I woke up with a pounding headache and a foggy mind. Darkness surrounded me, and as I tried to move, I realized my hands were tied behind my back—my legs, too. Panic surged through me. I opened my mouth to scream, but something was shoved between my lips, turning my cry into a muffled, useless sound.
The surface under me was hard, shifting as if I were inside a moving car. And then realization hit me! I was in the trunk of a vehicle. My heart raced as I heard soft crying next to me. Turning as much as I could, I saw three other girls tied up like me. Their scared eyes locked with mine, and I knew they were just as frightened as I was.
I struggled against the ropes, but they held fast. My mind raced, trying to piece together what had happened. I remembered the guards, the cloth pressed to my nose… that sweet scent—and then… nothing. Damn it. I'd been kidnapped.
The car hit a bump, jolting all of us. One of the girls whimpered, looking at me like I might somehow save us. But I couldn't. I was just as helpless. I didn't even know how I'd ended up here.
Suddenly, the car stopped, and I heard footsteps outside. Before I could process it, the trunk flew open, flooding the dark space with bright sunlight. I blinked, trying to adjust, but before I could react, four large men began pulling us out. I struggled, trying to break free, but a sharp slap across my face made me freeze.
"If you try that again, I'll make you regret it," one of the men growled, his voice sending chills down my spine.
We were dragged inside a building, pulled through a large room, and then up some stairs. The men shoved us into a small room, and I hit the cold floor hard. Wincing, I looked up and realized there were other girls here too, their eyes empty, staring at me and the other three girls.
The men untied our hands and legs but left the strange collars around our necks. "Make a sound, and you're dead," one of them warned before locking the door behind them.
I sat up, my heart racing. The other girls in the room looked broken, like they had already given up. Fear twisted inside me. I reached out to my wolf, hoping she could help me, but… nothing. My wolf was silent.
"My wolf," I whispered in panic, trying to connect with her again, but it was useless.
A quiet laugh broke the silence. It sounded dry and a little angry, coming from the far corner of the room.
"First time?" a girl said. Her voice scratched through the air like it hadn't been used in days. I turned my head and saw her—maybe a year older than me, or maybe she just looked older from everything she'd seen. Her clothes were torn and stained, one eye swollen, but she held herself with a kind of grim awareness the others didn't.
"What—what do you mean?" I asked, voice hoarse.
She tilted her head, revealing a metallic band around her neck, just the same as mine. "That collar on your neck? It's not just for show. Blocks the bond. Your wolf, your mind link, any chance of help… gone."
I thought she was done but then she whispered. "But that doesn't mean you won't go into heat. Remember today's is the full moon."
My stomach dropped. I touched the collar, feeling its cold metal against my skin. How could I have forgotten? Today was the full moon and I will be on heat tonight!
My fear and worry intensified.
"What do they want from us?" I asked, my voice shaking.
The girl sighed, her eyes looking tired. "In a few hours from now, they'll sell us. Auction's in a few hours. Virgins to the highest bidders, the rest… to whoever wants a disposable toy."
Her words hit me hard. I looked around at the other girls, some silently crying, others staring into space. Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I had to stay strong. I had to find a way out of this place.
The girl saw the look on my face and shook her head. "Don't bother. People have tried to escape, and it never ends well. This place is guarded, and we're powerless with these collars on."
The blood drained from my face.
"You've got the look of someone important," she added. Her eyes flicked to the faint markings on my neck. "Pack ties?"
I hesitated. "I'm… mated. To the triplets of the Full Moon Pack."
That made her sit up straighter. "Well. That makes you valuable. And very dangerous. Don't let anyone know this, if they do, they will use you as a pawn to get to your mates."
I swallowed hard, feeling the collar like a heavy weight around my neck. Without my wolf, I was weak, no different from a human. And without it, I couldn't communicate with the triplets, at least to ask for their help. I knew I always wanted to leave them, but not … not to be kidnapped and sold off as a slave.
Tears fell uncontrollably down my cheeks as I thought of my mother. She would be heartbroken. What if we never get to see each other again? I was the only one she had left. I thought of the triplet as I wondered if they had noticed my absence. Are they even searching for me? I wonder what they might be thinking… perhaps that I ran away.
Goodness, who could have done this? I knew it was definitely not the triplet. Yes, they hate me, but not to this extent of selling me off. If not them, then who could it be? Anita? Yes, it has to be her! But How? How did she get those men to dress in the guards' uniforms? How were they able to sneak me out?
I was still trying to process everything when suddenly the door opened and three women marched in, each holding a long whip in their hands.
"The auction starts in three hours, but before that, we will have to differentiate the goats from the sheep, the diamonds from the chaff. All of you, up on your feet and take off your clothes," the middle-aged lady with piercing brown eyes ordered, and quickly, the other girls rose to their feet, scared and terrified of her.
