"I, um, think, I, um…"
I could barely form words.
"Come with me," he said, extending his hand.
I looked down at it as though I had no idea what to do with it.
"I…um, think I should sit this one out," I said, overcome by my nerves.
"Trust me," he said. "Mr. Salt is somewhat of a stickler for the rules. Everyone finds a partner. Besides, I have something very important to discuss with you."
He flashed me a warm smile that was a striking contrast to the strange statement he'd just made.
Not knowing what else to do, I took his hand, his flesh warm. A thrill ran up my spine as he folded his fingers over mine, and soon we were making our way toward the dance floor.
Something important to tell me? Is that some kind of lame pick-up line or something? What could this man who I've never seen before have to tell me?
He placed his hand on my shoulder, the other on my hip. As he did, I realized that I hadn't had a man touch me like this in over a year. I felt like I'd just come out of solitary confinement and had forgotten that sex and romance even existed.
"Carter Black," he said, bringing my body close to his as the band took their places.
"Alice Thorne," I said. "And…you have something important to tell me?"
He raised a finger in a "just a moment" gesture. Then, the band began to play a lively waltz, the music wafting over the dance floor.
"I do," he said, his voice less conspicuous amidst the music.
Then he leaned in until his mouth was only inches from my ear. "You're in danger," he said. "And it might already be too late."
CHAPTER 2
CARTER
I couldn't believe how naïve this girl was. From the moment I laid eyes on her as she walked into the place with that friend of hers, I knew that she had not the slightest idea of what she was getting herself into.
But that wasn't all that attracted my attention—she was absolutely stunning.
She had a slim, shapely body that fit perfectly into her charmingly out-of-fashion party dress. Her hair was a wild, enticing array of ink-black ringlets that draped onto her slim shoulders. Her face was heart-shaped, with fair skin and stunning features, her large, gray eyes the most attractive among them.
Now that she stood before me, however, as the two of us danced to the music, I couldn't help but want to scold her for blundering in the situation that she found herself in. It was likely already too late for her friend, but if I acted fast, I could maybe, just maybe, get her out of here.
But I wasn't counting on it.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, her face somehow turning and even more drastic shade of pale. "What kind of danger am I in?"
"Keep your voice down," I said, my voice coming out in a stern hiss. "You've already attracted enough attention to yourself for one night. Just dance with me and don't look suspicious. We can talk afterward."
We danced, our bodies pressed against one another's. I knew it wasn't the best idea to tell a girl like her, someone who clearly couldn't help but telegraph just how she felt at all times, to calm down and not look suspicious. However, she needed to know that she was in danger and that she shouldn't let herself get too comfortable.
Once the song finished, I took her by the hand and led her from the dance floor.
Panic spread across her face, and I realized right then that it was a major mistake to tell her anything, to not just lead her out of there without a word. But I had to open my big goddamn mouth and let a civilian in on the situation.
And not just any civilian—a non-shifter civilian, I chided myself as I weaved through the crowd, Alice dragging behind me like dead weight.
"What the hell is going on?" she asked.
"Just come with me," I said. I hadn't had much of an opportunity to case the apartment, so I didn't know exactly where was the best spot to hide out until the events were finished. Glancing out toward the balcony, I spotted a small, secluded area.
Moments later, we were outside and hidden. Alice squirmed out of my grasp and glared at me with those giant eyes of hers.
"Tell me right now what's happening," she demanded. "Or I run in there and scream."
"Here's what's happening," I said. "This isn't just some rich folk's party that you've crashed—this is something else entirely."
"And that is?"
I looked around, making sure that there was no one nearby. Taking a peek through the window, I saw that Mr. Salt had taken the stage again, and it wouldn't be long before the ceremony began.
"This is a ceremony," I said. "A ceremony where girls like you are bought and sold."
"What?"
"I'm an agent here to infiltrate this place and sneak out whoever I can. But this is all happening faster than I thought it would, and it looks like you're the only one I can get."
"This…this is some kind of joke," she said. "This is the kind of shit rich people get into, screwing around with the stupid girls they invite to this place." Her eyes flashed with realization. "Wait a minute, you know that I snuck in here? Oh, shit."
"Alice, you've got much bigger problems than being caught party crashing."
I glanced over the balcony, my head spinning when I saw just how high up we were. About fifteen feet below was the balcony for the apartment under us. It looked close enough to jump, but I realized that might be a hard sell to Alice. And that was assuming I could even convince her that I was telling the truth.
"You're insane," she said. "I don't know what kind of stupid game you're playing here, but I'm not falling for it."
She moved to leave, but I was too quick for her. I grabbed her wrist and held her in place.
"You go back in there and you might not ever be a free woman again."
Reaching into my suit jacket pocket, I pulled out the badge for the Sapiens, the city-wide shifter investigative force for whom I was an agent. But I realized that to a human, this would mean nothing.
"What the hell is that?" she asked.
"It's my badge."
"'Sapiens'?" she read aloud. "If you're going to pretend to be with the NYPD, you might want to look into getting an actual police badge."
