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“Miss, what is this concerning?”
“The auction!” I say with adrenaline rushing through my veins. “I’d like to be auctioned off!”
ChapterTwo
Elias
Istorm over to Novak’s trailer with an unstoppable rage ripping through my tense body. I’ve had enough of this motherfucker.
He’s been pushing my buttons all goddamn summer, buying up all the forested land around my ranch and polluting the shit out of it with his fracking company.
I’ve been wanting to let my Kodiak maul this bastard, but I’ve always held the furry beast back. Until now.
This morning, when my bear was roaming through the forest onmyland thatmyfather owned andmygrandfather before him, I found a team of engineers planning where they’re going to start drilling.
I nearly lost it. I scared them pretty good with my bear though. They won’t be back for a while.
This billionaire asshole thinks he can do whatever he wants because he’s willing to throw around some cash. Well, my land isnotfor sale. It’s staying in my family and if I’m lucky enough to find my mate and have some cubs one day, I’ll hand it over to them when the time comes, and I’ll make damn sure the property is inpristineshape.
“Novak,” I roar as I yank open the flimsy door. I march into his trailer and find him sitting behind his desk.
“Mr. Gatlin,” he says with a grin on his face. “Have you come to make a deal?”
Even my Kodiak bear hates this guy. He’s pacing around angrily inside, snarling and snapping his big jaws at the rank smell of cigar that’s always following this asshole around. He’s an old, out of shape man at around sixty five years if I had to guess. Barely a hint of hair on his bald head and several thick rolls of skin on the back of his neck. A small pair of glasses are perched on his big bulbous nose.
This town—Clarington Springs—was such a beautiful place before he moved in with his huge machinery that I can hear roaring all the way to my ranch. He’s cut down thousands of trees, ripped up the beautiful land, and polluted at least two rivers.
“I’ll make a deal with you,” I say through gritted teeth as I march over and slam my fists on his desk. The cheap wood groans under my knuckles. He leans back in his chair with a cocky smile as I lean forward.
I could snap this guy in half. He’s zero match for me physically, but he’s still got that arrogant way about him that only a billionaire can have. Unfortunately, money means power and he’s got an inexhaustible supply of it.
But he better not push me too far. Money isn’t the only type of power and I got the other kind in spades. I’m a shifter hiding a vicious Kodiak bear inside my body and he’s extra cranky since I’m forty-five years old and we still haven’t even had a whiff of our mate yet.
“The deal is,” I say with a growl. “You stay off my property and you can keep your fucking head. Send your goons onto my land one more time and I’ll tear your fucking throat out. Got it?”
He sneers as he picks up an unlit cigar and runs it through his fingers.“That wasn’t the deal proposed, Mr. Gatlin,” he says as he runs the cigar under his nose, inhaling the rich tobacco. “Seven million for your ranch.”
“Get fucked.”
“Since I’m in such a generous mood,” he says with a grin. “I’ll increase the offer to eight million. Now, that’s two million above market value.”
“It’s not for sale,” I roar. “It willneverbe for sale. Who the fuck do you think you are? You’ve ruined this town!”
“I brought investment to this town,” he says as he explodes out of his chair with a nasty look on his face. “My workers are pouring money into this shit hole area. Ask the restaurants and bars how much they like having me here with my workers filling their tablesandtheir cash registers.”
“You’re destroying the land,” I say as my blood boils. “Who cares about full tables in a restaurant if you’ve clear-cut all the trees off the goddamn mountain and polluted the fucking rivers? You’ve ruined this area for a generation!”
“I’m creating energy for millions,” he snaps back. “Providing the population with necessary wood and minerals. Where do you think the shit packing department stores’ shelves come from? The moon? Don’t be naive.”
I want to squeeze his neck until those vile eyes close for good. My muscles are all tense and twitchy, begging me for it.
“This place was a paradise until you and your—“
All of the violent energy and intense rage ripping through me vanishes in an instant when I see the paper on his desk.
I freeze, stunned to the core as I stare at one of the photos printed at the bottom. My heart pounds so hard I can feel it in my ears.
“What…”
