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Staring up at the same ceiling for hours on end wasn’t exactly the most engaging form of entertainment. After some time, you get to know every crack and every slight change of shade like the back of your hand. But that was about the only thing I had been able to do since we’d been dragged down here, however long ago that had been. At least they hadn’t bothered putting chains on us while we were stuck in cells. They probably didn’t think any of us would try anything.

It seemed they’d been right. Ever since they had thrown each of us into individual cells, I hadn’t heard a peep from any of the other girls I’d been sold alongside.

I bit my lip, letting my fingers run along the cool stone, wondering if any of the other girls had been sold yet, and whether or not they were okay.

Our former slaves had dragged us to the Underside a few days ago, looking to turn a tidy profit. I’d heard about this place. Every slave had. The slavers who grabbed us typically used it as a threat. “If you don’t want to be sold to Cain, you’ll shut your trap and do what you’re told,” or “Do you want me to take you to Underside?” It was a rather effective threat. The Underside was effectively a city of slavers and guys who were looking for slaves and brides, with half a dozen different ways to get them, from brothels to the auction block to the fighting pit. I didn’t know where I was destined to end up yet, and I didn’t particularly care. I was going to get out of here. Both of us were, my sister and I.

My wolf paced restlessly inside me. I felt bad for her, being cooped up like this. The last men hadn’t been too bad. They had let us shift and run through the woods as long as we were flanked by at least two guards. They used some of us to hunt. Here, I hadn’t even bothered trying to shift in the cramped cell just to let her out. She’d hate it.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. Was Morgan okay? I needed to find a way to check on her, but so far, there hadn’t been any sort of opportunity.

The small slot at the base of the door slid open. I watched from my scratchy cot as the guy—another shifter, based on the stench—shoved a metal tray across the floor. It hit the foot of the bed. The grimy apple rolled off and thumped against the wall.

“Dinner,” the guy said.

I stayed motionless as I tried to peer at him through the barred window. “Where’s my sister?”

He blinked, his brow furrowing as his head tilted. “What are you talking about?” he asked, sounding genuinely confused.

Anger bristled through me as I glowered up at him. “So you’re stupid. Do I need to spell it out for you?”

An angry snarl erupted from the other side of the door. A key slid into the lock, and the door burst open. A hulking, fuming shifter marched toward me. I hated the fact that I shrank back against the wall as he stalked over, leaning over me.

“You’ve got some mouth on you for a slave,” he snarled. I could smell his musk. It clogged my nose. Had he showered in the last month?

He moved closer to me, grinning and showing yellow teeth. “Do you want me to show you how slaves should put those mouths to use?”

I kept my mouth shut, fully aware of the dangerous territory I was tiptoeing into. My stomach twisted and turned with unease. I bristled with rage, and I wanted nothing more than to tear his throat out.

But I managed to keep still. I may have had an impulsive streak, but I at least knew how to keep my mouth shut when I needed to.

He stared down at me, waiting to see if I would answer. When I didn’t, he gave a nod. A triumphant smirk playing on his lip, he straightened.

“Keep that attitude in line,” he said. “Or I’ll make things a lot less pleasant for you.”

He spun on his heels and marched back out the door. He slammed it shut behind him and marched away.

I collapsed on the bed, trying to tell my limbs to stop trembling as I took several deep, shaking breaths. As I did, a tiny voice emerged in the back of my head, pointing out something that I had missed the first time around.

I hadn’t heard him lock the door behind him.

I straightened, heart pounding. He hadn’t locked it? There was no way. Was there?

Slowly, I walked over to the door. I waited, listening for any sounds. When I heard nothing, I tried the door.

My stomach lurched as it swung open.

Eyes widening, I took a step back on instinct, half-expecting it to be a trick. But nothing happened. No one burst into the room, or grabbed the door and slammed it shut while making threats. Nothing. It had been a genuine mistake.

I stepped to the doorway, sniffing. The guard had left; I couldn’t catch his acrid scent anywhere. Tentatively, I stepped outside, emerging in a deserted hallway filled with rows of metal doors. Each one, I knew, had another woman behind it. Some shifters, some witches, some both, all from different backgrounds, all of us stuck here.

