Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 52247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
My fists itch to clench. I force my shoulders to relax.
This will be over soon.
Lucius
She’s not submissive.
That’s my first impression of the beautiful she-wolf. She glares at the floor in front of her bare feet. Whenever the auctioneer mentions her virginal status, the corner of her mouth twitches. They dressed her in a soft bit of nothing, a garment closer to a negligee than evening wear. Something silky that begs to be ripped off. She has bruises on her arms—a sign she’s been manhandled—but nothing about her is fragile. She’s tall, tempting, an Amazon with a crown of white gold hair.
Something about her is familiar. She raises her head and shoots a glare into every corner of the theater, and the memory is lost. My body responds, blood rushing to my groin. What would it be like to own such a creature? To tame and master her?
I school my expression into one of boredom. The she-wolf tempts me, that’s all. Something new and amusing to divert my attention for a time. Immortality reduces everything—pleasure and pain—into a temporary diversion. But this she-wolf might make me forget that for a little while.
On top of that, she looks like someone I once knew...
On stage, she licks her painted lips. My slacks grow tighter and my hands knot into fists. My bidding number rests on the floor next to my shoe. Dante must have left it there.
I won’t bid tonight. But it is so tempting.
In the row in front of me, Theophilus clears his throat. “See what I mean, Sire?”
“Yes.” I lean forward to study the she-wolf again. “I do.”
Selene
“Five hunret, five hunret, can I get five hunret—” the auctioneer bleats as the auction runs out of steam. He pauses and scratches his chin. “No? Perhaps you need more incentive.”
He waves to someone offstage and three beefy stagehands march straight towards me.
“What?” I mouth to the auctioneer, but he props elbow on the podium, settling in to watch. The first man reaches me and tugs at my dress’ strap.
“Time to get naked, sweetheart.”
My hand flies up before I can stop it. I push Mouthbreather Number One away from me as his two buddies arrive and clamp down on my arms, right on top of the bruises Xavier left.
“Bitch,” Number One mutters. His beefy hand grabs the straps crossing over my back and tears them away. The garment sags, baring my breasts right as I get one arm free. My training kicks in. I lean left and kick the man on my right in the crotch. He goes down and I jerk, bringing the man on my left off balance. I smash my fist into his face and flip him over my back. He crashes into Number One. I crouch in a fighter’s stance in the center of three downed thugs.
The auctioneer is laughing.
“Ladies and gentlemen, can I get a round of applause for lot nine?” A smattering of golf claps fills the theater. My cheeks heat. I didn’t defend myself as part of some fucking act.
Except it was. Around me, the thugs stir and get to their feet. The auctioneer waves them off and they slouch away.
“Show’s over, folks,” the auctioneer announces. “Who wants to go home with her tonight? Bidding starts at five hundred thousand.”
My dress tangles around my hips. I shove it off and kick it away.
“We’ve got a live one! Feisty. Will you be enough to master her? Five hundred and you’ll find out.”
Lucius
The she-wolf stands naked on stage, her chest heaving. Gone is any semblance of meek servitude. A lock of hair falls out of her braid and she tucks it impatiently away, glaring at everything and nothing.
She is magnificent. If I owned her, the fun I would have while we fought each other for dominance every night.
I’m not the only one who thinks this.
“Damn,” Theophilus breathes. The next time the auctioneer calls for a bid, he raises his paddle. I bite back a snarl.
“Theophilus,” I snap, putting enough compulsion in my voice to make his head snap around. I hold up my hand, palm up. “Give it to me.”
He obeys, but all around me, vampires are bidding for the she-wolf. She stands in a pool of light, not even trying to hide her disgust. What made her agree to be auctioned? She’s doesn’t seem the type.
I beckon to Theophilus. “These shifters. If someone bids on them, do they get a portion of the money?”
Understanding lights his eyes. “No. They’ll become your property. They don’t come with anything. But their family might be compensated.”
That matched the information I was given about the shifter slavers. These men, typically rogue shifters, found hidden shifter clans and offered money for the most submissive in the pack. Threats were also most likely involved. Would this she-wolf allow herself to be a part of such a bargain? Perhaps she agreed if the money went to her family.