《Auctioned Mates Revenge》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 I used to be a normal werewolf with a family. My mother and father were the luna and alpha of the Fluorite pack. They were sweet and loving. I couldn¡¯t have asked for better parents. My younger sister, Angelia, and I were happy together and as close as two sisters could be. The Fluorite pack was the size of a small city, but we were wealthy because of the precious stones we mined and the flowers that grew in abundance that we supplied to jewelry, cosmetic, and medical Because the pack was so small, we spent a lot of time helping around the pack. We didn¡¯t have amusement parks or anything, so Angelia and I were young we collected gems in the rivers and spent our days ying tag in the meadows. Our parents would watch us from the back of our house until it was time or lunch. After dinner, we¡¯d cuddle up around the fire and they would tell us stories about the great alphas and the way our current society came to be. I could never have guessed that I would barely get sixteen years of that happiness. Angelia and I had been in the garden, nning a prank for our parents¡¯ 20th-anniversary party that night. Something about a terrible poem our Dad had written when he was eighteen. It was supposed to be sweet and funny. Everyone was supposed tough and tease Dad. Dad was supposed to scowl a bit at our mischief, but Mom would have only fallen deeper in love and demanded to keep the terrible poem for posterity. We had been giggling when the gunshots started. Werewolves I didn¡¯t recognize stormed the garden, capturing us before we could run. Blood and gunpowder filled the air as I tried to use my mind link to warn our parents and struggled against the men who were dragging us towards the courtyard. I found it had been toote and watched our parents¡¯ bodies swing from the courtyard fountain in bleak horror. Their wedding bands glinted in the sunlight and they seemed to still be reaching for each other until theirst breath. I couldn¡¯t speak. I couldn¡¯t do anything but pull Angelia closer to me and hope that our deaths would be painless. But death didn¡¯te. It was so much worse. ¡°Gag and blind them,¡± one of the attackers said. Someone screamed. I remember trying to get away, to drag Angelia with me, but we were surrounded. A bag was shoved over my head. Angelia was ripped from my arms and they hauled me away. I couldn¡¯t see anything. My breath was running away from me in panic as they forced us into the back of a van. ¡°Keep your mouths closed or you¡¯ll wish you were dead.¡± I shuddered at the voice even as I tried to reach out for Angelia. She didn¡¯t respond, either out of shock or because she was unconscious. The van bumped and shuddered as it drove away from our home. My eyes burned with tears as I smothered my sobbing. Dead. Our parents were dead. Our cousins. I had no idea who was still alive. When the van stopped, I heard the doors open and someone dragged me out and onto my feet. ¡°Move it.¡± I flinched at his tone and walked where he shoved me. The air turned damp and musty like a dungeon and when they ripped the bag off my heels, I realized we were in a dungeon. I crossed the space to wrap my arms around Angelia as if I could protect her. Angelia was shaking with fear and I could hear her teeth chattering though I was too afraid to open my eyes. ¡°Glenda,¡± she sniffled. ¡°Glenda, where are we? Mom and D-Dad¡­¡± I hushed her, trying to keep the memories at bay. We had to get out of here somehow. ¡°The boss told us to bring him the best three/¡± My heart lurched in fear as someoneughed. It was a leering, gut-turning sound that made me cling to Angelia tighter. ¡°That¡¯ll be hard! They¡¯re all so pretty¡­ How are we supposed to choose?¡± I heard someone squeak in fear and looked up as one of them grabbed Armi by her jaw and stared down into her face. Armi had always been pretty and she shook like a leaf as the man stared at her. ¡°He likes the petite ones,¡± another one said. ¡°She¡¯s a good choice.¡± ¡°You,¡± another of them said,ing towards Angelia and me. He leered and smirked at us. ¡°Both of you. Get up.¡± I shook my head, shuddering, ¡°Please¡­ Please don¡¯t¨C¡± He grabbed me by my arm and dragged me up to my feet. He grabbed Angelia with his other hand and proceeded to drag us towards the door. The others jeered andughed. ¡°Have a good time,dies!¡± Someone wailed in terror as I continued to please, trying to fight the man¡¯s grip. Panic took over as I saw the fear in Armi¡¯s face. Angelia had gone all but silent as she was pulled along like a ragdoll. Her eyes seemed zed over. My heart raced. ¡°P-Please. I can give you gems! Jewelry! What about lunar flowers? We have them all. If you¡¯d just take us back¨C¡± ¡°How are you going to bargain with something that¡¯s not yours anymore?¡± He scoffed, ¡°Move it. The boss doesn¡¯t like to be kept waiting.¡± Tears streamed down my face. We were brought out of the dungeon into another section that had been Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. turned into a room. There were no windows and the scent of sweat and tears filled the air. The man who brought us there shoved us inside and closed the door behind us as a fat, whale of a man turned towards us. I could tell by his stature and his scent that he was either human or his wolf was weak. He chuckled and licked his lips as he approached. He stopped at me first, grabbing my chin and leaning close to take a deep breath of my scent. He chuckled as I recoiled and shuddered in disgust. Armi squeaked and trembled, holding herself perfectly still as he drew a fleshy hand over her face. Then, he stopped at Angelia, tracing a hand over her cheek. He chuckled and stepped back, ¡°I love the obedient ones¡­ Wee girls, to my dungeon. You will call me, Dan.¡± He walked back to his chair where a ss of whiskey waited. He picked it up and took a long drink, rubbing at his crotch through his robe. Armi retched beside me, just loud enough to hear as he pulled his cock out and began to stroke it. I looked at the two guards on either side of the room for help, sympathy, or something, but they only gave me a leer in return. They were there to see the show. ¡°Take off your clothes,¡± he said, licking his lips. This sick fuck was at least as old as Dad had been. Angelia was barely fourteen, and Armi was thirteen. Was there nothing I could do? No. There was. I was the eldest. I had to protect them somehow. I stepped in front of them, clenching my jaw and setting aside my pride as I undressed. The room was heated, but I was freezing in my skin. Disgust and anger made my skin crawl. ¡°I¡­ I can serve you on my own.¡± He chuckled, ¡°So eager. I¡¯ll have you¡­st.¡± I soon realized that hell wasn¡¯t a ce of endless fires but hopelessness and Dan. After that, I forgot what the sunlight was like. The days melted together in the darkness of the dungeon. Someone was always crying. A guard was always telling someone to shut up. I was always in pain, yet I tried not to lose hope. I watched the guards hoping to get some sense of where we were ande up with a n. Some of the girls began to disappear. It seemed that each time we were brought back from Dan¡¯s room another girl was gone and never returned. The fourth time they came to take Armi, Angelia, and me to Dan, I waited until we were halfway down the hall before throwing my weight into one of them and trying to scramble for his gun. I got a hold of it, but I was backhanded to the ground before I could take a shot. ¡°Glenda!¡± Angelia cried, panic and fear filled her face. Another guard hauled her and Armi down the hall towards Dan¡¯s room as I was taken in the opposite direction. He dragged me into another dungeon and fastened shackles around my wrists before shoving me to the ground and closing the door. The lock slid into ce and I grit my teeth, feeling the bruise start to heal as I tried to reach out to Angelia. I felt her fear and her pain. Then, her mind was gone as if she had fallen unconscious again. I pulled at my shackles, trying to break them, but they were made by the Fireash pack using a blend of steel and diamonds mined in ournds. They were near unbreakable, so I slumped against the wall and tried to conserve my strength for my next escape attempt, hoping that Angelia and the others would be okay. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 I couldn¡¯t tell how long I was there, only that water was provided through a small slot in the door every so often. They didn¡¯t give me food. My stomach ached. I grew shaky and desperate. Eventually, they hauled me out of my solitary cell and put me back with the others. Angelia was leaning against the wall, curled up and silently staring into nothing. She was skinnier. Armi was curled into a ball, weeping to herself with a slowly healing bruise around her neck. Had they been treated worse because of me? The thought infuriated me. I turned to re at the guards. ¡°Cowards!¡± I yelled, rushing at them and mming into them. ¡°Crazy bitch!¡± The guard struck me across the face. I fell and got back up, furious and desperate. I spat in his face. He sneered at me before mming his fist into my stomach. Pain exploded through me as I flew back, hitting the wall, and fell unconscious. I woke up, slumped against the wall in the dungeon just where they¡¯d left me, but weaker. Hungrier. I had no idea how long it had been since I¡¯d eaten, but I couldn¡¯t take much longer if I meant to survive. Angelia had gotten skinnier, yet the little scrap of clothing she¡¯d been allowed was stained with blood between her legs. She didn¡¯t seem hurt. Horror washed over me as I realized that Angelia had started her period. My stomach turned as a guard approached her. The others jeered. ¡°She¡¯s a real woman now!¡± ¡°Leave her alone!¡± I said, lunging at him. Another caught me and shoved me back as Angelia was hauled away. She didn¡¯t speak. She didn¡¯t fight, and she didn¡¯t answer me when I called for her. They didn¡¯t take anyone else, and they didn¡¯t give me food. Everyone else was given a few pieces of bread and meat, but no one ate or spoke. ¡°Ungrateful bitches,¡± one of the guards cursed, grabbing one of the girls. ¡°Eat!¡± He shoved the meat into her mouth. She gagged and threw up in his face. The guardsughed at him before he threw her to the ground and kicked her away from him. She didn¡¯t even yelp as she rolled across the ground. She didn¡¯t move and he sneered down at her, ¡°Another one?¡± He grabbed her by her hair and dragged her out, and I never saw her again. Angelia? Please answer me. She didn¡¯t answer and I began to fear that she had been kicked or pped too hard and had been dragged off to her death. They¡¯d brought meager rations three times before Angelia returned. Her clothing was more ragged, hanging off her. Her eyes were dull and tear streaks marked her face. Blood and white fluid streamed down her legs and the guards hooted and jeered as they dumped her across the room. Angelia? Angelia, please answer me. She didn¡¯t stir and she didn¡¯t answer. My jaw trembled and I closed my fist tight. He was going to pay for this. I would kill him if it was thest thing I did. He¡¯d never hurt her like this again. I promise he¡¯ll pay for this. I promise. Sometimeter, one of the guards looked down at me. ¡°Boss says you¡¯ve got a chance to apologize and earn a meal.¡± I looked up at him, meeting his gaze and I said nothing. I wasn¡¯t going to humor him by making him think I was agreeing or grateful. He grabbed me and hauled me away. My legs were so weak. My stomach cramped with hunger, but I didn¡¯t resist. Dan was seated in his chair like he always was, naked and disgusting. ¡°You ready to apologize to your Uncle Dan?¡± This sorry fucker was going to regret what he¡¯d done to Angelia. I walked across the room and kneeled. He flushed looking down at me. ¡°See, boys. A little starvation turns even the wildest ones docile.¡± I shifted his robe aside and pushed down the disgust as the guardsughed nearby. His cock was soft, hiding in his pubic hair. While he enjoyed forcing himself on us, he didn¡¯t have much of a cock to use. But it didn¡¯t matter. I grabbed it firmly, squeezing and stroking until he started moaning, tilting his head back with a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl.¡± It grew hard in my hand and a bit bigger, but not by much. ¡°Get on with it,¡± he said, his voice trembling. ¡°Show me how sorry you are. Show me how grateful you are for me saving your life.¡± I swallowed nausea and focused. I thought of Angelia being dumped in a corner of the dungeon and how Armi didn¡¯t even sob anymore, just curled up and closed her eyes. I thought of our parents¡¯ bodies swinging in the breeze. I opened my mouth and lowered my head until his cock filled my mouth. He shuddered and moaned above as my lips met his hip. Then, I bit down straight through the flesh. He howled in agony, shoving my head away, and shrieked as I didn¡¯t rx my jaw, taking his cock with me. A guard grabbed me and dragged me back as I chewed the hard, bloody flesh to pieces and spat it out. Dan writhed around, screeching for a doctor. His body jerked and wiggled as blood dripped down to the floor. I spat out the blood and rolled away, dodging the guard that lunged at me. The door burst open and more guards stormed in. One of them struck me across the face before hauling me up. I struggled, hoping to get free and do a bit more damage, but what little strength I had saved up was gone. They took me back to the solitary cell and shackled me up against the wall. Another werewolf came in, one I didn¡¯t recognize. His eyes were hard. ¡°Defiant still,¡± he said as he stepped inside. ¡°We¡¯ll see how long thatsts¡­¡± The other guards left before another guard brought in a basin of hot coals and a ck chest. They closed the door behind them. Leaving me alone with this werewolf. ¡°Obeying that bby bastard,¡± I said, trying to keep my voice steady as I spat more blood from my mouth. ¡°Help him rape children. You¡¯re as sick as he is!¡± He chuckled, picking up a metal rod and shoving it into the bed of coals. ¡°I could give a fuck what he¡¯s done. As far as I¡¯m concerned female wolves aren¡¯t good for much but breeding and cooking,¡± he pulled it out, eyeing the glowing red end. ¡°I¡¯m just here to make you obedient.¡± He pressed the end of the hot rod against my skin. I tried not to scream, but the pain was too much. Then, he swung it. His face flushed and his breath heavy as I cried out in agony. I realized with a chilling disgust that he was enjoying this. I strained against my bonds, but the shackles didn¡¯t even creak. He returned to the basin of hot coals to reheat the rod. His cock strained against the front of his pants as I slumped in my bonds. He left the rod in the coals and went to the ck chest. ¡°You¡­ sick¡­ fuck,¡± I panted. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡± Heughed, pulling out a wooden rod and licking his lips. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try not to die first?¡± He crossed the room with a feral leer and wrapped his hand around my throat. ¡°Be sure to scream real loud so the others know better, hm?¡± I shuddered as I felt the rod sliding up my leg and froze. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± I thrashed as he chuckled and shoved it hard into me, ripping through me. I screamed as pain consumed me and the scent of my blood pulled into unconsciousness. Yet, I didn¡¯t die. I didn¡¯t wake for a long time though I felt like I had been tossed around and dragged. My head hurt as if I have been dragged by my hair. Every part of me ached so much I couldn¡¯t move. As I woke up, I prayed to the moon that it was over. The cot was cold and ufortable and there was a shackle around my wrist. I wasn¡¯t dead, but I wasn¡¯t free either. Where was I now? A man leaned over me, ¡°Hm, awake, are you? You¡¯re a werewolf, right?