Chapter 52: The Calm Before the Storm

The browns of his eyes turned black. "You truly are a fucken evil girl." Ward cussed at her.

"And what does that make you?" Yuliah stepped forward until she brushed right up against his bare chest, and her eyes shot up at him. "You were going to sell me to the Nomens as a breeder!"

Ward lowered his eyes down to her; his chest puffed in then slowly outward. The deadly glare from his eyes caused Lohan and a few of the men to come forward and tried to put some space between the two.

Ward's bounded hands raised above her head, and hot, heavy breaths beat down onto Yuliah's face, but she didn't budge. He didn't scare her; it was all talk and no bite.

Zehan pulled on the back of Yuliah's robe. "Calm down. Don't make this worse than it needs to be."

"No, he will learn to obey me." She kept her eyes stuck on Ward.

Both of them continued to stare at one another, neither one backing down.

A blue vein protruded from Ward's neck, and he exhaled, slow and hard right onto Yuliah's face again, then broke into a smile, "Ugh! You wicked girl," he grunted as he stuck his hand down his pants.

Yuliah turned to Zehan with one brow raised and a smirk. He responded with a smile and a breath of relief.

Ward pulled out from his pants the spear tip. "When they come back, you'll fight the biggest female they have. Take this." he shoved the spear tip towards Yuliah.

She grinned at him. He was a bastard, but he would never hurt her, then took the spear from him.

Ward tilted her head sideways. His fingers skimmed over the dark red mark across her cheek. "She got you good. It's starting to bruise already, but you didn't faint. That means you can take the hits."

"I've been through worse." Yuliah sighed. This was nothing compared to the beating Liang had given her. "So what do I do?"

"Hide the spear. You don't want them to know that you have it. Give it to me," Ward held his hand out.

"No, wait," she moved over to Zehan, whose eyes were on the box. "Let me free everyone first. I have a feeling that they won't be giving you all up that easily even if I win."

After she cut everyone's ropes, Yuliah handed the spear back to Ward. He undid her robes, the ones Zehan wrapped around Yuliah earlier, flashing her voluptuous figure to everyone. All the men looked away, except Zehan and Lohan. Who shot quick smiles at one another before finally looking away.

Ward smiled at a grinning Yuliah then tucked the spear tip inside the bindings of her breasts. "She'll go for your head first, so keep your distance. When you have a clear shot, go for her throat. Right here," Ward ran his fingers slowly but roughly down Yuliah's neck. "This will cut off the blood flow to her head, and she'll be dead within moments."

Lohan sighed. "What was that?" he turned to Yuliah. "Weren't you two going to kill each other a moment ago?"

"No, I can't kill her. Even if I wanted to." Ward answered, and began to undo the belt from his pants. "Hold this." he gave her one end of his belt and with the other, in his hand, he walked around Yuliah. Then fastened both ends together around her waist. "This should keep your robe from opening."

Yuliah tapped her hands on Ward's chest. "That's tight enough."

As soon as Ward finished, the door flung open. In walked the guard from before with a group of females. They were purebred females on a mission today to find their mates. Some were beautiful, some were not so blessed, but they were all bigger than the men.

"We have a fresh batch of males today. That one's spoken for already." she pointed to Ward. "Everyone else is still free, Ladies. Oh and don't mind that halfbreed female. She cleans the cages for us."

Yuliah gave her a snicker. She stood to the front of the cage, the closest one to the females since they weren't interested in her. With nothing to fear, she listened in on their conversation.

"Can we get a showing?" One female asked.

The Guard looked confused. "What do you mean by a showing? Isn't this it?"

"No, we want to view them bare. They will be our life mates, and every part matters." she incited the other females, and in unison, they all demanded a thorough showing.

These females were so lustful that Yuliah shook her head in disbelief. When she turned around, all the men huddled together towards the very back of the cage, even Ward.

She thought it was funny to see them so frightened of a bunch of females. But she also lived in fear, the days leading up to her wedding with Liang. To be seen as an object to be owned, and felt pity for them.

"What do they want?" Lohan asked.

With their somber expressions, Yuliah didn't want to say anything. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"I don't want to hear it," One man squeezed back and hid behind the others.

"Just tell us/" Zehan came forward. He was the calmest of the bunch.

"They're asking to see all of you naked before they decide who to buy." she bit down on her quivering lip.

He paused and took a deep breath. That will not happen." Zehan sounded offended. "We'll fight them if we have too, even with our bare hands."

He walked over with Lohan to where Yuliah stood.

"I take it; there won't be a challenge. Especially with buyers here already." Zehan said.

"That's too bad. I was really looking forward to fighting too." Yuliah sighed and watched as the females approached the cage.

"Look at the body on that light hair one. Tsk... tsk... tsk..." The Females ogled a shirtless Ward, who stood with his arms folded in the corner.

"Awwyoo... Too bad they sold him already."

One Female sighed, "Ummmm, imagine the strength he could weld in bed. That big blonde one." and bit her lip.

