Beauty In Red

Seline

"Auction 1. Extra special edition," the auctioneer chortled. The two hefty bodyguards that brought out my cage turned the lock and hauled me forward on the stage, causing me to fall face-flat on the floor. I got up to my feet quickly, dusting off my dress. My blood boiled in anger, but I let it go, recalling briefly that I was already playing my role.

Standing on the elevated platform, I stared into a large ocean of darkness with at least a million pairs of eyes on me. After all these years, the attention from strangers was still overwhelming. I lowered my gaze to the floor, my eyesight affected by the harsh pool of lights around me. I was supposed to seem submissive anyway. A perfect, thrilling little pet for a vampire.

"She's the most beautiful thing you'll ever set your eyes on tonight. Female, wolf-shifter from a powerful bloodline, twenty-three. She's been trained to be submissive and taught all things ladylike but..." the auctioneer trailed off, building the suspense's momentum. "She's never been blooded, nor mounted either. That's the secret to why she's so special. She's pure all over. A sweet virgin!"

A growl rose up my throat when I heard the audience's murmur increase in excitement. My anger raked through me slowly and I curled my fists in disgust. I'd only just gotten a hundred times more special and I'd be lying if that didn't make them all sickening.

"Alright, darling. Show them what you've got," the auctioneer demanded with a wave of his hand. I dropped to my hands and knees, then looked toward the crowd like a timid little puppy. It was more than enough show that proves my submission as they howled like delirious chickens. And to think these were high vampires of society.

"You've seen what treasure she is, folks. So let's get the ball rolling then. Bidding starts at two hundred thousand," the auctioneer called. "Two hundred thousand for this rare, beautiful virgin pet. Anyone? No one? Ah – yes, the man holding a brown jacket at the back. Who else would love to own this beautiful, dolled-up specimen of a shifter? She's the best we have tonight so don't lose out! Yes, keep them coming. Can I get a three – "

The bidding went higher, spurred by the auctioneer's sugarcoated persuasions. I surveyed the crowd. How many people were really watching me tonight? Two thousand? That was taking things too far. A thousand? Nine hundred? I glanced up involuntarily, at the balcony overlooking the audience and saw Jax watching me. Look down, he glared. I bowed my head immediately, already feeling like I was a letdown.

It didn't matter how many people were willing to buy me. I only wanted one vampire. One master. Ferrara DeMarco. I needed to do something enticing. Something that would make him interested in me.

What would interest someone of his status to me? A meek pose? I'd done that already. To try and look sexy? I couldn't do that with a pose like this. I wasn't even feeling sexy. Not when my kind was being subjected to this shit. I wanted to punch the lights out of someone for forcing shifters into this mess.

I clenched my fists once more, my nails digging into the skin of my palms, drawing blood.

Fuck, I wanted this charade to be over already.

Soon, Seline. My wolf, Alphie purred. Soon.

Ferrara

She was coerced into this.

That was my instant thought as I watched her fists clench and unclench with each word that came out of the auctioneer's mouth. She's beautiful – dazzling in her blood-red outfit, full-lipped and sensual. Currently, as the auctioneer ran his grubby little hands on her cleavage, cupping her breast and emphasizing her virginal status over and over again to entice the crowd while setting the bid higher, I didn't miss the dangerous twitch at the corner of her lips. To the rest of the audience, she seemed meek and gentle, but I saw through her bullshit like thin paper. My eyes trailed down the bruises on her arms and wrists from all the thoughtless shoving by the guards, but aside from that, nothing else made her look vulnerable. She wouldn't be an easy creature to tame.

Her height, her eyes – the color of rare, uncommon honey, her crown of fiery red hair that falls over her shoulders to stop at her knees. Everything about this she-wolf was tempting, and even now as she lifted her eyes and glared straight at the crowd, my body responded to her hypnotic gaze – blood rushing to my groin and tightening my briefs. Damn, her resistance, once she was bought, would be more than thrilling. What would it be like to own such a perfect creature? To study and subdue her enough till she became really meek and submissive?

I masked my growing interest with a look of indifference. Mary kept glancing between me and the stage, watching out for a reaction for the beautiful A****n of a wolf currently on display. The clocks in my head were whirling. I supposed I could afford a distraction to divert my attention for a while. That was the price one had to pay for immortality – you kept on exploring new thrills while looking for the next big thing. I had no doubt that I would get bored of this she-wolf in two months' time, but still, it would be fun to have her at my beck and call for a while.

There's something so eerily familiar about her. She looked like someone I knew, perhaps in my past life. And that fueled my curiosity even further.

On stage, she looked straight at me, her eyes widening a bit. A thrill rushed through me that she seemed overwhelmed by my stare. She lowered her eyes and licked her rosy lips and my pants tighten even more. I clenched my fist and gritted my teeth. The biding number in Mary's hand caught my attention. She knew I was onto the beauty in a red dress on stage.

"You said you won't bid tonight. Changing your mind already?" Samuel cooed from my side and I'd never wanted to punch his balls so hard. He read all my facial expressions and body language so well like a psychic.

"Shut up. I never said that." I elbowed him. Palming a hand on my hard groin, I swallowed harder.

Christ. I have never gotten this hard in months.

Mary turned to me with a smile. "Impressed by what you're seeing, Sire? She's the best product you'll see tonight."

Keeping my eyes on the she-wolf, I palmed a hand harder down my dick. "Yes, Mary. I can see that. She's...truly one of a kind."

I meant that in more ways than one.