gave me a warning about making certain I only killed human monsters, which means I have their permission as well. The Master Vampire of South Carolina is looking forward to being able to torture and drink from a human male and then watch the life go out of him. I’m looking forward to drinking from a man who’d have happily raped me, and his blood will be even spicier if I drink from him while his ass is being violated and hurt by another Master Vampire.”
I’d closed my eyes to try to clear that visual out of my head, but it didn’t work.
And really, I was about to help torture the man who’d violated my ass as a young teen, so there wasn’t a damned thing I could say about Brooke’s idea of fun. I mean, I wasn’t going to have fun when I did it, but who’s to say I wouldn’t enjoy it after doing it a few times? Or a few thousand.
“I know you just saw every thought that went through my head,” I told her. “I can sense when you’re paying attention to my thoughts now. Is that normal?”
“Some can, others can’t.” She looked at Squatch and back to me. “Both of you have strong shields, but I can get through them because I’ve had your blood. It doesn’t mean your shields can’t still give you information about me going through them, though.”
We’d been warned not to bring electronics into the building, and a sign in the parking area warned that any electronics within seventy yards of the barn would be rendered unusable.
“Likely some kind of EMP,” Squatch said. “His Majesty is making sure no one gets a video. He’s likely taken steps to make sure no one gets audio, either.”
I was glad I’d worn flats, because it was a long walk on uneven ground, up a hill, through a pasture that smelled of cows, around cornfields, and past one of the largest tractors I’d ever seen. A bright yellow rope had been strung between trees and through fences, and the sign in the parking area had said to “Follow the yellow brick rope.”
A rough-paved road led up to the slaughterhouse, but clearly, they hadn’t wanted our vehicles this close.
Even at night, the heat was oppressive, and I almost regretted the corset.
Finally, we entered the clean slaughterhouse that smelled of bleach and lemons, Brooke squeezed my hand and told me, I wish we could put you in the middle, but you need to appear strong, and not as if you need the support of your two friends. Later, we’ll figure out when it seems natural to rearrange us.
We’d agreed to keep our telepathy open as a three-way tonight, so we’d all hear everything any of us said.
I’m good, I assured them. If it was just Squatch and me, there’s a chance I’d want to stand without holding hands. This gives me an excuse for contact.
There were around thirty people standing with us, about half women and half men. A few of the teen girls might have been deemed too young to see this by human society, but tiger customs said you got to see the person who harmed you punished, no matter your age.
The women were in simple clothes, natural hair — though it was dyed, it hadn’t been styled — and no makeup. I’d fixed my hair, put makeup on, and was dressed stylishly. The difference was more pronounced than I’d expected. I’d dressed down for the solstice celebration, and I’d still no longer fit in. Tonight, I felt a little like an alien from another planet, but I smiled and tried to appear friendly.
His Majesty walked in with Mike, naked except for the shackles on his ankles and the cuffs holding his arms behind his back. He had to shuffle his feet in small steps to walk, so it took them several long minutes to make it to the raised dais, and then up the ramp. He was completely clean shaven — head, eyebrows, chest, genitals, and I couldn’t see his armpits but I figured they’d been shaved as well. I also knew why — pigs consume all parts of the human body except the hair.
Another lion walked up holding what I at first assumed was a huge stainless butt plug, but then realized the thick leather gloves were probably protecting the lion from the silver content of the plug. My ass clenched and I thought ouch.
He totally deserves it. Squatch’s voice had zero sympathy,