Chapter 1 Sold

The man’s laughter became deeper revealing his dirty tobacco stained yellow teeth. “There’s no turning back. I have paid two thousand dollars to your aunt and uncle.” He brushed his knuckles on her cheek. Penny felt disgusted, even creepy. She swatted his hand away. “And I am gonna make a good profit selling you in the best brothel in the town. You should fetch me a cool ten thousand dollars, eh?” Penny’s skin prickled with goose bumps. Blood drained from her face and her body stiffened. She stuttered, “A— Are you insane?” Did this man just kidnap her? “Stop being scary and t— turn back to the village.” She couldn’t believe what he blurted. “My aunt and uncle would n— never do that,” she said unbelievingly. Scared as hell, she trembled on the inside. It was her eighteenth birthday and her aunt had gifted her with a truck—truck that this man was giving her a test drive in. Was this all a ploy? Paul laughed sinisterly and hit the accelerator further down. The truck sped on the highway. “Then you betta believe it, lass” he replied in a cold, business like voice. “This deal was made two months back and we waited for your eighteenth birthday, so that they could say that you ran away with me making an adult choice.” Penny’s eyes bulged. She pressed her hand to her mouth. It was true. He sounded serious. “Jesus!” She stared at the man and then slowly turned to look at the road. They were speeding. This was a nightmare. The unknown was unfolding in front of her at a rapid speed. The betrayal was unfathomable. Realization hit her like a tsunami. “T— This can’t be!” Fight and flight reflexes kicked in. She lunged at the man to stop him from driving, but he backhanded her and she fell to the other side with a sharp pain on her cheek. “Stop the truck!” she yelled and attacked him again. Paul screeched to a halt. Penny opened the door immediately but it wouldn’t open. She banged her hand against it. “Why isn’t it opening?” she cried desperately. “Because it has a child-lock.” Saying that Paul caught her hair brutally and yanked her towards him. With full force he hit her across the face and her lip split open. He snarled, “If you do that again I am going to be worse,” and once again punched her badly on the eye. Excruciating pain made her see stars in her vision. Penny screamed for help and tried to attack the man, but he assaulted her more. He kicked her savagely and she had a searing pain that clawed through her entire body. Would she leave this place alive? Suddenly she felt as if she was being dragged. She felt weak in her body, felt hopeless fighting a burly man like Paul. No longer she could open her eyes, which were now swollen. Her last sight was a man standing above her with frenzied eyes. He turned her on the stomach and tied her wrists with strings so tight that they almost dug in her flesh. “A virgin would get me so much more!” She could hear him through her agonized, numb state. He tied her legs as tightly as her wrists, got up and kicked her hard, jostling her over on to her back. “Bitch!” he spat, wiping the blood off his cheek. He kicked her again and her mauled face shoved against the cold steel of the truck, and excruciating pain emanated from her body in stifled groans. He left her only to return with a rug to cover her body—a thick stench ridden rug that made her want to puke. He was covering his prize, his crime and his loot. Minutes later the truck started back on its journey. She didn’t know how long she was lying bound and gagged, but as the truck jerked on a dirt road Penny cracked open her eyes. Her limbs were freezing with cold and her body was shivering with fever. She didn’t know for how long she was unconscious. Her lips pained and the right eye was swollen to the point of being closed. She turned her head to look up and saw the cloudless night sky that was dazzling with thousands of brilliant stars. Another jerk and a sharp pain shot through her stomach. Blood pooled in her mouth. She coughed it out. Dizziness enveloped her and she passed out. From a distance she heard happy, excited voices that sounded like church bells. She tried