Page 7 of Connected

“Keep your fuckin’ ratty-shifter hands off her then.” He growls louder.

“Hey… now you watch your mouth.” Alvarez turns on him and takes one of the torturing canes that’s rested beside the table and using it, he drags the pointed tip down in a long diagonal streak across Zak’s chest. It soon bubbles into a bright red welt that marks the full front of Zak’s body. He grimaces. The silver burns like fire and gritting his teeth to the pain, his nose wrinkles. But despite how much it hurts, Zak still won’t cry out. He just continues to focus his stare on Alvarez.

“Good, niño. You learn fast.” Alvarez smiles as he mops his sweating brow with a black silk handkerchief from his pocket and with a loud sigh, he turns his attention back to Kat. “He yours?”

“Mine?” She frowns, “What do you mean, is he mine?”

“I mean this…” He steps in front of her and brushes his fingers across her bonding-mark.

She sneers, staring at him, reluctant to reply, cautious about what answer to give. Wondering how he will respond. Worried, she swallows and then nervously replies. “No. No, he’s… he’s not mine. He didn’t do that—he’s not my bonded.”

“Oh… oh that’s so good.” Alvarez grins, licking his lips as he looks at Zak. “That’s so good to hear. It means dat I don’t have to kill him now. I can keep him. Bonded wolves take much too much patience to train. I have no time for dat. See, you can never really undo that connection, and believes me, I try. But sadly, no matter how much pressure you exert to get them to forget, it can never really be done. They pine and whine all the time and eventually, you have to kill dem to put them outta der misery and the sex, with bonded ones. It never ends well.”

Kat takes a deep breath, closing her eyes. Relieved of sorts, she seems to have chosen the right answer. “What the hell do you want? Why are you doing this to us?”

“Why am I doing this? For dollars, of course. Why else would you think? Is there any other reason to do any ting?” He laughs. Then again snapping his fingers, the flesh mountain steps forward presenting him with the red box. “You know it a shame you are bonded. I could have negotiated for much more dollars. A wolf—like you—unbonded, I could trade so much more easily. Still, it no consequence. I am getting what I asked and I’m sure the buyer will have ways around it.”

“Buyer… What buyer? You sick fuck… What the hell are you talking about?” Zak growls again pulling against his chains, he uses all his force to try to break them. “Just know somethin’, the minute I get free from here, I’m gonna rip your fuckin’ throat out, you son-of a-bitch-asshole. Just give me one chance, that’s all I need.”

Zak rattles his bonds and again the two weasels next to him prod unfettered with the silver-tipped sticks. This time it catches a delicate spot on his body, and he can’t help but yelp out loud.

“Zak!” Kat cries. “Please, just stop hurting him,” she sneers, staring at her keeper. Then in her head, she hears a loud roar: Luna waking from her slumber. Her eyes glower a deeper green color as she contemplates the various ways to kill him.

“Oooo… Oh no. No.” Alvarez grins. “the wolf, she is stirring, si? I think we should take care of her now.”

He smiles and flickers the small silver latch on the red box and Kat takes a deep breath, apprehensively watching as he lifts a circular band of white metal from inside the velvet-lined box. Its highly polished surface catches the light and she can see the half-inch-wide band has engravings in a pattern around it. A heart-shaped locket is attached to the ring on the front.

Something about it makes her anxious and her heart beats nervously fast; the hard thud pounds inside her chest. “What the hell is that?”

“This? Exquisite, isn’t it? Just like you. A perfect match.”

She sneers as he holds it in front of her and she can see all the intricate engravings etched into the metal. He smiles as he watches her study it. “Humans call them an eternity collar, but in our world, it’s called a submission ring.”

“A submission ring… What the hell is that?” Kat nervously questions. “Wait, I don’t understand, what’s it for?”

“I explain because it quite simple. I put dis on you; you submit to me—well, to my buyer—but you understand what I mean. The wolf in you, she gone, and you will submit, sí? Oh no, don’t worry, she not gone forever. She can come back, but only when you take this off. Unfortunately, for you, you no have the key because I do.”

“I don’t think so. I willneversubmit to you. You can go rot in hell first. Do what you want to me, but that’s not gonna happen.”

“Oh, no. No, you no understand. These rings, they made special, for she-wolves like you. Oh, I’m sure there are other kinds, but this one, this one was made from the purest form of Argent. It’s Russian, from the absolute best silver mine in Siberia mixed with it an element so pure—so strong—it’s unbreakable. I am told pure silver like this, it feel like lava to a wolf. I also told there only two of these crafted. Sí… really. Made by hand, the special elements melted to make it very strong. You see…” He holds it close against her face, “all the engraving, it made by one man with hand tools. Such magnificent craftsmanship. It takes patience. Amazing, don’t you think to have such skill—to have patience like that. It stunning, and I am sure it will look beautiful on you.”

“Please… No, please don’t do this.” She frowns deeply concerned as she anticipates what’s going to happen.

“Shhh… Shh-shush,” he smiles as he strokes her cheek with his finger, quietening her. “Just know, you can’t break it. Even a wolf’s strength won’t break it. Oh no think to shift. She won’t be no able to breathe.” He smiles, nodding at the mountain of a man standing behind her—he twists, holding her arms tighter as she struggles to break free.

“Shhh… Please no make this difficult. You don’t wan’ my beautiful niño there to suffer for you, right?”

Again, they torment and torture Zak with the silver canes—drawing more lines across his body. Kat watches him endure the pain, writhe in agony as he yells angry obscenities while he keeps forcing his body against the thick leather collar. It’s cutting into his neck as he gets yanked back with each pull of the thick, heavy chain.

“Dis, it was sent as a gift. Just for you. But it will keep all of us safe for now, from your…otherside. Please no even think to test. I did already, and trust me, watching a wolf choke to death it no pretty sight.”

“You fuckin’ asshole!” Kat sneers at him. She swallows her fear. It makes her feel sick and her breathing becomes more labored, shallower and apprehension quickly creeps up her body. She pulls away; what little she can, as Alvarez unfastens the metal band and then thrusting it towards her, swiftly clamps it around her neck.

She closes her eyes, forcing herself back against the chest of the guy holding her. “Please… don’t do this,” her lip trembles.

“Shhh, relax. The pain will wear off after a while, or so I iz told. I guess you will become accustomed to it. Hold her still.”

Kat closes her eyes in expectation of the pain and holds her breath as the collar slides around the smooth skin of her neck. At first, she feels nothing but then as she hears the lock click shut the heat burns at her flesh. The silver argent now feels like a circle of fire and the hurt seeps around her body.

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