Chapter 2

Reyna Robinson

I was blindfolded and gagged the entire drive to wherever the slave merchants were taking me. They had only given me a thin shawl to cover my naked body after we left the Blessed Crescent Pack. Hands kept on groping me, and all I could do was cry and beg in muffled voices. The more I tried fighting, the harder they grabbed me. At some point I felt hands between my legs, beneath the shawl, sending my pulse skyrocketing.

"No, please," I pleaded, but with my mouth covered, the words were muffled. I could only shake my head vigorously as a palm was pressed on my sex.

"Shit," the man swore, spreading my thighs further and pressing his filthy hand harder. "Stop the car, Nick; we need to taste her." A shiver went down my body.

"Control yourself, Zord; if the buyers smell sex on her, they will buy her for much less." Another voice came sharply from the front. I held my breath, praying deep down to the goddess for the man to listen.

For a second, silence filled the vehicle, and then the hand was withdrawn. "Fine," he said hesitantly, and finally I took in a long breath.

"We haven't had a beautiful slave like you in years," Zord said. "Even with your face swollen, you still look edible." His smelly breath made nausea rise from my stomach. I knew it was him from the name his friend had called him and his voice. "You will surely make us a good fortune," he finished just as the vehicle came to a halt.

I heard as the door was opened, then a pair of hands pulled me out. I was dragged hurriedly into a noisy place that was dominated by cries and screams, my feet digging onto the rough surface. I registered as a metal door was opened, followed by the blindfold being removed from my eyes and finally the gag, but the cuffs remained in place.

I had to blink several times to adjust to the brightness. My eyes widened as I around, what seemed like a large cell, filled with all sorts of young women and young men cramped up in the tiny space, some of them naked. I held on my shawl tighter, the reality sinking in faster than I would have wanted it to. My gaze fell on two identical girls,they must have been twins, clinging onto each other at one of the corners.

"Sit down," I was shoved from behind, stumbled and fell on one of the young men.

"I'm sor-ry," I stuttered, trying to crawl away from him. He didn't say a word to me, or even react. He just looked at me and shook his head.

"Next!" The word was loud and clear, just as two men walked in and pulled one of the identical girls.

"Please don't take my sister," the other one begged, holding onto her sister. "Take the both of us, please." I swear my heart broke as she was kicked in her chest and sent flying back to the concrete while her sister was dragged away, screaming and flailing her legs. From where I sat, I could clearly see a raised stage in front of us, where the girl was forced to strip. Then the bidding started, and soon enough she was sold and handed over to her new master.

"Next!" I closed my eyes tightly as loud footsteps approached the cell. It was separated from the platform by stairs so that you could see the people on the platform but not the bidders on the other side.

"Not me, not me, let it not be me," I whispered, hugging myself as I rocked back and forth. This was worse than being tortured in the pack, worse than Kieran forcing me on my knees. At least I knew him as a monster, knew how far his anger could go.

"Women are bought quicker than men," the boy I had stumbled on spoke in a low voice, but I still heard him.

"Huh?" I asked, turning to look at him.

"I was brought in two days ago and am still here, waiting, but all the girls I was brought in with have already been sold. My point is, your prayers won't sa—"

I didn't hear him finish the statement because the metal door was opened again, and when my eyes landed on the two men, their familiar faces stirred a heavy feeling in my gut. They were the slave merchants whom I presumed to be Zord and Nick as per their conversation in the vehicle. I was forced to the platform, clinging onto my shawl.

"Keep your head down," I was instructed, but not before I had seen hundreds of eyes staring at me. My stomach twisted so fast, that I thought I was going to throw up there.

"Twenty-two years old, former member of the Blessed Crescent Pack, murdered her mate one year ago," Zord introduced, with murmurs following. "But..." he paused. "With a body to die for." I sneaked a peek at him, trying to memorize his face and that of Nick. For some reason I wanted to know who was who, to keep their images engraved in my mind. To remember the faces that sold me into slavery for money.

"Strip," Nick ordered, and when I hesitated, he pulled the shawl without warning. My arms flew too late to try and cover myself. Tears that I didn't even know had formed fell on the wooden floor as men in the crowd whistled and cheered.

"Look at those hips," a man hollered from the crowd.

"My goddess the boobs are just making my hands tingle," another one shouted. I wished for the floor to open up and swallow me whole, to hide me.

"Turn around, show us what your mama gave ya." It came from the audience, and I didn't turn fast enough because Nick spun me around. I swallowed the urge to clench my ass, to make it smaller as more cheers filled the room. After multiple pair of eyes oggled my back, I turned, my hands clenched on my sides.

"A hundred thousand," the bidding started, and I could only listen as my body shook. The bidding went on and on, and each time a higher price was mentioned, Zord and Nick beside me would nudge each other. That was all I was now, a property being paraded in front of buyers. I was no longer someone's daughter, sister, or Randolf's mate.

"Six Hundred million," a voice, dark and calm stated and every one quieted down. It carried with it a command that everyone followed instantly. Then the actioneer spoke, the sound of his stamp coming down on the papers breaking the silence fast. "Sold," he declared, his voice shaking. Who was that man, making everyone cower? I wondered, knowing deep down that I now belonged to him and that had my legs turning jelly.

"You have two minutes to sedate her for transport." That's all the male said.

"I told you she'd make us good money, but I didn't expect it to be this much." That is the last thing I heard before something pricked my skin. The last thing I saw was a tall man, covered in a black cloak, walking over to me.

********

My eyes opened slowly, making out the dark humongous room first. It was unfamiliar, with a large gold chandelier hanging from it and dark, plain walls with ornate furniture. Pain pulsed behind my eyes as memories came crashing back. The auction, Zord, Nick, and finally, the voice of my buyer.

My breath caught quickly when I tried moving but couldn't. Leather restraints were tightened around my arms, tied to the chair I was sitting on. My ankles were bound to the legs of the chair, keeping me in place. Then, the realization hit harder as I blinked. I was naked, completely naked, but bathed. My skin smelled of oils and even my cheek and thumb felt much better. My previously tangled hair had been washed, detangled, and combed nicely, flowing past my shoulders.

Someone had touched me. Who? My head throbbed violently as question after question crossed my mind. The sound of the door being pushed open pulled me back from my thoughts, and I swear a cold sweat broke. A tall, built man walked in, and suddenly the air inside the room changed. He wore black from head to toe, and a silver mask covered his face. His eyes, goddess, his eyes were an unnatural bright green as they studied me, beautiful and terrifying all at once. They held me in place, and no matter how much I wanted to look away, I couldn't.

He said nothing as he stepped further into the room, his large stature making the space smaller. The closer he got, the heavier his presence became and sent pressure crushing to me like invisible force. I wanted to kneel before him, so bad that I had no control over it, just that the restraints were holding me in place. I had no wolf, alpha Tristan made sure of it, so why was I feeling the need to submit to him?

Then the memories from my childhood began rushing back, the stories my parents told me, stories that were told in school, across the pack. Stories about the faceless king, the ruthless ruler feared by the entire werewolf world, the king who kept his face hidden. My throat tightened painfully and my lips parted shakily. "N-o," I breathed. "Y-ou are...the al-pha king." My voice trembled.

He didn't react, just looked at my face, and not once did his eyes wander to my naked body, even though my legs were pried apart, leaving everything exposed. Then he spoke, his voice so deep, dangerously calm, and quieter than the one in the auction.

"Who are you?"