I am not a monster.

 The forbidden auction, nightclub "Bloodlust"

Vladimir

The bright lights don't overpower the presence of so many influential men gathered for one purpose. Auctions are rare, private ones almost nonexistent; this day will go down in Invictus history. Everything I plan to do is considered illegal under our law, so the men I've invited must be careful.

I walk around my office desk, sink into the gigantic leather chair, and clench my fists. "Men, I have invited the best of the best to announce stepping over a major milestone in my life. Today, I will sell my girls, and before you ask, yes, Ocean too." A smirk spreads across my lips as everyone around me cheers, clearly excited to acquire rare goods. However, two men I expected to see didn't appear in the room. The elite vampires had to arrive first, as the balcony exit was closest to my office. These two vampires are my primary target audience, hotheads who would fill my wallet more than all present guests put together. I need them here; even if it is against my principles, I am willing to wait. "Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable. We are expecting more guests to join us shortly. I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience." For a vampire who never cared enough to apologize, I take a big step; no wonder the men exchanged confused looks as soon as the words left my lips.

After a snap of my fingers, Vampiresses fill the room, try to entertain the men who can't be more eager to buy the collared humans, but their efforts don't bring much joy to the creatures in the room. The masters and their assistants keep whispering to each other, moan under their breath, and curse as the Vampiresses stall for time. They may be immortal, but each of these men is important enough to count the precious minutes of their lives.

"Forgive me, Count, but if we don't start the bidding now, I will lose patience and leave this place. I am sure Melody has some tricks and perhaps a few high-ranked humans hidden up her sleeve. I can buy any other whore cheaper, and frankly, I'm willing to if you don't speed up the process," Michael, a known pervert, is the first to speak his mind. I know that all these men can try to rush to get what they want faster, but I'd rather piss them off than let them get away with it so easily. Their wallets must bleed virgin blood before they leave my establishment with a human woman in their hands.

"Patience, Michael, you are not the only one waiting for our special guests; I do too. However, you are free to leave if you are not willing to wait a few more minutes. Good things come in time, my dear friend." After my clear answer, the room falls silent, except for the occasional moans from the vampire women, who do their best to appear desirable. Although vampires, just like any other creature made of flesh, enjoy sexual contact, there is nothing even close to sex with humans while vampires feed directly off them.

Fortunately for me, before the other men can say anything, the office door opens, and one of my servants enters the room. The male bows to each vampire in his path until he reaches my side and leans to my ear. "My Count, the guests have arrived," he whispers, loud enough for the others to catch his words.

"Splendid, send them in," I dismiss the servant and rise from my seat, eyes fixed on the door.

Honestly, I am burning with excitement; finally, I will meet the infamous elite vampires. They have been my highest patrons for two years, but I've never had the chance to face them. Someone came to buy the tickets and make sure no one would get in the way of the elite just before the show. Their exit was the same- not a single soul knew of their presence or wandering around the nightclub. But now, I will look them in the eye and shake the hands of the highest of the vampires. I don't care if my auction might lead me into the hands of law enforcement- the power and potential I can reach are worth every problem my way.

The guard opens the door and clears his throat. "Octavius Jude," he introduces the guest before a tall, blond man enters the office. Blood red eyes scan the faces as he grins at me. Maybe it is an elite thing, but Octavius doesn't greet or bow to anyone. As soon as his gaze falls upon a vacant seat, he strides towards it and drops down. To make matters worse, he has the audacity to look at his wristwatch every few seconds, as if he is not the one holding everyone else back.

"At last," Michael huffs under his breath.

"Just wait until he finds out we're waiting for Kieran," Octavius looks me straight in the eye as he speaks up. The man enjoys watching the fear creep up on the vampires as they find themselves in the presence of an elite member. I swallow my spit and beckon the guard to walk towards me. As I keep struggling to regain my former demeanour, the other men slowly increase the distance between themselves and Octavius.

This time there is no guard to open the door and announce the arrival of another guest; instead, a well-built, dark man kicks open the door and stomps toward Octavius. He lowers himself and whispers something in Octavius's ear.

As their somewhat silent discussion continues, the darker man growls like a beast and straightens his posture. The two elites' eyes resemble the colour of blood- the men fed hours ago, making themselves dangerous to be around. "So, this is the fucker?" The darker man snarls as he points a finger at me. I'm not sure what I've done, at least to him, but at this point, anyone can cut the tension in my office using a dull knife.

"Calm down, Kieran. Don't make us look bad in front of these clowns, brother; we're better than that. Sit down; the auction is about to begin," Octavius doesn't seem bothered by his brother's aggression. He pretends to care about his public image, but something tells me that he would be the first to bathe in blood if Kieran loses his temper. Between the two of them, Octavius must be the brains, and Kieran is the brawn.

"Gentlemen," I clear my throat. Probably everyone can notice the concern I feel for my safety. I still have no idea why the elite representative has decided to show so much hatred towards me, and the quicker I deal with the auction, the quicker the long-awaited guests leave.