to scream for help but once again blood came out on her lips. When she woke up again, she couldn’t scream, couldn’t move, and only listened. A conversation between Paul—her abductor—and a strange voice—a man who was haggling her price. “Come on Paul, you are asking for a lot of money this time,” he said. She heard sounds of notes, shuffling. “She is a virgin, eh? And just turned eighteen. Eh? I am not bluidy gonna sell her for a penny less, eh?” Paul said sipping country made brew. His voice was slurry. “She is in an awful state! No buyer would take her like that. So I won’t give you a penny more,” the buyer bargained. “Besides she needs a lot of medication.”“She is a wild cat, eh? The bitch is a wild cat. She pawed me, ‘ere, see? What could I do? She wanted an escape and I tied her, eh?” he wanted to kick her more with anger rising again. “You should keep your anger in control Paul!” said the buyer and bent down to clear the golden tresses off the girl. Her beautiful face was a pulp but he knew that with the right medication she would be fine within a week’s time, just time for him to sell her in the market for the finest price. “No one can control their anger with her. She’s a feisty one, eh?” he backed and started laughing. He drank the whole brew in one go. “I myself had problems in zipping my pants for her, else I would have plowed her.” More laughter. The buyer examined his prey intently and then brushed his hands over her cheek. “She is a fine lass. I’ll give that to you.”“Oh she is! We waited for two months. Her aunt is a good business. Her uncle is an asshole. We planned it well!” Paul filled his pitcher with more brew. “Ten thousand dollars it is!” said the buyer. “After that, be gone. If I see you anywhere near her or this area, I am going to eviscerate and hang you in your guts. Paul shuddered, knowing fully well what the buyer meant. Maxim was one of the most dangerous men in the region but dealt fairly in his trade of women. He owned several brothels and not everyday his brothel received virgin blondes. This one was indeed a bounty. “Ten thousand dollars it is and you have my word,” said Paul and gulped his brew while eyeing Maxim who was busily investigating Penny’s body. “What’s her name?” he asked, his eyelids growing heavy when he traced her sumptuous breasts. “Penny.” Maxim smiled and then got up. He bellowed with laughter when he gave the notes to Paul, counting them twice and then in the end said, “Not a penny more!” --- Prince Ludwig Drozdov shot up awake in the middle of the night bolting upright from the haystack he was sleeping on in an animal barn he had hidden in. He gazed around the barn, which had the usual cattle—sheep, lamb, pigs, cows and chickens. Though Ludwig had his shares of nightmares, tonight he was not having any. But the sleep was snatched from him when he heard a soft whimper, a muffled painful groan of a female. Thoughts replaced by anxiety, he depended on his Lycae sense to pick up the sound, but there was nothing. Even the animals were sleeping peacefully. As the moments passed he grew all the more restless. Dread crossed his heart. It was like an empty feeling that settled in his heart. It bore no resemblance to his usual life—the fun-filled days in his kingdom, Renada. He jumped out of the haystack. With a hand on his chest and brows drawn, he inspected the barn to see if the sound had a source or it was figment of his imaginations. But there was nothing. The town was shrouded with dark cloudy night and it was about to rain. The unease didn’t ebb. He went back to the dry haystack but sleep eluded him. He closed his eyes but a faint moan kept him awake. Tomorrow he would kill those who stood in his path. He was this close to attaining his prize, his gift to be given to his betrothed, Princess Zoe Belova—a necklace, said to be seeped with powers beyond imagination. This was the only gift she asked for, for him to marry her, to bed her and claim her as his wife, his trophy. She was half witch and half sorceress. A woman so powerful that people gave her a god-like status. Together with her, he would rule the kingdoms.

