Auctioned

Brielle's POV

"Move your damn ass forward, Brielle!" Giselle, my sister said behind me, pushing me roughly.

As I turned back to mutter an apology, I was slammed with the look of disgust boldly written on her face.

Everything else I wanted to say disappeared from my mind.

Why did she hate me so much? I wondered, then brushed it off.

I couldn't let the pawn of the devil ruin today for me. The hatred she had for me wasn't a story anymore. They all hated me, including dad and mom. At least, I will be free from them today after the auction.

I smiled as I climbed the podium, feeling a tiny bit of hope in my heart. If a nice young alpha prince could just bid for me, then I had hit the jackpot. I would finally say goodbye to all the mistreatments I received from my so-called family.

As I stood at the podium, I could hear my pulse hammering loudly in my throat.

The unasked question lurked around the corners of my mind.

What if no one bids for me?

My gaze flickered from my dress to Gizelle's, and I couldn't help but shake my head. She was adorned in a glittery blue gown, which of course, barely covered her body too.

I bet most of the alpha princes would swoon over her and bid for her.

And here I was looking so unkempt and unattractive. Who would want to bid for me?

I had begged Mom so much to at least lend me some money to buy clothes but she had refused strongly. Dad too had not been of help.

It was as if they wanted me to continue living with them so I could continue with the housegirl duties.

Where was Zidelle by the way? The auction would soon kick off and she wasn't here yet. She's probably taking her time to make her face up.

I had barely finished with my thoughts when someone roughly pushed me aside.

Speak of the devil! I said in my head and flashed her a hard stare.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is finally over. The bidding starts now!" The auctioneer's voice sliced through my body as I took a quick, calming breath.

"Items A, B, and C are going for $500, 000 and above. You can now start your bidding."

"One million dollars for item A!" An alpha prince who sat in a corner said as he raised his bidding cat.

Item A was, of course, Giselle. She was the most beautiful among the three of us, so that was expected.

I swallowed hard in my throat as several other alpha princes raised their cards to bid for both Giselle and Zidelle.

I could only watch in panic as my whole body trembled.

Even if it was going to be the lowest bid, I just needed someone to bid for me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and muttered a word of prayer to the moon goddess.

"Item A going for twenty million dollars! Going once......going twice. Sold!"

The hall erupted with an ovation as Giselle was being taken away by a very handsome alpha prince.

I still kept praying in my heart.

"Item B going for fifteen million dollars! Going once......going twice. Sold!" A wave of ovation filled the hall once again.

"No one has bid for item C at all, so I'll start the bidding low. Item C shall now be going for $200, 000." the auctioneer said in a booming voice.

The hall fell silent and no one raised their hands. My fears were finally coming true.

Does that mean I will be stuck with my evil family forever? No way!

I adjusted the sleeve of my dress and plastered a vibrant smile on my face, looking into the eyes of each of the bidders.

Most of them threw me disgusted glances but I was past caring.

"Does anyone want to bid this, uhm--," the auctioneer glanced up and down my dress. "Lovely young lady? Anybody?"

He cleared his throat awkwardly as the hall still trained silent. "All right. I think we have come to the end of the auction. Item C would be returned to----"

"A hundred million dollars!" A deep baritone voice sliced through the hall.

The crowd fell into commotion as everyone turned to look at the speaker.

The loud thudding of his footsteps cut across the hall as he strode to the center of the hall elegantly.

The stranger was remarkably tall and he had a mask on, which made him look so cold and brutal.

He was dressed in a navy blue finely tailored suit that screamed of enormous wealth.

The suit clung to his body, revealing his strongly built chest.

Apart from the mask aspect, he looked like the very carbon copy of a Greek god.

The way he carried himself showed that he wasn't an ordinary person. He wasn't someone to be toyed with.

I swallowed hard in my throat.

Who was this stranger and why had he bid such a crazy amount of money on me?

"Uhm-sir, you want to bid for item C at a hundred million dollars?" The auctioneer quizzed in a voice that sounded nothing like his normal voice.

Shock mixed with astonishment had everyone gaping widely at the stranger.

He threw a casual glance at me and then faced the auctioneer.

"Yes. I want to bid a hundred million dollars on item C." He said and gave him his card before walking out.

"Done!" The auctioneer said almost before the masked man finished speaking.

He couldn't hide his excitement.

Was it the moon goddess that answered my prayers? I couldn't help but wonder. Or was there another reason behind his bidding for me?

"You can now go to your bidder!" The auctioneer said to me.

I slowly made my way down the podium, and then outside. My legs suddenly felt too heavy to lift. Finally, I got to where he was standing.

I opened my mouth to greet him, then closed it back when I felt his dark gaze on me.

Beneath his golden mask, he trained his dark blue eyes on me, and a slight chill rippled through. In all my life, I had never encountered a colder gaze.

The masked stranger had to be a very dangerous man. I reckoned. In more ways than one.

I could only nod my head, not daring to look into his steely masked face.

His gaze raked all over my body, but I couldn't see his face well, though I felt like I noticed a raw disgust seeping from his eyes.

"Not bad," he said coldly and my throat suddenly went dry.

He placed two hands like steel on my shoulders as he peered down at my face through his mask.

The moment his hands touched my shoulders, the chill inside me deepened. Something was unsettling about the way my heart was fluttering.

Maybe not my heart.

Yes! It was my wolf. My wildness was slowly struggling to work its way up. It was trying to take over my mind and body.

I couldn't possibly shift right outside.

What was going on?

I struggled to maintain a conserved expression, meanwhile, I was battling with my wolf inside.

That was when I realized I was not shifting. It was leaping in----- what?

Excitement? Fear?

My bidder is my mate!!!