Page 2 of Lycan King’s Captives (Lycan King Reign Duet #1)

It sometimes makes me wonder how my uncle survives out here among these monsters when he gambles, and how he hasn’t been killed for his so-called bad luck on the tables. It could be his awful odor; maybe they fear he’d be as unpalatable as he smells, and that’s how he’s survived.

Moving closer to the edge of the sidewalk, I try getting around the massive crowd lined up out front, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing hold of my jacket.

“Mm, I smell fresh meat,” a voice sneers beside me, and my feet falter. Looking upward, I gaze into the eyes of a man who sends my blood cold. Werewolf. His leering gaze roams over me, and I suck in a breath.

“What’s a pretty little thing like you doing out here? Want to meet my pack? I know they’d love to play with you,” he purrs, and I gasp, stumbling back. His eyes sparkle and flicker at the movement as he stalks me.

“Run, little girl, nothing I love more than a good chase,” he threatens when a hand grips my arm; I’m ripped away from the man and turned to face another. Only this man, I recognize. Toby! My boss.

Toby is in his mid-twenties and drop-dead gorgeous. I’ve always secretly had a crush on him, not that I ever let that be known or would dare to. He glares at me with his pale blue eyes lined with thick, long lashes, his blond hair falling into his eyes. Then he jabs me in the chest with his finger.

“Sienna, what the fuck are you doing here?” he growls at me. He is a Lycan, which is vastly different from a werewolf. They’re stronger, faster, and deadlier; nevertheless, Toby is actually a decent guy.

“I was trying to get to Tasha’s,” I tell him as he moves to pull me inside the club.

“You shouldn’t be out after dark!” he growls at me angrily when the werewolf man grabs my arm.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he purrs, and Toby spins around. A threatening growl leaves him, and the man backs up with his hands raised.

“Touch one of my employees again, and I will fucking skin you alive,” Toby tells him.

“Woah, sorry, bro. Didn’t realize,” the man stammers.

Toby drapes his arm across my shoulders, tugging me inside.

Many eyes are cast our way as he leads me inside the club and toward his office.

They drop their gazes quickly after one growl from Toby.

When we reach the back of the club, the music slowly begins to drown out, and I glance over my shoulder when we stop.

He stuffs me inside his office, and I back up when he growls menacingly.

The door slams loudly behind us, and he twists the lock into place.

“Are you suicidal? You know better than to be on the main drag, Sienna!” he booms loudly. I cringe; I’ve never been in trouble with my boss, but I’ve definitely found his angry side tonight.

“Stay here, don’t leave this fucking room. I’ll try to find a cab to send you home in that doesn’t have someone who will try to God damn eat you! What were you thinking? You know better, especially with who your parents were!” he snarls angrily, shaking his head.

I flinch at the reminder. My family is famous for being traitors to the king, and I was lucky to find this place to hire me.

As soon as anyone saw my ID, it was a no!

No one wants to hire the child of the man and woman responsible for killing the queen’s sister.

If it weren’t for my uncle, I’d be dead along with them.

Luckily enough for me, he was babysitting at the time.

What they did has permanently damaged my reputation, and this is precisely why I must leave this city.

Toby growls when I don’t answer and snatches his cell phone off his desk.

He points to the sofa, and I chew my lip.

“Can you call Tasha, please? I can’t go home.”

He eyes me for a few seconds, then tilts his head to the side. “Why not?” he demands, but I shake my head.

“Fine, I’m sending you home, then,” he tells me, and I lean back on the sofa and groan. His eyes flick to me briefly before he starts dialing the number for a cab when a knock sounds on the door.

“Crap, he’s early!”

“Who is?” I sit up in alarm, my eyes staring at the door.

“Just Mal. He owns the blood bar across the road. He’s meant to be dropping supplies off and picking up the invoice.

I hate dealing with him, but my supplier is out,” he says, stalking toward the door.

My eyes widen, and I remember what my uncle said earlier.

Racing toward him, I grip his arm, and he looks down at me, giving me a questioning look.

“I need to hide,” I whisper, and he seems taken aback by my words. He points to the door, and I nod.

“How much does your uncle owe him now?” Toby growls angrily. I shrug, not knowing. I just know he owes him. Toby grits his teeth, and the muscle in his jaw twitches.

“Sofa now! I’ll handle it!” he snaps at me, and I stare at the heavy wooden door nervously when Toby gives me a shove toward the sofa and then points at it. I drop my gaze and wander back over to sit, wondering how much trouble I’ll be in.

He mutters something under his breath and opens the door.

“Mal, you’re early,” Toby tells him, motioning for him to enter.

I peer up, taking in Mal. He’s scarily handsome, and his cheekbones are so high any model would envy them.

The light beard shadowing his face does little to take away from how clean-cut he looks in his immaculately tailored suit.

His dark hair curls softly around the collar of his shirt as he drags his fingers through the strands.

Immediately, he sniffs the air, and his dark eyes move to me, widening a bit as he takes me in.

“New toy, Toby?” he questions.

