The Lycan's Desire

Episode 002

She was reminded of all that she had lost when metal touched her skin. The world around Althea was whirling, and she could hardly keep her eyes open. The black blood of her own, oozing into her dress, was drawing her nearer to the ground, but there was something at the same time deeper, darker, pushing up at her, that was inside.

It is not the way it was meant to be. Carlos Lupin, so he now named himself. She hadn't seen that coming. Not in a thousand years. The man on whom she had relied, the man who had called her mate, had proved to be that very monster which was now drawing her down to the depths.

She was not only sold as an enslaved person, but stripped of her dignity, stripped of everything that she had labored for. How had he done it? Betray her so easily? The thing he had said "End her and burn the body"-- recurred and recurred in her mind, and with every recurrence the words were hacked deeper into her.

A cold voice jolted her out of her trance, and a rough pawed hand caught her roughly by the arm.

End her, burn the body, and forget this ever occurred--that is what one of the guards said, and he shivered as he spoke, with an emotionless voice.

It seemed nearly as though they were supposed to have done so. Like a toy to be thrown away. She was nauseous; her stomach was knotting up and causing pains.

The other sentry snickered, and his voice was full of venom. We rarely have the opportunity to kill a highborn, especially one like you. It'll be a pleasure, for sure." He licked his lips in nauseating anticipation, and Althea could not prevent the shudder that shook her.

The breaths were short and shallow with tears clouding her eyes. She was hardly able to keep her eyes open. The gash in her stomach ached, and her body was closing. She would have liked to fight, but she knew she was losing strength.

Then, when she felt that she could not bear it any longer, the same guard, but more mild in voice, uttered again, contempt in his voice.

But today is no day to do that.

Althea screamed in her mind that she needed to be made clear. She tried to understand the words, but they seemed so far away. Was she going to die? Or could there be anything more?

The second guard came forward with his face set in a smirk. "You've got a pretty face. Pretty eyes, lips... You might do well, he thought, and his eyes were roving over her helpless body. "Men would pay a lot for you."

The breath of Althea came in her breast. The realization set in and hit her like a ton of bricks. They weren't going to kill her. They were going to sell her.

No, no, "Please, don't."

She wanted to get out of this nightmare; the scream of her mind demanded escape. All of it had been so murky: the pain, the betrayal, the utter helplessness of it all. Her wolf, Lily, was silent, completely silent. She was fast losing her attachment to her pack, to her wolf. There was no one to help her.

The vial in the hand of the first guard glowed in the light. This will bring the bleeding to rest, and you will fall asleep. You'll be useless to anybody when you are dead," he told me, nearly apologetically. He poured the liquid into the wound, and Althea shuddered at the spread of its burn all through her body. It did not quite numb her, but it began to slow the bleeding.

Then the second sentry brought another vial to her mouth, and she drank the nasty stuff. It had the flavor of ashes and iron and singed her throat.

All the things began to melt away as darkness consumed her entire being.

When Althea opened her eyes, the first thing that she heard was the clink of glasses, the chatter of men and women, and the stinging, overwhelming odor of perfume. The world swam, and she blinked a few times trying to accustom her eyes to the light above her.

The voice continued. Hello, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. This is the auction of the day.

Her heart skipped a beat. Auction? Where was she? What was going on?

Her head turned, and she looked up at the glaring sun above with a sputter. She began to take in her surroundings, and a sinking sensation in her chest told her she was being shown off. She was still chained to a metal chair with her wrists, and a crowd of people were present around her, and they were all staring at her like predators staring at their prey.

She could barely move. Her body was heavy, her head swam, but the worst of all was the eyes looking into hers. They're hungry, the lustful lust in them--was she sold? So this was the life she was now to live? Was this her fate?

It was called out again, with greater volume, and Althea shuddered.

It is my delight to see you all here at present, at our auction, and we present to you... The first daughter of the late Alpha Thane.

Her blood ran cold.

An auction. She was not expected here, in this hell-hole, on display like an ordinary object. She was the daughter of Alpha Thane and was to be Luna of the Ravenwood Pack.

Her heart was racing, and her breathing was shallow as the reality of the situation was sinking in. This wasn't real. This couldn't be happening. Cried she, despairing, in a hoarse voice.

Her thoughts flashed to Lila. Was she safe? Was it to her, too, that Carlos--Carlos Lupin--had done this? Or was she somewhere out there still hoping her sister had returned?

She fought against the chains, and her body resisted her restraints. "Let me go!" she spat, and in her voice, anger shook. "You bastard! Let me go, or I'll--"

One of the men in the audience laughed in a dark, almost mocking way. "End me? Oh, even the agony in her head was less than the humiliation.

His eyes were bright with a warped contentment. "Your father is dead. You're no one now, an exiled wolf, a traitor. You are left to fend for yourself. Your pack has turned its back on you. You are now nothing but a property to be sold off.

The words of Althea penetrated her like a sword. Traitor? She had never betrayed anybody. She was always able to support the pack, her father. This was a lie. She could never turn her own.

She stared at the man and her heart beat in her chest. "That's not true!" she spat, and her voice shook with anger. "I'm not a traitor!" The charge was a blow to her face, one that made her choke.

The man was ignoring her, as though he did not want to hear what she had to say. The pack made up its mind, he said coldly. "You're nothing now. You are meat, and can be bought by the best offer.

Her eyes were full of hot tears, but she would not allow them to drop. She would not give them the satisfaction.

This is an award-winning auction night. And here we have a daughter of the late Alpha Thane, Althea Mirasol.

Althea's mind spun. This was a nightmare. This was not real.

Five million," cried the host to the people, and some hands went up.

Her stomach turned in horror. This was really happening. She was being auctioned off and selling her dignity, selling her life, and selling all of it.

Six million," some other person called, and the bidding combat commenced.

And the figures continued to increase, until Althea was shrinking, becoming smaller and weaker. What had happened to her to become the future Luna?

Again, the voice of the host broke through the air. Six and a half million, he called, and his voice was gleeful. Another bidder, adding to the previous one, added seven million.

But it didn't stop there.

"Thirty million!" A voice bellowed through the other side of the room.

Althea's heart skipped a beat. She turned her head across the room to look at an older man standing erect with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. The realization struck her down like a freight train.

She was sold.

But to whom?