Sacrifice

by Anna Santos

  Alaric had contacted the psychiatrist office a few weeks before and had booked a few hours of therapy an hour before Beth’s schedule.

  It was easy to trick Dr. Kent with half trues. He mostly spoke about how his mother disappointed him by continuing to indulge his father’s abuses and humiliations. He had found no use in talking about his past, but he needed an excuse to be there. When the pity party didn’t work on the doctor, he decided that he had to seduce the woman and began talking about his sexual exploitations and how he enjoyed random sex with strangers. She scheduled him one more hour, claiming that he needed more treatment. As soon as he regained his powers, he was sure that she was aroused by his descriptions of how he fucked a waitress in an alley. It didn’t take long for him to tap her over her desk and their meetings became a well-paid sex session.

  He once glimpsed her notes. She called him self-centered, arrogant, and a lost cause. He didn’t kill her on that day because she had scribbled great sex as the final note. Plus, he needed her alive to lure Beth to his trap.

  “Adrien, we need to stop doing this,” the doctor said as she came out of the toilette in her office.

  Alaric had used his alias to book the sessions. He had blown some steam with the kinky doctor before revealing his true nature and intentions to her that day.

  Leaning back on the doctor’s office chair, Alaric smirked at her. “You said that last time, and here we are. You didn’t seem that you weren’t enjoying yourself as I was ramming into you on this desk.”

  Her mouth sneered to the right, an indication that she didn’t appreciate his words.

  “You are here to heal. I’m afraid that this only made you worse. I’ll give you the number of a colleague so that he can take care of your case.”

  Alaric arched an eyebrow and patted the knife he had in the pocket of his jacket.

  Dr. Kent muttered, “Did you hear me? This is our last session.”

  He got up. “I heard you.”

  She folded her arms under her breasts. “Our hour is almost up. You should probably leave while I prepare myself to receive my next patient.”

  Stretching his lips in a snarl, he edged closer to her. “Are you breaking up with me?”

  Her expression changed to surprise with his words. “We weren’t in a relationship. This was casual sex and a mistake because I shouldn’t be using you.”

  His fingers brushed her cheek, and she stepped back.

  “Relax, honey. I was the one using you. But, alas, I won’t be needing you anymore.”

  “What are you talking about?” She pushed him back when he drew closer. “Just leave, and I won’t be forced to hurt you.”

  He smiled. “That would be a first.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer. She shrieked and tried to release her arm. He was much stronger “But, you see, I’m not what you think I am.”

  Pulling the knife from his pocket, he impaled it on her left shoulder, missing the vital organ on purpose. “I still need you alive.”

  The doctor screamed, and Alaric dropped the knife and covered her mouth. Pushing her hair, he threw her against the wall on the opposite side of the door.

  “Stay there if you want to live and don’t make a sound.” He yelled in front of her face, making her recoil against the wall as tears streamed down her cheeks. “We are waiting for someone important. I don’t want to scare her away before she’s inside.”

  He straightened up and looked at his watch. “It’s almost time.”

  Walking to the knife, he grabbed it and resumed his place sat on the doctor’s chair. Before resting his back in his seat, he pressed the button to indicate that the doctor was ready to receive the next patient.

  He glared at the doctor when she sobbed. Covering her mouth, she controlled her fear, and he nodded in approval.

  ***

  Grabbing Beth had been a lot easier than he expected. She didn’t put up a fight and even snapped the doctor’s neck.

  Alaric couldn’t waste time and took care of Brandon, her bodyguard, as soon as the wolf saw Beth walking in front of Alaric.

  Brandon didn’t believe Beth’s words and went for the gun. Big mistake. Alaric used his enhanced super speed to grab the gun and blow his brains. Beth screamed and shook all the way down the stairs. Alaric had forgotten how sensible she was about those things. He shouldn’t have killed the guy in front of her. But he couldn’t leave anyone to announce her kidnapping so soon. He needed to grab the money in his apartment and meet Julius so he could give him the getaway car and the map where to go. Alaric would calm down Beth after they were safe.

