“Yes, my Queen,” he said, his voice monotone and quiet.
“You’ve done well, my pet,” Selene said as she stood, grabbing bunches of her dress until she’d gathered it at her waist, revealing a completely bare sex. She sat back down again.
“Come please me, Tyson.”
He didn’t hesitate as he walked over and got to his knees in front of her. Selene spread her legs wide, then gathered a fistful of Tyson’s hair and yanked his face to her core.
Her eyes fluttered closed as Sami stared on in horror. Why would Selene want her to see this intimate moment between her and Tyson? And if he was clear of any rational thought, did he even have any idea of what he was doing?
Sami turned her head and eyed the passageway out. Maybe now was the time to make a run for it and find Connor.
“Don’t think about leaving quite yet,” Selene said quietly. “I’ll kill you before you can take three steps. Besides, this is part of your lesson. I want you to pay attention to every detail.”
Selene sank deeper into the chair and groaned. As Sami tried to ignore the sound of Tyson’s ministrations, she considered lunging across the table and stabbing her. However, she could also hurt Tyson, and although she had sneaking suspicion that he had something to do with Connor being here, she couldn’t be sure. Perhaps Selene had captured them herself and put Tyson into trance, then she’d sent him to find Sami. If that were the case, she didn’t want Tyson to get hurt.
“Yes, my pet,” Selene said with a sigh as she fisted Tyson’s hair so tightly, it looked as if she may pull off a large chunk of his scalp. “Just the way I like it.”
Sami concentrated on staring at the floor, trying to think of anything but the sex show going on mere feet away from her, but failing miserably.
Selene was obviously out of her mind, and Sami wished that she’d get to her lesson and take her to Connor.
She didn’t know how many minutes had passed, but she’d grown tired of the spectacle. Standing, she had every intention of walking out of the area and finding Connor.
Selene’s eyes flew open, and she stared at Sami with such intense evil, her breath caught in her throat, and the fear of death raced through her.
“Sit,” she hissed.
Despite trying to fight it, Sami found herself sinking back into the chair, unable to move. Fear gripped her at both her predicament and the vampire’s incredible power. Now, she had no choice but to watch them.
Selene shut her eyes again and began undulating her hips toward Tyson’s face. A moment later, Selene’s lips parted, and she gasped as a shudder traveled through her whole body.
She let go of Tyson’s hair, and he stood, the outline of his erection apparent beneath his filthy jeans.
Selene also got to her feet and lifted the dress off over her head, then hanged it over the back of the chair behind her.
“You may come and get your reward,” she said, lying down on the slab of rock, her legs spread wide.
Tyson methodically undressed, leaving the garments where they fell. He walked over to Selene and settled himself between her hips. A groan escaped his lips as he entered her.
Sami’s throat went dry at the scene. It was so uncomfortable to witness, yet, it seemed she was the only one who felt that way. Selene wrapped her legs around Tyson as he pumped into her, yet held his head in her hands tenderly, as if he were a special lover to her.
“I’m getting to the point of my lesson, Sami,” Selene whispered. “Do not look away, and pay very close attention.”
Sami tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. What could she possibly learn by watching them have sex?
Selene gently pulled Tyson’s head toward her own so his lay next to hers, then wrapped her arms around his neck. Tyson’s body went still for a moment, but then the sound of light suckling filled the room, and Sami realized Selene drank from him. A sheen of sweat covered Tyson’s back, despite the cool air, his hips slamming like a piston, moving faster and faster.
“You see, Sami,” Selene said, her face still hidden besides Tyson’s head. “I am in a very vulnerable situation right now. I do not have the position of power, but watch carefully as I turn the tables on my pet.”
Suddenly, an ear-piercing scream filled the room, causing Sami’s heart to jolt in her chest.
Tyson scrambled to get away from Selene, but she held on tightly with her limbs, as if she were a spider and Tyson had been caught in her web.
