Before I can react, the black hood is dropped over my head, and both my upper arms are seized. I’m anxious to be back with Andi and Brin, so I silently let them lead me down the hall. Soon, I hear the unmistakable sound of the cell door being opened. I’m escorted just inside the doorway, and my arms are released, the hood yanked off. All I see is blackness, and the scent of piss greets me.
The door loudly shuts, announcing that the guards are gone.
I exhale loudly. That actually wasn’t too bad. I’m glad that I hadn’t wasted my energy fighting them, because that was relatively painless. I can see why Andi and Brin would have struggled though. They’d gone into the process blind, and their advice and warnings had certainly helped me to stay calm.
“Are you both there?” I ask into the darkness.
“I am, but Andi’s gone. They took her shortly after they came for you,” Brin’s voice replies.
I stretch out my hands and start shuffling along the damp cement. When my fingers brush the wall, I ease down and check the floor to make sure I’m not near the ‘toilet.’ “Do you think she’ll be back?”
“I’m not sure. How did it go?”
“It went just as you both warned. Thanks for that, it helped knowing what to expect,” I murmur.
We both fall silent, and I lean back against the wall behind me. There’s a heaviness in the atmosphere as we wait to see if Andi will be brought back to us.
My stomach growls loudly in the quietness.
“I’d kill for real food,” Brin comments.
“Me too.”
Another silence looms over us.
The door suddenly clanks open, startling me. We hear movement, and a second later, the door slams shut.
“Andi?” Brin asks softly.
Silence.
I hear someone moving in the darkness, and something hits the metal bucket somewhere in the cell. Brin mutters a curse.
“Andi? Are you there?” I ask with a hint of concern.
“She’s unconscious,” Brin replies in a grim voice.
“Where are you?” I begin to crawl on my hands and knees, searching for them.
“Over here.”
I follow the sound of her voice, and my hand touches a shoulder. Andi releases a pained sound, and both Brin and I hold her the best that we can, trying to comfort her. I want to ask her what happened, but maybe I’m better off not knowing.
Three
Lethe
As I watch the fight down below, I draw on my cigarette—feeling absolutely nothing for the loser who’s getting his ass handed to him. Two competitors are in the Death Pit, and the bigger guy tackles the other and grabs for his neck. My eyes narrow, and I reach for the ashtray and give the cigarette a quick flick. There’s not much blood with this round, which is dissatisfying. I like to watch them bleed, and so does the crowd down below. The patrons come to my club for sex and violence, and I like to make certain that they get what they came for.
I watch as the stronger man snaps the other’s neck, ending the fight. I hear a few cheers, but mostly boos, and I find myself agreeing with the crowd. Nothing’s more pleasing than watching a good, bloody fight.
Fuck. I might have to allow weapons. It’s something to think over. I’ve been reluctant to allow them because it shortens the fight, but I think the thrill of hand-to-hand combat is losing its appeal with this crowd.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I set aside the cigarette and pull my phone out. It’s Maverick. “What?” I ask as I watch the clean-up crew clearing the body and allowing the winner out of the cage.
“A female drakon has popped up on the market,” he informs me.
My irritation over the match is forgotten as I rise to my feet and leave the table. I nod at the men I have stationed nearby before heading past the private bar and slipping through the door that leads to a hall. “How old?” As I walk down the private hallway towards my office, I can hear the pounding base coming from the strip club up on the first floor. I reach my office and turn on the lights.
“Twenty,” Maverick replies.
I walk to my desk and settle in the chair. “Same website?”
“No. I sent you an email with the link.”
“I’ll call you back shortly.” I disconnect the call and switch on the computer. I already have two drakon females under my protection. Evie’s too young to be mated, but Tenley’s of age. Maverick’s been showing some interest lately, so I’ve been waiting to see if he formally requests her as his mate. She should have already been mated off, but I’d prefer her to adjust to her circumstances first since I’d just bought her six months ago. Kai’s mentioned a few times that I should take her for myself, but fuck that. Once I take a mate, I can only bang her and no one else, or it ruins the bond. Bonding with a female drakon can bring the male an increase in his fire power, which causes his fire to become deadlier. That being said, as rare as the women are in our race, simply having women in the clan can also boost the clan’s reputation. It means stronger offspring, stronger men to protect what’s theirs.
I don’t need an extra boost from a woman, I’m powerful enough on my own. Granted, I’m not powerful enough to take what I want most, but a mate isn’t going to increase my power that much. It isn’t worth giving up the variety of pussy that I enjoy. I don’t understand how men can settle for just one, unless the rumors are true and mated sex is a hell of a lot better than average sex. No one in my clan is mated and can confirm that rumor, and I’m not feeling inclined to test that theory.
One day, I might want an heir and settle for a mate, but that’s so far down the road that I can’t imagine it—nor do I want to.
I lean forward and open my email, clicking on the link. Then, I scroll down through the pictures of women and items being sold until I find the only drakon female currently available for bidding.
