The Auctioned Mate

The Story

Kaelen Ashfell purchases a mate at auction and erases her name from his Bond Ledger three years later. After she bears him three hatchlings, he discards her for his returning first love. He hands the mother and her children over to his brother Roran, who then allows the new woman to destroy the den, ruin the garden, and physically harm their child. Kaelen attempts to use regret to win her back, assuming his previous status still commands her loyalty. The discarded mate prepares to demonstrate the reality of being protected by someone else, shifting the dynamic of power and care away from the man who treated her as disposable property.