"Gentlemen, my ass," Kieran growls again as he stomps towards me. I want to step back, but the pride won't allow me to move or show any fear. A guard tries to jump in front of me, but he doesn't stand a chance against the elite. Seconds after his body reaches Kieran; the man crashes into the wall. When the elite vampire reaches me, he grabs me by the collar of my shirt and lifts my body above the ground. "Listen, you moron, my brother wants the redhead. You blew his chances at the Hunter auction; don't think I forgot your ratty face. So, we do this the easy way or the hard way. Your call. Five million, that's the most you'll get." I claw on Kieran's hand; I must point out that I paid three times that, so the price has to go up. "If I were you, I'd shut the Hell up. We inspected the goods before we arrived- she is injured, covered in scars and marks from your abuse. The price has gone down for her, and the same goes for the others. You know what? I will take them all and the nightclub to boot. So, either you take five million and excuse the pathetic perverts here, or I'll take it all without investing a dime."

"Count Vladimir, it would be a wise decision to accede to my brother's demands. You see, we have the right to take possession of everything you own, but he's showing his generosity by offering you money. So, what will it be? Do we have a deal?" Octavius pulls a chequebook from his pocket and scribbles a few zeros before standing up. The other men in the room slowly leave; they have no chance of buying any of these girls, so staying around is about as pointless as it gets. I lose whatever support I can have with their departure, and there is no other option but to accept the unfair deal.

My body burns with hatred. I am selling the highest-ranking virgin, yet the assholes get her as cheap as a sandwich. All because of their respectful rank. If I ever buy more humans and decide to sell them, I will keep the auction a secret or announce a surprise meeting. No way will I let another member of the elite rob me like a child. Defeated, I nod my head and reluctantly agree to the elite's terms. The darker man grins and drops me to the floor, turns his back on us, and leaves the office.

"You'll have to excuse my brother; he's not much of a talker; he's the sort of person who prefers physical work over podium discussions. I'm sure you've already figured that out, haven't you, Count?" Octavius hands me the freshly issued cheque, but now, I think I could discuss the elite members' offer. At least I should, as long as the savage is out of the picture. I would rather choose Octavius to have the discussion; Hell, I would gladly spend a year in the same room with the elite vampire if I can get the chance to avoid Kieran.

"I am not a monster," I force my body off the floor. "Just as I am not here to stand in anyone's way, but I won't accept the offer. If anything, I am the one who sets the price for my property. Mister Jude, please, be reasonable- you and I both know that my girls are worth far more than the pitiful five million you offer. Ocean alone is worth at least ten times that; only a few men could have enough money to buy her even if she were barely alive. So, I will ask you to reconsider the offer and come back later, or the deal is off. I can make money in the long run, it won't be a problem on my end, but it could be when it comes to you. Go ahead and call for your savage, he can act like a dog for all I care, but it will only hurt you. After all, you want Ocean; that's why you're here." I struggle to admit how much pain I am in. Although vampires are said to be immortal, there are many ways to kill us, the easiest- by the hands of another vampire. That is why Kieran easily injured me. I have always been an immensely proud creature. I don't feel hatred towards the elite for their offer but rather for the humiliation and pain. Just a few minutes ago, a bunch of high-ranking vampires witnessed my misery; it would become the talk of the city before the clock struck midnight. I am obsessed with my social standing; everyone must know where I stand, so the whole encounter feels like social suicide. I know my words will anger the elite vampire, but I rather die than step back and let them know they are superior. Deep down, I believe that the two men will take my actions as a sign of strength and accept me as one of their own.

"In that case, I hereby declare that you, Count Vladimir Bartholomew, have lost ownership of the collared human women and your nightclub. The elite will take full ownership of your property, both this building and other personal property you have listed in your reports. You have the right to file a complaint; the senior officers will respond to your claims within fifteen moons. In the meantime, our men will manage every aspect of your wealth and see that your business suffers no loss, that is- if you will get it back later on. We will investigate you and your actions. Remember, we take the law seriously, it was written for everyone equally, and it doesn't matter if you are the Count or a simple carpenter. Now, if you will excuse me, I should go and look at the elite group's property before my men arrive." Octavius tears the cheque in half and drops the paper on the floor. A smug grin spreads across his lips as the elite vampire leaves my office.

I stay behind, stunned, unable to process what had just happened. It was well known how easy it was for elite members to take over properties and destroy the hard work of others, but I never thought I would be in the same position. Initially, they were supposed to come to my office and outbid everyone, but the tables had turned, and I lost everything I had worked for. And because of what? Because of two men who think they own the world. Or should I blame Ocean, the weak human who couldn't hide the scars until the show was over? "I need to call Irene; she'll know what would be the smartest thing to do," I mutter under my breath as I grab the phone and leave the office. I can rely on my Sire whenever I need to, and Irene has proven that she will always be there for me and other vampires she proudly called her children.