I couldn’t do anything for them right now. I had to move. Once I was free, I could come back.

Despite the urgency, instead of heading toward the exit, I went in the opposite direction. I sniffed, searching for a specific scent, one of rosemary and burning incense.

I came to a stop in front of one door as the scent grew. Heart pounding, hoping she was okay, I walked over and peered into the barred window, only to see a young woman a couple of years younger than me pacing back and forth in her cell, staring down at the floor.

“Morgan,” I whispered.

Morgan’s head shot up. Her eyes widened as her mouth dropped into a soft O . I let out a deep breath. I’d been worried she would be hurt, but she seemed all right. She looked healthy, her auburn hair clean, still falling in its normal ringlets. They’d dressed her in clothes that complemented her curves. At least these creeps looked after their slaves.

“Kendra?” Morgan hurried over to me, a mix of disbelief and worry spreading across her face. “What are you doing here. How did you—?”

“Questions later,” I hissed, glancing around. I didn’t know how much time we would have. If anyone did come, we wouldn’t be able to fight them. We had to hurry.

I glanced down at the lock. It was magic-proof. I knew because I’d tried at least once a day on the identical one on my own door. I found a ring of keys dangling on a hook nearby. The guards here were cockier than a lot of slavers I’d been passed to. I guessed they didn’t expect any trouble. Well, they hadn’t accounted for me.

Keys in hand, I raced back to the cell and tried key after key until one slid in the lock. The door swung open. The instant it was clear, Morgan flung her arms around me. I did the same, holding her tight, relieved to be near her again.

“Are you okay?” I asked, looking her over. When Morgan nodded, I said, “Great. Let’s get the hell out of here before someone else shows up.”

I grabbed her wrist and dashed down the hall.

“Do you have a plan or anything?” Morgan asked as we hurried, trying to be as fast and quiet as possible.

“Don’t get caught,” I retorted in a whisper.

I glanced at the other locked doors, and guilt squirmed inside me. I hated having to leave the other girls here, but I didn’t have a choice, not if I wanted to get out. Once we escaped, I’d find someone to help. They wouldn’t be here for long. But they would be if the slavers caught us.

“Not much of a plan,” Morgan pointed out.

“Not much time to come up with one,” I countered. “I saw the opportunity, and I took it. Otherwise, there’s no telling when we’d have the chance again.”

Morgan didn’t respond. I knew I’d acted impulsively, maybe even recklessly, and that there was a chance this could all blow up in my face. But what the hell was the other option? Stay in the open cell and get a pat on the head from the slavers, who’d laugh and point out how we didn’t even bother trying to get away when we had the chance because we knew it was useless? And eventually get sold when they figured the time was right? Not a chance.

“Let’s find a way out of here,” I said. “If we can get out of this place, then we can find the portal out of here.”

There were a dozen things wrong with that plan, and we both knew it. We also knew there were no other real options at the moment. It was either be a little reckless, or give up and resign ourselves to our fate.

My wolf urged me to shift, wanting to stretch her legs and get out. Except it would draw more attention, and Morgan would have to ride on my back. The less conspicuous we made ourselves, the better.

I held up my hand and muttered an incantation. I felt a trickling warmth run down my body, and I knew we were vanishing from view, turning invisible. I could still see Morgan, who was under the same enchantment, but no one else would be able to see us. I jerked my head, and we began slinking down the hall.

We moved slowly, neither of us making a sound. I didn’t know how much time we had. Guards made the rounds every hour or two, so if we were lucky, we could get out before they realized what had happened. Or at least we might if I could get my bearings. I had no idea how large this place was, or how long it might take to get out.

Commotion and cries echoed behind us, and dread sank in. Our head start was up. They’d figured out we were missing.

My arm wrapped around Morgan’s wrist, and the two of us sprinted. This place was massive. How the hell was I supposed to get us out of here?

Probably the point, an annoyingly unhelpful voice whispered in my head. I ignored it.

