by Ginna Moran
“It won’t!” he yells, tightening his hold on me again. “It’ll save you and my coven. Everyone. You’ve lost sight of things.”
“Brother, hurry. Give her to me. They’re coming.” Lady Tori dashes at us, risking Brentwood slicing my throat.
I brace for the pain, knowing that even if he does it, I won’t die. I’m a dhampir. I can survive it. It’s the only thing stopping me from begging for my life now. If he does it, he’ll run and my guys can get to me. But only if he does it soon.
“Just do it,” I say, anger rising in my voice. “You want to kill me? Fucking fine. I knew I’d always die by a vampire’s hands, and I’m not going to beg for my life any longer.”
“Gwen,” Bronx says, his voice shaking.
I meet his gaze. “I love you. I love all of you.”
“Damn it, Gigi. Knock that shit off.” Jameson flashes his fangs at Brentwood. “You have three seconds to release our girl. If you do, we’ll let you live.”
Brentwood shakes his head and pulls me back with him. “I’m sorry. You will thank me.”
Something crashes into Brentwood from behind, sending him falling into me. I manage to yank the knife from my throat before we hit the ground. Lady Tori hisses and appears above us. She tugs Brentwood off of me only to lock her hands into my hair. She yanks me to my feet.
“Gwen, don’t fight. Go with her,” Bronx calls, drawing my attention to him. He dodges away from a blur that moves too fast for me to catch sight of.
Lady Tori doesn’t get the chance to take me far. Brentwood appears in front of us and jabs a dagger at my stomach. I recoil to protect myself. Lady Tori spins me around and takes a knife to her back. It’s enough to slow her down to where Brentwood circles back to face me.
“They will die because of you. Is that what you want?” Brentwood asks, snatching my hand. He drags me toward him. “I can save them.”
“And so can I.” Swinging my arm, I punch him hard enough to send him tumbling back.
Brentwood doesn’t release me and drags me with him. I land on top of him and punch him in the face with my free hand. Something blurs in front of me. A familiar, creepy vampire materializes near us.
“My sweet Gwen. You look like you could use some help.” The vampire, who I think is named Cortland, glides closer and extends his hand to me.
I try my best to suppress my fear instincts. “No. I have it under control.”
He smirks at me. “Well, I insist.”
I don’t have a chance to scramble away. He locks his hands around me and hoists me to my feet only to throw me over his shoulder. I link my fingers to the back of his shirt and scratch my nails into his back. He only reacts by lowering me off his shoulder to force me to face him.
He leans in so closely that I can feel the scratch of his beard on my chin. His breath mingles with mine, and I squeeze my eyes shut. He’s too close. His mouth too close to mine. My whole body trembles. I haven’t felt this vulnerable in my life.
“My brother has a claim on you, but I’d risk stealing you away to keep you to myself for a while. The power we can create together will be far superior.” Cortland rests his forehead to mine. “I’ll make you rather happy.”
Leaning back, I spit in his face. “I already bear power, you asshole. You’re too late. I’ve given my future to the Royales.”
He growls, the noise vibrating over my lips. “I think you misunderstand the extent of what it means to bear power.”
I snap my eyes open, braving to look into his black depths. “I don’t. I know exactly what it means. Morgan confirmed what it meant.”
He stiffens. “You saw Morgan?”
“And took his heart.”
He flashes his fangs at me, extending them so far that they graze my bottom lip. “How could you betray our line? How could you risk everything?”
I open my mouth to snap at him, but he surprises me by jerking his head and sinking his teeth into my shoulder. I scream out, my vision darkening. Pain explodes through me as his venom burns through my skin and into my blood.
“No matter. That should fix things.”
“Wh-what?” My head lolls, and I can’t stop myself from resting it on his shoulder.
“Shhh, rest now, sweet Gwen. I’m taking you home.”
“No,” I whisper, the venom threatening my consciousness.
“No!” Brentwood roars, choosing to fight instead of run.
Cortland spins to face the vampire, blocking my view of him. The two snarl at each other, and Cortland shifts me in his arms, but he’s not fast enough. Brentwood yanks me away by my hair. Throwing me to the ground, he gets on top of me. A hot pain erupts between my shoulder blades, stealing my breath.
