CHAPTER 4. Claimed by the mortuary attendant.

The stench of decayed smell suddenly hit my nostrils. It was just so much to ignore. As I tried to open my eyes, I felt a direct sharp pain directly at the back of my head. 

Just then, the dawn of realization hit me.

"Where am I?" I mumbled in weakness. 

As I opened my eyes, I saw masked men with swords, standing in front of me. With the sense of urgency bubbling up inside of me, I realized that I was bounded in chains. 

"She's awake..." One of the guards whispered to the other, and they immediately walked out of the room, leaving me all to my own ocean of thoughts. 

How did I get here?

Who were they?

Where was I?

Looking through the entire room, I realized that it was more like a warehouse, which was built with similar patterns. The room was painted all black, with ancient inscriptions drawn on the walls. 

Thanks to the light from the hallway, if not, I'd have been in total darkness. 

Just then, I heard some thick footsteps walking towards my direction, and without giving me any time to process what was happening, they lifted me up, and placed me on their shoulders like a piece of luggage.

They were about eight masked men. 

"Let me go!" I cried in sheer horror, as I watched these strange men carry me to an unknown destination. Just as we got to the hallway, I was immediately blindfolded with a black sack, and I passed out.

*****

"Is she werewolf?" A female voice asked. 

"A hybrid, I think..." The man with the thick baritone voice responded. "However, we need to run a test on the lab to confirm." 

They paused for a while. 

Subconsciously, I could hear their conversations. As I opened my eyes, I noticed that I was in a well lit up room, which screamed absolute luxury. Immediately, I closed back my eyes in pretence. 

"Do you think she shall bring the boss great profit?" The man asked.

"I perceive an unfamiliar scent from her. I doubt she's a full wolf." 

With that, the entire room fell silent, and just as I opened my eyes in inquisitiveness to know what might've happened, I met their evil gazes staring deeply into my soul.

"Take her away... Now!" The female commanded him, and just as he walked towards my direction, I fell back asleep.

As he dragged me into the room, I could hear the weak growls of exhausted wolves, tired witches, vampires, dragons and other supernatural beings, which had been caged and subdued by this evil entity. 

"No... No... Don't push me into this place..." I cried out in confusion. 

Alas, he pushed me inside, and locked the gates.

Now, I had to deal with the violent radiation from the witch standing at my left hand side. 

Suddenly, the gates to our prison was forcefully opened, and the soldiers began to troop in in numbers, dragging each of us out.

THE AUCTION CENTER.

The journey to the auction center was brief and quite short. I got to know about where we were heading to from the conversations of the soldiers. 

As we got to the center, I realized that even though it was luxurious, its walls had similar inscriptions to the first underground prison that I had been kidnapped at.

Like prisoners, we were all pushed out of the van, as the dragged us into the auction center. As we walked into the venue, the deep feeling of tension and uncertainty hit me like an iceberg. 

I realized that I was about to be sold in a strange land. 

Maybe, it was the destiny which the moon goddess had designed for me. 

The hall was filled to the brim with alphas and pack leaders of the highest caliber. I felt disgusted with the way they stared at us like perverts. 

"The one on cotton linen!" The voice of an alpha sitting at the middle row echoed through the hall, as he pointed at me.

"You can't have me. I'm not a merchandise." I yelled back at him, but I was silenced with a grave punch to my mouth. 

I fell on my stomach, as the smell of blood hit my nostrils. I remained that way in tears, as I wondered what I had done wrong to deserve this kind of life.

"We all know why we are here..." The voice of the MC, began. "These goods are the best you've ever seen. As part of our diversity campaign, we brought diverse beings for you to choose from. Lupines, hybrids, werewolves, witches, vampires... Just name it..."

The energy in the hall disgusted me. I felt sad that I had to go through all of this. If not for Shane's ruthless rejection, I wouldn't have been paraded here, as an incomplete wolf. 

"Officially, I declare this auction open!" The MC announced, and those shameless men cheered in excitement. "So, we'd start from this one." He pointed at me, and some guards proceeded to drag me to the front. 

Even as I hesitated, it was all in vain, as they were just too powerful for me to contend with. 

"Leave me alone..." I fought in weakness, as I spat on the face of the guard. 

In anger, he raised his right hand to strike me with a punch.

"Don't!" The MC commanded him.

"She..." He pointed towards my direction. "She's a virgin hybrid, who holds the key to the sacred. She is also the last remaining lupine of her kind. Claiming her as yours guarantees beautiful offsprings, accessing the magical, and a free showcase of endless magic..."

Before he could even finish speaking, the men were already bidding. 

"Twenty million dollars!"

"Thirty million dollars!"

"Forty two million dollars!"

More and more kept coming, until something strange happened. 

A mysterious Alpha who was dressed in complete mortuary attendant with white bloodstained gloves on his hands, walked into the venue. 

Immediately he stepped in, the atmosphere changed. The room was engulfed with silence, and I felt an instant connection. 

"Five virgin werewolf souls, a hybrid witch's extracted human heart, and two caged vampire souls!" 

I gasped in shock. 

Who was he?

"Yes... Yes... Alright, master..." The MC stuttered in fear. "You can have her..." He bowed his head towards this strange man. 

With my blurry vision, I couldn't help but stare in shock. 

"Sold to Alpha Kieran Candle Funeral." He announced, and I gasped. 

Who was this strange man?