by Julia Mills
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Andrew had heard the rattle of the handcuffs, signaling that his captive was awake, but had given her time to take stock of her situation and hopefully decide to cooperate with him. After all, he had no plans to kill her. He just wanted to make sure she knew what kind of man the Universe had saddled her with for the rest of her life. He wanted to inflict both mental and physical pain on the mate of the brother that had left him for dead. If he knew the Dragon Guard as well as he thought he did, he figured he had another hour or so before they found them.
After cleaning and bandaging Grace’s wounds and moving her from the root cellar to the cabin due to the thunderstorm that hit without warning, he had left her cuffed to the cot in the cabin with the door locked and warded while he went out to lay false trails for their pursuers. He knew those false trails, along with the rain, would slow them down, but would never stop them. The Dragon Guardsmen were excellent trackers and those damn big cats were even better. That, coupled with the stories he had heard about the pull of the mating call, assured him that nothing short of death and dismemberment would keep Aidan from the raven haired beauty now in his possession. He was also sure the Dragon Guard Commander he had known and respected for all those years, was out for vengeance after what had happened on that hillside all those months ago. He knew sooner or later they would catch up with him, but until they did, he was going to rain as much of his own vengeance down on them as he could, beginning with his pretty little captive pretending to be asleep on the other side of the room.
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Grace laid there wondering exactly what her asshole captor was doing. She could tell he was just standing there, and had been since the footsteps had stopped a minute ago. On top of that, she could hear his slow, deep breathing. He definitely had his emotions under control; dickhead! She only wished she could say the same thing. He had not moved at all since entering the room. It was completely unnerving, but she refused to give in. She was going to lay there as long as her abductor would let her, hoping and praying that either she could figure a way out of this mess or that Aidan would swoop in and save her. She hated the ‘damsel in distress’ feeling but hell, it was all she had at that moment.
She worked hard at controlling her breathing and keeping her muscles loose, imitating sleep, but the longer the stranger just stood there, the more impossible her task became. She was just about to open her eyes when she heard a chair scrape across the floor. “You might as well open your eyes. I know you are awake and have been for a while, Grace Kensington.”
Her eyes flew open and she jumped, surprised at the familiarity of her abductor’s voice. She was positive she had never heard it before their trip through the woods, and then all she could remember was his whispered mumbling that sounded like some kind of demented nursery rhymes. But the tone and timber of his voice was so familiar that she was sure she had heard it before, or at least something almost identical. She stared at the worn, wooden ceiling for moment, trying to compose herself, “Well, you know who I am, so why don’t you tell me who you are,” she countered, sounding more confident than she felt.
“Why don’t you at least turn your head or roll over if you can? Your left arm is pretty useless from where you were shot, so it’s not secured. I think we should at least look at each other during our time together.”
He sounded so laid back, like they were about to have lunch or discuss some trivial business dealings; nothing like the psychotic maniac that had tackled her, thrown her over his shoulder, and carried her off. She took a deep breath, preparing herself to roll over while her body screamed for her to lie still, at least until it had a little longer to heal. She rolled to the right; careful not to jiggle her shoulder any more than was absolutely necessary. Pain like nothing she had ever felt before shot through her body, radiating from her injured shoulder. She really was not a wimp where pain was concerned. Having suffered her fair share of scrapes and broken bones as a kid, she prided herself on her tolerance to pain, but this shit was intense to say the least. To top it off, as she moved, her lower back began to sting from contact with the sheet, reminding her that the man she was about to look in the eye had also dragged her across the pavement. If…no, when she got out of here, she was going to kick this dirt bag’s ass. He definitely had it coming.
She finally reached her destination and realized her eyes had closed sometime while she was turning. As she opened her eyes, her abductor came into view. She could not stop the gasp that sprung from her lips. Sitting not more than five feet from her was an almost exact duplicate of the man that owned her heart. Her spidey senses chose that moment to awaken from their shock and begin screaming at her. Thanks for the heads up there, guys. I already know I’m in deep shit here. All my life I had wished for you to leave me alone and you chose the most incredibly inopportune time to do it, not to mention waking up and stating the obvious when my head has already been through the ringer. Give me a break! she screamed back at the special intuition that had been with her for as long as she could remember.
She locked eyes with the man she knew with the utmost certainty was her mate’s younger brother. Several things became evident immediately. If not for the one amber and one blue eye that her abductor sported, he could pass for an identical match to her Aidan. There were also the vibes radiating from him like some malevolent storm. Where Aidan made her feel safe, secure, and loved, the man staring back her was filled with so much hate, rage, and aggression that it threatened to spill out on everyone and everything in his path made her feel edgy and paranoid. She also realized in the next second that deep underneath all of the dark, hateful feelings, she could sense hurt, betrayal, and most of all, loneliness. It made her almost feel sorry for him. She knew he worked hard to keep all of his underlying emotions hidden, but her intuition told her that these feelings were working their way to the surface. He narrowed his eyes at her while she continued to stare at him, wondering what he was waiting for. All thoughts of empathy or sympathy for the jackass fled as she looked into his cold, dead eyes. “Well, I’m facing you now. What the hell do you want from me?” Again she hoped her false vibrado hid at least some of the nerves she was feeling.