“Do that and die!” Cortland yells.
“I’m already dead.”
Brentwood’s weight sinks into me as his body drops. His dagger rams into my back and I scream.
The last thing I hear is my name.
The pain turns all-consuming.
Chapter 23
Future Heir
“I TOLD YOU I DON’T have her, Thaxton.” Laredo’s voice murmurs through the thick wood of the trunk. It’s the third time he’s brought me onto his coven’s estate, leaving my brothers in the small colony of Blood Rebels that trade blood for protection from Donor Life Corp.
“But you know where she is,” a masculine voice snaps, putting me on edge.
I cover my mouth with my hand to muffle any possible noises I unintentionally make.
“If I did, I still wouldn’t tell you. What you plan to do will backfire,” Laredo says. “Even Rochester recognized the danger. Why do you think he didn’t present her the contract? Why do you think he went as far as trying to force her into a donor contract?”
“Because when it came down to it, Rochester didn’t care about us. All he cared about was himself.” Something thuds, possibly a fist into a wall. “We should’ve taken care of him the moment he insisted he move into the Gallagher household. He was far too caught up in Gwyneth’s sacrifice that he couldn’t see anything beyond trying to replace her.”
“Well, lucky for us, Gwen did take care of him.”
“But now she’s gone. You know how important she is. With her, we can rise and overtake the Donor Life Corp territory. Power is shifting. We must act, and we can do so with Gwen. What she’s capable of, what we can create with her, will change the foundation of our world. You know it can’t keep going on like this. The rebels grow stronger than ever. If they get ahold of any dhampir bloodlines, they can use it against all vampires. We must get to her.” Thaxton’s desperation rings so intensely that it’s nearly palpable. I hug my knees harder into my chest. He’s right about the rebels. They think dhampirs will take back the world, that we’re humanity’s gift. But what he wants? I don’t even know.
Laredo groans. “You know dhampirs are quite wild. The likeliness of getting her to cooperate is slim. She’ll probably eat your heart.”
“Don’t underestimate me, brother. She will listen. She will understand.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“I will make her.”
My body jostles as I hit the ground. It’s enough to startle me from unconsciousness, and I sit up and gasp. My eyes burn with tears, my body swelling with pain. I gag, my stomach reeling. Jerking sideways, I vomit blood all over the ground.
“Come any closer and I’ll kill you.” The rumble of Cortland’s voice does nothing for the state of my stomach.
The soft sounds of light footsteps draw my attention to a blurry form coming out from behind a tree. “Then kill me. Gwen is hurt. She needs medical attention.”
A gargled cry escapes my mouth at the sound of Everett’s voice.
“She will heal,” Cortland says.
“She’s lost too much blood. Her wounds aren’t coagulating. Please, you have to let me help her.” Everett’s pleas pull at my heartstrings.
I gag again, trying to get my arms to push me from the ground. My body doesn’t coope
rate, and I roll onto my stomach and use my legs to push me a foot forward in the dirt.
“She’s mine,” Cortland says. “Do anything stupid, and I will kill you.”
“You can take her after. Just let me help her.”
Everett and Cortland wage a staring contest that Cortland breaks first. He materializes next to me and lifts me to my feet to turn me around. I struggle for a minute until Everett’s gentle hand touches my back. I have no idea what he’s doing, but just his closeness is enough to calm me down.
“She was stabbed in the back,” Cortland says.
“Anywhere else? Her abdomen?”
“My heir is fine.” Cortland touches his hand to my stomach.
Screaming out, I jerk my head forward and sink my teeth into his chest. Just hearing him trying to stake his claim makes me lose my shit. My sudden strength throws him off, and he stumbles a few feet.
“Now!” Everett says, rushing toward me. He takes advantage of Cortland’s distraction as he jerks his attention toward Bronx and Mikkalo flying from the grove.
