Who is Magpie?

Planning was possibly the only thing that kept them from killing each other. Well that and knowing Jessamine would hurt like hell if one of them died.

Azural did have Mina bring those from their village to the pack land, mostly to keep Oakley close. However, while they all took to sleeping in the banquet hall, with the regular residents set up in new rooms, he warned him to not let them know he was his son until they got Jessamine back. Oakley had cried and cried that first night to know his mom was gone again, and Azural had held him until he cried himself to sleep.

He had wanted to cry himself, mostly in frustration. Jessamine had been right about relocating the pack, they were fed well and they let some of the adults join training in the yard to help with the rescue. Their life would be richer and safer with a larger pack.

Selfishly, he wondered what the point was. Losing his pack and his woman to another alpha felt like an ironic end for a rogue. However, he had been born a rogue, from a long line of Alphas with no land, had seen them starve and suffer between periods of plenty. What Jessamine had asked was something to consider.

-

“I should go in, you don’t know your way around,” Azural argued again for probably the fifth time.

Bronx pinched and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “They know you too well, if they don’t sense you when you walk through the fucking door they’ll recognize you when you win.”

Ezekiel was counting the bag of money for the fifth time sure it was never enough for Jessamine. “He’s right. I honestly question us going in but I’m not about to send someone else in my place to get her out.”

Azural laughed. “With the facial hair the two of you have accumulated over the last two weeks I think she’ll have a hard time recognizing you let alone the Martin.”

This time the sadness didn’t float passed them. Was it really only two weeks? Was it really already two weeks? They weren’t sure which statement was more unbelievable.

“Is everyone ready?” Ezekiel asked Fiona again who nodded.

“All of the cars are packed and the doctor has everything they’ll need from a paper cut to a broken leg.” Fiona assured but everyone in the room cringed at the thought of her breaking another bone.

“And Azural, the time?” Ezekiel barked at him.

He checked his phone. “We’ve got two hours.”

Ezekiel nodded again, looking at his reflection in the window, and wondering if she really would have trouble recognizing him. He could remember how she acted when they first met, and hoped he wouldn’t have to see her so sick again.

The tension between them was so thick they couldn’t tell where one of their anxiety ended and another’s unease began. They were unlikely to feel anything else until they had her safely, but they welcomed the feeling keeping their senses sharp.

Azural was good at maps, and had drawn out one showing them exactly where to go and park for the auction. They would be met by someone who would lead them through some tunnels to the big room where the bids would take place.

Azural had described everything to them in great detail, knowing with how he felt about her now that they would react poorly to seeing her there. If they let a single growl or snarl free it would be over and he was positive they were underestimating how much control it would take.

Every part of the event took place underground, eliminating the use of any long distance communication devices or transmitters. Everything would rely on timing and they synchronized their watches before their departure.

When they were close Ezekiel and Bronx pulled over to put in tinted contacts to hide the gold in their eyes and changed into fresh clothes that smelt of herbs and smoke. Down the road they saw a man directing them to park in a garage hidden by trees, bushes and earth. They didn’t plan on returning to this car, leaving their keys in the visor incase they changed their mind and needed a quick exit, and followed him into a tunnel opening.

“Straight down, can’t miss it. Good luck,” he wished, eyeing their large bag delightfully.

“We’ll get what we want,” Bronx returned lowly, walking beside Ezekiel as he adjusted his suit jacket.

The tunnel opened into a large dark room and they filed into a booth with large plush seats. The booths were back lit to obscure anyone from seeing one another but their voices carried easily to the wolven ears present.

“There was a wolven girl here last night.”

“That’s new, I wonder where they got her from.”

“Thing is, I’ve seen her here before, they were underselling her for years as a human. Not really my taste, human girls, but I wish I had gone for it while she was cheaper.”

“Bidding went quite high then?”

“Of course. Well out of my range for an evening. Looked like they had her out the day before as well.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well.. you’ll see.”

Bronx elbowed Ezekiel who was grinding his teeth nearly audibly. He straightened in his chair, their bag on the floor between them a constant reminder of what everyone else was there for. The vo

ices hummed around them, someone else had commented that just seeing Jessamine the day before had been worth the price of entry, making it Ezekiel’s turn to hold his brother in place.

