Her Mythical Warriors (Book Two)
Chapter Eight: The Auction

Wolfric opened his eyes with a groan.

‘What the hell happened?’

He blinked a few times to clear the fog from his sight. He was in a cage just big enough for—he looked at himself and whimpered.

How was he in wolf form?

“How much for the wolf?” a voice asked, stopping beside his cage.

Wolfric looked up and growled at the two men standing in front of his cage.

“That’s no ordinary wolf,” the taller of the two men said with a wide grin.

The second man bent forward so he could see the wolf better. It was larger than a normal wolf, and its eyes were two different colors, and he looked smarter than a normal wolf.

“This is one of the last of his kind,” the taller man said, smirking at the wolf. “And his price is far greater than a bobble or two.”

The second man stood straight, nodded to the taller man, and walked away from the cage toward another cage.

The taller man looked at Wolfric.

“Well, Dire Wolf. It looks like you are making me quite a bit of money. I know who and what you are, and I will use that to my advantage.”

Wolfric growled as he got to his paws. He tried to shift, but something kept him from shifting into his human form. What has happened to him?

The man laughed as he leaned in closer to the cage. “Having trouble shifting?” he asked with a smirk. “You will find that you can no longer shift. You are now my pet, and I will sell you to whoever pays the most. Even if they only want to open you and see how you tick.”

Wolfric growled and leaped at the door. The man jumped back with a laugh as the cage shook with Wolfric’s impact. The wolf tried to break through the door but couldn’t get it to budge.

The man laughed, turned from him, and walked away.

Wolfric stared at the cage door. Why couldn’t he break anything? He’s more than strong enough… He looked around for a shadow and moved toward the slight shadow in the corner of his cage. He tried to seep into the shadows, but the shadows wouldn’t accept him.

Wolfric whimpered. What was going on?

“You can try all your little gifts, but they won’t work.”

Wolfric turned to the voice, and if he was in his human form, he would suck in a shocked breath. Standing beside his cage was a Jotnar. He was huge, just like Helmfred. The Jotnar must have captured him when he stepped out of the cave. He should have started in the shadows. Then maybe he’d have skipped this part.

The Jotnar chuckled, “I will be rewarded well for you, Dire Wolf. And then I can feed my clan for months.”

Wolfric blinked. Feed his clan for months? Why would he need to kidnap and sell a wolf like him to get money for food? He thought Jotnars took care of themselves.

“I see the questions in your eyes, wolf. My clan is beyond the mountains and through the desert. There hasn’t been food for years….”

‘Maybe if you hadn’t killed or apparently sold everything,’ Wolfric thought to himself.

He was curious to know how the Jotnar knew of his gifts and why he couldn’t use them.

“As I said. I know who and what you are. Your powers were easy enough to hide from you. That collar around your neck will keep you from all your powers. You will never shift again or seep into the shadows. We made sure of it. Now, sit back, Wolf, and watch all the people look upon you to buy you and tame you, or….” The Jotnar licked his lips. “Eat you at one of their magnificent feasts.”

Wolfric growled. Do any of these morons know he’s a man behind this wolf form?

“We are ready for you, Jotnar,” a man said, stepping from the shadows and bowing to the Jotnar.

The Jotnar grinned and followed the small man to the bidding ring.

Wolfric shook his large head. There has got to be a way out of here. His Havent and fellow warriors need him.

~⚔~

“No one is here!” Akira shouted.

They’ve looked through the cave a dozen times and have found nothing. Not even a small trace of her dire wolf.

“We’ll find him,” Darius assured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to his side.

Akira shook her head but didn’t pull away.

“What now?” Zelious asked, looking around the empty cave.

“He was here,” Fin said, looking at a spot by the cave’s far wall.

“How can you be so sure?” Zelious asked, moving closer to where the troll was looking.

“Because I can smell his wolf,” Fin said, pointing to a spot on the ground. “He changed there, and they put him into a cage there.” Fin pointed to a second spot.

“How do you know this?” Zelious asked, intrigued by the young troll.

“Because I can see the imprint of his wolf and smell him here.” Fin stood in the spot Wolfric had shifted, looking around at the markings of the dire wolf.

“And someone placed him into a cage?” Leviasen asked, watching the troll.

Fin nodded.

“How do you know?” Akira asked.

Fin looked at the young Havent. What he could see on the floor of the cave, she was not going to like.

“The cage was empty when first placed in the cave. You can tell it got heavier before it was moved. By the grooves in the dirt….”

“Wolfric would never let someone cage him,” Akira said, her eyes scanning the area, her heart beating out of her chest.

Fin nodded. “I don’t think he was conscious….”

“What are you saying, Troll? Spit it out,” Malique growled.

Stella moved to stand beside her twin. She has seen what her brother is saying. The dire wolf is in dire trouble.

“They forced him to shift while unconscious and placed him in the cage,” Stella informed her friends.

The look on Akira’s face broke the female troll’s heart.

“But how?” Akira whispered.

“We don’t know that part. We aren’t witches,” Fin said.

