Bait Read online

  “One down,” the auctioneer shouted into the crowd. “Let’s hope there’s not too many more, or we won’t have any slaves to sell.”

  The Trads brayed with laughter, and I bristled, every muscle in my body bunching with tension. I knew not all the Trads were like this. There were many who could see the dangerous and threatening route their kind had been on for many years now, and there were those who wanted to see change. Sometimes it was hard not to hate them all, especially when I was bearing witness to this kind of behavior. But I’d been here before and knew how to conduct myself without drawing trouble. I’d gone weeks at the facility with no one suspecting anything, simply by doing what I was told.

  What was going to come next was somewhat out of my comfort zone, however. Instead of keeping my head down and doing my best to blend in with the background, I needed Polityk Borys to notice me if I was going to get him to bid on me so I could go with Tara.

  The auctioneer walked along our row. “You, you, you, and you.” He picked us out, shoving our shoulders to show we were the ones who’d been chosen. “Winner is the last one standing.”

  Another Athion eyed me warily. “What does he want us to do?” he whispered.

  I squared my shoulders. “He wants us to fight.”

  The Athion’s eyes widened. “What? Each other?”

  “Yeah.”

  Others had overheard our hissed conversation, and worried glances passed among the captives. I wished I could say something positive to reassure them all, but I couldn’t. In an ideal world, we’d have all refused to fight, and stood, side by side, a united front to the merciless Trads, but this time I needed to get noticed. I was going to fight those who in another life would be my comrades.

  Besides, if we didn’t do what they wanted, we’d most likely end up shot, just like the Dhalut who had tried to run away.

  Maybe I’d be doing them a favor.

  Without waiting, I turned and swung my fist.

  The other slaves, and the women beyond, sucked in a collective breath of shock. In the crowd, the Trads cheered.

  The other Athion reared back in surprise. I hadn’t hit him anywhere near as hard as I could have, but it was enough to leave a dark-blue mark across his cheekbone. Even though I’d told him we were expected to fight, he hadn’t seen that coming.

  He was quick to respond, though, and balled his shoulders, lifting both fists to come back at me. I wished I could tell him how sorry I was, not only for punching him, but that we were both in this situation in the first place, but I had to keep my mouth shut.

  I ducked, his swinging fist skirting the top of my head, and then jabbed up with my left, catching him under the chin. He staggered back again, barely managing to stay on his feet.

  I cast a quick glance up to where I’d spotted Borys in the gallery, looking down over the stage. He’d better still be there. If I was going through this for nothing, I’d be seriously pissed.

  But yes, he was in the same position, watching with a smirk of amusement on his face. Son of a bitch. I couldn’t believe I was going to have to observe Tara with him, if all this went to plan. It was going to just about kill me, though I knew it would be even worse for her.

  There was more than just two of us involved in this fight. I sensed someone come up behind me and quickly dropped down, swinging out my leg in a low, roundhouse kick. My feet were bare, and it hurt when they connected with the other alien’s legs, but it worked, and I sent him flying.

  Seeing me as the enemy all of a sudden—how quickly we turned against one another—the fourth jumped for me. He landed on my back, and I spun around, trying to dislodge him. An elbow from the Athion caught me in the face, throwing me backward, and at the same time, displacing the guy on my back. The blow stung, and I tasted blood, but there wasn’t time to focus on my injuries.

  Roars and cheers came from the crowd. I hated that they were enjoying the show, and that I’d played a big part in giving them what they wanted.

  We were all bloodied and breathing hard. I was fairly sure one of my back teeth felt loose, and I tried not to wiggle it with my tongue, hoping it would root down again.

  From out of nowhere, a fist caught me in the guts, doubling me over. I knew I couldn’t stay that way for long, though. Keeping low, I shoulder rushed the other Athion who’d hit me, lifting him off his feet and throwing him to the floor. He slammed into the floor hard, and I knew I’d winded him.

  “Enough, enough!” the auctioneer cried, amusement in his voice as he stepped between us, his hands outheld. “We don’t want to sell them with any lasting injuries.”