"Move aside ladies," an arrogant female pushed the others aside. "I get first pick!" She was the smallest of the lot, but still towered above them all with a tight and firm body twice maybe even three times the size of Yuliah's.

The other Females didn't look pleased but pretended to be friendly, "Don't worry, with your thin figure. Any of these men would be lucky to have you!"

"That's what they call thin?" Lohan's eyes were wide. "Shit, if that's thin what the fuck does fat look like?"

"You don't wanna know." Ward patted him on the back.

"I don't. I feel happy and afraid when I look at them." Lohan stood aghast. "They're big, beautiful, and fucken frightening." His hand tapped Ward across the stomach. "Do you think our parts would even fill up? There's so fucken big."

Yuliah meant to laugh to herself, but it exploded out, and the females thought she were laughing at them.

"You dare laugh at us, halfbreed?"

"I've never seen such desperate bitches before." Yuliah smirked at them.

The females gasped, "We didn't come here to be insulted," they yelled at the guard. "If you want our money, make her apologize."

The Guard retrieved a long metal hook from above the cage and stuck it through the bars towards Yuliah. "Why are you always giving me a hard time!"

Immediately the men circled Yuliah blocking her, and Ward grabbed hold of the hook.

"Get her out of there! She's turning our mates against us! Look how they are so protective of her already!"

The Guard struggled with the pole and with one hard tug, she finally yanked it free.

She went to the door and banged on it hard, then called in two more females. The two that came resembled males more than they did females and towered above every single man in the cage. Their arms and legs bulged with nothing but pure muscle. Yuliah backed up towards the men. Good Gods! She did not want to fight these two.

"Scared now?" Ward taunted her.

"No, I'm just getting a good look." Yuliah answered, but clenched her fists tightly. These females were so tall and solidly built the thought of fighting them frightened the hell out of her. She should have kept her mouth shut.

Ward tilted his head up. "Now's our chance." he moved in the opposite direction of Yuliah. "The girl and I will take the one on the right. The rest of you get the other one," he said under his breath to Zehan.

"Thanks for leaving us the biggest one, pussy." Lohan mouthed.

"Give me a break. I'm already at a disadvantage with this useless girl as my partner." Ward chuckled.

"Bring me that whore." the guard pointed to Yuliah.

The other two guards approached the cage, their whips cracked across the bars. "Stay back. If you don't want those pretty faces scarred," they called.

"I'm going for the whip," Ward said. "I hate those damn things."

It was the last moment Yuliah could recall, the calm before the storm. The vigorous pounding in her chest. When she wiped the sweat from her palms, the jingle of keys as the Guard fumbled with the door lock. A low creak as the doors slid open. Footsteps, no boot heels clanked onto the stone floor, and the smug faces on the two guards who stepped inside.

"NOW!" Zehan shouted.

They rushed the Guards.

A whip cracked across the air.

"DUCK," Ward yelled.

Yuliah crouched.

"Go for her throat!" Someone shouted.

She sprung from the ground and leaped through the air. Her body slammed into the Guard, knocking her back against the bars.

The spear tip was suddenly in her hand; then she watched as it slid inside the guards' neck. Squelched that's all she heard as blood poured from the guard's throat. Her eyes fluttered then went cold. The rancid smell that followed wrapped around Yuliah's head as she gasped for air.

"Shit, she's dead." Ward lifted a shocked Yuliah to her feet. "Don't freak out, girl. She would have killed you."

"Who's at a disadvantage now?" She gave him an annoyed look. Then grabbed the keys while Ward took the whip. They bolted for the cage doors.

Behind her, Lohan's arms wrapped around the other guards neck as he held tightly, his face burned red. Zehan could be seen dodging her sturdy legs as they kicked and thrashed at him.

"GO," he shouted to his men, and they dashed for the door.

Ahead of her, the females screamed as Yuliah, and the men burst from the cage.

"Grab THEM," the remaining guard screamed, and a handful of the females charged.

Yuliah was the first one out of the cage and swung the spear tip at the oncoming stampede.

Good Gods! They came wild and hungry. "Back! You thirsty whores!" Yuliah swung again.

Whips cracked like lightning in the surrounding air.

Yuliah ducked into a crouch, and her head spun from side to side.

The females dispersed to the sides, and their contorted faces made Yuliah laugh out loud. They brought this upon themselves.

Ward's mad laugh bellowed behind her, with the whip in one hand, he snapped his wrist back and forth in the air.

Screams and shouts burst throughout the room.

A chair hurled across the room, inches from Yuliah's face. Shit! She stepped back. Her heart pounded like a drum.

To the right of her, one of Zehan's men stood cornered and threw chairs at two female guards who slowly advanced on him.

It was pure chaos at this point.

Zehan ran passed her his face dripping with sweat, "You have the keys! Open the box now!" He took off toward another Ffemale who had Lohan in a choke hold.

Yuliah sprinted passed two more men. "Hold the fucken door!" They grunted and cussed, with both feet anchored to the ground and pushed against the door, as more guards tried to break in.

Yuliah's eyes darted around the room. The box. Where the hell is the box?