I stood there frozen, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest. The other girls, their faces pale with fear, hurriedly obeyed the command, their trembling hands reaching for their clothes. The middle-aged woman with the piercing eyes watched us like a predator, her whip tapping lightly against her palm as if she couldn't wait to use it. This update is available on NoveIＦire.net
I didn't move. My mind was racing, my body frozen in shock. But then I felt the sharp sting of the whip against my back. The pain was immediate, tearing a gasp from my lips.
"I said undress!" the woman barked.
With shaking hands, I slowly started to remove my clothes. I couldn't stop the tears that welled up in my eyes and slid down my cheeks. It wasn't just the humiliation or the fear of what was coming next, but the crushing weight of hopelessness. How had my life come to this?
Once we were all undressed, the women began inspecting each of us. Their hands were cold and rough as they touched us, checking for things I didn't even understand. The room was eerily silent except for the sound of sobs and the occasional snap of the whip when one of the girls didn't move fast enough.
When they reached me, I stood still, forcing myself not to cry any more than I already had. The woman glanced at me, her eyes narrowing as she looked me over.
"Still a virgin?" She seemed confused. "You are marked but still a virgin…" She trailed off, her eyes fixed on the three marks of the triplet on my neck. I wished I could tell her I'm the mate of the famous triplet of the full moon pack. Perhaps that could help, but the moment I tried to speak, she pushed me aside. "This one is still a virgin," she said, her voice cold and detached, as if I were nothing more than livestock.
I was pushed to the side, joining a few other girls. My stomach twisted with fear. What did this mean for us? What did they plan to do with us?
The other girls who weren't virgins were led to the opposite side of the room, their heads hanging low in defeat. I caught the eye of one of them—a girl who couldn't have been older than me. She gave me a sad look, as if she understood exactly what fate awaited all of us.
After the inspection, the woman with the whip looked at us, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "You'll be treated well if you behave. But if you try anything stupid… you won't live to regret it."
I swallowed hard and closed my eyes, wishing all this was a dream.
"Go in there and clean yourselves up," she ordered, pointing at a door.
We shuffled into the bathroom, a small, cold space with stalls. No one spoke. I stepped into one of the stalls, turned on the water, and let it run over me. The coldness stung, but I barely felt it. My mind was racing, still trying to understand everything.
When I finished washing, I stepped out, still shivering. The women were waiting for us, holding out thin, see-through dresses. I felt sick as I took the dress and put it on. The fabric was so light, it did nothing to cover me. I felt more exposed than ever.
"Hurry up," one of the women snapped, her whip tapping against her leg like she couldn't wait to use it again. The other girls dressed quickly too, exchanging scared looks, but no one dared to speak.
The woman with the cold eyes looked at us, smiling in a way that made my skin crawl. "Good," she said. "Now you look presentable. Come with me."
As they led us out, my heart pounded. I didn't know where they were taking us, but I knew they were taking us to our nightmares. We were led through a hallway, and when we got to a door, one of the ladies pushed it open and ordered us in.
The room inside was even colder, with rows of chairs lined up against the walls. We were told to sit down. No one spoke. The fear in the air was thick and choking. I sat down, my heart pounding as I looked at the other girls. Some of them stared at the floor, too scared to lift their heads. Others had tears running silently down their cheeks.
I swallowed hard, and again my thoughts drifted to the triplets. Will this be the end of our story? Will I never set my eyes on them again?
Tears blurred my eyes. When I said I wanted to disappear from their lives, I didn't mean it this way. Not to be sold as a slave to Goddess knows who.
It wasn't long before the women started calling girls one by one, leading them out of the room. The door would open and close, open again and close. Each time the door opened, it sent a wave of panic through me. I didn't know where they were being taken or what was happening behind those doors, but I could tell from their expressions as they left that it wasn't good.
I sat there, trying to keep myself calm, but it was impossible. Every second felt like an eternity. My mind raced, thinking of my mother, the triplets. I tried to reach them through the mind link, but the choker wrapped around my neck was stopping me. I sighed and kept wishing that somehow, I would wake up from this nightmare, but deep down, I knew it was all real.
Then, it was my turn.
One of the women called me, her voice sharp and commanding. My legs felt weak as I stood up, and I had to force myself to walk. The eyes of the other girls followed me, their fear reflecting my own.
As the door creaked open, I was shoved into a room filled with people. My breath caught in my throat as I glanced at the people before me. Rows of well-dressed men and women sat in plush chairs, their eyes cold and calculating as they reviewed me like I was some sort of prize on display. The lighting was dim, but it didn't hide the greed and hunger in their gazes.
I stood there, trembling, trying to cover myself with the thin, transparent dress they had forced me to wear. The room was eerily silent, except for the occasional whisper between the bidders and the soft hum of voices speaking bids. My heart pounded, fear surging through me as I realized what was happening. This was the auction.
A man stood at the front, overseeing the event like it was just another business transaction. He glanced at me briefly before turning to the audience. "Next up," he said with a smirk, "a rare find. A virgin, strong, and in good health. Let's start the bidding."