  More laughter came from the audience.

  I scowled and wiped my hand over my mouth, smearing blood across my jawline.

  The auctioneer grabbed my right hand and held it aloft. “And we have a victor!”

  I sensed Tara watching me, horrified at seeing me fight. I knew I’d always come across as the meek one, the one who shut up and got on with things, and now she was seeing a different side to me. I was an Athion soldier, a member of our military team the Custos, and I knew how to fight.

  On the balcony, Borys stepped forward and lifted his hand.

  “I’ll take the winner,” he declared, pointing directly at me.

  In the crowd, everyone cheered.

  Chapter Five

  Blood was smeared across Diarus’s face, and I couldn’t stop tears filling my eyes at the sight. Even though he’d won, I hated that he was hurt, and hurt because of me. The only reason he was getting himself sold was to keep an eye on me when I was taken to live with Borys.

  A sudden spurt of panic caught my breath. What if Borys ended up not choosing me? Diarus would still have to go with him, and it would have all been for nothing.

  I couldn’t let that happen.

  A couple of the Trad guards hauled Diarus away, and the next set of male slaves were ordered to fight. Without Diarus as an instigator, and having seen the bloodshed of the previous slaves, this group was more reluctant to fight. The auctioneer gave them a little encouragement in the form of his weapon, and the next fight started.

  I couldn’t watch, keeping my eyes averted. When the winner of the second round was declared, more Trads bid on the remaining slaves, and just like Diarus, they were each carted away to whatever fate lay ahead of them.

  Now that the male slaves had been sold, it was our turn.

  Though I was shaking with nerves, I made sure I stood a few inches ahead of the other girls. I wanted to get noticed, and even though I’d managed to make eye contact with Borys earlier, he could easily have forgotten about me in the excitement of the slave fight.

  Back on Earth, I’d been a Las Vegas croupier. I’d known how to handle a crowd, even when they were getting feisty. It wouldn’t have been unusual for a patron on a losing streak to decide it was my fault he was losing, even though we were playing a game of chance which I had no control over. Of course, we had security at the casino, but I always preferred to handle things myself. Most men could be distracted with a smile and a few flirty words from a pretty girl.

  I was also dexterous, and I was relying on that dexterity now.

  As I stepped forward, I moved my bound hands to the side of my dress, just beneath my armpit, and flicked the catch.

  The bodice of my beautiful dress gaped open. My breasts, which had already only been clinging to the inside of the dress through sheer willpower alone, now toppled from the front.

  My nipples crinkled and hardened to buds under the hungry gazes of the mob of Trads in front of me, and even though I was frightened and embarrassed, I didn’t miss that familiar tingle of arousal that pooled between my thighs.

  I sucked in a breath and quickly moved to cover myself up, but not before I’d angled my body in Borys’s direction.

  He wasn’t a young Trad, but he certainly wasn’t old either, and he was well enough in his prime to be affected by a pair of fair-sized bare tits when they were flashed at him. His chest rose, and he bit his lower lip.<
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  I’d certainly gotten his attention now.

  I sensed Zoe’s questioning gaze. Had she seen me undo the side of the dress? She’d be wondering what the hell I was doing if she realized I’d done this deliberately. I wished I could explain things to her, but of course, I couldn’t. My main focus was on making sure I got to go with Diarus. I felt as though the tables had turned. He’d been trying to ensure he came with me, but now I needed to make sure he hadn’t stepped into the lion’s den for no good reason.

  My stomach churned with nerves. Had I done enough to make Borys want to bid on me? There were at least twelve other women in competition with me, and they were all just as pretty, even if they hadn’t been put in an expensive dress and had their hair done.

  I wasn’t going to be the first they bid on.

  One of the other girls was pushed to the front. She was crying softly, and I wanted to reach out and hug her. Her pain twisted my heart. This was one of the women I was trying to help, this woman and all those thousands like her.