As I study her picture, I sit back in my chair, rubbing my jaw. She’s beautiful, but then so are most supernaturals. Her dark hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and her eyes are an odd cross between hazel and gold. Gently curving eyebrows hover over them, and long lashes frame her exotic eyes. Her nose is small, her cheekbones defined, and those luscious lips are sneering a smile that openly states she’d like to kill whoever’s behind the camera. That one is definitely a fighter. Most women in captivity have a hint of fear and uncertainty in their gaze, but not her.
My eyes drift down her body, taking in an admirable rack, flat stomach, and gently curving hips. She’s got a set of legs on her that I can’t help but appreciate. I wouldn’t mind those wrapped around my hips—if sex with her didn’t come with a price. Drakon females are meant to come to their mate as a virgin. I’m betting her virginity is still intact even though she’s in captivity. Those idiots running the sale would be stupid to mess with a drakon’s future mate. We’re a territorial race.
I reach for the mouse on the desk and click on the second photo. Tight ass, too. I turn my attention to her info, and there’s not much given about her. Just her first name and age. I debate whether to bid on her. I have a feeling she’s going to be a problem—a problem that I’m not in the mood to deal with.
Then, I release an aggravated sigh.
Trouble or not, I can’t let her slip by. The more females the clan has, the stronger we become, and the clan’s offspring will benefit from it. I’m certain that one of my men would find her mate material.
I straighten in my chair and click on the icon where I can enter a bid. The asking bid is high compared to Evie and Tenley’s. She’s definitely a stunner with a body made for a man to play with, and I think over how much to spend on her. She’s probably going to generate a lot of interest, not just from rival clans but from those government bastards that like to experiment on anything that isn’t human. I type in a bid, and it’s higher than what I’d prefer to pay, but I want to guarantee her purchase.
As I wait to see if it’s accepted, I pick up the phone on my desk and call Maverick.
“We taking on anothe
r one?” he asks as soon as he picks up.
“Looks like it. Tell Cassius to prepare one of the rooms.”
“How soon do you want the chopper prepped?”
“They haven’t accepted the bid, but I’m sure they will. When they contact me with a retrieval time, I’ll let you know.”
After I end the call, I glance at the computer screen. My bid has been accepted, and a countdown has begun. I have two hours to transfer the funds or my bid will be discarded. I lean forward and pick up the phone once more.
Four
Arista
It feels colder in the cell, and I’m huddled with Andi and Brin for warmth. I’m not sure how long we’ve been held captive, but it already feels like forever. The minutes have been creeping by so slowly, and with nothing to do, time drags on much longer than it should. There’s been a few meals brought to us, and I’m thinking we’re being fed only once a day—so that makes it three days, I think. Poor Andi, she’s been given only enough blood to keep her alive, but she refuses our offers to donate. No restroom breaks are allowed either, so now our cell smells horribly. We all dread when we have to use the pail.
My entire body hurts from leaning against the hard wall or from laying on the pavement. This is a miserable situation, and there’s nothing to do here in the dark except dread the inevitable.
My father and Nany didn’t want this for me, and I feel extremely guilty for being so docile up to this point. I think of the letter my father had left for me. I have no memories of him, and Nany said he’d disappeared shortly after my second birthday.
In his letter, he’d shared with me that he’d fled the clan he’d been born into after my mother died during a disturbingly violent episode. It had happened shortly after I’d been born. Her best friend was publicly suffering a beating, and my mother had tried to intervene before my father could stop her. She’d been hit by the best friend’s mate, and she’d fallen, hitting her head on the corner of a table. She’d died from a traumatic brain injury.
My father had then found a way to sneak me out of the stronghold the clan had lived in, and he’d ran as far as he could. I’d been born in Armenia but had grown up here in the US. His dream had been for me to live freely without the bindings of a clan or man—which is why he’d hidden me with Nany. His hope was for me to hide what I was and to never be caught.
The fact that my backpack is lost to me causes my heart to ache. The letter he’d written was inside the backpack, and even though I have it memorized, I’d give anything to be able to touch it and see his handwriting one more time.
Brin shifts against me, and I feel her flinch. She’d been brought back to the cell earlier today after a two-hour absence, and all she’d told us was that they were trying to beat out of her whatever she is. Evidently, the gene she carries isn’t showing up in their blood test.
I gently run my hand through Brin’s hair, trying to soothe her. “They might have the upper hand for now, but sooner or later, they’ll make a mistake. And when that happens, we’re going to take our lives back,” I vow softly.
“I have nothing to go back to, but I guess the streets are better than this,” Andi murmurs.
“Agreed,” Brin mumbles from where her head rests on my lap.
“I have no one, either,” I admit. “They killed the only family I had when they kidnapped me,” I say bitterly.
Andi gasps and Brin stiffens. “That’s horrible,” Andi says softly.
The cell door clangs loudly, and three of us immediately stiffen. My heart automatically begins to thunder in my chest. We hear movement, and then hands run over me briefly until I hear Brin make a pained sound. I feel her being pulled away, and panic sweeps through me when I realize that they’re once again going to torture her.
I try to hold onto Brin, hugging her protectively. “Leave her alone!”
Something slams into my temple, and I lose consciousness.
