Page 30 of Skin Trade

“Aamon,” Seth said, and bowed his head for a second. “You are not with the council this evening?”

“I am. I thought I would … how is it the humans say? Mingle? See what is going on.” The word mingle was odd coming from this man’s mouth. On purpose of course. He was superior to Seth, and Payton was damn sure he was a lot younger too. Not in years, but when he had given up his human life for this one. He was surely stronger than Seth. He had to be to be a member of the council. The fact he was showing his fangs when he talked, was for her benefit. “I see you have brought a slave with you this time. Alex will be pleased.”

“It was his request. I heard Alexander wishes to make this entire place his?”

Aamon narrowed his eyes, but then just as fast, it was gone. “Who passes this rumour on?”

“It was just something I heard. Nothing important.”

“Well, your information is incorrect. Alex wishes only to oversee. He is happy for you to take your cuts as you always do. I am sure you won’t let him down the way Ravena did. Are you going to introduce me? Or are we beyond that now?”

“Absolutely,” Seth said with too much oomph in his word. “This is Payton. Payton, this is Aamon.”

Aamon bowed in front of her. He took her hand and, as he did, raised it to his mouth to place a kiss on her knuckles. He was the second to the Head of the Coven of Vampires. Alexander was the master of all.

“Pleased to meet you,” she said. She forced a smile and bowed her head to avert his gaze, giving in to the proper etiquette for meeting another vampire. Though the last time she had met another, it was not for something as formal as this.

She could swear he sniffed at her hand. He inhaled at least. “You have something special here. How does she taste?”

Seth kept Payton’s hand on his arm by placing his hand on top of hers. His hold on her tightened at Aamon’s question. “I have yet to taste,” he said, “but I am certain she is worth the wait.”

“You brought a blood slave here? One you have not tasted yet. Let alone bonded with. Does Alex know about this? I can’t imagine he would be pleased with this news.”

“She is new to my coven. I wanted to settle her first. To relax around us, then I would take her.”

He would take her? Payton tried tugging her hand away from Seth a little so Aamon wouldn’t see, but enough that Seth would get the idea. He didn’t let her go. If anything, his fingers wrapped around hers and held her in place, sending her a clear message. No.

“I do not like the taste of fear,” he carried on. “When they are new, they always taste like fear. It taints the blood, makes it bitter. I find lust is the best flavour. It is by far the sweetest.”

“Really? I find fear always makes them taste more delicious. Especially when they scream.”

Seth only nodded at that and then he turned and positioned them, putting himself between Payton and Aamon. That was fine, but the problem came when she turned and found she had a clear view of the door, and Creven. Her stomach clenched and she gripped Seth even more, thankful right then that he hadn’t let her go. She didn’t remember Creven being that big. Maybe it was the girl beside him. Young, small, dainty. Payton’s heart leapt at the sight of her.

Josie …

The girl shuffled beside Creven, struggling to keep up. Her head was down, and she held onto her master for support, but not in the same way Payton did with Seth. If Creven moved, Josie was going to topple over.

“Oh, Josie.”

When the men for the auction had come for Payton, Josie had been with Creven. She was often. He liked them young, and Josie was the youngest of his girls. Barely thirteen—the prime age for Creven and his sick tastes. It’d been a long while since Payton was that age and in the vampire’s company. A long time, and yet in many ways, her body hadn’t healed, her spirit hadn’t healed. It tried to. She tried to. She banished the thoughts when they came up, pushed everything down deep inside her.

They’d never got to say goodbye—her and Josie. It wasn’t a coincidence either. She’d hardly seen Josie after Creven caught the two of them talking once. Payton tried to brush it off as her showing the new girl how to behave. An easy excuse. Josie was young and hadn’t been with Creven more than three months when Payton had found her crying, hiding under the kitchen table, blood between her legs and not just from being fed upon. And even though it was the kitchen table in their quarters, it was still not safe.

She’d pleaded with Payton to let her out, let her go, but even to wish to leave the care of vampires was to show a lack of respect. Payton had coaxed Josie out, cleaned her up and settled her into the small bed when Creven had come in and caught them.

Seth tugged on Payton’s arm. Aamon was gone. “What has your attention?” he asked. “You’re distracted.” He followed her gaze. Creven wasn’t even looking their way. It was like he didn’t remember her. Maybe that made her one of the lucky ones. She was too old now for his liking. Not that he liked her so much when she was younger. A blessing. The first time he’d taken blood from her, he’d screamed at her for trying to poison him. Had hit her.

Seth brushed his mouth along the edge of Payton’s ear, sending shivers through her body. “Pay attention.”

She nodded. Seth positioned her so the back of her left side was pressed against him. That alone was distracting, but still she apologized. “Sorry.” She took one last harrowing glance at Creven before turning back with Seth and letting him lead her away.

The last time she had seen Creven and his friends, she had been passed around them and taken from until she had passed out from the loss of blood. It was almost a relief when her mind had given up on her. Would Seth be able to protect her from that, or would he be just the same in the end?

She hoped not. It was hard to imagine Seth being that way. Although she didn’t know him yet, she knew types. It wasn’t so hard to see into a man’s heart and know what lay in there. Even dead hearts gave away their secrets.

“You sit behind me,” Seth said, when he led her to one of the seats at the table. “Whatever happens, do not move, do not speak. Do not do anything. You only move if I, Mathias or Alexander himself instructs you. Do you understand?”

She nodded quickly, feeling the chill in his words. Not directed at her, but at everyone else in the room. She wanted to ask him why, but one look at him told her now was not the time.

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