Chapter 3 | The Auction

Elyria 

I’m brought to Lucille, a heavyset woman who seems annoyed by my arrival.

She puts her hands on her hips as she snaps at the guards and the assistant who walked with us, “I wasn’t supposed to get anyone else!”

“Change of plans,” The guard responded gruffly as he shoved me towards the podium. I stumble, but I’m grateful not to fall over. The assistant rushes to Lucille’s side and speaks so softly I can’t hear the words.

Lucille snatches the clipboard from them before walking to me and sets it to the side as she works to make an intricate braid in my hair.

She tells me, “You have to be perfect, doll. There’s a particular buyer they’re hoping will buy you.”

My eyebrows furrow slightly, and she flicks me softly between them as she says, “You’ll get wrinkles and crease your makeup if you keep that up. I only have stuff for touch-ups, and we don’t have time for that with you being a last-minute addition for this group.”

“I’m sorry. Am I one of the last girls for the auction?”

Her eyes widen with surprise, and with a thick accent that I can’t quite place, she says, “Well, lookee there! You can talk. Every girl I’ve talked to today has been scared shitless to speak to me. What was your name again, hon?”

“Elyria,” I answer, my voice softer than I like.

She smiles, “You are the last girl in this group. After you, there will be the real high-dollar people. Y’know the ones that are more magical than your average shifter.”

“Have you been to a lot of these auctions?”

I watch her smile through the mirror; it’s nice, motherly.

At least, I think it is.

I suppose I wouldn’t really know.

She says, “I’ve been to these longer than most. You’ll end up in a decent spot, hon. More than likely an Alpha’s chosen mate, a Luna’s right-hand woman, or maybe a surrogate for a high-ranked family or something.”

That’s not what I had pictured. But I suppose it’s what I should’ve expected.

Nervously, I bite my lower lip, only to get flicked again. Lucille snaps, “Will you quit that?! You have lipstick on, girl! Come on, show me your teeth. You’ll never get sold as a mate if you’ve got lipstick smeared on your teeth.”

As I bare my teeth, I rack my brain on what she’s predicted for me. I’ve been told throughout my life at Crucible Academy that, with my natural beauty and charisma, I would become a star after graduation, and that they would help me reach the top.

But… this woman seems to think that all I’ll be is a wife or a surrogate. I’m not sure which option is worse.

I’m only 18. I don’t want to be tied down and trapped in a pack for the rest of my life. This was supposed to be my chance to see the world.

There’s no lipstick in my teeth, and Lucille hurries back to my hair. She moves around, getting out of my line of sight, and I’m finally able to see myself in the mirror again. My teachers have regularly compared me to some actress in mainstream media.

I haven’t been allowed to watch these shows, but I know they call her the mommy of dragons or… something like that.

They say I could’ve been her doppelganger with my white-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. I was one of the fortunate ones at the Academy. Anytime they noticed someone with natural beauty, they took better care of them, making sure to give us regular teeth whitening treatments, having a private trainer with us to keep us in the best shape, getting access to waxing treatments. 

I’ve enjoyed the pampering, Raina often thought of others and how unfair it was that they didn’t get the same treatment. I know she was right, but complaining would put me at risk of going down on the totem pole and… I wanted to stay higher up.

I’m a selfish person.

Maybe this is what I deserve.

Lucille finishes my hair and says, “Alright, Ms. Elyria, it’s natural to be nervous. But all you gotta do is wait for them to call your name, stand around, and wait for any instructions. Just listen to those and soon enough, they’ll send you off!”

When I don’t respond, she says, “Nod if you heard me, hon.”

My nod is jerky and unnatural, but she smiles anyway, softly patting my cheek as she says, “You’ll be just fine, doll.”

The door opens again, and I see a girl, her shoulders shaking silently, being ushered out.

I won’t let that be me. If I’m going through that door, then I will fake my confidence. I have no other choice.

By the time the announcer finally introduces me, my ears are ringing from the noise. I take a deep breath, wiping my sweaty palms on my red dress as I walk out the door, as my name gets called out, “Here is Elyria Trainer!”

I walk through the door and focus my eyes on the platform ahead. The moment I step onto it, a bright spotlight shines on me. It’s blinding. I don’t know where to look or who might be looking at me.

I give my best smile as I force myself to remain still so that I don’t fall. I try not to squint in the light and make it seem like I’m at ease. The announcer continues, “Now, folks, Ms. Trainer is one of the last on the dock tonight. But, just in case you’re interested, I want you to keep in mind that she has an identical twin sister who will be our last on auction tonight, and we all know what that means!”

He pauses for dramatic effect before saying, “Ms. Elyria Trainer is newly 18 and has not received her wolf yet, although our doctors anticipate she is due to shift during the next full moon. She has had a steady and reliable cycle since she started puberty. She comes from a line-”

My mind blocks out the rest of his words. Why was he talking about my cycle? Why does anyone need to know that?

I want to tell the voice to shut up, but I don’t even know where the announcer is. 

His voice continues, “She has a magnificent body, those hips are obviously an ideal size for birthing babies, or if you don’t want her as a breeder, then you might be interested in having her at your beck and call as your personal toy.”

I swallow the cry of outrage that wants to erupt at the thought of this.

I’m a virgin for crying out loud! I’m not supposed to be intimate with anyone other than my mate. That’s why I was kept separate from the male students!

There must be a mistake. They must be advertising the wrong person here. I take a small step, planning to leave the stage when a voice hisses, “You will remain there, Ms. Trainer, and you will continue to smile like you are thrilled by any opportunity.”

How can I smile? This is a nightmare.

Tiny green lights brighten the room, just simple green circle lights, and the more the announcer talks, the more the lights appear.

Suddenly, a light turns a golden color, and the announcer says, “We have a top bid. We’ve got $250,000 for Elyria Trainer going once!”

It’s like I’m cattle, available for anyone to purchase.

“Going TWICE!”

How could they deceive me so? I was told I would be a star and bigger than pack life.

“Here’s a new bid on Elyria for $500,000. Any other offers?”

Most of the green lights disappeared. The gold light remains.

“Going once, going twice, and Elyria is SOLD to the Eclipse Pack!”

Someone grabs my hand and ushers me off the stage as the shock numbs me. I know nothing about packs. I was taught about the human world, and I was told that there was no reason for me to know about the pack lifestyle.

I murmur as I get led down a dark hallway, “There has to be a mistake.”

“No mistakes happen here, Ms. Trainer. This was always the intent for you.”

“I was told I’d live in the human realm. That I’d be a star.” My words are robotic; it’s like my voice belongs to someone else. 

The man guiding me laughs and then looks back at my serious expression and says, “Oh, that wasn’t a joke? Ms. Trainer, no one from Crucible Academy gets sent to the human world. They must’ve told you that to make sure you would obey. Now, we need to get you changed so you can meet your new owners.”

I frown, “Why would I change?”

“Your new master had certain requests for your outfit, considering how much he’s paying for you. He will get what he wants. Come now, Miss.”

Dread fills my stomach, and I’ve never been more scared than I am in this moment.