Cortland doesn’t get three feet from his spot. Bronx grabs the front of his shirt and swings him off his feet. He thrusts him into a tree, the crash so hard that the trunk cracks and branches thunk to the ground. Mikkalo grabs him and spins him around, hooking his arm around his throat. Jameson materializes in front of him and punches him in the gut.
“Gwen, hey. Look at me,” Everett says, touching my chin. “You don’t want to watch that. Let me give you some blood.”
I swallow the burning in my throat. “You’re o-okay.”
He offers me a smile. “Tell me what hurts. You got stabbed?”
“Brentwood.” My voice comes out barely a whimper. “My neck hurts the most.”
Everett carefully combs my hair from my throat and inhales a sharp breath. His cool fingers touch the puncture wounds, but it does nothing for the pain of the venom. “Shit.”
“It’s b-bad, isn’t it?” I ask.
“I’ll get you fixed up right away, but you must drink first.” Everett bites his arm and offers me his blood.
My stomach clenches, and I dry heave, unable to get myself to latch onto his arm. I press my lips together and shake my head.
“She’s going to starve with you. The power she bears is now mine. It’ll want nothing less than the pure blood of a Baron,” Cortland calls. He releases a grunt as Jameson punches him again.
“What is he talking about, Everett?” Bronx asks.
“He bit her with venom.”
Bronx roars and hits Cortland so hard that it knocks Mikkalo back too. Mikkalo dodges out of the way, and Bronx shoves Cortland into the nearest tree. He swings his fists in rage over and over again, spilling Cortland’s blood all over the place.
“He was trying to purify the bloodline,” I murmur.
“What the actual fuck?” Jameson shouts.
“You are not worthy of her.” Cortland flashes his fangs at Jameson. “None of you are worthy. Her future is mine. You don’t have a choice now. She will die without me.”
Jameson punches him again, his anger refusing to allow Cortland a swift and merciful death. Everett clutches my cheek, attempting to force his arm to my mouth to get me to drink his blood. My body reacts uncontrollably again, and I thrash, my stomach wanting nothing more than to come flying out my mouth.
“Let me try,” Bronx says, extending his bleeding arm to me.
I attempt to taste his blood, but my body convulses once more. Panic slashes through me. If Cortland is right, I don’t know what I’ll do. I need vampire blood to survive, but there is no fucking way in hell I am going to live off of him.
Releasing a loud laugh, Cortland flings his arm, sending blood spatter across the three of us. My nostrils flare, my breath heaving. A guttural sound rips from my throat, loud enough to make Everett and Bronx stiffen.
“My Gwen. You know you want me. You yearn for a taste. All you have to do is break free.”
Jerking my arm, I elbow Everett in the sternum. He drops me only to have Bronx catch me and spin me in his arms. I snap my teeth, trying to bite him as a way to escape. Because Cortland is right. I do want him. I want to drain every drop of his blood.
“Don’t let her go, Bronx,” Everett says. “I have an idea.”
Everett slides in front of me and blocks my view of Cortland. The silver in my eyes reflects back to me from the glassiness of his blue gaze. Bronx squeezes me tighter into his chest, his muscles flexing with every buck of my body. I can’t stop trying to break free. I want this to end. I want Cortland to pay.
“Gwen, I know you’re panicking, and you don’t know what’s happening to you, but will you trust me?” Everett asks, touching my cheek.
“You need to let me go. Cortland was right. I’m going to die without his blood.” My voice echoes through the air.
Everett risks closing the space even more. He leans an inch away from my mouth, doing his best to block out the rest of the world from my vision so that it’s only me and him. “I want your permission to bite you with my venom.”
Bronx growls. “Are you kidding me?”
Everett licks his lips without taking his eyes from mine. “Yes. That baby is a Royale. If Cortland used venom to mess with Gwen, our venom might help counteract what he did.”
“It could risk our girl’s health,” Bronx says.
“What else can we do? We can’t lock up that asshole to feed to Gwen when she’s hungry. I’m not cool with that,” Jameson says. “I’m with Everett. Our girl is tough.”
Mikkalo groans. “No. It could cause more damage. I’m with Bronx.”
