Selena strained to understand the women that were in front of her. They had resigned themselves to their fate. They all remained silent, every single one of them.
They weren't really in a position to help her, anyway. They could not aid her in getting away. If they told their men about Selena and the guys, then told Cayden, it might even make matters worse.
The awkward pause quickly gave way to the women, continuing their previous chats before Selena entered the room.
A man was standing in the entryway when the door opened.
"Come on, pets. Dinnertime is here. The time has come for you to join your masters."
On hands and knees, each lady crawled toward the door, dragging their leashes behind them. This served as Selena's cue, and she followed suit.
The man abruptly pointed at Selena and said, "You. Your master commands you put this on." A satin veil was thrown at her by him.
Selena looked at the object with interest. It was a face mask-like gold veil that hid her face. She wondered why he wanted her to hide her face when her entire body was exposed. Though she didn't object, she swiftly tied the veil.
Cayden joined the other men at the dining room table. They all smiled as they saw them approach the room, their eyes ravenous. Selena met Cayden's eyes, and she noticed he seemed pleased.
Each lady took a seat at their "masters'" feet.
All she could make out of the powerful men were their slacks and black leather shoes. Nothing but shoes, which were undoubtedly covered in their enemies' blood.
Some women were massaging their man's legs with their faces in the manner of a submissive pet. While waiting patiently for what would happen next, some knelt. There was no flushing. Nobody was sobbing. Nobody was angry or suppressing their rage.
Selena was touched by Cayden's palm after he reached under the table. He softly petted her by running his fingers through her hair.
"So, you've finally gained a pet." A man remarked.
"Alpha Reiner," Cayden said. "She is incredibly unique."
Reiner focused his icy gaze directly on Selena, teasing and triumphantly boring into her eyes. Cayden's leg was grabbed tightly by Selena's fingers, but she forced a smile on her face. She practically burned with anxiety from head to toe.
Reiner grinned widely.
"Sadly, not my party. I heard about your accomplishments. You decimated the Blue moon pack, I've heard. Hawk was furious. Gerald was his close ally." He laughed deceitfully.
"I don't like to boast, but the strongest survive. Gerald lost because he was weak."
When her former mate was mentioned, Selena tensed up.
Reiner chuckled again, "Of course." His gaze once more turned to Selena.
"Who is she, I wonder?"
"During the presentation, you'll learn." Cayden rubbed her head and retorted.
"How is she?"
"She is gorgeous and well-trained." Selena's bare back was being tenderly stroked by Cayden as he spoke.
As his eyes swept the length of Selena, Reiner's smile turned lascivious.
"How talented is she? Perhaps I ought to place a bid for her at the auction." He chuckled.
Cayden remained silent. His grip on her waist was uncomfortable, and his face was expressionless. Reiner appeared to be aware of the escalating tension.
"I should leave right away. The performance is about to begin."
Cayden urged him, "Yes, you should," but his hand never left her side.
When Reiner moved a short distance away from them, she trembled.
She raised an eye at him. His expression was stern, his eyes fixed straight ahead. He didn't care if people were horrified and terrified as they observed him.
"Don't hand me over to them."
Cayden gave her a frown. "What are you talking about?"
"I won't be sold to them, please," she muttered.
Cayden's face flashed with realisation and then resolve. "Never. You belong to me."
"Are you sure? If his daughter is sold right in front of his eyes, what better way to disgrace my father?"
She preferred ownership, which was an unexpected turn of events, but anything was preferable to being a possession of one of those men.
Cayden said, "You are mine," and then he stopped. She saw that there was a commotion as a few more guests arrived. As Selena recognised her father, her eyes widened in shock. Five years had passed since she last saw him. She wasn't expecting him to arrive with two naked women on a leash, even though he hadn't altered much. She froze. Regarding her father, everything Cayden described was accurate. She saw in horror as boisterous males mocked and teased the defenceless women.
"Gentlemen," said Hawk.
"I know the moment hasn't come, but I couldn't help myself. I give you this. Luna Clemia and Josie, her daughter." As he pulled on the chains, the women were forced into the middle.
The tables had been set up in a circle. The women stood still and gazed at the ground.
"Are they a mother and a daughter?" Somebody yelled.
"From the Red Pearl pack, yes," Hawk said with pride.
"It's unusual to find a mother and daughter slave pair that are both well-trained."
"Show us what they are capable of." The men shouted.
Hawk grinned before giving the women a command. They approached one another sensually before beginning to kiss and caress.
Selena struggled to hide her shock. It was unnatural and wrong. She felt nauseated. She knew that if she stayed any longer, she would throw up.
"I have to go to the bathroom. Please." She begged.
Cayden stared at her. "5 minutes." He spoke.
"Thank you, My Alpha," After saying this, she quickly left the room. For her, the guards unlocked the door. She wanted to run away from all this. She ran, but just up till the restroom. She couldn't leave even if she wanted to. She had to confront her father's demons.
She leaned against the door as she shut it. As she took deep breaths, tears fell from her eyes.
She kept saying to herself, "I can do this... I can do this..." like a mantra. After she had stopped crying, she splashed water on her face and looked in the mirror. Her tears had made her eyes red, but her waterproof makeup was still beautiful.
When Cayden abruptly barged inside, she was preparing to leave.
She stumbled in terror, "I....I... hadn't expected to remain this long."
He comforted her by stroking her hair while remaining silent. He drew back and looked at her face after hearing her make a sound.
She always attempted to hide her emotions from him, which drove him to pursue the truth with all the ruthlessness he could muster.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
She pressed her knuckles to her lips and choked back a gasp, suddenly seeming uneasy, as though alarmed by his gaze but unsure of whether to fear it.
She said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just couldn't stand watching it any longer. You were right. My dad is a monster."
He had never seen it before, at least not for him, but there was something almost anguished in her eyes. The sight mesmerised Cayden.
"How can he do those despicable things? Oh! I'm truly sorry. Why is Luna so cruel to make me the daughter of such a man?" She uttered those words while turning to the ceiling as if she were speaking to the sky or to distant unseen beings who were entertaining themselves by taking her up and placing her in a series of horrific situations while she struggled to survive.
She groaned and shook her head. "I don't even think there are gods. I think I'm losing my mind. "
There was a shift between them. Something had changed. Cayden could feel the change. It was getting harder to hate her and remain detached from her pain.
"You won't need to experience that. I swear." He spoke.
"Cayden, you terrify me, but I finally believe you when you say that you want to keep me safe. So, this is what you should do."
She placed a hand on his abdomen, running her fingers over the muscles.
"I will do whatever you say. No matter how degrading it is. I will survive among those snakes if you want me to."