Page 33 of Betrayed Auctioned Mate

I barely have time to react before they’re on me, a hard force slamming into my chest and knocking me off balance.

I hit the floor hard. My skull cracks back against the cold tile, and I see an explosion of light. Bizarrely, I think they’ve set off a flash bomb, but then I realize it’s the fragmentation of my vision. The world spins around me, a mess of shapes and colors.

The stranger straddles me, pinning me to the ground with surprising strength. I try to fight back, kicking and shoving, but they’re too strong. My head spins, disoriented from the fall, and I can’t focus my eyes anymore.

My hand scrambles for something, anything, to use as a weapon, but my fingers only find smooth, empty floor. I twist and buck beneath the mass of my attacker. It’s no use. They’re stronger than they should be, stronger than any human.

A shifter. I realize I can smell it, too—a shifter with the rancid smell of a rogue.

A rough hand clamps over my mouth, stifling the scream that’s rising in my throat. Panic rips through me. I hear roaring in my ears.

I thrash harder, trying to break free, but the stranger only presses down harder, the pressure on my chest making it difficult to breathe. And then, with a sudden movement, they slam my head against the floor again.

Pain explodes behind my eyes, and everything goes blurry. The fight drains out of me as darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision.

No, not again. Please, not again.

I’m back there, trapped in that hell all over again. The feeling of being overpowered, helpless, taken against my will—it’s the same. The same as it was years ago. My mind screams at me to fight, to do something, but my body refuses to respond.The fear paralyzes me, drowning me in memories I thought I’d buried for good.

The stranger’s grip tightens, and I feel myself slipping, the world around me fading into a haze. I try to focus, try to hold on to consciousness, but it’s no use. The anchor of the past drags me down, pulling me under.

Ado. Ado, help me. Save me.

As the darkness finally takes me, one thought echoes in my mind, loud and relentless:

It’s happening again.

Chapter 18 - Ado

The dim lights inside Border Ridge House cast long shadows across the sleek marble floors. Someone has placed tall, expensive metal torches in lines across the walls, and their flames flicker in the breeze through the entry hall. The air is thick with the scent of expensive cigars, perfume, and something deeper. It’s almost the scent of blood.

I know it well after all these years, the smell of corruption.

I stand near the back of the crowded ballroom, pretending to sip a glass of whiskey as I observe the room. Through the crowd, dressed as a waiter, Percy lowers his emptied drinks tray and retreats to the kitchens. He doesn’t look across at me, but I can tell he knows I’ve seen him.

The place is packed with unsavory types—men draped in luxury brands thumbing their expensive cigars, their smiles cold and predatory as they mingle with each other. The kind of people who thrive in the shadows, who have no qualms about buying or selling whatever it takes to maintain their power. Some humans, mostly shifters. Old money. I scan their faces. Keira would tell me if I was close to a person of interest. She’s said nothing yet.

Weapons, drugs, and women, in that order. Soon, the auction will be underway. The thought makes me feel sick, but I keep my expression neutral, playing the part of a wealthy businessman looking to make a deal. It’s a role I’ve played before, too many times to count, but tonight, it’s as if it’s my first undercover op all over again. I feel clumsy, shaky, like I haven’t been doing this for years. Usually, jobs come naturally to me. But something’s off, and I am consumed by the simple task of keeping my breathing even.

I am not the type to panic. What’s wrong with me?

Through the pack’s mental link, I hear Percy’s voice in my mind, clear but hushed, as he and Rafael sneak through the backrooms.

“We’re almost to the basement. No sign of extra security yet, but there’s some heavy equipment down here. They’re definitely anticipating the possibility of invasion.”

“Keep moving,” I respond mentally, keeping my expression steady.“If anything feels off, pull back. We can’t afford any mistakes.”

Percy sends a brief affirmation, and then the connection quiets again.

I draw a slow breath into my core, trying to relax my shoulders. Rosa once taught me how to breathe in a way that helps ground you. I don’t remember most of what she said, but sometimes I find myself doing it. Blending in means staying calm.

I glance at my watch, waiting for the auction to start. The doors to the main stage will open any minute now, and the real show will begin. But something gnaws at the back of my mind, a nagging sense of unease that I can’t shake.

Thumbing the button in my sleeve that activates my earpiece, I clear my throat, intending to reach out to Keira. Even just hearing her voice right now would steady me.

“Keira, you reading me?” I murmur quietly, my tone casual. No response.

I wait a few seconds, then try again.

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