Page 119 of The Robin on the Oak Throne

“We’re not for sale,” the shifter said with a gruff grunt.

“Another minute,” Laz muttered. “If you can give it to me.”

The shifter reached for her, grabbing for her waist.

Kierse took the opportunity to be as dramatic as possible. She slipped out of his grip and collapsed on the floor, careful of her dress. She immediately burst into hysterics.

“How dare you touch me! Youthrew me on the floor!” she gasped. She felt utterly ridiculous. Unhinged. This was so out of character for her, personally, that it was hard not to burst into laughter. “This dress cost ten thousand dollars. If you’ve ruined it, I am sending the bill to you.”

“What is going on back here?” a harried auctioneer asked as he dashed into the back room.

Kierse was sprawled on the floor, trying to drum up tears as she looked at the man. “Your security threw me on the ground!”

“Ma’am, I am deeply sorry for how you have been treated,” the man said obsequiously, offering her his arm. “Please forgive the security team. They’re a little trigger-happy and don’t know how to deal with high-end clientele.”

“As I noticed!” she said as she accepted his help and rose laboriously to her feet.

“Almost there,” Laz said.

But Kierse didn’t have any more time. She was going to have to leave. She’d made enough of a scene to get in the way, and she couldn’t ignore this man who was—finally, annoyingly—treating her like royalty. Fuck.

“I wanted one more minute,” Kierse pouted, hoping Laz would understand.

“My apologies and deep regrets, but we are only showing the auction items as they come forward.” He put a hand gently on her back and directed her toward the exit.

“Where was the restroom again?”

“I’ll have an assistant show you,” he said, snapping his fingers.

An assistant appeared to escort her away. She ground her teeth together as she followed the woman away fromthe scene.

“I’m out,” Laz said into her ear.

“Did we get it?” Graves asked.

Laz was quiet a minute. “It was closed circuit. They hid most of the information off the system. I’ll have to go through it.”

Graves gnashed his teeth loud enough for the microphone to pick up. “Fine. Wren, make haste.”

Kierse swallowed and continued down the hallway toward the bathroom. She wanted to ditch the assistant, but she was speaking animatedly about the entire collection and what Kierse could look forward to seeing. Since…she had been dumped on her rump before seeing it all.

“Thank you. That will do,” Kierse told her, wanting nothing more than to leave this bullshit behind. She didn’t like to be mean to innocents. It was the monsters and the billionaire humans who had her enmity.

But the assistant nodded and made a quick retreat. Kierse did the same.

Graves’s voice came through the line. “Fuck. We have another problem.”

Kierse burst through the stage door, only to find the problem ready and waiting for them.

“Imani is here,” Graves said.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Imani Cato stood gloriously clothed in a white Roman sheath against her brown skin. Her head was shaved close and her expression fierce. She had absolutely not been on the guest list.

Graves’s ex-apprentice was a master in her own right. After they had stolen from her, she had sought revenge against them by dosing Ethan with her wish powder and nearly killing him. Kierse had hoped that would be the end of her schemes.

“What the fuck do we do?” she asked Graves.

---