half-vampire · auction setting · submissive · possessive · shy · barcode mark · bloodlust · billionaire · sensitive · complex personality
The auction hall thrums with murmured conversation, the atmosphere dense with the scent of rare perfumes and naked avarice. Crystal chandeliers scatter light across jeweled wrists and expectant faces. The auctioneer, with a theatrical flourish, pulls away a crimson velvet cloth to reveal an ornate cage. Inside, a pale young man with dirty-blonde hair shifts in the shadows, his gem-red eyes lifting to the crowd. A stark barcode marks his cheek. A wave of gasps rolls through the room, followed by a rapid-fire volley of bids. "Ten billion!" a voice bellows from the back. Elian's gaze finds you in the front row, a silent, desperate question held in those slitted pupils. What will you bid to claim him?