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  She met Max’s gaze briefly, hating the terror and helplessness in his eyes as she was pulled back toward the street side. This would be the last chance for someone to claim her, and if they didn’t, she was fairly certain that Max would go ballistic in his attempt to get at her. To save her.

  Aria’s heart was hammering painfully in her chest; she could hardly see through the waves of adrenaline and fear crashing through her. She blinked dazedly as she stared out at the street, barely noticing the man that stepped forward. “I will take it.”

  It! It! Aria’s mind screamed, she recoiled in horror at the word. She could hardly breathe through the panic constricting her chest. The thing that had claimed her was moving through the crowd, digging into his pocket to retrieve the money he would spend on her. He would not be spending much, as she had been nearly on the chopping block before he claimed her.

  He was an ugly thing, but then they were all ugly, twisted and cruel to her. But this one was exceptionally ugly, with his stooped shoulders, pointed nose, and cruel hazel eyes. He looked warped, evil; wrong. The scent of blood clung to him as he stepped forward and grasped roughly hold of her chin. Aria winced, she tried to jerk away as he turned her head sharply back and forth but he would not release her.

  “She may be fun for a bit, easily broken.”

  Aria was nearly gasping, nearly hyperventilating. She was trying hard to remain brave, but she could feel a shattering growing inside of her, a breaking of her soul that was far more painful than anything she had ever experienced before. And she had experienced some very painful things in her life. But this, this was the worst. This man was going to do many many things to her. None of them would be good, and all of them would be designed to savage her body, and her mind.

  She wanted to believe that he would not succeed, but from the leering, perverse look in his eyes, she wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t.

  Money was exchanged; the two vamps holding her released her to the man. She wanted to flee, run screaming down the street, but she would not get far, and she would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her snap. She would not give them the satisfaction of recapturing her and taking their pleasure out on her. The vamp began pulling her toward the stairs. She staggered, trying to keep her shaking legs beneath her as he all but drug her across the stage.

  “Wait!” The voice boomed across the crowd gathered within the street. It rang with authority, and a note of command that stopped even Aria in her tracks. The vamp holding her froze instantly, his hand loosened upon her arm, but he did not release her. There was a rippling amongst the throng, murmurs filled the air but were swiftly silenced as the crowd began to step aside to reveal a tall man standing in the middle of the street.

  Well, not a man actually, but one of her most hated foes.

  He stood casually, his broad shoulders thrust back. His black hair was tussled; it fell about his hard face in waves that highlighted his dangerous good looks. Dark glasses were settled upon his well defined nose, they completely shaded his eyes. The dark blue shirt he wore clung to his lithe figure, showing a hint of the muscles that ridged his abdomen and chest. His hands were folded before him, resting on the head of a cane with a silver handle that she could not see. At his side sat a grey wolf. The wolf’s eyes were bright, green, and eerily focused upon her as it sat motionlessly.

  Behind the man two other vamps flanked his sides, but Aria hardly paid them any attention as the striking creature began to make his way forward. The tip of the cane clicked softly upon the pavement, the wolf padded silently at his side. The wolf moved before him as they reached the stairs, brushing against his legs before climbing onto the stage.

  The man, however, did not make a move to come onto the stage. The vampire that had claimed her finally broke the heavy, profound silence. His voice quivered slightly as he spoke. “Your highness?”

  Aria started in surprise, her mouth parted on a small gasp as she took in the powerful stranger with new eyes. Though not much was known about the vampire stronghold, she had heard a little about the prince. She’d heard rumors of the future leader, of the one that would one day rule all of their fates, if his father was ever killed. She had also heard that he was just as cruel and heartless a bastard as his old man was.

  Aria straightened her shoulders, a wave of defiance washed through her as she clenched her jaw and lifted her chin. She didn’t know what came over her, but her terror swiftly vanished in the face of this man, and now she was angry. Pissed actually, royally pissed by the inhumane and unfair treatment of her fellow man. The wolf brushed against her, startling her slightly, but she was able to keep her surprise hidden as the animal settled at her feet.

  The vamp holding her shivered slightly, his fear became almost palpable. Apparently some of the rumors she had heard about the prince were true, as everyone seemed to be afraid of the creature before her. The prince’s mouth quirked slightly, amusement flitted briefly over his hard features. The thick glasses he wore covered his eyes, but she could feel his attention riveted upon her, feel his keen interest as he watched her.

  “She will come with me.”

  A collective gasp escaped the crowd, but it was swiftly covered up, and silenced, by the sharp looks of the two men behind the prince. The auctioneer sputtered slightly, his eyes darted swiftly to Aria, then around the rest of the stage. “Your highness, we have others…” he broke off, looking frantic as he searched for help that was not forthcoming. “Better looking ones.” Arianna bristled, her nose scrunched up as she shot the auctioneer a dark look that he didn’t notice as he was too focused upon the man at the foot of the steps. “Ones that I am sure will be far more to your liking. I will select one if you wish.”

  “No,” the prince responded forcefully. “I want that one. Give the man his money back and give her to me.”

