The trip was terrifying since they didn't know where they were going. None of his pack had ever been in a vehicle before, so a few of them got motion sickness from the swaying.
Eventually, Lucas woke up. His eyes frantically searched the group until his sight rested on Teru.
He mumbled something, but it couldn't be heard with the loud engine in the background. He passed out again.
Time went by before the truck stopped to let them do their private business in the bushes. The humans' hands remained bound behind their backs. When Teru was released from the hogtie, his muscles throbbed from being in the same position for so long. They didn't have to worry about him fighting back though—he was tired from the truck's stuffiness. It was sweltering in there.
Teru peeked through a rusty hole. More cars of all sizes had joined them on the road. In the distance were shimmering structures touching the evening sky. He thought such things only existed in picture books.
Skyscrapers.
It was a city.
The truck approached a high, barbwire gate. The drivers talked with the guards. The huge doors opened. They zoomed by walking people. It was difficult to tell from the vehicle's speed, but he swore he saw chains attached to their necks.
The truck slowed down at another black gate. It was much fancier with lights, plants, and shooting water from the ground. Long cars were lined up in front of a giant building, waiting to drop off the people inside. Instead of joining that line, they drove around the back.
"What's happening?" someone dared to whisper. No one could say.
When the engine shut off, everyone perked up with anticipation. The back doors swung open. A new vampire in black clothes inspected the dirty humans with a flashlight. He and the two drivers exchanged words and pointed at Teru. The light shined on him, and it blinded his eyesight.
"Everyone out!" he barked. The humans didn't move. They were petrified.
The bloodsucker scoffed in annoyance. He snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a flood of other vampires came into the truck. Teru's pack members cried at being yanked up and thrown down the truck's steep drop to the ground. The lights from the metal poles flickered above them. They looked at it in a trance. This was their first time seeing electricity.
"In a line!"
They stumbled and crawled around as told, but it wasn't fast enough. The vampire kicked a beta in the stomach. "Faster!"
Once in a crooked line, the vampires blindfolded them. Lucas leaned back and grasped the bottom of Teru's shirt. He was trying to comfort him, but the alpha was shaking like a leaf. Both of them were.
They were herded inside. The temperature was suddenly warm. And the smell...what was this? It was a mixture of sweet, musk, sweat, and rut pheromones from alphas. Teru could tell there were many alphas here, given their unique scents. It was suffocating to his sensitive nose. What was this place?
Then the sounds came. People were crying. Some were laughing. There were lustful moans. Snaps from whips cracked through the hallways.
"Stop!"
Their blindfolds were jerked off.
"Betas in the front!" Twelve betas were ushered through a grey door. Teru looked inside before it closed. He saw many normal humans of all ages on a big stage with seated spectators watching them.
The remaining people were roughly pushed forward. A few hallways away, they stopped in front of a more posh door. It was shiny and gold. The vampire pressed the button on the wall. It made a buzzing sound. The door opened to reveal another bloodsucker with a mask that covered the top half of his face. His mask had shiny sparkles and black feathers. "How many?"
"Four alpha males, one alpha woman, and one omega male."
"An...an omega?" His gaze went to Teru immediately. "Holy...That one will reach a high price. Maybe the highest in this auction house's history."
"Makes you wanna try him out yourself, right?"
The masked vampire laughed but disagreed. "My boss would kill me." He stepped aside and pointed from left to right in the dark, mysterious room. "Bring 'em in. Alphas to the left. Omega to the right."
Some beta humans came out. Three of them, two women and a man, came forward to fetch Teru. He eyed their revealing uniforms and thought they looked like swimsuits, something his dad had shown him in a book about swimming. The two girls wore a black, sheer one-piece with leather straps connecting the suit to their knee-length socks. The shoes looked uncomfortable with the heel connected to the bottom. It made them taller. Seeing the women's exposed cleavage made Teru blush. How were they supposed to go hunting in that get-up? The man had black straps zigzagging across his body. Those were attached to a small cloth barely covering his lower half.
All of them had a yellow collar around their necks.
The trio guided Teru away. He and Lucas were pulled apart. Lucas was outraged. His friend attempted to pull Teru back to him. "You bastards! This is so messed up!" he seethed, displaying his alpha canines.
