Caught Bare (Stand Alone Tales Book 16) Read online

  She didn’t want this life or these men. True love’s kiss has ties that bind, and unraveling them is not an easy task... but she is going to try.

  Sallen has been running from her heritage all her life. When her mother suddenly passes, she can’t bring herself to part from the city where they made so many memories. She takes on a job as a courier and settles into a nice routine.

  Abruptly taken from her apartment, she meets her father’s side of the family, and she doesn’t like what she sees. She’s stripped of her defensive glamour, and her heritage is laid out for all to see. Descended from Rapunzel and the golden goose, her hair brings luck and wealth to any family she joins, but only if she gives it willingly. Her family has other plans. They are going to auction her off to the highest bidder. Desperate for help, she sends a message via the only means at her disposal, and she waits.

  The master of the guild and his partners arrive and rescue her, but they offer her the same fate with a few alterations. She will choose, true love’s kiss will bind her, and she will agree to honour the kiss. Yeah, that isn’t going to happen.

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Caught Bare

  Copyright © 2020 by Viola Grace

  ISBN: 978-1-989892-43-5

  ©Cover art by Angela Waters

  All rights reserved. With the exception of review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher.

  Published by Viola Grace

  Look for me online at violagrace.com

  Caught Bare

  Stand-Alone Tales Book 16

  By

  Viola Grace

  Chapter One

  Sallen pulled up on her scooter and headed into the building to grab the parcel for delivery. She headed up to the third floor, grabbed the parcel and slip, and was asked, “Can you get it there before the end of business?”

  Sallen nodded and took the items, putting the slip in her leather jacket. The elevator was occupied, so she took the stairs. She got out the main doors, onto her scooter, and fired it up with the parcel in the webbing in front of her. She had twenty minutes for a forty-minute drive.

  Under her helmet, she grinned. She could make it.

  She moved around pedestrians, got on the road, and started spell casting in short hops. The key was to either move quickly or appear in empty alleys. She used both and got to her destination in fifteen minutes. She set her scooter down, got the parcel, and ran it up to the executive floor of the publishing house.

  She reached the secretary’s desk and had him sign for the parcel. The man with the golden hair smiled. “What is it today, Sallen?”

  “Your partner sent a manuscript that she wanted the boss to read on the ride home.” Sallen nodded. “Have a fun night.”

  Sallen turned her back and headed to the elevator. She stuffed the receipt into her jacket and returned to her scooter. It was her last delivery of the day; she just had to drop off the paperwork, and she could get some dinner.

  Half an hour later, she was heading into her tiny apartment when she knew something was wrong. She put her pizza aside and fired up a defensive spell, easing further into her space. When she stepped over the threshold completely, the trap sprang. She grunted as her nervous system was overloaded with magic. She fell to the floor, her limbs twitching. She heard footsteps approaching, and she pushed herself up on shaking arms. She strengthened her defenses and grimaced in satisfaction at the scream of pain when hands grabbed her.

  She got up, and her blurred vision showed two men in suits. She heard chanting, and the barrier around her cracked. She got up and punched them each in the nuts the moment that her defense broke. They grunted, but it didn’t incapacitate them long enough for her to do more than get to the door. The fucking trap! The door didn’t open.

  Hands grabbed her, and one muttered, “You are asking for trouble, Miss Kayett.”

  She froze, and they were wrapped with magic, transported to another location.

  She wasn’t given time to steady herself; she was hauled along and brought into an elaborate dining room. She was still shorting out and fighting it every step of the way.

  There was an older man having dinner at the table. “This one? This one is my granddaughter?”

  She was shoved toward him, and she saw two definite resemblances. His eyes were soft silver, and his hair was a faded metallic gold. The metallic hair was definitely something she was familiar with. She had dyed and glamoured her own hair into a neutral brown.

  “Who the hell are you?” She growled it.

  “I thought you used a restraint.” He ignored her and addressed her handlers.

  The one in the darker suit grumbled, “We did. She fought it off.”

  The man blinked in surprise and sat back. “Her hair is wrong.”

  “Our source indicates that she has glamoured it.”

  “Source?” She craned her head to stare at the man who had spoken.

  The older man chuckled. “Well, then, I should be able to remove any tinkering she has done to herself. Bring her closer.”

  The men held her arms tight and shoved her toward the older man.

  “Well, girl. If you are not a Kayett, this is going to kill you.” His smile was not pleasant.

  The spell hit her hard, and she pushed away from the men, but they held her, and she felt the careful layers of glamour peeling away.

  The man’s eyes widened, and he stared at her in surprise as her hard silver eyes and gold hair were exposed, her hair cascading in waves to her knees. She was glaring at him. “Who the hell are you?”

  He blinked. “I am the head of your family clan. Master Warlock Arnold Kayett.”

  “My name isn’t Kayett, it is Merther.” She glowered at him. “I know who my parent is, and you aren’t connected to me.”