He continued to scream as he tried to disentangle himself. What had happened? One moment he had been enjoying himself, and now, he acted as if he’d just realized he’d come face to face with Satan himself.
“No!” he yelled. “Please, let me go!”
Sami’s eyes filled with tears as she realized Selene must have removed the trance, and now Tyson had all his mental faculties about him, and he fought for his freedom.
He glanced over at her, his eyes wide, his face a mask of terror. Sami could see Selene still had her fangs in him, making the puncture wound open into gaping holes. Blood spilled all over Selene’s face and chest.
“Help me!” Tyson screamed. “Please!”
If Sami could have moved, she would have gone to his aid. Instead, she could only watch as the tears now spilled down her cheeks and jumped off her chin onto the table.
The gashes in Tyson’s neck opened wider, and Sami realized Selene was literally trying to rip his throat apart.
Tyson continued to fight, his head undulating back and forth as if he could dislodge her fangs. He swung at her, but she gripped him with such force, his fists couldn’t connect. Their bodies writhed together, except this time, it wasn’t in fornication, but a fight for survival.
A low growl emanated from Selene as she gripped Tyson harder. The sound of flesh being torn almost seemed louder than Tyson’s screams of terror and pain. His whole body began to tremble. She couldn’t tell if he’d maintained his erection, but considering the circumstances, she highly doubted it.
The blood seeped from his neck like a river into Selene’s mouth, yet, she couldn’t keep up with the flow. It cascaded down her face to her neck and breasts, covering her in crimson.
Although Sami liked blood as much as the next vampire, the horrendous scene in front of her and the overly-abundant coppery smell had her gagging. Her gut clenched, and bile rose in her throat. She feared she would lose the meager contents of her stomach.
She longed to take her gaze away, but she remained fixated. It reminded her of when Connor had sliced open Pedro’s throat. The blood and gore had seemed never-ending.
A loud pop sounded around the room, and Tyson finally stilled and slumped on top of Selene. After a moment, she pushed his body to the floor and stood.
Her face and torso had been smeared with blood and bits of flesh, her hair matted and slick around her face. She spat something out, and Sami wondered if it could have been his voice box or his Adam’s apple.
“Did you see that, Sami?”
She swallowed, trying not to vomit as her gaze traveled from Selene to Tyson. He lay on the ground, his dead eyes fixated on the rocks above, a large hole where the middle of his throat used to be.
Selene wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “That is what is called power. I went from a position of complete vulnerability to one of dominance.”
She had no idea what to say. The tears continued, her nose ran, and fear would have had her immobile if Selene hadn’t frozen her.
“That is why I changed my name to Selene Ambrogio. Together, they were the founders of our race. A beautiful story, if you ask me. They were the first of our kind, and would be devastated to learn what has become of us. I look at myself as the new leader, the modern-day originator of our race. I will build us back up to what we once were and lead us into domination over the humans.”
Selene waved her hand in front of her, and Sami once again found her limbs mobile. Her first thought was to attack Selene and bury the knife in her. However, she had a feeling she’d on
ly gotten a small demonstration of Selene’s vampire abilities. In order to end the woman, she would need to take her by surprise, not meet her head on. She gripped the knife under the table and felt a strange sensation at her wrist where she’d been marked with the Ko, but she didn’t dare investigate it in case she would draw attention to the blade.
“That is what I want for our kind,” Selene said, a grin on her face as she stared at Sami. “I want us to be powerful. I want us to step out of the shadows and claim what is rightfully ours.”
She’d heard it all before. Vampires were better than humans; vampires were the more dominant race. At one time, she supposed that could have been the case, but now, there were very few vampires she was aware of that didn’t have humans in their close relationships. To rise up against them would mean going against their own family, and it was an unwritten rule that vampires simply didn’t do that. Family was everything.
“Come with me,” Selene said, then turned and headed out of the area.
Sami stood and followed.
