Page 60 of Betrayed

I had no idea where they were taking me, butIwas hungry and thirsty andIhad to pee again long before we got there.Thewater was long gone andIwas doing my best to hold it when the van finally stopped traveling and the doors opened again.

RealKanewas standing there.Besidehim was a man dressed in a navy blazer and slacks.Hehad carefully styled silver hair and looked kind of like a game show host,Ithought.Helooked me up and down and nodded at my brother.

“Well,I’veseen worse.I’mnot sure how much you’ll get for her though—she’s overweight and nothing special, though her face is pretty enough.”

“She’s aRecessiveOmegaand this is her firstHeatCycle,”RealKaneshot back. “That’sworth aHellof a lot!”

The other man’s silver eyebrows shot up.

“Truly?Ifyou’re right, she might fetch a pretty penny.”

“I’m right,” my brother said firmly. “Smellher scent.She’sbeen living as a human all this time and just now came into herCycle.Shedoesn’t know anything about theWereworld.”

“All right—you have my interest,” the man said. “I’llstyle her for a cut of what you get for her.I’mthinking…fifty percent.”

“You fucking high?I’llgive you five,” my brother snarled.

They went back and forth like that, bargaining with my life likeIwas nothing but a possession.Ithought about trying to run but the two of them were blocking the exit from the van and there was no way to get up to the front—there was a metal partition there.

At last they agreed on twenty-percent of the profits from my sale and the well-dressed man took me by the arm.

“Come along, young lady,” he said stiffly. “Andbe sure you behave yourself.Idon’twantto punish you, butIwill ifIhave to.”

I didn’t have much choice—Iwas still naked and handcuffed.Also,Ididn’t see anyone aroundIcould ask for help.Theman was leading me into whatIassumed was his house—it was a big oldColonialset back in the woods.Therewas nothing around us but trees.

“I’ll be back for her later,” my brother said, and left in the van.

The minute the van was out of sight,Ibegan to talk.

“Please,Mister,”Ibegan. “Idon’t know who you are, but please help me!Thatman is my brother but he kidnapped me.He?—”

“I know perfectly well who your brother is, which meansIalsoknow better than to cross him,” the man snapped. “Myname isRaymondandI’ma stylist—that’s all you need to know about me.Andthere’s no point in begging me to help you becauseIwon’t.”

“But…butIhave a life back home!”Iprotested. “Youcan’t just grab me up like this.”

“I didn’t do that—your brother did,” he said. “Asfor your old life, forget it—it’s gone and you’re never going back to it.”

I thought ofCookieandAnnabelleandThePieShopandMissSassy, my cat and felt tears starting in my eyes.

“But what’s going to happen to me?”Iasked. “Idon’t understand—Ijust keep hearing about some kind of auction.”

“Indeed—theEliteBitchAuction—also known as theEBA.”Hewas ushering me inside his immaculately decorated house now.Iwould have stopped and admired it ifIhadn’t been so upset. “I’mgoing to clean you up as bestIcan…”Herehe made a face, as thoughIwas a tough project he was taking on. “Andthen you’ll be sold to the highest bidder,” he finished.

“What?”Icouldn’t believe it. “Butwhy?Whyme?”Idemanded. “There’snothing special or ‘elite’ about me!I’mjust a waitress in a diner.”

“According to your brother, you’re aRecessiveOmega,” he told me. “That’sextremely rare.”

“But what evenisaRecessiveOmega?”Iasked, feeling bewildered.Itseemed like everyone was talking in code. “Andfor that matter, what is the ‘Wereworld’ that my brother was talking about?”

Raymond gave me a surprised look.

“You reallyareinnocent, aren’t you?The‘Wereworld’ refers to the community of werewolves that resides within the larger human population.”

“The community ofwhat?”Iwas so startled thatIactually started laughing. “You’rejoking, right?Imean, youmustbe.”

“I most certainly amnot,”he said stiffly. “BeingaWeremyself,Iwouldn’t joke about such things.Norshould you, since you are also aWere.”

“I don’t know what kind of delusion you’re under, buddy,”Isaid. “ButIhave never in my life turned into a wolf during the full moon or any other time.”

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