Chapter 4- Black Market Auction

Samara’s POV

I watch in horror as countless young women are paraded across the stage, their whimpers of fear only enticing the crowd more as they bid on who will get to take them home. The announcer introduced each woman that walked across the stage by their label, some of them sending my mind spiraling as I tried to come to grasp with the fact that I have walked into some kind of a horror film. 

The hopes that I was dreaming in my bed safely were quickly dashed away when I pinched myself rather hard and still my eyes were facing what appears to be some version of a mermaid being rolled across the stage in a semi-large aquarium looking bathtub. My eyes widened in shock when a bidding war ensued around us at the sight of the mermaid-like creature. 

An actual fist fight broke out between the two who were bidding on the mermaid, causing a pause in the auction to appear. I sagged against the large man in relief before realizing that this didn’t mean that the auction was over and that I was still in fact in danger of being sold to what appears to be Vampires. 

How in the world have I found myself in an Anne Rice novel when my life thus far has been nothing but boring? What I wouldn’t give to return to my monotonous life of working as an editor for the local publishing house, spending my days looking over countless manuscripts that resemble instances just like this. 

My body stiffens as the announcer addresses the audience once again. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have saved the best of our auction for last.” My heart thunders in my ears, the knowledge that he is talking about me moving across my skin and sending goosebumps to appear where it touches. “We have, for your pleasure…” The man pauses for dramatic affect. “A virgin up for auction.”

My heart stops beating in my chest at his words. I have been chosen for auction because of the fact that I am still a virgin? A manical laugh erupts in my mind at the thought that my waiting “for the one” is the reason that I am in this predicament at this very moment. I hope my grandmother is shifting in her grave at the sight of me being put up for auction thanks to her scaring the life out of me as a child. 

Once the ooos and ahhhs die down around us at the mention of a virgin being up for auction, the man continues with his introduction. “But not just any kind of virgin.” The man says, a twinkle appearing in what can be seen of his eyes. “I have found the most delectable of virgins especially for you tonight.” His face turns in my direction, indicating to the man that it is time to bring me forth.

I fight against the large man’s hold uselessly as he drags my rumpled form out onto the stage and places me beside the masked man. He leers down at me for a moment before returning his attention to the audience that has moved forward in their seats, their eyes locked onto me. My legs wobble beneath me at being the center of attention under the harsh lights of the stage.

The masked man looks over the audience slowly before he announces to them what makes me so special, something I am curious about as well. “I have for you tonight, a twenty-eight year old virgin, completely untouched by the hands of any man or woman.” Gasps echo around the crowd at his words, their lustful eyes focused on me with deep interest. 

“Shall we start the bidding at one million American dollars?” The masked man says, causing my head to whip in his direction with my eyes wide. One million dollars… Who would pay that much money just for little ole me?

Soon enough I got my answer as countless hands raise in the air, offering up the one million dollars to be able to take me home. A strangled gasp leaves my lips as I look over the fifty or so hands that are all waving around in the air before me. I move to take a step back from the crowd, but end up backing into the large man that escorted me from the cell. His heavy hands fall on my shoulder roughly, holding me in place. 

My mind struggles to keep track of the bidding process that takes place in front of me. Countless offers get screamed up to the masked man in quick tandem and I watch as multiple people slump back into their seats, unable to go any higher than the last offer they made for me.

“Five million American dollars.” 

“Ten million American dollars.” The man who offers the ten million dollars turns to the other man with a triumphant look on his face, a look that is quickly wiped away when another man offers up fifteen million dollars, causing the man to sit down in defeat at the rising price. 

“Fifty million American dollars.” A man from the back of the room that I can’t see because of the shadows booms out over the crowd, causing a hush to erupt around us as everyone settles back into their seats, no one able to match the price of the man in the back of the room. 

The masked man shudders in place at the winning price, barely containing his glee when he motions for the man to come up to the stage to claim his prize. “It appears that we have a winner for this delectable creature.” His cold hand slides down my face tenderly, his lusting eyes watching me closely. “Come up and claim your prize, stranger.”

The man rises from his seat, causing gasps to leave the lips of those around us as he makes his way closer to the stage. The masked man stumbles over his words when he catches sight of the handsome man that is quickly making his way towards us on the stage. By the time the winner had made their way to us, the masked announcer had recovered enough to address the man. 

With a half bow, the masked announcer congratulates the winner, giving my back a rough shove as he pushes me towards the vaguely familiar man. “Here is your prize, I know you are good for the money at your convenience.” With another bow, the masked announcer moves to shift his attention back towards the audience, but words that I didn’t mean to say erupts from my lips and pulls his attention back to me. 

“I am not going anywhere with this strange man!” I pull my hand away from the stranger’s grasp, taking a step backwards until I can feel the hard body of the large man right behind me. Surprise flits across the stranger’s face as he looks down at me before a look of irritation crosses his brow soon after. 

The masked announcer looks over to me in anger, his look warning me that if I don’t shut my mouth then bad things will happen to me. But at this point I didn’t really care about the consequences of my words, I am already deep into the Vampire’s den, how much worse can it really get?

“You can’t just pull people off of the streets and then sell them like they are commodities in a store.” A look of disgust appears on my face as I look from the masked announcer to the man who has ‘won’ the auction for me like I was the Mona Lisa up for grabs. “I am a person, not a work of art that can be auctioned and sold to the highest bidder.” My foot stomps on the stage as I speak, earning gasps from the audience still watching quietly. 

The man who won the bidding war glares down at me, his hand lifting quickly to slap me across my face. I close my eyes tightly, bracing myself for the slap that was sure to come, but the slap never does. Opening my eyes slowly, I find the most alluring man that I have ever seen in my life, even more handsome than Mr. Jones, and I didn’t think that was possible. The newcomer was standing before me with the auction winner's hand held in his grasp tightly, a disapproving look on his face.

More gasps and whispering erupts around us as I stare up at my saviour in aww. Who is this man that has prevented me from being hit?