¡± ¡°Where¡­ am I?¡± I asked. Angelia? Can you hear me? ¡°A brothel. And you¡¯d better be worth it, or I¡¯ll have to make my money back on the ck market.¡± He eyed me. ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone will miss you, Cherry.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°How did I get here?¡± ¡°What does that matter?¡± I red at him, ¡°I¡¯d rather kill myself.¡± He shrugged, ¡°We have thigh warmers for the necrophiliacs.¡± His response shocked me and told me that I was in a very different world now. I was no one. A faceless, nameless prostitute that could disappear without a trace. Death would have been afort, but I remembered what I told that man, and the faces of every guard were burned into my mind. I had to get Angelia out, but I had to get myself out first. ¡°How do I get out of here?¡± I asked and heughed. He smirked, ¡°Make me enough money.¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Three yearster¡­ Nine hundred and one. I grit my teeth and swallowed the bile threatening to rise as I stared at the headboard, focusing on counting the grains in the fake wood. A spike of pain hit my hip as the john grunted and the sound of pping skin grew erratic. Nausea surged and tumbled in me but I kept my eyes trained on the wood pattern and counted another four distinct lines. Three years ago, I was Glenda, the eldest daughter of Alpha Adam of the Fluorite pack. Since then, I learned that my pack had been destroyed and thend that used to belong to the Fluorite pack now belonged to the Warhammer pack, led by the Wallber family. They imed that a gue had taken out the entire pack and there were no survivors. They were liars and it was clear that they had orchestrated attack. What I don¡¯t understand is why. We had money, but we weren¡¯t that powerful. Ben Wallber, the alpha of the Warhammer pack, could have easily brokered a deal between our packs to the benefit of us all. Thanks to him, my name is Cherry, and I am a prostitute. My main goal is to get close enough to the Wallber family to learn the truth of what happened three years ago. ¡°Fuck!¡± He cried with a final thrust. He was still then pulled out. I was relieved at the sudden, vague emptiness and slipped across the bed towards the bathroom. I shifted out of his reach quickly. ¡°Where are you¨C¡± ¡°I have to pee,¡± I said, avoiding that wet, bby mouth that aimed for mine. I hurried into the bathroom, closing the door, locking it, and turning on both spigots. I bowed over the sink with a sickening heave of my stomach. Fever rushed over me and the world spun a little. The scent of cheap, industrial cleaner fluttered into my senses as I tried to focus on my goals. Find out who in the Wallber family was responsible for the Fluorite massacre. Find my little sister, Angelia, and make everyone involved with it pay. ¡°Wallber. Angelia. Revenge.¡± The thoughts settled me the way they usually did, bitter, furious, and hopeful as I rested my head against the cold, silver mirror, trying to catch my breath. It had been nine hundred and one days of this. I dared not meet my gaze in the mirror as I tried to pull myself together and stop shaking. The sooner I got rid of him, the sooner I could start forgetting this night like all the others. Nausea died down as I flushed the toilet for effect. I washed in cold water; the blistering cold eased the fever and made me focus as I chanted in my head to keep steady. I took my time drying off just to make sure I had a handle on myself before I opened the door and walked out. This john was syed across the bed like an overstuffed king, leering at me as his minuscule cock stirred. I was grateful that it was negligible. It made it so much easier to ignore his satisfaction and count. ¡°Cherry, you hot little thing,¡± he grinned. ¡°Why not extend our time a little, hm? I¡¯ll tip double.¡± I crossed the room to pick up my clothes and put my bra on as quickly as I could manage, but not too quickly. I had to seem aloof, not desperate to escape. I was slipping my shirt on when the bed creaked with his weight. His arms wrapped around my waist and I went still as he pulled me back against the softness of his belly, sliding his hands over my hips and squeezing my ass. My stomach lurched. ¡°I know it¡¯s just an act,¡± he whispered in my ear. ¡°I know you enjoy it. How about triple?¡± His human stench wasn¡¯t any worse than a werewolf, but it irritate me on an instinctual level. I could tear his head off without a fuss even in my weakened state. I wanted to ask if that was part of the thrill for him. I wanted to tell him that no amount of money would make me willingly even be in his presence, but what would he care? He would justin and buy someone else. How would it serve me other than undo all my hard work? Oneint from a customer was like a death sentence at Larry¡¯s. My fury simmered in my chest as I forced my voice into a cold, monotone murmur. ¡°You¡¯d have to speak with the manager about extensions.¡± He groaned, nudging me with his belly, t hough he was probably aiming to nudge me with his cock as he took a deep breath against the nape of my neck. ¡°All business, eh?¡± He released me. I stepped away from him. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to start making my reservations in advance.¡± I pulled my jeans on, slipped into my shoes, and left the room, closing the door behind me. I took a steadying breath, looking at the faux silk wall across the hall. I was one step closer. I hurried down the hallway and down the stairs that led to the ground floor of Larry¡¯s Hustler¡¯s, the most expensive and exclusive brothel in Warhammer where drinks poured like rivers and whatever your heart desired was for sale. The wealthy dredges of werewolf and human society congregated here like flies on garbage. It had been nine hundred and one days of Larry¡¯s tacky interior design and faux luxury, but it was The day I had been working for was tomorrow. At first, I wasn¡¯t sure how or why our pack hadn¡¯t I tried, reaching out with my mind and hoping for a response. My wolf stirred, pulling on the remains of our pack bond. I felt nothing on the other side, but I expected that. It had been more than a year, seven hundred and sixty-seven days to be exact, since thest time we managed tomunicate through our link. As my wolf weakened, I lost the ability to even get a sense of her well-being. Now, I could barely tell if she was alive. I clenched my fists in fury. My jaw tensed as I stared down the stairs, thinking of my little sister in the clutches of that sick bastard who treated young girls like sex dolls. Was she still alive? Had she lost her mind at the hands of his depravity? Had any of my prayers been enough? Given half a chance I would rip his throat out. The thought of it gave me nightmares. I prayed nearly every night that Angelia was still alive. She and I Original from N?velDrama.Org. were all each other had now. I looked around the ground floor, thinking back to thest two years I had worked through the darkest of the underground to get here. Every day was burned in my memory, but it was worth it to make it to Warhammer and be close to the Wallber family. My stomach clenched in fear and anticipation at the thought. The Seven Days of Heaven auction, as the clients called it, only happened once a year. The club auctioned off the chance to spend seven days with one of the ten most popr prostitutes away from the club: no rules, no restrictions, and no oversight. For werewolf prostitutes like me, it meant hell. For a human, it could mean death. I was sold to Larry¡¯s from a small brothel in the Midnight pack¡¯s territory. While it was true that I could pay for my freedom, the price was astronomical and the system was built to make sure Larry¡¯s never parted with a prostitute without getting the best deal. No matter how much I earned, I only earned three percent at most before tips. In my early days, I¡¯d done the math about how much I was worth. Even if I slept with twenty men every day for a year, I wouldn¡¯t be able to pay for my freedom. Money aside, I could escape, but neither of those paths would reunite me with Angelia or get me what I wanted. The Wallber family only came down from their lofty mansions for two things: war and pleasure. To get a chance at my revenge, I had to set aside my dignity and go from Glenda to Cherry, the Cold Beauty from Midnight. The club and Trista raked in money hand over fist with every move I made up thedder, and I grew a little closer to the top echelons of society. Tomorrow, the Wallber family¡¯s soon-to-be alpha and their most prominent yboy, Matt Wallber, would be at the club looking to buy Seven Days of Heaven with one of Larry¡¯s girls. Getting him to pick me was the first step to ruining him and his pack. I had been researching him since I found out about Warhammer, ande up with the n. All I had to do was see it through. ¡°Cherry,¡± the auction manager called, carrying his pad and pen. ¡°Your opening bid? I think you should start at twenty grand.¡± Twenty thousand dors was twice times the standard. The Wallber ego only ever wanted what no one else could have. ¡°Make it fifty.¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 The door swung closed, finally leaving me alone in my dressing room after listening to Trista¡¯s exnation of the auction procedures for thest time. I knew it by heart long before I was eligible for the auction. With a few minutes to spare, I opened my phone and searched for Matt Wallber again. His article on his pack¡¯s website appeared first with his portrait. Handsome features with cold dark eyes and the slightest hint of a cynical condescension on his lips. There wasn¡¯t much in the current news about him that I hadn¡¯t read already. He took over Warhammer¡¯s finance, real estate, and information enterprises and led the pack to the level of wealth they now enjoyed. Despite all that he¡¯s contributed to the pack, he was not his father¡¯s favorite to be the next alpha of the pack. His father and his peers were too concerned about the opinions of the public, and Matt had no problems being sshed across tabloid pages inpromising positions. Hisst interview detailed an orgy he had in a private jet before going skydiving. His name might as well have meant excess and despite his business genius, he didn¡¯t give anyone the sense of being capable of providing stability to the back. There was nothing new on him in the news, so I closed my phone and checked my reflection again. I smirked. It had been a good decision to splurge a little on the make-up produced from Fluorite flowers. It was far more expensive than it had been when the Fluorite pack existed, but the quality had not changed. I was d that not everything about my pack had been destroyed, though it was currently in the hands of my enemies. It smoothed every imperfection like an airbrush and was twice as light. My eyes sparkled in the low light as I reapplied my dark cherry red lipstick. The color made my pale skin seem luminous and this particr shade was special to the luxury Fluorite-based make-uppany that anyone of quality and wealth would recognize. It was a subtle calling card as was my choice of gown with its ssic neckline. I would stand out in the lineup like a marble statue of a goddess among cheap idols. I¡¯d be tempting. Hopefully, I will be tempting enough to hook Matt. Over the past three years, I learned that men of power wanted something everyone wanted and couldn¡¯t afford. They wanted the unobtainable. It was better to be sensual to capture the johns with the bigger pockets. Being a whore was sleazy enough for them. My hands were shaking. I had nned so much for this moment, I couldn¡¯t afford to mess up. I couldn¡¯t afford to be nervous. I couldn¡¯t afford for him not to take the bait A knock sounded on my door. Larry¡¯s auction stage was more of a peepshow room than a stage. The stage where the women who would be auctioned was surrounded by walls of ss that allowed the VIP bidders to watch the performances from within the VIP rooms and cast their bids using the room¡¯s keypad. Everyone else cast their bids from the seats on the first floor. The bidding happened in several rounds, much like a beauty pageant, but instead of speeches about world peace, our gowns went from elegant evening games to near-nudity. Before I was ready to go out on stage, I went to the bathroom to calm myself. My heart was racing filled with excitement for the start of my revenge plot. In one of the rooms, Matt Wallber was waiting to buy Seven Days of Heaven with me. Using him, I would find Angelia and get her to a safe space, then I would exact my revenge. ¡°Showtime,dies!¡± I rolled my shoulder and walked to the back of the line. There were ten of us. Each of us dressed in a sparkling evening gown, ready to introduce ourselves to the crowd. I barely listened to the women ahead of me. Then, it was my turn. I took a deep breath and lifted my head as the woman ahead of me stepped aside. The stage light was so bright my eyes burned, but I kept my eyes open, scanning the VIP room windows for the man in question. There, sitting in the front row of the VIP room just to the right of the stage, was Matt Wallber, surrounded by various women. His cor was undone and he wore what looked to be a deconstructed tuxedo. His hair was raked and a bit windswept as if he had been runn ing his hand through it. He was far more attractive in person than his photos made him seem with a maism that made it hard to look away. I felt star-struck as our gazes met. I walked to the microphone. The woman to his left, tugged on his shirt, trying to get his attention, but he continued to stare at me. His eyes flickered across my form like a hot brand and I remained still. The joy of having captured his attention soared. Was it my opening bid start or the dark cherry red of my lips? Perhaps it was the choice to wear such a dark gown. His nostrils red and he sat forward just a little, staring at me as if he had known me for a long time, or that he had been waiting for me, looking for me. Had he been looking for me? My heart started to race with fear. When I was in Dan¡¯s captivity, he often got blindingly drunk and raved about being our savior, citing that as the reason why we should be grateful and obedient to his every whim. They told me to kill everyone! He cried once andughed as he grabbed one of my younger pack members by her face, leering at her as he licked her cheek. But how could I have killed anything as sweet as you? I knew now that he was speaking of the Wallber pack. If what Dan said was true, and Matt realized that I was a remnant of the Fluorite pack, then he would likely kill me. Had he always known? No, that couldn¡¯t be possible. He would have had me killed already. Had he found Angelia? Original from N?velDrama.Org. I swallowed the surge of fear and forced my heart to calm down. I didn¡¯t know where Angelia was. Even if he was in contact with Dan, I couldn¡¯t be sure of anything until I was out of Larry¡¯s and able to move somewhat freely. The only way to find out anything, the only path forward, was to lure Matt into buying me. I ran through my introduction at the back of my hand and focused on channeling every sultry inkling in my body into my introduction. ¡°Our darling, Cherry, the Cold Beauty of Midnight, won¡¯t you say a few words?