Page 18 of The Alpha's Auctioned Pregnant Mate

As the dizziness began to clear, a wild hope flared in Wren's chest. She didn't stop to question it, didn't pause to think. With a snarl, she launched herself at the vampire, her claws extended, and teeth bared.

But before she could reach him, pain, unlike anything she had ever experienced, ripped through her body. Wren crumpled to the ground, screaming as every bone seemed to shift and crack. She retched, her stomach heaving as the agony overwhelmed her.

The vampire watched her with cold detachment, his expression unchanging. “The brand,” he said calmly as if discussing the weather. “It’s a mark on your soul, not just your body. Any act of defiance, any attempt to fight back, will be met with pain. You’re ours now.”

Wren’s breath came in ragged gasps as she tried to process his words. They filled her with a deep, overwhelming despair. She had always prided herself on her independence and her strength, but now, it felt like all of that had been stripped away.

The vampire crouched beside her, his masked face inches from hers. "Quite stubborn, aren't you?" he mused. "That's good. It means you're healthy. But you'll never be able to defy me again."

"What did you do to me?" Wren croaked, her throat raw from screaming.

"You are property, and whoever we sell you to will hold that ownership. You'll never fight against us, never resist doing anything we say," the vampire calmly stated.

Wren's eyes widened in horror. "That's a lie," she whispered. "I would never—"

The vampire straightened, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "Really? Shall we test that theory?" He took a step back. "Clean up your mess."

Wren wanted to spit in his face, to tell him exactly where he could shove his commands. But to her horror, she found her body moving of its own accord. The werebear handed her a rag and bucket, and she began cleaning the floor where she had been sick.

No. No, this can't be happening. Stop. STOP!

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make her body obey her commands. Tears of frustration and fear rolled down her cheeks as she scrubbed the floor clean.

The vampire watched, sipping from a glass of blood that seemed to have appeared from nowhere, sporting his fangedsmile. When she finished cleaning, the werebear took the bucket to dispose of it. The vampire then commanded her to follow the werebear.

As Wren followed the bear out of the room, her legs moving against her will, the vampire's words followed her:

"Welcome to your life as property, little wolf."

The heavy door slammed shut behind her, the sound echoing with a terrible finality.

Chapter 7 - Articus

Articus leaned back in his chair, a contented smile playing on his lips as he thought about the time he’d spent with Wren. The conversation had flowed more easily than he’d expected, and there was something about her that drew him in, a magnetic pull he couldn’t quite explain.

She’s not like anyone I’ve met before.

His thoughts drifted to the way her hazel eyes sparkled with intelligence and fire. He hadn’t expected to feel this way—so captivated by someone he’d only just met. But there was a softness to her, a warmth that contrasted sharply with the hard edges of the world they both inhabited.

I’ll have to tell her about myself eventually.

The idea made him uneasy. He didn’t want to scare her off, not when they were just starting to connect.

As he waited for Wren to return from the backroom, Articus found himself wondering about her. She was clearly strong and independent, yet there was a vulnerability in her that made him want to protect her. He hadn’t felt this protective in a long time, and the intensity of the emotion surprised him.

Why does she affect me like this?

Before he could dwell on it, the door to the bar swung open, and in walked Cassius.

Cassius spotted Articus and raised an eyebrow, striding over to where he sat. “Articus, isn’t there someone you’re supposed to be apologizing to?” he asked, his tone teasing but with a hint of seriousness. “Where is she?”

Articus gestured toward the backroom. “She just went to grab something for Mara,” he replied. “She’ll be back in a minute.”

Cassius frowned slightly, glancing toward the back of the bar. “Maybe she needs help. Don’t leave a lady waiting too long after an apology.”

Articus chuckled, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

Maybe I should check on her.

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