"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.
I sit back as the bids rage around me. A mystery. I'm becoming more intrigued by the second.
"One million," someone calls a bid. I turn and look across the aisle. A large vampire wearing an eyepatch looks back at me. Only a lifetime of controlling my emotions keeps me from showing my surprise.
Xavier. What's he doing here? Our paths haven't crossed for decades. Maybe a century. He inclines his head in mocking acknowledgement. The last time we met, we were enemies.
There's quiet as the auctioneer and audience absorb his bid. Onstage, the she-wolf trembles as if she remembers why she's here.
And I remember who the wolf reminds me of. Her face becomes another, a waifish imp with a cloud of white gold hair. My first vampire lover. The only woman, perhaps, I ever loved. Georgianna.
Xavier's fangs glint at me from across the aisle. He never forgave me for taking Georgianna from him, and now he would snatch this wolf right from under my nose.
This one's mine, his gloating face seems to say. Poor she-wolf. Xavier always broke his toys. If not for fun, then to prevent anyone else from enjoying them.
My fingers clench on the bidding paddle. This whole auction, Xavier's appearance, the she-wolf who looks like Georgianna's ghost come to life-it's a ploy. A set up. It has to be. It's too convenient.
Somebody's up to something. If my sired have thrown their lots in with Xavier, then they have rebelled past the point of forgiveness. Their lives are over.
But if all of this is Xavier acting alone, then it might be interesting to play the game. Save the she-wolf. Parade her before my court, and draw Xavier into my net.
What is the saying? Keep your friends close… and your enemies closer.
Oh yes. These next few weeks will be very entertaining. I lean back in my seat and raise my paddle.
Selene
"ONE MILLION."
Blood rushes to my head. That was Xavier's voice. He's bidding on me? Why?
I clench my hands in front of me, controlling my shudder. Have I failed? I can't fail. There's nothing left for me but the road ahead. The mission to entice Frangelico.
The silence stretches on and my nerves are screaming. Xavier doesn't like failure. That's a lesson I've learned over and over again. Pain is a great teacher. I'm strong enough to withstand it, but if I fail at this, I don't know-
A deep voice breaks the stillness. "Ten million."
A hush falls over the entire theater, every creature, me included, holding our breath.
The auctioneer looks like he can't believe his luck. "T-ten million." He mops his forehead and glances around the theater, biting his lip. I wait for him to raise the bid, but the staggering jump from one to ten million left him tongue-tied.
He raps his gavel and shouts. "Sold! To the gentleman with the deepest pockets. Vampire King Lucius Frangelico."
My ears ring. I stoop and gather up the pieces of the ripped dress. It worked. It worked! He bought me.
In a few minutes I'll be in the clutches of my new vampire master. Everything is going as planned.
The curtain sweeps across the stage, and I'm left blinking in the dark.
The auctioneer announces something about a break and walks off stage. Once he's in the wings, he beckons me to follow.
"Good girl." He rubs his hands together, probably imagining holding ten million dollars in his fat grubby fingers. I close my eyes, dizzy. What sort of vampire pays ten million for a wolf pet? What will he do with me?
It doesn't matter. It will all be over soon. Any bit of unpleasantness in the meantime, well, I've been trained to take a lot of pain.