Chapter 2 The Brothel

Almost nine centuries old, Ludwig had waited for his mate. He had frozen into immortality at the age of thirty-one. Since then he had been like the stones, which quietly endured the age. His beta, Tova, a Shaman, had prophesied that he would soon find his wife. He had said that his mate would be a queen who would bring kingdoms to him and would be worthy to rule the world with him. His Shaman had directed him to Zoe, the princess of the second most influential kingdom in the Laycae land—a woman who was approved by his family. And it happened that night, when he spent it in the woods with Zoe. She convinced him that she was his mate because only she was the most powerful woman in the whole Lykae plane. He pledged to her that he would marry her. But she had set her conditions. She wanted the necklace as a gift for her marriage. And Ludwig—he would do anything to get it. Just to marry her, just to claim his mate. Ludwig was a merciless assassin and a trained warrior. Lykae were the most powerful in the world of fantasy and he was the King of Lykae. He would do anything for his mate. Ludwig couldn’t sleep at all that night. It had been seven grueling days of killing, tricking, dodging and hiding from his enemies and he knew that he was about to find the necklace. The man who knew the place where it was kept was owner of brothels across several towns inhabited by humans. And Ludwig hated humans, he hated being with them, their mere scent frustrated him. They were lower beings, incapable of protecting themselves. Right now he was in a village, which was full of rowdy people—the village hillbillies. Oh how he loathed being here. But he would do anything for Zoe, his love, even if that meant being here with these loathsome creatures, or sleep in a barn. “Damn it!” he cursed, picking out a hay from his raven black hair. He had been hiding in this barn for the past three days. His source had told him that his contact will be arriving here for a trade. Ludwig knew what trade. The bastard sold women to make money and forced them into prostitution. Well, that was the least of his worries. All he needed was to ask him the location of the necklace and he would be gone away from here, forever—away from the species he hated the most. From three days he was subjected to pathetic village food, horrible brew and sick buxoms who ogled at his lithe, muscular body like hawks. Only one more day, and he would be gone. “Patience Ludwig,” he muttered. He had to meet Maxim today. The problem was that his contact had said that it was impossible to get a meeting fixed with Maxim, so he had to take his chances. He also said that man was dangerous as hell, but then he had never come in contact with Ludwig. Perhaps he didn’t know the meaning of danger. Ludwig’s hands itched on the dagger’s hilt that he was carrying on his belt. He had to force his way into one of the two brothels of the town to locate him. So for the past two days Ludwig had been observing and reading the movement outside the two brothels. The security around them was crazy. It had to be, considering the fact that these people protected their women like hell. And now that Maxim was coming to visit the brothel, perhaps with his new possession, the security of one of the brothels only increased. That was the place Ludwig zeroed in to attack. His plans were set in his mind. Wearing a leather jacket over his bare chest and black leather pants, he zipped himself up to the neck and walked out of the barn. It was 6PM and he needed food. The soft whimpers kept him awake all night and he was irritated. He had circled the barn, the farm and even some area outside only to find the source, but there was none. As he neared the brothel, his discomfort grew a notch higher. He rubbed his chest to ward off the emptiness. He walked to the tavern right in front of the brothel where the security had increased. Being a busy night, the place was lively with activity. Boisterous laughter and tinny music came from inside. The lights outside shone brilliantly and men were seen hovering outside. The place had limited entry, which meant that it was exclusive. Better. With less people Ludwig had greater chance of attacking Maxim, of extracting information from him about the necklace. He sat down in the far, lonely corner, aloof from the prying eyes. A brunette appeared. “What can I get for ya?” Wearing a shirt that was closing just above her nipples and a skirt that was as good as not being there, she was painted like a doll. Little did she know that she looked hideous. She leered at him as she leaned forward on his table. “Anything made from chicken,” he replied and waved her off. Her scent was killing his nostrils. “Some liquor? Meadà?” she asked, swaying her hips. That was the country made liquor the locals loved. “Ok, get it,” he said, staring in her eyes. When she didn’t