Page 22 of Mated By the Pack
“Carl really let one of them get the drop on him?” Haggard asks. “Old boy is losing his edge.”
“Yeah, we still haven’t figured out how they got the door open,” Jeb chuckles. “But it doesn’t matter now. We got them here and Carl will meet with the buyers when he wakes up. He said you get first pick.”
Haggard looks past Jed and Jeb, grinning as he sees us huddled in the cage. He walks closer and I see the hunger in his eyes. It makes my blood run cold.
“Wow, it’s like Christmas,” Haggard jokes. “Mm, they’re all pretty. This isn’t going to be an easy choice.”
Fear radiates from our breath. I squeeze Fiona’s hand and scoot in front of her. Nara slides forward as well, trying to put herself between Brenna and Tansy. It doesn’t work. Haggard circles the cart so he can get a good look at all five of us.
“I like that one,” Haggard says, pointing at Fiona.
“No, oh, no,” Fiona whimpers.
I can’t let him take Fiona, but before I can say anything, Nara speaks up. “She’s just a kid. Come on, you want a woman, right? Take me.”
Haggard’s grin gets wider, and he leans closer to Nara. His eyes flick along her exposed skin, but he shakes his head and wrinkles his nose.
“Nah, you look like trouble,” Haggard chuckles.
“T-then take me,” I force out, scooting closer to the cage door. “I won’t fight you. I’ll do… what you want.”
“Damn, they’re all so willing,” Haggard says, glancing at Jed and Jeb. “The buyers will love those two. I want her.” He points at Fiona again.
“You got it,” Jeb says, walking closer with Carl’s key in his hand.
“They don’t take her without a fight,” I grind out, steadying myself on my knees.
“Agreed,” Nara says, positioning herself, despite the pain she’s in.
The others nod, but don’t say anything. Fiona is trembling so hard I don’t think she’ll be much help, so I keep her behind me. Tansy’s face is grim but determined. Brenna is poised and ready. I feel the pulse of the vine around my wrist, but it doesn’t offer any help, even though it’s still tethered to me for some reason.
“Watch them,” Jeb cautions. “They’re feisty.”
Jeb fumbles with the lock. The moment it clicks, we move. We don’t give him a chance to swing the door open or get ready for us. Nara hits the door with her shoulder and groans from the pain as she pushes it into Jeb. It slams into his face, but he doesn’t go down. Jed reaches past him and wrestles Nara the rest of the way out of the cage. I try to follow, but he slams her into the mud before I can intervene.
“Told you they are feisty,” Jeb grumbles, rubbing his face.
“I see that.” Haggard takes a step back, like he doesn’t want any part of it.
“Fucking bitches!” Jed shouts, raising his boot to stomp on Nara.
I jump out of the cage and land on Jed’s back. That stops him from kicking her. He tries to throw me off, but I dig my nails into his neck. Jeb jumps to his brother’s defense, only to get hit by the door again when Tansy forces her way out. Unfortunately, Jeb easily overpowers Tansy and slams her into the cage. He alsocatches Brenna as she tries to escape and throws her into the mud next to Nara.
“Fiona, run!” I yell, still hanging onto the bucking Jed for dear life.
Jeb moves to stop her, but Brenna comes up from the ground with a broken stick. She jams it into Jeb’s leg, which makes him roar and kick her in the face. That gives Fiona a chance to get out of the cage and run, but she doesn’t get far. Haggard snatches her up with his thick, meaty arms that nearly suffocate the smaller girl.
“You’re not going anywhere, you little slut,” he chuckles, throwing her over his shoulder. “You belong to me now.”
“Let me go! Let me go!” Fiona shrieks, her hands doing no damage as she pounds them into Haggard’s back. “Nurse Calla! Help!”
“No!” I scream, reaching out for Fiona.
Jed dislodges me from his neck and flips me over his back. I land face first into the mud. I claw and scamper toward Fiona, but Jed grabs my leg. My fingernails tears through the wet earth. I kick at Jed and see Jeb stomping on Brenna.
“Haggard got his girl,” Jed growls, kicking me in the back. “Get the rest of them back in the cage.”
Frank isn’t here to make them stop. Carl isn’t here to protect the merchandise. Jed and Jeb are much rougher this time. They punch and kick us as they drag us to our feet and shove us into the cage. We try to fight back, but it’s futile. They slam the door and lock it—leaving Fiona on the other side.