¡± I took the microphone and blinked slowly, casting my gaze around in a sensual, slow drag before speaking. Already, men were being affected, leaning forward in their seats a bit in anticipation as they took in the figure I made on the stage. I waited a little longer until they seemed about ready to fall over. ¡°Hello, sinners,¡± I said, casting my voice sultry and low as I swept my gaze across those I assumed were the bidders, ending as I met Matt¡¯s face for just a moment. His eyes twitched as I smiled and turned my gaze to another man, pretending to ignore Matt. The man was older and licked his lips. Flushed red and blowing a kiss at me. I didn¡¯t recognize and turned my gaze on someone else before he could fall any deeper into the trick. ¡°I don¡¯t promise you heaven,¡± I turned my gaze again, tilting it just enough to bare my throat as my gaze swept to a werewolf in one of the booths. He licked his lips and his eyes narrowed on my throat. I felt Matt¡¯s gaze on my throat, burning and ¡°Nothing I n to do with you will ever be considered holy as I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t n to take me to church.¡± Augh and hoot went through the room. I could hear the people seated outside the VIP rooms on the main floor cheer as well. ¡°But, I promise we¡¯ll give Lucifer a good show.¡± I winked at a random man who seemed about ready tobust from desire before handing the microphone back to the announcer. I nced at Matt and as expected, he looked furious and covetous. He was so used to being the center of attention that it had burned him a bit to be seemingly ignored while I gave my speech. My lips lifted in a sultry smile as I met his gaze. His eyes widened as if he gasped. I dragged my gaze over his frame and sucked my bottom lip between my teeth just enough to be noticeable as if I were trying to hide it before walking to join the line as the cheering died down. ¡°We¡¯ll open the bidding now!¡± A few breaths passed before the screen lit up. Round 1 Bidding Open. I watched my headshot shoot ahead of the other nine and over the blue line that signified my requested starting bid. Someone had bid on me in the first round well over my opening bid. My heart leaped. Had he taken the bait so soon? Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The rules of the auction stated that as soon as a guest bid ten times the standard opening bid price, the woman was taken off stage and no longer had to perform. It was nearly unheard of to be removed from the stage during the first round, but the announcer told the crowd that I had reached the threshold. I offered a charming smile to the crowd, not focusing on anyone in particr before leaving the stage with onest look at Matt who sat back in his seat, seemingly rxed. I could take that as a sign that he was responsible for the high opening bid, but I couldn¡¯t be sure that he would stay ahead with me off stage and marked essentially forbidden. When I got backstage, the crowd was roaring signaling the start of the striptease. While I was grateful, I didn¡¯t have to participate, I was a bit nervous about the opening bid. I walked into the lounge where Trista was waiting to greet me. Trista managed me and five other women, but she only cared about how much money we made her. ¡°Very well done, Cherry,¡± Trista simpered. ¡°You¡¯ve set a record. It will look good in the future auctions and set a trend¡­¡± She pursed her lips, ¡°Though I suppose you had a bit of an advantage being thest in the line-up. I thought we agreed that you would follow my guidance.¡± I lifted a shoulder in a half shrug as she red. ¡°If your pussy wasn¡¯t so expensive, I¡¯d cut your face for your attitude.¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d threatened me, and I was tired of her act. I walked past her without worrying about her. Trista was human, but she was the greediest one in the establishment so no one cared about her species. She was my trafficker. Damaged goods didn¡¯t make any money, and I couldn¡¯t get the information and opportunities I needed without her. ¡°Stay,¡± Trista said, her voice sharp. ¡°There may be a higher bid.¡± If a bidding war started behind the scenes, I might be forced back onto the stage until the end. I didn¡¯t bother to sit down or listen. Trista didn¡¯t speak to me any longer and we listened to the uproar outside. No one bid higher than the first bid. Heavy- and high-handedness was the mark of a Wallber, but I couldn¡¯t get excited just yet. Not until I knew for sure. Finally, the rest of the women came backstage, each of them was topless wearing only thongs. With everyone gathered, Trista began to tell us where our assignments were. ¡°Cherry, VIP Box three,¡± her gaze cut to me. ¡°Be polite.¡± I didn¡¯t acknowledge her as I left the room and turned down the corridor that led to the VIP boxes. They weren¡¯t to keep women who went through several auctions from knowing for sure where their buyers were, but I had a good feeling that box three was to the right of the stage. I reached the door and straightened my spine before knocking. ¡°Come in.¡± I opened the door and let the joy wash over me, keeping my expression cool as I saw Matt on the other side of the room. There was pleasant and calming scent drifting through the air unlike anything I had ever smelled before, but my sense of smell wasn¡¯t strong enough to figure out what it was. It eased some of my tension and made me almost want to trust this man. Matt Wallber sat on the couch across the room alone. The women who had been there before were gone, leaving us alone. The curtains had been pulled over the ss, giving us privacy. That odd pull was stronger this close to him. His dark eyes settled on me as I closed the door behind me. That handsome face hid a demon¡¯s heart. I couldn¡¯t wait to see it crying out in fear or agony when I exacted my revenge on him and the rest of his damned pack. I smiled coyly, ¡°Mr. Wallber, a pleasure to serve you.¡± His gaze swept over me again, studying me in the silence. I let him look, not caring and not fidgeting though his gaze felt like a hot caress over my skin. The tumbler in his hand was empty, so I crossed the room to where the decanter sat and brought it to him. ¡°May I refill your ss?¡± He lifted the ss as I poured him a double of whiskey and closed the decanter. ¡°Cherry,¡± he said suddenly. His voice was different than I expected, a deep rumbling sound from his chest and too heated for a murderer. ¡°What is your real name?¡± My heart leaped as I set the decanter down and schooled my expression into coy confusion. He didn¡¯t recognize m e or he would have known my name. He just wanted to know more about Cherry the way all of my past johns had. ¡°You don¡¯t like Cherry? Why don¡¯t you pick a new name for me?¡± I smiled. ¡°It will be our secret.¡± He reached for me with his other hand and stroked my back. I felt his fingers grazing the long lines where Dan¡¯s whips had broken my skin. They tingled and itched a bit under his warm touch. I met his gaze, wondering what he was thinking. His touch didn¡¯t feel sexual. It didn¡¯t even feel curious. ¡°How did you get these?¡± His voice was soft. I swear I heard something like pain in his tone. His eyes were gentle and full of sympathy. His hands didn¡¯t towards my waist, but drifted up my neck towards my cheek, barely brushing against it. The gentleness infuriated me. Fury boiled up and washed over me. I let it pass through me but didn¡¯t let it grow. He wasn¡¯t goading me. He was just unknowingly reminding me why I was doing this. Dan would tie us up and whip us for hours, jerking off to our pained cries. The sick bastard. And this monster had hired him to kill us all. He would regret it but only if I kept calm now. I let out a coy giggle, ¡°Just¡­ gifts from some of our guests. Are you interested? I¡¯ve been told I sound¨C¡± He shook his head sharply, yet his thumb stroked over the marks and his hand tightened on his ss. I slid a bit closer. ¡°If there is something you would like, you only need to say so¡­¡± He looked at me and for the first time, I realized that I had only been seeing shadows in his eyes. They weren¡¯t dark as I thought, but a rich blue-green behind his darkshes. His eyes darted towards his back for a moment, ¡°What else?¡± I felt the memories bubbling up, but I let them wash through me. Keeping my heart calm as I did a quick catalog. Between Dan and the brothels, I couldn¡¯t think of something I hadn¡¯t experienced. ¡°That would take a very long time,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Maybe it would be easier to say that there probably isn¡¯t a thing I haven¡¯t experienced.¡± Pain shed through his eyes, followed quickly by anger. I almostughed. What did he expect of a prostitute? Purity? Innocence? Did he think that inexperienced virgins were auctioned at Larry¡¯s? I wish I could tell him how many men have used me since his pack had mind destroyed. The truth of the hell of the past three years pushed at my teeth, but I kept my lips closed. It wasn¡¯t time to tell him who I was. I would only do that when he was curled up on the ground in agony, begging for death. He said nothing as he took another drink as if to calm himself. ¡°The news says you like extreme sports¡­¡± He nodded. Waiting for me to continue. ¡°How about a bet?¡± His eyebrow lifted, seemingly intrigued. ¡°I¡¯d like to help you win a dangerous game.¡± ¡°A game?¡± ¡°A race, perhaps? I might have a talent for avoiding death. Any sort of challenge will do.¡± He tilted his head with a curious expression. ¡°In exchange, I want the promise of a favor.¡± ¡°What sort of favor?¡± I smiled and leaned in close, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a favor for the future if I knew what it will be now, would it?¡± He narrowed his eyes, ¡°What makes you think I need your help?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone need a little help sometimes?¡± I asked, innocently. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just someone to take your frustrations out on?¡± He sipped from his tumbler, considering me. ¡°Anypetition?¡± I nodded, smiling at him, ¡°Consider it a way to bring us closer¡­ A week could be a bit like a lifetime if you let it. Eternity in an hour and all that¡­¡± His eyes widened, ¡°William ke.¡± He chuckled a little smile on his lips as he finished his drink. ¡°You are right. Shall we?¡± ¡°And our deal?¡± Matt stood and pulled me to my feet, ¡°You have intrigued me enough, sweet poet. We have a deal.¡± I ignored the little flutter of my heart at the term of endearment and walked with him, feeling triumphant. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. We passed Trista on the way out who gave a simpering smile and wished us good night. Matt led me to where the valet had pulled his gleaming sports car to the front of the building and helped me inside. He slipped into the driver¡¯s seat, then he was guiding the car through the midnight-dark city towards the hills. He hadn¡¯t told me what challenge he had chosen, but he had agreed, so I had already won. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 #Chapter 6 Your mistress The drive went surprisingly quickly, though I shouldn¡®t have been surprised. Mat was practically a prince of the Warhammer¡¯s city. If he went over the speed limit, who would stop him? He probably got away with all sorts of things, up to and including mundane murders. He and his pack had gotten away with a massacre. What were a few innocent pedestrians? The lights of the city faded into the distance as we went over several hills on the only path that led into the mountains. My heart raced as he guided the car around the sharp, winding curves. There were sudden dips and changes in direction like being on a roller coaster It had been years since I had been on one, but I remember enjoying them a lot. Just ahead there was another sharp turn yet he didn¡®t seem to be slowing down. ¡°Scared?¡± he asked, his voice challenging and oddly teasing. ¡°No,¡± I smiled If he thought plummeting from a mountain was scary, he would break if I ever did tell him the hell that I had survived. Maybe I would save that before stabbing him to death or however I ended up killing him. After everything, fear was foreign to me as it had n o ce on the road to revenge. It made me hesitate. It made me stay content with where I was and never take a chance. I had killed my ability to truly fear ages ago. I wouldn¡¯t allow it to resurrect itself when I have gotten so much closer to my revenge. He hummed as he turned, barely disturbing my rxed posture in the buttery leather seats of the passenger seat. The curve only appeared sharper than the others. It was far gentler than I had expected. If I had to guess, this was a path he drove often. I didn¡¯t see any houses or power lines, so I doubted that he lived in these mountains. Where was he taking me? Finally, he slowed the car to a stop and got out. He rounded the car and opened the door for me as I struggled to open the door on m y own. He helped me out gently as the wind blew past us, whipping my gown and hair into the air. In the distance, I could see the faint twinkling of the city¡¯s lights in the pitch ck of the night. The stars flickered weakly in the sky and there was no moon in the sky, yet it was the most beautiful night I had seen in a very long time. ¡°Are you cold?¡± I almost rolled my eyes. What a ridiculous question, and his acting was making me sick. Did he think I would let me guard down because he was treating me like a lover? I learned quickly that no john gave a damn about my well-being. This man had just paid a nexorbitant amount of money for me. There was no way that he wouldn¡¯t be acting ordingly. I swallowed my annoyance and irritation, allowing him to lead me by my hand. ¡°No,¡± I said politely. ¡°Thank you.¡± It was a lie, of course. It was freezing and the gown, while dazzling, wasn¡¯t meant for anything but looking pretty. Still, shivering a bit was better than allowing him to keep up his charade. There was no house nearby, so he clearly brought us here for the game. Other cars pulled up and others got out nearby, greeting each other as Matt leaned towards me. The heat of his body was wee in the cold night. What the hell was going on out here? ¡°A couple forms a team. The woman stays stationary and the man would get in the car and drive towards them. The one with the shortest distance between the car and the woman was the winner. It was a simple game I had heard of while researching his interests. Original from N?velDrama.Org. I looked down the mountain path, ¡°Mr. Wallber, do you know how to use brakes?¡± . He smiled, ¡°of course.¡± His smile did something to his face I wasn¡¯t prepared for. There was a devilishly charming look in his eyes that made him more alluring and more dangerous. I smiled back at him hoping my skepticism wasn¡¯t showing through. Was he nning to kill me here and calling it an ident? What would Larry charge him that he couldn¡¯t pay? I was just one prostitute. What difference did it make? The only way I could achieve my goals was by getting as far into Matt¡¯s life as I could. If I died on this mountain, it wouldn¡¯t matter. But if I lived. If I just held on the way I had all this time, I would be that much closer to my goals. Someone shouted, ¡°Who¡®s first?¡± I nced at Matt, but he was leaning against the car, simply watching. It looked like he didn¡¯t want to be first. Someone else stepped up. The two seemed to have a lot of energy. The woman walked to the other side of the hill as the man climbed into his car. The car turned around a corner and vanished. Soon, I heard the car returning. The tires screeched as the car skidded forward, barely stopping. The referee came over and measured the distance. ¡°Twenty-six feet and three inches!¡± The man got out of the car with a cry, ¡°Fuck, I was afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to brake in time.¡± ¡°I believed in you!¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if she was high or in love, but they sounded ridiculous. Whoever these couples were, they were insane toe up with such a game. They moved away from the spot and another couple got ready. As thepetition continued, the air grew colder. My feet felt like ice and a nce at my phone said that it was just a few hours into the next day. The sun wouldn¡¯t be rising for a while yet. My teeth started to chatter though I tried to keep from shivering. Warmth enveloped me suddenly. His scent enveloped me and though it sent warmth through me, my stomach roiled and my skin crawled. I didn¡¯t want to ever smell like him. I could almost smell my parents¡¯ blood on the jacket. I was going to give it back when he pushed off the car. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± I walked to the other side of the hill where the other women had stood while Matt pulled his car away. The cold wind pushed my hair around and forced me to cling to his jacket or let my teeth tter. The wind was so strong that I had to squint. I couldn¡¯t see Matt¡¯s car, I could only hear the roll of tires on the ground. My heart was oddly calm as the headlights came around the corner and flooded the path in front of me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. My father and mother¡¯s swinging bodies came to mind. The scent of burning flowers and Angelia¡¯s soft cries in mind came next. For a moment, I felt the greedy, grasping hands of my past johns slipping over my skin. I heard the brakes screeching and screaming. Someone gasped, but I didn¡¯t move, breathing in the cold wind and letting the path I had taken wash through my mind, cementing me in ce. Being hit by his car was nothingpared to what I experienced. Nothing would stop me from obtaining my goal. I heard the gravel crunching and the rush of the wind past me, but I did not move as I opened my eyes. The car was less than a meter in front of me and everyone around seemed shocked. Matt got out of the car as I felt the cold growing colder down my face. I reached up to wipe my face and found my hand wet with tears. When was thest time I had cried? Had it been in Dan¡¯s dungeon or when our parents were murdered? Maybe it had been in the Midnight pack¡®s brothel. Matt marched towards me, his eyes hard and bewildered as he grew closer. If I hadn¡¯t gotten his attention before, I had it now. I would use it to get out of Larry¡¯s, then I would focus on finding Angelia. My n wasing together. ¡°Out!¡± The referee called in the distance. I was confused as I looked at the short distance between me and the car. Matt stopped in front of me and leaned down, ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked a bit dazed. ¡°I didn¡¯t move-¡± ¡°Exactly! You didn¡¯t move. Are you hoping I¡¯ll hit you?¡± I frowned looking at him strangely, ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried about it.¡± His eyes widened in shock as my smile widened. ¡°I still win this wager, don¡¯t I?¡± His eyes softened a bit and he nodded slowly. ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°And you agree to do me a favor?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± The solemn tone of his voice made it seem like a very different promise, but I pushed that thought away. ¡°Get me out of Larry¡®s,¡± she nced up at me. ¡°However is fine. Your mistress or whatever...¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7 #Chapter 7 Renda Matt¡®s POV She smelled so good. The joy I was feeling was just as I had been told as a child, breaking through years of coldness I had never imagined would go away. But, the joy was slipping through my fingers like sand. In its ce, fury, like I had never known, began to boil in me What was she saying? Did she say mistress? How could my mate be my mistress? How could she not feel our connection and understand? What did she think of me? How could she think so little of me? We¡®ve only just met! I stifled a growl. I had to calm down. I didn¡¯t want to scare her or make her think I was angry with her. It was their fault Larry¡¯s, whoever had touched her before me, and whoever was responsible for her every mark on her body and the timid fear she was showing me. I would kill them allter. For now, I had to focus on her. ¡°¡­ did you say mistress?¡± I asked her. She frowned and her head bobbed as she looked down Of course, she wasn¡¯t just a gift but a punishment too. To have her so close but so untouchable was going to drive me and my wolf insane. What would I have to do to heal her wolf enough that she could recognize me? Would she ever trust me? Where were the people who had hurt her so much? Who had put those scars on her back? The thought of tearing them apart was making my wolf growl with bloodlust. ¡°I know I¡¯m asking a lot. Being your exclusive whore would be fine too. I just want you to get me out of Larry¡¯s.¡± Lucas growled at the back of my mind, Mark her! I flinched at the thundering need storming through me, heady and all-consuming. I had never felt such a strong pull from anyone. Lucas had never reacted to any woman so strongly. He made a habit of nothing more than to mark her as ours, take her back to my home, and have sex until the burning beneath my skin was gone. Given my stamina, that could be days and I had only just met the woman. Yes, we were mates, but we were several centuries past the time when wolves would simply force mating marks on their mates at first sight. I wouldn¡®t say we were civilized, given the existence of very within some packs and the questionable ways brothels filled their employment rosters. The wind whipped around us, carrying her sweet vani scent through the air, making me almost dizzy with desire and pulling me from the thoughts I didn¡®t like. She was mine, destined for me, but how long was I supposed to wait for her to recognize that? Wasn¡¯t there something I could to help it along? She pressed her lips together, and her tone was full of disappointment, ¡°If you were going to renege on the deal, you shouldn¡¯t have made it, Mr. Wallber. I wonder how you managed to be so wealthy if you treat all your contracts like this.¡± ¡°Cherry,¡± I shook my head, softening my tone. ¡°Of course, I¡®ll take you. I have never reneged on a deal. I¡®m just... confused. Why are you only asking to be my mistress?¡± She eyed me with a suspicious frown, ¡°What do you mean?¡± I cleared my throat, ¡°Per the contract, you could ask for more. I¡¯ll have to teach you about taking full advantage of the deals you strike.¡± ¡°More?¡± She scoffed and rolled her eyes, ¡°Like what? Girlfriend? Mate?¡± Lucas growled and my heart leaped in joy at the wording from her lips. Yes, Lucas hissed. Mate. Mark her, so she¡®ll understand! The rules of this century are ridiculous! Instinct should always guide. I huffed, unwilling to get into that argument with Lucas again. Sheughed, tossing her head back, ¡°Maybe I should ask to be your luna when you be alpha?¡± I frowned staring at her as Lucas grew quiet, just as shocked as I was. She said when. Everyone knew that I was not favored to be the alpha of the Warhammer pack. What did she know that everyone else, including me, didn¡®t know? ¡°You don¡®t have to make fun of me. I know my ce in the world.¡± A sharp pain went through my chest and terror settled in my gut Lucas howled in mnourning, Couldn¡®t she sense our fate? The beginnings of the bond that had started to form the moment wey eyes on each other? Lucas, she can¡¯t seem to sense us Yes, Lucas hissed Despite his howl of grief, he seemed mostly unbothered, maddened with joy. I can¡®t talk to her wolf, but she¡¯s our mate. We¡¯ve been searching for her for years. It¡®s only a matter of time! I frowned at the thought. It was concerning that she couldn¡®t sense Lucas, but I pulled my jacket around her a little lighter, buttoning it closed as she watched me with a wary expression. Why was she so wary of me? I know that the bidders for the Seven Days of Heaven had a bad reputation given theck of rules and what has happened to some of the women, but I wasn¡®t like that. ¡°Cherry, after tonight, I will buy out your contract with Larry¡¯s. You will never be a prostitute again.¡± I reached for her face, but she flinched away from me and I withdrew my hand, not wanting to offend her. This was all probably a little overwhelming for her. ¡°Will you tell me your real name now?¡± ¡°You don¡®t¨C¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to choose a name to call you,¡± I said with a smirk. ¡°It won¡¯t be just seven days¡­ I want your name.¡± Her jaw worked as she looked up at him, seemingly weighing her options. Surely, she knew that if she lied I would be able to hear i t? I almost wanted her to lie so I could tease her about it. She lowered her head and sighed as her shoulders slumped. ¡°¡­Renda.¡± ¡°Renda?¡± She clenched her jaw and nodded sharply. Her eyes were dark. ¡°As promised, you are now my mistress, Renda,¡± I lowered my head and kissed her deeply. She was tense, but she didn¡¯t push me away. A little rush of happiness went through me. I pulled back and opened the car doors. She slipped into the car and I drove us away without saying anything to the others. They weren¡¯t important and it wasn¡¯t as if we had anything of importance riding on this I took the same path back to Larry¡¯s and led her inside. ¡°Go and get your things.¡± I told her, ¡°I will meet you in the foyer when I¡¯m done.¡± She eyed me for a moment before leaving. I headed to the administrative offices to find her manager. Trista was a familiar woman and just as annoying as ever. The thought o f her being over Renda irritated me further. ¡°I¡¯m here to buy Cherry¡¯s contract.¡± Her eyes widened and she brought me to the back of the club and presented me with her ransom contract. I sneered at the name as I read the contract. A prostitute under the contract would never get free of the contract on her own. I don¡¯t think many would pay for a prostitute¡¯s freedom, though I¡¯m sure that every woman who got auctioned tried their best to cultivate as deep of a rtionship with their patron during the seven days to at least get an exclusive contract. I thought back to seeing Cherry on the stage and wondered if her entire act had been crafted to lure me in. Maybe she had felt something even though her wolf was suppressed The thought made me happier. ¡°Where do I pay?¡± I asked Trista who offered me a card reader. I pressed my debit card to the device to avoid any holdup. She giggled and babbled as she packed up Renda¡¯s contract in a neat folder with a golden bow. ¡°I want her full record.¡± Trista shrugged, pulling out a small file from a set of drawers behind and giving it to me. ¡°We bought her from the Midnight pack. Before that, she was a Luftmensch ve.¡± I flipped through the sales and trade records with my stomach turning. Many of prostitutes hade into this life out of desperation, but it seemed that Renda had been forced into this life. I¡®d find out who did this to my mate and who she was in due time. Luftmensch was vaguely familiar. It was a small pack in the east. They didn¡®t have much by way of capital and werepletely dependent on Warhammer. My fingers twitched as I remembered why the name was so familiar. My father had mentioned them on more than one asion as people he relies on for his dirty work. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that they were the origin of my mate¡¯s misfortune with their shady existence. Midnight was in the west. It wasn¡¯t a neighbor of Luftmensch. To my knowledge, neither of them had any economic ties either. How had Renda been sold to a brothel in Midnight if she was a ve of Luftmensch? How had she be a ve of Luftmensch? What had happened to her in these past three years? What about her life before then? She seemed Content ? N?velDrama.Org. rather healthy aside from the suppression of her wolf, so I didn¡¯t think she had been a ve her entire life. Renda had a lot of secrets. I can¡¯t even be sure that Renda is her real name yet. She hesitated and her heartbeat tripped with a lie when she told me. Still, I couldn¡®t help but smile. I had found her. With the payment of the contract, she was mine. I would have the rest of our lives to learn everything about her. I couldn¡¯t wait. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 #Chapter 8 Home Glenda¡¯s POV When I walked to the foyer with my bag, Matt was standing there waiting to escort me out of the building. He eyed the small canvas bag in my hands and his eyes narrowed, ¡°Is that all?¡± What did he think? That I owned a full wardrobe? I¡®m a whore. Clothes were made to make me sell thene off and Larry¡¯s charged extra for closet space. This bag held everything I had managed to keep with me over the past three years. Between several brothels, it wasn¡®t much, but it was all mine. ¡°Yes.¡± Matt nodded stiffly, ¡°Let¡®s go.¡± Trista looked a bit furious as I passed her, but I paid her no mind, allowing Matt to escort me back to his car. When the door came down, closing me inside the car, I rxed with a little sigh. I would never see Larry¡¯s again. Matt climbed into the car beside me, cranked up the engine, and guided the car away from the building. Some song was ying from the radio as he turned on the seat warmers. The warmth eased the tension in my back and watched the city go by. Where was he taking me? Would he put his mistress in another house or in a room in his? Perhaps, he would put me up in some penthouse never to see him again. That wouldn¡®t do. Matt was barely older than I was. His father, Ben, was who I needed ess to and I couldn¡¯t do that from a separate residence. Ben knew what had happened to my pack. He was the most likely person behind the attacks. ¡°Mr. Wallber,¡± I began carefully. ¡°As I asked to be your only mistress¡­¡± He let out a softugh and I held my tongue for what he would say. Maybe that hadn¡¯t been the right approach. ¡°You must read the news about my long line of girlfriends.¡± I had, but I didn¡¯t care about his girlfriends. Let them continue to serve his sexual desires, so long as I got an opportunity to learn the truth He chuckled again to himself, ¡°Never mind, you¡®ll find out.¡± Find out what? His tone was a bit mocking. It would make sense for him to mock my want of any form of exclusivity, but why not just tell me what he meant? I was just a whore whom he happened to owe a favor. We drove in silence a little longer until I could see the lights of a house in the distance. It wasn¡¯t a manor, by any means, but it wasn¡¯t a normal family-sized house either. He pulled into the circle driveway and got out. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wee home,¡± he said gesturing to the facade of the house. It was a charming house, though this close I could guess it had at least six rooms. No matter how nice it looked, it was not the house of the Warhammer pack¡¯s alpha. ¡°Will I be living with you?¡± ¡°Is that what you want?¡± He asked, staring at him as if he could read my mind that way. I smiled, ¡°That¡®s... more than I could hope for.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re curious about why it doesn¡¯t seem big enough, I do not live at the pack¡®s house. This is my home of choice,¡± His lips twitched, ¡°Well, our home now.¡± I couldn¡®t believe my ears. How could this be so easy? Was he an idiot to let some stranger into his home like this or was the Warhammer pack so arrogant to think no one would dare try to use their vices against them? Maybe there were guards inside that would watch my every move, but it didn¡¯t seem so. He offered his hand and I took it, allowing him to help me out of the low-slung car. He reached into the back of the car to grab my bag and carried it into the house. It was strange to see him carrying it. I expected a servant to pop out of nowhere to take it. He walked to the front door and tapped a code into the panel. The lock whirred open and I stared at him in shock. ¡°You... live alone?