Chapter 1 SOLD BY BLOOD
Selene's chained wrists clinked as the cart wheels rolled to a stop on the gravel ground. The moon was full and bright; the wind, unforgiving.
Selene felt the fear settle in her stomach, the cold night air biting into her skin from the long, exposed ride.
She tried to stand, but the chains around her ankles dug into her skin, pinching painfully against it.
"Ahh," she gasped, tears falling from the side of her face.
She was helpless; with her hands and feet bound, there was absolutely nothing she could do to save herself.
The sound of a carriage arriving made her ears stand and mind tremble.
"No," she whispered.
With dread, she listened to the sound of people climbing down from the carriage and walking toward her.
"Oh, God, no, no, please, no..." She held her breath, shutting her eyes tightly.
"Take her out!" a man's voice boomed beside the cart.
"Out with you." Rough, dirty hands grabbed Selene by the shoulder and carried her out of the cart like dirt, throwing her carelessly onto the gravel.
She trembled from pain, slowly opening her eyes to find the familiar pristine white shoes walking toward her.
"Finally getting what you deserve... slavery." Vespera spat on Selene's hair, kicking her bound hands.
"Ahh!" Selene screamed, curling into a ball on the ground.
"Take her in; the auction is about to begin—"
"Father, please, don't forget this, I beg you!" Selene thrashed helplessly as two men lifted her off the ground and toward the building.
"Vespera! Please, you're my sister!" Selene cried, tears spilling down her face like a river.
But neither her Alpha King father nor her younger stepsister came to her rescue.
The massive iron doors groaned open as the men dragged her inside.
Warmth hit Selene's face first—not comforting warmth, but the suffocating heat of too many bodies packed beneath one roof.
Her breath caught.
The auction house was far grander than she had imagined.
Towering marble pillars stretched toward a vaulted ceiling painted with scenes of conquest, bloodshed, and crowned rulers standing over kneeling captives. Crystal chandeliers dripped from above like frozen tears, scattering golden light across polished black floors. The air smelled of expensive perfume, candle wax, wine, and desperation.
Nobles dressed in silk and jewels filled the galleries beyond, their laughter drifting through the corridors as servants hurried between them carrying silver trays.
To them, this was entertainment.
To Selene, it was a nightmare.
The men hauled her through a narrow passage hidden behind thick velvet curtains. The sounds of music and conversation gradually faded, replaced by muffled cries and the rattling of chains.
Fear coiled tighter in her chest.
The corridor opened into a large chamber lined with iron-barred holding cells.
Some occupants sat silently in corners.
Others wept.
A few stared blankly at the walls as if their souls had already abandoned them.
Selene's stomach twisted.
At the center of the room stood several raised platforms where slaves were inspected before the auction. Men and women were turned around like livestock while buyers examined their faces, teeth, and bodies with cold, calculating eyes.
"Please..." a young woman sobbed nearby.
No one listened.
The inspection room itself was illuminated by dozens of lanterns hanging from iron hooks. Every flaw, bruise, scar, and imperfection was laid bare beneath the harsh light.
There was nowhere to hide.
No dignity left to preserve.
As Selene was dragged toward one of the platforms, she realized with horrifying clarity that she was no longer being treated as a person.
She was merchandise.
And somewhere beyond those walls, wealthy strangers were preparing to bid for ownership of her life.
"Master, Selene from the house of wolves." The man pulling Selene dropped her carelessly onto the platform.
Selene gasped, crouching in fear as a slim, grim-looking man walked out from the shadows, his purple-slit eyes giving away his demon identity.
"Where is her master?" the demon man asked.
"I am." Selene's father walked in, Vespera clinging to his arm like a scared princess as she looked around the horrible place.
"Ah, the Alpha King." The demon man bowed his head.
"I'll give you half if you can sell her for something," Selene's father spat, eyeing Selene with hatred.
The demon man chuckled, "You know my customers are only wealthy. Now, what does she possess? Or is she simply a she-wolf?"
"She's no wolf," Selene's father snapped.
