If not for William, Jack would no longer be with them, and any hope of finding his sister in time would be lost. Alex turned his vision from the rear view mirror, bringing his focus back to the here and now.
“Are we close enough for you to do your thing?” he asked, looking towards Tess, who nodded, pulling her laptop out. “Back-up is still an hour away. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that waiting is not an option. Even my own squad have a thirty minute ETA. I don’t like this.”
He tuned his focus to Conrad. “You’re still green, but I know your kind pack a hell of a punch. Given the type of auction, I’m expecting vampires, so that’s nothing your withering light can’t handle if things go south. If you didn’t have that in your arsenal we’d have to rethink. But, for the most part, our intention is solely retrieval. My team will handle the rest when they arrive. For now, we focus on Ashley, on bringing her home.”
“Withering light?” Tess questioned. “What type of shifter did you say you were?”
Alex felt himself frown at her question. Surely she knew her friend was an ifrit, the most powerful fire elemental in existence? One such as himself would surely not allow that misconception to stand. They were a proud race, after all.
“I’m ready,” Conrad confirmed, clearly skirting the topic.
When the silent auction closed, Thaddeus waited eagerly for the good news. He knew no one could have beaten his offer. He had wanted an offspring, a real heir, for centuries, but his clan’s actions, both before and after the treaties, saw they suffered the harshest punishment. His direct line was cursed with infertility and forbidden from ever acquiring a breeder, along with all the other families who rebelled against the united council.
Preternaturals had difficulty naturally reproducing outside a soul bond relationship and, while their lifespan was extended, often only a single heir could be sired. To be rendered infertile was the second harshest sentence as it robbed the entire bloodline of the chance to parent a child. While a breeder could conceive even with such a curse in place, the blacklist meant their line was fated to be extinguished. Even vampires had a lifespan. They were not immortal like old legends suggested; their time was just prolonged greatly compared to many other races.
It didn’t help that his clan was constantly being caught in breach of the laws. It wasn’t his fault humans were so weak that they needed to be treated with a delicate touch he didn’t possess. He enjoyed the sound of their pain, their screams. It wasn’t his fault they had to fight, that he broke them. This opportunity had been too good to refuse. That breeder would pass on her Elder blood, and, combined with his own patriarchy genes, they would create an unstoppable hybrid and a sovereign from his own line, and thus any curse bestowed upon them would have to be rescinded since their clan contained a Elder blood scion.
He couldn’t help but think Vincent had something else in mind as well. The other two family heads were in the same situation. He glanced down the list, hardly able to believe his luck. Assuming he was the winner, the agreement stipulated that after the first child was produced, following testing to confirm if the Elder blood remained, he had to sell her on to one of the approved families. All of which had stances opposing the council.
As everyone filed into the banquet hall to celebrate their acquisitions, there was one auction not announced for all to hear. Wondering if he had somehow been outbid, he was about to join the small gathering when he felt Vincent’s hand on his arm, pulling him aside.
“It appears congratulations are in order,” Vincent announced, presenting the contract on his device.
Thaddeus was certain the smile upon his lips had been answer enough as he pressed the appropriate place, leaving his mark, and confirmed the necessary transfers. When the transaction was complete, Vincent handed him a large iron key with a knowing wink. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, my good man. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other guests to attend to and, from your expression, it appears you are eager to become acquainted with your newest acquisition. Can you find your way?”
“I can indeed.” Thaddeus smiled his predatory smile and slipped away. He had waited too long for a day like this, and he wasn’t going to waste another moment.
Ashley startled awake, certain she was being watched. Her arms ached and her shoulders and wrists burnt from supporting her weight while she had been unconscious. Forcing her legs beneath her, she felt the pain explode as her arms moved, causing her knees to weaken.
The last thing she remembered was being dragged in chains from the room and showered down. At one point during this humiliating ritual another dart had found its way into her skin. Now she was here. But she had no idea where ‘here’ was. No matter where she looked, only her reflection stared back. The dark circles she knew were present had been expertly disguised by smouldering make-up. She stared at her reflection for a moment, wondering if it was truly herself who looked back. The hair, the make-up, the clothes, everything was such a contrast to her normal self. It was then she realised why she had been dressed so sensually. The words returned to her. The one who had fed on her and held her close as she fought weakly, had discovered what she could
