Naturally, all three wolves in attendance nearly tear each other’s throats out as they snarl and shove their way onto the stage, and Kodi makes a show of whipping one of his wrist cuffs off and slinging it their way, the metal stretching in the air like an arc of water. It offers a distraction from the chair in the front row he liquidates, fusing with his cuff to wrap around their ankles and tether them with braided chains to the iron rings discreetly hidden in the shadows at the base of the stage for just this purpose.
He cocks his head. “House rules, pups. Nobody sets foot on the stage until invited, and he asked foronevolunteer.”
They don’t even glare at him, three sets of eyes fixed on the arctic fox shifter hoping to be the lucky one he selects. Gods, it could be cyanide in those syringes, and they couldn’t care less right now.
Evren points to one as someone wheels a cage onto the stage, and Kodi releases the guy to clamber up. “Now, this is simply a precautionary measure as these drugs also give a massive boost in strength. If you still wish to proceed, we’ll let you shift and record the process for you to review afterwards with a clear mind. As soon as you shift back and are in control of your faculties, you’ll be released, and given five complimentary doses for free as compensation for volunteering.”
The wolf’s already stepping in the cage, shedding his shirt and tossing it aside, moving onto undoing his belt. “Fine by me.”
Once he’s stripped down completely and the cage is locked, Evren nods to one of the guards who moves in, giving the guy his shot between the bars into his arm. The entire room watches in tense silence, Amara’s nails biting into my thigh at the loud snap of a bone.
It’s agonizingly slow, the shift unnatural and painful. The wolf’s grunts join the sound of breaking bones and muffled cries he fails to bite back. His body continues to stretch, grey fur spreading across his body and contorting his face. But then it stops, leaving him in this mutated, humanoid-wolf state that’s better described as a lycan. It’s something horror movie directors would salivate over, feral energy radiating off him as he slams into the side of the cage hard enough that it rocks, and Kodi has to jump into motion to steady it from tipping over.
Amara’s barely breathing, the beast holding all of her attention, so I force myself to tear my gaze away to watch Malcolm while everyone else is distracted. Even he’s studying the mutant, though, enough interest in his eyes I can only assume he’s picturing all of the ways he could use this as an incentive to sway over more packs onto his side, to weaponize these monsters as soldiers.
Raiden’s expression is carefully neutral, giving none of his thoughts away, but his hand covers the nape of Amara’s neck. A steady pressure to keep her grounded so she doesn’t panic, while assuring himself that she’s safe.
It could have been minutes or hours that we all stare at the abomination in front of us, watching it thrash and even bend two of the bars in his attempt to escape before Kodi snaps them back in place. I can’t be sure if it’s a game he was instructed in to show off the strength of the beast, or if it genuinely is that much of a threat.
Evren turns to quietly discuss something with Kodiak, whose wings snap out in his irritation, shredding his shirt. Shooting daggers at the man that’s likely about to be in the market for a new security team, Kodi taps his earpiece and hisses an order.
Two of the security guards peel away from the walls to stand behind us, and Raiden and I both tighten our holds on Amara, scanning the stage for any clue of what’s got Kodiak worried. Preparing myself to grab her and make a break for the exit, I hold my breath as Evren steps up the podium.
“Now,” he announces, arctic gaze almost manic in his excitement. “Can any of you scent the difference between our lycan friend and a normal wolf shifter?” People start murmuring between each other, the sound rising more with every passing second. The fox’s eyes fall on our table. “Note any... aggressive spikes?”
My brow furrows, and I rub my tongue against the roof of my mouth. I try to tone that annoyance out as much as possible so it doesn’t drive me mad, but now that he’s brought attention to it, I get... nothing. Not even as the tension rises in the room and people are starting to rise out of their seats with distrust on their faces.
“No?” Evren pulls a small handgun from his pocket and fires a single shot at the caged beast without hesitation. The sound is muffled, quickly becoming apparent from the small orange tuft jutting out of the monster swaying on his feet that it was a tranquilizer gun. Two seconds later, the lycan faceplants onto the floor of the cage, a heavy thump reverberating through the ground at our feet. Another three seconds and it’s shifting back to a man, though he’s still unconscious.
“Perfect.” Evren sets a silver briefcase on the podium with a wolfish grin. “Then last up tonight, I bring you two dozen shots of my own creation that makes it impossible for a shifter to access any of their abilities or shift for twenty-four hours. As you can confirm effectiveness for roughly the next-” he checks his watch “- four to six hours.”
If I thought it was chaotic before, it’s absolutelynothingcompared to that bomb drop. Evren’s next words are eaten up in the noise, and security steps away from the walls, pointing their weapons at the crowd as they start roaring their outrage and rushing the stage. Kodiak throws up a row of metal bars from the edge of the stage to the ceiling, creating an additional spiked barrier around our table. Suddenly, I’m grateful for the two guards at our back.
Because I can’t even extend my talons, let alone access my wings. For the first time in thousands of years, I’m completely and utterly mortal. Vulnerable. At the worst fucking time, and when I don’t have a single weapon at my disposal.
Whipping my head to the side, I meet Raiden’s horrified expression. My saving grace comes in the form of a small, electric shock in my thigh, and I gaze down at Amara with so much relief, I nearly fall out of my chair.
The drinks. No wonder the waiter was pushing them so hard.
A shot rings out, someone in the crowd going down like a rock with an orange-tufted dart sticking out of their neck. As soon as people realize they aren’t being threatened with bullets, but the same style of handgun that was just used on the lycan? There’s an immediate ripple of compliance as people raise their hands in surrender, slowly sinking back into their seats.
To people that have spent their lives beingmore,death is preferable to any duration of time forced to be completely human.
Evren plasters a smile back on his face behind the safety of Kodiak’s blockade. “Shall we start the bidding at five million for the case, then?”
Nearly every hand is in the air, and it only continues to climb in value. The ones that have a near-desperation to win, Raiden studies closely, while I make a mental note that Malcolm still hasn’t bid on a single thing.
Raiden’s voice cuts over the crowd. “Fifteen, and I’ll make a generous deal for exclusive rights to purchase in the future.”
Evren replies with a lazy grin. “Sorry. Offer is for this case and this case only.” Looking around, he calls, “Last item of the night boys and girls. Going once. Going twice. And sold, to Mr. Garrison for fifteen million!”
I glance over, and Malcolm is staring right back with a cold sort of restrained fury. Rising to his feet, he storms out of the room without attempting to speak to Amara again. A shiver runs down her spine as she watches him go. With shaky hands, she pulls out her phone as the crowd begins streaming out of the room, bristling with barely contained rage.
Amara:He seemed... different. Less unhinged, and more calculating.
Unsure of how to respond, I find Kodi looking up from his phone at the same moment and shooting me a pointed glare. Silently, I mouthI’m working on it.
But it fits my theory in a way none of us want to accept. This is the man that covered Kodiak’s house in mutilated lizards and blew up a car because he was jealous she got it from us and not him. Besides the note saying he was coming for her, he’s been suspiciously quiet. Planning with a clearer head.
