Page 11 of Auctioned Wolf Bride

No, in reality, there was only one option. I knew what I had to do.

“All that in mind, she’s going to cost more than some of our others. Bidding starts at ten thousand.” Damien stepped back, gesturing with his hand that the bidding could commence as Viktor jerked her to the front of the stage.

“Ten thousand!” one of the shifters in the audience called.

“Twelve!” Another yelled, leering at Thea.

“Thirteen!” A third yelled.

I couldn’t let someone else take her. I had to do something.

“Fifteen!” I shouted.

Thea’s head whipped around to me. Her mouth opened as her eyes flashed with recognition and disbelief. I shook my head slightly, trying to tell her not to show that we knew each other while also trying to tell her I would take care of it.

“Seventeen!” a voice called. It was the second bidder. He made kissing faces at Thea, winking at her. That alone nearly made me march over and punch him.

“Eighteen!” A newcomer called.

“Twenty!” I yelled.

“Twenty-five!” the second bidder shouted. He glared at me, as if daring me to keep going.

I met his gaze, not backing down as I said, “Thirty-five.”

“Thirty-six,” he spat out, his face growing red. By now, it was only the two of us. I didn’t care if it went out to a hundred thousand. I would get Thea out of this.

“Thirty-eight,” I retorted.

“Thirty-eight five hundred.”

I turned to look at the auction block. Thea’s eyes were glued on me, a mixture of fear and hope on her face. The two shifters were watching the bidding with interest, focused on me, waiting to see if I would trump the latest bid.

“Fifty thousand,” I said.

A hush fell over the crowd. Then the other man swore, throwing up his hands and shaking his head.

“Fifty going once… twice…” Damien’s eyes swept across the crowd, waiting to see if anyone would chime in. “Sold.”

All heads whipped toward me. I kept my eyes locked on Thea, whose own expression was a mix of apprehension andrelief. She gave a short, almost imperceptible jerk of her head when she saw me looking, a short nod of appreciation.

I let my gaze slide from her to Damien, an intense wave of dislike washing over me as I met his gaze. He had done this to Thea. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it.

“Right, then,” Damien said. “Come on, sir, and claim your prize.”

Chapter 5 - Thea

I watched in disbelief as Tannen pushed his way through the crowd. My legs turned to jelly as I processed that it was really him. I would actually get out of this. I would get back to Astrid and Brixton. Somehow, things had turned out okay.

Except something still seemed off. It couldn’t be this simple… could it?

Tannen’s eyes met mine, and again, he shook his head. I didn’t need him to tell me not to give away the fact that we knew one another. That could spell disaster. But I hadn’t been able to keep my eyes off him as he’d bid. Still, I tried my best not to sigh with relief. It was all about to be over. I wasn’t about to be hauled off by some stranger. I’d find a way to pay him back. I’d tell him about the other girls, and this would all be over.

He hopped on the stage, taking the steps two at a time. Some of the shifters stalked out of the clearing, dipping into the trees. A few of the other lingered, which I didn’t understand. They’d lost. I’d assumed the instant they hadn’t won me, they would have taken off. Were they expecting other girls? Had Damien changed his mind about only selling me? I couldn’t tell by his expression.

Tannen approached Damien, that intense look in his eyes as they darted everywhere. He was assessing the situation, calculating the risks and next steps.

“Congratulations,” Damien said to Tannen. He jerked his head at me. “Do you want to examine her?”

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