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“I can’t believe Declan sent us on a wild goose chase,” Nolan said. “We’ve been wandering through these woods for, what, six hours?”

“Seven,” I answered without looking back at him.

“Oh, that’s much better,” Nolan answered dryly.

Ignoring him, I slowed to a halt, glancing around. “I don’t think we’ve checked that way yet,” I said, nodding east.

“Nolan’s got a point, Will,” said Chris. “I think we’re allowed to stop after a certain point. Jameson told Declan there might be a trafficking ring around here, not that it was guaranteed. And we haven’t seen any evidence of it anywhere.”

“I still think they send us here for their own amusement,” Nolan said. His red hair looked like it was on fire as the setting sun peeked through the canopy of trees overhead.

“You know Declan wouldn’t do that,” I said.

Still, I had to admit that, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, Nolan and Chris both had points. Our alpha, Declan, had told us yesterday that he had gotten wind of a trafficking ring, a tip from the leader of the retired Silver Wolves, a black-ops group. As such, the Gold Wolves, designated only “semi-retired,” had gotten the job of searching for it. Chris, Nolan, and I were supposed to search for it, find out what we could, and try to eliminate it if possible. The information was scant, and the other Gold Wolves had to stick around town to run things. So, I’d offered to lead the mission and brought Chris and Nolan along with me. I had expected to find something by now that could point us in the right direction, but so far, nothing had emerged.

“We’ll look for a bit longer,” I said. “You guys check that way, and I’ll check this way. We can meet back here in an hour. If none of us find anything by then, we’ll head back to town and report it to Declan.”

“Finally, the man sees sense,” Nolan muttered. I let out a growl, and Nolan held his hands up. “Only joking. We’ll meet you back here in sixty.”

They departed through the brush. I turned and went my own way. As I moved through the woods, keeping alert for any strange scents or unfamiliar voices, my eyes darted all over, looking for anything that might be a meeting place. It didn’t make sense. If there were a trafficking ring going on around here, we would have seen some evidence of it. A structure to keep the slaves in, or at least some sort of house or building for the slavers to operate out of. Since starting, I hadn’t seen anything that looked remotely suspicious.

The only thing that stood out of place was the scents. Even if there wasn’t any sign of anyone, I kept catching whiffs of stale scents. Nothing particularly fresh or trackable, but I could have sworn I smelled dozens—if not hundreds—of different scents, as if people wandered through these woods constantly.

I saw tracks in the soft dirt that suggested similarly, and even something that might have been a path. Except when I followed the path, hoping I might be able to finally catch a break, I just wound up in a random clearing.

Taking a deep breath, I turned and headed back to the rendezvous point. It wasn’t until I had almost gotten back to the meeting point that I heard a group of voices somewhere to my right.

“The women there are supposed to be drop-dead gorgeous,” one voice said. “Like nothing you could ever believe.

“Expensive, though,” another grumbled. “It took nearly a hundred grand just to get the location of the damn portal.”

Portal? I thought, brow furrowed.

“All worth it,” the first voice said. “Seriously, they’ve got all kinds there. I hear they’ve even got witches.”

I moved silently, following the brash voices. After a moment, I saw a group of four shifters walking at a fast pace, glancing around but not bothering to keep their voices low as they talked about the type of women they were interested in getting. This was it, then.

I looked in the direction of the rendezvous point, chewing the inside of my lip as I debated. Chris and Nolan would be getting back soon, but if I turned back now after finding a solid lead, the entire mission could be scrapped.

Not wanting to wait for them to return, and not wanting to give up our one clear lead to our goal, I moved forward through the woods, following the group. My ears pricked as I listened.

“Supposed to be somewhere around here, isn’t it?” One of the guys asked.

“Think so. Though I’ll be damned if I know where. It isn’t as though the instructions were particularly clear.”

“Can’t imagine why,” a third drawled. “What are you planning on doing once you get yours?”

“Who says I’m planning on stopping at one?” the first one said, earning chuckles from the other three. “I’m not stopping until I have a whole harem. I’ve got the money for it.”

