Page 80 of Her Tortured Beasts

I have to stop my mouth from gaping open. Xander was the winning bidder.

The auctioneer shrugs. “Unprecedented, perhaps, but there are no rules against it.”

Flores is looking at his son like he wants to strangle him. I suppose he will, when they get home. They won’t make any money this way. The auctioneer shepherds the rest of the beasts back out, leaving Xander and a lingering Mace Naga.

“There will be consequences for this,” Mace says quietly. “I have my money, so I’m settled. But the others…”

“Like you said, Mace,” Xander drawls, not looking at him, but striding towards me. “You have your money. I’m leaving.” The serpents part, and Xander gestures in annoyance with a hand. The door creaks open.

“Out.” It’s a raw command.

He doesn’t have to tell me twice.

“Aw, just when I was getting used to it, too,” I say, gently extracting myself from between the various spikes and stepping out onto the first step.

Xander snarls at me, flicking his wrist as that golden chain snaps into place at my collar again. With another wave of his hands, both sets of shackles fall off.

I sigh in relief before he turns around and yanks me forwards. I go stumbling after him, the serpents all blinking in shock at the sight.

Allowing myself to ascend out of the cold of my great white, my emotions come back like the crashing of cymbals.

What exactly does he intend to do with the thing he purchased for twenty-five million? And what the hell? I knew he had money, butthiskind of money?

“You’rerich, rich,” I say.

That gets a reaction out of him. He stops and whips around, glaring down at me with those white eyes.

“I’m Xander fucking Drakos,” he says, before turning back around and continuing on.

Some of the uncertainty and confusion lifts then. This is an ego thing. A dragon-sized ego thing.

Someone isn’t in control of his dragon.

Xander whips around for a second time and I realise with a gasp that I’ve said that last part out loud. He points a finger at me, his mouth pressed into a hard line. “Don’t fucking start me, Spawn.” He turns back around and I jump at this new shiny opportunity.

“Well, you paid twenty-five mil for me. I suppose you can call me what you like for a little while.”

Black smoke filters through the air as we get outside and I’m amused by the difference in the way I’m leaving the building compared to how I went in. Does my father not care anymore now that he’s got his money?

That stings a little, I’ll admit.

“What song were you listening to while you were bidding for me?” I chirp, padding after his long strides through the concrete car park. “Candy Shop?”

He makes a very dragon-like snort, and smug as a bug, I smirk into the night air. “What if someone steals me out here?” I muse. “There’s not as much protection.”

Black smoke streams out of Xander and the voice that comes out of him is loud, guttural, and deep. “They can fucking try. No one would dare. And if they did, they’d be dead before they hit the ground.”

“Are you sure?” I prod.

The air suddenly smells like cinders, and my smirk grows wider. If I’d known triggering Xander’s possessive dragon instincts would be this much fun, I’d have done it a long time ago. Apparently, making a large purchase is a trigger of his.

“Do you spend this much money every weekend?” I inquire sweetly. “Should I feel special? Oh!” I gasp with sudden realisation. “Will I go into your vault now? Safe with all the other gold bars and diadems? Will I get to sleep on a bed of gold coins?” I hum for a moment, looking around us, but the space issilent. Everyone is probably still gossiping back inside. “Or is all your stuff plated and notrealgold because?—”

Xander whirls around and grabs me by my neck. My own hands fly up as he presses his nose against mine. “Nothing of mine isplated,” he snarls in disgust. “Nothing of mine is cheap. Everything I own is precious. Is treasure.”

I chuckle. “Including me?”

“Yes.”

---