Alien Seduction: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Alien Love Book 1) (5 page)

As she was preoccupied with this obviously powerful man, she missed the girl being taken off the platform and led away by a man, who, no doubt had just bought her. As she watched this whole scene, inexplicably mesmerized by the man in the center chair, she saw a figure that she recognized. She narrowed her eyes, her heart fluttering in her chest at the mere prospect of knowing someone else here. There were, undoubtedly, many other women from her town who had been kidnapped, so it was possible…

Her jaw dropped when she stepped onto the platform, completely naked and a camera took a shot of her face and Janette got a good look of those big, almond eyes she only ever saw on Victoria. “Oh my God.” She whispered. Aside from being at least ten pounds thinner, she looked just like she had the last time she saw her at that bar. Seeing something so familiar in such a foreign place made Janette’s skin crawl.

The numbers went up for her, a shock shooting up Janette’s spine at the thought of her friend being auctioned off like an old painting. They flipped and flipped and flipped, then they peaked. She was led off of the platform to the man that had won the bed and the next girl was auctioned off.

This went on for so long that Janette began to lose herself. She became so engulfed her thoughts, so preoccupied with trying to figure out ways to find her again that she hardly realized that she was next.

Lane led her out onto the field, a long paved path, lined with heavy set males carrying what looked like weapons stopping just before the short set of steps that led to the platform. They were under cover there, completely invisibly to those in the stands, and those bidding in the seats on the field.

Lane turned to face her, his eyebrow raised as he gestured for her to take off her clothes.

Janette complied, wincing at the sensation of that cool draft on her breasts and in between her legs. She felt the panic set in once more as her vulnerability peaked, but she told herself to ignore it: ignore the discomfort, the fear, the pain. It was something she had told herself day in and day out in the courtroom, sorting through evidence, in the prison cells.

Ignore it.

“Don’t look them in the eye. They want submission. If you do that, you’ll get a good one.” Lane explained.

He thought he was being helpful, but just hearing him say those words made Janette want to scream with fury.

They want submission.

Janette heard someone at the top of the stairs summon her so she went. On top of the platform, and under the blanket of all of those lights, it felt as if it were at least twenty degrees warmer. On top of the platform, the cheers and the stomping did not feel invasive or uncomfortable. In fact, she felt like she was being caressed by the white noise.

Don’t look them in the eye.

Janette found the one she was looking for. That male sitting centered. The one with the smug grin and fir-lined throne. She found him and she looked right into her coal-lined eyes.

She matched his grin.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see herself on the large screen, her eyes wide and intense as she stared directly into the crowd. Slowly, the noise began to dwindle, until she was standing in complete silence. She glowered at that male until he stood up.

No one bid on her, for as soon as he began to make his way towards her, as soon as he held his perfect, sculpted hand out to her; it became abundantly clear that she could not be touched. She took his hand, the soft skin pressing into hers as she stepped down the front of the platform. The sensation was electric. Spasm inducing. Chilling.

He snapped the fingers of his free hand without taking his eyes off of her. She held his gaze, but out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a younger male rushing towards him, a black, fur jacket in his hand.

As he draped it around her should, Janette could hear a voice. It had floated all the way from the second row of bidders, but she could just pick out the words.

“The Pharaoh has chosen his wife.”