I shoved the badge back into my pocket with frustration. For a moment, I considered showing her my gun, but realized quickly that likely wouldn't go over very well. "Listen," I said, "there's some shit going on in there that you wouldn't believe. I could tell you, but you'd think I was a lunatic. All I can do is tell you that you're in danger, and that right now, here with me, is your one and only chance at getting out of here safely."
"What, and just leave my friend behind?"
"I've been working this case for almost a year, and I'm just on the verge of cracking it. Your friend is gonna be taken with the rest of them, no question about that, but I'm gonna do my best to make sure she gets back safe."
I had no idea what I was thinking even bothering trying to convince her of this. Maybe it was the fact that I was attracted to her from the moment I saw her. I hoped that wasn't the situation, but it's not as though I didn't have a soft spot for a pretty face.
"And how, exactly, would we get out of here?"
I gestured down to the balcony below. "We drop. I know the floor below is under construction, and if we can make it down there we can escape."
"Are you insane?" she asked.
"A little," I said. "Okay, maybe more than a little."
"I'll break my legs if I drop that far! And so will you!"
Of course, she didn't know that I was a bear shifter. She'd find out, however, when I stuck the landing without breaking a sweat.
"And break my legs if I'm lucky; a strong gust of wind might just blow us down to the street!"
She had a point there.
"I know this is insane, but you have to trust me."
My eyes were locked on her stunning face, and I couldn't help but be a little distracted by just how goddamned pretty she was. Her eyes narrowed, and I could tell she was thinking the ma
tter over.
"Not a chance," she said, pulling her hand free from mine. "I'm going back inside now, and you'd better leave me the hell alone unless you want me to tell Mr. Salt just what you're doing. Good night."
With that, she stormed away and headed back inside.
"Shit!" I hissed. Stupid fucking move. Try and be the knight in goddamn shining armor and you nearly blow the entire case.
I took another look down at the balcony below, considering making the jump. I knew that I could flee now, or risk heading back inside and blowing my cover. It didn't take long to decide—I'd been investigating this human trafficking ring for long enough that I'd have to be a damn fool to throw in the towel now.
Pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, I took a few quick, frustrated drags before tossing it onto the ground and stamping it out with my boot. I knew what I was going to see inside, and it wasn't going to be pretty.
I opened the balcony door and saw that the eyes of the crowds were all fixed on Mr. Salt, who stood at the center of the stage. He was in the middle of the ceremonial recitations, which were readings from some book that his kind had passed down from generation to generation, and couldn't have made a damn bit of sense to any of the human women in attendance. I glanced from girl to girl, noticing that they all that the same confused expression on their faces. The recitations, just as they were at the other ceremonies that I'd seen, were the victim's first hint that something was very, very amiss.
I weaved my way through the crowd, spotting Alice up front. She was sandwiched between two men in tuxes, and I could tell by the way that they stood that they'd chosen her as their favorite for the night.
Raising my nose into the air, I noticed that smell, that musky, raw scent that was some strange combination of forest grass and undercooked meat, with a little bit of B.O. throw in for good measure.
It was the scent of wolves.
I sniffed the air again, noting the earthy, jasmine scent of tigers. Then the floral musk of foxes. Even a few bears were in attendance. The worst that shifters had to offer were here, and all I could do was stand by helplessly and watch.
"Now," Mr. Salt, said raising his hands, "my friends, now is the time that we've all been eagerly awaiting. But first, if my good guards could make sure that the doors have been secured."
Here we go.
The massive, suited guards—likely gorillas—filed in front of the doors leading out to the hallway, a couple of them blocking the entrance to the balcony.
So much for that idea.
The next few minutes were a frenzy of activity. The men in the crowd found the dozens of human girls in attendance, grabbed them by the arms, and dragged them screaming onto the stage. The girls squirmed and thrashed as the guards plucked them one by one from the crowd, screaming their lungs out until the space was a cacophony of frantic wailing.
Once the girls were led onto the stage, a pair of guards went to each of them, binding their legs together and their arms behind their backs before stopping the screams with a gag. I spotted Alice, her eyes frantically scanning the crowd. What she was looking for, I wasn't sure. Likely me.
"I don't know about you, my friends," Mr. Salt said, "but those screams…they're like honey to my ears."
He walked slowly in front of the girls, looking them over one by one, occasionally dragging the back of his hand against the tear-stained cheeks of one of them.
"So young and innocent," he said.
I watched as one of the girls, the blonde with whom Alice had arrived, squirmed out of her place and attempted to leave the stage in a futile effort. She managed a couple of hops before falling right on her face, a dull thud sounding out through the room as he hit the floor. The wolves in attendance laughed mockingly.
"They all start out the same, don't they?" Mr. Salt said as he gestured to the girl as the guards pulled her to her feet. "So willful, so proud. All so used to having the world handed to them on a platter. But they all learn, am I right, my friends?"
Scanning the crowd, I caught a glimpse of a few eyes flashing dark as they laughed, switching for a brief moment from human form to the menacing oranges reds and browns of the shifter species in attendance. And from the panic-stricken faces of the girls on stage, I could see that they were observing this, too, wondering what kind of nightmare that they'd found themselves in the middle of.
