“I be giving the human advices.”
“He threatened to bite me and called me a dorks.He also implied that because I’m a woman, I have my own kind of venom, so…” Katy bounced her head from side to side, each ear nearly touching her shoulders.“That’s a different kind of courtesy than I’m used to.But, hey, so is kidnapping.To each his own.Right?”
“Otto,” Zeena said in a disapproving tone.Despite the sound of her voice, the droll look on her inhumanly beautiful face made her seem as uncaring as a spider observing the bug that had just flown into its web.
Otto shot up from his bow and turned his head to glare his yellow eyes at Katy.He bared his teeth and let out a growl that sounded like a toy truck.Katy had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing.
“I could have him beaten for hisss behavior.”Azure snapped his fingers.The doors to the room opened, and two large men in dark suits walked in.
Otto squeaked at the same time Katy yelled, “Frack,” and jumped forward, grabbing Otto around the waist, snatching him up like she’d seen many mothers do to their own children in the park.She turned her body so that she was between the incoming men and the little lizard.Katy held up her hand toward the advancing men.“No one needs a damn beating, for pineapple crackers sakes.”She looked at Azure and narrowed her eyes.“I punched the little lizard in his face.I deserved to be bitten.If you want to beat someone, then beat me.”
“Yas,” Otto agreed vehemently.“Beats her.”
“No one asked you, Twerp,” Katy muttered, shaking him slightly.
The advancing men froze, and their eyes widened as they looked at Azure, Zeena, back to Katy, and then back to Azure.
The King sighed and flicked his wrist at them.“I’m not going to beat theanimussss, nor will I beat Otto.Be gone.Oh,” he said just before the two men shut the door, “she’sss not on the market.”
Katy let the wiggling Otto down.Azure’s words annoyed the hell out of her.She wasn’t a damn slab of meat to sell.She saw confusion on the face of Azure’s mate.
“Now.”Azure’s voice made Katy tear her eyes from Zeena, who was still staring at her mate with a bewildered look.“We will get you set up in your accommodations, and then I’m sure you would like to eat something.Breakfast should be ready within the hour.”
“I’m not really hungry.”Katy’s stomach took that exact moment to growl loud enough for someone in the next room to hear.Lovely.
“Hungry like the wolf.”Zeena smiled.It was all teeth and a little creepy, even if the woman was still hella beautiful.
“Otto comes with me,” Katy found herself demanding for some weird reason.Maybe she’d hit her head, or he’d spit venom in her eye and now she had brain damage.“I need a guard, right?I mean, guide.Because I’m a guest?”
Azure ran a forked tongue across his sharp teeth as he looked at her.“Yessss, exactly.You need a guide.Becausssse you’re our guessst.”
The underlying meaning was not lost on her.Guest, my ass.I’m as much a guest here as tourists are actually “welcome” in New York City.Zero.
“I take her.”Otto grabbed Katy’s hand and tugged.He could barely lift Katy’s arm in ordertopull her.
“Wait.”Katy looked at Azure and Zeena.“Why am I here?”She shook her head and shrugged.“You had me kidnapped because I’m supposedly ananimus.You come in showing me you’re this big-ass snake that can kill me with one strike, and now you’re just sending me off to a room with room service.What’s the point?”
Azure turned his body so he fully faced her, putting Zeena partially behind him.“You’re here because I wanted you to be here.Youareananimus, crucial to the survival of our kind.And I am committed to making sure the Damarian survive.All you need to do is what you’re told to do, Katy Dire, and you will be just fine.You will be treated well, fed well, dressed well.All will be well.Otto will be at your service for the duration of your stay.”Then Azure turned and left without another word.He glided from the room with Zeena at his side, looking just as confused as she had when he’d told the men earlier that Katy was not on the market.
“Why do I feel like the spring cow being fattened up to be led to the slaughter?”Katy let Otto tug her from the room.The doors opened, and the little lizard turned left.Katy looked in both directions, but the King and Queen were nowhere to be seen.In fact, there wasno oneanywhere.The huge corridor of what looked to be a vast mansion was completely empty.The walls were covered in some ancient carpet.She scrunched up her face.“Why is there fabric on the walls?”
“Muffles sound.”Otto tugged her along.
Katy followed.“Sounds of what?”
“Screams.”
“Screams of what?”
“Tortured.”
“Tortured what?”
“You ask questions,” Otto grumbled.
Katy sighed.“Yeah, usually that’s Lola’s job.”
“What’s Lola?”Otto’s little legs scurried, and his tail waved back and forth behind him.Katy had to lean forward in order for him to hold on to her hand, and she had to mind her step to make sure she didn’t accidentally stomp on his little tail.
