Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Escaping the Beasts
A Hybrid Trilogy
Aleera Anaya Ceres
Copyright © 2018 Aleera Anaya Ceres
All Rights Reserved
Cover by Imagine Ink Designs
No portion of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the author. Any unauthorized use of any portion of the book is prohibited.
This book is a work of fiction. Any names, places, characters, events, and/or incidents are the products of the author's imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
Disclaimer: This book is a reverse harem romance and as such contains scenes that may not be suitable for those younger than the age of 18.
Acknowledgments
To those battling beasts of their own…
You can brave them.
You can escape them.
P.S. A huge thank you to my Facebook friend, Brianna Masson, for the gift of River's last name.
Chapter One
The room was entirely too ominous. Darkness pressed around corners, chased away by the harsh glow of the fluorescent light that illuminated the figure sitting before me on his high backed black throne. Spikes hammered into the chair jutted out from all around him, framing the back of his head like a vicious crown.
He may as well have been wearing one.
The prince of the Ruined City.
Akir Murtaugh.
My fiancée.
"Hello, lass." His smile was a cruel thing on his face. He was surprisingly more handsome than I thought he'd be. Dangerously attractive. His gaze boring into mine filled me with both hatred and lust.
I pushed those feelings aside to glare at him.
"I confess, I never imagined our first meeting quite like this." His voice was dark, gruff and accented. His hair was so light a brown it was nearly blonde, his eyes a piercing blue. He stroked long fingers against his beard in thought as he looked me over. "You look different in person."
I sneered at him. At the scar down his eyebrow. At the kingly manner about him. Arrogance and danger was what he breathed, what he projected like waves of heat.
I knew I couldn't show weakness to him. I tilted my chin up defiantly. "Perhaps it's because I'm tied up? But don't worry yourself over giving me a warm welcome. I expected nothing less from Ruined City filth." I jerked at the bindings at my wrists.
Akir rumbled out a laugh and leaned back in his chair. The leather jacket he wore opened at the lapels, revealing the hard panes of his chest. Muscles covered in spiraling ink of tattoos. He spread his knees wide, the jeans tightening against his thighs. My mouth suddenly went dry.
"Is that any way to speak to your future husband, lass?"
Behind me, Lex made a surprised choking sound.
A malicious grin spread over his face. "Besides," he continued as if Lex and the other men weren't there at all. "What type of welcome did you expect when you killed ten of my men?"
I pulled at the knots of the ropes. The scars that ran from my shoulder blade to my hip pulsed in discomfort with the action. The gunshot wound at my upper arm burned and blood trickled down in a warm line. His eyes followed the trail briefly but he said nothing, assessing me instead. His gaze was entirely too challenging.
"Release me, prince." I demanded. "And maybe I'll let you live."
His entourage laughed. Akir didn't. He looked at me thoughtfully, intensely. I glared at his group. At the snarky woman with purple dreadlocks and the men with colorful Mohawks. I took them in, every detail. They were but a few feet away from me. The men were armed, guns holstered at their hips.
I moved before they could blink.
I let the bonds I'd patiently undone fall from me and then I jumped up. I made it to the Mohawk guy. He reached for me but was too slow. I sent my fist flying to his face. His nose crushed beneath my knuckles. He fell back at the same time I reached for the gun at his waist and turned to point it at Akir's forehead. I cocked the weapon and smiled at him. But there was no joy in the gesture. Only rage.
Behind me, Lex chuckled.
That satisfaction lasted only momentarily. The guards behind us cocked their guns. I felt the heat of them aimed at my backside. I didn't even flinch.
But neither did Akir.
His lip curled into a vicious smile that chilled the length of my spine. He leaned forward on his throne, causing the gun to dig into his skin. I almost faltered at the movement. I didn't. Even if my throbbing wounds begged me to.
"Brava, lass." His hands came together, forming a slow clap. He was mocking me. The bastard. "I was told you were capable of incredible things."
"You thought your little ropes could hold me?" I pressed it harder against him.
He didn't even blink.
"I figured they wouldn't hold you."
"So why tie me up in the first place?" I asked.
His smile widened. "I wanted to see if all the rumors regarding the Ferguson Princess were real."
Rumors? I wondered with a little bewilderment. The Ruined City hadrumors about me? As if I needed just another reason to hate this place.
"So you know I won't hesitate to kill you, then."
He chuckled. Up close, I noticed how much fuller his bottom lip was than the top one. I tried not to stare at them. Too late. He noticed where my gaze lingered and his tongue darted out to lick his lower lip in an all too suggestive gesture.
"I would really like to see you try, lass." He challenged.
At this, I faltered. He wasn't afraid to die; I could tell by the look in his eyes. He wasn't afraid that I might be willing to pull that trigger.
But he knew I wouldn't.
Not if I wanted to get my mother back safely.
"Do it." He whispered, tantalizingly.
My finger itched against the trigger of the gun. We may not have had many of them back home but I was well read enough to recognize a revolver when it was placed in my palm.