She believed Selene was one of her own, a member of her family.
This led her to quite a quandary.
She shouldn’t kill her relatives, but after what she’d just witnessed, there was no doubt in her mind that it would be necessary.
23
Connor heard footsteps, but it sounded more like boots, not the little slippers Selene usually wore. Tyson had always worn boots, but he knew by the length of the stride and the light cadence of the echo across the chamber that it wasn’t him.
In some ways, he hoped Sami appeared from the tunnel, but overall, he hoped not. Trapped in a living nightmare, he didn’t want her anywhere near it. He stood, hoping to appear strong, but feeling weaker than a newborn.
Selene emerged first, completely naked, her face and torso caked in blood. At first, he panicked a moment, thinking that Sami had been her victim. As Sami came into view behind Selene, his heart soared with love that she was okay, then crashed into pieces with the disappointment that she hadn’t listened to his warnings. When Sami came closer, their gazes locked, and her eyes widened. It looked as if tear tracks had been etched on her face through the grime that covered it.
Her facial features morphed from shock to anger as she stared at him. He noted that she walked with her arm placed slightly behind her leg, which he found odd. When they stood directly in front of him, Selene smiled.
“Sami, I believe you know Connor,” she said as she licked the crusted blood from her lips. “Although I’m not sure what you see in him.”
She said nothing, but moved her hand from behind her to reveal the knife Dedou had blessed with Voodoo. He also noted Sami’s Ko glowing red as she gripped the hilt, looking as though she was ready to jam the blade into Selene at any second.
Suddenly, Selene turned around and eyed her.
“What do you see in him, Sami? What does this pathetic human do or say that brings you all the way up my mountain to get to him?”
Sami stared at Connor, her jaw working as her eyes flashed with anger.
“I see you haven’t treated him any better than a stray dog you didn’t like.”
Selene burst out laughing once again. “Oh, yes, I have.” She turned back to Connor. “I’ve treated you well, haven’t I? You’re still breathing, right?”
He nodded, but remained quiet as he wondered what could be holding Sami back from attacking the woman. She had more than ample opportunity.
Selene circled him, her finger tracing his abdomen and back. “I tried to explain this to your mother. I tried to tell her she was worthy of so much more than your human father, but she didn’t listen.”
Connor had an idea of what would come next. Pedro had admitted to killing Sami’s father, and he guessed Selene had been the one to order it.
“I have been to each member of my family and tried to explain my position, to make them see the light. When I found that not one of them understood how they’d given up their rightful place in the world to humans, I decided they weren’t worthy of living.”
Sami’s nostrils flared, and she straightened her shoulders, as if to steel herself for what was to come.
“What did your mother tell you about your grandmother?” Selene asked.
“She said that she’d lost contact with her once she moved from Turkey to the United States,” Sami bit out, acid lacing her voice.
“Yes, well, it is difficult to talk to the dead.”
Connor shut his eyes for a moment and wondered if this psychopath could be responsible for more deaths than he was aware.
“Your grandmother—my daughter— sympathized with the human condition. She agreed that they are a weaker species, but she didn’t see a reason that we couldn’t all live in peace. My argument was, why live in peace when we are forced to deny ourselves our basic instincts?”
“What are those instincts?” Sami asked.
“Well, to kill, of course. To drink blood. The vampire condition has been so weakened by the crossbreeding, they can no longer understand what we once were. Some get it, like Pedro. He understood, and there have been others, but they are few and far between.”
“You said you spoke to my mother about this,” Sami commented, her whole body trembling, and he hoped it was rage that fueled it.
Right now, their chances of getting out of here alive fell somewhere between slim and none. If she fell apart, they didn’t have a prayer.
“Yes. Imagine my disgust when I found out she’d married a human. Such a travesty against her race!”
Sami gazed down at the floor for a moment. When she lifted her head, tears shimmered in her eyes. “And then you had Pedro kill him.”
