”Jake, Jesus boy, what have they done to you?” He released him from the restraints that bound him and pulled some sweatpants out of his backpack, handing them to him. His head turned towards his sister who was now stood staring, wide-eyed, looking like she was contemplating her chances of running.
“Kate? You did this?” Her features changed; crocodile tears filled her eyes, playing to her brother’s softer side.
“Teddy, they made me betray you all, I didn’t want to, I had no choice,” she pleaded in a childlike voice that made him grit his teeth at the high-pitched tone, but thankfully Terrance saw right through her performance.
“There’s always a choice, Kate, I know you have been working for Will for months, plotting and scheming. You’re not my Kate, my Kate would never get off on seeing someone suffer like you did with Jake, I am so angry with you right now.”
“But he loves someone else,” she cried, big tears rolling down her face. “I saw him kiss her.”
“So you do this to him? To us? This family saved your life, Kate, and this is how you repay them? I am disgusted in you, I don’t know if I can forgive this.”
“Please Teddy, please, I can’t lose you, you’re all I’ve got left.” She grabbed at him, desperation in her face. Terrance just shook her off for a moment before gripping her by the shoulders, forcing her to face him. His features were stern.
“If you want me to start forgiving you, you’ll tell me where Will took Emmie, do it fast because in about five minutes the spell Heather placed on Dominus is going to wear off and we’re all going to be sorry.”
Please prove there’s still an ounce of compassion left inside you.
“She’s on the third floor in room 325. Teddy, I’m so sorry.” Kate fell to her knee at his feet, pleading quietly.
“It’s too late for sorry now, kid, if Emmie has been hurt, it’s Dominic you’re going to have to answer to because you’ve helped to cause this mess. Just pray she’s still alive… Are you OK to walk, Jake?”
“Yeah, thanks man, I am tougher than I look.”
“You’re a Brooker, being a tough bastard is in your family’s blood. Let’s go and get Dominus, I’ve got a feeling this is about to go off.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Dominus
The sliding metal doors opened, and he was ushered into a tiny compartment with Terrance, the Heather wench and Colt who was still in spectral form. His amber eyes stared him down, blood dripped from his powerful jaws; he was daring him to challenge him, this made Dominus smirk at the creature.
A blue light with the number three in the centre of it was pressed by Heather, making the entire button glow in a bright blue neon light and the doors closed. The sensation he felt then was unusual to say the least as the room seemed to move; something strange was happening to his stomach, as if it was turning over. What was this contraption?
He would laugh out loud at this situation if this wasn’t all so ridiculous, once his powers returned all these fools would pander to his every whim. The thought of watching them all suffer shot a spark of excitement to his gut; watching them all bleed as he tortured them, tearing their flesh from their bones, gave him a thrill he hadn’t felt in a long time. The effects of the potion he had been given were beginning to subside. Once he was back he would teach them all who he was, their worst nightmares would seem trivial compared to what he would do.
A sharp bell ringing pulled him out of his dark thoughts.
The doors to the container opened. Colt started growling deep in his throat; Terrance’s eyes glowed yellow.
“I smell blood. A lot of blood. Fuck, we better hurry,” Terrance whispered.
They began running down the long corridor, past rooms that all looked the same. They rounded a corner and walked a bit further down the dull lighted area, checking the numbers on the doors as they passed. Terrance stopped at 325.
“Here it is.”
“Aperio!” Heather shouted, not wasting any time. Her eyes were now red. Terrance barged in first, ready for battle.
The metallic smell hit him first before he witnessed the horrific sight that would now be ingrained into his mind for all eternity.
The most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on was propped up against the small bed in the room. Streaks of blood covered the floor and the bottoms she was wearing. Something deep inside him shifted, making him aware of his surroundings.
Clarity hits him with force and although his mind is still distorted by what is happening, he can’t deny the pull he has towards this woman; the fog in his brain clears for a few moments as he takes her in.
He knew then, right at this moment his heart, everything inside him, knew she was his one, his Amelia. How could he have forgotten his love? How could he let the darkness take him over so completely?
“NO!” he cries throwing himself to his knees, unashamedly crawling his way through the blood to the woman who owned him heart and soul.
Aqua eyes meet his, so full of pain. Her face is swollen where she has been mercilessly beaten, the light in her gaze has dimmed replaced by sheer devastation.
“Dominic, our baby, he – he killed our precious baby.” His heart sinks; the life they made together has been ripped away from them so brutally. He failed her, he wasn’t there to save her.
“Amelia, I am so sorry my love.” He lifts her up, cradling her in his arms. His tears fall then, he doesn’t brush them away as sobs wrack through him, mourning the death of his child, a child he’ll never meet. The darkness absorbs him; he fights against the fuzziness, he has to find the bastard responsible for all of this.
He lays Amelia on the bed, brushing her platinum hair off her face lovingly, and turns to address the fools he was set on murdering only moments ago.