“Think you’ll have to put your money where your mouth is there,” said the third. “And I’m pretty sure you’re going to have some stiff competition.”

A snort echoed from the fourth shifter. “Yeah, pretty sure some of the guys in there have got more money than you’ve ever seen.”

“You guys are just jealous you’ll have to use the pits to even have a chance at getting one,” the first said.

“Stop acting like an expert. You’ve only been there the one time,” the second one hissed. “Speaking of, where the hell are we supposed to go?”

“Now you need me,” the first said. “It’s right around here.”

I watched as they took a step forward and vanished.

I stared, my mind trying to reconcile what it had just seen with what it knew about physics. Because there was no way what I had just seen was real. And yet, the next three men vanished in a similar fashion. I remembered what that one guy had called it: a portal.

Magic , I thought as my wolf snarled. We’re actually dealing with magic. Either that, or I’ve gone insane.

Looking behind me, I didn’t see a sign of Chris or Nolan. My ears pricked as I waited, wondering if they would emerge. But there was nothing but the sound of the wind through the grass, scattering the dead leaves as I waited.

I couldn’t wait around for them. I would have to go take care of this on my own.

Stepping into the clearing, I wandered closer to where they had vanished. As I did, the hair on the back of my neck prickled. My wolf growled, sensing something was off. I paused.

Part of me said to wait, to go back and get Chris and Nolan. In terms of protocol, it was the thing to do. But protocol wasn’t always the same as getting the mission done. If I didn’t act now, didn’t try to find out what had happened to these guys, I’d miss my opportunity.

I couldn’t just leave. I had a mission to do. Even if Nolan and Chris weren’t here, I had to keep going. I would do it myself if I had to. Once I knew more about what I was dealing with, I could come back for them.

My mind made up, I stepped forward again, my hand outstretched. And a moment later, something jerked me forward, off my feet, and I was gone.

It felt like I was being squeezed and compressed. I could barely breathe as something tugged right behind my navel and jerked me forward like I was on a string. Hues of purple and gray swirled around me as I fell forward.

It seemed to last for an eternity, but it was likely only a handful of seconds before the sensation stopped and I could finally inhale again. I opened my eyes, blinked, then squeezed my eyes shut again, because what I was seeing didn’t make sense.

I was in the alley of a city, cobblestone paths beneath my feet. The sky overhead was a pale purple. Despite the light, I couldn’t see the sun.

My head spun around as I tried to figure out where I was. When I looked behind me, I had to stop myself from doing a double-take.

A giant, swirling portal stood behind me, purple and gray and black twisting inside.

“Magic,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. “Of course.”

I didn’t have much experience with witches. Some liked shifters, others didn’t. We had one near town we went to when we needed help with something, and the Gold Wolves had gone up against rogue or overly ambitious ones once or twice, but beyond that, not a whole lot. It explained why they had been so elusive. Shifters working with witches wasn’t common, but when they did, the results could be fairly nasty.

I licked my lips, glancing back at the portal again. I could walk back through it. I’d probably end up in the same space. I could grab Nolan and Chris, and we could run through. But there was no guarantee of that, or that I would be able to find the portal a second time.

So, taking a deep breath, I cracked my neck and walked down the street. Dozens of shifters ambled about, some in groups, others on their own. I wandered around, studying everything as I tried to get my bearings. I kept my face impassive as I moved through the crowd, eyes darting from side to side as I kept stock of everything.

The first thing I noticed was that the ratio of men to women, at least at first glance, was one to two. The second was that all the women had their heads bowed down, and they had black collars wrapped around their throats. Several of them had chains dangling from them, leading to the hands of one of the shifters wandering through.

My jaw clenched, and I tried not to let my fingers curl into a fist. I knew what to expect when I came here. Seeing it out in the open and so brazen was another thing entirely. My eyes swept the area, keeping an eye out for anything I could use.

A flash of brilliant red snagged in the corner of my vision. I glanced in that direction, then did a double-take as I saw the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen.

