The Alpha King's Claim novel Chapter 18

The Alpha King’s Claim chapter 18 by desirenovel

Serena

Vampires.

They were just myths playing a man’s mind, romanticized by writers and overused by television shows in my world. But after spending time in Phanteon and actually seeing a real werewolf, I knew better now that vampires really exist too and my best guess was, I am in their realm.

I was never a fan of vampires. The gore, the blood, the fangs, the sleeping in the coffin, and all that creepy turning-into-a-bat stuff. I wished they were all just creations of a writer’s mind to keep readers on their toes. However, judging from my situation and the other women with me in this room, I was beginning to think otherwise. After all, why kidnap human females if not for their blood right?

I felt the color drain my face as reality hit me and soon, my eyes brimmed with tears. However, I wasn’t a crier. I had never been one, so I held it back. Now was not the time to be emotional. Now was the time to escape.

As I formulated a plan in my mind, I saw the women around me one by one pass through the door connected to the other side of the room. I saw blondie and her friend leave too. She didn’t say goodbye to me. She just said good luck and with that, I knew I had to do something to curb this fate of mine.

Twenty minutes later, I counted the remaining women around ten, including me. Some looked young, teenagers perhaps, and others looked like me, in their twenties and in the prime of their lives. I understood why they looked scared. I reckon this was their first time in another realm.

Somehow, selfishly, at the back of my mind, I was thankful my first jump didn’t end up in the vampire realm and in this auction no less. I was thankful I ended up in Phanteon, treated like royalty although at first my head was threatened of dismemberment.

“You, get up,” a busty, fat woman pointed to me with her finger and signaled me to move.

I looked at her with all the hatred I could give. I didn’t want to be next. I still need to make a plan, but I guess I was running out of time.

“Get up I say!” she shouted, her face turning red.

Puffing my chest up, I straightened into my full height and walked to the door with my head held high. No vampire would buy me. No vampire would drain my blood. I’ll make sure of that.

It turned out, the room I entered was not just a room. It was actually a theater. The platform blondie talked about wasn’t just a small platform but actually a stage with two spotlights set-up directly on the center where an artsy sun was drawn.

The man I come to know as Mr. Manross was standing in the boundary of the stage and the backstage. He motioned for me with his head to walk into the spotlighted area, but I gave him a scowl instead.

“You have two choices. Either you show yourself to my customers or you will be bled dry by my juicer,” he stated with a warning tone.

I huffed and clenched my teeth. “You’ll pay for this,” I said, giving him a warning of my own. At the back of my head, the King’s face popped. I didn’t think he’d sentence this man to death just because of me, but I’d like to believe he’d avenge me anyway. That false hope was what I cling to in the middle of this mess.

Once again, I walked out into the stage with my head held high, but deep inside I was scared and nervous. I didn’t want these so-called customers to see me weak. Vampires, as far as I know, prey on the weak. My heart was pounding heavily and my head was still giving me an aura of a headache from my fall earlier. Not to mention my wrist mark too. It was still throbbing and adding to my list of problems.

When I stopped directly on top of the sun sign, I looked at the row of seats in front of me. It was generally dark, but I could still see the silhouettes of people. Some were sitting while others were standing. I couldn’t define if these vampires were male or female but they all had one thing in common: they had red, glowing eyes.

A chill crept up my spine. Never in my life had I thought I’d be in this situation. Not at all.

“Recently acquired by our hunter, this woman here is still fresh out from Earth,” I heard a man’s voice through the microphone. I instantly scanned the area and my eyes landed on a small balcony high up on my right. It was spotlighted too. My guess was, this was the auctioneer.

“As you can see, she is flawless and full of life. Her fair complexion allows you my Lords to see through the veins and arteries under her skin.”

I wanted to wretch at the introduction of me. They were seriously going to sell me as food for these vampires?! I clenched my jaw. Not on my watch.

“Fair warning!” I quickly shouted and gave the audience laser-sharp glares. I was told to stand up in the center, but they never warned me about talking during the auction.

I heard a quick gasp from the crowd and then murmurs. This must be the first time their slave talked back to them.

The auctioneer raised his hand and glared at me. “Tie your tongue, human. You have no right to talk.”

My nose flared. “I believe I do.”

I then raised my hands up as if I was that enormous statue in Rio Grande on top of the hill. Then, I twisted my right hand to reveal my mark. This would ever be the first time I use this mark to my advantage. I hoped it would work.

“I am the Queen of Phanteon and I order you to release me and the slaves you captured for this auction.”

Collective gasps—louder this time—enveloped the air of the theater. The auctioneer’s eyes went wide and he immediately looked past me to someone behind me.

“Manross, what is the meaning of this?” he grounded out; the goatee he had didn’t cover the grim line on his mouth.

“I swear I didn’t know!” Manross cried out as he stepped past me. “She was on Earth! I assumed she’s human!”

“Well, we can’t purchase that woman. Werewolf blood taste bitter,” somebody said from the audience, and immediately, murmurs erupted and I heard some affirmed his words with a ‘yes.’ They probably thought me a werewolf since I am the queen. Good. Let them believe it and I’d take advantage of it.

“True, I heard from my sources that the King of Phanteon was just recently married and many said it was blessed by their deity through a mark on their wrists,” the auctioneer said. He stared back at me with a displeased look on his face. “If she’s indeed telling the truth and that wrist mark is real, then it’s going to be a big problem. I don’t want King Aero to cross our realm and wage war on us. Our kind had been peaceful since the creation of the realms. It would be a shame that would be ruined just for a mere woman.”

I sensed the dripping arrogance of the auctioneer. I didn’t like it, but I held my comments to myself.

He looked at Manross again and gave out a long sigh. “Do as she says,” he said. Deep inside me, I was cheering. I didn’t think my plan would be successful.

“But Master Oldan! We can’t release the others! Our customers—”

“Will understand,” he finished and then looked at the audience bearing a big smile on his face.

“My Lords and Ladies have been very supportive of us since this auction started a hundred years ago. I’m sure they support my decision.”

I saw silhouettes of heads bobbed up and down in confirmation.

“I’m sure you could always hunt new ones, so I say release this woman and the remaining others at the back room.”

“Release those women you already auctioned off too,” I added, making myself sound sterner.

The auctioneer shook his head and clucked his tongue. “No, no. That can’t do, miss. You see, the vampire lords who had paid for them already sent them to their destinations. As to where that is, I have no idea.”

I hissed thinking about blondie and her friend who had gone before me. I felt sorry I couldn’t save them on time.

“Fine. I’ll take what’s left of us then,” I stated. “Return us to Earth now.”

“If I may…” a new man voiced out suddenly and then, a spotlight was routed to him. He was standing in the highest balcony on the left wearing a starched black suit. His hairline was receding and he looked to be no older than sixty.

“My master would like to purchase that woman including all the remaining slaves you have.”

The master in question was sitting on the left side, his face and overall bearing were covered in darkness.

I felt a panic rush inside me. What was he doing?!