Page 1 of Madam Alana

Chapter 1

TheAuction

Thirty years ago…

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whispered to my bestfriend, Celine. Her silky black bob bounced when she turned her head to faceme, concern taking over her pixie-like features.

“Alana,” she hissed low in her throat. “We have runout of options. Besides, Angus promised us a good pairing. We’ll have so muchmoney after this we’ll be able to live the lives we want.” Celine glanced atthe dozen women all dressed in lingerie standing in a straight line with us.Some of them wore completely see-through undergarments, putting every one oftheir physical attributes on display. Which, I guessed, was the point. Thebidders needed to see our bodies to determine their preferences in a wife.

“I’m scared.” I shivered and rubbed my arms, tears fillingmy eyes.

“I am too. You’re not alone. Putting ourselves up for TheMarriage Auction was not part of our original plans, but it fast-trackseverything.Gets us off the streets and out of the women’s shelters. Look at us. Did youever think we’d see Las Vegas?” she gushed. It was the same tone she’d usedwhen we arrived here along with the other women of varying ethnicities andnationalities from the streets of New York. Celine was full-blooded SouthKorean raised in America, whereas I was mixed-race, the daughter of aGerman-Irishfather whom I’d never met and knew nothingabout and a South Korean mother. There were thousands of mixed-raced childrenborn after the Korean War, and I was one of them.

Both of us had been rejected by our families. Me because mymother was dirt poor and couldn’t afford to feed herself, let alone a child.She deposited me in an orphanage when I was twelve. At five years old, Celinewas adopted by an American family who had been amazing…until they weren’t. Ithad taken me three years to make it to the United States. Three years of utterhell I didn’t like to think about. When Celine and I met, we were both fifteenand living on the streets of New York, panhandling tourists for their pocketchange.

I shook my head and dropped my chin, letting my long blackhair cover my heated cheeks. Embarrassment poured through my veins as I staredat the gaudy red satin nightgown they’d put me in. The lacy hem only fell tomid-thigh, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable. Though I shouldn’t have complainedbecause itactually coveredmore than any of theothers.

“Stick with the plan, Alana. Remember our dream.” Celinegrabbed my hand and squeezed it tight, physically encouraging me through ourbonds of sisterhood and solidarity.

I held hers as though my life depended on it. “I love youmore than any other person in the entire world.” No matter what happened, Iwanted her to know that she was loved. Our friendship was my most prizedpossession.

“You know you have the same from me. Just because we’regoing to be married and separated for a few years doesn’t mean we won’t be incontact the entire time.” Celine pulled me into a hug.

I embraced the only person I had ever truly loved. Fear ofwhat was to come had me trembling in her arms. “What if our husbands are meanmen, like some of the others from before?” I swallowed against the lump ofanxiety lodged in my throat.

She rubbed my back. “Then we’ll do what we’ve always done inthose situations. Lie on our backs. Open our legs. Don’t cry. Stay quiet andpliant. Let them do what they need to do, then put ourselves back together onebreath at a time once it’s over,” Celine responded very matter-of-factly beforeshe dipped her head until our foreheads touched.

Celine and I had suffered through more horrors than we couldlist on each of our ten fingers. At least by going through the auction, we wereguaranteed a high payout at the end of it. One that would give us not justmoney.Enough money to live lives of our own choosing.

“Who knows? Maybe we’ll get picked by our dream men. Oh! Maybea Danish man. I’dloveone of those big,hunky blond men with long hair and all those muscles.” She grinned, makinglight of an intense situation.

Celine was the most positive person I knew. It was her superpower.She’d been given nothing but garbage half her life but somehow still walkedthrough each day with a smile on her face. I, however, did not have such anability.

The lights dimmed suddenly, warning us that the show wasabout to start. I gasped and clung to Celine’s side.

I was terrified.

We’d been informed on the flight over that if we were lucky,we’d leave the auction on the arm of a rich bidder. We’d be whisked straightfrom the stage to a room where we’d dress and sign both a contract and a marriagelicense. Then we’d be taken to another location in the hotel where the weddingceremony would take place immediately.

The entire process would take a matter of hours. Oncecompleted, I’d have a hefty sum of money in a bank account set up for me to useat my discretion. I didn’t have a single penny to my name as it was, so thewhole idea seemed unbelievable. Celine and I had given everything we hadscrimped and saved to Angus to pay for the flight over and a guaranteed spot inthe auction. Celine had suggested the bold move. One I was regretting withevery beat of my heart as I stood half-clothed, cold, and scared out of mymind. At least on the streets, we were together and made our own rules.

The curtains opened and the first girl disappeared onto thestage. Right on her heels was the second and then the third.

“Promise me we’ll never lose touch?” I gripped Celine’s arm.

She kissed my cheek and looked me straight in the eyes asshe put both of her hands on my shoulders. We could have been sisters with ourshared South Korean heritage, our dark eyes, high cheekbones, small mouths, andmagnificent shiny hair. Mine, however, hung down my back like an onyx-coloredsheet of satin. Hers fell to her jawline, amping up her fairy-like quality.

“You are my sister. My best friend. The only way we’d losetouch is if there was no more breath in my body.” She held up her hand with herfirst and middle fingers crossed over one another. She placed those fingers infront of her heart in a silent vow I knew all too well.

That’s what I’m afraid of…I thought.

My bottom lip quivered as I set my spine straight, firmed myjaw, and clamped down on the nerves plaguing me. I took each breath slowly, inthrough my nose and out through my mouth. It was the same technique I’d used inthe past before opening my body to a wanton suitor in exchange for money.

You’re an island, Alana,I chanted internally.

An unbreakable, impenetrable, fortress-wrapped island.

Untouchable.

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