"They soon become the tamed, obedient servants that we all know each human is deep down. And it's our sacred charge to bring this out of them, to let these girls know of, well, their place on the food chain."
He clasped his hands together.
"So!" he said. "Let's start with the little runaway, shall we? Maestro!"
The band started a lively number as the guards let Alice's friend onto the stage.
"A lovely little blonde," Mr. Salt said. "I so love that Nordic look, don't you, my friends?"
Eager chatter sounded from the crowd. I grabbed I drink from a nearby tray, knowing that I'd need it to get through this.
"I think for this little gem we ought to start the bidding at…fifty!"
A hand shot up from the crowd, and Mr. Salt pointed at it.
"We have fifty. Can we do better than that?"
The bidding went on, and my gaze stayed locked on Alice. Eventually, after watching her scan the crowd, her eyes found me. I could only guess what she was thinking as she stood bound on that stage.
"…Going once, going twice…sold! To Mr. DeClaire in the front row for two-hundred and twenty! A small price to pay for such a treat of a girl."
Alice's friend was led offstage to be prepared to be taken to her new home, and Mr. Salt moved to the next girl in the lineup, a shapely redhead in a black dress.
"Nothing like a redhead to get the blood boiling, eh?" he asked. "I think one hundred sounds like a fitting starting point to me! Let's begin!"
The bidding ensued, and the redhead was eventually sold for nearly half a million. I couldn't believe the amount of money that was thrown around at these events; it was a stark reminder of the power that I was going up against in breaking this case open.
The girls were sold one by one, and soon the only one that remained on stage was Alice.
"I saved the best for last, as you can all see," Mr. Salt said. "Such a gorgeous little creature. A reminder that while the humans are most assuredly a species below us, they aren't without their charms. Just look at this lovely figure, the ample breasts, this fair skin, and this gorgeous head of curls. I know who I'd be taking home tonight were I in your shoes, gentlemen."
He clasped his hands together once again.
"Let's begin! One million!"
Gasps sounded from the crowd, and I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows in shock. I thought back to the auctions that I'd been to in the past, and I didn't remember the starting number ever being this high.
Despite this, the bidding as a wild blur of hands shooting up into the air, each shifter in the crowd hoping to be the one to claim Alice for his own.
"Four million!" cried one man, a slim, balding gentleman who I recognized as a fox.
A silence fell over the crowd as the men in attendance looked at one another, eager to see if the fox would be outbid.
"Quite an offer," Mr. Salt said. "We have four. Going once, going twice…"
"Five."
The voice was low, bassy, and rich and thick as oil. I glanced to my right and saw that it belonged to none other than Anton Castile, one of the wealthiest tigers in the city. He was a heavyset, thick-limbed man with a head of neatly-parted golden blonde hair, gray eyes as sharp as glass, and a wide mouth. He was ugly as sin, and rich as God. And he'd found just who he wanted tonight.
"Mr. Castile," Mr. Salt said. "An honor to see you here tonight. We have five! Does anyone have anything more than five?"
A heavy silence hung over the crowd. Mr. Castile had a reputation for getting what he wanted by any means necessary, and all of the shifters in attendance were smart enough to know that once he'd made his bi
d, it was best to let it go.
"Five it is!" Mr. Salt said.
Polite applause sounded from the crowd as Alice was led offstage.
Things had just gotten a lot more complicated. I needed one of these girls, and Alice was the one I had the best feeling about. But if she'd been bought by Anton Castile, getting her out of this mess wasn't going to be an easy matter.
"That's all for tonight, my friends," Mr. Salt said. "For those lucky buyers, please meet with my associates in back to finalize your purchases. And for the rest of you, enjoy your night and better luck next year."
With that, the men in attendance went back to their drinking and chatting, while the buyers followed Mr. Salt backstage to pick up their women.
Fuck, I hissed under my breath, knowing this evening just became a hell of a lot more complicated.
Then again, I needed hard evidence to crack this case open. A witness, one who'd been through the buying process, would be a valuable asset to have. More importantly, however, I knew that if I could get just one girl out of this predicament, it'd be worth it.
Finishing my drink, I made my way out of the apartment, the guards looking me up and down as I sidled past their huge bodies.
"Going somewhere?" one of them asked me.
I sniffed the air.
"Yeah, away from your banana-eating asses," I said, not in the mood to be given the business by a pair of gorilla assholes.
Before I could make my way past them, however, one of the massive, suited men clapped his palm down on my shoulder and gave me a stern once-over.
"You don't look like you belong here," he said, his voice so low and deep that I swore I could feel my bones rattling.
"Had enough fun for one night," I said, shoving his hand off of me. "Now, touch me again, and I'll be making sure you're working security for birthdays for fox sweet sixteen parties."
The gorilla looked me up and down again before letting me pass. Once back in the elevator, I considered just how bad of an idea it was to antagonize these guys, but I couldn't help it—this evening wasn't going the way I wanted it to at all, and I was frustrated beyond measure.
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