All Chapters of BOUGHT BY THE BEAST: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

The champagne was expensive. The dress was borrowed. And I was about to be sold to the highest bidder."Lot seventeen," the auctioneer's voice boomed through the underground hall. "Rielle Morven. Twenty-three years old. Unmated. Bloodline verified."My stomach twisted as a spotlight hit me, turning my skin to porcelain under the harsh glare. Around me, the darkness breathed with wealth and power — alphas and nobles gathered in the shadows, their eyes gleaming as they assessed the merchandise.Me.I forced myself to stand straighter in the ridiculously revealing black dress they'd poured me into. The fabric clung to every curve, barely covering what mattered. They wanted us to look desperate. Available. Fuckable.And I was desperate. Just not for the reasons they thought."Bidding starts at fifty thousand," the auctioneer continued.A paddle raised in the back. Then another.I scanned the crowd, searching for the one face that mattered. The one alpha who'd promised he'd be here. Who'd

The garage was a wet dream for car enthusiasts.Ferraris. Lamborghinis. A matte black Bugatti that probably cost more than a small country. And in the center, a motorcycle that looked like it belonged in a Mad Max film — all chrome and aggression.Caspian headed straight for it."No fucking way," I said. "I'm not getting on that thing in a dress—"He tossed me a leather jacket from a nearby hook. "Put this on. And these."A pair of leather pants followed, along with boots that looked expensive and broken in."Whose are these?""Does it matter?" His tone suggested I shouldn't ask again.I changed quickly, hyper-aware of his eyes on me the entire time. The leather fit perfectly—too perfectly. Like it had been made for me."Whose clothes are these, Caspian?""No one's. Not anymore." He swung his leg over the bike. "Now get on before I leave you here and handle this alone.""You can't just—""I can do whatever I want. You'll learn that." He revved the engine. "Last chance, Rielle. Get on

The silence was worse than the noise.I sat on the edge of the bed, my legs still shaking from the venom coursing through my system, and listened to nothing. The soundproofing was too good. I couldn't hear gunshots or fighting or screaming.Couldn't hear if Caspian was winning.Or dying.The bond pulsed in my chest — a living connection that felt like a second heartbeat. His emotions bled through. Rage. Focus. The cold calculation of violence being executed with precision.He was alive.For now.I tried to stand again, managed three steps before my knees buckled. The venom was still rewriting me, and every nerve ending felt raw and exposed. Even the air against my skin was almost too much sensation.I needed clothes. Needed to be ready to move if — when — Caspian came back.The weapons cache had extra gear. I pulled on tactical pants that were too big, a shirt that hung off one shoulder, boots I had to tie tight to keep from sliding off. Everything smelled like gun oil and violence.N

Getting ready to hunt people who wanted us dead turned out to involve a lot more weapons than I expected.David arrived an hour later with a duffel bag that looked like it could arm a small militia. He dumped it on the kitchen table and started pulling out guns, knives, and things I didn't even have names for."This is excessive," I said, staring at what looked like a small grenade."This is Tuesday." David started checking magazines with practiced efficiency. "Caspian attracts trouble like shit attracts flies. Better to be overprepared.""Romantic," Caspian said dryly, strapping a knife to his thigh. "Really painting a beautiful picture of my life here.""Your life is beautiful. Violent, but beautiful." David tossed me a handgun. "You know how to use that?"I caught it awkwardly. "Not really.""Safety's here. Point at what you want dead. Pull trigger. Try not to shoot Caspian or me." He went back to organizing weapons. "Pretty simple.""She's not shooting anyone," Caspian said."The