Chapter 474
0474
Silence falls around us, but I ignore them looking ahead.
It’s an oil painting, but any hand-painted picture requires one’s presence and being around something leaves a scent. I’m sure I can sniff out who it belongs to if they’re here, anyway.
“We will start at fifty dollars.”
No one speaks and I raise my card.
‘What are you doing?’ Valerie asks, confused.
‘Wait and see,’ I respond, drawing circles on her sexy thigh. Oh, I want to fuck her. She looks so fucking good. 2
Hesitantly, someone else joins but it is just one old man and me. No one else daring to bid.
“Four hundred dollars.” I raise my card again.
“Do we have four hundred and fifty dollars?”
I glance at the man, who pulls at his collar but doesn’t raise his card.
“Congratulations, it’s yours Mr…”
“Toussaint. Zade Toussaint,” I say clearly, making another wave of unease filter through the room. Everyone knows the name, even if it’s not associated with me, but Zaia.
“It’s yours, Mr Toussaint.” I nod curtly as we continue eating. Excellent.
0474
The moment we’re done eating I make my way over to one of the organisers, with Valerie by my side, taking out the money owed. “Mind if I see my canvas?”
“Not at all,” he says politely, counting the bills.
I glance around, finding Cassian watching us, and give him a nod. He smiles slightly, but he’s on edge, I can see that. Almost as if he doesn’t know what I’m up to. Which I’m certain he doesn’t.
My phone vibrates again as we are taken into a side room, and the painting which sits along with all the other items that were won in the auction now has a tag with my name on it. It’s picked up and brought over.
‘See if you can sniff out any scent from it, I say to Valerie through the mind-link, wanting to test her skills too as I glance at my phone.
ADRIANA: 99.9. Maybe get out of there before this thing hits 100, which I think will happen at any minute.
We’re close. My heart thuds as I look up at Valerie, who takes the canvas and holds it close to her nose, sniffing once. She closes her eyes for a second before they fly open.
‘Cassian…’ Her face pales and my eyes flash.
Thought so.
I turn, motioning for her to follow as the confused staff member looks between us. My eyes glimmer as I grab Valerie by the waist and lead her out of the room, searching for Cassian. But he’s nowhere in sight.
‘Where’s he gone?’ Valerie asks.
‘We’ll find him,’ I reply quietly. “Let’s get out of here.”
My phone buzzes again and this time I don’t need to read it to know what it will say.
The chips have been disarmed.
Before I can even relay this message to Valerie the lights suddenly go out and an alarm starts blaring, and then chaos ensues.
Only… did they forget that werewolves can see perfectly well in the dark?
I see a man come in from the back of the hall. He’s wearing a mask, but from his walk, I know who it is. Even as he tries to hide, giving a signal to someone I can’t see, he’s recognisable. I only need to see someone once to spot them the second time and a mask cannot hide you.
“Every single microchip is down, security is breached. Get them back up now!” I hear someone mutter. I see Cassian raise his hand to his ear.
Is he wearing an earpiece?
He turns suddenly and our eyes meet as the commotion around us seems to fade away.
“Did you not know werewolves can see in the dark, Doc?” I ask coldly.
His eyes crinkle at the corners. “I did. I also know that their hearing is so much better than humans,” he replies as he signals to someone out of sight.
Before I can reply, an extremely shrill sound erupts in our ears, the intensity making me clamp my hands over Valerie’s ears as pain fills my head… 1
Moonlight Muse Author