leave, he added in a menacing tone, “Buzz off!” The girl gulped at his lethality and walked away from there immediately. Ludwig’s eyes settled on the entrance of the brothel. He saw a group of four men walking inside. Moments later when the girl kept the food on his table, she noticed him watching those four men. She said, “Maxim is getting fresh meat today. I hear that she is a virgin, hot blonde. And those four are her buyers.” She chuckled. “Imagine getting your pussy punctured by four men for the first time.” Ludwig shrugged. None of his problems. The girl left. He chewed upon a piece of chicken and gulped down the pitcher of Meadà. However, this was a vital piece of information. If the buyers got busy with Maxim, his chances to be with him would become even lesser. He had to act quickly. On an impulse, Ludwig got up from his place and strode towards the brothel. A plan formulated in his mind instantly. Why was he staggering so much? He cleared up his fuzzed mind and walked to the entrance of the brothel. Immediately the men out there stopped him. He staggered a little more and then almost fell forward. The men grabbed his collar and it took two of them to make him stand, but accidently a purse fell from his pocket. It’s loose string opened as soon as it impacted the ground and the contents chinked out – gold coins. Ludwig gathered himself and started to collect those as the men gazed with greedy eyes. When he rose to his feet, he told them in a slurry voice, “I am a b— buyer for the f— fresh meat.” They looked at each other. Perhaps a last minute entry and a loaded one. The girl was indeed popular. They allowed him the passage to Maxim. He smiled at all of them as he walked inside with daze. A man accompanied him and took him to a small room. He left him over there and walked back. On the way he informed the in-charge about the new entrant. Ludwig gazed around the room—his Lykae sense working overtime. He had staged a good show on the outside. Foolish mortals. They loved the sight of gold, of money. The room was painted in a light blue and the only solitary window that it had was draped with a black curtain. All of a sudden the same moan filled the atmosphere, this time only loudly. He shot up to his feet. Like a trapped animal, he ran from one wall to the other and pressed his ears to trace the source. The painful whine was accompanied with a sob. It killed him from the inside. —Protect her— His claws jutted out uncontrollably. He wanted to rake the walls of the room with his claws and reach the source of the agony. “Who is there?” he asked. No answer. His world rocked as if he was hit with a seismic sea wave, when the sobbing sound increased. He heard someone fighting against the iron chains, perhaps manacles. Not able to contain himself, he opened the door of the room open. Outside, the men and women looked at him as he walked tall amongst them. When they saw his claws, he heard shrieks. “Shit!” he said to himself. His gaze focused on the sound. It was coming from a room on the right. He sprinted to that room and banged it open. His pursuit of interest was sitting right over there, shackled in chains, her golden hair falling around her bare shoulders, her silk smooth skin exposed in the scanty dress. She looked up at him with blue eyes filled with tears. —Protect her. His instincts cried—

Chapter 3 Escape

She was so beautiful that his breath hitched. He was struck by lightning. He saw her pixie-like features, with high and defined cheekbones, an elegant jawline and a plump chin. And those swollen red lips, they were suited for a siren. Her heart-shaped face was something he could immerse for eternity. She was sitting with her knees up against her chest as her hands were tied on her back. Penny scrambled back to the wall as she stared with fear at the man in front of her. Her mouth went dry when she looked up at him in his onyx eyes that seethed with anger standing out against the black hair that fell loosely over his head. His body was muscular and the torso was rock hard, as if carved out of stone. The abs and pecs were defined to perfection. His raven black hair, almost as back as night spread on the center of his chest and they trickled to a line that trailed down to his navel and lower. Those broad cheekbones only added to his manly charisma. She stared at the sheer handsomeness of the man and found her hatred for him waning. Jezus, the man was so… beautiful. He was so masculine, so macho that she could stare at him for eternity. She whimpered. He growled and her reverie broke. She shook her head to come off the stupor. She pressed her back to the wall and with her lower lips quivering said, “Who are you? Please don’t do this with me.” She closed her thighs tightly. They had made her wear a red bandeau and a skimpy black skirt that did nothing to cover her legs. A black lacy thong was visible