Page 25 of Her Tortured Beasts

“Are we appreciating the property, Fabian?” King Flores Drakos rounds the corner, a golden chalice of wine in hand as he coolly surveys us.

“Quite, brother,” says the cigar-dragon. “There’ll be an extravagant turnout at her auction.” This is Xanders uncle. Otherwise known as Fabian Drakos. The dragon who’d won the auction for Scythe’s fifteen-year-old virginity.

A darkness shrouds my heart. Captures it so completely I think I’m going to choke on it.

That word from before. That thing that’s all I believe in now?

Vengeance.

Flores Drakos takes my leash from Sissy, and I immediately miss the young woman. Her expression is reserved as I’m passed over, and I might be imagining it, but there could have been a hint of worry in her eyes.

I’d be kidding myself if I wasn’t also worried. I’d been wondering about their plans for me, because I had no doubt they’d been meticulous in deciding how to proceed with my surrender. My father has been plotting myusefor so long that the terms of the auction have been set in stone for ages, and likely now only adjusted for inflation. Flores parades me around the garden while the other dragons ogle me.

“Raised by a serpent, such a shame,” says one male, leaning down to stare at my mouth. “How was it that Mace got so lucky?”

“Oh, he’s quite powerful for a serpent,” Flores says. “It’s how I knew.”

I stay the need to stare at the dragon king. So the fact that my father was mated to a Boneweaver made him certain of his power?Thathad been his deciding factor? What, then, do they think ofmymates?

Flores continues around the garden before bidding everyone goodnight and heading inside. Sissy appears from nowhere, trailing us.

“Are you hungry, Lia?” she says. “I don’t think you had dinner.”

“Keep her lean,” Flores drones as my stomach rumbles. “It will be better for her fertility. In fact”—he stops and turns to his daughter, eyes flicking down her body—“you should try the same, Selena.”

Sissy’s cheeks turn pink just as I stop the growl in my throat. But like his words aren’t completely awful, Flores continues strolling into the house. “You need your sleep in preparationfor tomorrow’s testing,” he says, leading me up the stairs, his daughter our silent tail.

“Why? What will that entail?” I ask bravely.

“Oh, many things.” I don’t like the way his eyes gleam as he glances at me. We stop outside Xander’s room and Flores knocks with a casual hand.

The door opens on its own accord and we find Xander sitting by the fireplace in his relieving room, smoking a joint. Perhaps his last little meeting didn’t go so well.

“I’m returning your pet,” Flores says. “Put it to bed.”

“Yes, Father.” Xander stands and holds his hand out for the chain. Flores passes it over, and like some sort of disease, I’m passed from one beast to the other.

It’s hot, borderline stifling, in the room, and I’m not sure if it’s a dragon thing, but none of them seem to notice.

Flores turns as if to leave, but then pauses. “Just one last thing.” Flores whirls around, and before I can jump back, slashes at me with one extended claw. I cry out as pain slices across my chest and sticky blood appears in a jagged line.

I step back, staring between the dragon king and his son.

Xander does nothing. Merely blinks those glowing eyes and raises his hand to take another drag from his joint.

“You should do another to make sure,” he says dryly. “I promise you, the bond is quite severed.”

“I could have told you that,” I scowl. Every beast can fucking feel it.

It was a test. A fucking test, and Xander passed it with flying colours.

Flores hums with scientific interest. “Very good. I bid you a goodnight.” He leaves but Selena lingers in the doorway for a moment longer.

“Can I help you?” Xander sighs.

Selena’s face tightens. “Not anymore.” Then she too sweeps away with a rustle of her gown.

I frown at her choice of wording until Xander snaps off the chain. “Cage,” he barks.

---