So I realized that I might have to add another chapter and get more into the plot to get more of a reaction so here goes but if I don't get any reviews I'm going to shut this story down just so you know.

*Chapter 2: Betting Against the Odds*

Blaine walked over to his cart, Wes loyally right behind him, after the auction was over. He received stares and was being talked to by nearly everyone in the courtyard on the sanity of his purchase of the shifter. Even Wes, his best friend and his supervisor of his estate, doubts his sanity. Blaine on the other hand thought his decision plausible. All the shifter needed was some care and food and then his price would seem much no minimal. The shifter, with his collar put back on him, was already packed into the back of the cart when they arrived. Blaine took this opportunity to look at the shifter again as Wes untied the horses and prepared them for their trip back home. Blaine's eyes slipped over the shifter's appearance. It was raggedy, unkempt, dirty, bruised and downright unbeautiful but with those eyes, no matter how clouded they are now, are everything. If Blaine's plan worked, he could very well have the most beautiful shifter in captivity. The shifter looked up after feeling the intense stare of Blaine. He looked up and turned his head over to look at Blaine. Those sad, tricolored eyes looked at Blaine and he could have sworn that the shifter was looking straight into his soul. Their gaze held for the longest of moments before the glasz eyes looked up from his eyes. Blaine turned around then, hearing the heavy footsteps of Karofsky. "Why hello Karofsky." Blaine said as their eyes met. Blaine then noticed Miss Santana Lopez behind him, eying the shifter behind him. "Hello to you too Miss Lopez."

Santana looked at Blaine then and smiled slyly. "Hello Master Blaine." Santana, the owner of Lima's pub and café shop wore her usual ensemble for work, a red and eggshell white Lafayette vest, a white Gibson girl blouse, suede burgundy riding pants and black lace up boots.

"Anderson you certainty threw your money to the wind on the creature didn't you?" Karofsky spoke as he walked around Blaine and went up to the cart to look at the creature within. The shifter cowered away and pressed himself up to the bars on the far end of the cage. Karofsky chuckled. "What exactly do you plan to do with it?"

"You can't put it up on the circuit." Santana said as she too walked around Blaine who turned as she walked past. "He won't do any good." The circuit, the cruelest place a Mystic could possible go into. It is the Mystic equivalent of a human prostitution ring though unlike the human counterpart the Mystic have to say and are thus forced to perform their 'pleasantries' onto paying human customers while the human women and sometimes men did it freely. Miss Lopez herself has a Mystic she has in the circuit. A beautiful human shifter called Brittany Pierce though it has been rumored that Santana has taken free cuts out of the shifter taken her… Interests.

"I never put any of my Mystics on the circuit Santana." Blaine said thickly. "I wouldn't even put a human in there as punishment."

Santana turned and looked back at Blaine. "Did I hit a nerve?" She probed. "Have a certain infatuation with the shifter? Hm?"

Blaine smirked. "It's interesting you peg me for having infatuations for my shifter Miss Lopez when the rumors of you and your shifter fuel the housewives off all three counties of Ohio."

Santana scoffed and rolled her eyes. Karofsky shook his head in impatience. "I've had enough of this conversation." Turning to face Blaine his eyes tore into Blaine's. "What exactly do you plan to do with it?" Karofsky asked again.

"Why does it concern you Karofsky?" Blaine bit back. "I believe that perhaps you have an infatuation with my shifter. Is that why you wanted him so badly that you would have indulged me in a bidding war before?"

It was Karofsky's turn to scoff. "You know very well Anderson that I don't infatuate myself with Mystics nor men."

"Of course you don't Karofsky." Blaine said tipping his nose up at him. Karofsky growled and his fist clenched.

Wes jumped in between the two men. "Excuse me Master Blaine… The cart is set and we are all ready to go at your command."

"Thank you Wesley." Blaine nodded towards Wes. Looking back at Karofsky he continued to probe the man and his interest at the shifter. "Before I leave Karofsky I hope you don't mind if I ask why you seem so interested."

"Who wouldn't be Anderson?" Karofsky asked with an eye roll. "You dropped 5000 pounds on this thing."

"2100 pounds Karofsky. Mike didn't allow me to spend that much."

"Why you little prick—"

Santana jumped in this time and forcibly placed her hands on Karofsky's chest and pushed him back into the cart. "Master Karofsky!" She scolded. "Do you really want to get into yet another fight?"

Karofsky exhaled deeply. The last time he got into a fight he was sent to prison for battery. Karofsky looked over his shoulder to look at the shifter one last time before looking back at Blaine. "I bet you plan to clean him up and make him well worth the money?"

"Yes. That is the plan."

Karofsky had thoughts run through his head. After a short while he smirked at the man before him, pushing Santana lightly out of the way. "I'm willing to bet that you wouldn't be able to pass him off as a human."

