Auction Mate || TaeKook ✔️

Chapter - 8

All heads turned towards table number twenty.

Namjoon's eyes widened slightly but other than that, there was no visible sign of his surprise.  His perfect, professional smile never wavered.

"Table number twenty bids one hundred thousand dollars for Pearl ." Minah swiveled her eyes towards the cowboy.  "Would anyone like to put in a higher bid?"

The cowboy was staring at the man at table number twenty with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance.  Then he threw up his hands and gave a derisive laugh.  He thought that the man was either stupid or insane.

"Right."  Minah laid a hand on Jungkook 's elbow and steered him to face table number twenty.  "For one hundred thousand dollars, Pearl  goes to table number twenty!"

As Jungkook took a step forward, Madam Jen told her quietly, "Taehyung. His name is Kim Taehyung."

Jungkook glanced back in surprise but Minah was already moving to the next patron.

"Taehyung"

Jungkook whispered his name as he made his way down the stage to his table.  Knowing his name somehow emboldened and fortified him.  It made him less forbidding and intimidating.

Kim Taehyung surged to his feet when he approached his table.  He towered over him and he had to tilt his head back to look him in the eye.  "Thank you," he whispered.  "Thank you..."

He didn't know what else to say even though he was inordinately grateful to him. 

Taehyung shrugged off his jacket and threw it over him.  "Cover yourself," he growled.

Jungkook clung to his huge jacket in confusion.  Why did Taehyung sound so angry?  And why did he order him to cover-up?

The bidders were here to see as much bare flesh as they could.   And they would only pay for what they liked.  If Taehyung didn't like what he saw, then why did he bid for him?

"Sir..." Jungkook began uncertainty.

He snarled when the jacket slipped off his shoulder.  His jacket was way too big for him and he felt a little lost in it.  But his warmth and scent were pleasant and comforting. He just didn't understand his anger.

Taehyung gripped him around his waist and yanked him to his side.  His arm was like a vice around his body, and he felt both trapped and secure by his side.

"Let's get out of here," Taehyung breathed into his hair as he maneuvered them swiftly past the tables and towards the exit.

Jungkook didn't know what was going on with Kim Taehyung.  he could feel his seething, roiling anger but he wasn't rough with him.  He seemed intent on getting him away from The Phoenix as quickly as possible and he didn't seem to enjoy the sight of his barely clothed body.

"Sir..." he tried again. He knew he was his for tonight, but they seemed to have gotten off on the wrong foot.  "Please, if I have offended you..."

Taehyung only gripped him tighter as he rushed him out of the door. He made a cry when his bare feet dragged on the cold, hard ground.

With a growl, Taehyung swung him into his arms and carried him as though he weighed nothing.  Jungkook looked around desperately and saw that they were in a parking lot.  Taehyung unlocked the door of a silver Porsche and bundled him into the passenger seat.

Jungkook shrank back when he got into the car and slammed the door.  His jaw was tightly clenched and he could see the tips of his claws glinting in the dark.

He hastened the engine and peeled out of the parking lot.  Finally, Taehyung's glowing red eyes cut to his and he saw his pale, frightened face.  His foot eased off the accelerator and he cursed under his breath.  The maniacal, deadly glow leached from his eyes, and his muscles relaxed.

"Sorry," he said in a low voice.  "I'm sorry."

Jungkook nodded but didn't dare to speak.  he couldn't understand his actions at all.  Was Taehyung a...psychopath?

Dragging a long breath into his lungs, he said, "I...I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Y-you did," he said.

"I'm sorry."  Taehyung scrubbed a hand down his handsome face.  "I just...I didn't want you walking around naked in front of all the other males.  I had to get you out of there before I did something I would regret."

Jungkook opened his mouth to say that he wasn't exactly naked and that Gems were expected to display their best assets to the bidders.  But he guessed that wasn't what he wanted to hear.  And it would very likely make him even madder.

"Namjoon would never forgive me if I unleashed my beast in his club, though I'm a co-owner.."  he huffed out a laugh.

Jungkook nodded and filed the fact away in his mind.  His beast.  Taehyung was a tiger hybrid.

"You won the bid," he said calmly.  "So you have the right to do what you want with me."

Taehyung gave him a long look and asked, "What's your name?  Your real name."

He didn't have to tell him his name if he didn't want to.  Gems were under no obligation to reveal their real names. He was Pearl.  But he didn't want to be Pearl to him. 

"Jungkook," he said softly.  "Jeon Jungkook."

Taehyung smiled.  "I'm Kim Taehyung ."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Kim.  And I'm very happy and grateful that you put in a bid for me," Jungkook answered politely.

"I wasn't going to.  I mean, I didn't intend to bid at all, for any of the Gems."

Jungkook slanted a curious glance at him.  If he didn't intend to bid, then why was he even at the auction?  Was he checking out the competition, doing some market survey...?

"Um, what do you do, Mr. Kim?" Jungkook blurted out.

"I own a security firm."

"Oh."  Now he understood why he said he didn't intend to bid.  "You're at The Phoenix tonight for work."  Maybe some undercover or surveillance work...

Taehyung nodded once.

"Me too," he said before he could stop himself.

★★★