¡± I asked in true shock. He shed me a grin, ¡°Did you imagine I lived with my harem?¡± He pushed the door open and gestured me inside as the lights leading away from the front door spilled light down the hallway. I ducked my head to hide my incredulous smile. There were no guards and the bare minimum of a security system. He was either very arrogant, very stupid, or both. My hands twitched with glee. I could just imagine crawling over him in his sleep and smothering him, or slipping something poisonous in his drink over dinner. ¡°Renda,¡± he said, his voice soft and serious. ¡°You don¡®t need to be afraid. I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡± I looked up at him, meeting his gaze in shock. How could the son of my enemy make such a statement with eyes that seemed so honest? It had to be a trick to lure me into a false sense of security. I could never be secure in the house of a man I intended to ruin. I smiled at him and preceded him into the house without looking back at him. Matt led me to a room on the second floor of the house, dropped my bag inside the door, and said to getfortable. When the door closed behind him, I was simply grateful. At least there would be a small reprieve before I had to have sex with him. I rushed to the bathroom and turned the shower on as hot as I could manage before sliding out of my evening gown and stepping i n. The steam filled the shower in seconds as I stood under the hot spray, enjoying it. I rarely got to shower as long as I wanted at Larry¡¯s and it had been years since I had soaked in a bathtub. I eyed the separate tub with interest and resolved to soak in it after I had fulfilled Matt¡¯s sexual needs for the night. He probably wouldn¡®tst much longer than any of the other werewolves who have used me. I worried my lip at the thought. I should be ecstatic that things were going so well, that the son of my enemy wasfortable enough to let me into his house like this. But I wasn¡¯t. There was a reservation and some other tangled emotion I didn¡¯t have a name or use for bubbling at the back of my mind Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t matter. I was in Matt Wallber¡¯s house. Now, to find Angelia. Dawn still hadn¡¯t broken when I got out of the shower and dried off. I slipped into the fluffy bathrobe that had been hanging on the back of the door and walked back out into the room. From the look of it, it was a guest room, and he didn¡¯t have many guests. The sheets and bed set were in, clean and functional much like the rest of the house that I had seen. The house felt more like a rented vacation home than a house, but who was I to judge? A knock sounded on the door behind me and I sat on the bed as I called him in He leaned into the room, wearing just a bathrobe and ncing over me. Had he expected me to be naked already? I fiddled with the tie to my robe a bit and stood. ¡°Can I get you something to drink before bed?¡± He scanned the room, ¡°We¡¯ll go shopping for whatever else you need, so make a list when you have a chance.¡± What was he ying at? How was I supposed to y along? I decided to be bold and straight to the point, I didn¡®t want to put it off longer than I had to. ¡°No. And I don¡®t think I need anything else¡­ Are you going to fuck me here or should I follow you?¡± I pulled at the closure of my robe, but before the knot was undone, his hand was on mine stopping me. Of course, he¡¯d want to unwrap his prize himself. Had I forgotten that some men were like that? Or maybe he wanted to y the part of two lovers? ¡°Stop,¡± my head shot up at the hint of barely suppressed anger in his tone. ¡°You are not a prostitute anymore. I did not bring you here to be a private one either.¡± I clenched my jaw, barely biting back my fury. What the hell did that mean? Did he really expect me to believe that he went to Larry¡¯s auction to buy Seven Days in Heaven with no intention to fuck the woman he bought? I was a prostitute but I¡¯m not stupid. And it was his family¡¯s fault that I had be a prostitute anyway. What right did he have to suddenly get on his high horse? He stepped back, ¡°Good night, Renda.¡± He left and closed the door behind him. I wrinkled my nose and scoffed, crossing my arms as I began to shake. It was disgusting for him to pretend like he was too good to fuck a whore and just wanted to see to myfort. Burning tears slipped down my face and I smothered the sob behind my hand as I sunk back onto the bed at a loss about what I was feeling and why. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 #Chapter 9 The Party I spent the night awake, watching the dawn rise through the blinds. It was the first night in three years I had gone to bed without being touched. The house was quiet all through the night. I kept expecting him toe back, but he didn¡®t. And that only made me more furious. This game he was ying, this act he was putting of kindness was worse than if he just held me down and raped me like everyone else. At least then I wouldn¡®t be wondering, I¡¯d fall asleep counting just to forget it and I wouldn¡®t be so damned confused. I pushed that thought away. It was only the first night. The fall of my pack had likely been nned for weeks. Matt was definitely his father¡¯s son, so he was ying a long game to break me. And wasn¡®t I doing the same? Sleep pulled at my eyelids and the darkness began to pull me down. Can you hear me? I gasped at Alyssa, my wolf¡¯s, voice calling out to me. Alyssa! She didn¡¯t answer. My heart clenched as I strained to call out to her again and again, but I heard nothing in reply. The same fear and loneliness that had taken over me when she left me before returned. It had been while I was still recovering from thest john I had there, she told me she couldn¡¯t stay with me. What do you mean? I asked, terrified. You can¡¯t leave me alone! If I lost Alyssa, I would have no one. I can¡¯t stay here, Alyssa said, her voice starting to fade. I can leave some of my strength here so you will heal, but I can¡¯t¡­ Her voice vanished into a whisper. I screamed for her for hours, but she never responded. Disappointment filled me, but I took sce in that I heard her voice. That had to mean she was nearby or getting stronger. It had to mean something positive and I was going in the right direction. I closed my eyes hoping to hear her reply in my dreams. When I woke up, it was afternoon. My mouth was dry and my eyes were sticky from sleep and tears. I washed my face and stumbled downstairs to try and find something to eat. I don¡¯t know why I expected a bachelor to have more than booze in the fridge, but I wasn¡¯t surprised to find nothing in the fridge and random snacks in the cabs. He said he lived here, but did he? ¡°You¡®re awake.¡± I turned to see him walking towards me dressed casually in tailored cks and a shirt. ¡°Are you hungry? We¡¯ll have to go out to eat.¡± His lips twitched, ¡°There¡¯s a party this afternoon. Want toe along?¡± ¡°A party?¡± I eyed him. It could be an opportunity to get some information. ¡°An outdoor party.¡± His lips curved into a smirk, ¡°Maybe there will be a game you like.¡± He leaned in close with a teasing smile, ¡°Life and death. You like those kinds of games, right?¡± He was insane. No one liked those sorts of games. They just yed them for the thrill or because they had no other choice, like me. ¡°I don¡¯t have clothes for a party,¡± I shrugged. ¡°I don¡®t think hooker heels and mini skirts are appropriate.¡± Not that I had either of those either. ¡°You are not a prostitute,¡± he red at me and closed the fridge door. ¡°Stop saying things like that.¡± I didn¡¯t answer, and I didn¡¯t look at him. It was pointless to make him feel like he was winning whatever game he was ying. ¡°Go get dressed in whatever you have.¡± I picked the cleanest t-shirt and jeans I had. My shoes were a bit ragged, but they werefortable. When I came back down, he didn¡¯t flinch or hesitate to lead me outside and put me in his car. The engine roared as he rushed away from the house and back into the city. It was so different to see people wandering around on the streets. Once I would have resented their freedom, hating them all for their luck, but that resentment had distilled into a cold hard fury directed at the Warhammer pack, He parked in front of a mall that looked like it only did valet service. The man approached the car quickly to let me out and take Matt¡®s keys, with a little murmur of a greeting Matt took my hand and led me into a store I didn¡®t catch the name of, but a woman appeared seemingly out of nowhere with a bright salesman smile that didn¡®t reach her eyes, For a moment, our eyes met and I swear there was a bit of recognition there, like two captives trying to survive. ¡°She needs evening wear and everyday clothes. Swimwear and.¡± I wasn¡®t listening to the list, but the woman nodded quickly and hurried away after offering us refreshments and a ce to sit. Another woman came to us to measure me, then she was gone again. A few minutester, the first woman returned with rolling rack clothing. I didn¡®t recognize any of the styles, and it hardly mattered. Matt nced through the clothes and nodded before pulling out a red and pink athletic suit and matching tennis shoes ¡°Change into this.¡± I took the clothes and didn¡®t argue. The suit was in three pieces, one of them being a sports bra. What sort of party were we going to that required athletic wear? He wasn¡¯t dressed for running around. When I came back, a group of men were carrying the bags and Matt was sliding his shades on his face. ¡°Let¡®s get some food.¡± I followed him a bit further into the mall to a food stall that already had his order ready. He took it from the cashier and tossed a hundred¨Cdor bill in the tip jar before leading me outside. The group of men had finished loading the bags into the trunk and he helped me into the car, setting the food in myp. He tipped the valet, closed the doors, and took off. ¡°Eat,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a long drive to Zag Park.¡± Why would we be going to Zag Park of all ces? Isn¡¯t that over the Warhammer pack¡¯s territory line? ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. It was probably another weird gathering like the car-stopping game. I ate the meal he¡®d bought without much attention to it. It was vorful and seemed to have a lot of meat on it, but I didn¡¯t know what it was and didn¡¯t want to ask. The highway zipped by as we left the city. When my bowl was empty. I packed the rest up and rxed into the leather. The pop song that had been ying changed to a softer arrangement and lulled me into sleep. ¡°...enda, wake up,¡± Someone said. ¡°Wake up.¡± I gasped, sitting up sharply before yelping as my head hit the roof of the car. ¡°Renda, you slept well.¡± His voice was sincere, but I was suspicious. Had I been talking in my sleep and gave myself away? Was he nning to dump my body here after this weird party? It waste in the afternoon, near evening, when we left his house. Judging by the darkness in the sky, we were probably there. ¡°Do all of your parties take ce in the middle of the night?¡± He chuckled and offered me his hand, ¡°I¡®ll let you be the judge of that.¡± I let him help me out of the car and looked up at the facade of an old cottage. It didn¡¯t look decrepit, but it didn¡¯t look new either. I checked my phone and gawked at the time. What kind of outdoor party happened without anyone around and before dawn? I tensed and focused on keeping track of him. Was this the moment he would throw me down and rape me or simply throw me down a sharp incline? No one would hear me scream out here. ¡°Get ready, we¡¯re going to climb the mountain to watch the sunrise.¡± I frowned. Sunrise? I looked at him, ¡°Is that what you call an outdoor party?¡± He grinned, ¡°The two of us and the sun are party enough.¡± Matt Wallber was bing less a monster and more of a strange beast with sharp fangs by the minute. He led me up towards a shining metal tower that looked far newer than the cottage and opened the door to the cable car. A man waved from within the control room of the cable car. ¡°Have you ever been here?¡± When would I have had time to take a random trip outside of Warhammer territory while being fucked into various mattresses? ¡°No.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to Looming Height,¡± he pointed to the other end of the cable line. ¡°This car will take up halfway up, and we¡¯ll have to climb the rest of the way. You know the story of Looming Height?¡± Who didn¡¯t? The story went that the mountain had been raised back when there were still mages and long before werewolves had taken over the society. It was a myth, at best, but a charming bedtime story. Something about a wolf who had carried his mate to the top of the peak as a show of eternal love while pleading with the moon goddess to save her life after a battle. My father would tell it to us on Valentine¡¯s Day. The prick of pain that came with thinking of them melted into anger as I sat in the cable car. A loud horn sounded before the cable began to move. I nced down at the dizzying height and clutched the edge of my seat as the car continued to climb higher and swayed in the breeze. The gorge below us was just lit enough to see to the bottom of it and my heart raced. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Matt said, his voice distant. I looked up at him and found him staring down into the darkness, unblinking. The car began to slow about what looked like halfway to the other side. He hummed thoughtfully as the car jerked. My heart lurched, though I kept my voice calm, ¡°What is it?¡± A loud click sounded above our heads and the car began to plummet. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 #Chapter 10 Silver wolf My heart leaped into my throat as the car seemed to catch on something and swing towards the mountain. My stomach swooped and my heart raced We were falling. We were crashing, all because this idiot wanted to look at the damned sunrise on top of a stupid mountain! Matt lunged across the car at me, grabbing me around my waist and turning towards the door. ¡°Hold on to me!¡± I tumed to watch the side of the mountain growing swiftly closer and wrapped my arms around his neck, barely swallowing a scream of terror as my heart thudded in my chest. What was the n? Was there a n? Was this all some twisted, drawn¨Cout n to make me let my guard down or make my death an ident? He pushed the door open, his eyes fixed on the side of the mountain ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, between panicked breaths as he tensed and leaned back into the carriage. Every muscle in his body seemed to be tensing to prepare for something. Was he going to jump? ¡°Are you going to jump?¡± ¡°Don¡®t let go.¡± ¡°You¡®re not answering me!