Chapter 3 The Auction Block

• The chains rattled as Daisy was dragged onto the stage.
• Her wrists were bound in iron cuffs, her ankles shackled just enough to limit her movement. A thick leather collar wrapped around her neck, a chain attached to it, held by one of the guards escorting her.
• She was nothing more than an animal being led to slaughter.
• The room was packed. Alphas filled the grand auction hall of Devil’s City, their hungry gazes fixed on her as if she were a prize to be won. Some lounged in velvet chairs, swirling expensive whiskey, while others leaned forward, eager, their lips twisted in cruel smirks.
• Daisy lifted her chin despite the pain, refusing to bow to them.
• Raymond’s voice boomed through the hall. “Gentlemen, tonight’s main attraction—one of the rarest gems I’ve ever owned. A rogue with unmatched spirit. A fighter. Untouched, unbroken. She will make a fine plaything… for the one strong enough to tame her.”
• Laughter rippled through the crowd.
• Daisy’s stomach twisted, but she didn’t show it. She wouldn’t let them see her fear.
• One of the alphas in the front row leaned back, his golden eyes gleaming. “She looks fragile to me. How much damage can one rogue do?”
• Raymond chuckled, stepping beside Daisy. His fingers gripped her chin, tilting her face up for everyone to see. “Oh, she bites. And if you’re not careful, she’ll claw her way into your head and make you beg for more.”
• Daisy yanked her head away, disgust curling in her stomach.
• The crowd murmured, whispers of interest and amusement spreading like wildfire.
• Raymond raised a hand. “We’ll start the bidding at ten thousand.”
• A paddle lifted immediately. “Fifteen.”
• “Twenty.”
• “Fifty.”
• The numbers climbed fast, voices overlapping as the alphas fought to own her. Daisy’s pulse pounded in her ears. She felt sick, her throat tightening as reality sank in. No matter who won, she would still end up in a cage.
• Then, a voice cut through the noise.
• “I won’t be bidding.”
• Silence fell.
• Daisy’s blood ran cold.
• The speaker stood at the back of the room, dressed in all black, his presence demanding attention without effort. His silver eyes gleamed under the golden light, sharp and unreadable.
• Matteo Devil.
• The room shifted as a second figure emerged beside him—taller, broader, his powerful frame exuding raw dominance. His jaw was sharp, his dark eyes carrying the weight of something dangerous.
• Dante Devil.
• And standing slightly apart, barely moving, was the third. Silent, lethal. His ice-blue eyes fixed on Daisy with something unreadable, something that made her pulse quicken despite the situation.
• Kieran Devil.
• The Devil brothers.
• The most feared alphas in the city.
• Raymond’s expression darkened. “Then why are you here?”
• Matteo’s smirk was lazy, arrogant. “Because I don’t need to bid for what already belongs to me.”
• Gasps echoed through the room.
• Daisy’s eyes widened. No. No, this wasn’t happening.
• Raymond straightened. “She’s mine to sell. If you want her, you play by the rules.”
• Dante stepped forward, his voice deep, slow, carrying the weight of authority. “You don’t make the rules here.”
• Raymond tensed.
• Matteo reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. He waved it carelessly, but the effect was immediate.
• Daisy’s breath caught.
• A contract.
• Raymond’s face turned pale. “That’s not possible.”
• Matteo’s smirk grew. “Oh, but it is. You sold her the second you signed this.”
• Daisy’s stomach twisted. She barely registered the voices around her, the alphas muttering in shock, Raymond’s face twisting in fury.
• Sold. Again.
• Her vision blurred with rage. She had spent years fighting to be free, and now she was being passed around like an object.
• Matteo stepped onto the stage, his boots clicking against the polished wood. He stopped in front of her, his silver eyes burning into hers.
• “Looks like you’re coming home with us, little rogue.”
• Daisy’s body trembled with fury. She spat at him.
• The hall went silent.
• Matteo wiped his cheek slowly, his smirk never faltering. “I do love a challenge.”
• Dante stepped beside him, his dark eyes locked on hers. “You think this is over, but you have no idea what you just started.”
• A shiver ran down her spine.
• Kieran hadn’t moved, but the way he watched her—calm, calculating—made her chest tighten.
• Then Matteo grabbed the chain around her neck, pulling her forward, his breath ghosting against her ear. “Try to run, little rogue,” he murmured. “We love it when they struggle.”
• Daisy clenched her fists, her entire body vibrating with anger.
• They thought they owned her.
• But they had no idea who they had just claimed.
• Daisy ran.
• The cold night air burned her lungs as she sprinted barefoot through the Devil estate, her heart hammering against her ribs. Her body ached from the bruises, from the deep lashes on her back, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t.
• She had been here less than a day, and already, she had to escape.
• The mansion was enormous, but she had memorized every possible exit the moment she was dragged inside. She had stayed silent, eyes sharp, watching the guards, studying their shifts.
• Now, she just had to make it to the gates.
• The tall iron doors loomed ahead, moonlight glinting off their sharp points. Freedom was just a few feet away.
• She pushed herself harder, her body screaming in protest.
• Then a hand closed around her wrist.
• A force stronger than anything she had ever known yanked her back, slamming her against a solid chest.
• Daisy gasped, her vision blurring for a second from the impact.
• “Did you really think you could outrun me?”
• The deep, rough voice sent shivers down her spine.
• Kieran.
• His grip was like steel, unyielding, as he held her in place. He wasn’t even out of breath, his body towering over hers with effortless strength. His ice-blue eyes glowed under the dim moonlight, unreadable and cold.
• Daisy struggled, twisting against him. “Let me go!”
• He didn’t. Instead, his fingers tightened around her waist, his heat pressing into her back. “You’re ours now,” he murmured. “You don’t get to leave.”
• She thrashed harder, kicking at his leg. “I don’t belong to anyone!”
• Kieran sighed, and before she could react, he spun her around and slammed her against the cold stone wall of the courtyard.
• Her breath hitched.
• He was too close. Too strong. His scent—dark spice and raw masculinity—wrapped around her, making her pulse spike.
• His eyes flicked to her lips. Just for a second.
• Daisy glared at him, refusing to let the heat in his gaze affect her. “You think trapping me here will make me obey?”
• Kieran tilted his head, his expression calm, controlled. “No, but it will remind you of something important.”
• She narrowed her eyes. “And what’s that?”
• His fingers brushed against the leather collar still around her neck. “We own you.”
• Daisy lunged at him.
• She barely registered her own movements. Her fury exploded, raw and unchecked, as she swung her fist toward his face.
• Kieran caught her wrist with ease.
• His grip tightened just enough to remind her of his strength, of the power difference between them. But instead of getting angry, he smirked.
• “You fight like a rogue,” he murmured. “Wild. Desperate.”
• She growled, yanking her hand away. “I’ll kill you.”
• Kieran chuckled. “Now that, I’d love to see.”
• Her chest heaved. Every inch of her burned with hatred.
• Then another voice cut through the air.
• “Having fun?”
• Daisy stiffened.