Gluttony

by Katie May

  There was a flurry of movement down below—almost as if every

  Nightmare was taking a collective breath—before the shouting began. My

  heart pounded in tandem to each new number being hurled at Hans. Two

  thousand. Three thousand. Four thousand. More and more voices were

  screaming over each other as they attempted to buy me.

  Buy me.

  Two words I never thought would be used in the same sentence.

  A strange sort of calmness cascaded over me, leaving me oddly bereft, as

  if I was missing a crucial piece of myself. Was this how I was going to die?

  By asshole Vampires attempting to sell me off?

  How did Hans even know I’d be at the inn when I was? How did he know

  the truth about my mating bonds to the princes? Those were questions I

  wasn’t sure I’d ever get the answers to.

  And, oddly enough, I didn’t care. Sure, I cared that I was dying—there

  was still a lot I needed to do, a lot I needed to say—but the “why” didn’t

  matter. Only the “how.”

  My eyes flickered towards the cage still housing the other humans. Miles

  had his face pressed to the wooden bars, staring at me as intently as I was

  him. He was a stranger, but I felt an odd pang in my chest at the thought of

  never saying goodbye to him.

  Fuck, my mates were turning me soft. But, then again, I’d always had a

  spot in my heart reserved for kids in need. Maybe because I had once been

  that kid desperate for someone to save me, to love me, to protect me from this

  strange, cruel world with monsters lurking behind every corner.

  Hans’s voice filtered back to me, snapping me out of my reverie. “Going

  once, going twice, sold! To the gentleman in the back for twenty thousand

  two hundred and seventy-five gold coins.”

  The crowd began to grumble as one of the guards pushed me forward,

  towards the stairs leading down the stage.

  “I can walk, asshole!” I snapped at the man holding my arm. My eyes

  were narrowed into slits as I descended with as much poise and dignity I was

  capable of having in a time like this. These horrid men and women could do

  whatever they wanted with me, but they wouldn’t break me. They couldn’t,

  not after what I’d endured. My heart had been broken and trampled on, but I

  was still standing, still fighting.

  And I would continue to do so.

  With an imperious set to my chin, I stared down my nose at the

  approaching figure. I half expected it to be Axel. Maybe it was wishful

  thinking, but a part of me deflated when the assassin didn’t saunter up with a

  cocky grin on his face.

  Instead, the Vampire was unfamiliar, with carrot-orange hair, bright blue

  eyes, and a pudgy belly. I could feel my heart shrinking, shriveling into a

  ball, at the sight.

  “Hello, Z,” he hissed, baring his fangs.

  I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I had a feeling I would be

  irrevocably changed.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  LUPE

  M y body thrummed with unrestrained energy and agitation

  as the car glided down the back roads. Killian sat in the

  passenger seat while Devlin drove.

  Bash had performed a spell to discover Z’s location—a secluded forest on

  the outskirts of the Vampire Kingdom. We didn’t know for sure what we

  would face, but we were prepared for anything and everything.

  He hadn’t told us which object he had used, which person he believed she

  loved the most, and we hadn’t pressed. At least, not at that moment. I would

  hound my brother for information as soon as we got our mate back. Killian

  had claimed he saw Bash with an object from each of us, though, which

  abated my possessive jealousy.

  Fuck, we needed to get Z back.

  I wasn’t a violent person by nature. I much preferred to settle arguments

  and disagreements with my words instead of my fists. Did it make me a

  horrible person that I was contemplating violence and murder in order to

  rescue my mate? Maybe. But I would do what needed to be done in order to

  ensure her safety.

  My hands fisted on my thighs, sharp claws protruding from my fingers

  and digging into the fabric of my pants.

  As a direct descendant of Wrath, Shifters were known for being volatile.

  Quick to anger and slow to forgive. I’d always considered myself better than

  my brethren. But now? I was filled with an insatiable rage that demanded

  release, demanded an outlet.

  If Z was hurt…

  Red consumed my vision at the thought of anyone harming my mate.

  I had screwed up with T. I knew that. Z knew that. T knew that.

  But what the hell was I supposed to do? There were no right answers.

  Either I allowed my father to inflict unspeakable horrors on the human… or I

  did it myself.

  At least with me, I could ensure that the man didn’t die.

  I scrubbed a large hand down my face as pain speared me, a physical

  entity that drew blood. It felt like I was in one of those coffins with nails

  protruding from every wall. No matter where I stepped or how I moved, the

  nails dug into my skin.

  “Take a left up here,” Killian murmured quietly, attention fixated on the

  map. Bash and Ryland had gone the opposite way to retrieve Jax while we

  went to find Z. Was it stupid to separate? Absolutely. Did we have a choice?

  No way in hell.

  Z had five days to find and bring Jax back to the Capital where the

  Vampire King was awaiting us. One day had already passed, and this day was

  rapidly drawing to a close.