The alpha vamp pulled violently on Lucas's hair and growled. Lucas didn't back down and snarled back with unwavering eye contact. This was becoming a full-on challenge.
"You're lucky you're a human alpha, a precious commodity. I would've killed you otherwise. Say goodbye to your boyfriend." With that, the vampire pulled Lucas behind him to the left hallway by the hair.
"Don't go!" Teru cried, trying to reach out to his childhood pack member, but Teru couldn't see them anymore as they disappeared into the black abyss. The servants steered him to the right, entering the darkness themselves. His chest tightened with fear.
Then, they entered a bright room with white marble floors and gold furniture. Small balls of electricity lit up the space above them.
"I'll prepare the bath," the beta man said. He went over to a giant bowl and moved some handles. Water spewed out.
They made him sit on a fluffy chair. "We've never used this room before," a woman commented while organizing an even more skimpy outfit with jewelry. No way that was for him, right?
One of them poked his nape's birthmark. "Hopefully this won't deter buyers. His skin seems perfect besides this." She forced his mouth open by squeezing his cheeks together. "His teeth are surprisingly white."
The other woman scoffed, "There hasn't been an omega sold here in decades. He could have missing limbs and he'd still fetch a high price. A birthmark is nothing."
"A-are you blood slaves?" Teru wanted to know.
They looked at him. "No. We chose this." The women began stripping him. "We volunteered to become servants. That's what yellow collars symbolize."
"Why would you...?"
The man rudely said, "It was either this or continue being hunted like animals out there. Betraying your pack's location means you get to live and not become a blood slave. Now be quiet and let us work. It's almost time for the auction to start."
He took off Teru's necklace and his knapsack tied around his waist. "Wait! Please!" he sobbed. Tears blinded him. "Please don't take that."
"You'll get it back. Your possessions will be given to your buyer."
Something sharp pinched his arm. There was a needle in his skin. After stealing his blood, the beta announced, "Alright, the sample is drawn for the STI test. Now to—"
Teru didn't like this at all. The door to this room was left open. He sprinted away while the betrayers were distracted.
"Get him!"
The male quickly tackled him from the back. The side of his head smacked against the hard marble. His brain rattled and his ears rang. God, that hurt. Teru puked. The servants yelled at each other, but he couldn't understand with the high-pitched ring.
Every nook and cranny on Teru's body was scrubbed, lotioned up with a flowery scent, and dressed in nothing but leather straps. Jewels were tediously placed on his wrists, ears, and throat. They applied powders and paints on his face. He let them handle him like a puppet.
His head really freaking hurt.
Next, they carefully guided him out of the bathing room. Where were they going now?
There was a line with seven alphas and one beta waiting near the stairs ahead, their wrists bound and chained to one another. They were in similar outfits as he was. A few were strangers, but most were from his pack. The person at the end stood up straight as Teru came closer. Lucas.
The servants placed him behind the line and shackled his hands, too, but didn't chain him with the others.
After they left, Lucas held Teru's face in his hands.
"Teru, oh my god! Are you okay?"
The omega smiled. "You're here. You look nice. No dirt."
Lucas was concerned. "What did they do to you?"
"My head..."
His friend checked Teru's head and bristled when he saw the injury. "There's a nasty bump here. Did those betas hurt you?"
Lucas was abruptly pulled up the stairs with the chained line. Since Teru wasn't tethered with them, he stayed where he was.
A woman's voice echoed through the corridor. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this evening's premium human auction at the Nashville Auction House. We have some alphas and high-quality betas waiting for their new homes. Tonight, there is a special grand finale. The rules are clear about bidding, as each of you know. Per usual, when the auction is finished, you may pay for the goods and collect your human at the entrance hall. Let's begin. First up is a pretty beta female. She was found in northern Indiana and has an O negative blood type, around 21 years old..."
One by one, the remaining alphas were unchained individually and escorted around the corner. The whole time this was happening, Lucas didn't break his eye contact with Teru from the top of the stairs. Before Lucas disappeared, he mouthed, I'll find you. I promise.
Once he was out of sight, Teru trembled uncontrollably and released bitter pheromones.
Apparently, Lucas was popular because the bids continued to go up and up. There was clapping for whomever the winner was.
Then it was Teru's turn.
The omega was the "special grand finale."