by Anna Santos
"I'll call you as soon as she opens her eyes."
Anna put her hands on her hips and looked past the garden into the woods. "Then I should be out there with Eric, looking for Alaric."
"He's long gone...I'm not saying that we shouldn't be looking for him. But he vanished inside the underground caves. Shane can assemble teams to search the other tunnels. But I need you here to help."
"Fine," Anna nodded, running her hand through her hair. "Maybe Beth knows something. I’ll bring her to our home to debrief her."
"I have to go," the king said, staring at the place in the garden where there was enough space for a chopper to land.
"Marcus," Jessie called his name, grabbing his hand when two men began to move her stretcher.
"Jessie," Marcus leaned down, placing a hand on her face and staring into her closed eyes. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times. "I'm sorry...for being reckless. But I didn’t want them to kill Kevin."
"That's okay, baby. Just promise me that you won't give up, that you'll fight to stay alive. We still need to have a lot of babies before you turn into a vampire."
Jessica tried to smirk and nodded. "Okay," she whispered.
"We need to go," the doctor warned.
Marcus nodded, placing a kiss on Jessica's lips. "I'll be right beside you."
"Your Majesty," the doctor called. Marcus raised his eyes to stare at the doctor. "You’re bleeding, sir."
With all the commotion and worries, it seemed that the king hadn't even noticed that the vampires had wounded him.
Anna rushed to his side and looked down. She touched his torso, sensing the blood soaking his clothes. “He’s wounded on his right side near his hip.”
"I can remove the bullet inside the chopper," the doctor told her.
Marcus nodded and moved forward, following the stretcher that was carrying Jessica to the helicopter.
Chapter Twenty-Three—NEW BEGINNINGS
ANNABEL
It had been a long night and an even longer day. Anna was resting her eyes, seated on the couch, near the hospital bed where Beth’s sleeping body lay resting.
Even after they had taken out the silver shards, the girl was still too weak to wake up. She wanted to talk to her and ask her what she knew concerning Alaric’s whereabouts. Beth could have overheard a conversation about where he might be heading to.
Eric and Shane had been left at Alaric’s hideout, scouting the woods and the tunnels under the house’s foundations. She had been worried about Jessica, only relaxing once her grandfather called, alerting her that Jessica was awake and healing fast. She had a concussion and needed to stay in the hospital a little longer, but the scans showed that she didn’t seem to have any physical or psychiatric damage. She had some broken bones, but they had healed with the help of the vampire blood.
Meanwhile, Beth had silver dust in her bloodstream and it was preventing her from healing completely. The doctor had said it was just a matter of time for her to start healing herself since she was a pureblood vampire and should heal faster than the rest of the vampires. But Annabel was intrigued by the bruises and the scars on her body that weren’t healing. Beth had all the signs of being abused and tortured.
She dreaded the idea of having to know all that the vampire had experienced, because it would make her sick to her stomach. Making her want to go after Alaric and kill him over and over again, together with every single one of his men.
“Marie…”
It was the fourth time that Beth was whispering that name while sleeping and moving as if she was experiencing a nightmare. Anna grabbed her hand to calm her down, whispering reassuring words, and caressing her face. It made her less agitated.
Annabel’s phone rang. She got up and picked it up as she headed to the hallway. “Yes?”
“There’s no sign of him,” Shane said on the other side. “Eric is on his way there. He wants to check on the prisoners. Where are you?”
Resting her back against the wall, she answered, “I’m in the medical compound with Beth. I didn’t want to leave her alone. Besides, she might wake up and tell us something useful.”
“How’s she’s doing?”
“She’s stable. It’s strange, she should be healing already. She’s reacting more like a human than a pureblood vampire.”
“We don’t know what she has experienced and how psychologically damaged she is.”
“Dulce said that Myra told her that Beth was on our side. She killed Vincent and made possible for us to find Alaric’s hideout. I’m going to stay with her and make sure that she heals.”
“Okay, honey. Meanwhile, I think you should know that…”
“What?” Anna asked, frowning at the delay in finishing the sentence.
“Jessica and the king…left.”
Her voice couldn’t conceal her shock. “Where?”
“The king wants to spend time with Jessica .”
“They ran away!” Anna said breathlessly as she paced around the corridor. “How can they be so reckless? We are looking for Alaric. Francesco and his evil vixen mate are still at the palace, waiting for Jessica to get back. The flower arrangements and the food are spoiling in the kitchen. I have victims and prisoners filling our compounds. I really don’t need Jessica and my grandfather running away like two teenagers with the intention of marrying in some cheesy church in Las Vegas!”
“Hum...Breathe deep, and try to relax,” Shane suggested with a sweet, placating voice.
“Honey,” she complained.
“I know, but we can donate the food…The flowers can decorate the palace. I’m here, Eric is here. We’ll take care of everything. And they aren’t eloping. The king felt he needed to spend some time alone with Jessica. Marriage can wait and…I don’t think the king wants Jessica to go home just yet and see everything that is going on there.”
