Sold as a sex slave

When the carriage stopped, I heard the murmuring of a crowd. Footmen in dark fur cloaks opened the door. I was eyeing them suspiciously before I concluded that they must be low-rank wolves. Humans would not be footmen here.

"Remember your part, Sylvia," Lady Irish hissed, grabbing my arm just before I stepped out. "Keep your head down. Do not look around. Rouph is already inside waiting for you after."

Mira stepped out first, basking in the attention. She was stunning, designed perfectly to appeal to the court. Jessa followed.

I stepped out last, in Kael's torn dress, veiled, invisible.

I stepped out last. The air immediately felt different. It was most likely the aura of many high ranking wolves gathered in one place. It was overwhelming. It felt like standing too close to a pack of predators  heavy, musky, powerful. My family looked unbothered by the atmosphere. They were probably already used to it.

We were immediately ushered inside. The ballroom was enormous, easily the size of two football fields. Looks like people here love to go above and beyond what should be considered the norm. The ceiling seemed miles high, supported by gigantic columns carved with wolves and moons, symbols I didn't recognize. Instead of cheerful music like I would expect from a party, a slow, dark, drum like melody played. It was somehow both grand and unsettling.

Hundreds of people were already there. Most were wolves and they were easy to tell apart in the crowd. They were tall, sharply dressed, and inhumanly graceful. They moved with a slow, deliberate confidence that screamed authority. Their eyes were their most disturbing feature. They weren't red. They had a gold or amber intensity that made them look lethal, like a beast about to hunt. I would not want those eyes focused on me at all.

And in the far corner, separate, silent, heads down in grey veils  the witches. Not many. Maybe twenty girls. No one stood near them. No one talked to them. They were just required to attend.

The human women were gathered in a specific section, dressed in their finest gowns and whispering nervously. I couldn't imagine what they were saying among themselves. Tips on how to catch the Wolf King's eye... or at least a high noble wolf lord's eye?

They were the ones who were eligible for the Lord's selection. Mira immediately detached herself from us and went towards them, charming a small group, exactly as expected.

I stood behind Lady Irish, keeping my head bowed and the thick veil hiding my face. I looked exactly like what I was supposed to be. An unwanted, insignificant shadow.

My focus was on observing the hierarchy. I noticed that the humans wore bright colors, trying to attract attention. The wolves however, wore deep scarlets, blacks, and silvers. They didn't need color to demand notice.

The witches were enchanting, very beautiful, even in their plain grey veils. Some human girls threw jealous glances at them once in a while  because even quiet, the witches were stunning.

"That's Lord Rouph," Jessa whispered behind me.

I looked toward the direction she pointed and she smiled wickedly and walked away to join the other girls.

There stood a man in his early 40s,

He was huge. Not tall like the young wolve, thick. His shoulders were broad, his belly straining his dark coat, his beard half grey. His eyes were dull amber,  He looked... hungry. And when his eyes scanned the room and landed on my black veil, he licked his lips.

I shivered as girls fluttered around him, laughing too loud, touching his arm.

He wasn't looking at them. He was looking at me. At his property. At what he had already paid for.