by Anna Santos
Maybe it had been a bad idea because she was terrified. Fear was seeping into her body and making her heart race. Wherever she was, she was sure that soon enough she was going to be face to face with Alaric. Only then, would she understand what she had to do, and how she could unbind him from his soul-mate.
“Marcus…” she whispered, trying to focus her thoughts on him and ignoring the pain and the white noise. “Marcus…”
The reply was a constant buzzing sound in her ears. Her beloved wasn’t answering her. Maybe she was too weak. Maybe there were protective runes preventing her from using her powers.
Looking around, she willed her feet to move and her body to stand up. She needed to know where she was and if the door was locked. She needed to touch the wooden door, concentrate, and feel her surroundings. After all, the silver cuffs were only made to drain a vampire of their force, but she wasn’t a vampire. Therefore, she was able to tap into her magic and use it to help her understand where she was and how many men Alaric had there. She wasn’t running, she wanted to meet the bastard face to face. She wanted him to think that she was Valentina, play a dangerous game, and stall if she had to.
Noises of footsteps made her lower down her head and close her eyes to pretend that she was still unconscious. The door opened after a key turned inside the lock. More footsteps, heavy and impatient. Her body was moved when a male grabbed her by her arms and made her sit in the chair.
“Wake up, bitch.” It was a direct command followed by a slap on her face. She shook in pain only to open her eyes and hiss at him. The guy stepped back, caught off guard, as he yelled, “Secure her to the chair.”
“Calm down, Simon. She’s trapped and she’s weak,” another man beside him informed, pointing at her hands laying on her lap, imprisoned inside the shackles.
“Where the fuck am I?” she asked, trying to sit down properly and glaring at the two vampires in front of her. They were tall and ugly, more beasts than men, with scarred face and turned up noses, thin lips, and brown eyes. They were both the same height but dressed differently. While one appeared to be some bad ass biker, the other was wearing blue jeans and a dark t-shirt.
“She’s pretty. What does the master want her for?” the calmed one asked. He had one eye slightly bigger than the other, maybe it was due to a punch or a wound someone inflicted on him when he was human.
“The master would cut our balls off and feed them to us if we touched her,” the rude and impatient one said. “Hector, just go tell the commander that she’s awake. Maybe when the master is finished with her, we can play too.” He smirked wickedly, making fake Valentina narrow her eyes.
That Simon fellow and his twisted friend were on her top list to be disposed of. More than murderers, Jessica hated rapists. By the sly stare and snorts both were exchanging, it was common practice to them to abuse and rape women. Too bad she couldn’t get rid of them just yet. She needed to make sure that Alaric was there and that she could unbind him before the team arrived to finish him off.
Chapter Twelve—TRACKING
MARCUS
The king was extremely quiet since they left the flat that Jessica and her team were using as a hideout. However, the lines on his face couldn’t conceal how worried he was.
“Still nothing?” Eric asked as his eyes focused on his father’s expression.
“I can’t hear her. Maybe she’s still unconscious.”
“It’s been five minutes since they stopped. I’ll have satellite images in two minutes,” Liam said from the front seat where he had his laptop on his lap and was still typing.
“The tracker worked, so we’ll know where Alaric is keeping her in a few moments,” Eric said and he knew his son was trying to calm him.
“I know, son,” Marcus whispered, leaning further on the car door and staring at the darkness outside the window. “I would be more reassured if I could know what’s she’s doing and what’s happening to her. If I knew that she’s still alive.”
Eric assured, “She’s alive. He needs her and he has no idea that it’s Jessica and not Valentina.”
“I should have locked her up in the palace.”
The king saw the reflection of Eric’s smile through the window of the car. Marcus wasn’t trying to be funny, though. His mate could be terrified for all he knew. He would gladly change places with her to shield her from all the pain.
Eric brought him back to reality with his words. “She wouldn’t like that. We may not like to have Mom in harm’s way but her idea made it possible for us to catch Alaric and make him pay for all the wrong he did.”
“Death isn’t punishment enough for all he did,” Marcus said as he looked at his son. “When he killed a whole village, the first time, I regret the decision of sparing his life. Now, I have to live with the magnitude of my mistake. The last thing that I want is to lose your mother, again, because of him. She found a way to get back to us. I should have protected her more, convinced her to stay instead of taking it upon herself to stop Alaric.”
“Alaric destroyed her family because of what Valentina did to him. Wanting it or not, Jessica would go after Alaric even if she wasn’t Isobel’s reincarnation.”
The king sighed and rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes. “What is Anna and Shane’s status?”
Liam asked, “Do you want your earpiece to talk to her?”
“Not yet. I need to concentrate on hearing Jessica. I don’t want any other voices preventing me from that.”
“Anna, how are things going over there?” Eric asked, tapping the earpiece inside his ear. He nodded to what he heard and then informed his dad, “They are parking the car and going on foot. They will report back in a few minutes.”
“Tell her to be careful. Alaric might have a lot of traps around his property and there will be men patrolling.”
Eric nodded and transmitted his message. “Anna said to tell you that she loves you too.”