  “You are mistaken. You are the only child of that idiot son of mine. That makes you a Kayett.” He smiled, and it wasn’t a good smile. “You are prettier than I had imagined. Your mother must have been attractive when younger.”

  She broke free of the men and slapped the old man across the face. “Don’t you ever speak about my mother. I will burn you to ash.”

  The men grabbed her again and hauled her back. “Sorry, boss.”

  The old man massaged his jaw, and he looked at her. “Noted, but you will not strike me again.”

  “If you mention my mother again, I will torch this entire place and lock you and anyone with our blood inside it. I will take us all down for the insult you offer to her memory. Am. I. Clear?”

  He blinked. “Memory? I thought she was still around.”

  One of the henchmen cleared his throat. “She died two years ago. Vehicular accident.”

  She flicked her fingers, and the elder’s shirt caught fire. He shouted and beat it out. He stared at her in shock.

  “I don’t want to hear you or any of the monsters you are related to mention her in any way. If my father is alive, you had better warn him as well.”

  Arnold Kayett finished patting the charred portion of his shirt. “I see. Fair enough. I was warned.”

  “Why do you want me here? If my father is still around, he can father another series of offspring, or you could do it.”

  The clan leader straightened. “I will never waste a resource. I was going to marry you to a henchman, but I think that I can do better for you.”

  She stared at him. “What do you mean?”

  Arnold smirked
. “As your genetic elder, if you want to do it that way, I have the right in our society to select a match for you or several as the magic tends to enjoy a variety of outlets.”

  She scowled. “What are you talking about?”

  “The Kayetts need new alliances. As the only female descendant, it is up to you to secure them. Tomorrow, I will arrange a meeting, and you will be able to interview the candidates for your hand.”

  She started to struggle in earnest. “I am way too old for this kind of thing. This is stupid!”

  “Take her to a warded room, and we will look into preparing a bride profile for her.” Arnold looked at her with a tight smile. “Welcome to the family. What is your name?”

  Her handler on the right answered. “Sallen Merther. Age twenty-seven.”

  Arnold grinned. “Not too old then. Excellent.”

  That was the last thing Sallen heard before she was hauled out of earshot and into the depths of the structure.

  She was tossed into the room, and one of her handlers looked at her. “We will send you some food. I noticed the pizza, so you haven’t eaten yet.”

  She stared at him. “You seriously think I would eat anything offered to me in this house?”

  He sighed. “I will order you a new pizza. What do you take on it?”

  She twisted her lips. “Just cheese. From Tonio’s.”

  He nodded. “Give me half an hour.”

  She nodded and headed into the room that was warded against her doing magic or escaping. Fortunately, she had an option.

  Sallen rifled through her pockets and pulled out her card case, yanking out the business card for Urgent Publications. A check of her jacket yielded an eyeliner pencil, and she wrote her message on the back of the card. It was simple. Sallen Werther—courier. Held by Kayetts. Please assist.

  She tore the card into three even pieces, and she waited. She looked at the window and smiled. She was going to sneak the cards out with the empty pizza box, but this was better. She held the three pieces of cardstock between her fingertips and extended her hand toward the barrier around the window. As long as she didn’t touch it, she should be fine.

  The wind ruffled the cards, and she let them go, hoping that preplanning worked.

  If she could get any help, it would be from the publishing house. They and their partner had been using her services frequently over the last few weeks. They were so much more relaxed and cheerful than they had been six months earlier. It was like Halloween was a turning point for them. She hoped that they weren’t so busy as to not notice a call for help when it came.

  She got the pizza and the bottle of water and sat and ate quietly before she washed up and curled up on the bed. It was dark out, and she could only keep herself awake on nerves so long. It took five minutes of trying to sleep before she grabbed pillows and pulled them into the closet with her. The closet would be a safe place to sleep. She had learned that as a child. Anyone coming for her would have to search, and that would wake her.

  She had been hunted since she was a child, and being hauled around by strangers had happened more than once before. At least these people needed something from her and were willing to feed her.

  Sallen pulled her pillow under her head and held the other while she settled in to sleep.

  * * * *

  Dorn opened the door and looked on the bed then around it. Shit. Wait, the blanket and pillows were missing. He walked quietly to the door and opened it. She was curled up like a child, clutching a pillow in her arms. He crouched next to her and touched her hand. “Miss Merther. Wake up. It is time for breakfast.”

  She jerked and twisted away from him, her eyes dark and sleepy pewter that rapidly lightened to silver as she sat up in the corner of the closet.

  “Breakfast?” There was confusion in her expression.

  He nodded. “Your grandfather is going to make you an offer. I would recommend that you consider it.”

  “I don’t want to listen to anything that asshole has to say.”

  Dorn rubbed his hand over his face. “Then, this is going to go badly. You have no one to take up a defense on your behalf. This is your family.”

