Courting death
791 Words
ATHENA
Was I courting death? Yes! But was it worth it? I just hoped I lived to find out.
Cold sipped through my palm as I gripped the dancing pole at the middle of the stage. Shame and caution were no longer in the equation. I threw them to the wind the moment I agreed to Alpha Falcon's request.
I tightened my hold on the pole and made a confident swirl while scanning the crowd in search of him. Numerous eyes were on me. Hungry and lustful eyes, but I didn't care. I had a mission.
When my eyes landed on him, I gulped subconsciously.
The infamous Lycan king, Vladimir. A man who could behead someone for staring too long. Yet, here I stood, at the pack's annual auction, not to purchase an item, but as one of the items on display. A carefully groomed bait, just for him.
He sat at the front row, looking unimpressed as he nursed a glass of wine in his hand. The man doesn't age at all, he still looked so fit with an eye-patch on his left eye that gave him an even sharper edge.
For a split second, my palm got sweaty at the sight of his dark eye, but I found myself moving to the rhythm of the music with calculated steps.
No rush, just one step at a time, moving my waist and swaying my hips with the pole as my anchor. The music was slow and sensual, the right beat to get my spirits high.
At this point, I was glad I listened to Scarlet and took her lessons.
In one swift movement, I locked my legs around the pole and the skimpy dress bunched up, putting my round ass on display. I felt the cold from the metal on my naked thigh as I slid back to the base.
Now at the base, my exposed butt was on the cold floor and the pole was right against my core.
I bit my lower lip the moment I caught his eyes on me and grinded against the pole, slowly and deliberately, eyes never leaving his.
I got off the floor and rolled my hips sexily, just the way Scarlet instructed me.
Something flickered in his eye. Could it be want? I didn't know but I knew I was doing really good up here. Better than I thought I would. I think I'm enjoying this a little too much.
Alpha Falcon might have forced me into this, but after discussing it with Scarlet, my mindset changed. Feeling wanted by someone as powerful as the lycan king and being under his protection was a much better way to spend my last days than sulking and begging for my father’s love.
The music faded in the background while I was still lost in my thoughts. I didn't even realize King Vladimir had put down his glass to watch me perform.
I flashed him a seductive wink and smacked my ass confidently before strutting off the stage.
The applause was loud when I got off the stage. A few men whistled shamelessly while others watched me like they wanted to devour me whole. It should have made me uncomfortable, but strangely, it didn't.
I wasn't a guest. I was the product.
The next girl was already making her way towards the stage when I paused behind the curtains.
"One million!" The voice came from somewhere in the crowd.
My heart skipped. One million? For me?
I peeked through the curtains. The auctioneer looked delighted while several men raised their bidding paddles without hesitation.
"One point two million."
"One point five."
"Two million."
The numbers kept increasing and suddenly, breathing became difficult. These people were actually bidding for me. A living, breathing person. Not a painting.
Me.
The urge to run nearly overwhelmed me. What if King Vladimir wasn't interested? What if someone else won?
My fingers curled around the edge of the curtain. Then my gaze settled on him.
Unlike the others, he wasn't shouting numbers. He wasn't leaning forward impatiently. He simply sat there, swirling the wine in his glass while watching the stage. Watching me.
A chill ran through my body.
The auctioneer raised his hand. "Two million going once—"
"Five million."
For the first time that night, he parted his lips to speak and the room went silent. Even my breath caught.
King Vladimir hadn't raised his tone or bothered to stand, yet the entire room froze. The reason Alpha Falcon was so threatened by him was finally becoming clear to me.
The auctioneer swallowed visibly before forcing a smile.
"Five million from His Majesty."
No one spoke after that because he didn't just bid, he ended the auction.
- Writer
