I Volunteer As Tribute Novels & Stories

“Not as guests. Not as people. You are here because your lives were bought with blood owed by those who thought themselves brave.” His eyes swept the room like a god “You are here because humans do not learn. You breed rebellion like maggots breed rot. And for every insurgence, we take twenty more.” He paused. “Tributes.” The word was an insult. “You will work. You will obey. And when called, you will kneel. If you fail, you will not be punished. You will be erased. Bone by bone. Memory by memory. We will leave no trace of your existence. Not even a whisper.”

"We cannot insult any of the ancient lords. Your reputation and connections mean they'll judge our entire family by the quality of your offerings." I looked at them all - the family I'd saved, supported, and elevated to positions they never could have reached alone. "Of course. You all go rest. I'll handle everything." The moment they all retreated to their day-sleep, I acted. The tribute gifts I'd spent six months preparing - rare blood wines aged for centuries, enchanted jewelry from master craftsmen, ancient grimoires from my personal collection, mystical artifacts that took months to acquire. Total value: over $20 million.

It was a cold bleak morning on the island of Tribute when the king of the island, Greyson, summoned Jade to his presence. Tribute, unlike the other islands on the map, was off a wayfarer’s charts – it was even said that if a person’s heart was sincere enough, his prayers alone would take him to the island. However, half a century ago, a curse befell the island. It was said to be the result of a controversy between the late king, Greyson’s grandfather, and his concubine Xima, who turned out to be a witch.

I felt Skylar's fingers intertwine with mine and I squeezed her hand reassuringly. The pack member's eyes raked us as we passed, with various expressions on their faces. They were obviously preparing for the Howling Tribute. The Howling Tribute, a ceremony performed to honour an important deceased pack member. Such as an Alpha, a beta or their mates. “Leah,” I said as we approached a room at the top floor of the mansion. She didn't look happy. “Who's she?” She nodded at Skylar, whose hand squeezed around mine immediately. “My mate, she stays with me.” I said firmly, making sure my message was clear enough.

The power radiates off him in waves, forcefully crashing into me. "You want to stay with my men, to play a part in my missions, to take revenge with my help, but you can't pledge yourself to the Elite? I thought Ryan had explained to you how we operate, but apparently, he failed. We're not a charity case, Audrey. We're a tactical team, and if you want benefits, you have to give something first." I try not to let the despair show on my features, but the flat-out rejection knocks my confidence down a notch.

Removing my gun from its holster I lay it across my lap picking up a towel from my desk and cleaning it off. Danill stares at me then the gun gets what I'm implying and quickly recovers, “ I will get the traitors to you immediately”. I sit up and pin him with a stare, “the don would have skinned you and put your head on a stick already” I say in all seriousness. He stares back at me getting what I'm referencing, “so consider this a favor” I say leaning back. “Mr. Russo with all due respect–”

Sean drew—reluctantly—a compact pistol, kept it low. “No shots unless it’s us or them,” Jessica said, without looking. “Ricochet will be murder.” “What’s the tribute?” Terry asked, because someone had to ask the right wrong question. Jessica didn’t answer. The auxiliary pane lit with the motif from her talk: blood-vow / gate-stone / keepers two. The confidence bar climbed, inexorable. Paulo took a small step back. “Óchi.” (No.) “Not again.” “Not doing that,” Lizzi snapped, like she could scare the past back into its crate. “Find me another verb.”