  “Hush, baby,” he cooed, caressing her long and silky hair. “You look so pretty and smell so nice. I have missed you.”

  “You didn’t have to kill him. He was a good kid.”

  “You were always sentimental about the help and the blood slaves,” he said. “Just be glad that wasn’t my brother.”

  Beth stopped sobbing and straightened her back. Pausing, she fixed her dress and coat.

  “Eric is home, far away from here. But you know that, or you wouldn’t pick this place to take me.”

  He grabbed her arms and turned her around. “Are you suggesting that I’m afraid of my brother?”

  Beth shook her head. “He doesn’t have what is needed in him to kill you.”

  “I guess you had a lot of time to get to know him, bitch.” He slapped her, and her head bounced back, but her body didn’t move.

  She glared at him. “Is that the way you showed me how much you love me?”

  His face became pale with her words, and he tempered his anger. Her cheek was red. “Beth, I’m so…”

  “Save it.” She raised her hand to shut him up. Turning her back on him, she reached for the door that took them to the hall. “Where do you want me to go?”

  Alaric sped to her side and grabbed her elbow before she took the chance and escaped. He was not that stupid, and he wasn’t buying her display of affection.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Entering his apartment from across the street of Dr. Kent’s office, Alaric dragged Beth over to the bedroom.

  “Stay here while I grab my money and…” he raised his head and frowned. “Something is wrong.”

  He stormed back to the living room and yelled, “I had left her here. She was dead.”

  Alaric paced around the living room and threw all the pillows and dirty clothes around, hoping to find the big bag of money.

  Nothing.

  “That bitch stole me. I don’t know how she did it, but she took my money. I was sure she was dead. I pushed her body to the corner.”

  Speeding to the bedroom, he ignored Beth’s scared expression and opened the wardrobe. Several of Olivia’s clothes were gone.

  He slammed the wardrobe door, and it cracked and bounced against the wall.

  “That cunning bitch. She must have stolen it and drank. She turned.”

  Beth’s voice made him look back. “What’s wrong?”

  When their eyes locked, she recoiled back and sucked a breath. She was afraid of him, and he couldn’t blame her. Still, he had to temper his rage in front of her. It wasn’t her fault.

  Edging closer to the bed, he sat and reached his arm to touch her pretty face. “It’s okay. I’m not mad at you.” He placed a soft strand of hair behind her ear. “You look so pretty, and I’ve missed you so much.”

  Beth gulped, and Alaric grabbed her shaking hands.

  “We need a car.”

  “Who stole your money?”

  “Someone that should be dead.” He looked at her earrings and her necklace. “Those are pretty. Are they real?”

  Beth nodded.

  “I guess I can pawn them off. But not here. We need to leave before they know I have you.”

  “How long have you been living here?”

  “Not too long. Getting here was hard. I didn’t even know you were alive. I’ve mourned your death.” He kissed her hands and took in her scent. “I’m glad that I found you. I’
ve missed you. It was a torment to be away from you.”

  Beth remained in silence.

  Alaric got up and moved to the window of the bedroom. “We can’t stay here.” He rubbed his chin. “I know somewhere where we can go.”

  He looked back, and she moved her hands back to the folding position over her lap. Frowning, Alaric headed to the bed and grabbed Beth’s arm to take her with him.

  “Just be a bit more patient, and I’ll take us out of this forsaken town.”

  ***

  Eric was with Jessica and his father in his office. The hope of giving good news to his mate had been shattered after Anna and her team’s last report.

  Anna was still talking on the speaker with them.

  “Nothing. The cell was empty, and the island is abandoned,” she reported. “There are signs of people living here. Marks of blood. Two piles of ashes that we believe to be the vampires who were guarding Alaric.”

  “How long do you think he has escaped?” the king questioned.

  “Hard to say. There’s food in the fridge and stored blood. A receipt from more than one month ago. We found a teenager bedroom but no signs of her being hidden or dead.”