  Fuck! I pounded my fist against the back of the seat, and Killian jumped,

  spinning towards me with wide eyes. I knew all of my brothers were scared

  that I would give in to my inevitable rage—like all of the other Shifters in my

  family line did before me. Each new event was a block being balanced

  precariously on an already toppling building. How long until it fell over?

  As the sun dipped beneath the boughs of trees, casting the road in shades

  of gray and black, a snarl escaped my lips.

  I needed to get Z back.

  It wasn’t long until we entered what appeared to be a warehouse district. I

  counted at least twenty warehouses sprouting from the ground—gray cement

  prisons. My eyes latched onto the farthest building, adjacent to the forest.

  Connected to the corrugated, iron warehouse was a red tent, easily the size of

  three modern houses. Swaths of orange and yellow dipped down from the

  pillar holding it up in the center. Raucous laughter drifted through the air,

  easily audible through the opened windows of the car. Vampires were both

  spilling out of the tent and entering it.

  Women were dressed in long, elegant gowns while the men wore

  impeccably-tailored suits. Some carried machetes and swords and wore

  masks that obscured their features.

  What the fucking hell was this?

  “What?” Killian muttered, echoing my own thoughts. His face had gone a

  deadly shade of white. Devlin’s hands were clenched on the steering wheel.

  “I heard rumors about places like this,” the Genie said, tone dark and

  deadly.

  “What are you talking about?” The words were practically
a growl, ripped

  from my throat. I could feel my teeth elongating into sharp canines, seconds

  from tearing into flesh. And fuck, I wanted to. I wanted this entire goddamn

  world to burn if that was what it took to find and save Z.

  “A human carnival,” Devlin whispered.

  I was out the door before the car even came to a complete stop, stalking

  across the lawn. The tent loomed before me ominously, lights emanating

  from the fabric. Two female Vampires manned what appeared to be a ticket

  booth, and they both perked up when they caught sight of me.

  “Are there humans in here?” I growled. My clawed hands dug into the

  gilded wood of the booth.

  “Duh,” one woman replied, cocking her head to the side. She nodded at

  the logo hanging above her head.

  Bloody Carnival.

  The second girl’s eyes flickered towards the warehouse where I saw a

  truck marked “Trader” idling near the entrance. The back door was open,

  revealing a collection of chains, ropes, and handcuffs.

  Anger thrummed through me at the thought of any human enduring such

  treatment. No doubt, these “Traders” collected humans, brought them to the

  warehouse, and then transferred them to the carnival.

  It was a human-trafficking ring.

  Footsteps echoed behind me, and I stepped out of the way just as two

  Vampires walked up. A couple, if their interlocked hands were any

  indication. They were smiling, laughing, as if they were visiting family

  friends and not a fucked up version of hell.

  “Do you see all this?” Devlin asked, sidling up behind me. Killian stood

  directly beside him, arms crossed over his chest and eyes anxious.

  “I see it,” I replied through gritted teeth. I nodded towards the warehouse.

  “You guys go look in there for Z. Free any humans you find. I’ll go to the

  carnival.”

  I didn’t wait for them to protest, marching towards the ticket booth and

  dropping a handful of gold coins onto the counter.

  The woman slid a golden ticket through a gap in the screen, a sultry smirk

  playing on her lips.

  “Anything else I can give you, big guy?” she purred. Without bothering

  to respond, I stalked through the tent curtain.

  It was...awful. Absolutely fucking awful. My eyes latched first on the

  stage where an older man was being bid on by Vampires and other

  Nightmares. Various stalls lined the perimeter of the tent, all popular carnival

  games but with a macabre twist.

  It was crowded, almost unbearably so, as I shouldered my way through

  the throng of eager participants. How could people go along with this?

  I watched as a blind-folded human was spun wildly in a circle, stumbling

  over his two feet. When the Vampires finally released him, he was forced to

  run as they fired arrows at him. One caught him in the back of the shoulder

  blade, and he fell to the ground with an audible thump. The Vampires didn’t

  waste a second before pouncing, eating him alive to the sound of his

  agonized screams.

  Oh, God. I’m going to be sick.

  A group of Incubi stepped past me, all bedecked in masks. I wondered,

  briefly, if these were the same men and women who kidnapped Z. An

  instinctive growl emitted from my throat before I could contain it.

  “Ah, who do we have here?” A Vampire stealthily glided forward, and

  the crowd parted like Moses parting the Red Sea. “A Shifter prince?” His

  eyes widened comically as he stopped directly in front of me, surveying me

  with a critical, penetrating gaze.

  “Who the fuck are you?” I growled, flexing my muscles. I had a

  precarious hold on my Bear, who was currently roaming and prowling just

  beneath the surface of my human skin. Focusing on my enhanced sense of

  smell, I inhaled deeply.

  And growled vehemently at the scent of Z wafting off of him.

