SOLD TO THE STAR PRINCE

Amara Vale had always believed that the worst thing that could happen to a person was death. She was wrong. Death was simple. Being sold was worse. She stood barefoot inside a transparent glass chamber while hundreds of strangers watched her from the darkness. The room smelled of expensive perfume, metal and something bitter that reminded her of burnt plastic. None of these people were human. Some looked almost normal. Almost. One man had silver eyes that reflected the light like a cat's. A woman sitting near the front had delicate horns curling backward from her temples. Another creature had blue skin and four fingers on each hand. Amara tried not to stare. She was terrified. But she refused to let them see it. The auctioneer stepped onto the platform. He was tall and thin, with golden skin and black eyes. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced, “tonight we have something exceptionally rare.” Amara's stomach turned. She knew exactly what he meant. Her. “An Earth-born human female.” A holographic image appeared above her. AMARA VALE AGE: 23 SPECIES: HUMAN STATUS: UNBONDED HEALTH: EXCELLENT Amara's hands curled into fists. She wanted to scream. She wanted to smash the glass. She wanted to go home. But home was thousands of light-years away. And she had no idea if Earth even knew she was alive. The auctioneer smiled. “Opening bid: two hundred thousand credits.” A hand rose. “Three hundred.” Another. “Four hundred.” “Five.” Amara's heart hammered. Five hundred thousand credits. That was what her life was worth. The numbers continued climbing. Then a voice came from the balcony. “One million.” Silence. Every head turned. Amara looked up. A man stood alone behind the railing. He was dressed entirely in black. Not the black of mourning. The black of power. His coat was perfectly tailored, his dark hair pushed away from his forehead. But it was his eyes that caught her attention. Violet. Not purple. Not blue. Violet. They glowed faintly in the darkness. The auctioneer swallowed. “Your Highness.” Amara's eyes widened. Prince. The man looked directly at her. For one strange moment, the entire room disappeared. She saw only him. And he saw only her. The auctioneer cleared his throat. “Do I hear one point one million?” Nobody moved. “One point one?” Silence. “Sold!” The hammer struck. Amara closed her eyes. Sold. She had never hated a word more.