His smile chilled her to the bone. “I guess what they say is true. The Universe does not make mistakes.” He mused, more to himself than to her. “I won’t insult your intelligence. I’ll simply confirm what I’m sure you have already figured out. I am Andrew O’Brien, younger brother to Aaron and more importantly to you, Aidan.” He paused, never breaking eye contact, “As for what I want from you, it’s really very simple. I want to use you to torture my brother. I know you are aware that you are his mate and I’m sure he has told you what that means to a dragon shifter. I want to use you to make him pay for abandoning me and leaving me for dead almost seven years ago. After I learned of your existence I figured, what better way to do so than to use the one person in the world that means the most to him?” She knew her breathing had sped up and could feel perspiration break out all over her skin. She wanted to stay calm, but this guy was bat shit crazy and scaring the hell out of her.
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“I have no intention of killing you. I simply want to have a little chat with you. I want to make sure you understand what kind of man the Universe has stuck you with. I especially want him to go crazy with worry, wondering what I am doing to you, while he relentlessly tracks you down. Then when he thinks he can save you, I want him to die knowing that he failed.” He watched as a tear he was sure she was unaware of rolled down her cheek, and he could not stop from adding insult to injury, “By my hand, of course.” He purposely left out his intent to inflict at least a little more pain to her, as well.
He took careful stock of his prey as she processed his intent. He could see the wheels turning. She was an intelligent woman with a great deal of inner strength and fire. He had meant what he said about the Universe knowing what She was doing when She created this woman for his brother. Grace would not break eas
ily, and as he sat across from her, he was not sure breaking her was the ultimate goal anymore. He could not deny the fact that he wanted her to hurt, at least a bit. After all, she was the root cause of what had happened to him all those years ago.
“So this is all about your need for revenge? You work with a heinous criminal that kidnaps young woman, blows up an abandoned building hurting the same innocent girls, and then drag me to God knows where, all because you need revenge for something that happened almost seven years ago?” she asked incredulously. She took a breath, and he again witnessed her incredible strength. “Not to mention you hurt my best friend when she had absolutely nothing to do with your sibling rivalry.” Fire danced in her eyes as she yelled at him and he was once again impressed by her conviction. Perfect match for his brother; such a shame the bastard would never live to enjoy his beautiful mate.
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His next words surprised her, “I am sorry that the Commander’s mate was injured in our altercation, but collateral damage is something no one can plan for. As for our ‘sibling rivalry’ as you put it,” he lifted an eyebrow to show his disdain for her description of what had occurred between he and Aidan, “it appears you have not been given the whole story, and that is one of the reasons you are here today. As for kidnapping young woman, I have no idea what you’re talking about, and I definitely did not blow up that warehouse. As a matter of fact, that abandoned building was paramount to my future plans. But that is neither here nor there now; plans change and we must adapt.”
He tilted his head and Grace wondered if he was trying to get a different perspective on the situation, or her, or both. She also debated whether she could believe what he was telling her about him not knowing her boss or his criminal activities. Her spidey senses were telling her that he was being honest and they had never failed her before. Maybe they had gotten knocked out of whack, or she was losing her mind from all that had happened. “Since our time here is limited, as I’m sure your mate is running around frantically trying to find you and my diversions will only keep him at bay for so long, I want to make sure you have the correct information about that night all those years ago. I want to make sure you know what a coward your mate is.” He held up his hand to stop her from speaking and she wished she could slug him right then and there, but he continued talking so she listened. “Maybe you should tell me what you’ve been told and then I’ll tell you what really happened.”
They sat staring at one another, sizing each other up. It reminded her of two gunfighters waiting for the clock to chime noon in the old west. She decided the only way to get this crap over with was to start talking, “Why would I tell you anything? You tackled me, dragged me across the pavement, threw me over your shoulder, and kidnapped me, all in some misguided attempt to make your brother pay for something he had no control over and has tortured himself for every day since it happened.” She took a huge gulp of air and rushed on, “Pardon me for not feeling like I owe you any type of explanation.” She glared, letting him know she had no intention of making this easy for him.
“Point taken,” he smirked, the look on his face making her palms itch with the need to slap him. This son of a bitch was really looking to have his ass kicked, and if she was not shot, beaten, and bruised, she would be the woman to do it. “I will tell you exactly what happened that evening and you can draw your own conclusions. After all, in your business, it is the facts that matter. Right, Grace?”
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Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Yes, Grace, I did my homework. I know all about you and your insatiable need to see justice prevail. That is why I think you’ll find what I have to say very interesting.” He paused again and watched Grace’s face. She was working incredibly hard to control any and all reactions, something he was sure she used in her line of work. “What I need you to understand is that my abduction and subsequent torture was completely my brother’s fault.” Again he raised his hands to stop her protest. “Let’s be fair. I gave you an opportunity to tell me what you know but you declined, so in an effort to bring our time together to a successful conclusion, I ask that you let me speak without interruptions. If there is time, when I’m finished, you may ask all your questions.” He watched her struggle to contain her emotions, amazed at how quickly she had her ‘game face’ firmly in place. Apparently, she wanted to know what he had to say even more than she wanted to argue with him. She nodded for him to continue.
