by Milly Taiden
Chairs clunked as they were moved around, scooted away from the table. She held her breath and squeezed her eyes closed and lay as still as she could. After several seconds of silence, the voice said another word and everyone left the room.
Air rushed out of her lungs. She reached up from where she lay curled up on the floor, pushed away from the table, and promptly rolled to the floor. She had extra padding, so nothing hurt, too much, when landing. After getting to her feet, she peeked into the room she just left and saw nobody. She rushed to another door, hoping to find the hallway to the lobby where she could walk out the front door. Bingo!
She stepped out at the same time one of the guards did two doors down. Shit! She dove forward into the room across the hall. The room was dark, no lights. Her hand slid along the wall which felt like books. She kept going, came to a corner. The door opened. She flattened herself against the wall.
Lights came on, but they were small spotlights shining on the rows and rows of books lining the walls. She was awed by the amount of leather and paper this room held. At the end of the shelf, she squeezed back, hoping they wouldn’t see her.
The small of her back rubbed against two small objects in the wall behind her. Wait, she wasn’t against a wall, but a double door. She quietly opened it and backed in. Her eyes stayed on the men on the other side of the room, searching for her. Her shaky hands eased the door closed with barely a snick. She blew out the breath she held.
A throat behind her cleared. She jumped and twirled in the air, then flattened against the doors, her heart beating way too fast. Standing behind a desk was the sparkly important man who had pointed and sent the men after her.
Perhaps this was her last time not trusting herself to do anything right.
CHAPTER 8
Kari stood with her back against the double door staring at the man who would determine her fate. All this because she didn’t buy a ticket to get in? Time to beg. “I’m so sorry.” She unzipped her fanny pack. “Here, I’ll pay the admission price. Even more for a donation. I just had to use the bathroom very badly.” She stood in front of the desk, holding out money.
His brow raised, head tilted. “Are you American?”
Oh shit. If she said yes, would he kill her or throw her in jail? If she said no, could she fake an English accent? Her initial thought was to lie. But she knew her luck too well.
“Yes, I’m American.”
The man broke into a big smile, his arms spread wide. “Well then, welcome to my home.”
Her jaw dropped. Home? The only person in this town who could afford the kind of stuff on display would be the—oh, double shit. She was in so much trouble.
“I am Prince Goddard and this is my palace. What brings an American female to my doorstep?” The way he said “American female” sent a shudder through her. She smiled anyway.
“My boyfriend and I are touring.” The words sounded robotic even to her. She was so dead. On her first mission and gone missing, never to be seen or heard from again.
“Are you sure you’re not with the CIA?” he asked. Was he joking? A spot of red flashed in his eyes.
“No. We’re with ITA.”
The prince’s face took on a questioning expression.
“International Touring Agency. That’s the name of our group, I swear.” So much for being a strong spy. She wasn’t even being interrogated and she gave out information.
“That’s wonderful, Miss . . .”
“Oh, I’m Kari Tomlin.” She leaned forward and put her hand out to shake. He took her fingers in his soft ones and brought it to his mouth. Ever so lightly, he brushed his lips across her skin. Oh my god. She was in complete shock. Was this normal in this country for greeting females?
“We have so few American women come here. You are truly a treasure worth a fortune.” His smile seemed predatory. He looked at her like she was an object, not a person.
Someone knocked on the door. The prince said a word and the door opened. It was a guard. When he saw her, his eyes widened. The man spoke and quickly left, closing the door.
“Miss Tomlin, you’re just in time,” the prince said.
She narrowed her eyes. “In time for what, may I ask?”
“For dinner.” He smiled and opened his arms wide again. “You will be my guest this evening. We have a fantastic show I’m sure you’ll like. Yes, I think you will like it very much.” His eyes flashed red again. It unnerved her even though she wasn’t sure what it was.
Her head shook side to side. “Oh, thank you. That is so kind of you, but I should be going. My boyfriend will be worried.” Her phone buzzed in her waist pack. She stared at it, not sure if she should pick it up. The prince gestured for her to go ahead. She dug it out and pushed the icon for text messaging.
“Who is it?” the prince asked, standing over her shoulder, deliberately reading her message.
“It’s my boyfriend wondering where I am.” She stepped away. “I really should—”
“Miss Tomlin,” he backed her against the desk and put a hand on the wooden top on each side of her, “you don’t want problems with our police. Any crime against the royal family is punishable by death. And you are trespassing on my property.”
Fuck. He was a bipolar psycho. Charming one second, threatening her life the next. That red glowed brighter and larger, then died back. She put on a smile to save her life. “On second thought, it would be nice to sample some of the best food your country offers. Let me text my boyfriend and he’ll be here shortly.”
“I haven’t invited him, Miss Tomlin,” Goddard said.
Oh, shit. This couldn’t be good. But what could she do? She swallowed hard. “Of course, you haven’t. How presumptuous of me.”
He stepped back. “Wonderful. Now send your friend a message telling him you’ll be fine. I will deliver you to your hotel safely.”
