Chapter 4

“Yes.” Warm hands settled on my waist. And only then did I realize he had crossed the distance between us. I stiffened with his face inches away from mine and my heart racing. Up close, he was breathtaking. Something out of this world.

He smelled fantastic. Peppery and sweet. A mixture that settled at the back of my throat and remained there, like a lump, never to be forgotten.

“You see something, love.” His hand trailed further up my waist, leaving trails of warmth alongside his scent. But that was enough to knock some senses into me. I jumped back, covering the rest of my body with my hands.

“What are you doing?” I snapped, my heart loud against my ears.

What did he do to me?

His brows raised and his eyes widened for a moment. Then the corners of his lips lifted, revealing white teeth and fangs like a vampire.

Fuck.

My legs buckled underneath me.

“That’s a first.” He started towards me again.

“Don’t…” I rushed backward. He paused, the grin on his face still there. But there was something in his eyes now.

“Who are you?”

The window appeared.

STATUS

Name: Kane ???

Age: 28

Status: Unclaimed

Value: Rare

Specie: Fox Clan (????)

Rank: ?

I think I was getting the hang of how the window worked. But what was all the question marks?

“What do you want?”

“How did you get here?” I turned to the door, but it was still locked. And I was certain that the people in this world might be crazy, but my mother and the others wouldn’t just let anyone in.

Right?

“I have been here since the first time you walked in.” He took a lazy step towards me. I frowned.

“You’ve been watching me?”

“Inara Bloomwood. Daughter of marquis Bloomwood and the girl born for the Bear clan.”

I glared at him. He smirked.

“Age 22 and designated rare.” His brows raised.

My eyes widened. That’s what was in my status window. I guess I wasn’t the only one who could see people’s information. Was that normal in this world?

“For a girl who would be ravished till there is nothing left of you, you sure are not what the rumors say.”

“Rumors?”

He took another lazy step forward.

“That you are in love with the heir of the bear clan. Honored to have been chosen. Proud to be his claimed. Ready to give birth to as many pups as he wants. You flaunt and brag about it everywhere you go.”

He was suddenly in front of me again. And I realized there was nowhere to go, except for the wall behind me. I pressed against it, needing space from this freakishly handsome man, but I guess personal space wasn’t in his vocabulary because he closed whatever space was left and lifted my chin with his index finger, forcing me to look up.

From this angle, I think I died.

He was the kind of man I could only fantasize about before now. Just looking at him was enough to make the spot between my legs tingle.

He smirked. Probably seeing how I was drooling over him.

“I smell you, little prey.” He leaned in, his breath hot against my ears. My cheeks heated up realizing what he was talking about.

These animals with fantastic noise.

I guess I can’t become horny in peace anymore.

“That’s the only thing you can do.” I made sure my voice bite. He leaned back, that look in his eyes changing. It was no longer amusement, more like interest.

“Are you sure you want to go to the bear clan?”

I froze. His smile widened. Like a predator who knew he had his prey where he wanted her.

“I can take you away.”

I shouldn’t, I knew I shouldn’t. Yet I asked.

“How?”

His smile widened.

“Trade secret.”

I did not believe a word he said. He was a fox after all and they were known for their deceit, plus, aren’t bears more powerful than foxes. How was he supposed to save me from someone like Knox. But if he had a way, if he could stop it….

“And what do you want in return?”

“Nothing, I just want to help you out.”

I scoffed.

“Liar.”

He frowned. Then smiled like he wasn’t sure what to do with his face.

“Aren’t you an interesting one.” He placed the tip of his finger on my breast. I slapped it away and glared at him. Something told me that I shouldn’t have. His smile turned coy, a glint sharpening his gaze.

“Most girls wouldn’t think to ask what I wanted.”

“They would gush and drip and beg me to do whatever I wanted.”

“Most girls wouldn’t dare want out of Bear clan. You were after all, born for him alone.”

The taste in my throat turned sour.

Could no one see how fucked up that was?

“So, I will help you simply because I am curious.”

“Curious of what?”

He leaned closer, his scent overwhelming.

“How fun you will be.” His breath fanned my neck. And the spot between my legs turned hotter. I pushed him away and created a little distance between us.

“I won’t be needing your help.” I met my fair share of men in my life and I knew just what this bastard was thinking. I was a toy to him. Something new and interesting.

He sounded like a lot of trouble, and I rather not move from one to the other so quickly. He smiled again.

