The ballroom gleamed with chandeliers and ambition. One by one, Alphas were announced at the top of the grand staircase.
"Alpha Hale of the Silverpine Pack."
"Alpha Morwen of the Crimson Veil."
"Alpha Thoren of Black Hollow."
Polite clapping followed each name. The kind that held hierarchy in every clap.
Then, a pause.
A hush swept the room.
The announcer cleared his throat. His voice dipped lower, almost reverent.
"And finally... representing the Rhaegar Pack..."
"Kavish Rhaeger. King of the Hounds."
A careful clap followed after, the announcer bowed deeply and took a step back as Kavish passed.
Despite his calm exterior, Kavish was raging inside, his right hand had advised him to attend this gathering, if he was looking for a mate, what kind would he get from an auction.
He would rather not buy his woman.
"Sir, your seat is at the front. For a man of your esteem, only the front row would suffice."
His right hand had accompanied him today, the way the announcer spoke carefully..made the man behind Kavish laugh.
"Thank you. I'll lead him there."
Kavish's right hand man, Galen Rhaegar, directed him to the front.
The people of House of Rhaegar, all bear the name, even if they were not related by blood.
When one joins the house, they become a Rhaegar.
"This place reeks of dogs.."
Kavish muttered as they took their seats, Galen's lips twitched. Once this man disliked something, he said his displeasure openly.
"There are mostly alphas here, not everyone has pleasant pheromones."
Galen sat down, being Kavish's right hand gave him all the perks, he could watch the auction in HD.
Kavish crossed his legs as the host came on stage.
"There will be three omegas auctioned. The one we're going for is, Kayla Dupershia."
Galen passed the tablet to Kavish, he opened the file as he handed it to Kavish.
Kavish merely spared the details a glance before handing it back to Galen.
"She's dark haired…"
"..."
Here we go again.
"Isn't she pretty sir?" These days it was hard to find a natural blonde Omega, and Kavish had this obsession with blondes.
"She is. But I have a thing for blondes…"
".."
Galen deflated like a balloon without air, sighing he closed the tablet and focused on the stage.
They were three omegas, hopefully one of them was blonde. .
"My esteemed alphas, the auction has officially begun. Starting off with the first item." The host paused for a second and then continued "We have Kayla Dupershia, an Omega from the BloodMoon pack, she's 23 years old, fertile and well trained. Bidding starts from one million."
The curtains were pulled back as she stepped into the spotlight.
Raven-haired. Tall. Deliberately graceful. Her chin was lifted, her eyes lowered. Taking her appearance in, Galen sighed..she was totally not Kavish's type.
"One point five."
"Two million."
"Two point eight."
Kavish didn't move a muscle. His arms rested on the leather armrest. As he watched the bid inattentively.
Galen tilted his head. "You're not going to give her a chance, sir?"
"She's not blonde."
".."
"...Of course."
The bid ended at 3.2 million. She was finally sold to an Alpha from the Eastern Borderlands.
The girl bowed and was escorted off stage.
Galen sighed and hoped the next Omega was blonde or he might personally have to go there and dye the hair blonde.
"Next," the announcer said, "Rielle Hamel. Twenty-one. She has a gentle temperament and excellent healing capabilities.."
A smaller girl walked into the light. Her hair was soft brown, her eyes wide with practiced innocence.
Galen facepalmed when he saw her brown hair, weren't there any blonde women again?!
"One million."
"One point two."
"One point five."
The bidding ended at 3.7 million. But it wasn't enough to appease the crowd that was already growing restless.
Then, the announcer cleared his throat.
"And now, our final presentation for the night," the host announced, his tone smooth, almost reverent. "Banished from her noble house. Accused of infertility. Meet Nesrin Draeven."
The spotlight fell on her as the curtains opened.
Her hair cascaded down her back in rich, golden waves that reached her waist, a color so rare and untouched it seemed almost otherworldly.
Her skin glowed with the warmth of honey in sunlight, and her eyes shimmered like emeralds, their striking shade cutting through the silence with an unspoken intensity.
Without the need for cosmetics or enhancements, she exuded a natural beauty that made her look as though she'd stepped out of a long-forgotten masterpiece, a living, breathing work of art.
The room fell silent, its occupants transfixed by the scene unfolding before them. Even the announcer's voice faltered, lost for words in the sudden silence.
Then Galen noticed it first, the subtle shift in Kavish's demeanor.
The man known for his granite-like composure, who had remained impassive throughout the auction, had grown eerily still.
His fingers were curled tightly around the armrest, his jaw clenched in a rare display of tension.
"Sir…"
Galen ventured, but Kavish's response was low and measured.
"She's beautiful," he said, his voice a statement of fact, devoid of embellishment or emotion yet laced with a hunger that Galen rarely heard.
Desire, raw and unmistakable, hung in the single line, a stark contrast to Kavish's usual stoicism.
The announcer's voice snapped back into focus.
"Bidding starts at one million marks."
"Three million…"a voice called out.
"Four."
"Five million."
"Seven."
"Ten."
Galen leaned in, his voice low and urgent. "Sir…"
But Kavish's response was calm and detached, his voice slicing through the tension.
"Eleven.."
someone else bid from across the room.
"Fifteen.." Kavish said, his tone unwavering.
"Sixteen."
"Twenty."
Kavish's posture shifted, his body leaning forward as his eyes locked onto the stage. The detachment was gone, replaced by an intense focus.
The announcer raised the gavel, his voice building to a crescendo.
"Going once. Going twice…" "Sold to the Rhaegar House."
Kavish rose from his seat, his gaze still fixed on the stage. Galen watched him closely, noticing the subtle shift in his expression, the softening of his features, the warmth that hadn't been there before.
Kavish turned, his eyes never leaving the woman on stage. "Bring her to me.." he commanded, his voice low and even.