The Auction
920 Words
Aria’s POV
I was wearing a price tag. Every time a silver fork hit a china plate, it sounded like a gavel, and every time the man from the North looked at my throat, I could feel an invisible collar tightening. I wasn't the guest of honor. I was the main course.
The dining room, usually a place of cold elegance, now felt like a cage. The Grand Luna sat at the head of the table, looking radiant and deadly in a deep emerald gown. To her right sat the North Buyer, a man named Silas who had eyes like stagnant pond water. He hadn't touched his steak.
He had spent the last twenty minutes dissecting me with his gaze instead.
Noah and Cassian sat opposite each other, two statues of pure rage. Noah’s knuckles were white as he gripped his wine glass, while Cassian kept his eyes fixed on Silas, his jaw tight enough to snap bone.
"The Mark is exceptionally clear for this time of the month," the Grand Luna remarked, her voice smooth as silk. She took a dainty sip of her wine. "It shows her vitality. Her value as a breeder for your lineage in the North is... unparalleled."
I felt my stomach roll. Breeder. The word felt like a slap.
Silas leaned forward, his chair creaking. "It’s hard to tell from this distance. The lighting in here is a bit theatrical, don't you think?" He gestured toward me with a ring-covered hand. "Aria, stand up. Turn around. I want to see how the Mark looks against the light."
I froze. The fork in my hand felt ten times heavier. I didn't move. I didn't even breathe. I looked at the Grand Luna, hoping for a shred of the humanity and loyalty she preached about, but her face was a mask of cold stone.
"You heard him, Aria," the Grand Luna said, her voice dropping an octave. "Stand up. Don't be difficult."
"I'm not a statue," I whispered, my voice shaking with a mix of fear and a sudden, hot spark of anger. "I’m not doing that."
The silence that followed was suffocating. The Grand Luna’s eyes narrowed into slits. She slammed her hand onto the table, making the crystal glasses dance. "Aria! Stand up and do as you are told! You will not embarrass this house in front of our guests!"
I flinched, my heart hammering against my ribs, but before I could even think about moving, a deafening thud shook the entire room.
Noah had slammed his fist onto the table with enough force to crack the wood. He stood up, his massive frame looming over the table, his Alpha aura flaring so violently that the candles flickered and died.
"She will do no such thing," Noah roared, his voice a low, terrifying growl that made the North Buyer recoil. "Aria is not a piece of livestock for you to display, and she is sure as hell not 'merchandise.'"
"Noah, sit down," the Grand Luna hissed, though even she looked a bit shaken by the sheer volume of his fury.
"No," Noah stepped around the table, his eyes glowing a predatory amber. He looked directly at Silas, and the air in the room grew heavy and cold. "If you ask her to move one more time, or if you even look at her the wrong way again, this dinner isn't going to end with a contract. It’s going to end in a bloodbath. Do I make myself clear?"
Cassian stood up then, too, his hand resting on the back of his chair, ready to move. The two brothers stood like twin pillars of shadow, effectively shielding me from the rest of the world.
The North Buyer held up his hands, a nervous, oily smile spreading across his face as he tried to diffuse the bomb. "Easy, Alpha. No need for that. I’ve seen enough. She’s... impressive. Truly. Let’s just enjoy the meal, shall we?"
I sank back into my chair, my legs feeling like lead. Noah didn't sit back down immediately. He stood there for a long moment, his chest heaving, his gaze still fixed on Silas like a wolf waiting for the right moment to strike.
Just as the tension began to settle, the double doors of the dining room creaked open.
Elena stood there, her hair disheveled and her silk slip-dress wrinkled, looking like a ghost that had escaped its grave. She looked at the Grand Luna, then at the North Buyer, her eyes wide and wild.
"You can't sell her," Elena rasped, her voice cracking. "Because if you do, I’ll tell them what Julian really told me before he died. I'll tell them the truth about why the Mark is actually here.”
“Excuse me,” Silas growled from his seat. He looked around before his eyes settled back at the Grand Luna. “Who is that?"
"She's a maid.” Cassian replied before anyone could stop him. The Grand Luna furrowed her brows and stared at her son with much distaste.”
"Nonsense," she turned to Silas now. “That is Cassian's fiancé, she carries his heir."
“Wow, but why does she look like that, you don't take care of your mate, Cassian.”
As the words came out from Sila's lips, I knew it was only a matter of time before Cassian lost it completely.
- Writer
