Page 7 of Sold Wolf Slave

Part of me said to wait, to go back and get Chris and Nolan. In terms of protocol, it was the thing to do. But protocol wasn’t always the same as getting the mission done. If I didn’tact now, didn’t try to find out what had happened to these guys, I’d miss my opportunity.

I couldn’t just leave. I had a mission to do. Even if Nolan and Chris weren’t here, I had to keep going. I would do it myself if I had to. Once I knew more about what I was dealing with, I could come back for them.

My mind made up, I stepped forward again, my hand outstretched. And a moment later, something jerked me forward, off my feet, and I was gone.

It felt like I was being squeezed and compressed. I could barely breathe as something tugged right behind my navel and jerked me forward like I was on a string. Hues of purple and gray swirled around me as I fell forward.

It seemed to last for an eternity, but it was likely only a handful of seconds before the sensation stopped and I could finally inhale again. I opened my eyes, blinked, then squeezed my eyes shut again, because what I was seeing didn’t make sense.

I was in the alley of a city, cobblestone paths beneath my feet. The sky overhead was a pale purple. Despite the light, I couldn’t see the sun.

My head spun around as I tried to figure out where I was. When I looked behind me, I had to stop myself from doing a double-take.

A giant, swirling portal stood behind me, purple and gray and black twisting inside.

“Magic,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. “Of course.”

I didn’t have much experience with witches. Some liked shifters, others didn’t. We had one near town we went to whenwe needed help with something, and the Gold Wolves had gone up against rogue or overly ambitious ones once or twice, but beyond that, not a whole lot. It explained why they had been so elusive. Shifters working with witches wasn’t common, but when they did, the results could be fairly nasty.

I licked my lips, glancing back at the portal again. I could walk back through it. I’d probably end up in the same space. I could grab Nolan and Chris, and we could run through. But there was no guarantee of that, or that I would be able to find the portal a second time.

So, taking a deep breath, I cracked my neck and walked down the street. Dozens of shifters ambled about, some in groups, others on their own. I wandered around, studying everything as I tried to get my bearings. I kept my face impassive as I moved through the crowd, eyes darting from side to side as I kept stock of everything.

The first thing I noticed was that the ratio of men to women, at least at first glance, was one to two. The second was that all the women had their heads bowed down, and they had black collars wrapped around their throats. Several of them had chains dangling from them, leading to the hands of one of the shifters wandering through.

My jaw clenched, and I tried not to let my fingers curl into a fist. I knew what to expect when I came here. Seeing it out in the open and so brazen was another thing entirely. My eyes swept the area, keeping an eye out for anything I could use.

A flash of brilliant red snagged in the corner of my vision. I glanced in that direction, then did a double-take as I saw the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen.

Her red hair fell between her shoulder blades. Her shirt, tight against her body to complement the slight curves, barelyreached past her breasts. Her skirt was closer to a strip of fabric, concealing only the bare minimum, showing off her long legs.

She was barefoot and in shackles, her wrists and ankles all chained and connected to one another. One forearm had a thick band wrapped around it, some sort of elaborate bracelet.

The sharp features of her face, with high cheekbones and impossibly large eyes, enhanced her beauty. Instead of keeping her head down like the others, her head remained up as those wide eyes scanned the area, burning as her lips formed a thin line. They landed on me.

For a long moment, we just stared at one another. Her eyes narrowed as she bared her teeth at me. I had no doubt that if she weren’t restrained at that moment, she would have leapt forward and tried to tear me to shreds.

That intrigued me more than I would have expected.

The man leading her by another chain attached to a collar jerked her forward, forcing her to continue moving. Her gaze broke from mine, and the spell was broken. I was left standing in the middle of the street like an idiot, gaping after her.

My wolf tugged inside me, wanting to get closer, to follow her. Right now, that woman consumed all his thoughts in a way I had never experienced from him. And I couldn’t lie and say I didn’t feel that same pull.

I hesitated as I tried to decide what I was going to do. I wanted to follow her and see where she was going. But I needed to keep up with the mission. I couldn’t just wander around after a gorgeous woman because my wolf kept tugging after her.

You don’t have any other leads, I told myself as justification.For all you know, she’s the best option you have.

Part of me doubted the logic of that statement, but I didn’t particularly care at that point. I had to follow this woman. I couldn’t explain why, but I had to.

I dipped through the crowd, keeping my distance, making sure I didn’t lose track of her. Her red hair was like a beacon, and I followed her and her handler past a large town square with a wooden stage at one side—I tried not to think about the implications there—and down a few more streets. I stopped when they did. The shifter guiding her spoke to a man lounging by a wall. The two of them laughed while the red-haired woman stared straight ahead. The man jabbed his thumb down the street. The handler nodded, tugged at the chain, and pulled her past the man.

Pushing forward, I caught sight of them just in time to see the man opening the door and pushing the woman inside. Letting out a low snarl that I barely realized I was giving, I stepped forward, only for the man who had pointed them this way to step out in front of me and hold out his hand.

“Sorry, only slaves and handlers past this point,” the guy drawled.

My mind raced as I tried to come up with some excuse that might get me around him.

“I want to buy one of them,” I said. It was the first thing I could think to say that would be a reasonable excuse.

---