The man rewinded the tape and played it back. Although distorted from electronic feedback, my voice and the words came back loud and clear:
“Plus, it’s not like I have anyone to knock me up. You are my fake mate, after all.”
My blood ran cold.
Not only did they know Lorenzo and I were faking a relationship, but they also had the evidence to prove it. My parents were not so naive that they would assume the tape playback was fake. If they found out everything was a lie, the least amount of punishment I faced was banishment from the Pardus clan - not only would I be banned from returning, but everyone would think lowly of me. I would be the dirty slut who faked a mate to run off and selfishly live my life, with no regard for my family or my village.
“What do you want?” I asked firmly.
“You know what we want,” the man with the device growled. “You.”
“Raja, this is ridiculous!” Lorenzo snapped. “You don’t have to bargain with these people!”
“Well, what else am I supposed to do?” I retorted. “They have the recording! They know I’ve been lying this whole time!”
“Why does it matter?” Lorenzo asked irritably. “What are you even worried about?”
God, he was so frustratingly dense sometimes. “They’re going to tell the whole village we were faking it!”
“And?”
I stared at him in disbelief before my muzzle twisted into anger and frustration. “I’ll be banished, idiot! My parents will practically disown me!”
Lorenzo’s face was tense as he spat back, “And what’s the other outcome? You go with these men, I assume, and do everything they want from you? Because that’sreallya great plan.”
Still in my panther form, I snarled at him and swiped at his arms. “Let go of me!”
The sudden, sharp claws in his flesh made Lorenzo yelp and drop me. I landed on the sand and bounded a good distance away from him before shifting to my human form.
“Raja!” Lorenzo yelled, panic rising in his voice.
I ignored him and asked the poachers, “Please don’t show my parents that tape. Just tell me what you want.” I paused, fear flickering in my chest, then asked, “Are you going to kill me?”
One of the men smirked. “No, you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Raja!” Lorenzo screamed, his draconic voice rending the night air. The grief and anger in his roar made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “This is ridiculous. Come back over here right now!”
“You don’t understand, Lorenzo,” I snapped at him. “It’s not like this is an easy decision for me!”
“It sure seems like it is,” he growled, approaching me. “You’re just going to drop everything and go with thesepoachers? Do you even know what’s going to happen to you?”
I was so furious that I saw red. I punched him in the leg and practically screamed, “You don’t fucking understand! I might as well be dead either way! Do you even know my parents, my village? My culture? If they found out I faked a marriage and eloped, I’mdeadto them anyway - worse than dead! It’s shameful! Both my parents’ reputations - hell, the whole village’s reputation will be shot to shit! They won’tcareabout me anymore if they find out, you dumbass!”
Lorenzo’s eyes went wide as he listened to me scream. I couldn’t read his expression.
Finally, he said in a low, calm voice, “And that’s what you’re risking your life for right now? Shame and reputation?”
I couldn’t believe how ignorant he was being. I didn’t even want to look at him right now. Furiously, I whirled around and stomped away so I stood halfway between Lorenzo and the poachers.
“Hey,” one of the poachers said, breaking the tense silence, “it’s not like we’re going tokillhim. Do you know how much of a waste that would be, dragon? That’s like throwing money down the drain.”
“Exactly. Men - shifters and humans alike - would practicallykillfor the chance to be with a black panther omega, even if he’s not exactly a virgin anymore,” the other added with a confident smirk. “And, if those moans and shouts we heard a while ago are any indication, he’s carrying a half dragon child, too, isn’t he? I can’t imagine how much money - “
The silence shattered. Lorenzo snarled so loud and viciously that leaves burst from the tree branches. The earth trembled, whipping sand in every direction, as if a quake rocked the ground. Like a silver bullet, Lorenzo flew towards the poachers with fangs and claws outstretched.
Someone grabbed me from behind. One of the men yanked me towards him, holding me like a shield in front of his face as Lorenzo charged. Despite his rage, Lorenzo saw me. He flared out his wings and braked hard. He struggled to a standstill, but his face was still twisted in fury.
It was only then that I noticed the tip of a blade ever-so-slightly touching my neck.