Blaine raised an eyebrow at this, pleasantly surprised and intrigued at the challenge. In the cage the shifter watched on as he too was suddenly very interested. "To pass a shifter in a state like this as a human Karofsky?"

"Yes Anderson." Karofsky confirmed. "I bet that you won't be able to change this shifter into a passable gentleman by the Lima's annual Christmas Eve Gala."

Wes exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "Why that's only five months away!" He exclaimed. "And it looks like the creature doesn't even know how to speak!"

"It doesn't." Karofsky confirmed tossing a glance at Wes.

Blaine considered the challenge. "What exactly are we betting for?"

Wes' eyes widened as he looked over at his master. "Master Blaine! You can't be serious!"

Santana elbowed Wes. "Shut up and don't try to talk your master out of this." Crossing her arms she waited for Karofsky to speak the engagements. "Finally something interesting besides this pathetic rumor of me and Brittany." She said under her breath.

"If I win you give me the shifter and the original 5000 pounds you were supposed to pay for him." Karofsky spoke, smugly confident that he is going to win the bet.

"And if I win?" Blaine asked.

"If you win… Then I shall pay for everything you had done to make it presentable to human society, including the costs in which you paid to buy him."

Blaine smiled faintly and raised a hand to his chin in thought. "That's quite a bet Karofsky." After moments of silence Blaine stepped forward and extended his hand out to Karofsky. "You have a deal sir."

Karofsky reached out and gave Blaine's hand a good shake and then released it. "Then we have a deal then." Karofsky smirked. "I expect that shifter and the money by the end of the year."

Blaine chuckled. "Don't get your hopes up too high Mr. Karofsky. I don't intend to lose."

"And neither do I Mr. Anderson." Karofsky then walked away without another word, Santana leaving behind him to get back to her work.

Wes approached Blaine and stood beside him as he watched the shifter. "Master Blaine?" Wes asked softly. "Are you sure about this I mean… Look at him."

"I am Wes." Blaine said as he turned to face Wes as Wes did the same. "I have my utmost confidence in myself, my staff and even him. We'll win this bet. Just wait and see."

Wes sighed heavily. "Well… Let's hope that you're right for not just the sake of your name but for this shifter as well." With that both men looked at the caged Mystic. "Karofsky is nothing but trouble."

They then set off towards Dalton. The long three and a half hour ride back to the estate was silent with only the sounds of the horses' nickers and the sounds of the cobblestone streets of Lima change into the asphalt paved roads of Dalton, if they were entering McKinley they would be going on dirt paths. Blaine thought about the bet as the ride rolled into its last and final minutes, his home coming into view. True to be frank that Blaine was thinking of the bet the moment he had heard of it his mind just now fully wrapped around the severity of this bet. The Gala was only five months away and in those months he is suppose to clean up and make the shifter presentable, which is easy enough, but then he must also teach him how to speak, not only to physically speak but how to speak towards different types of people, and to read and even how to write. Then there's the dancing he must be taught for the Gala itself. Only five months to turn the shriveled up shifter behind him into a passable human gentleman. Blaine sighed and looked towards Wes. "What did I get myself into Wes?"

"Finally got your head wrapped around it huh Master Blaine?" Wes asked with laughter. "I don't mean to offend you sir but you definitely took your time in doing so."

"Wesley we can't possibly be sure he's smart enough to learn everything so quickly and then retain it and continue executing it."

The shifter raised his head at that and looked at the back of the two humans' heads. When they had sat down he had moved himself to the far end, not at all trusting these humans. Sure they look much kinder and even respectful towards Mystics but with the life he's had in the domestic breeding facility in California he can't risk himself to trust so easily. The only ones he can trust are good and well Mystics, preferably the wild ones for he can't even trust some of the domestic Mystics. The shifter crossed his arms before his chest and glared at the two humans. And who are they to say he isn't smart enough to retain anything? He would have learned to at least speak if it hadn't been for the endless solitary confinement with no chance of learning anything. The motto there was 'The far stupider the Mystic, the less likely it is to escape.' And be that as it may, the actual truth, the only thing that was taught to them was to always obey humans and to do whatever they ordered to. It had actually become second nature to him. That is why he so easily obeyed the dark, curly haired human before him when he ordered him to shift up on stage. He exhaled softly, trying to not make too much noise to divert attention to him. Yes, the poor, nameless Mystic he is forced to be traded, sold, traded again for the rest of his life may have been uneducated but he sure is not a complete imbecile.

"Well Master Blaine, I would suggest to get straight to work."

"Yes. When we get to the estate go and fetch Miss Berry and Miss Jones and pass the message to Miss Berry while you're at it. The less I have to hear of her love for Mr. Hudson the better."

Wes laughed. "I agree sir… Even though you're forcing me to hear it."

At that Blaine laughed. "I apologize my friend."