“Well, if you ever do,” he dropped a cold blue round shaped marble in my hand.

“Speak to it.” He vanished. And in his place, a butterfly coated in fire flew away. I stared at the space he was, then the butterfly, not sure I had even seen right. Then I turned to the blue marble, not sure what that even is. But quickly changed to my normal clothing and stepped out to find every one in chaos.

“What happened?” Avery grabbed my arm.

“Nothing.” I frowned, seeing some of the attendants with wood and rods.

“We were going to break down the door. You’ve been there for almost an hour, and you were not responding.”

“Oh.” I simply said. Sure, I didn’t hear anyone try the door.

“Sorry.”

“The clothes?” Llyod asked, running a hand through his hair.

“They are good, my size, so I will take them all.”

“But we didn’t see if…”

“You didn’t have to see.” I snapped. The room turned quiet.

Outside, through the glass panel, where people still gathered around, watching, green eyes stared back at me, both arms filled with women that wouldn’t stop giggling and for a moment, I thought I saw him smirk, then he turned away.

We returned to the carriage, exhausted and packed. But I couldn’t help the unease at the pit of my stomach especially after the event of the whole day. Those green eyes and the glint I saw there.

“Inara.” Avery called out as we headed back home.

“Yes.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Are you sure? You didn’t sound alright back there.”

“Why? Because I refused to be put on display?” The venom in my tongue was thick and heavy. More than I realized. She flinched for a second, then her gaze hardened.

“We are women, our body and face is our asset, being able to flaunt it, makes us desirable.”

I gaped at her. There was no shame, no guilt, just sincerity there. This shit was normal to them. Something to be proud of. That’s why that bastard dared to lay his hand on me.

~

A week later, I fully understood how my window worked and I could summon it when I wanted information about anyone. Humans didn’t have ranks, but the shifters were ranked from F-A. F, for the lowest in the food chain and A for the highest. There might be ranks higher than A because I still recall seeing ??? in Kane’s information. I still didn’t know what that meant.

I also found out shifters, aside from shifting, had other abilities. Ranging from clan to clan. And we humans had nothing. But at least the window was there.

But the most important thing however is, I still haven’t found a way to stop the claiming ceremony that was just a week away.

The house grew more alive each day, the closer we got to the ceremony. I barely saw Avery anymore. And the marquis, was always ever in passing. I had no idea what kind of man he was, and something told me that I didn’t want to know. Aside from the first day I saw him smiling, I haven’t seen him like that again. My days were spent drinking tea, strolling around the beautiful house, or the gardens and asking Mary subtle questions about the world.

“My lady,” Mary called out one afternoon.

“Are you alright?”

I frowned. I have been trying to act as the previous Inara would and lay low as much as I could.

“Yes, I am. Why?”

“Well, you’ve been different ever since you saw the Bear clan’s heir.”

“Was he not what you expected?”

I didn’t know how to answer that. In another world, I would have probably been thrilled at the thought of him. But to him, I was a beautiful woman he wanted to pump twelve kids.

Did they think child bearing was easy?

“Mary,”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Are you happy?”

She frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“Are you satisfied with this life? Waiting to be claimed just to bear children?”

She frowned and turned away.

“As a slave, you are either sold to a shifter who would treat you like trash and discarded later or a human male who would turn your body to a canvas with sharp objects.” She answered. I gasped, not needing further explanation as to what she meant.

“If we are lucky, we are sold to brothels. At least, they would treat us like gems there till we are too old to serve.”

I froze.

“When your family bought us, it was the greatest day of my life.”

“I have to do nothing but serve the house. And wait till I am either too old or till a man finds me beautiful enough. Then I am given out to that man.” 

“Unlike before, my options are not so bad. So, I am happy.” She smiled.

Pain tore me from the inside.

“You mean, women are sold as slaves?”

“The unlucky ones, yes.”

“But they are only unlucky if the slave traders are ruthless or if their buyers are.”

“We are women after all, precious. A damaged woman won’t make great sale.” She smiled.

What was she talking about? How could she talk about this with such smile on her face.

The pit of my stomach tightened with dread. I couldn’t breathe.

I wanted to go back to my world.

“Mary.”

“I don’t want to be claimed.” I spat out.

She froze.

“Not by the bear clan or any clan.”

Her eyes widened.

“What was that?” A harsh voice rang from behind me. I jumped. And found the Marquise glaring down at me.