I rounded the corner and came to a halt. Two guards stood at the other end. My breathing shallowed, and I prayed they hadn’t seen us and we could get away. Except one of them sniffed and turned their head toward us. His eyes narrowed.

“Over here!” he yelled, charging toward us along with his partner.

We spun on our heels and ran back the way we had come, turning down a different corner this time. God, this place was a maze. I had no idea how close we were to an exit, much less if we were even going in the right direction.

From the other end of the corridor, a wolf barreled toward us, fangs bared as he snarled, stalking toward us. My own wolf snarled internally, wanting to break free. But even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. I couldn’t hurt him or any of the other guards.

Then another wolf came from behind us. And a third. Heart thundering in my throat, I pulled Morgan against the wall. We shrank back, hoping that they assumed the scent was old and would move on.

All three wolves turned toward us, snarling as they formed a semi-circle around us, blocking our escape. Several guards, still in human form, raced to fill the gaps. We were trapped.

One of the others, not in guard uniform, strolled forward. “We know you’re there,” he said. “Make it easier and show yourself.”

A wolf snarled, his jaws snapping inches from my wrist. I flinched, but stayed invisible and silent. Our smell might have led them here, but if we didn’t reveal ourselves, they couldn’t be certain.

Unless they bite , an annoying part of me whispered.

We stayed silent, the only option we had, even as we both knew it wasn’t going to do either of us any good.

The man let out a melodramatic sigh and flicked his wrist, almost bored. A rush of warmth like a hot summer breeze brushed against me. With dread, I felt my own spell lift, and Morgan’s as well. The man grinned, looking directly at us.

“Nice try,” he said. The smile vanished. “Now come on.”

Two of the guards who hadn’t shifted stepped forward and grabbed our arms, one for each of us. They pushed us forward, down the hall. The wolves flanked us, making it impossible for us to make a break for it again.

Eventually, they came to a stop in front of two large doors guarded by two hulking shifters. They leered at both of us. Morgan shrank back while I glowered up at them. Then one of the men flanking us shoved me in the back, forcing me forward. I staggered forward through the doors and into a massive room with vaulted ceilings and gilded columns, the most ostentatious display I had ever seen. It would have been disgusting if what I saw at the far end didn’t send a chill racing through me.

A hulking shifter lounged on what could only be described as a throne. Unsmiling, he watched us with a piercing intensity. His dark hair was cut short to his head, and he had broad shoulders and a massive chest. He straightened as we approached, not saying anything.

My breath caught, and I tried to conceal the anxiety running through me. I didn’t need anyone to tell me who we were looking at.

Cain, ruler of the Underside. A shifter and a notorious slaver who had managed to stay beneath the radar and build this empire using witches he had befriended.

I stared at him. He stared back. Then he tore his gaze away from me to glance up at Lucas, one eyebrow raised with interest.

“These two decided to try and escape,” Lucas said to the unasked question.

“Is that so?” He turned his attention to us, genuine curiosity behind the threatening tone. “And how did you manage that? Those locks on your cell are magic-proof for a reason.”

“I told you we should cut off their magic entirely,” Lucas said. He fell silent the instant Cain shot him a glare.

“Their new owners like to see a little show before they buy, as I’ve told you,” he growled. “On top of that, most of them are too afraid of the consequences to even consider something like that.” He turned back to regard us. “These two appear to be an exception to the rule.”

He stood and walked toward us. Next to me, I could see Morgan trembling out of the corner of my eye. Guilt gnawed at me for putting her in this position in the first place. I should have protected her better.

When Cain stopped in front of me, my eyes rose from his massive chest to look at his face. He had an old, faded scar that ran along his hairline. Up close, I couldn’t escape the piercing blue eyes. He looked at me with both annoyance and amusement, but every inch of him radiated authority, a shifter used to being obeyed without question.

“How did you two escape?” he asked me.

I didn’t answer, instead staring straight ahead as if I couldn’t see him, as if I wasn’t terrified by him. My wolf bristled and bared her fangs, but I could tell she was trying to comfort me at the same time. She could sense my fear, even if I refused to let it show.