Anna sat on the floor and calmed herself down, looking at the white wall. Shane was always a lot more reasonable than her. His soft voice and relaxed point of view made her feel a lot better. “Is she fully healed?”
“Jessica? I think so. I didn’t see her. I just talked with the king.”
“She could have come here so I could make sure that she was okay.”
“I know, baby. But don’t worry about them. I believe the king is still frightened by the idea that he could have lost her. They need time to talk about why she left like she did and about what happened when she was a prisoner.”
“Fine, but what should I do about King Francesco and his entourage?”
“Eric will take care of that. I hope…” Shane said on the other side.
Anna rolled her eyes, feeling frustrated. Then, with a sweet voice, she added, “Just come back home. I miss you and I don’t like knowing you are there without me.”
“I’ll be home soon. We are just packing everything to leave. How are things there?”
“Sebastien and Dulce are taking care of the girls. The majority of them were beaten and malnourished. We hope to find out her names and, after treating them, find their families.”
“I’ll help with that as soon as I get back. My officers can help in finding their families and search their names in the missing person’s database.”
“Okay. I’m going to try and get some rest.”
“Okay. I love you. I’ll be back soon.”
“I love you, too.”
Anna hung up and headed to Beth’s bedroom. She dropped her sore body onto the couch next to a small table where she put her phone down. With a resigned sigh, she rubbed her temples due to her head hurting from lack of sleep. Then, she closed her eyes and let sleep bring some peace to her mind and body.
* * *
BETH
Beth woke up screaming. She looked around to where she was and saw the girl who had saved her rush to her side.
Anna asked with a worried expression, “What’s wrong?”
Blinking several times, Beth fisted her hands into the bedding. “I had a nightmare. Where am I?
”
“You are safe. You are in a medical facility underneath my grandfather’s palace. We brought you here after you fainted.”
She nodded as she looked at the white walls and then at herself. “I need to shower…”
“Yes, you do. I have brought clean clothes for you to change into. It’s also about time we remove that from your neck.”
Beth touched the collar that Anna pointed at.
“He’s a beast for treating you like an animal,” Anna muttered, clearly upset.
Tears welled up in her eyes as her breathing became erratic with the memories of what she had endured. “This doesn’t feel real.”
“What doesn’t feel real?”
“Being free.”
Anna sat on her bed. “I can’t even imagine what you suffered. But this is real and you are safe now.”
Beth nodded as she rested her back against the headboard of the hospital bed. “He managed to escape, didn’t he?”
“He did. We were wondering if you knew where he was planning to go next.”
“He mentioned, he had a submarine waiting to take us to Europe where he had friends that could help us. He mentioned his castle. I had been in that fortress since he kidnapped my sister and me, so I have no idea where his castle is.”
“That’s a really good lead,” Anna said with a happy voice as Beth looked at her pretty face. “I’m going to call…” Beth grabbed Anna’s hand before she could leave her side.
“The nightmare isn’t over yet, is it? Do you think he believes I’m dead?”
“I have no idea.” Anna sat back on the bed. “Do you think, he’ll come back to get you if he finds you are alive? Didn’t he tell his man to kill you?”
“No, it wasn’t him. He’s mad, but he doesn’t want to kill me.” Beth paused as she gulped with the painful memory. “It was Marie who ordered my death…”
“Your own sister! Why?”
Staring at the gray blanket, she explained, “Everything is very confusing. Alaric didn’t want them to hurt me because he has a delusional fixation on me. He wanted the witch to bind our souls together.”
“I thought he wanted her to break his curse.”
“That too. But something went wrong because the witch couldn’t break the curse.”
“When we first met, you said that Conrad had ordered his man to kill you, not Marie.”
Beth nodded. “That’s what is strange. Marie ordered Conrad and he disobeyed Alaric. I ran and I hope they believe that I’m dead. Things between Alaric and Mary seemed tense...I just hope he doesn’t kill the baby.”
Anna held Beth’s hand in hers. “He has no idea that you survived and, if Alaric is still cursed, he won’t risk his life by threatening your sister’s life. Vampire women become vulnerable when they are pregnant, fragile like humans. You need to have faith.”
Beth nodded as she brushed away the tears that escaped down her cheeks.
“You are too nice, Beth. You are fearing for your sister and baby’s life even after she wanted to kill you.”
“She’s not thinking straight. She’s mad by jealousy and Alaric has been a monster to both of us.”
Anna got up and stretched her arms. “You should remove those clothes and have a shower. I’ll help you removing that thing,” she said, pointing at the collar. “Then, while you bathe, I’ll get you more blood to see if you heal faster, this time.”
“Are we here all by ourselves. Where are the rest of the prisoners? He had a lot of girls trapped in his dungeon. Were they saved’”
“Yes, don’t worry about anything. We have another facility where they were taken.”
“Why am I not there?”
“You aren’t human. You need a different type of attention.”
Beth nodded. “I see... But I’m not your prisoner, am I? I can leave after answering all your questions and I’m healed?”
“No, Beth, you are not our prisoner. We know you were a victim. Come. I’ll help you if you are still too weak.”