She picked up the phone from the desk where she’d dropped it and brought up the on-screen keyboard. There had to be some way to let Sheldon know she’d be okay or he would barge in and get himself shot. Or worse yet, get them both put in jail and cause an international incident. Just what she needed on her first trip into the field.
She typed, “Guess who I just met. Prince Goddard! He’s invited me for dinner and a show. Enjoy the tour. Don’t wait up.” Why, now that she needed to be clever with words, could she not think of one secret code or clue phrase? The spy business wasn’t for her. She needed to stick with her movies and fantasies.
“Very good,” he said after reading what she’d typed. “Send it and we’ll go.” She tapped the envelope icon, then the prince snatched the phone from her hands.
“Hey!” She tried to grab it back. “That’s mine. Give it back.”
Goddard tsked. “You Americans and your toys. Dinner is not the place for such distractions. After we finish, I’ll return your phone.” She had no choice. And she was hungry.
“Lead the way,” she said. He took her hand and opened the door for her. Every other step, another amazing piece of art dazzled her. His stash had to be worth billions. “Your collection of art is astounding. You must’ve spent a long time searching for everything here.”
He smiled. “It is quite impressive, isn’t it? Many items are from the castle and very old. But a majority I’ve found here and there in my life.” He flipped a hand in the air like it was nothing. Just a watercolor he found at a starving artist sidewalk sale. Whatever.
After a maze of hallways, they came to a set of doors that looked solid gold. Wasteful, but beautiful. He pulled them open with grand flourish and strutted into the room. This was not what she expected for a dining room.
The lighting was low, very low. How would they be able to see their food? As they walked, she realized the room was bigger than she’d thought. Others were in the room already. They sat on giant pillows leaning against the walls. In front of each person was
a tray of fruit. And she noted they were all men who held an air of importance. Some had a scantily clad female draped over them. One had her hand down the pants of a guy in a military type uniform.
Her eyes snapped forward. She suddenly wasn’t hungry. What had she gotten herself into?
CHAPTER 9
Kari’s mind swirled with ways to get out of the “dining” room and palace as quickly as possible. She felt like she was walking into a bizarre porn movie.
The prince led her to the back wall where more pillows were stacked and trays sat waiting with what looked like fruit. Goddard assisted her with the pillows.
“Are you comfortable, Miss Tomlin?” he asked. He had returned to his charming self. As long as she did what he wanted, he seemed happy.
“I am, thank you,” she replied. As soon as he sat, soft Arabian music played and more women came out of a side door, carrying pitchers. The prince’s wineglass was filled first and hers next. The liquid was dark. He leaned toward her.
“This is wine from the finest vineyards in France. It is superb. I hope you like it.” When the ladies filling glasses left, he raised his glass. Everyone followed suit. “Welcome, all, to tonight’s feast and show. I see some of you have started your entertainment early.” He smiled at his guests. Maybe she had misunderstood what was going on. The prince nodded toward the couple where the lady had her head bobbing in his lap. Then again, maybe she had understood this too well.
And Goddard called her phone a distraction? He needed to get his shit straight.
He continued. “We have a special guest tonight.” He looked at her. “An American female visiting my lovely country.” The word “American” turned their heads. Her heart suddenly tripled its rate. “A beautiful woman like you is a treat in itself. For tonight, you are my stunning princess.” His head bowed toward her. If he was trying to win her over, it was working. He turned back to the group and spoke foreign words. Everyone took a drink and so did she.
The wine was surprisingly very good. She wasn’t a drinker. Had never acquired the taste for it. Guess she’d never had the good stuff. Side doors opened and women poured out, carrying steaming food on platters.
Those eating sat against the walls in a semicircle. Well, since the walls had corners, it was more like a semi-square. That left the middle open for the ladies to serve or even dance, it was so big.
The prince was kind and gracious, explaining what each item they ate and drank was. He paid no attention to the nearly naked women or the other men with ladies attached to their body parts. When they were halfway finished eating, he gave a nod to someone on the other side of the room and the lights dimmed even more.
From the ceiling in the middle of their semi-square a blue spotlight shined down. Now that she was looking up, she noticed a rack of stage lights and spots. This must be for the entertainment. The sensuous and slick Arabian music got louder and beautiful women dressed in draping material and shiny jewelry appeared under the light. As the floor filled with gyrating bodies, more lights shined down.
The men were entranced. They watched without eating. One man discreetly raised a finger, the prince nodded and the woman selected was directed to the man. That couple left the room. A disgusting little man with food on his face and shirt pointed a greasy finger at some poor female. Without complaint, she went to him. He remained seated, but pushed her head to his lap. Kari turned away.
The females didn’t seem to object. In fact, they looked quite happy to be there. Except one young lady in the back. Kari only caught sight of her occasionally. The lady didn’t know the choreography well and kept looking at the door. The woman was too far away for Kari to see her face, so she couldn’t tell what was wrong, if anything. Could be that she was new and didn’t know the dance and felt out of place. Sorta like she felt at the moment, staring at sexy women.