I put the slightest bit of pressure on the trigger.
His guards tried storming forward.
He glared at them with a blazing fury that had them standing down instantaneously before his gaze went back to me. "When you really want something, lass, you take it. Damn the consequences. I wonder, what doyou want?"
His bright blue eyes looked like they could strip my soul raw and bare me naked to them all in this room. It made me nervous. It made me angry. It made me ache.
"I want my mother," I confessed breathlessly.
"Then kill me." He commanded. I blinked at that. Even his entourage appeared uncertain. He noticed my hesitation. "Kill me and you will get your mother back. All you have to do is pull the trigger."
"How do I know this isn't some trick?" I asked with uncertainty. "What's to stop your men from killing me and my friends once I kill you?"
Akir smirked. "Jay," he called out. One of the guards stepped into the line of my peripheral vision. "Are my people obedient?"
"They are, sir."
"If I commanded you to pick up a gun and shoot yourself with it, would you?"
"I would, sir." There was no hesitation. There was nothing but pure certainty that had me believing every word.
"And if I tell you that, should
Princess Keanna kill me now, you are not to harm her or her friends afterwards, will you comply?"
The guard paused. My eyes flickered over to him a moment to study his posture, his expression and the truth in his next words. "I would."
Akir grinned from ear to ear. "See, lass? No one will harm you. Now," he spread his hands wide. "Kill me if you ever want to see your mother again."
His words were so simple. One little act and I'd have my mother back. We could walk out of this place and never have to look back. All I had to do was pull the trigger. But could I? Could I kill Akir? I'd killed wild animals before on hunts. But never a person.
I sucked in a breath. Akir smiled. I forced myself to look him in the eyes as I squeezed the trigger.
Chapter Two
The gun clicked.
Nothing happened.
I squeezed it again.
Nothing.
Where were the damn bullets? The blood? Why wasn't he dead?
Akir smiled and reached out a hand to grasp my wrist. He squeezed until it hurt but I didn't cry out. I kept my eyes on him. He reached out another hand and pried the gun from my fingers, tossing it back to the guy with the broken nose.
I glared at him with burning hatred. "The gun wasn't even loaded?"
He smiled cruelly. "A game of roulette, lass. Don't take it personally, I just wanted to see if you had it in you." Then his fingers went to the inside of the waistband of my pants and he pulled me forward. I tried keeping myself steady so I wouldn't fall into his lap. His other hand went to my lower back, rough palm splaying across my exposed skin. The pads of his fingers were rough against the flesh of my throbbing scars.
"Get your filthy hands off me," I demanded between clenched teeth.
He chuckled low and slow. "Now why on earth would I want to do that?"
My face heated as my blood boiled. So many emotions rebelled inside of me. The urge to slap him. The urge to cover my body with his. My traitorous blood longed for him. As if our souls had magically interwoven the moment our engagement had been decided. But mostly, I wanted to kill him.
He read the murder in my eyes. He must have. Because when I reached my fist out to slam it across his face, his hand was already there, catching it.
"Now, now, wife," He tsked and gave me a shove. I fell backwards, off the dais and onto the floor, landing hard on my ass. The impact vibrated through the entirety of my body, making me wince. His whole party laughed. He didn't.
I stood up, saving my dignity, and glared at him. "Where's my mother, Akir?" I asked menacingly. "I know you took her. I want her back now."
His party laughed again as if I'd just told some cosmic joke. But I didn't look to them. They weren't in charge here. Here, they didn't matter one bit. Only the king and his princes mattered. I didn't know where the king was; in fact, I didn't even think about the king when this prince was so close.
Akir leaned forward, resting his forearms against his thighs. He observed me coldly. Then he said, loudly and clearly, "You are in no position to be making demands."
"And you and your people had no right to sneak onto our territory and kidnap my mother. Not when an alliance between us was already underway."
He sighed with exasperation. "Lass, you have no idea what you're talking about." Then he turned to his guards. "Release her…" he gave a small pause as he looked towards River, Kael and Lex. He sneered. "...friends and escort them to individual rooms. Also, post armed guards near them at all times. Get them a warm bath, a meal and a change of clothes."
I turned to see the guards cutting loose the ropes off River, Kael and Lex. They all stood up and rubbed their wrists, looking at me with uncertainty. The guards pressed their guns against their backs in warning.
I didn't want to let them out of my sight. Didn't want to be left alone. Didn't want to risk them going missing here, too. But what choice did we have? We were outmanned and outgunned. And, I didn't have a plan yet.
I nodded at them.
The guards escorted them out.
I waited until they'd disappeared before I turned back to Akir. He was looking me up and down. "Helga," he said. The girl in lace undergarments with purple dreadlocks stood lazily from the floor by his throne. "Take my fiancée to my rooms. Get a bath started and get her something to wear that's more appropriate for the Ruined City." His eyes never once left mine. He added with a sarcastic smirk, "Your outfit looks atrocious."
