Better start talking, Miller. I don't have all day." I leaned my elbows on the steel table, watching the agitated werewolf across from me. His hands were in chains, silver, and cuffed to the table, and around his neck was a thick glowing collar. The collar emitted a frequency directly into the wearer's skin that stopped them from changing. And given that it was now the full moon, Miller needed to change. And soon.

Miller was the wolf we'd picked up a couple of days ago who'd alluded to human blood slaves. No way this drop kick was behind organizing any such thing, but keeping him on ice until full moon gave me leverage on getting more information out of him.

"What ya wanna know?" he snapped. His skin was covered in sweat, his hair damp with it. He badly needed to shift.

"The humans you were hunting in Wolf’s Hill. How did that come about?"

"Just stumbled across them. Campers."

"You're lying." I rose to my feet, getting ready to leave.

"Wait, wait!" he pleaded, desperate. "I'll tell ya."

I sat back down. "Fuck me around again and I will rip your kidney out, fill it with nails and feed it back to you. Understand?"

He nodded. "Ma'am."

"And don't fucking call me ma'am," I snapped. I was tired, hungry and out of patience.

"We bought the humans," he muttered, head bowed.

"Where?"

"An auction."

"When?"

"The same day you caught us."

"Where was this auction held?" I pressed.

"House way out back of Mistlyn."

"What house? Do you have an address? Have you been there before?"

"Can't remember the address. They move them around. Never told the location until the day of the auction."

"Who organizes it?"

"Don't know."

"Who. Organises. It." He had to know, otherwise, how would he purchase his produce?

"I don't know. Honestly. We deal with just one guy, Brooks, who texts us the location. But only if we're planning on going. Brooks has his own group of buyers and we don't see who else is there, just what's on offer to buy."

"How often are these auctions held?"

"Every few weeks."

"And you go to all of them?"

"No. Just when we're planning on some fun."

"Ah yes. Let's talk about your fun. So you bought your humans this week. Why?"

He looked puzzled. "Like I told ya. Fun."

"Why buy them this week? Because of the full moon? You planning to let your wolves eat them?"

He shrugged, which I took as a yes.

"So why did we catch you chasing them? Why not keep them safe and sound until tonight?"

"To give 'em a taste of what's coming, make them nice and desperate. We keep 'em in a cave in the forest and when we're ready for the hunt they're half crazy and fight more. Make better prey."

"You sick fuck." I looked at the sorry excuse for a wolf in front of me. I wanted to terminate his sorry existence, but unfortunately, it was against SIA policy.

"These auctions, they just for werewolves?" I asked.

"Shit no. Anyone can buy, even other humans."

"What? Why would a human want to buy another human?"

"Usually only the filthy rich and s'far as I heard, they buy 'em for sex. Keep 'em locked up and do the weird kinky shit they don't want no one knowing about."

"Vampires as well?"

"Course! They buy 'em for blood slaves, and sex too I guess, though vamps don't need no sex slaves. But you got those ones that refuse bagged blood and only drink from the vein but want it on tap."

Where there was demand, someone would always find a way to supply. Sitting back with a sigh, I rubbed my hands over my face. This was so fucked up.

"I want a picture of this guy, Brooks."

"I don't have no pictures."

"Then you'll work with our graphics guy until we get a digital composite of what Brooks looks like."

"What?"

"A sketch artist. Once we have a sketch of this guy, Brooks, then I'll take that collar off."

I left the interrogation room, stopping to arrange for the Graphics Officer to visit. I'd keep my word and allow Miller's collar to be removed, but he'd be confined to his cell. I badly wanted to terminate the little shit, but he could have more useful information. I'd ask Carter to have a crack at him when he came back.

Back at my desk, I brought up my holovision screen. A message from the Medical Lab was waiting for me.

“Guardian Black - as per Director Ridgeway's policy regarding security clearance for any SIA agents who carry human DNA, you are required to undergo quarterly medical examinations. You have been scheduled to undergo testing at three a.m. Please be on time.”

What the? I punched in the medical unit’s number into my comms. I'd never heard of any such policy and I sure as hell wasn't going to consent to the continual prodding, poking and invasiveness of their testing on a regular basis. I'd been subjected to more than enough of that by the humans.

"Medical."

"This is Enforcer Black. I received communication from you that I'm to report for a medical exam today. Care to explain to me what the hell that is all about?"

"As the memo states, the director has requested it."

"Why is this the first I'm hearing of it?"

"She implemented the new policy last night. We simply follow the directives we're given."

"And who else, besides me, is going to be having these medicals?"

"You are the only agent who is affected."

Just as I thought. "This is bullshit." I fumed. Always being singled out because I was different. I didn't fit into the human world and I didn't fit into the supernatural one either.

"We expect you here at three a.m., Enforcer." He hung up. Urgh. I stormed to the recs room and made myself a coffee. The clock on the wall indicated it had just passed two. With this whole medical shit tossed into my night, there was no way I'd get back out into the field tonight. Plus I was exhausted; I could barely see straight. After my medical, I was clocking out and catching up on some sleep.