Page 3 of Sold Wolf Slave

Unless they bite, an annoying part of me whispered.

We stayed silent, the only option we had, even as we both knew it wasn’t going to do either of us any good.

The man let out a melodramatic sigh and flicked his wrist, almost bored. A rush of warmth like a hot summer breeze brushed against me. With dread, I felt my own spell lift, and Morgan’s as well. The man grinned, looking directly at us.

“Nice try,” he said. The smile vanished. “Now come on.”

Two of the guards who hadn’t shifted stepped forward and grabbed our arms, one for each of us. They pushed us forward, down the hall. The wolves flanked us, making it impossible for us to make a break for it again.

Eventually, they came to a stop in front of two large doors guarded by two hulking shifters. They leered at both of us. Morgan shrank back while I glowered up at them. Then one of the men flanking us shoved me in the back, forcing me forward. I staggered forward through the doors and into a massive room with vaulted ceilings and gilded columns, the most ostentatious display I had ever seen. It would have been disgusting if what I saw at the far end didn’t send a chill racing through me.

A hulking shifter lounged on what could only be described as a throne. Unsmiling, he watched us with a piercing intensity. His dark hair was cut short to his head, and he had broad shoulders and a massive chest. He straightened as we approached, not saying anything.

My breath caught, and I tried to conceal the anxiety running through me. I didn’t need anyone to tell me who we were looking at.

Cain, ruler of the Underside. A shifter and a notorious slaver who had managed to stay beneath the radar and build this empire using witches he had befriended.

I stared at him. He stared back. Then he tore his gaze away from me to glance up at Lucas, one eyebrow raised with interest.

“These two decided to try and escape,” Lucas said to the unasked question.

“Is that so?” He turned his attention to us, genuine curiosity behind the threatening tone. “And how did you manage that? Those locks on your cell are magic-proof for a reason.”

“I told you we should cut off their magic entirely,” Lucas said. He fell silent the instant Cain shot him a glare.

“Their new owners like to see a little show before they buy, as I’ve told you,” he growled. “On top of that, most of them are too afraid of the consequences to even consider something like that.” He turned back to regard us. “These two appear to be an exception to the rule.”

He stood and walked toward us. Next to me, I could see Morgan trembling out of the corner of my eye. Guilt gnawed at me for putting her in this position in the first place. I should have protected her better.

When Cain stopped in front of me, my eyes rose from his massive chest to look at his face. He had an old, faded scar that ran along his hairline. Up close, I couldn’t escape the piercing blue eyes. He looked at me with both annoyance and amusement, but every inch of him radiated authority, a shifter used to being obeyed without question.

“How did you two escape?” he asked me.

I didn’t answer, instead staring straight ahead as if I couldn’t see him, as if I wasn’t terrified by him. My wolf bristled and bared her fangs, but I could tell she was trying to comfort me at the same time. She could sense my fear, even if I refused to let it show.

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. His eyes flashed.

“Well?” he snarled.

I didn’t answer. He let out atskas he released me.

Moving to Morgan, he said, “Are you going to tell me how you escaped?” he asked. His growl sounded like gravel and grated in my ears.

Next to me, I saw Morgan trembling, but she stayed silent, even though none of this was her fault. She wasn’t going to rat me out. I wanted to reach out and take her hand, but I knew none of the guards surrounding us would let my arm get halfway there.

“In that case, I guess we’ll have to give you some incentive,” he snarled. He looked to the side. “Thresh? Get Ronan. Tell him to bring his whip.”

My stomach lurched. Ronan was the head guard, the one in charge of most of the slaves. I’d encountered him once before and had no desire to deal with him again. He was ruthless and terrifying, almost as much as Cain.

“We’ll start with this one,” he said, coming to stand in front of Morgan. He stood too close to her, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face. “Maybe that will convince you to listen to orders.”

Rage and panic raced through me at the same time. Ronan would eat Morgan alive. She wouldn’t be able to take it, and she didn’t deserve it. I couldn’t let Morgan take the fall. Not for this. Not when none of this was her fault beyond listening to me.

“One of your guys forgot to lock my door,” I said, staring straight at Cain. His head whipped around. “Your men need to be more vigilant.”

He stalked to stand in front of me, mercifully forgetting about Morgan, at least for the time being. As long as she stayed safe, I didn’t care what happened to me.

“So you’re the instigator,” he drawled.

---