“She dies, I swear all of you die as well. Save her! I’ve got something I need to take care of.” The repressed fire inside his stomach was bursting free; he could feel the familiar heat building from his core. Dominus was taking him over again, his rage was enough to bring his darkest character to the forefront once again. He storms from the room on a mission of death. He brushes past someone, everything is hazy.
“Dominic?” His eyes meet the face of the woman he had been seeking, but something was different, the stirrings he once felt for this woman were gone. She was still as hauntingly beautiful as he remembered except her hair was now the most breath-taking shade of auburn and not black as he remembered… She’s with child? The swell of her stomach was impossible to hide, why doesn’t that fill him with rage as it did before? All he feels is an emptiness inside for what has been taken from him.
A shirtless young man is limping next to her, looking battered and bruised all over.
“Annabelle?” Her small hand touches his cheek warmly, concern in her face. He flinches underneath her touch, unsure of how to react to such contact.
“Dominic, it’s Clara, it’s good to see you; now I need you to remember who you are,” she says, her voice full of raw emotion.
“Mementote sermonis mei quem, semel est vita mea memoria.”
Images of Amelia and little Hope fill his mind; the darkness clouding his thoughts begins to clear completely. Clara, Colt and Heather, they are all his friends, loyal. How could he have forgotten them and allow himself to be manipulated so easily?
He slumps to his knees, the effect of the memory spell dragging his mind back. Clara followed him down. He met her emerald eyes, so full of worry.
“He hurt Amelia and killed our baby… I wasn’t here, Clara; how can I ever look Amelia in the eye again knowing that?”
“Look at me, Dominic!” Her voice was firm and commanding, like a great Cailleach should be. “This was not your doing, this was all Will and whoever has been working with him, you are going to make him suffer for it, make them all suffer, now get up and get your game face on because you need to show him exactly what Dominic Bellator is capable of; just a mention of your name should make the strongest of men shit their pants. Start owning that
shit, Dominic. Go and spill his blood as he has spilled ours.”
He stood, helping Clara up. She was right, they wouldn’t get away with trying to destroy his world.
“Oh, he will pay for what he has taken from us.” He looks to Jake. “Can your beast still fight, boy?” Jake’s eyes meet his, full of confusion.
“I am in the market for a tough companion and you have proven your loyalty, are you in?”
“Of course, Dominic, it would be an honour to fight alongside you,” Jake says, still looking slightly taken aback by the turn of events.
“Great, Clara, go and save my Amelia, she needs you.”
Clara rushes into the room, the cry of anguish from her guts him all over again, knowing exactly what she is witnessing.
He can mourn later. Right now, he needs to find Will, this needs to end.
“Jake, get Clara to heal you after she’s healed Amelia, I am going to need you at full strength, meet me outside when you’re done, I’ve got to go and teach some ignorant dickheads what happens when you’re disloyal.”
Jake smiled at him warily and nodded, shuffling into the room where his love lay. He gritted his teeth; rage bubbled to the surface replacing the sinking feeling.
He was back, and he was pissed.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Emmie
Warmth filled her entire body; the magic beginning to ease the excruciating pain she was in. Her sister stood above her chanting the spell with one hand pressed to her head while the other lay over her abdomen. She could see how much Clara was suffering watching her go through this, the tears flowing down her face were enough indication that this was tearing her to pieces. They felt each other’s heartbreak, they always had.
Once the light faded and all that was left of her beating was drying blood, she dared to sit up. Placing her hand over her now empty womb, more tears filled her eyes.
Clara had moved to Jake to heal his wounds; he was pretty badly beaten as well, she owed him big time for risking himself like he had. She would make sure he knew how grateful she was.
“My darling, I am so sorry you had to go through that.” Heather’s voice cut through her racing thoughts, bringing her back to the present. She realised then the warm arms of her mother had been cradling her all this time.
“He’s going to pay, Mother, my beast seeks its revenge and I won’t be able to stop it, and like last time with Juliet it won’t give in until every breath is ripped from his body, except this time he’ll fucking stay dead.”
She could feel her beast tearing away at her insides as she spoke. She moved away from the arms of her mother and stopped fighting the inevitable, allowing the change to take over. The pain of her transformation was nothing compared to what she had endured.
A roar of sheer power came from her as her beast tore its way through flesh; all eyes were on her, this was it, it was time to prove she was just as strong as the great Cillian Vandran.
Dominic
He paced up and down next to Colt’s van. Will had run and Fredrick knew exactly how to find the son of a bitch, there were only so many hiding places the Domini Bellatorum had in their possession, so he had to be heading to one of them.
“Dominic?” The sound of Joe’s deep voice made his head whip round; his friend looked like he’d had had some fun of his own, blood covering his clothing and face.
“Joe, where’s Fredrick?”
“We locked him in a room with that Kate girl. I swear that bitch has a death wish, I had to restrain her, she was screaming all kinds about Will and making us all pay.”
Dominic nodded sharply, not sure his temper could hold for much longer before he snapped. He still hadn’t decided what he was going to do with Terrance’s little sister, but what she had caused definitely wouldn’t be a light punishment inflicted and God help Terrance if he stood in his way.
“Did you see Will leave?”
