Chapter Eight

The walk of shame is what they should call this, Celeste thought to herself as she was put last in line of the dozen women. Once again, they were all bound in leather rope, her wrists were tied so tightly she winced. Tugging against the bonds she was only rewarded with more pain, if she could just loosen them enough to slip free, she could make a run for it. Celeste twisted her wrists every way possible, she tried bringing them up to her mouth to bite them, but they did not come up far enough. There was a pull and the women all started marching forward, she was amazed how they all managed to walk so flawlessly, almost sensual. The others swayed their hips with each step, as if to say, "yes watch me", did they actually want to be enslaved? Nothing made sense here and Celeste found herself wishing to be home, alone, out working the dried up wasteland that had once been a field of crops. Having no choice but to follow in step, she would be damned if she would make herself look any more appealing, than she already did. Stiffly she moved, every muscle in her body wanted to protest, to stop herself from being humiliated in front of some many people. As they stepped into the street, the bright rays of the sun made her squint, then the shadows of the long throng of people came into focus.

Leers and shouts of profanity filled the air around her from the village's women. There were some cheers and whistles from the men as they looked their fill of their naked bodies. Celeste tried to keep the shiver taking over her muscles, she would not show her fear, so she straightened her spin and lifted her chin a notch. These vulgar people were no better than roaches, she would sooner crush them under bare foot, than give them the satisfaction of seeing her bend. There was still time maybe if she made herself seem so rude and incapable of listening than no one would want her. Sisisky might be tempted to let her go home, she would offer to pay him in installments every month, or to work off her debt. It was not like she really had a home to go back to after all, she would not be able to return living with her relatives after the way they had treated her, so honestly she had no where else to go. That would not detour her, anywhere had to be better than the wretched place she called a home, and becoming someone's slave was not her idea of a everlasting home, if he would let her work off her debt, than maybe would be able to make her own home. Celeste knew it was wishful thinking but now, as they took their positions on the platform, standing before the hungry gaze of so many men, it was all that she had to cling to.

"First up is Levana from the planet Tigon, previously a slave of the house Redington. Let's start the bidding at say 20k chips." Sisisky announced.

Previously a slave, so is that why all these women felt so comfortable here, they were all previously slaves, used to this sort of lifestyle. Celeste felt a moment of pity deep in her heart for all the beautiful women standing beside her, if they had all excepted their fate, then they had truly given up all hope. Without hope, what was there to hold on to? Celeste bit her lip in thought and quickly released it when a man in the crowed yelled something about wanting to be that lip. What was wrong with these people, did they not see how wrong this was? To force someone into a life that they did not choose for themselves. Closing her eyes against the intense gazes of so many watchful eyes, she tried blocking out the world, picturing herself becoming one with the wind, as if in that moment of time she could will herself to disappear.

"Beautiful Firefly" was whispered in her mind.

Celeste jerked at the voice that was not her own, was she so delirious that now she was hearing things? Opening her eyes, she searched the crowed, her gaze landing on a pair of hauntingly deep green ones. The man was on top of a weird creature, the head of a dragon but the body of a horse, another thing she found ridiculous about this planet. The uniqueness of so many different species. Beautiful as it was, it just reminded her that soon she too would be saddled and ridden. The man on top of the beast though was handsome, his white silk shirt had the first two buttons undone showing off and nicely bronzed chest. His figure though sitting, was taunt with muscle and Celeste could tell that he was extremely tall. The powerful thighs hugging the brown worn out saddle flexed as if he could tell she was checking him out.

"Do you like what you see?" the voice floated through her mind once again.

Celeste took a deep breath and looked at the man, could he hear her thought's, did he know what she was thinking? Narrowing her eyes, blue green clashed with an amused pair of green ones.

