We found the spot that was reserved for time slot 50.For me, I realized, swallowing hard.The viewing seats were located on a darkened platform connected to the main stage by stairs that led down into the lit center of it all. Where they had us sitting was dark enough that it would black us out from the audience should they wish to. Looking up, there were dozens of lights that pointed in all different directions."Spotlights," whispered a voice slightly behind me to my right.I looked back at the older man, chewing my lip.Glancing back up at the lights when he just stared at me with a goofy smile on his face. They were probably used for when each lot number was initially called and we'd be strutted across the stage to show the buyers the goods. Leanne had described to me in detail what would happen and what would be expected of me.I felt like a piece of meat being put on display in a butcher's window. A very rare piece of meat, at least. I allowed myself to think, remembering the
Reese's POV"All of it goes on her," his Alpha's voice said over his bluetooth."You go it boss," Reese responded quietly along with the confirmations from the other four members that were also on the conference call. Not all of them were able to communicate telepathically, so the use of phones was necessary.Honestly, not many people knew about the telepathic means of communicating anymore, it was something that had been forgotten by most over the centuries of adaptation and magic loss. Reese had been a skeptic of it even being a thing before he'd taken the oath, joined the pack the way the Moon Goddess had intended and had found out firsthand that he could hear the other stronger pack members in his head. Some of the mid tier members were able to communicate telepathically, only if they were in their wolf form. Some couldn't even then. And then the most unlucky of them couldn't even access their wolf skins.The inability for some of them to be able to communicate that way, or even c
Prudence's POV As soon as the man's voice came over the speakers, the entire room fell silent and the lights fully dimmed. My talkative neighbor and I were in complete darkness with the rest of the slaves. "Everything will be ok," the old man said from behind me and I don't know how, but a calm settled over me. I nodded, forgetting he couldn't see me and continued to stare out towards the congregation of rich assholes who believed they had this right to sell and use people. "It will be ok," my neighbor in chains repeated and another wave of contentment hit me. "Tonight is going to be one special night," the man who was hosting the event continued. "In fact, I've a feeling it's going to set the new precedent for future events. Records are going to be set, pockets are going to empty! I can feel it in my bones!" he declared with such enthusiasm I saw people lean forward in their seats out in the audience. The night's purveyor was somewhere in his forties, and so energetic that I knew
I wrung my hands in my lap as I stared back at Lathan. I was his mate, right? According to all the old texts I'd had to study over the years about werewolves, a fated mate was something special to them. A rare gift that they believed came from their beloved Moon Goddess. So rare they'd do anything for them. So, would he make sure I got out of this safely? Would he do anything to ensure my safety? I wondered, my stomach roiling with nerves. "-later on in years, but still has many more years of service to offer! He's done it all, from kitchen duty, maid service, butlering, even bedroom tasks are in his repertoire, and high ratings from what I'm told. You don't want to miss out on this item! Bidding starts at fifty." I chewed my bottom lip as I waited for someone to put their paddle up. Hoping it would be someone who looked kind at least. The purveyor asked a few more times for fifty before lowering it. And lowering it. And lowering it... Down to twenty grand and no one raised a padd
Reese's POV "Don't look at the succubus," Came the order through his earpiece. Reese gritted his teeth, deciding instead to focus his eyes on the man, woman and boy that he'd been told to watch. Nothing serious had really happened with them this whole time aside from the salty tears Reese could smell coming from the boy. When he'd looked, sure enough, Reese had seen a couple drip off the boy's nose onto the ground, though he did a good job keeping his head down to hide them. He must know the mage girl personally somehow, Reese thought to himself. "Nordberg is bidding on this one," Taylor's voice sounded in his ear. Reese refrained from looking at the man to see for himself.Taylor was one of the Pack that wasn't a werewolf, but that didn't diminish her importance to the group one bit. She took on one of the most dangerous jobs our Alpha ever asked of us. And she did it daily and with no complaints. She was constantly infiltrating enemy ranks like she was one of their avid followers
The last of the time slots seemed to pass by so slowly. My heart was pounding ridiculously loud in my chest, mimicking the beat of each footstep the purveyor took across the stage as he talked up the audience over each "item" before he'd begin calling out numbers and declaring the new master of each slave based on who was most willing to dump out the highest amount of their dirty money from their pockets. The whole thing was making me sick. "Forty-eight," he called out and I swear my head vibrated with those words as they hung heavily in the air. So close. We were so close to my number being called. I was barely following along with the proceedings. My mind was a jumbled mess but I tried to pay attention to the current being up for sale. The slave, in this case, a male vampire who could manipulate some things, some ways at some times. I didn't know. The words were all a muffled noise in my ears, the movements all blurs that seemed to simultaneously be speeding by while also crawli
Prudence's POV"Happy Birthday, Rue," I sighed out, flicking the pen over that I'd been balancing on its tip. Not with physics, but with the meager amount of magic I had been blessed with.Or cursed, depending on how you look at it.So you see, here's a little about me. I'm nineteen as of today, March 27th. Fellow Aries, where you at? Mom died when I was really young. Dear old dad, always busy with other things, never found time to spend with me.I was raised by an old bag of bones and her crochety brother, both of whom hated me, personally. But put up with me because of what I could potentially accomplish for them some day.I have no friends. No life experience. Don't ever get to have fun.Now I know what you're thinking, "Oh no, here comes another sad story about a young girl with daddy issues, who didn't even have it as bad as others her age have had it."Well, I'm going to stop you right there.What if I told you, that the only reason my father kept me alive and raised me was to
"This dress cost more than you'd be worth if you didn't have that working uterus inside you," Leanne croaked out with vehemence and anger as she handed it to me. I raised an eyebrow at her, "How much?" I asked out of pure curiosity. "Five grand," Lenny answered for her, bending down to pick up the box as I started pulling the dress out of the plastic it was wrapped in. "That must've put quite a dent in the Council's bank account," I murmured, giving the dress a once over. My nose scrunched up but I kept my mouth closed. I knew Leanne wouldn't take kindly to me dissing the dress she no doubt picked out herself. Five grand for this thing? There didn't look to be enough material to warrant such a price. "Why are you just standing there gawking? Put it on!" She rushed out, holding a small bag in her hand that I hadn't see attached to the dress's wrappings. "It usually helps to undress before you put other clothes on," Lenny quipped from behind his sister. "What about privacy?" I