  “Let’s start the bidding at two hundred credits,” the auctioneer shouted out to the waiting Trads.

  A voice called from the crowd. “Two hundred.”

  A different Trad shouted this time. “Two-fifty.”

  “Three hundred,” came another.

  There was a lull in the biddings, then a fourth voice shouted, “Three-ten.”

  The auctioneer pointed to the Trad who’d bid. “Yours at three-ten.”

  Two Trads came up on stage and dragged the weeping woman away. I wanted to rush after them and haul her back again, and I clenched my fists to hold in my emotions, even as my vision blurred with tears. I could well imagine the horror she would endure over the days, weeks, and months to come. Her owner would rape her until she conceived his child, and then she would watch her body swell and change with the lifeform growing inside her. I’d at least been given an injection to ensure I wouldn’t be able to conceive again, so that was one part of the horror removed for me, but there was a good chance I’d still have to endure the first part.

  One by one, the women were pulled up to the front of the stage, and the auctioneer repeated his little performance. With each woman who was sold, my resolve to do whatever it took to bring down this regime strengthened. Though I would suffer, my suffering would be no harder than any of these other women. At least I was able to take some strength in knowing that not all was lost. There was empowerment in knowing I was doing something to help the cause, even if I was demeaning myself while doing it.

  So far, Borys had remained quiet, watching the auction.

  I hoped Diarus was all right. He’d been bleeding when he’d been taken off stage, even though he’d won. It must have been hard for him to fight one of his own like that. I was proud of him, though. He’d shown himself to be strong and fierce. He might not look as frightening as the Trads, but he was still someone to watch out for. I wondered why Borys would rather buy a slave with the ability to fight, than one who was weak and less of a threat. Unease churned inside me. I hoped the fighting wasn’t going to be a part of the reason Borys had bought Diarus.

  Zoe was dragged forward. She shot me a look I couldn’t quite read, and I gave her a smile of what I hoped was sympathy. Not that my sympathy would do her any good, however.

  “Check out this beauty,” the auctioneer crowed. “Young and fertile, if not willing.”

  He chuckled at that, and a red mist of rage descended over my vision. Fucking bastard.

  “We’re going to start the bidding at three hundred credits.”

  I noted that he’d started higher than with the others. Would he do the same with me? Not that it mattered. Perhaps that was just my own stupid vanity coming into play.

  “Three-fifty,” a Trad shouted from the crowd.

  Zoe flinched.

  “Four hundred.”

  The second voice had come from above, and my heart lurched. I lifted my head to see Borys leaning over the balcony railing.

  Shit.

  He’d bid on Zoe.

  A hushed whisper fell over the crowd, and no one else raised their voices to counterbid him. Even the auctioneer didn’t try to get a higher price. When Polityk Borys bid on something, you didn’t attempt to outbid him.

  Stupidly, I had never considered he might bid on one of the other women. I searched for Nad and Miko in the sidelines, hoping to catch a glimpse of them, so perhaps they could give me some idea of what to do now. I couldn’t see them anywhere, and my heart sank. They must have needed to make a move, had been drawing the wrong kind of attention, maybe. I felt their absence keenly but knew they had to do whatever they thought was right. If Borys had no intention of bidding on me, despite my best efforts, and making a show of myself, I should find a way to get out of here. Or would they let someone else bid on me and then try to find a way to get me out of a different Trad’s clutches? I didn’t want to go with a strange Trad—the idea frightened me even more than going with Borys—but I had to trust that Miko, Nad, and Aleksy had a plan in place.

  Some of the guards I’d seen standing with Borys on the balcony appeared on stage. They stepped forward and took hold of Zoe between them, and dragged her back off to join Diarus. Diarus had recognized Zoe, I could see it in his eyes, but Zoe hadn’t yet placed Diarus as being the same Athion slave who’d been at the facility. I guessed that was a good thing. It meant she wouldn’t ask any difficult questions about why he was here now. We didn’t want any of the Trads to overhear and link Diarus to the facility. We’d escaped from that place, and no one would assume we’d place ourselves straight back into captivity. They’d assume we’d be a long way from both the facility and the city by now, and not right under their noses.