Marcus grinned. “I just want her to be safe.”
“She knows, dad.”
“Eric, as soon as we arrive, I want you coordinating with the team from the outside. You are staying in the car with Liam. I’m the only one of us that is going inside to rescue your mom. I don’t want to worry about your safety, too. No,” he shook his head, raising his hand so Eric wouldn’t speak. “You need to rule the town if anything bad happens to me, and you will need to take care of your mother. Promise me that you’ll stay behind.”
“Nothing will happen to you, dad.”
“In the eventuality of something happening. My orders are clear.”
Eric nodded.
* * *
ANNABEL
The clouds covered the moon and the absence of artificial illumination made the night darker and everything seem lonelier. Nevertheless, darkness wasn’t a problem for a vampire or a werewolf. Anna and Shane could rely on it to be able to arrive unannounced to wherever the tracker was taking them.
The night was humid, creating a fog that made the spider webs shine whenever the moon peeked out behind a cloud. Meadows and trees were the only things that surrounded this place. They had to run through the woods, carrying their weapons in a backpack, while they climbed and sniffed the air for danger. It was essential to stay away from the main roads and on the lookout for traps and camouflaged sentinels. Adrenaline was pumping through their veins and all their senses were aimed at their surroundings.
Anna climbed trees and jumped from branch to branch while warning Shane about what lie in front of them. A couple miles ahead and they had arrived at their destination without encountering any enemy or even having to hide from a patrol.
Shane stopped at approximately thirteen feet from the wall that prevented them from moving forward. Meanwhile, Anna jumped from a tree and landed next to him in a crouched position. They were both silent with eyes frozen on the wall ahead as tall as the trees. That fortification could be the reason for the lack of security around Alaric’s lair.
“Shall we climb it?” Shane prop
osed.
“We need to find the entrance to let the others in. We have no idea if there are surveillance cameras along the wall. We need to report and find a gate. Then, we go in and try to enter the compound without raising suspicions. It will be hard, we can’t use Myra’s appearance.”
“Maybe we can use someone else’s appearance. One of the guards outside.”
“We can try. Just wait here. I want to have an idea of what awaits us behind this wall.”
“What are you going to do?” Shane asked, watching Annabel running back to the woods.
Gaining momentum, she sped ahead, and with a jump, she gripped the wall. While digging her fingers in the hard rock, she climbed her way to the top. Then, she used her arms to lift her up and crouch on the top, where she looked around carefully and used her enhanced hearing to detect any camera moving around.
In the distance, she noticed the huge house made of rock on the slope of the mountain with a daunting view of the abysmal cliff. There were trees and rocks separating her from the house that looked more like a stronghold than a manor. There was also a tree-lined road which led to the mansion, therefore, there was an entrance and probably a huge gate with guards and cameras.
Anna tried to imprint in her mind an image of the layout so she could find the best way to get to the house. She also wanted Shane to see what she was seeing. Then she back flipped with the elegance of a feline and landed on the ground, where Shane was waiting for her.
“We move east to the gate. We neutralize the guards and get in,” Shane whispered. Anna nodded, dusting her half finger gloves against her leather coat. “Then,” he said, grabbing her hand and squeezing it, “you will look for Jessica while I’ll neutralize the guards inside the mansion and try to prevent them from sounding the alarm before the others arrive here.” Anna nodded again. “And you will promise me to be careful.”
“This is not my first time invading a dangerous facility with enemies wanting to take me down,” she informed him, but she lost the straight face and smiled at him because she knew he was only showing how much he cared for and loved her. “But I’ll be careful, honey.”
“We should have brought more help.”
“It’s a stealth operation, another person would ruin our synergy and would probably mess up. I have faith in you and we can share information with our mind-link.”
“I’m betting that there are a lot of guards inside that perimeter, therefore, more help would come in hand. Nevertheless, we’ll work with what we got and Eric just told me that they will be here in twenty minutes to half an hour.”
“Then we have to hurry up. We don’t want Alaric to run, do we?”
“No, we don’t. Let’s go.”
Chapter Thirteen—TWISTED
ALARIC
Alaric woke up with a start. It had been a while since he had nightmares about his mother’s death. He couldn’t erase her look of terror from his mind, every time he remembered how he pushed her from a balcony because he was upset with her refusal to leave with him. Jessica’s arrival had brought bad memories and opened old wounds, but he wasn’t finished with her. This time, she might have eluded him because he hated Valentina more than her. Yet, the moment that he didn’t need Valentina anymore, he would spare no expense to find the witch and finish her off. It wouldn’t be that hard, really, she was most likely going back to his father’s lands.
The absurdity in all of that was still resonating inside his mind. What could his father possibly be thinking, dating the girl and wanting to replace his mother? No one could replace his mother. The king was probably becoming senile in his old age.
Alaric rolled in bed, staring at the ceiling. It was still night. He had fallen asleep while waiting for his men to bring Valentina to his house. They had strict orders, and he knew they wouldn’t disobey him and mess things up. He was also calmer now that he had Beth with him.
