Page 5 of Sold Wolf Slave

“Lucas, I think it’s about time these two are separated,” he said.

My world crashed around me. I could barely breathe. He couldn’t do that. I couldn’t let him. Morgan was too sweet, too timid. I had to look after her. She couldn’t handle this on her own.

“No,” I said, my voice dry. “Please, don’t.”

“Now she says please.” Cain laughed. He came toward me, leaning forward and bringing his lips to my ear once again. This time, he whispered, only for me to hear. “You made your weakness too obvious.”

He stood before me could even register the words. By the time I had, Cain had turned toward Lucas. He gestured at Morgan.

“Take her away,” he ordered Lucas. “You can guess where.”

With a curt nod, Lucas moved toward Morgan.

“No,” I said, stepping forward, wanting to stop him. I hadn’t even taken half a step when strong arms grabbed my shoulders and jerked me back. “No, don’t. Morgan!”

“Kendra!” Morgan shouted, but she was moving with Lucas, obeying his commands even as she turned to look over her shoulder at me, her eyes wide and desperate and frightened.

I fought, knowing that it wasn’t going to do any good. I screamed and thrashed, trying to worm my way out of the guards’ grasp even as I knew it was useless. All I could do was watch my sister get farther and farther away.

Then the door closed, and my sister was gone.

My legs trembled, threatening to collapse underneath me. My sister was gone, taken somewhere I couldn’t get to her, and it was all my fault. My breath went shallow as my mind spun, reeling in panic. I turned toward Cain, not bothering to hide the rage any longer. My wolf howled in fury, as protective of our sister as I was.

“Where are you taking her?” I demanded.

“Away.” He shrugged. “That’s all you need to know. Think of this as an incentive to behave yourself,” he said. “As long as you remember your place and don’t stir up any trouble, your sister will be safe. Try and be more demure.” He smirked, his eyes glittering with malicious amusement. “Like your sister.”

Rage washed over me, and my wolf howled in anger, wanting to tear him to shreds. But even if that wouldn’t immediately result in Morgan being punished for my actions, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t attack him or cause harm to him in any way. The bracelet clamped around my left wrist burned at the very thought.

Cain must have seen the look in my eye because he just laughed. “Good girl,” he said. “Keep that anger of yours in check, and don’t try to escape, and your sister will be fine.”

Of course. That was what he wanted. Me to be good, knowing anything could happen to my sister at any moment.

“And what about me?” I managed to get out, my throat dry.

“I mentioned there would be men who would love to break that spirit of yours,” he said. “I think I’ll send you over to them. You’re too pretty to waste on the general auction, anyway.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant, not at first. Then he turned to Ronan and said, “Take her to the fighting pits first thing in the morning. I think she’ll make an excellent prize for one of our winners. In the meantime, I think she can spend one final night in the cells so she can think about how she wants to behave from now on.”

“Yes, sir.”

Fear, for myself this time, jolted through me. I took a step back into the guards without thinking. Before I could say a single word, Ronan had grabbed me and was dragging me out of the room.

Cain watched, staring after me, that amused smirk still on his mouth until the door slammed shut, blocking him from view.

Chapter 2 - Will

“I can’t believe Declan sent us on a wild goose chase,” Nolan said. “We’ve been wandering through these woods for, what, six hours?”

“Seven,” I answered without looking back at him.

“Oh, that’s much better,” Nolan answered dryly.

Ignoring him, I slowed to a halt, glancing around. “I don’t think we’ve checked that way yet,” I said, nodding east.

“Nolan’s got a point, Will,” said Chris. “I think we’re allowed to stop after a certain point. Jameson told Declan theremightbe a trafficking ring around here, not that it was guaranteed. And we haven’t seen any evidence of it anywhere.”

“I still think they send us here for their own amusement,” Nolan said. His red hair looked like it was on fire as the setting sun peeked through the canopy of trees overhead.

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