The sound of the last bell echoed through the arena. The laughter, the cheers, the desperate cries... all faded into silence. The Duke's Game had ended, so had the auction.
But the faces of the Omegas in the centre field said it all. There were no winners. Only the ones who survived. The masked host raised his jewelled hand, his voice booming,
"And so concludes the Duke's Game! What a thrilling display of power and grace! Now, let the final bids be sealed!"
No one spoke for a heartbeat... until Lucien stood up from his seat. His shadow fell long and sharp under the arena lights.
"I'll buy all of them," he said.
The crowd gasped.
Caspian's voice came a breath later, calm but firm. "Half will belong to me. I'll pay for the rest."
The host blinked, the painted grin on his mask twitching.
"E–everything? My lords, that's quite the fortune..."
Caspian cut him off with a wave. "Send the bill to the palace."
