Page 24 of Taken to the Deadlands (Stolen Demon Brides #1)

Chapter 24

Aris

T his would be my last auction. It had to be. I couldn’t take it anymore.

The house was growing far too much, and I just had to face it… Mia was gone for good.

I sat down in the back in my usual seat and waited for the auction to start.

I had forced myself to come later this time, in hopes that I could get here right as it started. It was unheard of, but today they seemed to be running late.

Murmurs broke out among the demons, and some even got visibly upset.

"Bring them out!” one of them growled from the right, standing up.

A few others laughed at him.

"Don't get too excited now," another teased.

He huffed and settled into his seat.

My eyes were focused on the curtain that hid the stage. I couldn't hear anything behind it.

But then, out of nowhere, it was pulled back. Everyone sat up in their seats, ready to get a glimpse of the humans, but we were met with an empty stage.

Confused whispers spread throughout the room, until our host, Madam, stepped through a portal.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," she said with a dangerous-looking smile. "But I have brought a special gift."

Her hand was still in the portal, so we couldn't see what she was holding. But as soon as a familiar head with brown hair and hazel eyes appeared, my breath caught in my throat.

It can’t be true. Can it? What kind of coincidence is this? On the very last auction I was planning to attend?

Did Madam go back and get her? How could she be taken from her home again? Anger lit my veins on fire.

"Mia, a spirit seer and our first item,” she announced as she pulled Mia out abruptly, causing her to glare at Madam.

She was dressed in a sweater and jeans, and this time she had a backpack with her.

She prepared to come. She wasn’t kidnapped this time.

That knowledge caused hope to burst inside me and excitement to shoot up my spine.

Mia had willingly come to the Demon Realm. For… me?

“This is her second time in the auction, and therefore, we are raising her price,” Madam said. “Last time, she sold for seventy thousand. Let's start with a hundred.”

There was silence. Not many people could afford that, and anything was rarely sold for that much here.

When Madam's eyes met mine, I knew.

She wanted me to spend all my money on her. Normally, I wouldn’t want to play her game, but this time I didn’t care. For Mia, I would play whatever game she wanted.

A hand raised.

"Do I hear one-ten?"

Another hand raised.

"I see one-thirty."

It was my hand that raised this time.

"You brought her for me," I said, letting my voice carry across the room.

"Only if you can pay."

I let out a growl. Of course I could pay. We both knew I had money to spare.

"Oh, is that one-forty?" Another hand rose.

I let out a curse and pushed myself to my feet. “Two hundred thousand!”

Madam threw her head back and laughed.

"She's all yours, Aris of the Deadlands."

This was a surreal moment, one I had dreamed about but never thought would come.

I let my legs take me to the stage, not taking my eyes off Mia the entire time.

She is here. She is truly here.

By the time I reached the stage, reality had sunk in.

I held my hand out for Mia to take.

Her eyes were wide, and she looked at me as if she too couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Oh, and Aris?” Madam called. “You’re banned from the auction.”

I turned to her but was met with a bright light.

“Fuck.” I pulled Mia to me, holding her as close as I could without crushing her.

Moving through the portal caused my stomach to flip, but before I knew it, the light was gone, and instead of the auction house, I was in my own realm.

Mia pushed me away so she could look up at me. A frown pulled at her lips. She was mad at me, and I would take it because she was here.

“You sent me back.”

I nodded stiffly.

“I thought you’d be better with your own kind,” I said. “I didn’t want to. I wanted to keep you so badly, but I knew I was being selfish.”

Her hands gripped my robe.

“I wanted to stay,” she whispered. “I tried to go back to normal, but I kept thinking about you. It’s so stupid because I was living a good life in the Human Realm but as soon as she came to me and offered to bring me back, I just left with her, and I?—”

I swooped in to cover her mouth with my own. She met my kiss back with an eagerness that caused my head to swim. I pulled away just as her tongue darted out.

“I’m sorry,” I breathed.

“You should be,” she said. “I don’t fully understand how this is going to work, but I want it to.”

I sent her a smile.

“It will,” I assured her and motioned for her to look at the house. “I made sure of that.”

Her eyes widened when she took in the new house.

“You remodeled?”

“And got some help,” I said. “There’s a few people I want you to meet, but that can come later, for tonight I want you?—”

She tugged me down to crash her lips to mine. This time, I didn’t try to stop her as she explored my mouth. My hands gripped her tight, and I forced her legs around my waist while I carried her into the house.

“Don’t you dare send me away again,” she breathed against my mouth.

“Never.”

Thank you for reading TAKEN TO THE DEADLANDS! If you were curious about what happened to the other humans at the auction you can find out in TAKEN TO THE SHADOW REALM!

My whole life I had been groomed to be the perfect wife , knowing one day I would be sold off to create an even more perfect heir.

And then I was kidnapped.

Taken away to a fantasy land where a cold yet sensitive shadow demon decided to buy me as her companion.

Was it wrong that I was happy to finally be free?

Or that I started to feel things for the cold demon?

Either way, I would enjoy my freedom, and maybe if I was lucky I could convince my new master to make use of her purchase.