Chapter 52

Sarah POV

I gasped. Even though the photograph wasn’t of me, I confess I had started to feel possessive toward it and was glad when it looked like Zane would be buying it. The idea of someone spending ten thousand on a photo seemed crazy to me, though I knew how important the legend of the final Moon Wolf was to werewolves.

Even more curious was that the person who spoke was an auction attendant holding a phone to her ear.

“Who’s that bid from?” the auctioneer demanded.

“They wish to be known as ‘S,’” the attendant said, and I heard Zane hiss just slightly.

S for Scott, I wondered? But he was there in person at the auction. I had seen him talking to some wolves by the champagne fountain, so he didn’t need to use a proxy.

“Twenty thousand,” Zane said, his voice calm.

People in the crowd muttered at the amount, and the auctioneer held up his hand. “Bidding is paused while the identity of S as a member is confirmed.” He waved the attendant with the phone over.

“How mysterious this all is,” a werewolf woman in a shimmering blue dress said, standing at my elbow.

I turned to see the friendly-looking smile wreathed in dimples and the kind blue eyes of an elderly, but still quite lovely, alpha.

“It’s wild,” I said.

“And you had no idea?” she asked, nodding at the photograph.

“That I looked like Clara Maxwell?”

The woman looked surprised. “You’re familiar with her?”

I smiled and explained I had studied wolf lore extensively when I knew I would be raising a werewolf.

“That was so kind of you,” the woman said. “I’m Lisa, by the way.” She looked around. “My husband, Bernie, is around here somewhere.”

“Are the two of you bidding on anything tonight?” I asked, very much enjoying the idea of making the acquaintance of a werewolf who didn’t seem to need to put me down for being human. Of course, she was probably just looking to get close to Zane socially, but I was too much in need of a smiling face to mind.

She laughed, and it was like the tinkling of a bell. “He’d better not. We give to the Children’s Hunger Bank regularly, and we have quite enough collectible items in our house.”

She looked down and smiled. “These must be Grace and Chloe.”

“Yes,” I said, looking down at the girls to make sure they took off their masks and smiled back, though Grace looked ready to hide her face in her hands instead and Chloe looked a little suspicious. I braced myself for Lisa’s inevitable request to meet Zane when she surprised me.

“I have a granddaughter about your age,” she told the girls. “But I don’t get to see her often. She lives with her parents in Lyon, France.”

“Is she an alpha like you?” Chloe asked, and I winced at the personal question.

But Lisa just laughed. “Oh yes, and a handful to manage.” Lisa looked at my daughter speculatively. “Just like you, I bet.”

Chloe shrugged. “I can be.”

Lisa and I both laughed. Grace was looking up at Lisa a bit more confidently.

“S’s qualifications to bid have been confirmed,” the auctioneer told the room as he handed the phone back to the attendant.

“Guess he knew the secret handshake,” Lisa murmured, and I stifled a laugh.

“So, bidding resumes at twenty thousand,” the auctioneer said. “Do I hear twenty-five?”

“Thirty thousand,” said the attendant with the phone.

“Thirty thousand,” the auctioneer said.

“Forty thousand,” Zane said.

I fought not to cringe. That was a lot of money, and I doubted “S” was going to let things stop there.

“Fifty thousand,” said the attendant with the phone.

“Sixty,” Zane said.

I was now consciously reminding myself that Zane was a billionaire and probably spent that much money in his sleep. I thought about his villa, his extensive personal staff, and, well, everything.

“Seventy thousand,” said the attendant with the phone.

“Eighty,” Zane said.

“It’s just a photograph,” I whispered, knowing Zane would hear me. Lisa could doubtlessly hear as well, but that couldn’t be helped.

Zane turned slightly and frowned at me. I stayed quiet.

“Ninety thousand,” said the attendant with the phone.

“Two hundred thousand,” Zane said, his voice now bored. It was clear he was willing to bid as much as it took.

The attendant with the phone was talking into it and listening.

Lisa whispered in my ear, “This is the most fun I’ve had all week!”

The suspense is terrible. I hope it will last, I thought, not remembering just where I had heard that quote but feeling it was extremely appropriate.

“Two hundred and fifty thousand,” said the attendant with the phone.

“Five hundred thousand,” Zane said.

There were gasps from around the room. My face was hot and my fingers cold.

The attendant with the phone spoke with the person on the other end of the line and then shook her head at the auctioneer.

“We have half a million dollars bid,” the auctioneer said. “Do we have another bid?”

The room was absolutely silent. I was holding my breath.

The gavel came down with a sharp knock. “Sold! Alpha Zane, the lot is yours.”

Applause broke out, and Zane nodded with a smile at the crowd. For the life of me, I had no idea how he could look so comfortable under the scrutiny.

Zane left the VIP area to sign for the photograph, and Lisa laughed beside me. “That was thrilling!” she said as I turned to look at her.

“I think I’m going to faint.”

She laughed again. “If you’re going to be living in Alpha Zane’s world, you’ll have to get used to such things, I suppose.”

“I suppose,” I said,

“Well, it’s all for a good cause, remember. The Children’s Hunger Bank does excellent work. Like I said, we give to it regularly ourselves.”

“Hello, Lisa,” Zane said from behind me.

“Zane,” she said back, nodding. “Congratulations.” She smiled. “Have you any idea who this mysterious S might be?”

“We can check for someone drowning their sorrows at the bar,” he replied smoothly. “And how is Eleonore?”

“My granddaughter is thriving in France, I’m told.” She looked to the side, then nodded. “I see Bernie wants to leave.”

She looked at me and smiled again. “We must get together for coffee and gossip. Zane has my number.”

“Thank you,” I said, deeply grateful.

Lisa waved and glided away into the crowd.

Zane was about to say something to me when his phone rang. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out to read a text that made him scowl fiercely.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Scott,” he said darkly. “Congratulating me.” He pushed on his phone’s screen. “Another number to block.”

“Was he S, do you think?”

Zane snorted. “Scott only has a quarter-million dollars to spend in his dreams.” He frowned. “I have no idea who S is.”

“I thought you knew everyone of importance in your territory,” I said.

He looked around the room with a frown. “So did I.”