Serving the Wicked

By Wendi Zwaduk

FROM POPULAR ROMANCE AUTHOR WENDI ZWADUK

Book three in The Refuge series

A scared human plus a vampire with a secret. Things could be better, but they could be a lot worse.

Raine can't remember time before the darkness. She's a human in a paranormal world where humans are a commodity, not people, and she's been abused by the vampires. When she ends up at the slave auction, she fears her nightmare will never end.

Enter Casey. He's part vampire, part Fae, dangerous and only has eyes for Raine. He saw her at the BDSM club before she entered the vampire slave world and he swore he'd rescue her. He buys her the instant he sees her on the stage. The innocence in her eyes, combined with the sweetness in her soul calls to him. He wants her to serve him in the bedroom and be his partner everywhere.

She's been hurt, and he's a born protector. Can they make the attraction last and turn it into something eternal or will the fear win out?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Aug 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781839435386

Wendi Zwaduk

Wendi Zwaduk is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to BDSM and LGBTQ themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com and the former AllRomance Ebooks. She also writes under the name of Megan Slayer. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

Book preview

Totally Bound Publishing books by Wendi Zwaduk

Single Books

Learning How to Bend

Must Be Doing Something Right

My Immortal

You’ll Think of Me

Tangled Up

Careless Whisper

Please Remember Me

What Might Have Been

Ever Fallen In Love

Someone Like You

Love Remembers

When You’re With Me

Sunshine of Your Love

Firelit Magic

Her Man

My Favorite Mistake

Silk and Decadence

Bound by Desire

Runaway Royal

Love Lessons

Drawn Together

Written Together

Together Again

Dancing Together

The Refuge

Running with the Wicked

Resisting the Wicked

Clandestine Classics

The Phantom of the Opera

Anthologies

Treble: Savin’ Me

Switch: Still the One

Bound to the Billionaire: Play to Him

Whip It Up: Honey and Decadence

Lasso Lovin’: Tying One On

Wild After Dark: Taken In

Boots, Chaps and Cowboy Hats: Between Us

Three’s a Charm: A Sinful Tune

Sensory Limits: Just You and Me

Seasonal Collections

Heart Attack: Over My Head

Haunted By You: Miss Me Baby

Wanton Witches: Candlelit Magic

Jolly Rogered: Ruined by the Pirate

Naughty or Nice?: Wrapped in Red and Green

The Refuge

SERVING THE WICKED

WENDI ZWADUK

Serving the Wicked

ISBN # 978-1-83943-538-6

©Copyright Wendi Zwaduk 2021

Cover Art by Claire Siemaszkiewicz ©Copyright August 2021

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2021 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

Totally Bound Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

Book three in The Refuge series

A scared human plus a vampire with a secret. Things could be better, but they could be a lot worse.

Raine can’t remember time before the darkness. She’s a human in a paranormal world where humans are a commodity, not people, and she’s been abused by the vampires. When she ends up at the slave auction, she fears her nightmare will never end.

Enter Casey. He’s part vampire, part Fae, dangerous and only has eyes for Raine. He saw her at the BDSM club before she entered the vampire slave world and he swore he’d rescue her. He buys her the instant he sees her on the stage. The innocence in her eyes, combined with the sweetness in her soul calls to him. He wants her to serve him in the bedroom and be his partner everywhere.

She’s been hurt, and he’s a born protector. Can they make the attraction last and turn it into something eternal or will the fear win out?

Dedication

For JPZ and TPZ

Chapter One

Line up, the man shouted. I don’t want to have to sell you again. He tapped his cane on the floor. Go. I hate trying to resell used merch.

Raine winced. She wasn’t merch. She was a human being. The vampires didn’t see her as anyone but a thing. All they wanted to do was drain humans and kill Fae. She clutched the open side of her dress to retain a bit of her modesty. Once on the stage, she’d have to strip so the buyers could look her over. She averted her gaze. Humans had no choice but to be sold to the highest bidder.

Go. The man whacked her on the ass with the cane.

She crept onto the stage and gritted her teeth. She couldn’t look into the audience. One girl had been hauled off and killed for doing so. The buyers were all seated in the dark, and she’d be in the bright spotlight.

Another man, one with a spray can, walked up to her. He painted the number three on her bare chest.

She winced again. It’d taken her two days to remove the paint the last time she’d been up for sale, and her skin had been raw from the scrubbing. Worst of all? She hadn’t been sold.

The first two girls were described, and Raine fought the instinct to shiver. Her turn was next.

Look at number three. She’s a little thicker than most humans. It means she’s got juicy thick blood. She’s trained. Won’t speak out, the announcer said.

She flattened her palms on her thighs. God. She wasn’t a person any longer.

The announcer grabbed the front of her dress, tearing it the rest of the way open. She couldn’t help the shudder.

Enough, girl. The announcer slapped her. No one wants to buy a wimp.

Someone grunted, and the announcer closed her dress. How much? She’s been here before, so she’s got miles on her.

Her stomach churned. Miles… No one shouted out numbers. She clutched the front of her dress. God. Would someone give a price? Anything? The silence deafened her. All she wanted to do was get out of the spotlight.

I’ll give you five thousand for number three. A dark-haired man strode up to the stage. His hair glinted in the light. Cash.

She shouldn’t have looked up, but he’d given a price. He did have nice hair—as much of it as she could see.

Number three? the announcer asked. Don’t you want to wait for number four or take number two? For so much money?

Did the announcer have to be such a jerk? Someone wanted her. Why was that so bad or hard to understand?

Three, the man said. He offered the money, then held his hand out to her.

Raine froze. Was she supposed to go with him? She’d never been sold like this. Her first vampire had plucked her out of a crowd of scared, lost humans. The second vampire had killed him and stolen her from a club.

Go. The announcer nudged her. If this fool wants you, then you’d better go before he changes his mind.

The dark-haired man helped her off the stage. He held her by her waist until her feet touched the cold tiles.

She averted her gaze. The rules stated she couldn’t look at him until she’d left the building. Hopefully, he hadn’t seen her steal a glance at him earlier.

The man draped his suit jacket around her shoulders and guided her out of the sales arena. My car is over here.

She shivered again, despite the warmth of the jacket. The scent of him lingered in the rich fabric. She knew that aroma—vampire.

What luck! Three vampires. Her first owner had been a dick, the second one abusive…would this one be the charm? Or the worst of the lot?

He opened the car door. Sit, please?

Please? Vampires didn’t say such things. They demanded. She hesitated and found her courage to speak. Sir?

So you do talk? He laughed. Please, sit. I want to take you home.

Raine settled on the passenger side of the car. He closed the door for her and rounded the hood. When he sat beside her, he hit the locks, preventing her from escaping.

She trembled. Trying to keep me in? She didn’t look up from her hands. I won’t run.

No one said you would, he replied. You’re different from what I expected.

Not good enough. She folded her hands on her lap.

No. He brushed her hair from her face. She flinched as he tucked the lock behind her ear. You’re afraid of me, he said. Because I’m a vampire?

She couldn’t lie. If he wanted to, he could peer into her mind and read her thoughts or he could glamour her to draw the truth out. Yes.

"I’m a nasty