  “I wonder if Marie knew that he had escaped and that was why she didn’t bother to tell us where she had imprisoned him before arriving here where she’s safe,” Jessica said.

  “I wouldn’t let Beth go out without more security if I knew this,” Eric muttered. Fisting his hands, he looked at the floor. “Who knows where Alaric is now? He can even be in town.”

  “Why would he come here?” his father asked. “He would be a fool. There’s nothing here for him, and he has no idea we have his mate and child.”

  “Revenge, dear,” Jessica replied. “He was always impulsive and liked to hold grudges.”

  “I’m bringing a photo of the girl with me. It might be useful,” Anna said from the other side of the line.

  “What girl?” Eric asked.

  “The teen living here. Alaric escaped somehow, and the girl is nowhere to be found. He might be using her to do his bidding,” Anna explained.

  “That’s clever of you, sweetie,” the king praised. Looking at his son, he added, “You might want to call the police station and ask them to increase security.” He leaned forward. “Anna, send us a picture of the girl. We’ll take copies and show around town. We need to play safe.”

  “I’m going to call Brandon. I know that Beth’s session isn’t over yet, but I need to make sure that everything is okay and that she returns home as soon as possible.” Eric searched for his phone. “I left the phone in my office.”

  “I’ll call Beth from my phone,” Jessica said. “Strange, I have a few missed calls from Dulce, but I’ll have to call her later.”

  “She might not answer since she’s with Dr. Kent,” Eric said.

  “Yes, she’s not picking it up,” Jessica mumbled. “I’ll try Brandon’s.”

  The bell rang in the palace, creating an echo.

  “Someone should tell Marie about what’s happening,” Marcus said, tapping his fingers on his desk. “I haven’t seen my granddaughter today. Maybe I should go.”

  “That’s a great idea, honey.” Jessica rested her hand on his shoulder. “Brandon isn’t picking up, either.”

  Eric heard voices in the hall. Dulce was there. Before he could announce her, she barged inside the office.

  “Why aren’t you picking up your phone?” she asked him with a haunted expression.

  “What’s wrong?” Eric questioned, dread gnawing at his insides. The hair in the back of his neck stood up.

  “Alaric took Beth,” Dulce informed.

  His stomach dropped as his worst nightmare came to life. “What? H-how do you know this?”

  Dulce stepped back when Eric stood before her. She raised her hands and gestured him to calm down before resuming her speech. “A girl that works with me, she came to tell me that someone was taking Beth from Dr. Kent’s office. She described the guy, and he looks a lot like Alaric.”

  “When was this?”

  “About fifteen minutes ago. I rushed to the office to see if it was true before coming here. It isn’t pretty. Someone broke Dr. Kent’s neck, and Brandon is dead.”

  Eric closed his eyes momentarily and gulped. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He felt a hand on his back.

  “We can’t lose time. Control yourself, we need you focused,” Jessica said from behind.

  “I’ve contacted the police station, and they are entering the building where the kidnapper was seen taking Beth,” Dulce explained. “I came here because you weren’t picking up your phone.”

  Eric nodded. “We need to go to town and access the city cameras to follow the kidnapper movements. I’ll grab my phone from my office. Dad, please call our men. We’ll need all the help that we can get if Alaric is in town.”

  Marcus was already on the phone and nodded to his son.

  The prince headed to the door with Dulce behind. He stopped when he saw Marie with the baby in her arms standing there.

  “How much did you hear?” Eric asked her.

  “Enough to understand what is going on.”

  “Then you know you should go back to your room and stay there.”

  “No.” Marie stood in front of him. Eric frowned at her “I’m going with you.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Eric snapped.

  Marie squinted her eyes at him. “You have no idea of what your brother is capable of doing. He won’t go down without fighting. Maybe if he sees his child and me, he gives himself up.”

  “For what I saw, he couldn’t care less about the child,” Jessica intervened.

