Page 62 of Wrapped in Their Arms

Bright leaned in as well, voice low.

“It’s going to be all right, sweetheart.We’vegot you.”

The auctioneer continued, undeterred.

“You will note that this trio comes as a set.Theirspecies requires two males to adequately impregnate the female.Bothmust breed her for conception to occur.Sokeep that in mind when placing your bids!”

A low, interested murmur rolled through the auditorium.Then, from the shadows of the middle tier, came a grinding voice so deep it rattledNoelle’sbones.

“You say they are a breeding trio?Whytwo males and one female instead of two females and one male?”

The auctioneer smiled brightly.

“Why, because that’s their natural biological structure.Theseed of both males must mix inside her in order for the female to become pregnant.”

Noelle squinted past the lights, trying to see the speaker.Whenshe finally saw him, her stomach dropped.

Sitting in the center row—taking up three seats—was a monster straight out of a nightmare… or a child’s fairytale book she’d once had, with ink drawings of giants and trolls.

He was enormous.Evenseated, he dwarfed everyone else.Hehad shoulders twice as wide asBurn’sand his thick body looked like it had been carved out of stone.

And worst of all, he hadthreeheads.

The head on his right shoulder was snoring, its enormous beard rising and falling like waves.Theone on the left stared blankly into space, cross-eyed and slack-jawed, drooling slightly.

But the central head—the one that metNoelle’sgaze—that was the worst of all.

Yellow eyes glowered from beneath heavy brows.Twocurved tusks jutted upward from his lower jaw.Hislips pulled back in a hungry grin as he looked overNoelleand herKindredprotectors as though inspecting cuts of meat at a butcher’s shop.

No… no, no, no,Noellethought, feeling sick.BlessedVirgin, please… don’t let him be the one who spoke.Don’tlet him be interested in buying us!

But then the three-headed troll leaned forward, the seats groaning under his weight, and the central head opened its massive mouth.

“I want to see how they perform,” he growled.

A hush fell across the crowd.

Cold trickled throughNoelle’sveins.

Perform?Performwhat?Hecan’t mean?—

The troll jabbed a thick finger toward the stage.

“Make them perform before the bidding starts!”he thundered.“Iwant to see whatI’llbe getting ifIbuy them!”

Burn growled beside her andBrightstiffened, stepping in front of her protectively.

But allNoellecould feel was her heart dropping into a void.

What in the world are we going to be forced to do now?

32

BRIGHT

Bright could feel the hungry eyes of the alien crowd on his bare skin—there was plenty to look at, since the thin strip of leather he was wearing barely concealed his shaft.Thelights overhead were hot, making sweat bead along his spine and slide down the small of his back.

Every muscle in his body was coiled tight—half from humiliation, half from his anger at being displayed like a prize, withNoellebetween him andBurn.Allof them were collared…all of them helpless, and yet…he wanted the curvy littleElitebeside him more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life.