“Thank you,” Beth said as she took her hand so she could get up and shower.
After the hot shower, Beth got dressed in a pair of leggings and a sweater. She wiped the steam from the bathroom mirror and stared at her pale expression while her hair fell about her shoulders. She looked like crap. Sighing, she dried the remaining water from her hair before leaving the bedroom.
“How are you feeling?” Anna asked from the double-seat gray couch next to the entrance.
Beth walked to her and sat down. “I’m still weak.”
“The bruises haven’t healed yet,” Anna mumbled, touching the bruises around Beth’s neck. Beth recoiled back, closing her eyes in pain. “We should try drinking blood.”
“My stomach is upset. I have been throwing up all that I drink.”
“The doctor gave you a blood transfusion while you were being moved here, but it didn’t seem to work. Maybe we should try another one now that you are awake.”
“I’m feeling better now that I showered.”
How long did I sleep?”
Anna looked at her watch. “Eight hours”
“So it’s morning,” she whispered as she hugged herself and looked at the white tile.
“What is still troubling you?”
Beth confessed, “I have no idea where to go after getting better.”
“Don’t you have any family?”
“It’s just me and Marie.
“Well, you can stay with us while you recover. Then…it’s up to you. You will be safer living in our town. We can find you a home and a job. Do you have a mate?”
Beth shook her head. “Who would possibly want me after what has happened?”
“Let’s not talk about that. You have your life back.”
She shrugged. “I guess that’s true.”
“Beth, you survived hell. With the intel you gave us, we are closer to catch Alaric and saving your sister and her baby. You can’t lose hope.”
“I spent so much time thinking about escaping that I have no idea what to do now that I’m free.”
The sound of a door opening echoed throughout the empty compound.
“I asked Rose to bring us a fresh jar of blood while you were showering,” Anna informed.
Beth was about to nod, but, suddenly, as if a heavy wave crashed over her, her body stiffened and her senses went into overdrive.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure. I feel some kind of energy…” Beth said, staring at her hands, noticing how they were shaking in response to the change of energy around her.
Her heart raced inside her chest as her nostrils scouted the air, trying to figure out why the scent of wood and citrines felt so irresistible. It was enticing and made her fangs appear inside her mouth. Beth covered her mouth, feeling flustered by her conflicting reactions.
“I’m feeling,” she whispered, breathless, her vision blurring and shivers descending down her spine, “a pull…”
Footsteps echoed in the compound and, before Beth could control herself, she sped into the hallway.
* * *
ANNABEL
Anna’s focused her attention on Beth when her pupils dilated and her cheeks turned red as if life was returning to her, or she was going to have a seizure.
“Are you going to have some kind of heart attack?” Anna asked. “Beth?” She didn’t answer, she just kept sniffing the hair as if enthralled by a scent.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor. Before Anna could get her back to bed, Beth sped from the bedroom and out the door.
“Beth!” Anna called, unsure of what was happening. She seemed too weak to be able to do that.
Anna decided to follow her, only to stop in the middle of the hallway and see Eric and Beth face to face. Eric’s eyes were wide opened, shining purple in his vampire form. What the hell was going on?
Beth screamed, turned around, and ran away from Eric. Anna sensed her passing by. Then, her uncle sped behind the girl.
“Uncle?
Don’t scare the girl!” Anna screamed, but they were long gone, running to the far end of the compound where the holding cells for prisoners were. They were all empty because the prisoners were in some other compound.
When Anna caught them, Beth was closed inside one of the holding cells, leaning against the wall, the farthest she could from Eric, who was immobilized outside, looking at her.
“What the hell is going on?” Anna asked, stopping beside him. “Why are you chasing our guest?”
“Who is she?” he asked, flustered and breathless. He didn’t look at Anna. It seemed that his eyes were caught by the sight of the frightened girl, hiding her face against her knees and sobbing in the corner of the holding cell.
“That’s Beth…She was…Why did she run from you?”
“I have no idea. I’m not trying to hurt her…It’s just that…”
“What?” Anna asked, noticing his dazed expression.
“She’s my mate,” he breathed out, leaning closer to the bars.
“Don’t touch it,” Anna warned, pulling him back. “They are made of silver. You’ll get burnt in the process. What do you mean, she’s your mate?”
Anna’s voice was higher when she asked the question.
“She knows it, too. Why did she run? Let me get in…”
“No!” Anna stopped him, holding him by his coat and pulling him back. “Just…get out of here. Let me talk to Beth.”
“She’s my mate! I won’t move an inch. I want to talk to her.”
“Fuck!” Anna cursed. “Let me talk to her first. You have no idea what’s going through her head right now, but you look too much like Alaric at first sight.”
“And…why is…that a problem?” Eric’s voice trembled. “Where was she found?”
“I think you know that answer already.”
Eric’s eyes lost their shine. He stepped back as if hit by an energy that made him feel dizzy. “He hurt her, didn’t he? He hurt…my…mate.”
Anna placed one hand behind his back and the other over his chest. She felt that she needed to balance him because the emotional shock was taking its toll on Eric.