  “We are wasting time,” Eric muttered.

  “His powers only just returned. The bloodlust might have been subdued. Maybe he grew up a conscience. I don’t know, but I need to go with you. My sister is in danger, and I’m not letting him get away with this.”

  “You have a child to look after,” Eric retorted.

  “It won’t serve me any good if you kill him. Or did you forget that if you harm your brother, you’ll be harming the mother of your niece?”

  “She’s right,” Jessica said. “Someone needs to grab Alaric unharmed, so we can try to do the spell one more time. Now that the baby is born, I’m sure that it will work.”

  “You aren’t taking the baby with you,” Eric protested. “It’s dangerous.”

  “Without the baby, there’s nothing I can do. He’s not exactly fond of me after what I did to him. This child might be the only thing that can provoke any kind of human reaction.”

  Eric looked back and saw his father talking on the phone. He didn’t know what to do. Placing a small baby in danger wasn’t something that he was eager to do. Still, he needed to save Beth.

  “If we find them, you can watch and try to reason with Alaric,” Eric proposed, looking at Marie. “But do whatever you can to keep that baby safe.”

  “You don’t need to tell me that. It’s my daughter, and I escaped to have her. She’s the love of my life. He would have to kill me before he did something to her.”

  Eric placed a hand on her shoulder. “Good.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Alaric’s plan had a few setbacks, but he wasn’t about to give up. Grabbing Beth, he took her to Julius’ pub. He hoped to convince the vampire in helping him hide until it was safe to leave town.

  Kiera was behind the counter when he opened the back door and slipped inside.

  “We are closed,” she chimed, removing the glasses from the washing machine.

  “Even for me?” Alaric slurred.

  She spun to look at him with a smile, but it quickly disappeared when she saw Beth behind him. “Who is that?”

  “A friend,” Alaric replied. “Is Julius here?”

  Kiera arched an eyebrow. “Weren’t you leaving town?”

  “I had a few hiccups along the way. I need extra cash.”

  Kiera glanced at Beth again and then
looked at the door to Julius’ office.

  “Simon’s there. He can call the boss if it’s important.” Kiera shrugged and moved to grab a few bottles that she refilled with more liquor. “Leave the woman here. Simon doesn’t like strangers.”

  “He’ll have to like her. I won’t let her out of my sight.”

  Dragging Beth behind him, Alaric walked to the door and knocked. He didn’t wait for a reply to enter.

  Simon, Julius’ trusty guy, raised his head from the papers he had in his hands. “Adrien, did you come here to lose on the cards again? Is a bit early, no?”

  Alaric smiled, pushed Beth to the side, and motioned her to sit on the back.

  “Who is your pretty lady friend?” the old-looking vampire asked.

  “No one important to you.” He sat across from Simon. “I need help.”

  “My guys called me and said you didn’t show up to the rendezvous. What happened? They don’t like to wait. In fact, they are coming here. You can talk to them if you need more time, but they except a payment.”

  Alaric curled his lips into a smile. “About that. I’m broke.”

  Simon arched an eyebrow. “What about the money your friend Seth hired us to deliver to you?”

  “Gone, someone stole it.”

  “I hope you don’t think we did it.”

  Alaric folded his hands and leaned forward. “No, I know who did it. I’ll take care of her. But I’m in a bit of a hurry, and I need fast money.”

  Simon rested his elbows on the table, folded his hands, and puckered his lips. “I don’t see how we can help you.”

  “Blood.”

  “We aren’t interested in vampire blood.

  “Do you know what I sold Seth?”

  “Drugs? He paid you a lot. It’s a shame that you lost it.”

  “Pure vampire blood is still a precious delicacy among turned vampires, right?”

  “Combined with the right drugs, yes.”

  Alaric smirked. “Then you are in luck today. Not only you have me, but you also have another pureblood here.”

  Simon’s eyebrows knitted together. “Can you prove it?”

  Alaric relaxed in his chair. “Have you ever got high on pure vampire blood?”