The prince didn’t look at the ladies either, but watched the men as they chose females. After a few minutes, the prince clapped his hands and the remaining women left. That’s when the familiarity of the show hit her. This was the prince’s harem, and this whole dinner was a ruse for men to get partners for the night. But a few men hadn’t chosen. Neither had the prince. A chill raced down her back. Did being his princess include her sleeping with him?
Panic seized her and she readied herself to bolt. That was not happening. He leaned over and whispered, “This is the part you and I will appreciate most.” He clapped his hands and the single spotlight appeared center stage again.
Doors opened in the dark, then a guy in painted-on leather pants and no shirt strolled into the light. His chest was slick, shiny with oil. His dark eyes drilled through her, sending shivers down her back. He came to a stop, feet shoulder-width apart. In his hand, he held a black strip of leather.
He skirted the circle of light showing those who watched his tight body and impressive hard-on. When he turned his back to her, she saw his ass cheeks were bare. Lines buried in his skin crisscrossed his entire backside. When he stood in front of her and the prince, the man swung his arm out, releasing the whip he held. It snapped in the air, startling her with a loud crack.
Other men came into the light. Some were dragged in with cuffs on wrists and ankles.
She asked, “Why are some restrained and not others?”
The prince didn’t take his eyes off the men. “It shows the level of play they enjoy.” She translated that to mean whips and chains were welcomed.
They filled the middle similarly to the females. And every one of them was to-die-for hot. The prince licked his lips. The panic in her quickly vanished once she realized she was not the prince’s dessert. The men were on the menu.
She let out a silent breath and watched the event before her. The other men were dressed in nothing but a small loincloth that in some cases did little to hide their willingness to participate. Oh my god. One was almost up to his bellybutton. How can they grow that long? He’d shove her uterus into her stomach.
Instead of dancing, the men stood on a turntable. The next man came into sight. She had never seen a chest so chiseled or abs so square. It was to the point that he looked . . . strange.
The table continued turning and men were taken out of the room.
“Where are they taking the guys?” she asked.
“Once chosen, they are taken to the guest’s room for preparation and quality time.”
She snorted. “Quality time,” her ass.
The man coming into view was swaying slightly on his knees instead of standing. His head dipped forward, hands chained behind his back. Water dripped off the ends of his hair hanging in his face. He looked ready to fall over any second. Tingles spread throughout her body. That was strange. She’d never had that feeling before when seeing a man. She couldn’t even see all of him because he was slumped over. She leaned toward Goddard.
“What’s wrong with him?” she whispered. His head snapped up, and he locked eyes with her. Her breath stopped. This man was the most gorgeous thing she’d ever seen. There was something familiar about him. Beside her, the prince chuckled.
“I knew you’d like him. I’ve chosen this one for us tonight.” The prince’s eyes were consumed with red. He pointed and a couple of guards grabbed the kneeling man and dragged him closer. He fought his captors. They stabbed him with a cattle prod. His jaw clenched; she jumped at seeing his pain.
“Stop that,” she yelled then slapped a hand over her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say it, but was glad she had. No human should be treated that way whether they wanted the “punishment” or not. She had problems with BDSM that passed a certain pain threshold. How could people truly enjoy agony? She just didn’t understand.
The man was shoved to his knees in front of her forgotten tray of food. Air heaved in and out of his bedraggled body. The guard reached down, wrapped a fist in the man’s hair and yanked his head back.
Kari gasped.
; CHAPTER 10
Bryon knew he was no longer in the dank cell, but somewhere quiet and fragrant. He felt his body jerked around, but couldn’t control any part of himself. His eyes wouldn’t even open. The toxins in the water he drank were still too concentrated in his system. More needed to burn off before he could move of his own will.
His clothes were ripped off. Cold water and a scrub brush bit at his skin. He smelled floral and citrus scents. Soft hands rubbed warm oils over his chest, abs, legs, and under his balls.
He forced his eyes open to find himself on a concrete floor, a woman kneeling over him. She glanced at his open eyes but quickly looked away and continued rubbing oil on him. He tried to speak but wasn’t coordinated enough. He relaxed and closed his eyes. The hands on his beaten, aching muscles felt too good to ignore.
Next thing he knew, rough hands jerked him up. His legs barely held him standing and the men dragged him more than helped him walk. A cold stick was jabbed into his side and a paralyzing shock constricted his muscles. His lungs froze and abs contracted, curling him into a partial ball.
When his body loosened, his strength was gone. They certainly knew how to handle a shifter. From the moment he drank the water, he’d been completely in their hands. Question was what were they going to do with him?
They entered a dark room with exotic music, and he was tossed to his knees. The smell of food made his stomach cramp. How many days had he gone without anything to eat? His wolf came to the forefront, ready to seize control. His arms tugged against the chains wrapping his wrists together behind him. ALFA policy and procedures strictly forbade shifting with humans around. But he wasn’t strong enough to hold back his other half.
Then another scent captured his attention. The most incredible scent he’d ever experienced. His wolf immediately knew what the smell meant. Bryon couldn’t think. Mate! Bryon didn’t understand. Mate? Here? In Cloustien?