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. His eyes flashed.

“Well?” he snarled.

I didn’t answer. He let out a tsk as he released me.

Moving to Morgan, he said, “Are you going to tell me how you escaped?” he asked. His growl sounded like gravel and grated in my ears.

Next to me, I saw Morgan trembling, but she stayed silent, even though none of this was her fault. She wasn’t going to rat me out. I wanted to reach out and take her hand, but I knew none of the guards surrounding us would let my arm get halfway there.

“In that case, I guess we’ll have to give you some incentive,” he snarled. He looked to the side. “Thresh? Get Ronan. Tell him to bring his whip.”

My stomach lurched. Ronan was the head guard, the one in charge of most of the slaves. I’d encountered him once before and had no desire to deal with him again. He was ruthless and terrifying, almost as much as Cain.

“We’ll start with this one,” he said, coming to stand in front of Morgan. He stood too close to her, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face. “Maybe that will convince you to listen to orders.”

Rage and panic raced through me at the same time. Ronan would eat Morgan alive. She wouldn’t be able to take it, and she didn’t deserve it. I couldn’t let Morgan take the fall. Not for this. Not when none of this was her fault beyond listening to me.

“One of your guys forgot to lock my door,” I said, staring straight at Cain. His head whipped around. “Your men need to be more vigilant.”

He stalked to stand in front of me, mercifully forgetting about Morgan, at least for the time being. As long as she stayed safe, I didn’t care what happened to me.

“So you’re the instigator,” he drawled.

“Technically, the guy who left my door open was the instigator,” I said.

Grabbing my chin, his fingers squeezed as he turned my head first one way and then the other, as if examining a horse or some other sort of livestock. Which, to him, I was. When I didn’t flinch or try to get away, he released me.

“Name,” he barked.

I stayed mute.

“Answer me when I speak to you,” he growled.

“Say please,” I fired back.

He chuckled, but the rage still burned in his eyes, and I knew I’d pissed him off. “You’ve got some fight in you,” he said. “I know a few men who would pay good money for you. They like breaking the feisty ones. But you’re forgetting your place, slave .”

“Do whatever you want,” I said. “I don’t particularly care.”

“Oh, I’m not going to touch you. I don’t think that’s going to keep you in line,” he said.

The smirk he gave made my blood curdle. He leaned forward so his lips were inches from my ear, his breath brushing against my skin and blowing my hair back. Despite the proximity, he spoke clearly enough for everyone to hear.

“But I will go after your sister here.”

My eyes went wide as panic rushed through me. I took a step back in shock. Cain grinned as he saw the reaction.

“You don’t know she’s my sister,” I said, trying to bluff and already knowing it had failed.

The grin widened. “You could have run on your own and likely have a much better chance of getting away. But you broke her out as well. Even if you didn’t look similar, that would have been enough to tell me everything I needed to know. Now, are you going to cooperate and tell me your name, or am I going to have to make you watch your pretty little sister get hurt?”

“Kendra,” I spat without a second of hesitation, scowling up at him.

He gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “See? Now, was that so hard?” he asked. Not waiting for an answer, he turned his attention back to Morgan. “And your name?” he asked her.

“Morgan,” she said after only a second’s hesitation.

I hated the way he leered at her. “You’re a lot more docile than your sister, aren’t you?” he said.

Morgan looked away and down at her feet. “I guess,” she muttered.

He circled the two of us. I couldn’t see him, but I could feel his eyes on me as he looked the two of us up and down, sizing us up. I stood motionless, only hoping that I could get Morgan out of punishment.

Eventually, he came to stand in front of us once more. His eyes flicked over Morgan, lingering on her face, then turned to me, head tilting as that stare seemed to dig into me.

“Get Ronan,” he repeated.

Thresh disappeared through a side door. We waited in silence. Before long, a large shifter with graying hair stepped into the room. He was the type of man who seemed to take up twice the amount of space.

