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Sakda was definitely laughing at him on some level as he handed over the token. Zander turned to the booth’s tablet, entered his name and the token’s ID, and then hit register. Fortunately, these things were instantaneous.
“One million three hundred thousand, do I have one million five? One million five?”
Zander wasn’t interested in drawing this out. He entered five million and hit bid.
The auctioneer paused and looked at the screen on the podium, blinking. “Everyone, we have a bid at five million. Will anyone go above five million?”
A flurry of whispers, some chatter, people walking back and forth to talk.
“No bidders above five million? Then going, going, going, sold! I ask the winner to please meet us behind the stage to review the contract and collect your prize.”
Zander kept his eye on Max as he moved. Max looked wary at being bought for such a high price. Determined, yes, but fear still showed through his determination. Desperation had definitely driven him here.
“Too bad you lost,” Sakda said as he lifted his wine glass.
“I didn’t,” Zander corrected, standing.
Sakda choked on his wine, needing a second to pound a fist against his chest. “You paid five million for him?!”
Not interested in justifying himself, Zander left the table, taking his winning chip in case he needed it for verification.
The next human came up for auction but Zander had no further interest in tonight’s proceedings. He had his own bundle of trouble to deal with now. He moved past all the tables and through a discreet door to the left of the stage, held open by an employee. It led into a small room with only one table, six chairs, and not much else. In one chair was Max, still looking nervous but with a brave face.
He was even more enchanting up close. Oh dear. Zander had fragile willpower even on the best of days. Resisting this man would be a challenge.
An employee in a solid black dress and red pumps approached him with a professional smile. “May I see your token and identification?”
“Of course.” Zander handed both over, letting her check them, then accepted his ID back.
“Thank you. Are you familiar with how this works?”
“I have a surface-level understanding. I’ve never bought someone before. I understand there is a contract that he and I need to negotiate and sign.”
“Correct. The contract is enforced, with penalties on both sides if broken, so do keep that in mind. Mr. Vespertine, please sit next to Mr. Monroe and review the terms he’s set down.”
“Certainly.” Zander settled down next to his human—was it wrong to think of Max like that? Zander just couldn’t think of the man as a slave. That icked him out on so many levels.
Max looked wary but didn’t utter a single comment. Zander gave him a smile and leaned in, careful not to touch as he whispered in Max’s ear, “Relax. I will not hurt you.”
Max blinked, brow furrowed a bit as if he couldn’t fathom what Zander meant by that.
This might be more of an uphill battle than Zander had assumed, winning this one’s trust.
Well, let’s start. Zander accepted the contract, which had been filled in on Max’s page, and reviewed the terms.
First, blood donation was provided once every two weeks, more in an emergency.
Second, sex was allowed as part of feeding.
Third, the contractor must maintain the current level of care for Max’s father, with details on which hospital he was in.
Ah, as expected. Max was here out of desperation.
Zander lifted his head, asking Max directly, “What is your father’s condition?”
“Recovering. That’s the best way to put it. My father was in a seriouscar accident two weeks ago.It broke multiple bones, punctured a lung, and caused a severe concussion. He’s in a medically induced coma. It’s taken two surgeries to stabilize his condition; he’ll need three or four more surgeries over the next year, depending on how things go.”
Great Buddha, no wonder Max had felt overwhelmed. The medical bills would quickly rack up. “If he has all these surgeries and the correct care, will he recover completely?”