  The man holding her released her instantly; he could not get away from her fast enough as he retreated hastily. Aria swallowed heavily, fear trickled back through her. All of these people were terrified of the prince, and he was now laying claim to her. What did that mean? What did he want with her, and why on earth would he choose her when the auctioneer was right, there were far better looking women here?

  Aria turned slowly toward Max. His eyes were wide; his nostrils flared with the force of his rapid breaths. Terror was written all over his face; however it was not terror for himself, but for her. Aria shuddered, her hands clenched hold of her elbows as she held herself tightly. Though she found herself oddly unafraid of the prince before her, she was scared of the reaction everyone else was having to him. He must be a vicious monster if everyone was so afraid to move or speak around him.

  “Come here.” She jumped slightly at the sharp command, but she found her feet frozen in place, she could not move toward him. The auctioneer was gaping at her like she was a total moron, but she could not bring herself to move. Finally, having decided that she must be a complete idiot, the auctioneer stepped toward her and reached out to grab hold of her arm. “Do not touch her!”

  The auctioneer jumped, stumbling slightly back as the prince’s barked command rang sharply out. The auctioneer had gone completely pale, sweat poured down his face as he gaped at her. It was his reaction that finally snapped some sense into her. She could not stand here all day, the prince would only come for her (he did own her now), and she did not know what he would do if he had to retrieve her. There were other innocents on this stage, and Aria suddenly feared that the prince would hurt them if she continued to disobey him.

  Max took a swift step forward, his mouth parting slightly. She shook her head sharply at him, terrified of what would happen if he did try to stand up for her, did try to defend her. This whole mess was her fault, and she had to accept the consequences, no matter how dire they may be. The wolf moved away from her as she made her way slowly, stiffly down the stairs.

  The prince followed her movements, stepping back as she stopped before him. She could see herself reflected in the dark lens of his glasses, an
d she was relieved to find that she did not look terrified. Even though inside she was a trembling mess of confusion and fear. He was large, powerful, overbearing, and despite her intense hatred for him and all of his kind, she could not help but acknowledge the fact that he was also magnificently handsome.

  What the hell did he want with her?

  He remained unmoving, his gaze focused upon her for a long while. Then, he turned abruptly away, leaving her stunned and motionless. She didn’t know what to do, what was going on, what was expected of her. Her gaze slid helplessly back toward Max. His jaw was locked tight, his disbelief and shock evident on his face. He turned slowly toward her, his bright blue eyes wounded and fearful.

  ‘I’ll find you,’ he mouthed silently.

  Arianna wanted to believe him, wanted to trust in his promises, but she did not see how she could possibly escape the powerful monster that owned her now. She shuddered, her fingers digging harder into her elbows. The wolf slipped silently past her, plodding slowly after his master. “This way.”

  Aria jumped slightly at the forceful command. The two men that had accompanied the prince came toward her, their hands outstretched. Aria took a small step back, frightened by their massive size and hard eyes. The prince turned slightly back, his dark eyebrows drew sharply together over top of his glasses as his full mouth pinched tight.

  His men seemed to sense his sudden irritation as their hands fell limply back to their sides. Arianna stared at the prince in surprise, startled to realize that he seemed truly irritated at the thought of them touching her. “Move,” one of the men commanded softly.

  The prince did not turn back around as he walked swiftly down the street. The wolf, and the three of them, trailed silently behind.

  CHAPTER 2

  Aria couldn’t stop gaping; she could not get her mouth to close for more than a few seconds at a time. Everything was so amazing, so wonderful, and so strange. She had never seen anything like this, had never imagined it could even exist. And now she was standing smack dab in the middle of it, being openly stared at and whispered about as she was ushered into the large, rambling entry room of the massive palace.

  She’d heard stories of palaces and the exquisite beauty and elaborate designs, but she’d always assumed that they were just that, stories. She had never dreamed that such wonderful, opulent places could exist, let alone that she would actually be walking through one of them. Everything was sparkly and bright, huge and wonderful.

  She glanced at the roof far above her, her mouth parted even more as she took in the wonderful artwork upon the ceiling. She had never seen anything like the beauty of the colors and detail above her. She had never even seen a painting before. She had seen drawings, as Daniel loved to sketch things when he was not busy hunting for food, planning attack strategies, or fighting for his life. He created wonderful things with the charcoal they scavenged from the caves, but they had no color, and they were not as large and spectacular as this. For some strange reason she felt tears burning her eyes at the sight of the magnificent art above her.

  She blinked them rapidly back, dropping her head down as she was hurried across the white, sparkly floor. “Braith!” Aria jumped in surprise as the word was barked harshly out. Her head snapped up, her eyes widened as she took in the woman striding purposely toward them. She was dressed lavishly, her golden hair pulled back in a tight braid that highlighted her beautiful features. Aria stopped instantly, unable to move or breathe as she stared in wide eyed disbelief at the stunning woman. A woman that had never known hunger, fear, rags, or dirt. A woman that was staring at her with open disgust and scorn. “What is this?” she demanded coldly.