“Of course I did. Just the thought of him sullying your mother’s body with his DNA disgusted me.”
The tears fell, and each one ripped at his heart. Connor wished there was something he could do, but he was weak, naked, and shackled. Besides longing to take her into his arms, he also wanted to rip Selene’s heart out and feed it to the wildlife on the mountain.
“You killed my parents. You were the one responsible,” Sami whispered.
“Well, I didn’t technically kill your father. Pedro did. But it’s all semantics. As far as your mother went, well, I didn’t lay a hand on her, nor did I have anyone else do it. She killed herself.”
“Do you know why she killed herself?” Sami asked, stepping closer to Selene. She narrowed her gaze at the vampire, her jaw clenched.
“Because she was weak.”
“No. It was because she loved my father with every beat of her heart, and you took that from her. You stole her reason to live.”
Selene chuckled and shook her head. “Nonsense. I freed her from the confines of her sorry life. I gave her a way to embrace her true nature. I paved the way for her to shake that ridiculous religion she pandered to, to live as she should. She denied herself her rightful place in the world.”
Sami shook her head, and Connor couldn’t understand why she just didn’t bury the knife deep into Selene’s gut. She stood close enough, but she still held the knife down by her side.
“And is that what you want me to do?” Sami asked. “You want me to be free of the confines of my life? You want me to join you in trying to take over the world, to bring our race out into the open? To overrun the humans?”
Selene nodded and turned. When she’d walked behind Connor, she’d lain a hand on his shoulder, sending a chill down his spine. It was never good to have the enemy at his back, but he had no choice. As she ran her finger over the pulse point in his neck, his throat constricted, making it hard to breathe through his gritted teeth.
“Yes. I realize that you had a part in taking down my businesses, but now that you know a family member was behind them, I thought perhaps you’d be interested in joining me.”
Selene moved in front of Connor again and stared at Sami. “We are blood. Vampire family bonds are thick and unbreakable.”
Sami swiped at her face. “You killed your
daughter and your granddaughter. That doesn’t seem like a strong connection at all.”
“Must we go over my reasoning again, dear?” Selene asked with a sigh. “This is getting quite tedious.”
“No,” Sami said, shaking her head. “I think I understand everything pretty well.”
“Excellent,” Selene said. “Now, why don’t you hand over that knife to me, Sami? There’s no point in us having weapons if we’re to work together. I have so much to show you, to tell you.”
Sami’s gaze flickered over Selene’s shoulder to him, then back to her. He could see the surprise in her eyes. She had no idea Selene had even seen the knife.
“I know you don’t plan on using that on me. It’s against vampire law to hurt one of your family.”
“You’ve killed your family,” Sami retorted, now bringing the knife into view.
“No, I didn’t. I had someone else do it. Are you dim, or are you just not understanding—”
Sami lunged forward with a primitive scream, sending the blade into Selene’s abdomen. The vampire screeched, a high-pitched sound that reverberated in his ears and made him wonder if his eardrums would shatter. He placed his palms over the side of his head as best he could with his hands being shackled.
Selene stumbled backward into him.
“You will die, Sami,” she hissed as she pulled out the knife from her gut.
Connor looked down to see the wound barely fizzing as it had every other time he’d used the knife on a vampire. Could it be because she was so pure? He didn’t know, but as he glanced at Sami, her eyes wide as Selene dropped the knife to the ground. She had probably expected the same thing as he did—for the skin on Selene’s chest to disintegrate before their eyes, leaving her belly and intestines exposed.
She had become a dead woman walking by stabbing Selene, and he had to do something to save her.
He wrapped his arms around the vampire and pulled her close to his chest. “Run, Sami!”
She stared at him a moment, her mouth open in a perfect O as she was paralyzed by shock.
Selene struggled in his arms, and he knew he had mere seconds before she broke his bones or removed his arms from their sockets. She hissed and growled as she fought him.
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