Page 35 of Destined Mate

“Thank you for joining us tonight. You have been invited to a most exclusive auction. What we offer you is a prize beyond any of your imaginings.” He gestured at Jerome. “A prized omega with the gift to see the future.”

Jerome shivered at Elmer’s voice. It was smooth with malice, almost amused.

“I will not waste your time going over his many attributes—you can see them for yourselves. Instead,” he drawled, “we will start the bidding. Let’s open it at five hundred thousand.”

Jerome’s senses prickled as if charged with static. There was no turning back now. Albert watched triumphantly from near Clyde, who sat at a laptop, eagerly monitoring the activity there.

“Alpha,” Clyde shouted suddenly above the growing din of buzzing gear. “They’re fighting over him already!”

“I told you,” Elmer gloated off camera. “Nothing like this comes onto the market often.”

Jerome hated standing on this stupid stage, hated knowing alphas were staring at him, undressing him with their eyes. Their stares felt like burning coals, each glance a violation. Sweat slicked his palms as he endured it and fought not to shift like his wolf wanted.

Elmer moved back on camera. “And the bidding is now at one million! Do I see more than one million?”

The pack shifted uneasily as they witnessed the auction. He could only hope they wouldn’t do something stupid and get themselves killed.

“One point five million!” Clyde called out from where he sat hunched over the keyboard, fingers flying across the keys.

Albert smirked at each new shout from Clyde.

“One point seven million. One point eight million! Two million!”

Jerome couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Who paid that kind of money?

Clyde shook his head in disbelief. “They’re still bidding.”

“Good,” Elmer gloated.

“Three million,” Clyde yelled out minutes later.

Sweat glistened on Jerome’s forehead. He wondered if it was from tension or excitement. Probably excitement.

This was twisted. It was like watching a grotesque movie unfold on a massive projection screen, each dollar amount more horrifying and unsettling than the last, leaving him with a deep sense of unease and dread.

“Four million! Alpha—four million!” Clyde was practically dancing in place with manic energy.

Every camera focused on Jerome—their vicious digital gaze capturing these supposed final moments of freedom.

“Anyone else? Last call. Anyone? At all? No? No one? Take a good look. He’s worth every cent. Okay then, if no one is interested, then… sold!”

“Looks like we have our winner,” Clyde crowed. “Congratulations to the Silverwoods!”

Jerome could see the pack name blink furiously on the screen as all other bids vanished entirely from view—leaving the winning bid: Four million dollars.

“Congratulations to our winner—payment due immediately! Once the transfer is complete, the product will ship,” Elmer said to the cameras. “Thank you, alphas, and good evening.”

Jerome’s throat tightened with anger. Product? The hell? And how many times had they done this? They moved like a well-oiled machine—like this was something they did regularly.

“Well done,” Elmer said to Albert and Clyde as he took out his cell. “And there’s payment. Nice and fast. Good. Now, get him ready for shipment. We don’t want the Silverwoods thinking they got scammed.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Albert said.

The pack started dismantling equipment, others preparing crates. Albert and Clyde moved to Jerome’s side.

“Come on,” Albert taunted. “Time to go to your new home.”

Chapter Ten

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