“You sure sound like it sometimes,” Darius grumbled.

The twins ignored the Pegasus.

“Believe us, or don’t. Standing here arguing will not save the wolf,” Fin said, his nose in the air.

Akira knelt in front of the trolls and looked each of the twins in the eyes.

“I believe you,” she whispered. “Now tell me. How do we help my wolf?”

Fin and Stella smiled at her.

“We don’t know that part,” Stella said, her smile turning into a frown.

“But we will help you, as we promised when we started this journey with you,” Fin said with a bow.

Akira nodded and moved to her feet. She turned to the others and pointed to the cave entrance.

“Well, what are you all standing around for? We have my Wolf Warrior to rescue.”

Everyone nodded, and the group left the cave. They had no clue where they were going, but somehow, the group knew they would find what they were looking for, and hopefully, Wolfric will be alive when they found him.

~⚔~

Wolfric watched as man after man checked him out in his cage. He tried not to sneer at them, but he couldn’t help it. These horrible people buy and sell animals and humanoid creatures for food and sex.

One of the water nymphs on the auction block kept looking over at Wolfric as if she recognized him. When he would look at her, she would look away as if she knew his secret. As magical as a nymph was—he wouldn’t be surprised if she knew exactly who he was and who his Havent was.

“Sold! For two million in diamonds,” the auctioneer said, slamming down his gavel.

The nymph gave Wolfric one last look before she was carted away by her new master. The man who bought her had no clue what he was getting himself into. Because no matter how intense the collar around her neck may be, it won’t take long for the water nymph to break free, especially if she’s near water. And her “master” will regret ever laying eyes on her.

“Next up, three little elves. They were recently taken from the shoemaker’s grandson and are ready to serve their new master,” the auctioneer announced as a small cage carrying three little elves was placed on the stage.

The elves looked angry enough to kill. But Wolfric knew they were as trapped with those collars around their necks as he was. The bidding started at a hundred thousand and soared up quickly to one-in-a-half-million in rubies and gold. Wolfric now understood what the man had said about him being worth more than bobbles. He spoke of the gems and jewelry most bidders paid with.

“And finally, our biggest conquest yet,” the auctioneer said with a wide grin. “One of the last of his kind and a direct descendent of the infamous Amarok,” the auctioneer said, pointing toward Wolfric.

Wolfric growled when a light shined down on him. So, they know what he is. But do they know of his powers? Of his gifts? Of his Havent?

“Two hundred thousand!” someone shouted.

Wolfric snarled at the man who dared to bid on him.

The tall man who had talked to him earlier laughed as he stepped onto the stage.

“This is no ordinary dire wolf,” the man said. “He is also a shifter.”

The crowd gasped and stared at the giant wolf.

“Two million in rubies and diamonds!” someone shouted.

Wolfric snarled again. How dare they bid on him or any other creature captured by these horrid people. When he gets out of here, and he will, he will rescue everyone who was sold here and put an end to this madness.

“Did I mention he is also a Shadow Walker?” the tall man smirked.

Wolfric froze. How the fuck did he know that?

“How do you know that for sure?” someone asked.

The man laughed and explained, “because when we forced him to shift, his wolf slipped into the shadows. We had to pull him out by his leg and quickly clasp the collar around his neck.”

Wolfric almost groaned. Great, his wolf was automatically protecting him and instead gave away his secret.

“This creature is well worth more than a few million in jewels and stones. Someone here has what I want.” The man looked at another man in the middle of the crowd, and the stranger grinned.

Wolfric watched the stranger move through the crowd and stop in front of the cage. He looked at Wolfric, then up at the tall man.

“If he is what you say he is, I will pay fifteen million.”

Wolfric growled, watching the two men negotiate.

“Twenty-five,” the tall man said.

It seemed the man wasn’t auctioning Wolfric off but negotiating his price.

“Twenty,” the stranger said, a smirk on his face.

The tall man laughed. “Cash.”

The stranger grinned, “but of course.”

“Sold!” the auctioneer shouted, slamming down his gavel.

Wolfric growled and sneered as they moved his cage out of the auction tent.

“So,” the stranger paying a high price for Wolfric said.

The man walked around the cage once they were out in the sun, looking Wolfric up and down.

“Show me I have not wasted my money,” the man said, opening the door.

Wolfric jumped out and took the man down the moment the door was opened. The man laughed and pressed a button on a device he held. Wolfric whined as he fell over, convulsing.

‘Fuck, that hurt.’

“As long as you wear that collar, you are under my command. So, tell me, what is your name?” the man asked, watching the enormous wolf slowly breathe in and out.

Did they not know a wolf cannot speak? Only his Psychi can understand him in this form. And it took years before that happened. Not until after he and she—thinking of his Havent had his heart aching for her.

“Well?” the man asked, holding the metal box up in his hand.

Wolfric slowly moved to stand and towered over the man who held the torture device. He snorted air into the man’s face, and the man pressed the button.

Wolfric fell to the ground howling in pain as shocks shook his body until everything went black.

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