I shot him the finger before Helga came to me and pulled me by the upper arm out of the room.
Away from the man I'd been desperate to avoid.
Away from Akir.
I contemplated taking Helga down and making a run for it. There were no other guards around us and, though taller than me, she was a skinny little thing that I was sure I could overpower easily. But I couldn't. There'd been a reason he sent her with me. Maybe she was stronger than she looked. Maybe she had hidden weapons inside of her boots or, gods forbid, inside of her underwear. Whatever the case, I did nothing but follow her dutifully through various hallways and staircases until we came to a stop on front of a massive door. Helga opened it and stepped aside so I could get through.
The room was huge. Even bigger than the throne room. A bed, larger than any I'd ever seen before, took up the centermost part of the room. The wood of the four canopy posters was black, with steel gray draperies and silky looking sheets. There was an enormous closet and a vanity table, a leather couch, a large table with chairs, and on the furthest wall, weapons of all kinds were hung in decoration.
Assault rifles, handguns, revolvers, AK-47's, hand grenades, machetes, katana swords and various daggers. But my eyes were drawn to another weapon entirely. A modernized bow and arrow set. The bow was metal. The arrows were sharp shining steel. Compared to every other rusty weapon there, this looked new. And my hands itched to touch it.
"It seems…" I struggled to find the right word, "...cozy?"
Helga chuckled. "Akir had it redecorated when your engagement was announced," she stated simply. Her accent was thick. One I was beginning to identify as Ruined City brogue. "It was filled with a single bed before and nothing but weapons everywhere. He thought you'd be more comfortable like this." She made a sweeping gesture around the room, making a point to let her hands linger near the bed and vanity table.
Still, I startled at that announcement. He'd redecorated for me? How...accommodating of him. The bastard. I tightened my hands into fists and walked deeper into the room. My gaze was still on the wall of weapons. Maybe I could get one down and make my escape.
Helga distracted me from my thoughts by noisily throwing open a door. Curiosity got the better of me and I followed her into a bathroom. I blanched at it.
She went over to the claw footed bathtub and turned it on. Clear steaming water came out of it and began to fill it. They had a real bath! With plumbing!
"Take as long as you'd like in the bath," Helga said. "I'll be just inside the room should you need anything. Leave your clothes outside of the door. I'll burn them for you."
I jerked my head away from the hypnotic sound of filling water to stare at her. "What?"
"I'll provide new clothes for you. Those old ones are smelly."
My face heated. Nothing like a good reminder that I smelt bad. Still, I eyed her own clothes warily.
She read my discomfort and smirked. "I will get you something suited to your tastes."
Finally, I nodded and she left. Slowly, I began stripping. Once naked, I crept over to the door, cracking it slightly to toss my clothes out before closing it again.
When I turned, I caught my reflection in the mirror and hardly recognized myself. My hair was ratted around my shoulders. Honestly, it looked more like a bird's nest than actual hair. I was dirty all over. My face was covered in ash and blood and my arm still throbbed and bled from where I'd been shot by the city officials. I turned in the mi
rror and caught a glimpse at the scars on my back. Three enormous claw marks stretching from my right shoulder down to my hip. The wounds were slightly dirty and swollen against the rest of my unmarred flesh. I turned back with a sigh.
I looked a mess.
No wonder they'd laughed at me.
I shook that thought away. What did it matter what the Ruined City filth thought of me? I stepped into the warmth of the tub. My eyes involuntarily went to the door, as if I could see through it and into the bedroom beyond.
To Akir, my comfort had mattered enough that he'd changed his room for me.
No!
I refused to think kindly of him. How could I? Our clans had been enemies for centuries. In fact, there wasn't one clan out there that didn't dislike the Murtaugh's. Their reliance on technology, their otherworldly fashion and their overall manner made them seem entirely too primitive.
He'd also had my mother kidnapped. To ensure that I went along with the wedding? To break the alliance? Were these his actions? His father's? Or a few city rebels?
I had to know.
I turned off the faucet and reached for soap that was neatly aligned on a rack next to the tub. I began lathering it over myself, careful with my wounds. When I finished, I poured shampoo and conditioner all over my head and began combing the rats out with my fingers. I scrubbed my body again until my skin was raw and red and rinsed out my hair until it shone.
When I finished, I drained the water and stood out. There was a towel hanging on a rack and I used it to dry off. My arm wound was still bleeding. I was careful to avoid splitting it open even further.
I took a quick look at myself in the mirror before I left. I was clean now. Good. I went out into the bedroom and to my surprise, found Kael sitting before the table.
My heart lurched at the sight of him. He was cleanly washed and wearing new attire. Tight jeans and a simple gray knitted sweater.
"Kael," I whispered.
He stood up and looked at me. His eyes roamed over my body. Not lustfully, but to assess that I was in one piece. "Princess," he breathed a sigh of relief.
Escaping the Beasts (The Hybrid Trilogy Book 2) Page 1