Chapter 13. Sex slave or breeding stock.

**Shawn's POV**

I’ve heard enough.

I drag a hand over my face, exhaling hard. Of all the shit I dealt with tonight, of course it has to come to this...

I hate taking my shirt off in front of crowds... I hate the eyes, the gawking, and the way people stare like they’re entitled to look at me. But leaving her half-naked on a stage full of sex starved rogues isn’t an option.

With a low curse, I grab the hem of my shirt and yank it over my head in one rough motion.

The room reacts instantly. Female wolves inhale like I put on a show just for them. I ignore it. I always do. Attention is a weakness, and I don’t give a shit about being looked at.

I toss the shirt onto the stage. “Put it on.”

She hesitates, fingers trembling as she reaches for it.

When she lifts her head just for a second, her eyes flick over my chest and my tattoos that disappear into my pants.... Her breath stutters and she jerks her gaze away, cheeks going red.

I scowl. Great. Exactly why I hate exposing myself.

“Get dressed,” I snap.

She scrambles to obey. She pulls my shirt over her head. It swallows her—sleeves past her hands, hem to mid-thigh.

That's good enough coverage.

"Mr. Black!" The auctioneer materializes at my elbow, practically vibrating. "Sir, if you'll follow me to complete the transaction. We have private accommodations for valued clients like you—"

"Lead the way."

I don't look back at the girl, but I hear her stumble to her feet and follow me because obviously she doesn't have a choice....

A few minutes later, we reach an office that reeks of cheap cigars and cheaper cologne.

The rogue boss I'm secretly investigating sits behind an oversized desk—mid-fifties, scarred face, missing part of his left ear. He stands when we enter, and I smell his fear immediately.

"Shawn Black." He tries to smile but it doesn't reach his eyes. "This is... unexpected. We don't usually see someone of your reputation at our events. Please take a seat?" He gestures to the chair facing him.

But I don't sit and the omega hovers near the door like a scared animal.

"I'm not here to waste both of our time. I'm here to pay for her," I say flatly gesturing my head towards the omega. "Let's finish this."

"Of course, of course." But he's studying me too carefully. " Can I offer you something? Whiskey? We have excellent—"

"No."

The smile falters. "Right. Well." He leans back in his chair, fingers steepled. "Ten million dollars you bid... Isn't that an unprecedented amount. In five years of running this operation, I've never seen anyone pay that much for—" He glances at the girl with a sour expression. "—for an Omega that looks like isn't a virgin."

Anger floors through me because he is disrespecting my purchase... But I keep an emotionless face just like Marcus taught me.

"What makes her so valuable?" he asks, his tone too casual. "Is she from a powerful bloodline? Does she have special abilities? Because if there's something I should know—"

"The sale is done," I interrupt. "Transfer the account information. I'm running late."

"Of course, of course. But you understand my curiosity. Ten million suggests she's worth considerably more than—"

I take one step forward and he immediately stops talking.

"Are you," I say quietly, "trying to back out of the sale with me?"

"No! I would never—"

"Because it sounds like you're questioning whether you charged enough. Like maybe you want to renegotiate."

"I'm simply making conversation—"

"Here's some conversation." I lean forward, hands flat on his desk. "You're running an unauthorized trafficking operation in Victor Ace's territory. You think he doesn't know? He knows everything. He tolerates you because you're small. Insignificant. Not worth the effort to shut down."

The rogue boss has gone white.

"But if you give me a reason—any reason—to make a phone call?" I straighten. "Victor will send a team. They'll burn this place to the ground with everyone inside. And I'll volunteer to light the match."

"Oh, no Mr Black, I'm not interjecting to your purchase." The rogue boss stutters with a fake smile.

The girl makes a small sound near the door. I don't look at her.

"So here's what's going to happen," I continue. "You're going to give me the account information. I'm going to transfer the money. And then I'm going to walk out of here with what I paid for. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear," the boss manages, his hands shaking as he grabs his tablet. "Account information coming right up."

He rattles off a series of numbers. I pull out my phone and transfer ten million from my personal account.

A few seconds later, his tablet chimes. "Transfer confirmed," the rogue boss says, relief flooding his face. "She's yours. Pleasure doing business with you."

"Yeah, right," I turn toward the door to walk out but the omega stops me

"Wait," she says. "What just—what does that mean?"

"It means I own you." I open the door. "Now let's go."

"But why? What are you going to—"

"Not here."

"But I need to know—"

"Walk. Now."

Something in my voice makes her move.

She follows me into the hallway, and I can hear her breathing fast and shallow like she is on the edge of panic.

"Why did you buy me for all that money?" she asks, her voice shaking. "What do you want from me?"

I don't answer because she doesn't need to know the reason why just yet. So I keep walking.

“Please,” she presses, voice shaking, “am I going to be a— a sex slave? Breeding stock? or—”

“Shut up.” My frustration spikes.

“I can’t! You just spent ten million dollars on me. I need to understand my purpose—”

“You don’t need to understand anything. You just need to stay alive.” I shove open the exit door, and cold night air comes rushing in.

She shivers and hesitates. “What does that mean?”

“It means shut up and get in the—”

And before I can finish my sentence, she runs off straight into the trees.

I swear under my breath.

Ten million dollars plus my shirt…

and she bolts like a damn rabbit.

Great, just fucking great!