Traded

Leona’s Point of View

“Wake up, sleepyhead.” Someone slams on the hood of the car, and my eyes jolt open. It’s too dark. I can’t see anything, but I can hear voices and footsteps outside.

“Get her out!” The door opens, and I squint my eyes. The flashlight is too bright. I can’t see anything, but I can hear Bastian’s annoying voice.

“Move it, whore!” he growls, dragging me out of the trunk. I slip, my legs giving in. I almost hit the ground, but David grabs the back of my sweatshirt, steadying me, almost choking me as I wince in pain. My lungs feel like they are burning.

“Listen here, whore. If you are thinking of saying anything or trying funny business. I don’t mind going back home and killing your little brother and mother.” Bastian warns.

I know those eyes; they are the eyes of a monster, and this man before me is a monster.

He will stop at nothing to hurt me.

“Nod if you understand.”

My brother betrayed me, and my mother thinks I was sleeping with my father. I don’t bother telling him I don’t give a fuck.

A small voice whispers that it’s a lie.

Of course, I care about them. I hope that one day they will learn the truth. “Take off the shackles. I want her to look normal.” Bastian says as I look ahead of us.

“Let’s go!” he orders, dragging me. My feet hurt from the cold, and I feel like I’m stepping on ice. Except it’s snowing.

I want to ask where he’s taking me because the temples are not this cold. I know that place, and this time of the year it’s always warm. So where am I?

He drags me towards what seems like a cabin in the middle of nowhere; the light inside is so bright.

“You brought her?” A voice, low and deep, rolls out from the darkness. The question hangs in the air, sending a shiver down my spine.

I don’t understand how Bastian can’t cower in front of this man. He sounds like everything we were told to stay away from.

“Yes. All in one piece,” Bastian retorts, a bit of pride in his voice.

A second voice, colder and more detached, slices through the darkness. “Would you permit us to run a test on her?” The words hang in the air. I freeze, every muscle locking up, as if the air itself just turned to ice.

What is Bastian doing? These are not priestesses.

No, these men sound like death clothed in dark clothes.

I step back but hit David’s chest. He nudges me forward.

“Remember what I said, Leona,” Bastian warns as I freeze in my steps, heart throbbing and legs shaking as one man steps out.

The man takes slow, deliberate steps towards me, but I back away. I catch his face in the low light; he has a few scars on his face, and his skin looks dark. But he does not scare me.

The one who does is the man who is standing in the corner, swallowed by the shadows, is voice is deep and low.

“No. Please. Don’t believe whatever he said.” I try to pull away from him.

Tears are about to roll, but I blink them back. The man towers over me and extends his hand towards me.

“Stay still, you bitch!” Bastian growls

“Watch it! The next time you call her a bitch, I will have your tongue,” the man in the corner growls, finally stepping out as my heart begins to race.

I can’t see his face, but everything about him makes me want to cower; the room suddenly feels like it has dropped a few degrees.

His eyes were like two dark pools, which seemed to bore into your soul. The sharp lines of his face were like stone, his jaw clenched in a scowl. He moved with a quiet confidence that commanded attention. He radiated an aura that made me want to cower.

“Your hand,” the one who just stepped out of the shadows demands, and I shake my head. I don’t want to give him my hand. He looks scarier than the one with the scars.

“Do it!” Bastian growls.

I flinch, extending my hand to him, and the man takes it, then cuts my wrist. I flinch, tears rolling down my cheeks as I whimper silently, biting my lower lip.

My blood drips to the ground. My wound is not closing; if I don’t heal, then I will definitely bleed to death.

When the light catches his face, I notice he has short dark hair, neatly trimmed with a fade on the sides, with a well-grown beard that frames his jawline.

“You will have your money soon.” The shadow man growls. Moving back into the shadows like that’s where he belongs.

“Wait. That wasn’t the deal. I appreciate the money, but I was hoping that maybe we could discuss business with you…”

“No,” the shadow man says. His voice is low and dangerous.

“Please. Tell—”

A growl rumbles through the cabin. “I said no, pup!” The word echoes off the rotting walls with a force that chills me to the bone.

There’s a darkness coiled within this wolf, something I don’t like. I can’t name it, but the touch of his hand around my wrist makes my skin crawl, as if I’ve been claimed by something far more dangerous.

Bastian, you fool, what did you do? I want to ask, but the man drags me towards the other door.

“Your money is in the car,” he throws over his shoulder.

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” I ask the men, tears rolling down my cheeks, my legs are shaking, and my feet feel so cold.

“No one’s going to hurt you,” the husky voice promises, but there’s a warning beneath the words. “Unless you make me angry. So, stay quiet.” He leads me to the car, adding in a low growl, “Don’t even think about running.”

“Where are you taking me?” I ask him, my voice is shaky. My body feels like someone just poured cold water on me.

“For someone who betrayed her mate, you act pretty bold,” the dark-haired man says, stepping closer, his jaw clenched, and eyes narrowed.

“I didn’t—” I want to respond, but what’s the point? Whoever they are, Bastian must have convinced them that I did.

“Please, you don’t have to do this. Whatever it is, Bastian told you. It’s a lie. Please,” I try to plead with him, tears rolling down my cheeks. If pleading with him is what will get me out of this, then I will do that.

The man lets go of my hand, then steps aside while the dark-haired man watches, his jaw set and eyes burning into me. My heart races, and I can run. But how far will I go before he captures me?

He turns toward me, a low growl rumbling from his chest as I instinctively step back. There’s something in his eyes. Dark and unreadable. It sends a chill through me.

“Please… Please…” I stutter, then turn on my heel, then I bolt, but I don’t get far when his arm wraps around my waist.

“No. No,” I keep thrashing, trying to wiggle out of his hold. He puts me down, then brings his hand to my neck.

“Next time you think of running. I will fucking cut off your legs. Are we clear?” the shadow man asks. His voice is laced with anger, sending a chill down my spine.