  She got to her feet and let the pillow and blanket drop. The gleaming mass of her hair glowed in the morning light. “It really isn’t.”

  She was wearing her clothing from the night before. She looked good in leather, but her grandfather liked women to dress like women. Dorn sighed and stepped back, letting her pass him. She went into the bathroom and was in there for five minutes before she came out with her hair braided into a thick column.

  “Right. Let’s get something to eat. I have the strange feeling that it is going to be my last meal.”

  Dorn nodded. “This way, cousin.”

  She stared at him in surprise. “Really?”

  “Second cousins. I am descended from the clan leader’s sister.” Dorn chuckled. “I did not inherit the obvious traits.”

  “Ah. I wish I could say it was nice to meet you, but it really isn’t.” Sallen exited the warded room and waited for him outside.

  He had to agree, for her, this sucked.

  Chapter Two

  Arnold sat at the head of the table, and he scowled at her outfit. “Why didn’t you change into one of the outfits in the closet?”

  She frowned. “I don’t live here. This is not my home. Nothing here belongs to me except the clothing on my back.”

  She sat at the chair that her handler held for her. She blinked as a plate and a cup of coffee were slid in front of her. She looked at Arnold. “Is this food and drink free of obligation and connection?”

  He paused. “Why are you asking?”

  “Because, while my mother had nothing to do with the enchanting community, she made sure that I was educated. I need it stated in front of witnesses that I can eat this without obligation, as a guest.”

  He grimaced, and then, he said the words she was waiting for. “You are a guest of this house.”

  She felt the wave of magic in the air and exhaled. She had kept her senses tuned, and the magic was locked in place. She was a guest of the Kayett house. She could eat without obligation.

  She carefully ate the eggs, sausages, and toast before eating the fruit salad. The coffee was black, but she could deal with it.

  When the food was done, she looked at her grandfather. “So, what is the plan for my humiliation?”

  He blinked. “What do you mean?”

  “Generally, when a guy like you finds a female relative, they try and sell them off. To me, that is humiliation. I have worked hard for my independence.”

  He waved a hand in the air. “A Kayett woman does not need to support herself. There are lines of warlocks who want you as their bride.”

  “What if I don’t want them?”

  He stared at her as if he couldn’t understand that concept. “Why wouldn’t you? You would be cared for, cherished, and only need to produce the next generation. Once you have provided your husband with an heir, your life is your own.”

  Sallen hid her shock and casually asked, “What do you get from this? There has to be a reason you met me the day before you try and pimp me out.”

  Arnold shrugged innocently. “There is the matter of the bride price. They do need to pay your family for your excellent bloodlines.”

  She slammed her hand down on the table. “Of fucking course.”

  She had the satisfaction of watching him jump at the sudden sound.

  He scowled. “A young lady of this house should not curse.”

  She cackled and screamed at him. “I am not a young lady of this house! There may be a genetic resemblance, but I am not family!”

  She was taking a breath to do some more yelling when a man in a suit came in with a silver tray. Arnold took the notecard, and he paled. When he lifted the second card, he went grey.

  “Show them in.” He looked to her handler. “Dorn, get her back to her—”

  “Don’t run her off on our account.” Three fami
liar people walked in.

  Sallen nearly collapsed with relief. The trick with the business card had worked. Over the last few months, she had been zipping back and forth between the publishing and accounting houses with a variety of items, several of which caused the female recipient to blush.

  Maven, Olmin, and Argo walked in, dressed casually and radiating energy that made the air crackle with static. Maven was blushing a little, and Sallen didn’t want to guess how the trio had powered up.

  Arnold jumped to his feet. “Master Reckon, what brings you here this morning?”

  Olmin smiled. “A little bird has told me that you were attempting to claim a discarded child. You know how the guild feels about things like that.”

  Arnold smiled ingratiatingly. “We are simply estranged.”

  Sallen raised her hand for her turn to speak. “I have never met him until yesterday when they broke into my home, laid a trap, and dragged me here.”

  Argo smiled. “Your hair is new.”

  She grimaced. “He peeled off my glamour.”

  Olmin looked at Arnold but addressed her. “Did he have your consent?”

  “No. I was still suffering the effects of some kind of stun-gun spell.”

  Dorn cleared his throat. “She was able to fight it off almost immediately.”

  Argo scowled. “You hit a girl of her size with a close-range stun spell?”

  Dorn blinked and stepped back.

  Arnold raised his hands. “Perhaps my nephews were overzealous in their eagerness to secure her, but as you can see by her colouration, she is a prime example of Kayett bloodlines.”

  Olmin looked at her, and it was strange to be looking at the owner and CEO of the publishing company that she visited three or more times a week. “She does have all the hallmarks of one of the great witches of your line, but it seems that you have not raised her in your line, and therefore... you cannot claim her.”