"Last but not least-" the auctioneers voice cut through her thinking, bringing her back to the present and what was happening around her, "what all you Alpha Lords have come so far and wide for. The beautiful Omega herself, Celeste." He announced waving a hand to the end where I stood. What did he expect her to do, smile and wave like the rest of these women had? Celeste fumed silently before giving a brilliant smile, bringing her bound hands up as far as they would reach, she proceeded to give them all the middle finger, making a show of flipping one end of the crowed off to the other. There was a collective gasp among the people and Celeste delighted in their shock. "As you can see my Lords, she is going to need a thorough break in, a wild one this one." Sisisky laughed nervously.

"You all may come up and inspect her as you wish, then we will start the bidding." He stated.

It took everything in Celeste to keep her mouth from dropping, inspect her? None of the other women had been inspected, the bidding had just started after the introduction. To her horror men started gathering around her, their machine in each hand, did they all plan on sticking their devices inside her to test her purity as Sisisky had? The thought had Celeste about ready to puke. They one by one approached her and held the device in their hands up to her face, the red laser scanned her face, and started beeping. "By the Gods she really is an Omega." One stated.

"but is she really a virgin?" Another man yelled out.

Celeste felt her blood run cold, out of no where more men stepped up grabbing hold of her roughly and prying her legs so wide apart, she thought she might rip in two. The whole crowed got a good view of her cunt as they forced her open. Struggling in vain, she tried kicking and twisting but the men tightened their hold brutally.

"I heard that just one call from an Alpha and an omega will soak the floor." Someone said from her side.

Celeste's face was on fire, how much humiliation was she going to be forced to endure, she wished that someone would just kill her already. Let the earth open and swallow her whole at this very moment, death had to be better than this. One male's hands pawed at her breasts while another slide the pad of their fingers down her slit.

"Enough!" came a loud roar from the crowed.

They immediately dropped Celeste to the ground, she hit bottom first, and her teeth grinded together at the impact. Wincing she dared to open an eye to see what had happened that would make so many men back away from her at once. The man from the crowed with the deep green eyes appeared before her, without so much as a warning he had withdrew a knife and cut the leather from her wrists. Hauling her up, he slung her over his shoulder, and as he walked past Sisisky he stated, "Talk with Jubal and settle a price but the Omega is mine."

Sisisky's eyes widened in shock and his throat bobbled, "B-but your Highness, this is an auction, the other lords deserve a fair bid." He dared to say.

The man turned and with the deadliest eyes Celeste had ever seen, his voice was little more than a whisper, but the power that emitted was strong, "I am your Emperor, do not speak unless spoken to, or I will slit the tongue from your mouth. It would be the least you deserve Sisisky, now give me all the women here, I want them all." He stated with a small smile that held little humor.

Celeste was processing exactly what had happened, one minute she was being pawed at and the next she was being slung over a broad male shoulder. Escape! Right now, was the perfect opportunity to get the hell out of dodge. Bringing her hands down hard on the mans back, she started flailing, kicking her legs, and punching wherever she could touch. There was a loud thwack and Celeste felt the sting of a smack against her bare ass. Dazed slightly she seethed, "How dare you! Unhand me this instant." She yelled.

The man laughed loudly, "Stop thrashing about before you hurt yourself little firefly."

"Put me down." She ground out between clenched teeth as she started struggling again. Reaching up she gripped the man's hair and pulled.

Another slap on her ass came, this one harder than the last, and Celeste caught her breath. "You pull my hair again, you little hellcat, and I will fuck you right here on the street for the whole city to watch." He threatened harshly.

Celeste believed him at his word, there was a rough timber to his voice, it was almost soothing. She rested her hands against his broad back and bit her bottom lip. A weird warmth flooded her body and Celeste found herself wanting to rub against this stranger. To feel his skin against hers. That large calloused hand smacking her ass had really triggered a reaction and Celeste found herself blushing. What was going on with her body? Never had she been around such an impressive sized man in her life, he oozed power in each stride he took, and he was incredibly sexy. Celeste had not really thought about a man in a sexual way before, none ever lived up to her fantasies, but this man that had come swooping in and carrying her away like a true barbarian made her blood pound fast in her veins. Wait, had he refered to himself as Emperor?