Wes nodded his head as he turned the horses into the estate's driveway, a near half a mile of road with magnificent oaks evenly spaced on either side of the road. The shifter couldn't help but be in awe of the grand entrance way of the property as the horse carriage continued on. He didn't even realize the noise he was making going back and forward in the cage, taking a good look at his new 'home'. Blaine turned and watched as the shifter continued its awe worshiping at his home. Blaine couldn't help but smile as he turned back around. Just as the shifter was done being in awe he was hit with the sight of the biggest house he's ever seen. He practically slammed himself into the cage trying to get a good look, a gasp escaping his lips. The house—mansion had at least thirty huge and grand windows in the front of the house, a balcony above the entrance way, a blue tiled roof with white walls and gold accenting with oak wood finishes. Tall topiaries, taller than the two story mansion, were cleanly trimmed and beautiful towering over smaller gardens with trees and flowers and bushes. The shifter turned and looked behind him as he saw a fountain in the middle of the rounding driveway surrounded by small knee high bushes.

Suddenly the cart got off the main driveway and went off onto this smaller road, hardly big enough for the cart itself and the mansion's side came rolling around. It was just as magnificent as the front with the same grand windows and more gardens, all well kept. The shifter sat flat on his haunches as the mansion slowly got a bit smaller as the cart continued moving away. He breathed deeply and then sighed, overtaken by the beauty of it all as the sun slowly started to set behind the mansion. And unwittingly the shifter dropped its guard and opened his trust towards the humans thinking with a home like this these people must be very kind. Suddenly the cart came to a stop and the shifter stopped focusing on the mansion and on his new surroundings. It was in the middle of a field and before the cart was possible the largest barn ever. It was extremely long and wide enough to have stalls on both side and allow room for a cart or two to pass into the barn itself from what the Mystic could see. Figuring that this is where the owner, Blaine, kept all his Mystics, he knew that soon he would be going inside. Wes got off to open the doors when Blaine stopped him.

"Go and fetch Miss Berry and Miss Jones Wes. I'll pull the cart inside." Not bothering to insist on doing it Wes bowed and ran off back towards the mansion which was possible a third of a mile away from it. Blaine got off and opened the doors, returning to the horses to pull them inside.

The shifter expected that it was the Mystic barn but what he didn't expect was what he would see when he was carted inside. His heart instantaneously broke when he saw his fellow Mystics. They were all in great shape mind you, but they were completely stressed. He saw his fellow brothers and sisters off all different breeds cawing, neighing, screaming, and yelling out their frustrations for being trapped inside a stall. It was apparent that most of them were either straight from the wild or only the first or second generation being domestic. All of them were completely loud. He saw a griffin, a satyr, a Minotaur, a mermaid in a glass exhibit behind a stall door, and even a gorgon and a banshee. The shifter shook his head as he tried to count all of the Mystics that were there. He ended up counting twenty-five, twenty-six counting him. The cart stopped before what looked liked to be the last empty stall and he looked across the way and that's when he started to cry. A unicorn.

The unicorn was absolutely beautiful and quiet as she raised her head and looked at the shifter. She was completely white, though her fur was not shining like wild unicorns, except for a stripe of soft baby blue that came down from her horn to the end of her muzzle. And the horn, the horn was also white, spiraling out from the middle of her forehead and there looked to be speckles of blue on her horn but sadly there was what the humans call a lock at the base of her horn blocking off all magic to her horn. Stepping forward she moved her head out of the stall door, which came up to his breastbone and left only an inch off the floor, as she continued to look at him. He quickly wiped his eyes and the unicorn tilted her head. Suddenly the gate door opened and the shifter looked towards it to see Blaine ushering him out.

"Come on then. Into the stall." The shifter softly groaned as he did as he was told. Without putting up so much as a struggle he stepped into the stall and heard the door click behind him. Looking around he could tell the stalls were lined with magic repellent which, as the name implied, repelled all magic from both inside and outside the stall. Then he heard Blaine's footsteps towards the cage, the gate closing and then more footsteps as Blaine led the horses out back through the only door of the barn, closing the big doors behind him, and towards their own barn just behind this one.

Once knowing that he was alone he collapsed into hay and grass covered floors of his stall and wept. Not for himself, no, his God of Light knows well enough that he had cried enough for himself over the years. He cried for the other Mystics that continued to yell and scream around him. He cried for the unicorn in the stall across the way, he cried for the griffin, the satyr, the Minotaur, the mermaid, the gorgon and the banshee. He cried for the others that he didn't see in the barn. He cried for those in other humans' hands, no matter if they treated them cruel or well, he cried for those in the circuit, those in the domestic breeding facility. He even cried for those in the wild. No. He specifically cried for those in the wild. For those who are currently being caught, for those whose love ones, family or friends, that were caught, especially to the children, all alone and pulled away from their parents, to the parents to every Mystic out there in the world. He cried for them all. And he didn't stop crying until he heard the sounds of the barn open again.

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