* * *
I wake to the feel of slim arms wrapped around me, trying to keep me comfortable. I’m disoriented for a moment, and then I recall where I’m at and what had happened. My head is pounding painfully, and I feel sick, but I still manage to ask hoarsely, “Brin?”
“She’s still gone,” Andi says quietly.
Tears burn the backs of my eyes as I lie there knowing that Brin is enduring something horrible. I’ve come to care about these two women who are going through this terrifying experience right along with me. I’ve lost Nany, and she’s the only person I’ve ever cared about. Now I feel like Brin and Andi have become my friends.
“They must have hit you pretty hard. Are you okay?”
I struggle to sit up, and Andi’s arms drop away. “No, but I’m sure I’m better off than Brin.”
“They’re going to keep torturing her until they trigger whatever she is,” Andi states in a grim tone. “They can’t sell her until they know for certain.”
I swallow back my nausea and lean against the wall. The last thing we need is to smell my vomit mixed in with the pail’s contents. The stench inside these four walls is horrid enough as it is. “Andi, I’m going to find a way out of this. When I do, I’m coming back for you and Brin,” I promise.
“That would be nice,” Andi says longingly.
“Us three against the world. We can do it.”
Andi sighs in the darkness. “I’m so sick of being controlled. I ran from my people and came to America in hopes of finding freedom. So far, it’s been quite difficult.”
“Where are you from?” I ask curiously as I try to concentrate on something other than the nausea.
“Romania.”
“How long ago did you leave?”
“A year. I think. Have you always lived in Chicago?” she asks with interest.
“No. Nany and I moved around on and off, but before Chicago we lived in New York for a few years.”
“New York. I tried that thinking that I could blend in. It turned out to be too dangerous, especially for a woman on her own.”
I rub my hands up and down my arms, trying to warm my chilled skin. “New York has deteriorated since the supernatural world was revealed,” I agree.
“So Nany…was your family?” Andi asks cautiously.
“Not by blood, but she was like a mother to me,” I say sadly. “She was so old and frail. There was no reason for them to kill her; she would have never been able to stop them from taking me. It was callous and pointless.”
“I’m so sorry,” Andi says softly.
“Me too.”
We both jump when the cell door opens, and we hear movement. When the door firmly closes, Andi calls out to Brin.
Only silence answers back.
Andi curses under her breath, and I hear her moving away, searching for Brin.
I cautiously follow her, and as I skim the hard floor with my hand, I touch silky hair resting on the cement.
“She’s unconscious. Damn it,” Andi says with heartfelt emotion tinging her accented voice.
I reach out to touch Andi’s arm, and she’s shivering. We both work to pull Brin into our arms, and we try to keep her and ourselves warm with our body heat.
* * *
We’re a mass of tangled limbs—our only comfort comes from each other’s embrace and body heat. When the cell door opens once more, we wake from our exhausted slumber and stiffen. Movement can be heard, and then I feel hands touching me, distinguishing me from the other two women.
“No…” Brin is mumbling, still very much out of it from her last session with our captors.
It’s me they want this time, though. Rough hands begin pulling me away from Brin and Andi, and I feel one of them trying to hold onto me until her hand reluctantly falls away. I’m fully awake now as I’m yanked to my feet, and I stumble slightly. The familiar hood is slipped over my head, and I’m dragged towards the cell door.
“Ari…” Andi calls out, her accented voice upset.
I’m pulled out the door, and the cell door slams shut before I can try to reassur
e her. As I’m escorted past the heavy curtain, I can’t help but think that the only positive to come from this moment is that I’m breathing fresh air.
My bare feet touch smooth linoleum as I walk, and even though my feet feel icy cold, the flat surface feels much better than the rough texture of pavement I’ve grown accustomed to.
I draw in a deep breath and try to calm my beating heart. I’m not sure what they want from me this time. They know what I am and they have my information.
The men halt me, and I hear a door open. Then I’m led over the threshold and someone else’s hand grips my arm as I’m released by my escorts. The door shuts, and the hood is promptly pulled off my head.
I immediately wince from the florescent lights, and I close my eyes, rubbing them. This is when I realize that they hadn’t bound my wrists this time. I’m relieved but also unsettled. I’m not quite sure what to expect this time.
The room finally comes into focus, and I find that I’m back inside the shower room. Two men stand before me. “Shower. There are clean clothes on the counter,” one of them tells me.
My heart sinks. Another shower? As much as I want to wash the filth and grime off my body, I’m not thrilled over stripping naked in front of them again. I’m also aware that I don’t have a choice, so I look away and walk to the shower.
I peer down at myself, and my once white pants are stained with streaks of gray. One of my pant legs is slightly yellowed from where I’d splashed urine on it when I’d been trying to relieve myself. That had happened a few hours ago—I think, and it had been gross feeling the wet fabric attach itself to my skin around my ankle.
I lift dirty hands to my shirt and slip it off. Next comes the pants, and I feel disgusted when I see the state of my feet. They are filthy. I dread taking a shower in front of these men, but I am also very much looking forward to washing away the dirt.
Captive (Igniting the Flame Book 1) Page 3