¡± I closed my eyes and tightened my grip as I felt him rock back beforeunching us forward out of the open door. The scream that wanted to escape my chest beat against my teeth as I felt the air whistling past us and we flew through the air towards the mountain I can¡¯t believe he jumped. He¡¯s crazy, and I was crazy to do this. The skin on his neck grew rough, then furry and my eyes popped open in shock. He couldn¡¯t be serious! I¡¯d heard that most people had trouble shifting at will. I knew from experience that even if you could shift once, that didn¡®t mean you could do it consistently. My father told me it had taken him years to control his shift with ease. Werewolves now just weren¡¯t the same as werewolves a hundred years ago. Guns kind of made ws useless. Luxury clothes made it a waste to shift at any time. The need to shift had lessened enough that it was almost bing a lost, though highly revered, art. In Fluorite, we learned to shift so we could be better prepared to survive if a mine copsed and to hunt in the forest if he got lost. From what I knew of other packs, people twice our age barely knew how to shiftpletely, let alone smoothly and under duress, yet here Matt Wallber was losing his handsome human features for soft silver fur and a wolf¡¯s muzzle farrger than a standard sized wolf, let alone a werewolf. The calming scent grew stronger and warmer as I pressed myself to him. I realized then, it wasn¡¯t just my imagination. It wasing from him. Metal screeched and cracked in the darkness before fire lit up the night as the cable car crashed into the side of the mountain. The air shook as it mmed into the rock and bounced off into the darkness. I braced myself as we hit the side of the rock,ing to a hard stop before starting to slide down. He growled, digging into the rock to stop our descent. I yelped each time his paws scraped and scrambled trying to find purchase on the jagged rock. We slipped and slid down the side as the wire cable whipped overhead and cracked against the side of the mountain. Rock and dust fell from above and I pressed myself closer to his back hoping nothing would hit us. The rocks missed us just barely and I coughed as the dust fell around us. The ground shook, shuffling his tenuous hold loose and sending us sliding down a strangely smooth patch of the mountain¡¯s face. H e shifted abruptly and swung us out of the way of the falling cable line as it cut a sparking line down the side of the cliff before flying away. Slowly, we skidded to a stop on the side of the mountain and the wreckage fell into the darkness below. My arms were locked around his neck as I hung from his back. I couldn¡®t breathe. I could barely see by the light of the smoldering car below that was quickly dying. Why the hell did he think this was a good idea? What hell was I going to do? I couldn¡¯t die yet. He couldn¡¯t die until I had all my answers and could take my revenge. This son of a bitch had better get us out of this, or I would haunt him and his entire family well into the afterlife. He grunted, trying to move. We slid a bit and I tensed, barely choosing to breathe. I hadn¡®t been able to fully control my shift before my pack fell, and I hadn¡®t tried to transform since, trying to conserve my wolf¡®s strength tomunicate with Angelia. I almost regretted it now, but there was no guarantee that I would have had enough strength to attempt the shift anyway. Matt climbed up through the dark, digging his ws into the rock before moving up, slowly and surely towards the figure of a small tree above us. It didn¡®t look strong enough to hold our weight, but it was on a ledge just big enough for him to maybe stand on Further up, there was a wider outcropping of rock and I had a feeling what his n was, When we reached the tree, he climbed up the trunk and I shut my eyes praying that he was strong enough to get up to therger ledge. He rocked back and shot up just as the tree began to snap. I felt himnd them leap again before we came to another stop He growled, slowly pulling us up onto therger ledge. Hey down and allowed me to slide off his ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. back. For a few moments, we sat in silence as I regained my ability to breathe easily and my limbs stopped tingling from terror His silver fur shrank and fizzled out, revealing dirt¨Csmudged skin as hey prone on the ground, panting from exertion He was covered in sweat and dirt. The scrapes on his chest and arms were quickly healing, his sweat was carrying away the grime and trickles of blood I was startled by his nudity. Usually, the sight of a naked man would make my stomach chuin a bit, but I felt nothing. He was handsome, of course, but he was well¨Cbuilt and finely toned. I had imagined that Matt didn¡¯t bother with any sort of physical training like most werewolves these days. The son of an evil man had no right to be so attractive, but I supposed that was just a part of my life. I took off my jacket as he opened his eyes and offered it to him. I had no desire to continue seeing him naked, and it was the least I could do for him for saving my life, even if he was the reason we were in this situation. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said He sat up, but refused the jacket, ¡°Keep it.¡± He turned to look out into the night. ¡°Well, it is not where I intended, but it¡¯s still a great view.¡± Perhaps where his father was evil, Matt was simply crazy Dawn began to break through the sky. Gray-pink light cut through the early morning mists. Under some other circumstance, I may have thought it beautiful, but who could give a damn about the sunrise stranded on the side of the mountain and cold. I pulled my phone out. The screen was cracked from all the jostling, but it had enough charge to tell me the time, the temperature, and that I had no service. Matt seemed unbothered, leaning back on his hands and closing his eyes as the warm light of the sun spilled over him. He was beautiful and infuriating. How could he look so damn at peace? I suppose he could get from here to safety in his wolf form easily, but I couldn¡®t. ¡°I have no service, and I can¡¯t shift.¡± He turned his head, eyeing me, ¡°Can¡¯t or won¡¯t?¡± What kind of question was that? ¡°Can¡¯t.¡± He opened his mouth then closed it as if he decided against asking me something. Maybe he wanted to ask why I couldn¡®t. I wondered what he expected me to say? I wondered what I would say. Now wasn¡¯t exactly the time to remember the horror of thest three years. It would just piss me off more that he asked, given his family¡¯s role in my misfortune. Matt turned back to the scenery and my heart lurched, ¡°Are you going to leave me here?¡± Matt growled. I¡¯m not sure if it was meant to be at me or to himself, but when he looked back at me, his eyes were furious. ¡°Is that what you want?¡± . ¡°No.¡± I shook my head, trying to find a way to backtrack from angering him. ¡°I just... I¡®m just trying to understand.¡± His brow furrowed and the anger seemed to vanish from his eyes. He seemed thoughtful before nodding. ¡°Sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten upset with you.¡± What? Chapter 11 Chapter 11 #Chapter 11 Panicking Did he just apologize to me? The thought was ufortable and confusing. He was a Wallber. They were arrogant, high¨Chanded, selfish, ruthless, and evil. There was no way he had actually apologized to me, and if he did there had to be something behind it. I met his gaze and tried to figure out what he was thinking, but there was nothing in his eyes but concern and rernorse ¡°It¡®s...¡± I shook my head, focusing on the problem. It wasn¡®t okay. This was all his fault, and it was probably just an act anyway. ¡°Will someonee to our rescue? The operator should have noticed something was wrong with the cable car, right?¡± ¡°It wasn¡®t an ident. He¡®s probably long gone by now.¡± He stood with a shake of his head. ¡°I¡®ve told a pack affiliate where we are, but it will take some time for them to get here.¡± ¡°How long?¡± He eyed me and crouched in front of me to zip up my jacket, ¡°You¡®ll freeze out here if your wolf is too weak.¡± He met my gaze as if to confim his suspicion. I nodded. There was no use hiding it from him now that I¡®d already told him I couldn¡®t shift ¡°If you stay in the sun, you¡¯ll be okay for an hour or so. I¡¯m going to find shelter ande back.¡± He was going to leave me stranded on the side of a mountain alone where no one would be able to find me? If he fell, I¡¯d freeze to death before anyone came, and if I didn¡¯t freeze to death before they arrived, I would have no way to contact them. Terror filled me, but I couldn¡¯t protest. He was right. Matt could make quick work of finding somewhere else for us to stay while we waited, and he could contact people in his pack toe to help us. I couldn¡¯t even shift to keep myself warm. I would just get in the way if I demanded that he take me with him. I was helpless and relying on this man that I nned to betray. Was this any better than being at Larry¡¯s? Sure, there were no johns, and Matt didn¡¯t seem to even want to sleep with me, but this was a lot more dangerous. What choice did I have though? So far my n was working out just fine. I was living in Matt¡¯s house! I hadn¡¯t dreamed that I would get to this point so easily. I still needed to find Angelia. My revenge would onlye if I stay close to Matt. I bit my lip and looked up at him, ¡°Don¡®t take too long.¡± He smirked and nodded, sliding onto the shallow ledge next to the ledge, bare-assed and clinging to the side of the mountain as if h e had done this a hundred times. Maybe climbing random mountains in Original from N?velDrama.Org. the nude did something for him, or this was just another extreme sport he liked. He reached a small ledge and shifted before jumping up and out of sight. The silence of the mountain and forest surrounded me. It was unnerving after being used to the noise of Larry¡¯s. Even the low hum of the ceiling fan in the guest room of Matt¡¯s house had brought somefort. Dan¡¯s ce had never been so quiet unless I was unconscious. I was shaking, panicking. How long would it take for him to find somewhere safe for us? Would he reallye back? I curled up in the small pool of sunlight, clutching my phone and watching the minutes go by. It was torture to wait, but I tried to keep calm. Everything I had survived until now would be pointless if I died here. I focused on that as much as possible. I had to survive. Matt woulde back. Maybe I could count the cracks in the rock to pass the time. Counting always calmed me. The sun grew a bit warmer as I waited, but not enough to keep the chill at bay. Within a few minutes, I was shaking and my fingers were turning blue. I was so cold my feet were getting numb and I could barely feel my legs. I ran out of cracks soon and the ability t o concentrate on anything but the cold. Would he evere back? It made me think of when I was a kid and I had gotten lost in the forest chasing something. It had to have been a butterfly or a rabbit. I couldn¡®t remember it clearly, I hadn¡®t been older than three years old and my caretakers had barely taken their eyes off me for a few seconds before I was lost. The forest in the valley where Fluorite had been wasn¡®t very dense and it had been the middle of the summer, but I had been terrified. Afraid that I would never see my parents again. That I¡¯d be carried away by some monster. It had been my father who had found me then and carried me home. ¡°Renda!¡± I looked up as Mattnded in his wolf form and transformed into his human form to walk along the ledge from the other outcropping of rock. For a moment, I was a little girl again sitting and crying on a fallen tree, and so d that someone had found me. My eyes were burning again. The tears came next. ¡°I¡®m sorry it took so long.¡± He winced and kneeled, pulling me into his arms, ¡°Quick, can you hold on to my neck?¡± I nodded shakily, slipping my arms around his neck. The shock of the warmth of his body made me cling to him tighter. The shock of yet another apology drifted over me. He transformed again and leaped in the opposite direction from where he came, up to an outcropping of rock below us. He leaped again and again until hended on a muchrger ledge and walked towards a sprawling patch of foliage. The air was a bit warmer down here, closer to the earth... The cave entrance was just big enough for us to enter. Once inside, it grew muchrger to about half the size of the guest bedroom. The light from the entrance was the only light inside, barely lifting the darkness enough to see the glimmer of Matt¡¯s fur. It was a bit warmer than being on the bare outcropping and much safer. At least in the dark, I didn¡¯t have to look down at the height I could fall, and Matt¡¯s presence was soothing if only because I wasn¡¯t alone. His scent was making me rx. I slid from Matt¡¯s back and shivered as I felt the air shift with his shift back into human form and his movement. He drew closer, wrapping an arm around me, warm and wee. I leaned into him, letting his scent wrap around me. Matt patted me on the head, ¡°Were you scared?¡± I tried to hold back the tears, but I sniffled, and they came flooding down my face. My mind raced. I had nearly died so many times before, but my desire for revenge and my anger had forced me to survive. Today was the first time that anger didn¡¯t help me. I had to rely on the man I nned to ruin to survive. I was relieved he came back and d too, but I also felt a bit guilty. How could I be relieved knowing what this man¡¯s pack had done to me? Slowly, my whirling thoughts turned away from my moral dilemma to the fact that we were still in danger. The cave would keep m e from freezing to death, but when would help arrive? A few hours? A few days? Matt¡¯s hands closed over mine as he pulled me closer, ¡°Get some rest for now. It won¡¯t be long.¡± How long was that? How did he know that? Could he hear someoneing? I wished I could. With my nose tucked into his shoulder, his scent drew me into sleep. All I could do was hope that he wasn¡¯t lying. It felt like hourster that Matt was shaking me. The loud sound of what could have been gunfire filled the air. I froze in terror, memories assaulted me. I shuddered focused on the feel of Matt beside me. I wasn¡¯t there. It was just a memory. I could almost smell the blood and gunpowder. A scream began to press against my teeth. Matt shook me gently and I looked up at him. His expression was oddly kind in the dimness. His eyes gazed at him tenderly as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± I blinked and shook my head. ¡°They¡¯re here. We can go home now.¡± I struggled to my feet, my limbs feeling a bit weak, and nodded. I didn¡¯t want to stay in this cave another minute if I could help it. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 #Chapter 12 Armand Hovering just outside the cave was a small helicopter I had no idea who was inside it or how long it had been since the cable car crashed, but it didn¡®t matter. We were saved and never again would I agree to climb any sort of mountain in the middle of the night. A metal and fabricdder ttered from the door down to us Matt helped me onto thedder and climbed up after me. There were two men inside. One in the pilot¡®s seat, and the other helping me inside He looked about our age and wore vintage sunsses with his vintage helmet His skin was a reddish bronze as if he spent a lot of time in the sun He grinned, ¡°Wee aboard, Miss Renda. We¡®ve got hot cocoal¡± I tried to smile, but I couldn¡®t manage it as he wrapped a nket around my shoulders and helped me into a seat. Matt climbed up after me, taking a moment to pat the man on his helmet ¡°Hurry up and get us back.¡± The man gave him a mock salute before pulling up thedder and closing the door. Matt walked across the small cockpit and pulled a pair of pants out of apartment that seemed to fit him. He walked towards me and settled into the seat beside me as he shrugged on a t¨Cshirt. The helicopter tipped and moved away from the mountain. As Looming Height faded into the distance, I felt a bit more at peace. We ascended over the snow-capped top and my heart lightened a little as the snow sparkled in the sunlight. Fluorite was in a lush valley near tnd. The area around it was barely high enough to be called a mountain. Seeing snow capped mountains and the sparkling sea at sunset were things Angelia and I nned to do since we were children. Angelia, where are you? The main pilot was quiet, but the co¨Cpilot who greeted us introduced himself as Armand. As he continued to chat, I was grateful that he wasn¡®t piloting. ¡°This is my pilot trainee, Jacob!¡± Armand said with a grin. ¡°It¡®s so nice not to have to pay attention...