Her red hair fell between her shoulder blades. Her shirt, tight against her body to complement the slight curves, barely reached past her breasts. Her skirt was closer to a strip of fabric, concealing only the bare minimum, showing off her long legs.

She was barefoot and in shackles, her wrists and ankles all chained and connected to one another. One forearm had a thick band wrapped around it, some sort of elaborate bracelet.

The sharp features of her face, with high cheekbones and impossibly large eyes, enhanced her beauty. Instead of keeping her head down like the others, her head remained up as those wide eyes scanned the area, burning as her lips formed a thin line. They landed on me.

For a long moment, we just stared at one another. Her eyes narrowed as she bared her teeth at me. I had no doubt that if she weren’t restrained at that moment, she would have leapt forward and tried to tear me to shreds.

That intrigued me more than I would have expected.

The man leading her by another chain attached to a collar jerked her forward, forcing her to continue moving. Her gaze broke from mine, and the spell was broken. I was left standing in the middle of the street like an idiot, gaping after her.

My wolf tugged inside me, wanting to get closer, to follow her. Right now, that woman consumed all his thoughts in a way I had never experienced from him. And I couldn’t lie and say I didn’t feel that same pull.

I hesitated as I tried to decide what I was going to do. I wanted to follow her and see where she was going. But I needed to keep up with the mission. I couldn’t just wander around after a gorgeous woman because my wolf kept tugging after her.

You don’t have any other leads , I told myself as justification. For all you know, she’s the best option you have .

Part of me doubted the logic of that statement, but I didn’t particularly care at that point. I had to follow this woman. I couldn’t explain why, but I had to.

I dipped through the crowd, keeping my distance, making sure I didn’t lose track of her. Her red hair was like a beacon, and I followed her and her handler past a large town square with a wooden stage at one side—I tried not to think about the implications there—and down a few more streets. I stopped when they did. The shifter guiding her spoke to a man lounging by a wall. The two of them laughed while the red-haired woman stared straight ahead. The man jabbed his thumb down the street. The handler nodded, tugged at the chain, and pulled her past the man.

Pushing forward, I caught sight of them just in time to see the man opening the door and pushing the woman inside. Letting out a low snarl that I barely realized I was giving, I stepped forward, only for the man who had pointed them this way to step out in front of me and hold out his hand.

“Sorry, only slaves and handlers past this point,” the guy drawled.

My mind raced as I tried to come up with some excuse that might get me around him.

“I want to buy one of them,” I said. It was the first thing I could think to say that would be a reasonable excuse.

The man laughed. “You must be new here. That’s not how it’s done. At least not for this lot.” He jerked his head behind him to the general area where the man and woman had gone. “If you want the normal auction, that’s back up the street you came. The big courtyard a few streets over.”

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, “Why’s it different here?”

“These are a cut above,” he said. “Prettier and more skilled, if you know what I mean.” He waggled his eyebrows.

I wanted to punch the asshole in the face, but that would only compromise me. As much as every inch of this disgusted me, I had to play along.

“That certainly sounds more up my alley,” I said with a grin. “How do I get one of these?”

The man sized me up, studying me. “You might cut it. Worth giving it a shot if you’re interested.” He pointed behind me. “Go around this building. Talk to the guy at the entrance. He’ll get you set up, if he decides you’ll put on a good show. Tell him Den sent you.”

I had no idea what the hell he was talking about with “a good show,” and I didn’t particularly care. I nodded and walked away.

Following his directions led me to a bored-looking shifter lounging at the front door. No , I realized after a moment. This guy wasn’t a shifter. He didn’t smell exactly human, but there was no way he was a wolf, either. A witch, then.

I came to a stop in front of him. He was examining his nails. When he finally deigned to look at me, a borderline disdainful look spread across his face, as if I were the biggest inconvenience he had ever encountered.

“Can I help you?” he drawled.

“Den sent me,” I said. My head was still swimming with thoughts of that woman. Where was she? Was she still okay?

The man looked me up and down and gave an amused quirk of his lip.

“Yeah, I can see why he would do that,” he said. He raised an eyebrow. “Are you interested in a girl?”

