Chapter 2

VANESSA POV

I stare out the window, trying to memorize the highways they are taking. I know if we escape, we can't return to Ms. Grimes, but I at least need to know where we are and the route the kidnappers took. I need to know so I can tell the authorities. They need to make sure she never does this again. I take a break from my pointless task to check on a now sleeping Rosy. 

She fell asleep about an hour ago after bawling her eyes out. I feel so bad for her. I know we are in the same situation, but she seems to be collapsing. She has been so stressed lately due to our living situation. This has definitely sent her over the edge. I sigh, and Mr. leader turns back to look at me. 

He cocks his head to the side while actually showing an emotion. Curiosity. 

"You are an odd one, Sugar," he says lowly while looking at his sleeping companion and Rosy. The third stooge is driving. 

"How so," I ask sarcastically, not genuinely caring about how I differ from their normal girls. 

"Most girls cry or beg. They don't calmly sit trying to plot an escape," he explains anyways. 

My eyes shoot to his, and he smirks. 

"Of course, I know you are planning. And trust me, sugar, you will fail. You will fail, and you will probably get your little friend killed," he says with a sly smirk that I want to slap off his face. 

"Okay, so what? I was planning," I say, trying to appear unbothered by his statement. 

Fear for Rosy's safety pierced my heart when he said that, though. Should I try to escape? Should I drag Rosy into an even more dangerous situation?

"Well, I suggest you stop," he growls out like an animal. 

My eyes widen, and I shift uncomfortably in my seat. I have no idea what these men are, but if they are cannibals, I need to tread lightly. 

"Okay. Fair enough. Can I ask you a few questions then," I ask, hiding the nerves from my voice. 

His eyebrows raise before he nods. 

"How many girls have you bought from Ms. Grimes," I ask, trying to find out if the three girls who aged out before us suffered the same fate. 

The driver laughs, and Mr. Leader smirks as he answers me.

"We don't purchase merchandise from Ms. Grimes. She is purely what you would call a middle man. We purchase young human girls through the human Government," he says and pauses. 

He smiles at my shell-shocked reaction. He is enjoying this far too much. 

"You and your friend were probably selected at a young age. After selection, you would have been removed from the foster care system's database, so you would no longer be up for adoption. From that point on, Ms. Grimes is supposed to train you. There are many homes set up like this all over the country. The U.S government makes a huge profit selling young women to the supernatural community. But to answer your direct question, you and your friend make 23," he finishes with happiness in his voice. 

My eyes fill with tears as understanding dawns on me; there is no saving us from this. Even if we escaped, the authorities would not be on our side. Shoot, they would probably return us. I force my tears away. I need to focus on how I can make this better for us? 

"So Ms. Grimes is the middle man, what are you? How are you paid in this OH SO great setup," I ask, trying to see if he will give me more information. 

He chuckles. 

"We are what they call collectors. We collect the products meant for sale from our region. Our pay can decrease depending on how roughed up you are," he says with an underlying dare in his voice. 

An idea creeps into my brain. My eyes dart down towards Rosy, who is leaning on me. I slowly reposition her to where her head isn't on my shoulder but my lap. 

"I want Rosy, and I sold as a package deal," I say, meeting his eye. 

"And why would we agree to that," he smirks, but I can see him trying to analyze me. 

I take a deep breath, and before he can even blink, I punch myself in the mouth. HARD. My lip instantly splits, and the irony taste of my blood coats my tongue. Although my hands are tied, I think I just managed to make myself look much less appealing. 

Mr. Leader's eyes widen to the size of saucers as he takes in what I just did. I press my tongue to my lip, trying to gauge the damage of my handy work. 

"Because if you don't, I won't be too pretty by the time we get there," I say after confirming the split is definitely visible. 

The driver swerves on the road as he gawks at me in the rearview mirror. Mr. Leader growls anomalistically again. 

"That was a dumb move, sugar," he manages to get out from behind his clenched teeth. 

I shrug. "I want us sold as a pair," I repeat, and a look of fear passes over his features quickly. 

"Fine," he snaps before I can move again. 

I smile brightly. "Thank you," I say in a cheerful voice. 

Both the awake men look stunned. Whether it is from my actions or my gracious words after, I have shocked them. 