¡± Though Armand said he had plenty of experience, his words didn¡¯t give me anyfort. He went on about Looming Height¡¯s myths and other things that I didn¡®t want to hear about. I blocked out Armand¡¯s voice as we flew through the air. When we finallynded, I thanked Jacob and Armand for saving us and followed Matt to the awaiting car. The drive from thending ce to Matt¡¯s home was short, and there was a doctor there waiting for us outside the house. The man looked at Matt with a concerned gaze. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Matt said, jerking his thumb at me. ¡°Check her.¡± I shook my head, backing away, but Matt gave me a look that had me lowering my head and The doctor smiled at me kindly. ¡°A minor check-up, nothing too in¨Cdepth.¡± It wasn¡®t terrible, but it was a bit ufortable. I had never liked doctors even before being subjected to monthly, invasive examinations at Larry¡®s, but this doctor was honest and the exam was over quickly. When the exam was done, I heard Armand¡¯s voice booming from the kitchen, and Matt was gone. ¡°Miss Renda, any requests?¡± Armand asked, waving a frying pan. ¡°The boss never has one.¡± I shook my head, sitting at the bar. Armand had changed into a neat pair of cks and a button-up. It seemed like he was Matt¡¯s butler or something ¡°You look curious,¡± Armand said, pulling something out of a cab. ¡°Ask whatever you want. I¡¯m an open book.¡± ¡°How... did youe to work for Mr. Wallber?¡± He frowned and shook his head, ¡°Right. Matt. He saved my life, so I¡®m repaying a debt of sorts.¡± I didn¡®t listen to the rest of the story, too shocked by the idea and still processing everything that had happened. I had never imagined anyone tied to the Wallber name as someone who would save anyone¡¯s life, and Matt had saved us both. Maybe Matt didn¡¯t know who I was and just cared about the whore he¡¯d purchased not being damaged, but something told me that wasn¡¯t the case. His expression back in the cave wasn¡¯t the look of someone worried about their property being damaged. What was I supposed to make of it? Had I been wrong about hating the Wallbers all this time? ¡°Where is Matt?¡± ¡°Probably asleep.¡± Armand said. ¡°He shifted, right? Takes a lot out of him. He should be up and about by dinner.¡± I nodded and slipped from my seat, ¡°... think I¡®ll take a nap 100.¡± ¡°I¡®ll call when dinner¡¯s ready! You should dress up. There will be guests!¡± I hurried up to my room to turn over Armand¡¯s words. What sort of guests? I¡¯m not sure if I was in the mood to party after the day I¡®d had. Besides, I didn¡¯t have any clothes. They were all in the trunk of Matt¡¯s sport¡¯s car back at the other cottage. I sighed and went to the drawer where I¡¯d ced my few belongings and froze at the sight of loungewear beside my few toiletries. I checked the closet and found the entire wardrobe Matt had purchased earlier that day hung neatly by season and color. Armand and whoever else worked for Matt had been busy and it was clear that I was expected toe to the party. Fine. At least, I¡¯ll get a sense of who was important in Matt¡¯s life. Maybe I¡¯d even get some valuable information. The rich tended to talk a lot over free drinks. I took a bath and got out about an hourter when I heard voices from downstairs. I didn¡¯t know if they were more staff or guests, but I guessed that the party was about to start. I slipped into a dress that seemed upscale enough, put on a bit of makeup, and descended the stairs. About twenty people were milling around with flutes of champagne, sses of wine, and tumblers of whiskey. I was d I went with an upscale look as everyone seemed to be dressed like they hade from a runway. Matt came down a few momentster dressed in pressed cks, shiny oxfords, a dinner jacket, and a button-up shirt that was two buttons shy of closed. He seemed rested and rxed as he glided into the party. I crossed the room to get something to eat and n my next course of action. I didn¡¯t recognize any of these people. Were they important to the Warhammer pack? Would they let something slip that could help me? How would I even start a conversation with any of these people? I didn¡¯t know anything about thetest fashions, stock market, or whatever else they were talking about. My best option was to listen in and hope something of use woulde out of their mouths. I settled at a table in the corner of therge room. Three beautiful women sat nearby. They were made up for the evening and decked in sparkling jewels. I knew on sight that none of them were wearing Fluorite gems based on the rity. They were oblivious to my presence as they spoke loudly at first about thetest fashion trends or something. Then, their voices began to grow softer and I strained to listen knowing that a hushed conversation was always the best way to get information. ¡°... a real disappointment between the sheets.¡± ¡°Matt? No way.¡± I almost choked on my food while listening to them. Were they serious? I nced towards the rest of the room. There were only the four of us in the dining room. The living room was where everyone else had gone. ¡°He might have a great body, but¡­ he¡¯s barely bigger than lipstick.¡± One of them giggled, ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°That has to be a lie.¡± ¡°Maybe he stuffs his pants?¡± Another peal ofughter broke out, and I was even more confused. I knew for a fact there was nothing lipstick-sized about him. Why were they even talking about this at Matt¡¯s party? ¡°Have you slept with him?¡± ¡°No, but I heard he hadn¡¯t slept with any of the women he¡¯s been seen with.¡± ¡°You know he bought a hooker from that ce? Larry¡¯s?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I heard about it! But it¡¯s just a cover-up. If he hasn¡¯t slept with any of the other women, what makes anyone think he¡¯d sleep with a whore?¡± I cleared my throat, just loud enough to draw their attention. They froze and turned around. It seemed that their wolves were too weak to hear me breathing just behind them, or they were human. Either way, their gossip was ridiculous and could ruin my ns if it kept on. I expected them to shut up, but one of them eyed me. ¡°Aren¡®t you the whore he bought?¡± I lifted an eyebrow at her, ¡°Jealous?¡± Another scoffed, ¡°As if I ever. What would lipstick do for me?¡± ¡°Probably fix your chapped lips,¡± I shrugged as she gasped, ¡°I doubt you could handle anything bigger.¡± I examined my nails, ¡°Trust me, that man¡®s cock needs someone with... ample experience.¡± They flushed and gaped. Their eyes jumped up to above my head, and they paled. Then, Matt chuckled, ¡°Now, darling. I thought we agreed to keep such things in the bedroom.¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 #Chapter 13 Jay¡¯s son One of them squeaked. Another babbled some sort of excuse and slipped from the table towards the living room. Then, I was alone with Matt and embarrassed. I would never live this down. I should have kept my mouth shut. He was going to tease me, for sure, or get mad My best bet was to pretend like there was nothing out of the ordinary. After all, it was in my best interest to make sure that my position as his whore or mistress or whatever Matt was telling people seemed as real as possible. I tried to calm down, so I didn¡®t tum around to look at him. He walked around me and sat across the table, staring at me. I didn¡®t meet his eyes, too embarrassed and bracing myself for the teasing ¡°...why did you say that?¡± Act cool. I had to act cool. This could be a chance to learn more about Matt. His weaknesses and desires. It would be easier, in the long run, to use those things against him to learn everything I needed to know. ¡°Spur of the moment.¡± He scoffed, ¡°Try again with a better lie, hm?¡± I finished my food and excused myself from the table. He didn¡®t stop me to my surprise. I made my way up the stairs as quickly as I could, avoiding the other guests. As I closed the door behind me with a little sigh of relief, I couldn¡®t believe what I had heard. What the hell was going on? What was Matt thinking? Doing? What was I doing? Nothing I was learning was making any sense. How could everything in the news be a lie? A disguise? For what? This party wasn¡¯t even real! What was the point of all this? The man who saved my life and the man who yed death games were the same person, but he wasn¡¯t the lustful, willful, power drunk monster I had imagined. 1 I couldn¡¯t even guess a reason for him to be involved with the Fluorite massacre. Matt was only a few years older than me, so at the time, he would have been eighteen. It¡®s possible that he doesn¡®t know anything, but he is the only son of the alpha who benefitted from it. He had to know something! My head began to ache. If he knew nothing and the Wallbers weren¡¯t involved in any of it, then thest three years were aplete waste of time. I couldn¡®t ept that all that pain and suffering was for nothing. I¡®d lose what little sanity I had left. I sunk onto the bed to think, turning over the party and everyone I had seen in my mind, but nothing stuck out. I couldn¡®t have been in my room for longer than an hour before Armand sent me a text asking where I was and if I needed anything. His overly nice disposition only made my headache worse. Miss Renda, you like sweets, right? Won¡®t youe down and have dessert? The next few pictures were of cake, pies, and other desserts. When a bowl of ice cream drizzled in chocte popped up, I sighed. Armand was persistent and there was nothing better than ice cream when I was down. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I had ice cream Fine. I¡¯ming He replied with a cheering emoji as I left my room and returned downstairs. When I got to the bottom floor, I went into the living room. The bartender was flirting with a group of women. A group of men stood around to the right of the living room. I hoped to get my ice cream and escape before Matt or anyone else noticed me. Then, I saw Jay¡¯s eldest son. Jay was my father¡¯s beta. I knew for a fact that Jay had been in the city when the attack happened, and his son had been there too. What was he doing here? If he escaped, was he looking for revenge too? It would make sense that he got into Matt¡¯s fake inner circle if he survived. If I remembered, they had family in another pack they could have gone to hide with. I wanted to ask, but I closed it before a sound escaped me. There was something wrong with this picture. He didn¡¯t look watchful. H e lookedfortable as if he was here all the time. It could have been an act but Jay¡¯s son wasn¡¯t the smartest growing up. What if Jay had helped the Warhammer pack and his son was here as a guest because of that? The thought turned my stomach, but the thought wouldn¡®t leave me. My pack had been wealthy but notrge. We were known for our flowers, our mines, and the beauty of the surroundingnd. Dad was a good businessman and leader. He took care to make sure we lived and worked in peace. Our forces were just strong enough to defend us when need be or at least give us time to escape if something serious happened. Thinking back, there was no way a party of werewolvesrge enough to kill the entire pack would have gone unnoticed by the patrols. Not even if they were migrant bandits! Someone inside the pack would have had to help them avoid the patrol paths and Jay was the only person who would have been able to get that information other than Dad. But how could that be possible? Jay, or Uncle Jay as Angelia and I called him, was always very kind to us. When we were little, he would hide choctes in his coats so Angelia and I could find them. He spoiled us. I had always thought of him as family. He was so good to us¡­. But he also knew every weakness in our pack¡¯s defenses. There was no one else who could have led them around all of the patrols and right into our house. Jay was a traitor. My mind was racing. I couldn¡®t approach Jay¡®s son without more information. Ice cream wasn¡¯t worth being exposed and the realization made me lose my appetite. I turned to leave as fast as I could. ¡°Miss Renda?¡± Armand called out to me. ¡°Would you like some candy?¡± My stomach lurched as I rushed up the stairs, covering my mouth and trying to push through the rush of memories closing in on m e. My head pounded, but if I could just find something to count, I could get through it. The dungeon was musky. The air was cool, swirling around me. Armi let out heaving sobs. Then screams. She went quiet as the bed creaked with every thrust of his bby body. I held Angelia close, covering her ears and holding her against me, pleading for one of the guards to do something, but they watched on and said nothing as Dan thrust into Armi across the room. I tried to leave again, pulling Angelia with me. The guardsughed, blocking the path out of the room. ¡°My candy¡®s the best,¡± Dan growled, leaning over Armi and licking her tears away. I could almost feel ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. his weight on my chest, watching him. ¡°Don¡®t you like candy?¡± I searched for something to focus on. One bed. Onemp. Two pillows. The guard tore Angelia away from me and dragged her across the room. Another held me in ce as I cried and begged. Angelia screamed, thrashing and trapped beneath Dan. Armi had gone quiet in the far corner of the room. ¡°Stop! Leave her alone! Please leave her alone!¡± Heughed, thrusting into her with sharp grunts, ¡°I know good little girls love candy.¡± Blood stained the sheets. He shoved Angelia off the bed when she stopped screaming and simplyy still. ¡°Your tum, little girl... Brave, eager gir... Come get some candy.¡± One, two, three, four studs in the bed frame. I couldn¡¯t breathe. I can¡¯t breathe. Pain tore through me. His weight crushed me beneath him. He thrust harder and harder, shaking the bed with his weight. I kept screaming. Fighting, but he wouldn¡®t budge. His guards held me down, Wet, squelching, pain throbbed between my legs. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± I said, gripping my head. ¡°Stop. Stop! Stop!¡± I curled up beside the bed, focusing on the grains in the carpet. One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Four¡­ Five... I got lost in picking out the individual strands, and the memories faded. I could still feel my hands shaking. I felt nauseous and dizzy. Over-heated and frozen as if my body didn¡¯t know what it was thinking. Iid down on the carpet, forcing myself to take deep breaths as I noticed the grain of the dresser¡¯s wood and began to count the strands. ¡°One.. Two Three.¡± ¡°Are you okay, Renda?¡± I gasped, looking up at the face leaning into the door. Matt was thest person I expected to see. Had he knocked or just walked in? He couldn¡®t see me like this. ¡°Get out,¡± I said ¡°Get out!¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 #Chapter 14 She¡¯s alive My eyes felt heavy with liquid I didn¡®t know if it was blood or learn I couldn¡®t breathe. My handa shook uncontrobly, I could barely see him through the tears pooling in my eyes I was so cold, but I needed him to go away. He couldn¡®t see me like this. II would ruin everything I had to calm down, but counting wasn¡®t working I couldn¡®t see. I couldn¡®t breathe. Mati stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him as he stared at me, ¡°What are you doing on the floor? ¡°I said get out!¡± ¡°Are you always like this?¡± My eye twitched. What the fuck did that mean? ¡°Get out.¡± Matt ignored my request and crouched beside me. Tears slipped down my face, clearing my vision. I didn¡®t know what to make of his expression. He seemed almost concerned. I didn¡®t need his concern ¡°Why were you counting?¡± I didn¡®t need his curiosity either. Because I¡®m a fucking unstable wreck. But I couldn¡®t say that. He could figure that out just by looking at me. I closed my eyes. ¡°Please get out.