on the inside. She wrestled against her shackles, ready to kick the man if he tried to come near him. Looking at the girl’s black lacy thongs made Ludwig’s senses go blank for a moment. His fangs grew longer. “Stay still girl!” he growled at her as he started to walk towards her. —Protect her at all costs— —Mine— She screamed when she saw his long claws that jutted out of his hands. What kind of an animal was he? “Go away!” she shouted. Hearing her screams, the security came running to the room. Shocked at the sight in front of them, the two men pointed their guns at Ludwig—their hands trembling with the gun. “Who are you?” asked one of them. “Put your hands up!” They wanted to capture him so that no harm was done to the girl. She was Maxim’s prized possession and they couldn’t take a chance to smear her with blood. She was worth over thirty thousand dollars for the night. However, before they knew what happened to them, Ludwig attacked. Gunshots were heard. A painful scream and a bulky body fell on the floor with its neck punctured deeply. Next instant, another spineless body crumbled in front of Penny and she shrieked. “Quiet girl!” Ludwig hissed at her. Another guard came in and Ludwig held him by his throat and snapped him like a twig. The guard’s body fell on the heap of the other two. Penny gave him an incredulous stare. Was he protecting her or about to kill her? Without delay, Ludwig rushed to her and slashed her manacles. Holding her firmly by her arms, he yanked her to her feet. Electricity sparked on his skin and he shivered. “Leave me,” she quivered against his touch. Electricity cruised through his body when he touched her. It was so strong that he could feel his shaft going hard. She pushed against him to break free but he had an iron grip. He shook her until she was standing quietly next to him. “Please don’t do anything to me,” she pleaded. “Shut up!” said Ludwig, realizing that this girl had ruined his plans to meet Maxim and extract the information about the necklace. He wanted to dump her but his instincts were clawing him from the inside. His wolf had stirred up inside after a long time clawing his mind. He wanted to suppress the beast inside. And her luscious body that was scantily dressed wasn’t making it better. Her scent flooded his senses crazily. As for Penny, her eyes were wide open with fear, seeing the monsters with claws and horns in front of her. Who were these people? Next moment Maxim walked in with an ominous growl. There were three more guards behind and the four buyers who had already deposited money. He blocked the way and crossed his hands against his chest. His gaze traveled to Ludwig who was holding the girl’s hand and had shoved her behind him. He narrowed his eyes and said, “Leave the girl, else I am going to gut you with my horns.” A demon. Maxim was a demon who had successfully hidden his horns under his thick mane of long hair. As tall as Ludwig, the demon was only a shade less muscular than him. His bulky frame covered the door. Ludwig grunted. “Hello Demon.”“What are you here for, werewolf?” he asked. The men behind him looked at the two with wonder, as they talked in puzzles. Demon? Werewolf? “You have cost me fifty thousand dollars. Give this girl to me and I am going to let you live,” threatened Maxim. Ludwig laughed. “You and I have business to talk. And no this girl is mine.” Penny looked up at the back of the man in front of her. “Business?” Maxim smirked. “I don’t do business with werewolves.” Because he knew they had mates. “I only talk if you have money. And today you have ruined my business. You will have to pay a heavy price for that.” Saying that he stepped forward. Extending his hand he gritted, “Give that girl back to me.” Ludwig tilted his head. “No!” There was mad rage in his eyes. “I will buy her from you. What is her price?” He asked. Maxim gave a bitter laugh. “She is equal to forty thousand dollars every night. She is my slave for life!” Ludwig took out the purse with gold coins and threw it at him. “There! Now she is my slave for life!” Maxim caught the bag, opened the string and his eyes shined with the glitter of gold. He laughed like a madman. “This is becoming interesting.” He looked up at the Lycae. Then he bared his teeth and directed his men, “Kill him! I am going to earn that extra fifty thousand dollars as well.” He stepped back and allowed the men to enter who leapt at him together. Shoving the girl away, Ludwig ducked down, clawed the first one in his stomach and then took the remaining two by piercing their neck so quickly that they didn’t know when they died. He threw the two of them towards the window with a yell that sounded throughout the brothel. The glass of the window came shattering down. The four buyers warned Maxim to return their money and scrambled off. As for Maxim, his eyes became glinting yellow, with a murderous