Max

Half a million for a month's work? What am I thinking? What sort of work? I don't even know the female's name, I don't know what she does or anything about her other than the visceral, feral reaction I've had.

I must be going mad. I've reached that time in a troll's long life when the desire to become a rock somewhere out in the Between becomes an attractive prospect.

"Mr. Horenson?" Sygo is wringing his hands. "The Arcane is appalled…this sort of error…"

I hold up a hand. "These things happen…" I look down and the little human has gone. "Where is she?"

I spot the pixie, wings fluttering with dust, alongside the human female halfway up the corridor.

"Alyssia has taken her away, Mr. Horenson. I am so sorry."

"I do not want her taken away," I growl. "I want to hire her. Please arrange for a room for my lawyer when he gets here."

"Yes, of course, of course, Mr. Horenson," Sygo hisses, slipping away as the passage slowly empties of interested onlookers.

All except Vulzal.

"You're really going to pay that scrap of a human six hundred thousand pounds?"

"Why not?" I brush past him, but the fucker follows me.

"She won't last and you'll have to pay her anyway." He chuckles darkly. "You'd have been better off purchasing her in the auction after all."

I spin around and grab him by his neck, a snarl on my lips. He glares at me, at my loss of temper and decorum.

Trolls don't behave like trolls in these enlightened days. We don't eat raw goat and we don't have a thing for bridges.

I let him go and smooth out the lapels on his branded suit, managing not to wince at the crackle of static.

"Are you saying I have a problem with humans?" I say evenly. "Because I don't."

"I'm saying you're a troll with a reputation, Max." Vulzal brushes invisible specks from his arm before fixing me with his one-eyed gaze. "You don't deserve such a delicious morsel, and she certainly won't put up with your behavior."

"Want to bet?" I regret the words the second they've left my lips.

Trolls should never gamble. We're made of stone and ice and fire. And the last gamble I participated in…I don't want to think about it.

It was not a fair exchange, not as far as I'm concerned.

A filthy, dark smile spreads over Vulzal's face. "I bet you double the amount you were going to pay her that you can't keep her for the entire month."

"Done. I look forward to taking your money," I snap, turning on my well-polished heel and returning through the service passages to the main hall.

"Mr. Horenson?" Sygo slides up. "I have your room. Your lawyer has arrived."

"Get the girl," I growl.

"As you wish. You'll find everything ready for you on the first floor. The library is at your disposal," he says with a level of deference which simply annoys me more.

I am not going to lose access to my club over this mistake. Arcane has been my home from home on more than one occasion, and I'm not giving up access to the quiet corners, excellent liquor, and delicious food any time soon.

"Fine." I take a step into the reception. "But Sygo, I want you to find who put the female in the auction. I don't want her to remain in the club's employ."

"Yes, sir," Sygo hisses as he backs away.

I make my way up to the first floor and into the library. My lawyer, a vampire, is waiting for me, and he isn't happy.

Not that vampires are ever happy. Nor do they sleep, which makes them excellent lawyers, but holy hell, can they bill like the bloodsuckers they are.

"John." I nod at him.

John Caula and I go back a long way, a long, long way. I know where he keeps his coffins, and he knows where I've buried my axe on more than one occasion.

"Max," he grumbles. "What's this all about? I was just about to eat."

"Doesn't look to me like you hesitated." I point out the fleck of blood on his tie.

He gives me a very toothy grin and an unvampire like shrug.

"There was a human auction tonight, here at the club," I begin.

"What?" John's eyebrows shoot up his pale face into his widow's peak. "Here at Arcane?"

"I will be having words with the board." I sit at the long table in front of the floor to ceiling bookcase and pour myself out a brandy from a crystal decanter. "But the long and short of it is, I bought a human in error."

"Auctions are very difficult to resile from…" John says, carefully.

I hold up my hand. "You don't need to worry about the auction. It's already been declared void."

He scrunches up his face in confusion as the door to the library opens and my female appears, looking more composed. The pixie is, annoyingly, still with her.

"This is Alyssia," she says, indicating the pixie. "I want her with me, as a witness."

My female is fierce and sharp. I feel my pants tighten under the tabletop. At least until I remember the bet.

"Sensible idea," John says, standing and taking her hand, his lips descending until I growl.

"I have agreed to give…" I stop because I have no idea of her name.

"Victoria Graham," she supplies, her shoulders thrown back and her magnificent bust thrown out, causing all sorts of emotions to pool in my nether regions.

I am not going to last the month, not with out severe damage to my suit pants.

"I have agreed to give Victoria Graham employment for the next month for the same sum I accidentally bid on her."

"Which is?" John asks casually.

"Six hundred thousand pounds."