  “Where the fuck is my mate?” I hissed, wrapping my meaty hand around

  his throat. One snap and this man would cease to exist. One fucking snap…

  The psychopath laughed jovially as if I wasn’t threatening him but instead

  inviting him over for dinner.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he gasped, face turning red. Some of

  the bystanders fled at my aggressive act—there was nothing more terrifying

  than a Shifter overtaken by Wrath. Guards in white shirts with the demented

  black logo circled me, raising tranquilizer guns.

  “Where is she?” My words were guttural, nearly unrecognizable, as I

  peered into his bright eyes. Maybe if I squeezed hard enough, they would pop

  out of his head.

  The thought filled me with grim amusement.

  But any good-will fled as I considered the slowly circling employees of

  Blood Carnival.

  We were going to play a new game.

  Me: attack.

  Them: die.

  With a feral roar, I shifted into my Bear and lunged.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Z

  T he Vampire led me down a long hallway and into a derelict

  room at the very end. Moans, cries, and screams emitted from the

  surrounding rooms, each new noise sending pinpricks of terror

  skating down my spine.

  The room we entered had a musty, stained couch positioned against the

  far wall of the room. Opposite, there was what appeared to be a box of

  chains, whips, and other grisly instruments. I gagged over the noxious smell

  that barraged me as soon as I entered—piss, tobacco, coppery blood, and

  something that was almost akin to shit. Cobwebs hung from each corner of

  the room, and for the first time in my life, I felt more like the helpless fly

  trapped in the spider’s bindings than the predator itself.

  But even spiders could be squashed.

  I repeated that in my head as anger rampaged through me.

  This man—this Nightmare—would pay for what he had done.

  My feet landed in a puddle, and I prayed to whoever was listening that it

  was only water, not piss or blood.

  “Get down, bitch,” the Vampire snapped, shoving me onto the lumpy-

  looking couch. The stench was more pungent with my face against the

  cushion, my nose wrinkling in disgust at the myriad of putrid smells. “I’m

  going to fuck your pussy so fucking hard. Then, I’m going to cut you open

  and drink you dry. Don’t worry. I’ll fuck your dead body too, just as I did

  with the other women before you. Though...” His hand moved to my ankle,

  trailing up my calf and to my thigh. “They weren’t as pretty as you.”

  There was chafing at my wrists from the handcuffs this man had placed

  on me, but I ignored the sudden stab of pain as I moved onto my elbows and

  leveled a glare at him.

  “You’re going to pay for this,” I hissed as he placed his hand on the nape

  of my neck, traveling down my spine. When he reached the hem of my shirt,

  he paused, fingers gliding across the exposed skin. I couldn’t help but

  tremble in revulsion.

  Spewing vitriol from my eyes, I flipped onto my back and glared up at

  him with elemental fury.

  “Is this the only way you can get laid?” I mocked. “Buying women and

  bringing them here? Pathetic.”

  My head jerked back as his fist connec
ted with my cheek. His lips curled

  in a hideous sneer.

  “Shut your mouth, bitch!” he hissed through clenched teeth.

  “Bitch? Seriously? What type of misogynistic shit is that?” I scoffed,

  enjoying the way his face turned red with rage. I could handle his ire, his

  anger, his fury.

  I couldn’t handle his lust.

  He wrapped his meaty hands around my throat, squeezing tightly, but my

  smile only grew.

  Fury pummeled me from all sides, demanding an outlet.

  Still smirking, I lifted my legs up—my hands firmly secured behind my

  back with the handcuffs—and wrapped them around his neck. His eyes

  widened comically as he released me, scratching at my face, but I only

  tightened my ankles around him.

  With a twist of my legs, I flipped him onto his back on the ground, falling

  on top of him. The position caused an intense ache to reverberate through my

  arms.

  Fuck, I needed to get these handcuffs off.

  I scrambled to my feet, glaring down at the disgusting excuse for a man,

  and stomped on his nuts. His enraged roar was music to my fucking ears. To

  make sure he stayed down, I kicked them a few more times until he was

  crying helplessly, cupping his cock.

  After he had secured the handcuffs on me, given to him by the employees

  of the Carnival, I had watched him slip the key into his jacket pocket. I

  wasted no time squatting down and grabbing them behind my back.

  It took me a few tries to unhook the cuffs—fumbling with the key behind

  my back—but after the sixth attempt, the cuffs clattered to the ground. I

  clenched and unclenched my hands, staring at the bloody skin on both my

  wrists, before focusing my attention on the Vampire still moaning in pain.

  “Fucking asshole,” I murmured, straddling his waist and raining down

  punches. They weren’t just for me—not really. They were for the countless

  other women who came before me. The women who couldn’t fight back. The

  women who’d endured god-only-knows what because of this man.

  Everyone in this Carnival would fucking pay.

  His mottled face contorted in pain as I grabbed his neck and twisted once.

  I took great satisfaction in staring at his bruised, disfigured face. Both of his

  eyes were swollen shut, and his skin was a combination of blue and green.

  I hoped he felt fear before he died. Pain.

  I hoped he regretted all of his life decisions.