Joe shook his head, regret on his face; he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.
“I got this from Kate though, after she calmed down, it’s a list of all the places Will has taken her in the past, it might come in useful.”
He ran his hand through his hair, his mind racing, images of Amelia pale and bleeding out.
“And it could be another trap… fuck. You should have seen her, Joe. She was covered in blood, I need to…”
A snarling sound from the front of the building made both of their heads turn.
Aqua eyes stared him down as the magnificent beast bounded towards him followed closely by Colt in his spectral form, the black wolf with red eyes that glowed with his anger. Amelia stopped next to him and growled low in her throat, rubbing her head against his open palm. A single tear rolled down his cheek; she was so strong and brave to be out here and ready to do battle. He brushed the wetness away when Clara, Heather and Jake appeared a few seconds later; Jake was now fully clothed. They were followed by an angry-looking Terrance who was dragging Fredrick and Kate along with him, both of them bound and gagged, both looking scared shitless. As they got closer he noticed the swelling on Kate’s face. Clara’s knuckles were bruised – he was impressed.
“We need to get to Hope now! She’s with Iris at The Sanctuary, he’s going to try and grab her. This was all a ploy to get us here.”
Colt disappeared round the side of his van. Jake followed him his arms full of clothes; they came back two minutes later, Colt pulling his t-shirt over his big frame.
“Let’s go! Colt, get us there quick!” he ordered, pulling open the back doors of the van so Amelia could jump in, he followed. Clara and Heather sat in the front with Colt. Joe was about to jump in with them as well.
“Joe, stay with Terrance, get those two locked up in the cell at the mansion, I will deal with them later.”
“No problem, boss man. Be careful.”
Dominic nodded his thanks. Jake jumped in with them and slammed the doors closed, banging on the metal to let Colt know he could go.
Dominic sat on the old battered mattress as the van sped off. Amelia padded over and placed her head in his lap; he could see the anguish shining from her amazing aqua eyes. He stroked her fur, trying to soothe her the best he could, although he knew nothing could mend the devastation they were both going through.
“I promise he’s going to pay for what he’s taken from us, baby, I swear. I love you more than life, my beautiful brave Tigress.”
Emmie
She woke with a start; she must have dozed off, her head resting against Dominic’s thigh. Her ears pricked up and she lifted her head on full alert, she could hear snarling and shouting in the distance. Iris was screaming in pain as voices she didn’t recognise taunted her. She needed out of this fucking contraption so she could save her.
“Clara?”
“We’re just pulling into The Sanctuary now, Emmie, it all looks quiet.”
“Clara he’s in there with my baby, they have Iris, I need out now.”
“Amelia, what is it? What can you hear?” Dominic was just as eager for this fight as she was, a red ring appeared around his pupil.
“Will is here, with some of the Domini Bellatorum members, Emmie can hear them. Colt, block the gate with your van, let’s go and teach these fuckers a lesson.”
As soon as the van doors were open Emmie jumped out, leaping the gate in one swift move. The growling behind her told her Colt and Jake were just behind her.
She reached the farm house within seconds. Roaring and slamming her big body against the locked front door, her massive frame crashed through the wood.
She could hear shouting from the carpark as a gang of Domini Bellatorum followers ran from behind the cabins. The battle was on and she knew exactly who she wanted to get her teeth into.
Dominic appeared next to her with Clara not far behind.
One of the older members of the Domini Bellatorum came towards them with a confused expression on her face, she was an old familiar.
“Dominus? You have chosen them, Great Master?
”
Dominic stepped forward.
“Your poisonous plotting failed, Gretchen, Clara reversed the spell. DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE HELPED HIM DO!”
At least she had the sense to look a bit remorseful.
“You know that child she had in her belly was blasphemy to the Bellator bloodline, Master William was fulfilling our sacred duty to protect your future, it’s what—”
“ENOUGH! You and the rest of the members who believe this nonsense have broken the woman that I love and murdered an innocent baby, my baby. For that you must all pay…”
Clara stepped in next to Emmie facing Gretchen, her eyes glowing red; the vibrations of their magic combined coursed through her body. She roared as Clara lifted her arms, pointing them at the scared-looking woman.
“Dominic, please don’t let them hurt me, I have been a loyal servant to your family.”
“You deserve this and more, Gretchen,” Dominic spat.
“Adducere eum morte!” Clara cried and Emmie roared. Her aqua eyes turned the most spectacular florescent blue as she joined her sister in their vengeance. Gretchen fell to her knees grasping at her throat as her windpipe caved inwards; all the air was sucked from her body and she fell to floor dead.
“The next one’s mine,” Dominic snarled.
A child’s scream and a yelping noise from upstairs sent them all in that direction. Dominic went first, bursting his way into the bedroom the noise had come from.
Iris, who was now in wolf form was floating in the air, an invisible force holding her against the wall. Hope was cowering in the far corner of the room. Will stood in between them both; his magic was holding Iris in place, his eyes glowing red, the madness had completely taken him over.
Something Familiar (The Vandran Legacy Book 2) Page 19