¡± I felt the warmth of his hand hover over my face, but it withdrew quickly. ¡°Tell me what you¡¯re doing.¡± I red at him. Despite all of his gentle actions, he was still a high¨Chanded Wallber, using his position to get what he wanted. I decided it was better to just give him what he wanted so he would go away. ¡°I¡¯m counting.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I clenched my jaw, ¡°Because it calms me.¡± Matt said nothing for a long while, but I heard him breathing. We stared at each other for a while before he reached out as if to touch me. I wasn¡¯t sure if I would bite him or let him touch me. Embarrassment and anger were boiling in me. His scent was mingled with cologne that smelled good but muted the Original from N?velDrama.Org. calming effect his scent had been having on him. His hand stopped just a few inches away from my head as if to ask for permission. What the hell was he doing? I narrowed my eyes at him and he retracted his hand slowly. I didn¡®t know what he was thinking. I couldn¡¯t tell from his expression though his eyes seemed pained or longing. I didn¡¯t know and I didn¡¯t care. I wanted to be alone. Didn¡¯t he understand that? ¡°Will you get out now?¡± ¡°What¡®s making you not calm?¡± The truth beat at my teeth. The anger that had been building up in me over the past three years was getting stronger. I wanted to scream at him, but I held it in. It wouldn¡®t help me in the long run. The best thing I could do was give him something small but honest and not so painful that it would make me panic again. I could still hear Dan¡®s voice at the back of my mind. The guards were chuckling, palming their cocks through their pants as they dragged us away from Dan¡¯s rooms, wondering when they would have a turn with us. I shuddered, trying to get the memories to go away when I realized that I recognized his cologne. It was the same cologne Dad used to wear when he would take Mom out for dates. Was that why his scent was calming me? ¡°...Do you believe in ghosts?¡± I asked, softly. He flinched but said nothing, simply staring at me as I tried to take bigger and deeper breaths. The scent was pushing the memories and the cold away. I could almost pretend that Dad was there with me. Matt looked down at me as if he were trying to read my mind. Our gazes met and I red at him. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°I do,¡± he said after a moment. ¡°Why?¡± I closed my eyes again as I spoke more to myself than to him ¡°When I was little I was scared of ghosts. I would sneak into my parents¡® room whenever I thought I saw one¡­ Mom would tell me that ghosts are just the dead visiting those who they miss...¡± Matt said nothing, and I didn¡®t wait for him to speak. ¡°Itforted me then, but it¡®s a lie.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Matt asked, his voice was soft and gentle. ¡°Because I¡¯ve never seen the ghosts of my parents.¡± I let out a soft, shuddering breath. I heard themughing then smelled blood as i fI was watching their bodies swing in the courtyard again. ¡°They would miss me enough toe if it were true.¡± I wasn¡¯t wrong. If it was true, they woulde to see me. They woulde to see Angelia. Everyone who¡¯d died during the massacre would havee to visit the young women who had been taken and at least given us a bit offort while we were trying to survive that hell. He leaned a bit closer, ¡°Your parents are dead?¡± I stared into his eyes, ¡°They were murdered.¡± Matt¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Is that how you came to be at Larry¡®s?¡± My lips twitched with anger. I wanted to sit up and scream at him, but I couldn¡®t. So I tried to get him to go away with some hard truth. ¡°Yes. Everyone I knew was murdered¡­ The men who did it sold me to a brothel.¡± I let out a darkugh, ¡°I was normal once¡­ Now, I¡¯m a psycho prostitute counting grains of wood.¡± He grimaced and I narrowed my eyes at him, ¡°Will you get out now? Is that enough of an answer for you?¡± It was a bit meaner than I originally intended, but I couldn¡®t help it. The cold was fading, but the ache of nearly shaking myself out o fmy skin wasing. He was silent for a moment, ¡°I¡®m sorry.¡± I turned my head away, ignoring his apology. If he was really sorry, he would leave like I¡¯d asked, but he didn¡¯t move, and I did my best not to acknowledge his presence any longer. I could feel him staring at me, observing me as if he didn¡¯t know what to do or say. ¡°Go back to your party,¡± I croaked. ¡°Spend time with your friends¡­ Armand is probably looking for you.¡± He chuckled, ¡°You don¡®t have to worry about them or Armand. So long as there¡¯s liquor and Armand has an audience, they¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°I don¡®t think that¡¯s true.¡± I said, ¡°Don¡¯t you at least want to catch the gossipers?¡± ¡°They¡¯re harmless,¡± he said. ¡°And it wasn¡¯t my idea to have a party.¡± I should have guessed as much. Who gossiped about a friend at their party? Did he have any friends? Armand was more of a loyal servant than a friend. Was Jay¡¯s son someone he considered a friend? The thought sent a spike of ice through my chest. My eyes burned with more tears. ¡°I want¡­ to be alone,¡± I swallowed. ¡°Go back to your party. It¡®s rude to be away from your guests.¡± Matt sighed and stood, ¡°Fine. For now... just don¡®t sleep on the floor.¡± He turned and left me alone. I let out a slow breath. Slowly, I sat up and got off the floor. I was still sweaty and cold, so I decided to take a bath. After filling the tub with hot water, I slipped into the tub with a sigh. I didn¡¯t want a shower. It would just make me think about Dan¡¯s guards stripping us naked and hosing us down when they felt we stank. I already had one trip down memoryne, I didn¡¯t want another. The longer I soaked, the better I felt and I let my mind wander back towards Jay¡¯s son. It was no coincidence that Jay¡¯s son knew Matt Wallber as an acquaintance, but the only way I could find out more about how they¡¯d met and what Jay had to do with everything was to get Matt to trust me. But how was I going to do that? Glenda I flinched at the sound of my wolf¡¯s voice at the back of my mind. Alyssa? Are you there? Was I hallucinating again? It had been so long since I¡¯d heard her voice. I could barely feel her. Glenda, she said again and I wanted to cry. I¡¯m here. Alyssa¡­ I sniffled. Alyssa, L... ... Calm down, she said. I¡¯m recovering¡­ slowly though. Not strong enough yet. C-Can you tell me how Angelia is? Are you too weak for that? She sighed. I felt how sad and frustrated she was just barely. She was stronger, but she wasn¡¯t that strong. She¡¯s alive, she said finally. But I can¡¯t sense more than that. They¡¯re too weak to talk. I let out a shuddering breath as the tears slipped down my cheeks. What else could I expect, but her being alive was good. Alyssa being able to speak to me again was good. It meant I was getting stronger and had a better chance of finding Angelia. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 #Chapter 15 A love match Now that I was out of Larry¡®s, my options to try and find Angelia had grown a little, but only if I gained more independence and got more information. To do that, I needed Matt to trust me enough to let me go out on my own and let his guard down around me I went to sleep as the sounds of the party faded downstairs trying toe up with ways to get closer to Matt In the moming, I woke up a bit hungry and grinned as an idea came to mind. They said the way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach and through his cock. Since Matt didn¡®t seem to be interested in fucking me, maybe I could manage to get into his good graces through food I was never the greatest cook and I hadn¡®t picked up a pan in years, but the inte had all sorts of tutorials. It couldn¡®t be that hard. I just had to pick something simple enough. Mom was a terrible cook, but Dad always appreciated her efforts I grabbed my phone and texted Armand Do you know what Matt likes to eat? The list that came was long enough to fill four text messages. They came so fast I wondered if he had just copied and pasted it from somewhere Why?He asked after the texts stoppeding in. I worried my lip. I couldn¡¯t tell him that I¡¯m trying to get in Matt¡¯s good graces, so I went with something simple. Matt saved my life¡­ I just want to thank him by doing something nice. I winced at the message. Was it too nice? Was it too obvious? Armand replied quickly, Go with a nice steak dinner. I¡®ll send you the recipe. I¡®ll leave dinner to you, but text me if you need help. You can¡¯t have too much help when ites to a love match! I sputtered and shook my head at the winking emoji and the message. A love match? Was he insane? I It¡¯s not a love match. He¡¯s just my boss. Sure. He sent a winking emoji, For now. Think of how lovely you¡¯ll look on the front page of a magazine together! Iughed. I could just picture it. Whore and Warhammer Heir: Love, Lust, and Rebellion I grinned as another headline came to mind, imagining him sitting behind the official desk of the Warhammer pack¡¯s alpha and her seated on the desk with little more than her underwear on. Werewolves in Trouble-Warhammer¡¯s Luna A Whore Soon, I was doubled over inughter imagining the news coverage. It made my eyes burn with tears. As promised, Armand sent a set of recipes and a wish for good luck. I left my room and went to the kitchen to get something to snack on and to start preparations since it was already sote in the day. Armand had done most of the work for me, setting out the pans and pots I would need along with a timer for the asparagus. I set the timer for the steaks while cutting the potatoes and found my hands were clumsier than I remember and a bit amused. When I was younger, I had thought of doing things like this for my mate, or least my husband the way Mom did. I wondered what they would think of me cooking for a Wallber like this. When the food was mostly done, I went upstairs to wash up and change. It was ridiculous for Armand to think of this as a romantic affair, but making Matt think something along the same lines would help make things easy. I went with a burgundy halter dress that was cut to make wearing a bra impossible. As I looked at myself in the mirror and put on makeup, I couldn¡®t think of anything other than the fact that I looked exactly what I was now. A whore aiming to seduce her patron. All the beauty I had inherited from my mother seemed different. I would have never imagined years ago that I¡®d be doing something like this. I turned from the mirror and headed back down stairs to pull the potatoes out of the oven as the front door opened and I heard rustling from the foyer. I left the kitchen to greet him. He looked startled as I smiled at him. ¡°Wee home.¡± His gaze was warm and oddly tender as he looked at me, ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± I gave him a little smile that I knew showed that I was pleased and tried not to roll my eyes. How many times had I heard that? ¡°I made dinner...¡± I worried my lip, casting my gaze low. ¡°L. wanted to apologize for yesterday and thank Original from N?velDrama.Org. you for saving my life, obviously.¡± I nodded towards the kitchen, ¡°Don¡®t hold the taste against me.¡± He smiled, shrugging out of his jacket and following me, ¡°I¡®ve been told that no beautiful woman cooks well¡± I smiled a little mischievously, ¡°Well... it could be poisoned.¡± Heughed and settled at the bar, watching me serve dinner. There was nothing sexual in his gaze, but the quiet felt too domestic for me. ¡°I couldn¡®t find your wine, so we¡®ll have to make do with water or juice.¡± He pulled his te closer, ¡°I¡®ll show you where I keep itter.¡± I made my own te and came to sit beside him, ¡°Do other women know where it is?¡± He paused before taking a bite and met my gaze,¡°... are you jealous?¡± I let out a littleugh, ¡°If I am, will you answer?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°No other woman knows.¡± I chuckled, ¡°How about other men? Besides Armand.¡± Heughed, ¡°No one... Not even Armand.¡± Iughed, ¡°Fine. Tell me about all those people you invited. Your friends? How¡®d all those peoplee to be your friends?¡± Matt shrugged, ¡°Armand invited most of them. Drinking buddies.¡± ¡°Armand?¡± I asked, a bit concemned. Was Armand involved with the fall of my pack then? How did he meet these people? ¡°They seemed like elites? I didn¡¯t realize Armand was so important.¡± Matt shrugged, ¡°Yeah, mostly. He¡®s... worked for me for a long time, but I¡¯m not sure where he met all of them.¡± I ate quietly and tried to figure out a way to get more information. Was he telling the truth or was he evading my question? ¡°You¡®ve gone quiet,¡± Matt smirked as he cut into his steak. ¡°I think you¡¯re more interested in them than me.¡± I was, but Iughed and teased him, ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Matt licked his lips, ¡°And¡­ if I was?¡± I gave him a fake heated look, ¡°No need to be.¡± I looked him up and down, ¡°It¡¯s not like any of thempare.¡± Matt grinned at me and finished his meal, ¡°I¡®m impressed. It was good.¡± ¡°Armand gave me the recipes.¡± Heughed and got up, ¡°That makes sense. Come on.¡± I set my silverware down and followed him through the house. I expected Matt to have a fully stocked bar in his house, but I wasn¡¯t prepared to enter a room that looked more like some kind of shrine to alcohol. There was only one couch in the room. He rounded the bar, ¡°Sit down, Renda.¡± I did as he asked and watched him curiously. ¡°What do you like to drink?¡± ¡°Surprise me.¡° He smirked and pulled out various bottles. I didn¡®t recognize most of them, but I recognized the shot sses and chuckled. Matt was a bartender? Now, that was a surprise. The bartender at Larry¡¯s was an average-looking guy. No one who came to Larry¡¯s was looking for a man, so it hardly mattered what he looked like, just that he could make drinks and make customers happy with a few tricks. Matt didn¡¯t act like a bartender performing for tips. His tricks seemed natural as if he was performing for no one but himself. He mixed and tossed shots of alcohol through the air several feet away from the other shaker. I pped, ¡°That was awesome.¡± Matt didn¡¯t seem to be listening to me as he finished the drink. He founded the bar and set a pale, pink cocktail in front of me. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Try it.¡± I picked it up and took a seat. It was sweet with just a bit of sour at the end and a little fruity, ¡°It¡¯s good¡­ what is it?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t named it yet,¡± he smiled. ¡°A bit odd that the son of the Warhammer pack has learned to be a bartender.¡± He shrugged, ¡°I sort of worked at a pub when I was in college in Ennd.¡± ¡°Sort of?¡± I asked, taking another big drink. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drink it too fast,¡± Matt said and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d show up and get them to teach me when I felt like it.¡± ¡°Were you ever in ss?¡± He winked at me, ¡°Rarely. Still got a 4.8 GPA.¡± The words irritated me. I didn¡¯t get a chance to go to college¡­ I didn¡¯t even finish high school because of the Wallber attack on my pack. I took another drink. ¡°I think I¡®vee up with a name,¡± he said after a moment as I licked my lips and started to feel a bit warm. ¡°First kiss.¡± ¡°Want a taste?¡± I asked, feeling a little hazy. ¡°What?¡± I took a handful of his shirt to pull him into a kiss. He gasped, allowing me to lick into his mouth. ¡°Renda-¡± ¡°Take me to bed,¡± I whispered in his ear. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!