“Would I be here if I weren’t?” I asked.

Tilting his head, he gave a more genuine smirk. “Probably not. But I’ve never seen you around here, either.”

“First time,” I said.

“Congratulations,” he said. He flashed a dazzling grin, straightening for the first time. “Welcome to the Underside. Always happy to meet new faces.”

“You run this place?”

The man barked out a laugh. “Hardly. That’s Cain. He’s too busy to come wandering around to check out all the operations going on down here. We’ve got the brothels, the auction block, the pits… he’s busy enough without coming to oversee this, which is why he has me. I’m Lucas.”

“Will,” I said, glancing around.

“How’d you find out about us?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Not gonna lie, you look more than a little out of place.” He didn’t bother hiding the vague accusation in the words.

I shrugged. “Just a bit disoriented. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I went through the portal. Definitely wasn’t expecting purple skies.”

Lucas chortled. “Yeah. Cain has a flair for the dramatic. Still, I like the shade I managed to come up with.”

So he was deep in the inner circle, then, if he had anything to do with building any part of this place. He glanced back at me, tearing his gaze away from the night sky. “How’d you hear about us?” he repeated.

“Friend of a friend of a friend,” I said with a shrug. “Asked him where he got his new bride, and he pointed me this way.”

Lucas’s brow creased, his head tilting. “Interesting. Most of our happy customers know not to blab about us,” he said, his tone still light and conversational. However, an edge of accusation had snuck in around the edge, as if he didn’t fully believe it.

I shrugged, rolling my eyes. “He’s never been great with keeping secrets,” I said. “He’s not dumb enough to go blabbing to anyone important. But I’m not here to talk about him.”

He chuckled. “I like your style. I always appreciate people who know how to be blunt. Anyway, you’re interested in a woman? I’m pretty sure we can help you out.”

“Great. In that case, how much?”

Lucas laughed, the sound deep and hearty. “You don’t buy women here. If you want to spend money, then go to the auction block in the town center. Though the girls aren’t nearly as fun.”

“I prefer the feisty kind,” I said.

Once again, he sized me up, raising an eyebrow in interest. After a moment, he seemed to come to some sort of conclusion.

“You seem like the type of person who can hold their own,” he said. “All right, why the hell not? Normally, we have a sign-up sheet, but it’s a bit of a slow day. Come on in.”

He jerked his head inside the building. Nodding, I followed him through.

We entered a bare room. Somewhere beyond, I could hear excited murmuring, a loud sound that seemed to rumble through the stone. I glanced around at the empty room, one eyebrow raised as I glanced over at Lucas.

“Where are the women I can pick from?”

Lucas laughed. “You don’t get to pick your girl here,” he said. “It’s luck of the draw. But promise me, they’re all worth it. You’ll be happy.”

Something prickled up my spine. Slowly, I started pacing the small room, glancing around, looking for signs of danger. Something here wasn’t right. I just couldn’t figure out what it was.

“When do I give you the money?”

Another laugh from Lucas. “You don’t buy the girls here. You can go for the auction block for that.”

I frowned, slowing to a halt. “If I’m not buying the girl, what do you get out of this if you’re not getting paid?”

“Oh, we get paid,” Lucas said. “We make more money from one round of betting than we do on the general auction.”

“Betting on what?”

He laughed. “Den really didn’t tell you anything, did he?”

Frowning, I folded my arms as I studied him. “Apparently not,” I growled. “So why don’t you go ahead and clue me in?”

Lucas let out a deep laugh. “You’ve got some spirit, I’ll tell you that.” He clapped me on my shoulder. “You’re all right. I like it when shifters make a stand. All right, I’ll give you the basics. You don’t pay in cash here. You pay by putting on a show for everyone else. You wanna get a girl? You gotta fight for it.”

As if on cue, a loud roar of cheers and boos reverberated from somewhere off to one side.

My mouth dropped open. Everything clicked into place at once.

“It’s a fighting ring,” I said.

“Now you’re catching on,” he said, laughing. “Come on, let’s get you ready.”