"She's a witch," Vespera announced.
A hush fell over the room; even the slaves stared at Selene in disbelief.
"Father, no, please," Selene begged, sobbing loudly.
The demon man smirked evilly. "Father?" he questioned, slowly circling Selene with sudden interest.
"She's my mistake... impure," Selene's father said, nkt sparing her a glance.
"I see." The demon man nodded. "Then you have nothing to worry about. She's worth more than you think," he murmured.
"Good. At least I get compensation for bringing her into this world," Selene's father spat.
Selene saw that her family was about to leave her in that horrible place and suddenly rolled herself down from the platform, grabbing Vespera's leg before she could leave.
"Sister, I beg of you, take me home, please! Do not abandon me here—argh!" She sharply withdrew her bleeding hand.
Vespera had stomped hard on her hand, the hard sole of her flat shoe scraping the back of Selene's hand.
"Keep your filthy, impure hands to yourself, you slut," she sneered.
Selene cried, hugging her hand to her chest in pain.
"Useless."
She heard her father say before their footsteps moved away from her.
"Undress her," the demon man ordered.
In a flash, a few demon girls brutally lifted Selene back onto the platform, unlocked the chains around her wrists and ankles, and tore her dress away with sharp scissors.
"No, stop, don't." Selene tried to cover her chest with her bare hands, but it was useless.
The demon girls were very efficient; they stripped her bare in a few seconds.
The hot air hit Selene's skin, her tears falling unstoppably as she kept trying to cover her body with her hands.
"Hands up," the demon man hissed behind her.
Selene choked on her sobs, refusing to lift her hands. This was the highest form of disgrace—stripping her of her dignity and her choice.
"Please..." she whispered.
"Hands up!" the demon man roared, followed by the sound of a harsh whip behind Selene's body.
"Argh!" Selene screamed at the top of her lungs, her legs literally shaking from the pain.
The skin of her back felt like it had been forced open with a blunt razor, burning into her spine.
"I will not ask again, slave," the demon man hissed.
It dawned on Selene...
A slave.
That was now her identity... a slave.
"Ugh," she groaned as the demon girls returned, forcing her arms above her head, exposing whatever part of her she thought was protected.
She couldn't even move; days of starving and pain were catching up on her, rendering her weak and useless to her own self.
She could only cry as her body was assessed like a good by a man she had no emotional attachment to.
She didn't know which hurt more: the betrayal from her family, or the loss of her voice, dignity, and pride.
"Let's hope they don't mind the useless mark on her side. Dress her up," the demon man instructed.
Selene gritted her teeth. That useless mark was the only thing she inherited from her dead mother. They both had identical birthmarks, and to her, it wasn't useless; it was her only light in a world filled with darkness.
In a few moments, Selene was tossed and turned as the demon girls forced her into very transparent clothing. Honestly, it would be considered fair if they sent her out naked because she was still effectively naked.
The golden dress was made of very thin material that made her skin shimmer under the bright lanterns, and her hair was pulled into a very tight pony to reveal the soft oval of her face.
She was perfect for the stage.
"Behave." One of the demon girls pulled her down from the platform and toward the large, red curtains hiding them from the bright stage.
Selene's heart was racing tremendously; she could hear whispers behind her from other slaves.
"No one would buy her, she's impure," a male slave scoffed.
"She is of mixed blood... witch blood. You're attracting the wrath of the Dark King," a female voice murmured.
"How unfortunate, sold by her own father," another female voice sighed.
Selene shut her eyes, wishing they'd stop talking. She was now a topic for mockery and pity, all because her stepsister convinced her father that she was a disgrace to their lineage.
For nineteen years, she thought she could hide her witch descent, but thanks to her lovely stepsister, everyone in the slave market now knew what she was. And the slaves were right: if the Vampire King sniffed her out, he would kill her and whoever dared to purchase her... just like he killed her mother.
"Welcome, everyone!" Selene was pulled out of her spiral by the voice of the demon man behind the heavy curtains.