“Employee, I was about to send her home,”

“Won’t find a taxi driver this late who won’t dine on her; I can take her if you want. I recognize her scent. She is Sven’s niece. I need to speak with him about settling his debt, and I was about to head over there to pick her up, anyway.” Mal shrugs, and my heart rate picks up.

“How much does he owe this time?” Toby asks while Mal wanders around his office, gazing at the pictures on the wall.

“About eight hundred,” Mal states like it’s no big deal.

“Eight hundred? That’s it. I’ll cover it then and drop her home,” Toby tells him.

“Thousand!” Mal says, and Toby stops.

“What?” Toby and I say at the same time.

Mal shrugs, “He placed her down to cover it, so I will drop her home to collect what belongings she needs. We will need to stop at my home first to collect the trade papers. I only have the buyout contract on me.”

I jump to my feet. “Trade papers?” I shriek, and he turns to me with a sly smile.

“Yes, love, you belong to me now,” Mal states, and my gaze snaps to Toby, who is staring at me in horror.

“Wait, Mal. She’s barely nineteen,”

“She’ll fetch a higher price then!” he shrugs, clearly uncaring. My heart beats like a drum in my chest, and my breathing becomes harsher. My uncle placed me down as collateral! He sold me!

Toby steps forward and shouts, “This is wrong! She’s not a slave!”

Mal turns to him, his face twisted in anger. “She is now. I have the contract. You can do nothing about it, Toby. I don’t know why you’re getting so upset over this human. She is easily replaceable.” Mal pulls out a wrinkled piece of paper from his pocket.

Toby snatches the paper and then glances down at it for a moment before he crumples it up in his fist and tosses it to the ground. “No! I won’t let this happen! You can’t do this, Mal!” His voice is strong and filled with conviction as he steps forward and places himself between Mal and me.

Mal’s eyes widen, and his mouth forms an ‘o’ of surprise.

Then he regains his composure. He laughs loudly, a cruel sound that echoes in the small room.

“You think you can stop me? I have all the power here. I think you forget how much you owe me too, Toby. The girl is mine now. If you have problems with that, you can shake her uncle down for what he owes; however, she is leaving with me.”

Toby stands tall and meets Mal’s gaze without flinching. “I will not let her be sold and turned into a fucking bloodwhore, or prostitute!”

Mal tilts his head to the side and clicks his tongue in annoyance. “You like her,” Mal accuses. Toby quickly shakes his head while I chew my lip nervously, my heart racing.

“No, she is an employee,” Toby quickly defends.

Mal laughs sinisterly. “So you keep saying, yet you’re willing to cut all deals off with me and start a war; I would say otherwise,” Mal chuckles. His dark, eerie eyes flick to me.

“If you can pay the debt she owes me, you can have her back. Until then, she is mine,” Mal snarls, stalking over to me and ripping me off the sofa by my arm.

I cry out in pain, and Toby moves toward me, but Mal shoves him away.

“Remember your place, Toby. Fight me on this, and it will be your last fight,” Mal reminds him before he pulls me out of the door.

My heart races as I’m dragged to the corridor, and I glance back to see Toby watching from the doorway, with an indecipherable expression on his face before he turns and slams his office.

Mal hauls me outside into the street before shoving me toward one of his men, who seizes my arm and leads me across the road to another club.

He pushes me through the blacked-out doors and into the club.

I scan the smoke-filled room, my heart racing.

The place is dimly lit, and the air is filled with the sickly scent of blood.

I have never been to this club before, although I heard the stories.

It’s a blood bar where the vamps come to feast on their prey.

Glancing around, eyes watch me. People are dancing on the dancefloor under the strobing lights, and girls with chains around their ankles dance on poles attached to tables.

At the same time, vamps look up at them as if they’re the tastiest treat they’ve come across, and the half-naked girls are covered in bite marks, their eyes vacant as they sway their hips to the beat, their skin pale and clammy.

Suddenly, a hand grabs my arm and drags me forward into the main club area. I wince as the cold grip tightens around my arm, and I stumble forward as I am led out the back of the club to an office before being pushed hard onto a chair at a table in the center of the room.

Mal talks with one of his men about organizing his driver to wait at the side alley to pick us up while I stare vacantly at the wall, shocked at what has become of me. Only mere hours ago, I was excited because I was finally escaping the city, and now I’ve been sold off to cover my uncle’s debt.

“What about Prince Xandros? He’s been waiting in the VIP section for you. He doesn’t look happy.”

“He was supposed to stop by tomorrow, not tonight,” Mal states, and the man who dragged me into the room shrugs.

“I guess he must have plans. I can tell him you’re not here.”

“No, it’s fine. Grab the money from the safe and tell Sally to send him down to my office. I’ll deal with the prince first and then deal with this mess,” Mal tells the vampire man, whose gaze goes to me before he smirks.

“Very well,” he states, striding out and leaving me with Mal, who exhales loudly as he turns to me.

“You better make me my money back, or your uncle is a dead man,” he tells me.

“Can I trade him for me?” I ask.

Mal chuckles. “I’d have to pay someone to feed off that piece of garbage, so no!” He laughs when the door opens.