Page 14 of Wolf Caged
“Four hundred thousand.” A third bidder made things interesting, gaining the attention of the other two and a sour look from both.
Was it not the done thing to double the bid so quickly?
I was not sure of the etiquette involved. I had imagined that the point was to win the bid, not play a game of chase.
The fourth male, this one definitely another shifter judging by his scent and the claws he was digging into the wooden arms of his chair, barked, “Five.”
“Six.” The fifth male glared at him. A demon. His horns grew, curling around from behind his pointed ears, a sign of aggression in his breed.
One to watch.
Demons were notoriously stubborn and did not like losing.
I knew that from experience.
“Seven fifty.” The bloodsucker had found his voice again, much to the sickening glee of the ringleader wolf, who looked as if he might drool at any moment.
What poor breeding.
I checked my nails again, inspecting the rounded clear tips that concealed any hint of what I was, and sensed the ringleader staring my way. I lifted bored eyes to meet his. He wanted me to bid too. I would. When the time was right. Now was not the time. Things were only just getting interesting.
How much would they pay to secure the female?
“Eight.” The demon looked ready to snap fangs at anyone who went higher and grinned at the little wolf in the cage, his gaze filled with hunger as if she was already his and he was already planning the ways he would take her.
The female snarled at him, flashing fangs as she bristled.
Perhaps it was the thought of breaking her that had so many of the males willing to pay so much for her.
“Nine,” the vampire put in.
Just as the magic user said, “A million.”
Everyone glared at him.
Except me. I was too busy watching the female as she stilled, as her skin paled and her striking eyes widened, as if the reality of her situation had just hit her and only now was she awarethat this was happening. One of her own kind was selling her to slavering males with wicked intentions.
Her shock was fleeting, quickly morphing back into rage as the vampire countered, and the demon followed suit, and her price rose to close to one point five million dollars.
“One point nine.” The vampire shirked all civility, jumping the price up by half a million, much to the irritation of two other males.
The ringleader looked to the three no longer bidding. All shook their heads.
“Two million,” the demon growled.
The blond wolf male almost grinned, satisfaction flickering in his eyes as he lowered them to the female.
She spat in his direction.
“Two point two.” The vampire would not be outdone.
“Two five.” The demon proved him wrong.
I waited, watching the two males as they engaged in a silent battle. Would the vampire bid again?
His now-crimson gaze shifted to the cage and I could almost sense the moment he decided she was not worth the outlay.
Which was my signal.