Everett looks at me. “None of our wants matter. It’s Gwen’s choice.” Brushing his lips to mine, he risks kissing me. “It’s your decision. I’ll be gentle.”
My heart pounds wildly in my chest as I think about his words. Could I really handle more venom? What if it doesn’t work? What if Mikkalo is right and it makes things worse? What if—none of the what-ifs matter. I can’t live my life like this, tied to a Baron by need for his blood. I can’t.
I open my mouth to tell Everett to do it, to bite me with his venom, but a few loud beeps cut through the air. Bronx stiffens and pulls his com device from his pocket and stares at the screen, his eyes not giving anything away.
Footsteps sound from within the grove, and we all shift our attention. My heart ricochets around my chest at the sight of Thaxton emerging from the trees with Silas by his side. The memory of Thaxton’s conversation with Laredo trickles through my mind, and I replay it over in my head. Now I know this is about more than trying to gain the power to take hold of a region. It’s about the whole Donor Life Corp territory. About Blood Rebels too.
“I suggest you free my brother, misters Royale,” Thaxton says, waving his hand at Cortland.
“No,” Jameson says, waving his dagger. “You can watch him die.”
“Then all of your cities will perish. Vampires and humans won’t stand a chance.” Thaxton pulls out a device from his pocket and taps the screen.
The world around us quakes, and Bronx lifts me off my feet and grabs onto the nearest tree trunk to stop from toppling over. The scent of smoke trickles through the air a moment later, and all my guys’ com devices chirp again.
Everett pulls his out to look. He blinks his eyes to hide whatever thought is on his mind and then whispers, “That was the north side.”
“You have five seconds to release Cortland or the east side will fall next,” Thaxton says. “The rest of my coven is currently making their way to your other cities. If you do not obey me, they will be destroyed.”
Bronx nods his head at Mikkalo and Jameson, and the two of them push Cortland. He falls on his knees, weak from their beating, but he manages to get back to his feet. Slowly walking past, he drinks me in from head to toe, taking pleasure in making me uncomfortable.
“Now as for Gwen,” Thaxton says. “We’re taking her home. You’ve had enough fun with her.”
“Fuc
k no,” Jameson says. He rushes toward us to take his position in front of me to shield me. “Destroy the entire region. I don’t care.”
Thaxton smirks. “As you wish.”
Another explosion booms through the air, causing the ground to tremble. Screams echo through the night, digging into my heart.
“The south will be next,” Thaxton says.
I raise my hand up. “Wait, no. Don’t.”
Thaxton hovers his finger over his device. “You will come with us?”
I bob my head. “Yes.”
Jameson grabs my hand. “No, Gwen. I’m not letting you.”
“What choice do we have? They’ll kill thousands of people. Hundreds of thousands. You really want me to live with that? What will I tell the mini beast? That I thought I was worth far more than an entire region?” I lick my lips. “And what about the aversion to your blood? That asshole bit me with venom.”
Thaxton inhales a sharp breath at my words. “Is it true?” he asks Cortland.
Cortland nods. “I took care of it.”
“Temporarily.” Thaxton stiffens at his response. From the look on his face, I realize he hadn’t intended to say the word out loud.
“Did he just say temporarily?” Jameson asks.
“He did,” I say, my voice coming out as a whisper.
Bronx loosens his hold on me, and I dash away from him and toward the Barons. Silas steps in front of Thaxton, a strange look crossing his face. Mikkalo grabs my hand and propels me forward instead of trying to pull me away. Jameson and Everett split up and rush around to come at Thaxton and Cortland from the side.
“Get the device,” Mikkalo says to Bronx, who charges next to us.
Thaxton turns to flee, but Mikkalo’s quick to throw me. I land on Thaxton’s back and wrap my hands around his neck to hold on. He runs backward, trying to knock me off. Mikkalo steps between me and a tree and blocks the force. He sandwiches me to Thaxton, and I tear into the crook of his neck, my blood hunger consuming me with my fury.
Fruity blood fills my mouth, sending tingles down my throat. The action freezes Thaxton in his place, his nature unable to resist the allure I have on vampires. Bronx grabs Thaxton’s device and then shoves a knife into his chest.