Silent Rejection

His face was a calm, emotionless mask. Her chest tightens as the crowd parts to let him through, and he strides toward the stage, his gaze sweeping over the cages without even a flicker of recognition in her direction

The man auctioneer flashed a well-practiced smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes, as he greeted her mate—no, not her mate, Claire corrected herself bitterly, but the heartless man who had chosen to turn his back on their bond. The highest bidder tonight, with no concern for the lives he was toying with.

“Ah, Mr. Tyson,” the man in red announced grandly, his voice echoing through the grand hall. “It’s a pleasure to have you as our highest bidder.”

Claire’s heart twisted as she watched the two men exchange a nod of mutual understanding. She fought to keep her face emotionless, though inside, she was screaming. 

Tyson knew of the bond. He had to have felt the pull between them, that instinctive connection meant to link them as mates. But instead of answering it, he looked right through her, like she was no one, nothing. 

Good, she told herself bitterly, fighting back the sting of tears. She would’ve screamed her own rejection of him if her mouth wasn’t tied shut. She didn’t want a mate like this—a man capable of standing in an auction hall, openly trading in the lives of omegas. She’d rather spend eternity alone than be bound to someone who saw people as possessions.

But the man in red continued his introductions, rattling off names and descriptions as he moved from cage to cage, until he finally stopped in front of hers.

“And here,” he said, “we have Claire.”

She felt herself stiffen. How did they know her name? She hadn’t told these monsters who she was. Her gaze snapped to Tyson, searching his expression for some hint that he had recognize her for more than just an omega up for auction. But his face remained blank, impassive, as though she was a stranger to him.

But he knew. She could feel it in the way he glanced at her, a flicker of something unreadable in his dark eyes. Yet, just as quickly, his gaze moved on, devoid of warmth or acknowledgment. He knew of the bond….they both did. And it meant absolutely nothing to him.

Claire swallowed hard, a wave of anger and heartbreak surging through her. She glared at him, every ounce of defiance she could summon burning in her eyes, letting him know just what she thought of him and his silent rejection.

A faint smirk played at the corner of Tyson’s mouth, as if her defiance amused him, and she felt a flash of rage so strong she could barely breathe. He didn’t just reject her; he dismissed her. She was simply one more omega in a cage to him, nothing more.

The man in red, sensing the tension but misunderstanding its source, quickly moved on, turning to Tyson with a smile.

“So, Mr. Tyson, which omega will you be taking home tonight?” he asked his voice dripping with pride.

Claire’s heart pounded, a horrible sense of anticipation filling her. She wanted to look away, to shut her eyes against the horror of what was unfolding, but she couldn’t. She had to know, would he even hesitate? 

Would he choose her, not as a mate, but as a possession? The thought made her stomach turn, but she held her gaze steady, refusing to let him see her fear.

Tyson glanced her way, and for one terrible moment, she thought he might choose her, not out of affection, but out of some twisted desire to assert his control, to show her just how little she mattered to him.

But then, just as quickly, his gaze shifted, sweeping over the other cages with that same, cool indifference.

And in that moment, Claire felt something inside her harden, a resolve she hadn’t known she possessed. If he rejected their bond, if he dismissed her so easily, then she would reject him, too.

“Who is it going to be Mr Tyson?”

__

The crowd in the auction hall hushed in anticipation, every eye watching as Mr. Tyson made his choice. 

Claire’s own heart beat so loud, she was sure everyone around her could hear it, the sound thundering in her ears. Her mind raced, flipping between emotions she couldn’t contain or comprehend.

I don’t care. she repeated to herself, trying to force conviction into the words. She didn’t want him to choose her. She didn’t want to be claimed by someone who could look at her so coldly, so dispassionately. 

But her heart betrayed her, clinging to a sliver of hope….a tiny, irrational part of her that believed he might still save her, take her out of this horrid place and give her the safety she desperately craved.

Maybe there’s an explanation. she told herself. Maybe he didn’t really mean to be here, maybe there’s something else behind his cold facade..

 Even after everything, her body still responded to the bond, her heart still foolishly holding on to the idea that he was meant to be her protector, her other half.

The man in red turned to him, an expectant look on his face, the silence in the room stretching unbearably.

"So, Mr. Tyson," he said, a slight edge of impatience creeping into his polished tone. "Which one will it be?"

Claire held her breath, unable to tear her gaze away. She felt a strange mixture of dread and desperate hope—a twisted contradiction that was tearing her apart. 

Part of her wanted him to walk away, to let her know for certain that he wasn’t the man she had dreamed her mate would be. But another part of her, that raw, vulnerable part that couldn’t let go, wanted him to choose her, to prove he cared, even just a little.

The seconds ticked by slowly as his gaze flicked across the line of caged omegas, his face blank and unreadable. And then, finally, he spoke.

"I’ll go with the one in red."

Claire’s heart stopped, and for one wild, stupid moment, she dared to believe it was her. Her heart leapt in her chest, hope flooding her veins. She looked down at herself, at the fabric of her worn dress, only to remember that it wasn’t red at all—it was blue. 

*Blue.* She was wearing blue.

The realization hit her like a physical blow, the air knocked from her lungs as she processed it. He hadn’t chosen her. He wasn’t saving her. 

Slowly, she lifted her gaze, and for a brief, agonizing moment, their eyes met. His expression was indifferent, almost bored.

There was no flicker of recognition, no acknowledgment of the bond that had tied their fates together.

The man in red moved on, gesturing toward another omega. As he began introducing the next in line, Claire forced herself to look away from Tyson.

He didn’t choose me, she repeated, the words echoing hollowly in her mind. He didn’t choose me.

She felt a tear slip down her cheek, and then another, her vision blurring as she struggled to hold back the wave of anguish crashing through her. 

Claire dug her nails into her palms, the pain grounding her.

It was a bitter comfort, a way to remind herself that she was still here, that she could still feel. She would survive this, somehow. She had to.

But deep down, the rejection tore at her, stripping away every illusion she had ever held about mates, about destiny, about finding someone who would love her unconditionally. This was her mate—the one person the universe had promised her—and he had looked right through her, choosing another without a second thought.

“Prepare her for the winning bidder,” the man in red barked to a guard standing nearby, jolting Claire out of her thoughts.

She was being sold. Even if Tyson hadn’t chosen her, someone else did.

She felt sick, the reality of her situation sinking in with a new, cold clarity. She had no control, no power here. In this place, she was nothing but an object, a possession to be bought and owned.

The guard unlocked her cage, reaching in to grab her arm roughly. She stumbled forward, her legs weak beneath her as he dragged her toward the main stage, where her fate would be sealed. She cast one last look back, hoping…despite herself, that Tyson would at least glance her way, some hint of acknowledgment in his eyes.

But he was already turning away, talking to someone else, his back to her as though she didn’t exist.

The betrayal cut through her even deeper and she realized with a painful clarity that whatever hope she was still clicking was truly gone.

This was really it….The end…