  Strong hands grabbed my arms and yanked me forward. My stomach coiled and twisted into knots.

  It was my turn.

  Chapter Six

  The Trad auctioneer came to stand by my side.

  “Now, we have this pretty creature. I think we’ve all seen a little more of this young woman than we were expecting. Not that anyone is complaining, of course. It’s always good to try before you buy.”

  A chuckle rose among the crowd, and my face and chest burned with heat. I’d tried, but it hadn’t been enough, or perhaps it had been too much, and instead of noticing me, Borys had been turned off by my exhibitionism.

  Who would be my new owner?

  I scanned the audience for the face of my potential buyer. The Trads ranged in ages and sizes, some with heads covered in scales, while others showed more skin. Some had a bright-red hue, while others were more orange in tone. Their horns varied from short, spiky stubs, to long and curled, like those of a ram. But they all had one thing in common. They were all male.

  Bastards, I thought, trying to give myself some bravery by throwing out the insult to them, even if it was only in my head.

  “Let’s start the bidding at three hundred!” the auctioneer cried.

  A silence fell over the crowd, and for a moment I didn’t think anyone was going to bid. Would he reduce my price? Stupidly, I was embarrassed no one wanted to pay my starting price, but I was also relieved I wasn’t about to be sold to one of the many faces in the audience.

  Then a voice called down from the balcony.

  “Five hundred.”

  I looked up at where Borys had his hand raised, and my stomach flipped. He was staring right at me, and not at the auctioneer. I shriveled under his intense gaze.

  Had no one else bid on me because they’d all known he was going to? Perhaps they hadn’t wanted to step on any toes. I couldn’t be sure, but instinct told me that was the case.

  The show of extra money when it wasn’t needed was his display of wealth and power. He could pay almost twice the bid price, and it meant nothing to him.

  “Sold!” the auctioneer cried.

  I remained rooted to the spot as two more of Borys’s men marched toward the stage. They stopped either side of me, and took hold of my arms, laying claim t
o me. The two Trads ushered me over to stand with Diarus and Zoe. I guessed Borys didn’t want to leave just yet, and we’d have to wait until he was ready. Perhaps he thought there might be another slave he’d want to purchase.

  We stood that way as each of the women were sold, one by one, and finally the auction was over.

  What would happen to us now?

  I would be with Diarus and Zoe, at least. That brought me some comfort, though I was also uneasy about Zoe’s presence.

  Where were Nad and Miko? I wished I could see them, if only to say goodbye.

  This won’t be forever, I reminded myself. It would hopefully only be for days, or maybe weeks, depending on how long it took me to figure out how to get into Borys’s private quarters and for him to trust me enough to leave me alone, or at least for me to work out how to get in there alone.

  I hadn’t expected him to take more than one of us. I shouldn’t have been so surprised, though. After all, I’d already been warned about what kind of Trad Polityk Borys was. He had an army of wealth at his fingertips and was the one responsible for the facilities, and for keeping breeding women captive in this area, so of course he would have wanted more than one woman for himself. After all, a Trad could impregnate as many human women as he wanted, assuming he could afford to, which Borys clearly could.

  I cast a glance at Zoe, and she responded with a tight smile. Had I made her unsure of me with my little display on stage? She and I had bonded during our time in the facility, but I felt something had changed between us. I never expected everything to stay the same. We’d both been through a terrible trauma by being forced to give birth to alien babies, and it was only natural for someone to come out of that changed.

  Tentatively, I reached out my hand to squeeze hers—just as I’d done a hundred times at the facility when our pods had been side by side—but she snatched her hand away again. Was it simply that she was worried Borys would see us, or was there more to it? At least I had Diarus with me. The first part of our plan had worked, and we were both on our way to Borys’s living quarters, wherever that may be. I assumed it would be somewhere inside the city, but I’d never thought to ask.