———

An old man came out to the stage grinning widely to the crowd. “Welcome to the final day of the long weekend auction, I hope you have your money ready because this will be the final evening for many of the pieces tonight. You all have been well informed of the rules in my house, and, unless you want to end up on the stage next week, I suggest you stick to them.”

Catty laughter circled the room at the mere prospect of them ending up where those they purchased stood. They dragged out the first boy, eyes wild and terrified. The bidding went back and forth between a couple of people, Ezekiel dropped a bid in the middle to seem indifferent. Tonight’s auction would be the last auction for everyone, ever.

This continued, another girl was brought out, just as scared. Progressively the people they brought out looked less and less concerned. Many of them didn’t even look at anyone or appear to notice when the gavel came down for their price.

The night groaned on and they grew fearful when they hadn’t seen her yet, even their booth neighbours commenting how they hadn’t seen the wolven. As if on cue, a smug boy came out holding a leash and Jessamine trailed behind him as if in a daze.

Wearing a thin white shirt and black shorts, there wasn’t much the eye couldn’t behold. She looked spent, her body covered in dark to light bruises in different stages of healing , and marking the time she had been there. Areas of her skin were red and scabbed over, some areas in crescent mouth shapes and other crude lines and slashes.

When they reached the middle of the stage he yanked on the lead and her face squinted up, her neck stretching to the side in pain. Slowly she bent one leg, lowering herself onto her ass while keeping the other leg straight out, like she didn’t really care and hadn’t thought out the action she was performing.

She looked as if she had been turned off; like everything had been taken from her leaving only a shell of herself.

It took a combined effort to stay in their seats, feeling absolutely nothing from her; no emotion, no recognition that she even sensed them sitting 30 feet away. The bidding started high and Ezekiel spoke his counter bid, waiting for her to turn and regard him, but she hadn’t moved from picking her nails.

The bidding continued, but they knew they would win. They would sell the farm to make sure no one else ever touched her again. The gavel slammed down and she was directed to stand in front of their booth, where her leash was hung on a hook set in the wall in front of them, and they handed over the money.

Waiting for the rest of the auction to finish was perhaps more painful then waiting to see her. She was there. Two feet in front of their feet like she was beneath them.

It was a mix of relief and disgust to see another shadow pull the person at their feet into their lap. Ezekiel reached forward and grabbed Jessamine’s shoulder, guiding her back toward him. Bronx leaned over, brushing his hand against hers as she sat over one of Ezekiel’s legs to face them both.

“My love,” he whispered into her ear and her hand moved cautiously to touch her nose like she had an itch.

Bronx’s hand landed on her knee and gently squeezed, but she didn’t react further. While she sat perfectly still in Ezekiel’s lap, the only sound they could hear was their hearts racing in their chests.

The final gavel slammed down. “That is the last purchase of the evening. Lots, go to the chosen rooms, and buyers, enjoy your evening.”

Jessamine slid off his lap, carefully removed the lead handle from the wall, and handed it to Bronx. She waited for them both to stand, seeing others walk off down one of the halls lining the back wall.

Her mouth clenched and trembled as the words forced their way out. “W-which pu-pl-pleasure is your cu-cup o-f ti-tea?”

They understood. “You pick darling.”

She turned on the heal of her barefoot, walking down a hall on the left. Close behind her, trying to mimic what the others did in following, Bronx holding the leash like he meant to use it and Ezekiel holding her hips and rubbing his hands over her.

Jessamine waited for one of them to open a door to a room full of furniture that they tried not to focus too firmly on, and Ezekiel closed and locked it firmly behind them. The men sagged a little, feeling more comfortable now that they were alone, but Jessamine hadn’t shifted in the slightest. Her pupils seem to pulse within her irises like they struggled to focus.

Everything about her body said that she was in pain, and not in control of herself. One hand moved to hold one of hers, and another hand cupped her cheek, and as she closed her eyes, absorbing what little she could of the comfort through the haze. With that they felt a twitch in her, like a feeling trying to surface, if only she could remember the time before the pain.