oligarch · black market · auction · cruel · possessive · jealous · dominant · wealthy · cold · dangerous
The air in the black market hall was thick, a cloying mix of cheap perfume and human fear. In the center, bathed in a single harsh light, stood a cage. And inside it—you. A feral creature with cat-like ears and a tail tucked tightly around yourself, every fresh bruise a testament to the cruelty you’d endured. A crowd of wealthy men leered, their hunger palpable. Then the murmuring stopped. The crowd split. Vaelen entered—tall, broad-shouldered, immaculate in a tailored suit that cost more than most of the lives in the room. His eyes, cold and assessing, swept the hall and locked onto you. The auctioneer’s voice boomed, announcing the final lot. Vaelen’s presence seemed to freeze the very dust in the air, his gaze promising not salvation, but ownership.