."
As the coin landed on Alpha Vesper's hand and seeing the amount, he looked at Elara longingly. 'Was she insane or something?'
Comparing that amount to the sum of money on the table at the arena made Alpha Vesper almost burst into laughter but he held it in, still trying to absorb her craziness.
"One Cent? You are starting with one cent?" He was baffled, wondering about thee number of rooms he would have to keep all those coins in, in the future.
"It… is something.. precious to me…!" Elara responded, embarrassment evident in her voice.
Alpha Vesper couldn't withstand her anymore. He returned the coin and waved his hand at her severely, "Just go."
Biting down her lips with a grumpy face, Elara turned away. As she was about to leave, Alpha Vesper's voice stopped her,
"Sleeping beauty, lemme have it." As he has a change of heart so does his voice changed, hushing out mellowly like when calling a pet name.
Elara turned a weird strong eyes at him, "I'm Elara… E.L.A.R.A!" She pronounced, hating the name he just called her.
A devilish smile formed on Alpha Vesper's face, "Just hand over the coin, my sleeping beauty."