Chapter 4 | My Fault

Raina

Once the door closes and I’m left alone, I take a breath and count to ten. 

I listen for footsteps and there are none.

I run.

I run as fast as I can down the dark hall, it feels like it goes on forever, and my heart jumps into my chest the moment I hear a guard say, “Check that way, I swear I heard something.”

Hide. I have to hide.

A door!

Oh, please be an empty room, I hope as I open and slip inside. The light from the TV momentarily blinds me, and I blink rapidly as I try to adjust to it. A low voice drawls, “Who are you?”

My head snaps to a man who is standing, impeccably dressed, with his arms crossed. His blonde, practically white hair reminds me of my own, and my throat dries up as I see him. But then, something on the TV catches my eye. Elyria.

The announcer drones on about her attributes, but the words, “Ideal size for birthing babies,” catch my attention as I snap, “What?!”

The man’s gaze doesn’t move from me as I’m now lost in my own world.

What the hell are they doing? They just said someone could use her as a personal toy! No, no, no! Not my sister. She hasn’t done anything to deserve this kind of treatment.

“You look just like her.”

I can’t help the attitude that slips out as I roll my eyes and say, “Duh, she’s my sister.”

He seems amused by me. I’m grateful he doesn’t come closer. I’m still focused on the screen and need to know what else happens.

But… I know how this ends. Don’t I?

She’ll end up at the Eclipse Pack. The Alpha looked nice. It will be a good thing.

“Why are you in my suite?” The low voice seems… even deeper. More possessive.

Shit.

My eyes snap over to the man, and I murmur, “I’m sorry, sir, I seem to have lost my way.”

In the background, the announcer continues, “We have a top bid. We’ve got $250,000 for Elyria Trainer going once!”

No, Elyria!

I know what’s happening, I try to remind myself. I know the cards that fate has dealt her.

But still… hearing the way they described her and seeing her get purchased is a new kind of horror entirely.

There’s a loud sniff, and the man takes a step closer to me, his footsteps echoing in the room, and his voice sounds almost amused as he says, “I can smell the fear rolling off of you. Mixed in with your scent, it’s an odd smell. Bittersweet, almost like grapefruit.”

My nose crinkles as he happens to mention the one fruit I detest, and I say, “That is the weirdest-”

My words are cut off by the intensity of his green eyes. He has a lazy smirk that shows off a small dimple in his left cheek, but his eyes flicker away from me and to the screen as the announcer says, “Elyria is SOLD to the Eclipse Pack!”

I snap my head to the screen, my heart pounding, although I already knew that was where she was going.

She’s going to be okay. She has to be. It doesn’t matter that they described her the same way they would a whore. She’ll be okay.

I have to remember the Alpha from my vision. He cared for her. I could tell.

I have to go by my intuition. There’s nothing else that can reassure me.

They’re bringing the next girl up. 

I’m running out of time.

I have to make it out of this building.

I look back at the man, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being in here, but I must go!”

There’s no opportunity for him to respond to me as I yank the door open and rush out. I need to get away. This is my last chance.

I swear, I can hear his footsteps as he rushes towards the door.

I run even faster, desperate for my one chance at escaping this auction.

My heel breaks, and I curse as I kick it off, knowing that it will slow me down. I rush back the way I came, then turn down a different hallway, only to run straight into a guard.

Fuck. My luck ran out.

He grips me and leads me back to the main room, where André and others are waiting for me.

If looks could kill, I’d be six feet under with the way André is glaring at me. I broke his trust and took advantage of it.

A woman in white is next to him, huffing in anger, “We don’t have time for this. Let’s get her out there!”

He grabs my arm, holding on just slightly too hard to my wrist. He murmurs, “You’re lucky they didn’t have time to punish you.”

I know he’s right. I can’t focus on it, though.

They don’t realize I broke my heel; I keep my bare foot up in a high-heeled position. No one can know how badly I’ve fucked up.

He ushers me to the stage, and the announcer rants off facts about me just like he did with Elyria. Except, at the end, he focuses on adding the information that I am a seer. He raves about how useful it would be to have someone who could see the future right next to you.

The bidding war begins, the lights show all the people interested in me, and dread fills my stomach.

The announcer made me sound more impressive than I am. That’s not going to be a good thing for me. Lots of Alphas are known for having a temper.

My jaw almost drops when I hear, “And for a whopping 3 million dollars, Ms. Raina Trainer is SOLD to the Twilight Pack!”

My foot falters for a moment, unable to hold my weight as my mind reels from this price. Elyria wasn’t sold for even a quarter of that!

I get back on my tiptoes, trying to pretend that I didn’t drop as I get led off stage.