He glanced from me and Morgan to Cain, giving a polite bow of his head to the latter. “Who was the guard on feeding duty this week?” Cain asked, his voice dangerously conversational. He sounded like he was only talking about the weather.

Ronan didn’t fall for it. His eyes narrowed. “Damien,” he growled. “Do I need to teach him a lesson?”

“I think anyone dumb enough to leave a door unlocked so one of our slaves could get out is beyond help, don’t you?” Cain asked, his voice still with that unsettling, conversational tone to it.

Ronan blinked, but that was the only sign of surprise he gave. But I could tell from the way his shoulders tightened and his fists clenched that he was almost as furious as Cain.

“I completely agree,” he said. He turned, probably already planning on acting on his boss’s plans, but Cain stopped him again.

“Not just yet. I have something else for you to do first,” he said.

Ronan stopped and turned back around, watching, waiting. I turned to look back at Cain. The smirk playing on his lips and the way he stared down at me made my blood turn cold. I didn’t know what he had planned, but whatever it was, it was going to be bad. I waited, barely breathing.

“Lucas, I think it’s about time these two are separated,” he said.

My world crashed around me. I could barely breathe. He couldn’t do that. I couldn’t let him. Morgan was too sweet, too timid. I had to look after her. She couldn’t handle this on her own.

“No,” I said, my voice dry. “Please, don’t.”

“Now she says please.” Cain laughed. He came toward me, leaning forward and bringing his lips to my ear once again. This time, he whispered, only for me to hear. “You made your weakness too obvious.”

He stood before me could even register the words. By the time I had, Cain had turned toward Lucas. He gestured at Morgan.

“Take her away,” he ordered Lucas. “You can guess where.”

With a curt nod, Lucas moved toward Morgan.

“No,” I said, stepping forward, wanting to stop him. I hadn’t even taken half a step when strong arms grabbed my shoulders and jerked me back. “No, don’t. Morgan!”

“Kendra!” Morgan shouted, but she was moving with Lucas, obeying his commands even as she turned to look over her shoulder at me, her eyes wide and desperate and frightened.

I fought, knowing that it wasn’t going to do any good. I screamed and thrashed, trying to worm my way out of the guards’ grasp even as I knew it was useless. All I could do was watch my sister get farther and farther away.

Then the door closed, and my sister was gone.

My legs trembled, threatening to collapse underneath me. My sister was gone, taken somewhere I couldn’t get to her, and it was all my fault. My breath went shallow as my mind spun, reeling in panic. I turned toward Cain, not bothering to hide the rage any longer. My wolf howled in fury, as protective of our sister as I was.

“Where are you taking her?” I demanded.

“Away.” He shrugged. “That’s all you need to know. Think of this as an incentive to behave yourself,” he said. “As long as you remember your place and don’t stir up any trouble, your sister will be safe. Try and be more demure.” He smirked, his eyes glittering with malicious amusement. “Like your sister.”

Rage washed over me, and my wolf howled in anger, wanting to tear him to shreds. But even if that wouldn’t immediately result in Morgan being punished for my actions, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t attack him or cause harm to him in any way. The bracelet clamped around my left wrist burned at the very thought.

Cain must have seen the look in my eye because he just laughed. “Good girl,” he said. “Keep that anger of yours in check, and don’t try to escape, and your sister will be fine.”

Of course. That was what he wanted. Me to be good, knowing anything could happen to my sister at any moment.

“And what about me?” I managed to get out, my throat dry.

“I mentioned there would be men who would love to break that spirit of yours,” he said. “I think I’ll send you over to them. You’re too pretty to waste on the general auction, anyway.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant, not at first. Then he turned to Ronan and said, “Take her to the fighting pits first thing in the morning. I think she’ll make an excellent prize for one of our winners. In the meantime, I think she can spend one final night in the cells so she can think about how she wants to behave from now on.”

“Yes, sir.”

Fear, for myself this time, jolted through me. I took a step back into the guards without thinking. Before I could say a single word, Ronan had grabbed me and was dragging me out of the room.

Cain watched, staring after me, that amused smirk still on his mouth until the door slammed shut, blocking him from view.