rage. “Let us go!” said Ludwig. “And I will spare you life!” He was so irritated by himself. This was his chance to know about the necklace for his betrothed and all he was doing was murdering men because of this stupid mortal. He hated mortals with all his might. Maxim laughed. His horns were straightening. Suddenly he attacked the Lycae, head first. Ludwig held his horns and they crashed on the wall a few feet away from Penny and the plaster of the wall splintered. In the next few seconds, Maxim had clawed his opponent giving him deep gashes on his arm. The Lycae’s leather coat was tattered and blood was oozing out. He lowered his head to dodge Maxim’s punch and slashed his thighs sending a wave of pain through his body. The demon bawled and was about to pierce his horns in Ludwig’s neck when his body froze mid-action. Maxim staggered back holding his neck, which was bleeding profusely from the back. Ludwig freed himself and shoved him away. He looked at him with wonder and saw a huge glass shard that had penetrated his neck. The little girl was holding it in her bloodied hands, balancing the weight of the demon somehow. Her eyes were bloodshot with rage. She muttered, “Die, you bastard! Die!” Ludwig rushed to her and removed her hand from the shard. He pulled her to his right and then held the shard. Before the demon could turn, he twisted the glass in his neck. Blood gurgled out and the demon collapsed on the floor. Penny stared at the demon with blank expression. She had just murdered someone and her body trembled like a dry leaf. “I— I have killed him.” Her mind stuttered. Taking no more chances, Ludwig dragged her out of the room and the brothel. Men and women saw the two of them, all covered with blood, sprinting out of the brothel. So much bloodbath had taken place that no one dared to stop them or say a word to them.

Chapter 4 Leave Me Alone!

Penny ran behind him, trying to keep up his pace, staring blankly at his back, completely dazed about what happened just now. Was he her savior or he had bought her from Maxim? Was she going to be his slave now? Who was he? She thought she was going to pass off again. Blood from her mind drained down when she thought that this man was going to keep her as his sex slave. She passed out. Feeling her go limp behind him, the Lycae growled “Human!” She was on the floor. And the next moment she was lugged on his shoulder. He loped towards the jungles. He was agitated as hell being at a serious loss. He was now without information he needed so desperately, for which he had been waiting for so long and on top of that he had a liability—a human. As Ludwig ran through the jungles with Penny on his shoulder, his senses were taking their toll. His eyelids were growing heavy as his left hand curled around her thighs to keep her in position on his shoulder. He could inhale her sex that was right next to his nose and all he wanted to do was bury his nose there. This was the most bizarre moment of his life. No matter how much he thought that he would dump her somewhere safe, he only ended up taking her further inside the jungles, towards his domain, towards his kingdom. ‘She is going to me my slave,’ he had said that to the demon. And he was going to make her his slave for life. She had been such a distraction to his mission. He was so close to getting the information from Maxim about the necklace, and now—now he didn’t know what to do. Maxim had surely become his sworn enemy. He would never tell him the location and at what cost? - For saving the human, the weak human, who was now a burden to him? His other hand’s claws dug into the palm and he almost pierced the flesh. He was so angry with him, with her, yet her smell drove him… mad. It was the smell of blades of grass and mist. He was overwhelmed with sensations he hadn’t known existed. His muscles flexed and he picked up the speed. Gods, she was… beautiful and exquisite. He ran for a long time with her and slowed down when he was in the safety of the familiar surroundings. Moments later, he spotted a creek whose water gurgled around the small stones that pebbled its floor. He saw a patch of clear grass near a small pool of water where the creek stopped for a while before meandering further down. Ludwig walked up to that clearing and slid her down his body slowly. Her bandeau lifted a little showing the lower part of her breasts and he hitched a breath when they touched his skin through his tattered jacket. He placed her down gently and stood up. When he looked at her sprawled across the grass, he gulped. Her rosy lips were parted slightly. The silk smooth marble skin had black and blue marks, which angered him crazily. The crane-like neck dipped to the most beautiful collarbones he had seen and further down— his mind became blank all over again. Her sumptuous, round breasts shaped beneath the bustier through which