Chapter Forty-Seven
Julian
I sit at a marble dinner table on a balcony overlooking the colosseum. Hordes of soldiers fill the bleachers on either side of me, all of them enthralled by twenty scantily-clad females dancing in the center of the ring—new recruits auditioning to be chosen by males for their beds and a chance to become a lifebond.
“You’re pleased?” Ava asks, sipping apricot nectar from a silver-stemmed glass, watching me from beneath half-veiled eyes.
I reach for her hand, pressing it to my lips. “Your ability to influence these women’s thoughts and feelings is nothing shy of amazing.”
She beams with satisfaction that lasts all of mere moments. “We are up to seventy women again,” she says. “Two of the new recruits are now lifebonds.” Considering she’d scaled back her fertility testing and has still managed to kill ten of her subjects, this number speaks highly of Tad’s recruiting efforts—if you can call luring women into captivity recruiting.
The crowd roars as the women finish their number and exit the stadium, music blaring through speakers as the real show prepares to begin. The lights dim around the bleachers, spotlights glowing around my favorite wolves as they file onto the stone floor and claim center stage.
Recently captured human soldiers will soon appear to fight for survival and for their shot at becoming GETCH. Of course, my stock is far too low to grant it to just anyone. Only a warrior of great skill will be worthy. Not likely to be found tonight, but it will be entertaining to watch my wolves in action. Adrenaline rushes through me at the excitement; all else but the show forgotten.
That is until the scent of female and fear flare in my sensitive nostrils. My gaze shifts to my right, to the stone hallway where Tad enters the balcony, a terrified female in front of him with a gun to her back. Tears stream down her face.
Irritation grates on my nerves as Tad halts at the far end of the table. “What is it you want, Tad?”
Ava pushes to her feet and moves to stand in front of the Asian beauty Tad’s brought to us, holding her hands. “You’re okay,” she says, staring into the woman’s eyes and then touching her forehead. The female stops crying, her expression taking on a distant, calm look. Ava gives her another once-over. “She is a good specimen, at least,” she says dryly.
“She also has an interesting family connection,” Tad supplies, running his hand down her hair. “Tell them who your father is.”
“Tan Chin,” she says softly.
Ava’s eyes go wide. “As in, Dr. Chin?”
“That’s right,” Tad confirms, his attention shifting to me. “She was living with Chin’s ex-wife in China. But I found her.”
“Does Chin know?”
“Not only does he know,” Tad states, “he assures me he can get us Red Dart and a stock of serum, as well as both Creed and Addie, tonight. He’s even promised aid with the birth of your child. I want to be Creed’s replacement, your right arm.”
I study him and deem him distasteful to the eye and unworthy. Yet, he is resourceful at a time when I’ve been forced to avoid battle for fear an injury would affect Ava and my child. I’ll make use of Tad for now. When I have Red Dart, I’ll force my brother and Creed to follow me.
“Show me results.”