I spend the rest of the trip looking out the window. At least our fates will be shared. 

GUNNAR POV

The hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end, and my claws are buried in my palms, drawing blood. I have no idea whether it was the flight or the large crowd of males all around me, but I am seconds from losing my cool. 

"You know if you can't handle this, we should leave," Kraven whispers yells as he watches my shoulders shift slightly. 

I take a few deep breathes while letting my eyes scan the room. The antsy uncomfortable feeling is definitely coming from this room. My wolf instincts are peaked to their max. 

"Bring me a laced drink. It will knock my body back into my control," I growl, and Kraven nods before barreling through the crowd. 

I close my eyes and focus on my sense of hearing. One hundred and two heartbeats are pounding all around me. The wolve's hearts range in tempo due to their different levels of excitement, but the vampires all have slow heartrates. 

I focus on those. I need the calm and steady beat while I wait for my wolfsbane-laced drink. If I don't gain control soon, this whole room is in danger. Kraven gets back to me just in time, and I toss the scorching liquid down my throat. 

I almost sigh out loud as the poison instantly begins to work against my body. My claws retract, and my heartbeat drops. The hairs on my neck lay flat, and I nod at Kraven. He sighs and shoots me a rare megawatt smile. 

We find our seats just as they lower the lights. A crisp-looking vampire walks to the center of the stage with a mic, and the whole room grows quiet. I can feel the anticipation leaking from the pores of all the supernaturals around me, and it makes me roll my eyes. 

I will never understand the fascination with human females. Humans are not destined, mates. Humans are not strong. Humans are all around pathetic. Why should I waste my time with a human when she-wolves look a hundred times better. 

"We have a great lineup tonight, men. We have three omegas wolves for sale, all-female and two male vampires, to start the evening. Then, of course, we have the new human stock in. Seventeen young women all tested and all confirmed to be pure. They have a variety of blood types, and as usual, the AB- s will be kept until the end. 

Vampires begin to hiss in happiness that there is at least one AB- on the menu. But my ears are focusing on the fact that they have added supernaturals to the sale. 

"Kraven, I thought this was just a human auction," I growl. 

I'm not too fond of our kind being lumped together with humans. Wolves are above humans. 

"It was last time I checked. It must be wolves and vamps that upset their leaders. I'm assuming they were added from people around us, brother," he answers. 

My eyes pierce through the crowd, trying to see if I can find an Alpha cruel enough to sell his own pack members. I find none. 

I clear my throat, and the vampire on stage snaps his head in my direction. I smirk. My reputation precedes me. 

"Yes, Alpha Gunnar," he asks into the mic. 

"Who is selling the omegas," I ask, making sure to add dominance into my tone. 

"The omegas were added by a fellow Alpha. They were trespassers on his land," the vampire answers smoothly, adding a small head bow at the end of his explanation. 

"And the vamps," I growl

"Slaves to this very house, sir. They are no longer needed and should do well-pleasing a new master," he says, meeting my eye briefly before bowing again. 

I gesture for him to continue with my hand. I got my answers, unwelcomed mouths, and slaves who were useless. But the wolves still don't belong next to the humans. 

"Alright, let's get this night underway then," the vampire says, and the curtain behind him is raised. 

The omegas are small for wolves, all about 5'10 and slender. Definitely, sisters judging by their facial structures. A growl erupts from the back of the room, and I smirk. A beta barges up onto the stage before yanking the middle sister into his arms. 

"This is why wolves should never be treated like humans," I mumble as I watch the clear mate display unfold before me. Kraven nods from next to me. 

The Beta's Alpha joins him on stage. He approaches the vampires handling the sells that are seated behind the trembling females. After some angry whispering, all three sisters are led off the stage and taken out of the room. 

Next up, the male vamps. The males pose side by side with emotionless faces. Their bodies have been stripped of clothing, and up close, you can see the faint lines of whip marks. These two pissed someone off. 

I squint my eyes. Having a couple of vamps in the ranks would be a smart move. And once a vamp pledges themselves, they can not break that pledge until released by their master or die. I internally shrug, might as well. 

I raise my hand slightly and get a nod from one of the auctioneers. I hold up two of my fingers, signaling I want both. He nods again. 

"An offer has been made for the pair. Do I hear any bets for the pair at $20,000," the main vamp with the mic asks the crowd. 

