Alex was shoved through another long black wooden door that led to a theatre-like room with a low stage, filled with people. There were twelve other hostages behind the wall and small black curtain back stage with her, and below them was the crowd of what Alex could only think to be vampires. There were five guys and eight women, including herself. When the chains forced her to take her spot in the line, Lloyd stepped out of the curtain to the cheering crowd.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you this week’s Blood Auction!” He yelled out into the hollering horde of vampires. After they died down a bit he began the auction. He introduced the first person and he walked out onto the stage. Girls and even some guys screamed as he walked out on stage and stopped next to Lloyd. Next up was a girl; Alex could hear the harassing calls and howling that the men shouted at the poor girl as she took her place next to the guy. Lloyd called them all one by one until all that was left was Alex. She could feel her heart beat rapidly increase as the inevitable grew closer.

“And finally, we have a very feisty and very attractive female, whose blood tastes as sweet and strong as a vampira!” he yelled introducing her. With this the chains that bound her hands let go and slithered away. When Alex turned to run, Sebastian was there to drag her out onto the stage. The crowd roared louder than they had that night, as he forced her out onto stage onto her spot in the line. It was then that she noticed a small group of people from the crowd lined up on the stairs that lead to the stage. The man at the front of the line looked particularly impatient, looking right at her. His slightly overgrown jet black curly hair was in a small ponytail and he was dressed as if he just stepped out of a Jane Austen book.

“Now auctioneers, please hand me your tickets as you come up to the stage for inspection of the goods,” Lloyd said eyeing the line at the stage. With this the man in the front of the line rushed to hand Lloyd the ticket; however, he took his time while meticulously analyzing each person he was interested in. By the time the man got to Alex she was surrounded by vampires. Everyone in the crowd was touching her. Alex could feel hands all over her body, feeling her muscles, opening her mouth, making her move her chin. After one man tried to open her mouth she clamped her teeth down onto his finger. The man backed away in shock, before twisting his mouth into a grin, licking the finger she bit. Alex screamed and backed away as another man grabbed at her chest. Then one got behind her and held her still as the rest groped and grabbed at her. She felt hands feeling her up, but when she felt a hand run up her thigh under her skirt she had enough. She headbutted the guy holding her with the back of her head and then kicked whoever was in front of her, sending him flying into the rest of the crowd. Before anything else could happen Lloyd came over and forced the harassers away. With this, the guy from before took his turn to inspect Alex. He just eyed her head to toe with an evil smirk before using his body to pin her against the wall behind them. The more Alex struggled the more he pressed against her. When she finally stopped struggling he leaned in close.

“You’re mine, love,” he whispered softly into her ear as if it was a fact. Then he let her go and walked off back into the crowd. Finally, everyone went back into the crowd and the bidding began. Lloyd went down the line, bidding off every person.

“Now, the best for last,” he said walking behind Alex, before pinning her arms behind her and holding her chin again.

“Bidding starts at five thousand,” he shouted to the crowd. Every guy that had come up to her raised their hand and Lloyd pointed to the one who raised it first. “I have five thousand here, do I hear ten thousand?” Slightly fewer hands shot up and Lloyd pointed to another person who raised their hand first. This is where things sped up. “Ten thousand dollars, fifteen thousand, twenty thousand dollars, thirty thousand” Alex couldn’t keep up with who was the last one to get picked, things were moving too fast. She caught the eye of the man who had pinned her to the wall and realized he hadn’t bid for her yet.

“Thirty thousand, now forty, now forty, do I hear forty thousand?” Suddenly the man raised his hand followed by three others. Lloyd pointed at him. “Forty thousand, now fifty, now fifty, now fifty, do I hear fifty thousand?” Both the man with a ponytail who pinned her and a man with a cap covering his face raised their hands. It was a close call; Alex couldn’t tell who raised their hand first. Lloyd pointed at the man with the cap. “Fifty thousand, now sixty, now sixty, now sixty, do I hear sixty thousand?” Again the two men raised their hand and it was a close call. This time he pointed at the man with the ponytail. This went on until the bid reached ninety thousand, and the last person pointed to was the man with the ponytail. Alex could feel her stomach in her throat. The man in the ponytail sent shivers down her spine; she had a really bad feeling about him.

“Ninety thousand, now one hundred, now one hundred, now one hundred, do I hear one hundred thousand dollars?” No one raised their hand. Alex looked back and forth from the guy with the cap to the guy with the ponytail in anticipation. “Now one hundred, now one hundred, who’ll give me one hundred thousand dollars? Now one hundred, now one hundred, who’ll give me one hundred thousand dollars? Ninety now one hundred? Ninety now one hundred?” Lloyd paused to look over the crowd. “Ninety now one hundred?” Alex could tell by how fast he was speaking that the bid was almost over and she was sweating bullets. Lloyd opened his mouth to speak but before anything came out of his mouth the man in a cap raised his hand and his bidding card. “SOLD! For one hundred thousand dollars to bidder number thirty-three! And that ends this week’s Blood Auction! Come behind the stage to claim your bid!”