her nipples could be seen easily. His gaze traveled to her long shapely legs and the short mini-skirt that she was wearing. It was doing nothing to hide her black lacy thong that covered her crotch so sexily that he had to do everything to stay in control and not claim her. Wait. What? Claim her? Where did that thought come from? Frustration sprang up. What would Zoe tell him? He had thrown away that little chance of marrying his mate soon because of a weakling. “I am sorry Zoe,” he muttered. He turned his gaze away from Penny and walked to the pool. It had been three days of careful planning gone to waste because of one silly decision. He kicked a stone on the ground, which flung and settled inside the pool. Ludwig sat beside the pool holding his head and fisting his hair in disappointment. “Ah Gods! What have I done?” he roared. To cool off his anger, he took his clothes off and dived in the pool, naked. He submerged himself under water for a long time to reflect on the past. But one thing was sure—the mortal had to pay for what she had done. He would make her his slave for the rest of his life. He would make her his wife’s slave for the time she lived. He had wasted so much money on her, and now he would reap the benefits of it. --- When Penny woke up, her vision was blurry. She looked up at the hazy sky. It was cloudy. She pulled herself up to a sitting position as nausea washed over her. She realized that she wasn’t in the brothel and relief washed over her. Then she turned her gaze around and she found herself deep somewhere in the middle of a jungle. The thick dense Sitka spruce and cedar trees were cloaking the sky as they formed a canopy overhead. A creak was flowing nearby that pooled in a place. The water of the pool was so serene that she felt like diving in. Where was the man with claws? Her buyer? Did he dump her here in the middle of the forest and run away? A shiver ran down her spine. She gathered courage and pulled her up on her feet. Her clothes were so scanty that she blushed looking at herself. Penny stumbled towards the pool with a strangled cry. Where would she go from here? She was all alone and absolutely nowhere to go. From the frying pan into the fire. She closed her eyes and tears burned her throat. In a week’s time, her life was upside down. She neared the pool and lowered her legs in it. The water was so balmy and soft, so welcoming that it seeped her tension away. Warm breeze caressed her face and it soothed her. She lowered her body in the pool completely. It was heaven. She didn’t want to think about the future as of now. She closed her eyes, dipped her head in the pool and immediately came out. She walked further inside when all of a sudden, the water on the surface rippled and a man emerged. “You!” Penny scrambled back and lost her balance, falling again inside the pool. When she stood on her feet, she found him staring at her. She tried to walk away from him in the waist-deep pool but her legs were like logs. They didn’t move. The man was naked, revealing a body she had gaped at. And his erection was so huge that she gasped. He closed in on her with a clenched jaw. He looked so dangerous that she stepped back. “Stop!” she rasped. “You bloody mortal!” the man bellowed and took long strides to close on her. He held her by her arms and hurled her away from him. Penny landed on her side almost to the other end of the pool. Her head reeled again and she thought dizziness was taking over. But she shook her head. ‘Stay awake Penny else he would take advantage of you.’ She shook her head to clear the dizziness. She got up to her feet. The monster was coming near her again. He was so much more bulky and lithe. She could see that his tendons strained in his neck. His irises were glowing onyx. His chiseled face still had the marks of blood and so did his torso. Was he naked? Penny closed her mouth with her hands. “Don’t come near me,” she said in as intimidating a tone as she could. This can’t be happening. “Human, I promise you that I am going to give you severe punishment!” Why was he so angry? He just saved her. Why did he save her? Nothing fitted. He lunged at her and held her with her throat. His strength was freakishly inhuman. “I will make you my slave!” She held his hand and struggled to get out of the grip. When he left her, she started to cough, gasping for breath. Slave? She should have been afraid of him, but all she felt was fury rising within her. When she became steady she said, “I don’t want to stay here. I will leave you now.” Saying that she started to walk out of the pool. How dare this man try to snatch her freedom? The man yanked her back holding a bunch of her golden hair that was wet. “You will not disobey me, human!” Penny was aghast. She held her hair to save herself from the pain and said, “What the hell are you doing? What do you want? Leave me alone!”