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Chapter 1
“Oi, you! Get your clothes on and stop looking like a street rat. House Seneca needs a new servant, and you are the lucky pick.”
There were some clanging sounds, then a howling protest coupled with kicking and more screaming. Winter Willows tried not to peek as she pretended to sleep, already aware of who was being taken, John Malone. He had been screaming obscenities at anyone who would listen before the man began to beg the prison guards that he would do anything just to get out of this hellhole. She understood the sentiment but could never understand why John, a half-shifter, would willingly submit himself to the hands of his greatest sworn enemy: a vampire.
To each his own, I guess.
When the sound was gone, she opened her eyes and scrambled to the cell bars, squeezing her head just enough to peek at the now-empty spot. She lit up at the sight of the tray and squeezed her arm through the cell bars next, twisting it to reach for the edge and drag it closer. Just as she grabbed for the piece of bread, a scaly tail slithered into view and snatched it out of her hand.
“I’m sorry, honey,” a hissing female voice said, not sounding sorry at all.
“That bread looks hard, anyway,” Winter huffed, then shut her mouth at the next hiss. Whatever she thought of the bread, it didn’t matter, as any bread was better than no bread at all. She patted her stomach as her mouth tried not to water, her ears perked at any slightest sound. Someone was lapping up water from her right and whispering came from her left, but in front of her was a hunched figure with his back turned and his hands busy.
“Hello. Can I have some of that bread?”
The figure whirled, showing a huge chunk of bread and raw meat before sharp teeth were bared. Yellow orbs glinted, the black portion piercing. She had seen wolf shifters in their prime and some had even accepted her when she landed on their island, but this one looked like he would rather give her a different kind of welcome.
“Only if you take your clothes off for me.”
Her nose wrinkled, and she tried not to glare. She had dealt with shifters like this one, too, albeit from afar.
“You don’t want to see my body,” she said, vigorously shaking her head. “It is riddled with boils and pus. The clothes are just doing a very good job of hiding them.”
“I don’t mind. Clothes off, tits out. I want to jerk myself to something interesting for once.”
Her stomach clenched, disgusted, even while she tried to school her face to pleasantness. The hissing interrupted whatever she was about to say next, and she could imagine what figure matched the sultry voice: a hot, seductive woman who could probably tempt any man on earth—or kill them. She read it in the woman’s vibes as clear as day.
“You are a wolf shifter, aren’t you?” the seductive-sounding woman asked.
“Obviously,” the man replied, grinning. “Are you going to defend her and ask me to stop insulting her? Or are you going to strip for me instead?”
“Nah.” There was a scoff. “She can strip for you. She’s human.”
There was a loudooh.The atmosphere changed, carrying an air of malice that had Winter fighting back a shudder. The man leaned against his cell bars, eyeing her up and down before settling on her chest.
“I bet they will fatten her up and make her delectable for their many feasts. The bitch already has an in while we are stuck here.”
Winter bristled. But she tried to look past it and attempted once more.
“I just need a piece of bread, sir. How about that in exchange for us helping each other escape this place?”
Laughter rang out.
“Like you could bring anything to the table. Other than your tits.”
“She could offer her flesh,” the woman suggested. “I wouldn’t mind meat after this dreadful diet of stale bread and water.”
“I try not to eat meat as much as possible, but I suppose I could make an exception.” Black eyes narrowed. “Anything to get rid of vermin like her.”
More words were thrown out, all of which formed a hateful tirade that skimmed down her skin into her bones. She curled in on herself, letting them have their moment as her mind roiled with a couple of facts: She was hungry. She needed to get out of here. She was not going to get help…so, she was going to help herself.
Patience was her ally as she waited for the mocking to die down, the last words sinking in her brain.
“I can’t wait to see the likes of you get drained of blood and rot to death. You don’t belong here.”
When all was silent and the minutes ticked by, she cleared her throat.
“Snake shifter?”