“Aidan and I were not supposed to be on patrol that evening. It was supposed to be our first night off in almost two weeks. But the day before, he had gotten the scent of something that would not let him rest. Do you know what that was, Grace?’ He waited several seconds, until she shook her head. “It was you. He had scented his mate and nothing would keep him from finding her.” The shock on her face confirmed his suspicions; she had not been told the whole story. He could only guess that other important details had been left out, as well.
“So I agreed to go out with him that night. He seemed distracted and I didn’t think he should be out by himself. You see, Aidan and I were very close. For as long as I could remember, he had always been there for me no matter what. Now that I say it out loud, it occurs to me that it probably made his betrayal and what I endured because of it, even worse. But that is neither here nor there. He is a coward and you need to know the truth.” He paused, composing himself and shoving away old memories that threatened to weaken his resolve. All the old bullshit really had no place in his life anymore.
“You see, Aidan was one of the fiercest, most revered of the Dragon Guard. His hunting skills unparalleled by even our Commander. It was as if he had extra abilities none of the rest of us had been given. He seemed to sense danger before any other. But on that fateful night, Aidan was in such a hurry to follow your scent, to get a glimpse of his mate, that he ignored all of his training. Knowing that his mate was out in there in the world, so very close to him, made him sloppy and he broke protocol, something we never did, no matter what. He didn’t scan the area for danger. It was imperative that we always keep an eye out for any enemies in the area, especially when we were flying, but he just charged head long after you, acting on pure instinct. He even went so far as to shut down our mind to mind communication. But because he was my brother and we shared a bond so much stronger than just siblings or brethren, I blindly followed. I trusted him.” He stared right into Grace’s eyes, conveying the depth of the betrayal he felt for someone he had trusted with his very life. “He spent the night watching you study, and then, after he made sure you and your classmate had safely returned to your dorm, we finally took to the skies to return to the lair.
“About halfway through our journey, the air grew dense and flight became almost impossible. I tried to contact Aidan through our mind speak but our link was still closed. We were forced from the sky and back into our human forms. I landed, dazed, unable to move, next to a huge fire surrounded by a large group of hooded figures, chanting and swaying. I was completely paralyzed, unable to move or call out.
“I had no idea where Aidan was as I lay there floating in and out of consciousness. When I was finally able to stay awake for more than a few seconds, I realized I had been chained with magically enhanced silver chains. I watched, unable to do more than blink my eyes as the hooded figures danced around their ritual pyre, the air thick with black magic. I heard the moans and pleas for mercy from what I assumed was a human. I heard the wet tearing sounds of flesh and muscle, and then watched as a severed head was thrown into the fire as a sacrifice. The last thing I remember before I blacked out again was a flash of bright light and loud chanting.
“I awoke some time later, alone and chained in a dungeon. I tried to contact Aidan, but there was still no answer, and then I tried contacting every member our Force. No one answered. It was as though they had severed all ties with me. I called out through our mind speak until I thought my head would explode and my ears would bleed, but no one answered. They had left me for dead at
the hands of our enemies.
“It wasn’t long before the torture began. They tried everything they could think of to draw the dragon magic from me. I was starved, beaten, bombarded with every spell and ritual they could think of, but to no avail. They were sure I was somehow keeping it from them. Aware that my magic was constantly regenerating, they kept me blanketed in silver and many different spells and talisman’s to make sure I couldn’t overpower them. They knew the strength and raw power of dragon magic, but that was where their knowledge ended. The hundreds of thousands of years they had sought to eradicate the dragon shifters, apparently had been done in oblivion because they had serious misconceptions. Had they been paying attention, they would have known that our power is fused within our very soul, that there is no way to extract it from us. While the new and creative forms of torture continued, I called out through our link, trying to reach any of my brethren. No one answered, no one came.
“I have no idea how long the torture continued, one day bled into the next. It was a large coven so they had shift after shift of wizards constantly battering me, never giving me time to rest or think. I finally realized no one was coming to save me. I had been left to die, left by the men whom with I shared a blood bond, the same men that I taken a bond of fealty with that bound us for all time. I was completely and totally on my own and had to figure my own way out of the hell I was living.” He paused, gauging Grace’s reaction to all he was revealing. “Do you know what that felt like, Grace? Have you ever been totally alone with no one but yourself to depend on? That is the life you are destined to have with Aidan. He will fail and you will be left alone.”
He watched Grace working diligently to contain her emotions, sure she would not answer his questions, but paused all the same. Her eyes shot fire in his direction and he knew had she been able, she would have killed him on the spot. “I decided that day to do whatever was necessary to survive. I stopped fighting them, made the wizards think that they had finally won, that I was broken and ready for them to use as they wished. I had decided convincing them that I was loyal to their cause would be the best way to escape.