Page 21 of Red Captive

At least I can choose. This has gone better than expected.

“Miss Harris?” He lifts his brows. “My patience is running thin.”

I nod. “Fine. Yes, I accept.”

“Good. There will be no more escape attempts. If you try that again, your family won’t get a penny. You won’t get the luxuryof choosing your partner. We have an agreement; let’s stick to it, and in return, your family will receive a large sum of money.”

“We have a deal.” I turn my eyes to the carpet at my feet. I’m ashamed. I feel like a prostitute. Like I’m being trafficked. It’s almost worse that I’m getting money out of the deal. My family will get the money.Theywill. Not me! I remind myself of that. It will work out in the end. It has to. I’m sure that one of the twelve men…shifters, will be someone I can love or, at the very least, someone I can learn to like. I can do this. I nod, pulling in a deep breath. “It’s acceptable,” I tell him. “I’ll do it.”

When I look up, the general is smiling. “Now you are catching on. Good! Don’t forget that no one should know how you came to the island. They can never find out that I had you kidnapped.”

“I will keep my mouth shut.” I sigh. “But know that I won’t marry anyone until the money is in the bank. Until my family is taken care of.”

“Fair enough, Miss Harris. You know the terms. I am a fair male, but if you break our arrangement, there will be dire consequences. Not just for you, but for your family as well.”

I nod, feeling sick to my stomach.

6

Steel

I pace while I wait for the female to arrive. I turn abruptly when there is a knock at the door.

It’s more than likely her. Part of me wants to run instead of facing up to this. I mean, I had a plan: win some money, throw a few fights, and then win a lot of money on a huge bout where the odds were against me. Then retire on a shoestring budget and become a hermit.

My plans have gone to shit.

On the other hand, I have a chance to prove myself. A chance to make things right. I burn with that desire, even though I know deep inside it’s false. I will never be able to fix it. There is no fixing it. The only way would be to turn back the clock, which is an impossibility. I can protect my people, though. I need to make sure this human doesn’t escape. That she carries out her end of this crazy bargain she made with the general. I don’t care what she does or doesn’t do as long as the people of Mistveil are safe. Her decision to mate for money has nothing to do with me. As long as she never makes it to the Mainland, we’re golden. I willdecide where I want to go from there. I’m not sure that being back in the Royal Guard is for me anymore. I’m sure that by the time I am done with this assignment, Roscoe will want me back. He will start looking for me soon enough. He’ll let me fight again, for sure. He can sweat it out in the coming weeks, and then he’ll be willing to do whatever I want as long as I’m back on the circuit. I’ve been a big drawcard for the crowds.

After blowing the last fight, I’m well on my way to better odds toward a retirement.

Except I hate the thought of fighting again. It was a means to an end, not actually something I enjoyed. Something that added meaning to my life. It doesn’t matter. I’ll do whatever I have to.

There is another knock. It jolts me out of my thoughts.

“Enter,” I say in a hard voice. I’m not in a particularly forgiving mood right now.

A male walks in carrying two bags. “Your things,” he says. “The general instructed us to clear out your apartment.”

A second male walks in with another duffel bag, which he puts down at my feet. “This is all of it,” he says.

Fuck!

My whole life is reduced to three duffel bags. Three shitty bags.

“Thanks,” I mutter. Apartment is pushing it since I live – or used to live - in a shitty single room with a tiny bathroom attached. At least I had my own space and didn’t have to share. My landlord would have thrown my things in the street by tomorrow, so I guess I should be grateful these two packed up for me. It’s not like I have anything to hide. It’s not like I have much of anything, full-fucking-stop.

No sooner have the two males left than there is another knock on the door. This time, they don’t wait to be invited in.

A female enters. I catch her scent instantly. It’s rainbows and fucking sunshine. Everything sweet, with cinnamon and sugaron top. I’m instantly irritated. There is nothing sweet about this female.

The males move to either side of the human, who glares at me. “What is this? Who are you? Wait a minute,” she looks taken aback, “are you one of them? One of the men I’m being introduced to, I mean?”

“Go!” I bark at the two males without taking my eyes off her. “Now.” I have zero authority over them, but they visibly start, dropping what they are carrying, and then they run like their asses are on fire. I still have it. A commanding presence. At least, that’s what I was told is my superpower. My ability to get others to do my bidding, to respect me even if they don’t want to.

“I’m not one of them…no. If by them, you mean one of the candidates you will choose to mate for money.” I can’t keep the disdain from my voice.

It doesn’t help that she is fucking flawless. I didn’t expect this. I thought I would feel total indifference to a puny human. Turns out I was wrong.

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