Chapter Seven

~ Norah ~

The room was too bright. Julian had forced me into a red gown that showed every tremble of my hands. I sat in a chair in the back of the hall, guarded by two men who didn't speak. Through the open doors, I heard the low hum of men discussing prices.

"Stand up," Julian said, appearing in the doorway.

I didn't move. I kept my eyes on the floor, my fingers tracing the hem of the gown.

"I said stand up, Norah," he repeated. He walked over and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. "The guests are waiting. A scentless wolf is a rare thing. Do you have any idea how much a spy like you is worth to these families?"

"I'm not a spy," I rasped.

"You were for Declan," Julian countered. He let go of my face and adjusted his cuffs. "But tonight, you belong to whoever has the deepest pockets. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

He led me toward the stage. The hall was full of men in expensive suits, their eyes sharp and hungry. I scanned the crowd, looking for a face I knew, but there was no sign of Declan. He was gone. He had let Julian take me.

Julian pushed me toward the center of the platform. A spotlight hit me. A man in the front row stood up. He was older, with a scarred neck and a gold ring on his finger.

"The bidding starts at ten million," the auctioneer announced.

"Twelve," the man with the ring said.

"Fifteen," another voice called out from the shadows.

I looked at the exit, but the guards were everywhere. I was a ghost being sold in a room full of monsters.

"Twenty million," a voice boomed from the back.

The room went silent. Everyone turned toward the entrance. I let out a small gasp and raised my head.

Declan.

Relief washed over me. He was here.

He walked through the doors with a gun in his hand, and he wasn't looking at the auctioneer. He was looking at me.

"The auction is over," Declan said, his voice cutting through the silence.

"You're out of your jurisdiction, Sutton," Julian shouted, stepping in front of me. "The contract is legal. She's mine."

Declan stopped near the stage. He didn't look at Julian. He raised the weapon and aimed it at the chandelier hanging above the crowd.

"I didn't come here to talk about contracts," Declan stated.

He pulled the trigger. The glass exploded, raining down on the bidders. The room plunged into darkness.

"Norah, run!" Declan's voice came through the chaos.

I didn't wait. I jumped off the stage and sprinted toward the sound of his voice. I felt a hand grab my arm, but I pulled away, the fabric of my gown ripping in the process. I reached the back of the room and saw the silhouette of a man standing by the service door.

"Declan?" I whispered.

A hand clamped over my mouth and I was pulled into the hallway. It wasn't Declan. It was Elias.

"Don't scream," Elias said. "We have to go. Now."

"Where's Declan?" I asked as he dragged me toward a waiting van.

"He's the distraction," Elias said. "He told me to get you out, no matter what happens to him."

The van sped away from the estate. I looked out the back window and saw the building windows glowing with the orange light of the fire.

"He's not coming, is he?" I asked.

Elias didn't answer. He handed me a burner phone. It was already ringing. I answered it, my hand shaking.

"Norah," Declan's voice was thin, punctuated by the sound of sirens.

"Declan, where are you?"

"Listen to me," he said. "The contract isn't the problem. Your father didn't sell you to Julian. He sold you to the Council. Julian is just the delivery boy."

"I don't understand," I said.

"The warehouse is compromised," Declan stated. "Elias is taking you to the docks. There's a boat waiting. Get on it and don't look back."

"What about you?"

"I'm finishing this," he said.

There was a loud crash on the other end of the line, followed by the sound of glass breaking and a man's shout. Then, the line went dead.

I looked at Elias. He was staring at the road, his jaw set.

"He's not at the docks, Norah," Elias said quietly.

"Then where is he going?"

"To the Council," Elias replied. "He's going to kill the men who bought you."

I looked at the phone in my hand. I knew Declan was strong, but nobody survived a meeting with the Council. I looked at the door handle of the van.

"Stop the car," I said.

"I can't do that," Elias replied.

"Stop the car, Elias, or I'll jump."

I put my hand on the latch and pulled. The wind rushed into the van, the road blurred beneath us. Elias slammed on the brakes, the van skidding to a halt.

"You're going to get yourself killed," Elias warned.

"I've been dead my whole life," I said. "It's time I started living."

I stepped out of the van and started running back toward the estate.