His Gaze

[Pandora’s POV]

I listen to the madam's words as confusion rushes through me since she knew as well as I did that there was no way that anyone would buy me. They never did, and that was the reason I owed so much, as she said.

“You heard her.” Geoffrey laughs, giving me a harsh tug. “Let’s go.”

I don’t get any say before I’m being dragged down the hall toward the bathing wing where the madams maids wait to shove me into a tub of freezing cold water where they begin to roughly rub my skin and hair with sponges that could be used to clean grime from floors instead of dirt from skin. Where they scrub leaves, blotches, and my skin burning, but even then I don’t say a word. I just sit and let them do what it is that they need, and when they pull me out of the tub and start to dry me, I look around, watching as the others receive the same treatment as me.

“Arms up,” one of the maids announces, stepping in front of me and holding out a single white robe.

Nodding, I do as instructed, and once I’m dressed, I’m handed a cup filled with a putrid-smelling liquid.

“Drink it.” The other maid commands. “Be sure not to leave a drop.”

“How could I?” I ask, bringing the cup to my lips so the burning liquid within races down my throat, burning and paralyzing my vocal cords so that I can’t argue or even speak while the auction takes place.

All of this is what those who are going to be sold must endure. It is tradition, and it is the way things have been since this place opened. Of course, it would make better sense to mute us permanently or even do something to stop us from being able to make our own decisions, but so far nothing like that has ended up happening.

“Please go and wait with the others.” The first maid announces after brushing out my knotted hair. “The madam will come to retrieve you soon.”

Rolling my eyes, I do as instructed, but before I can reach the normal room, Geoffrey intercepts me and starts to drag me to another that I’ve never been in before but have seen other women get taken to occasionally. And as we move, I open my lips to ask what he is doing, what was happening, but nothing comes due to my paralyzed vocal cords.

“I’m going to miss you.” Geoffrey murmurs when we reach. “Your death glares truly made my day.”

Eyes widening, I snap my gaze to his just as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a syringe, then slams it into my skin, dispensing the liquid within into my blood.

“Goodbye, demon.” He snarls, yanking open the door and then shoving me inside. “Here’s hoping you live a life filled with pain and suffering.”

Gasping, I hit the hard ground as fire races through me from whatever it was that Geoffrey injected me with.

Hissing in shock, I slowly begin to rise and wait for my eyes to adjust to the darkness around me until I find a single man sitting on a sofa. He watches me with icy blue eyes that are surrounded by thick eyelashes; his plump lips are twitched into a smile, and his expression is one of satisfaction.

“Hello,” he says, leaning forward so that I can get a better look at his handsome face. “Are you surprised to see me?”

Opening my mouth, I try to respond only to stop as the fire from earlier returns, this time racing between my thighs.

Eyes widening, I feel my core throb with need and realize what it was that Geoffrey gave me. However, I refuse to give in to the forced rut he has put me in, and I’m scurrying as far away from the man until my back presses against a wall, trapping me.

For a moment, the man doesn’t speak as he stares at me, his blue gaze burning a hole into me while many emotions flash through them before settling on indifference.

“Are you afraid of me?” He asks, his smile broadening. “Is that why you’re trying to get away from me?”

No. I wasn’t afraid of him, but I couldn’t tell him that given the drug that I was fed. I was scared of me and what I may do if I let those large hands, which are folded out in front of him were to touch my skin for even a moment.

From the way my blood boiled and my core burned, I knew that whatever Geoffrey gave me was powerful and would certainly end up consuming me completely, but before that happened, I would rather die.

Fixing my gaze on the man, I stick my tongue between my teeth and slowly bite down.

“Going to kill yourself?” he asks, getting up and slowly walking toward me. “Is dying truly much better than being bought by me?”

Of course it was! Did this man think that I actually believed for one second that he was here to be my knight in shining armor? That much was debunked as he grows closer, and the dark aura he is emanating presses against me.

“Come now,” he murmurs, stopping mere inches from me and kneeling so I find myself getting lost in that damned gaze. “Don’t look at me with so much hatred. After all, if anyone is the victim here, it is me. You’ve become my ruin without even realizing it, and because of that I’m going to make you atone for your indiscretion for the rest of your life.”

What? What the hell was he talking about? When the hell did I do anything to offend him?

“You probably don’t remember.” He chuckles as if reading my mind. “Given all the men and even women that you see regularly in the auctions, you wouldn’t remember my face.”

Frowning, I consider his words, trying to wrack my brain to see if I remember him, but I come up empty, and before I can even try again, my body betrays me.

“Ugh,” I groan, curling over as all my nerve endings come alive, begging and pleading for the touch of another to stop the torturous fire that I was feeling.

“Fuck,” the man murmurs, his voice growing hoarse. “What the fuck did they do to you?”

Please. I think inwardly, lifting my gaze to his quickly darkening one. Please help me. Save me from this pain and just leave me here to die in my cell because no one dares to buy me.

“Are you okay?” The man asks, reaching out and touching me, setting my skin ablaze and causing between my thighs to grow so wet I’m certain the simple robe around me is beginning to show my need. “Fuck, is this how they do things? What kind of fucked-up place is this?"

His question was almost laughable, especially given the fact that he was here now saying he wanted to buy me.

"Dammit," he growls, scooping me into his arms. "Just hang on, alright."