He rolled his hand around the chain that he was holding tight even while sleeping. The chain was attached to a dog collar that was around Beth’s neck. She still needed to be punished for what she had done to serve as an example to others. The collar around her neck was a way to remind her that she belonged to him and that she had to obey him. After the binding, she would become a lot easier to handle. She would finally accept her feelings for him and they could be happy. The three of them would be a happy family, four if he included his unborn son.
Alaric wrapped the chain around his hand, one more time, pulling Beth against his body. She gagged, holding to the dog collar with both hands, trying to breathe and waking up from her sleep.
“I don’t like you so far from me, I’ve told you that before.” His voice was hoarse.
He loosened the grip and placed an arm around her shoulders, ignoring her whimpers of pain. “You should stop being stubborn and drink blood. The girl is still breathing and there is still blood to take from her,” he mumbled, moving his arm to point at the unconscious and half-naked girl who was on the floor next to his bed. “I brought her as a gift to you. You would heal if you fed.”
Beth said nothing.
He didn’t know if he should slap her or kiss her. She had been too quiet since he brought her from the dungeons.
Sighing, he reasoned, “She’s a blood slave, they are just good to feed on and fuck. Fucking her meant nothing to me. I wouldn’t have needed to fuck her if you weren’t acting like such a bitch and pretending that you didn’t enjoy it when I touched you. You even liked it when I fucked her in front of you. She did. She moaned really well for me. You should learn to moan like her.”
* * *
BETH
“Just let me take her to the infirmary,” Beth spoke, trying to conceal the disdain in her voice but failing miserably. Alaric was a conceited prick and he often mistook grief and pain for pleasure.
“We have servants to do that. Your place is by my side, in my bed, and following me around like an obedient little bitch.”
“Then let me call a servant.”
“No!”
Beth didn’t speak again. She tried to ignore the pain that was blazing throughout her body and crippling her. The collar was making her feel even more uncomfortable. She tried to ignore his presence in the bed, the girl dying on the floor, and her miserable existence. But Alaric wasn’t done talking.
“There aren’t any more reasons for you to starve yourself to death. Just eat, before I force you to.”
“Take her to the infirmary, and I’ll feed on another slave.”
“Do you think you can negotiate with me?” Alaric clasped his hand around her face and made her look into his red eyes. She gulped but she didn’t complain. He narrowed his eyes, letting her go, getting up from the bed, and pulling the chain. His pull made her stumble over the bed and almost fall down onto the floor. Meanwhile, he leaned down over the girl’s body, grabbed her by the head, snapped her neck, thus killing the blood slave.
The air left Beth’s lungs and she was unable to control the anger. “You bastard, you fucking bastard! You heartless and deranged lunatic!”
Alaric smirked to her inflamed words. Anger had given her strength to rise from the bed and stand without stumbling.
His voice came out smooth, contradicting her outburst. “That’s so much better. See how you still have it in you?” He kneeled on the bed, in front of Beth, grabbing her by her shoulders and forcing her to get closer. “They are just food, nothing more. Now, stop being stubborn and feed.”
“No!”
“I think you need another lesson,” he whispered darkly, putting his hand between her legs and cupping her sex. He moved his thumb in circles. “Don’t fight it. I know how you like it. You enjoyed yourself in the bathtub when I washed you. You were filthy,” he whispered in her ear, forcing his hand further and preventing her from closing her legs. “I washed you and then I licked you really good and you moaned. I’ll make you moan again.”
“Doesn’t mean I liked it,” she muttered between her teeth, clenching her jaw and fisting her
hands harder until her knuckles were white.
“Just admit it, you want me.”
“Yes,” she said, leaning closer to his ear, “impaled through your heart and bleeding to death.”
Alaric growled, clearly upset, but instead of punching her or slapping her face, he made her stare at him. “You know what? Before the end of this night, I’ll have you begging me to fuck you. Just like your sister does every time I’m with her. Have you heard her? Of course, you did. Do you remember? In the dungeon, when I first found you. Did you enjoy it?” He kissed her lips, biting her lower lip and pulling it back. She didn’t respond to his provocation. He kept moving his hand, wanting to arouse her. “Moan for me, Beth. No one will hear us. Just let go.” Beth looked away and fought back the tears. “I’m going to miss the time when you didn’t beg me to fuck you. Now, lay down and take off your nightgown. And don’t try to fight this, I’m not in the mood and I might enjoy hurting you. We don’t want that, do we?”
“Fuck you!”
“I’d rather fuck you,” he teased, smirking and shoving her against the mattress. He laid on top of her, placing her body under his. Beth tried to push him off, but he was too strong and heavy for her weakened body. There was no point in fighting, she knew that, but there was still a part of her who believed that she could escape him or that he would kill her for good and end her misery.
Alaric stopped fighting her when someone knocked at his door. It was a shy knock. He raised his head and concentrated in the movement outside. “Who is it?”
“It’s Conrad, sir. The witch has arrived and she’s awake.”
“I guess that Vincent’s replacement was able to follow my orders. We’ll have to play later unless you can’t wait. Are you horny, Beth?” She pulled him away and he laughed. “Give me ten minutes, Conrad. I’m kind of busy.”