I woke up freezing. My head pounded like someone had taken a hammer to it. When I tried to move, cold metal bit into my wrists and ankles.
That's when panic hit me.
I was chained to a chair on a small stage. The worst part? Someone had stripped me down to just my underwear. I yanked at the chains, but they wouldn't budge.
"Look who's finally awake," a voice called out.
My eyes adjusted to the dim light. I wasn't alone. Far from it. The stage faced a room filled with fancy tables where men in expensive suits sat drinking and watching me. But something was wrong with their eyes. They glowed – some silver, some yellow – catching the light like animals in the dark.
"Let me go!" I screamed, my voice cracking.
The man at the podium next to me just smiled. "Let's start the bidding at fifty thousand."
That's when it hit me. This was an auction. And I was what they were selling.
"Sixty thousand!" someone called.
"Seventy-five!"
"One hundred thousand!"
They weren't human. I knew it deep in my bones. The way they moved, those eyes, the hungry smiles that showed too many teeth.
"Help! Someone please help me!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face.
The room erupted in laughter. One man with silver eyes leaned to his friend and said, "I like the fighters. They're more fun to break."
The bidding climbed higher, and my hope sank lower. My life as I knew it was ending. I'd become property to one of these... whatever they were.
"Two hundred thousand!" shouted a man with a scar across his face.
"Two-fifty!" called another.
The auctioneer was about to accept when a deep voice cut through the noise like a knife.
"Stop."
Just one word, but the entire room went silent. Every head turned toward the back where a tall figure stood in the shadows.
"Release her. Now."
The command was simple but carried such power that the auctioneer's face went pale. "But sir, the bidding-"
"I said release her."
The man stepped into the light. He was younger than I expected, maybe early thirties, with sharp features and midnight black hair. But his eyes – silver like quicksilver – held something ancient and dangerous. Unlike the others, who seemed excited by my fear, he looked... angry.
No one argued. Two men rushed to unlock my chains while a third brought me a blanket. The crowd parted as the silver-eyed man walked forward.
"Take her home," he ordered without looking at me. "Make sure she doesn't remember how to find this place."
And just like that, he turned and walked away.
I was bundled into a car, still wrapped in the blanket, heart racing. The driver never spoke a word. They dropped me off at my apartment building with a warning: "Consider yourself lucky. The Alpha King rarely interferes with these events."
Alpha King. The words stuck in my head as I stumbled into my apartment and locked every bolt.
....
For weeks after, I jumped at shadows. I told no one what happened – who would believe me? Men with glowing eyes selling women at secret auctions? I'd sound crazy.
Then came the morning Mom burst into my room, practically glowing with excitement.
"Lena! You won't believe what's happened!" She grabbed my hands. "I've met someone. Someone wonderful and... he's asked me to marry him!"
I blinked, trying to process her words. "What? Who? You haven't mentioned dating anyone."
"It was fast, I know." She smiled dreamily. "His name is Kieran. He's incredibly wealthy, owns land up north. And he wants us both to move to his estate!"
Something cold settled in my stomach. "Both of us?"
"Of course! I told him all about you. He's sending his private jet tomorrow."
My head spun. "Tomorrow? Mom, this is crazy. You barely know this guy."
But she wouldn't listen. She just kept talking about the palace we'd live in, the servants, the luxury.
When the sleek black car arrived the next day to take us to the airport, I had no choice but to go with her. I couldn't let her go alone into what might be a dangerous situation.
The private jet was exactly as fancy as you'd expect. We landed hours later at a small private airstrip surrounded by pine forests and mountains. More black cars waited to drive us along winding roads to a massive stone mansion that looked like something from another century.
"Your fiancé lives here?" I whispered as we pulled up to iron gates.
Mom nodded excitedly. "Isn't it magnificent?"
The gates opened, and we drove through manicured grounds to the front entrance, where a line of staff waited to greet us.
"Ms. Claire," a stern-looking woman said to my mother. "Mr. Volkov awaits you in the main hall."
The inside of the mansion was even more impressive – high ceilings, artwork, antiques that belonged in museums. But I barely noticed any of it because as we entered the main hall, I saw him.
The man from the auction. The one they called Alpha King.
He stood tall at the center of the room, dressed in a tailored black suit. Those silver eyes fixed on me, and I stopped breathing.
"Claire," he said, stepping forward to take my mother's hand. "Welcome." His voice was the same commanding tone that had silenced a room full of monsters.
He turned to me, and something flickered across his face – recognition, maybe even surprise.
"And this must be your daughter, Lena."
My mother beamed. "Yes! Lena, this is Kieran Volkov."
I couldn't speak. Couldn't move. This was the man who'd saved me, and now my mother was going to marry him.
"It's lovely to finally meet you properly," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.
In that moment, I realized my nightmare wasn't over. It had only just begun.
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