A fellow Alpha raises his hand, and I raise mine again while sending him a side glare. I watch as Alpha Hu gulps. He finally lowers his eyes, and the vampire on stage smirks. 

"Sold for $30,000 to Alpha Gunnar," the vampire calls out to the crowd with a smile.

I observe my purchases. They both send me fleeting glances before looking back at their feet. They will need training, but vampires come in handy. 

"Kraven, take them to the car and have someone bring me another drink," I order, never taking my eyes of the two males. 

"But brother. I am going to miss it," he whines, and I growl. 

"Then I suggest you hurry. Besides, if I don't get another shot of wolfsbane, everyone is in trouble. Especially your precious humans," I say, sending him a glare. 

He nods once before disappearing from my side. 

"We shall bring the humans out according to their blood types, per the usual. But there is a bonus feature tonight; one of the AB-s will be sold as a pair. She actually gave our collectors a nice little scare the other night and bargained for her companion. She has fire that the others do not and should make for a very interesting plaything," the vampire says, trying to hype up the already hormonal crowd. 

I watch the wolves and vamps alike as they take in the information. The vampires are by far more excited about this AB-. Apparently, AB- is the rarest of types of blood, and hers is tempting them greatly. 

"First, we begin with the common, O+. There are seven tonight and they are little beauties," he says as seven human girls in their underwear are marched on stage. 

All of them look sad and pathetic to me. But I try to focus for Kraven. He likes blondes and redheads. I bid for the tallest blonde and win her. 

"Alpha Gunnar, your drink sir," a small voice from beside me says.

"Thanks," I mumble

I grab the glass and sip. The pleasant burn makes me tilt my head in satisfaction. My anger and unease have practically disappeared now. Kraven was right. I needed a night out and purchasing the vamps has actually put me in a good mood. 

The other six girls all go to an overweight older excited looking Alpha. And I actually cringe for them. That will not be enjoyable for any of them besides him. His mate must push him off on humans. I can't imagine any she-wolf wanting that on top of her. 

"What did I miss," Kraven asks as soon as his rump touches his seat. 

"I got you a blonde," I mutter, and he cheers softly. 

"Next up, A+. Tonight we have four," the vamp says, ushering in the next group of flesh. 

"Anything," I ask, taking another sip. 

My brother eyes them, overlooking like he is deep in thought. 

"How many are for sale tonight," he asks, knowing I do not forget numbers. 

"17. 7 have already gone. There will be a pair selling at the end," I answer while eyeballing the crowd. 

"Nah. Next round maybe," Kraven answers, and I nod. 

The girls go fast—round after round. Kraven has me buy him a redhead to go with his blonde, but no other excitement occurs. 

"Okay, gentlemen, we have arrived at the final three. Two are AB-, but the bonus is an O-," he says, gesturing for the girls to come up. 

I down the last drops of my drink and look towards the stage..............

Every single fiber of my body freezes as my eyes see the second girl in line. She is the prettiest and tallest girl of the night. She is also my long-awaited MATE. 

My claws extend instantly, and I grip the arms of the chair in desperation. I can't expose her as my mate. She is a human! But my entire body is screaming for me to jump up and shield her. Kraven eyes me, but I ignore him. My eyes are locked on the tall brunette. 

She is 5'11. Tall for a human but short for a she-wolf, considering most she-wolves are 6'0 or 6'1. She is wearing black lacy panties and a red bra that doesn't match. But it's her curves that have me drooling like a puppy. She has a bubble butt, c cup breasts, and legs a mile long. Blood is rushing in my ears, blocking out all the sounds around me. How can my mate be human???? I growl in my head. Anger at my misfortune takes over my mind. 

The single blonde is being marched off the stage when I finally am able to refocus. The two brunettes clutch each other, but only the small one seems truly scared. 

My mate looks unaffected.....which actually makes me feel a spark of pride for her, but I quickly push it aside. A small growl sounds in my throat at the sight of her top lip, though. It is busted as someone punched her. 

I raise my hand as the bidding starts for the pair. I have no idea how much they started at, but I don't care. I can't let my mate go to a vamp even if she is human. It's evident that it's her blood they would be craving over the short ones. I need to protect her from being one of their juice pouches.