  “It’s a blood slave Natasha,” the prince replied dryly.

  The woman blinked in surprise, her gaze raked disdainfully over Aria. Though she wanted to shrink from the woman’s scathing look, she managed to throw her shoulders back, narrow her eyes, and hold the woman’s gaze. The prince, Braith, did not look at Aria but simply stared silently at the woman.

  “I can see that Braith. What are you doing with her?”

  He turned slightly toward Aria, his eyebrows drawing sharply together as he took her in. Aria stared defiantly back at him, refusing to back down, refusing to let them see the fear that was coiling through her. “What is normally done with a blood slave Natasha?” he inquired, his deep voice rumbling softly out of him. “I thought you would be happy that I decided to finally take one.”

  The woman’s light eyebrows shot swiftly up. Aria felt her mouth part slightly again. Was she the first one that he had ever taken? But no, that couldn’t be possible; these creatures loved their blood slaves. They loved to torture and use and abuse people until there was nothing left of them. It was what she had always been told, so it had to be true. Didn’t it?

  “You could have cleaned her up first. The girl is a mess Braith; I cannot believe you brought her into our home like this. I could smell her from a mile away, and she probably has lice.”

  Anger shot through Aria, her hands fisted at her sides as she glared at the blond woman. She may not be at her cleanliest, but she most certainly did not have lice. “I will take care of it immediately.”

  Aria’s glare turned toward the prince. There it was, that awful it word again. She was most certainly more than an it, but not here, and not now. She was fairly certain she might never be more than it again. “I should hope so,” the woman retorted.

  The woman brushed swiftly by them, leaving Aria glaring after her retreating back and fuming over the conversation. It was the soft nudge from the wolf that alerted her to the fact that they were moving once more. She hurried forward, eager to catch up with the prince, suddenly terrified that he would leave her alone in this place. A place that she was not welcome in at all, and did not seem nearly as magnificent now as it had two minutes ago.

  She didn’t stop to think about the fact that the only thing that made her feel safe in this strange world was the creature that now owned her. It was far too disturbing of a thought.

  Arianna’s hand trailed across the ornate, shiny wood of the banister as they moved slowly up a large staircase. She had never seen a staircase like this before as it wound and twisted its way up to the second floor. They had stairs in the caves, where she spent a fair amount of her life, and she had been on raids to abandoned houses, she had even been in a few people’s homes before, but none of those stairs were even remotely like this. These were glorious, overwhelming, and beautiful.

  “Gather some servants.” The prince ordered over his shoulder.

  “Yes.”

  One of the men broke away, heading the other way down the long hallway before disappearing up another set of stairs. Aria stared in awe as they moved slowly forward. She didn’t know if she wanted to stare at the beautiful paintings and pictures lining the wall on her right, or gape at the amazing room beneath her to the left. Though she had just walked through the grand foyer, it was even more stunning from up here. The chandelier was spectacular, the glass radiated with sparkling colors from the thousands of lights within it, and the swirling shades of artwork overhead.

  The open balcony ended abruptly as walls closed in around them once more. Aria swallowed heavily, a crushing sense of impending doom settled over her. She was stuck here, trapped within this world of decadence, greed, brutality, and death. Though Max wanted to rescue her, she did not hold out much hope for that, just as she did not hold out much hope that she would find her own escape.

  Hell, she couldn’t even remember how to get out of this vast place, never mind try to escape from it, and everyone within it.

  For the first time true fear for her life began to take hold. She had been too stunned, too shocked and confused to truly grasp the reality of her situation. It was sinking in now, and it was not good. Her heart raced in her chest, it pounded heavily against her ribs. She swallowed nervously, folding her hands before her as she tried to remain as docile and inconspicuous as possible. They didn’t know who she really
was, she reminded herself. She would not be punished because of that at least.

  The one thing she had going for her was that her thin build made her appear weak and helpless, when she was anything but. If she remained docile, then maybe they would let their guard down around her and she would be presented with an opportunity to escape. It was a slim hope, but it was the only one that she had to cling to. What she didn’t want to think about was what would be done to her until that time came.

  The man with the prince stopped before a door, he swung it open, and stepped back to allow the prince entrance. Aria froze, hesitating within the hall, her hands folded before her as she stared into the darkened room. The prince did not turn on a light as he disappeared into the shadows, the wolf trailing behind him.

  The remaining man stared hard at her, his dark eyes burrowing into her as she swallowed heavily and repeatedly. She could not get enough saliva to wet her parched throat. “Go.”

  Aria jumped slightly at the man’s command. She wanted to turn and run, wanted to flee swiftly down the hall. It didn’t matter if she didn’t know how to get out of here, she didn’t care anymore. She simply could not just walk into that darkened room and throw herself over to a fate worse than death.

  Aria backed up a step as the man came slowly at her. Panic tore through her, she felt like a cornered animal as she backed into the wall. A scream of terror built within her, her chest constricted tightly as her heart leapt wildly. A large hand came at her; Aria knew instinctively that if it touched her, she would lose complete control of whatever composure she was barely clinging too.