Kirion stood to the right of his father, staring openly at me now. I couldn’t help but scent him as I got closer. Somethingsweet I couldn’t define. It took me back to a scene out of my childhood. A cold day. A fire in a hearth and my two brothers and me kneeling before a flashing gameboard. We all wore the same pajamas. We were a real family. Happy. Comfortable. Safe.
Why had that flashed through my mind now as I stood in a cold room with a guy by a makeshift throne and his son? This wasn’t about comfort or safety. I was trying to buy my son’s cooperation and obedience with soulless cash. Kirion certainly wasn’t in a situation of safety. This was a fucked-up scene. I desperately put that thought from my mind.
But that scent… it tugged hard. A pulse of longing went through me.
Rohan made a waving motion with his hand. A man in a plain black suit came forward, tablet in hand.
“This is Dillon, my accountant. He will make sure the money is legitimately in my account before you take Kirion.”
Take Kirion.He said those words without an ounce of emotion, though his eyes glowed. For the money, of course.
I tried to focus on my phone and the tablet. On the numbers I was repeating to my accountant and the transaction at hand. But out the corner of my eye it was Kirion who had my heart racing. He stared at me, now. I flicked my gaze toward him. Up close, his pretty makeup showed, pink lips, slightly open, and dark blue eyeliner. He had beautiful blue eyes, graceful brows, and flawless skin.
Everyone in this room had been looking at his physical attributes. Thinking about the pedigree omega they’d lost and I’d won. That had to feel awful for Kirion. And I was playing my own part in that.
When the transaction was over, Rohan said, “All bidders today were carefully vetted. I expect my son to be cared for in the luxury he was born to. You will oversee his well-being and send monthly reports.”
I had signed an earlier contract just to be allowed in here. I remembered that part of it.
“No one will abuse him. You know what I’m worth and how I live.”
Rohan lifted an eyebrow. “Yes.”
He knew I was richer than he was. By a thousand times.
“He will live the lifestyle to which he’s accustomed.” I left out the part about Malin who had no clue I was bring Kirion home. For him.
I resisted the urge to rub my forehead. Had I done the right thing? I couldn’t answer that right now. This was my decision and I was sticking to it.
Rohan stood aside, waving at his princeling son. “He’s yours. Do you need him chained?”
“What?”
“He won’t run but I have a pretty gold chain fitted and ready for him.”
Another man brought out a fancy black box, opened it, and took out a thin, glittery chain. At a loss for words, I watched as he grabbed Kirion’s right arm and fitted it to his wrist, then handed me the end of the leash. I realized then it was meant to be decorative, not practical.
Kirion’s hand was shaking. He made a tight fist.
“My staff have already brought his things to your limo,” Rohan said.
Kirion still hadn’t uttered a sound. Before I could blink, Rohan was gone. We were being escorted out.
Rohan had never said goodbye to his son. Or me.
3
Kirion
Ithought it would be harder to leave. I thought I would feel something. And I did. Hatred. For my father who some small part of me thought would change his mind at the last minute and decide to keep me in an unprecedented show of emotion for his only child.
We were never close. I was in private boarding schools for most of my life. Rohan had paid for a surrogate, so I never knew my omega father. He had bought himself an heir. Me. Seemed fitting Rohan’s heir no longer held any rights. If he tried to make another heir, I never wanted to know.
The alpha dragon who won the bid for me took the delicate gold chain in his hands. Then he did something unexpected. He wrapped it around my wrist.
“No harm will come to you. I promise. Plus, it’s in the contract.”
I believed him. But that didn’t make this any less of a nightmare.
