Trapped In A Novel As The Breeding Mate For Four Powerful Alphas

We walked down the long hallway, the air growing heavier with each step.

My eyes followed the steps in front of me while I clutched Jin-Yeok's arm.

It felt so suspicious that they were leading us somewhere else but I guess since Jin-Yeok was here, they wouldn't do anything they could put them out of business.

"Are you nervous?" Jin-Yeok asked me but I shook my head.

"I eat nervousness for dessert." I blurted out with a huge bluff and that made him laugh.

"How bold of you." He said and I smiled.

But even as I said that, my insides were spinning.

"Besides," I continued. "Even if I was nervous, I don't think I have anything to worry about, since you're here by my side." I smiled.

He heard this, stared at me with stunned eyes, and then they softened.

"You... Have so much faith in me."

"Well, should I not?" I asked and this made him pause.

"It makes me so happy. But..." He turned to me. "Should we just leave?"

"What?"

What was he saying all of a sudden? We were so close to the entrance of the next floor.

"Let's forget about the auction and just go home."

His words made me feel uneasy.

If he was saying this, then did it mean there was something there that I shouldn't see?

"Is there... Anything capable of harming me in there?" I asked but he did not respond. He simply turned his face away, a look of concern and a hint of regret spilling out of his eyes.

What was it?

My heart was thumping. But while Jin-Yeok's warning made it easy to just run away, I... I looked at the door... I grew even more curious as to what was going on.

"Let's just go." He said. "It's not like you just started liking me at this party. Whatever's down there, you wanted me to see it from the start so don't back down now and instead, take responsibility."

I pulled him by the arm.

"I guess this is my cross to carry." He mumbled and my brows knitted. What was going on?

We walked through the door and unlike the bright chandeliers and gilded décor of the other floors, this one was dim, the light deliberately muted. Not so dark that we couldn't see, but enough to set a mood.

This so-called auction floor, was a wide chamber. Rows of seats stretched down below, already filling with people in fine clothes, their chatter buzzing low, like a hive.

But Jin-Yeok wasn't directed there. Instead, we were led up to a balcony booth, separated from the crowd with polished silver rails and velvet curtains.

A perfect vantage point, if we wanted to see everything going on down there.

I sat beside him stiffly, glancing down at the seats below.

I couldn't even feel excited because my pulse wouldn't calm down from unease. The more I thought about it, the more my worries crawled over my skin like ants.

Jin-Yeok didn't say a word to reassure me. He simply rested back in his seat, one arm draped casually over the armrest, and the other handling the weight of his chin.

His eyes were fixed on the empty stage and I wondered if there was something there that I wasn't seeing.

I bit my lip. He knew.

He definitely knew what was about to happen, and that what I was going to see would affect my mood.

'Hah, me and my stubbornness. Maybe I should've just headed back when he asked me.' I thought, feeling I might regret not taking his offer to leave when I had the chance.

Well, I built the boat, so might as well cross the river with it.

A bell chimed softly, drawing everyone's attention. The host from earlier stepped onto the lit platform in the center of the stage, his smile a little too wide.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. Shall we begin with the first item?"

To my relief, the first few auction items were jewels, maps, and antiques like that. I let out a quiet breath, relieved.

Maybe I was just overthinking.

Maybe the highlight Jin-Yeok mentioned wasn't the nightmare scenario playing in my head.

"Do you see anything you want?" Jin-Yeok asked but I shook my head.

Most of them were just a useless bunch that we probably wouldn't need.

Wouldn't want to waste money this way.

"It's fine," I said, stretching my hands forward on my thigh. "But if I do see anything, I'll let you know."

But after I said that, he didn't smile at me like he usually would. Rather, there was a pang of concern.

It was probably me overthinking it, right?

I mean, the auction already started, and all we're seeing is a bunch of boring old stuff.

I let out a sigh, trying to calm my raging nerves.

This will be over soon. I feel I'll only be able to relax once it's done.

But then, when it seemed like the items were finished, the host got on the stage again.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, his voice echoing against the stone walls of the chamber. "Thank you for joining us tonight. The first round was simply a warm-up for those with delicate tastes," he said, and they laughed, deeply, like how those rich guys laugh at a joke that wasn't even funny. "And now… the real treasures await."

As soon as he said that, a shiver ran down my spine.

What did that mean?

I gripped my thigh as the curtains at the side of the stage drew open.

And what they brought out wasn't material treasure as a clueless one like me would imagine.

It was... people?

My eyes widened before I could stop myself, and I immediately turned to Jin-Yeok.

He wasn't smiling and he wasn't frowning either. His expression was just blank. Plain and unreadable, but his eyes… they were on me. Watching me.

What was this?

It made my spine run even colder.

"This…" My throat tightened, and the word died halfway out, unable to surface. I swallowed hard. What the hell was going on right now?

My eyes asked this question since my mouth was unable to bring them forth, and I was sure Jin-Yeok, who had his eyes sternly on me, understood it.

"This... It's the dark side of the pretty surface I wanted to show you." He said.

"But why?" I asked, words finally leaving my mouth.

"I don't know." Was the answer he gave before shifting his gaze away from me.

I just couldn't understand it.

Jin-Yeok, who cared for and adored me, wouldn't do this without a reason. The others... Ah, now I knew why the others warned him against this.

It was because this was a part of my past that made my bones shiver till now.

Slavery.

The hall fell quiet as the first one was paraded forward. A boy, no older than seventeen. Wrists bound, head bowed, draped in a flimsy robe that did nothing to hide how exposed and helpless he was.

The host's voice rang out bright and cheerful, too cheerful, like this was nothing but a performance.

"Lot number eleven. A healthy youth, seventeen years of age, good bloodline, excellent physique, and..." He grinned. "A pure-bred Omega." As soon as he said that, they all began murmuring.

This was the kind of Omega they wanted.

Someone young... So young that they could bear over a dozen kids and a tenth of those kids would turn out to be Alphas.

"The starting bid is a hundred million." He said and my stomach twisted so sharply I thought I might be sick.

Almost instantly, a paddle shot into the air. Then another. And another.

"Two hundred million."

"Three hundred million."

"Six hundred million."

They tossed numbers into the air like it was pocket change, like they were bidding for furniture with just six digits.

My hands curled into fists in my lap. I couldn't take it. I leaned toward Jin-Yeok, whispering harshly,

"You knew about this? You brought me here knowing—"

"Calm yourself." His reply was low, firm, carrying the kind of weight that pressed down on me. "And... I'm sorry."

Isn't it too late for that?

I wanted to argue, scream even, but the words stuck in my throat after his apology. My heart was beating too violently, pounding in my ears, drowning out everything.

"One billion!"

Ah, the price just shot up again.

This brought back humiliating memories.

That Omega over there might be here because of a debt he didn't take either. How pitiful.

I wish I could help them.

At the thought of that, I immediately realized.

I 'could' help them.

I mean, I have money.

So much money that I didn't know what I would use it to do, even in my next lifetime.

Compared to the money I had, one billion was child's play.

Without wasting time, I picked up the paddle that lay dormant between us and shot it into the air.

"One point one billion!" I yelled and all these came up to the booth.

Even Jin-Yeok looked at me in shock, not expecting this from me.

That's right. I could keep up my act as the son of a filthy rich foreigner and I didn't need any help to do that.

I was going to help these poor souls so they don't end up with a fate like the one from my previous life.

They were people... Not tools.