by Ashley Nemer
Alec opened his eyes after some time, reflecting on their life together as he saw the trees in front of him were engulfed in flames. He quickly stood up and extinguished them. One hundred trees, gone. He hadn’t meant to cause that. He thought he had his elements under control. Feeling guilty, he got back in the truck and made his way down the rest of the mountain without a single thought. He couldn’t keep remembering his family like this. He needed to focus on the present and not the past.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Nasir watched as they wheeled Adara into the emergency room with Zayn following close behind. He knew this was going to be hard on the couple. They had a flimsy relationship at best. He didn’t know what would happen at the end of the day. The staff was being very tight lipped about Adara’s condition. No one would say if she was going to lose the baby; if she did, Gods help them with how Zayn would take that news.
Nasir knew he needed to call Nikole. That wasn’t going to go well. She would be furious she wasn’t the first one notified. He paused marginally before pulling out his cell phone. No one liked delivering bad news, especially not to an on-edge, pissed off, royal Algula. He started to dial her number but stopped when he heard Zayn barking orders at the medical doctors. He slipped his phone back in his pocket as he ran into the emergency room.
“Zayn, what happened?!?” Nasir rushed through the double doors to find Zayn shouting at the doctor.
“He said I can’t be in there as they examine her. I told him that’s unacceptable. I am his king, and I order it,” Zayn roared out to Nasir as he pushed through to the exam room.
The doctor and Nasir looked at each other in silence. They both realized there was no stopping Zayn when he was like this. The doctor accepted this and went back into the room to finish the evaluation on Adara. Nasir stepped back into the waiting room and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Nikole’s number and hoped she was in a better mood than her akh.
He let it ring a few times and then heard her pick up the phone. “Nikole, you need to come to the hospital, quick. There has been an accident, and Adara is in trouble.” He heard the anger immediately in the tone of her voice.
“What do you mean an accident? Where are you? Is she hurt badly? You should have called me sooner. When did this happen?” she bellowed through the phone.
He didn’t want to tell her it was Zayn; that would hurt her too badly without knowing the full story. “Well, someone showed up at her apartment, and there was some sort of fight. The details are still a bit hazy. She is unconscious at the moment, but the doctors think she is going to be fine. I’ll tell you more when you get here. Please come quickly.” He took a moment to pause, catching his breath when she came back at him.
“Nasir, what are you not telling me?”
He couldn’t tell her. Not like this…. “Please, just show up soon.” He hung up on her and slipped the phone back into his pocket. That hadn’t gone well. He realized what could happen if word got out that the king was in the hospital. That was a nightmare he didn’t want to have to deal with just yet. He went to the Admissions Center and informed them that they were under royal decree to keep Adara and Zayn’s trip to the hospital confidential.
“You understand,” Nasir looked at the lady’s name plate, “Ms. Ryan, that if any word of this admission leaks out to anyone, we will have your head. This is royal security, and no one, except Adara’s parents, Nikole and I, are allowed to be back there with them. Do you understand?”
Ms. Ryan slowly nodded her head in agreement. She could see his eyes flashing different colors. Everyone had heard of Emir Nasir and what he was capable of doing when protecting the throne.
“Yes, sir, I understand. No one will know of their involvement. I will register them under false names. You have my word.”
Nasir looked the blonde over once more and simply replied, “I’m holding you to that.” Nasir walked off and went back into the emergency room to check on Zayn. He knew Nikole was at least an hour and a half away if she was coming in with Alec. She had been staying with him, and he was outside the city limits, so he had some time to prepare Zayn for his okht’s arrival.
“Zayn, may I speak with you?” he opened the exam door and looked inside. “It will just take a moment.”
Zayn looked up at him from across the room. He was holding Adara’s hand at her bedside as the doctors finished rolling her on her back. It looked like they had been examining the wound with the broken pieces of wood causing her to bleed.
“What do you want, Nasir? I’m not leaving her side.”
Nasir let out a quiet sigh and came into the room and over to Zayn’s side. He pulled the chair up to the bed and took a seat, looking at Adara lying silently on the bed.
“I called Nikole; she is on her way in. I didn’t tell her you were here or what happened. Just that there was an accident. I still am unsure of what happened myself.”
“I don’t want to see my okht, not yet.”
“She will want to see Adara, and Adara’s emergency contact registered in our database is Nikole. I had to call her. When immediate family are not accompanying the patient the hospital calls the emergency contact person listed.”
Zayn looked at Nasir in disbelief. “I am the king. If anyone has any questions or concerns about what to do to her, I will have the final word!”
“Zayn, that’s not how this works, and you know that. I had to do the responsible thing. Nikole would want to be here for her friend, and for you.”
“I DON’T WANT TO SEE HER!” Zayn stood up from his chair and grabbed Nasir by the arm. He pulled him out of his chair and to the door. “When I want to see you again, I will ask for you. You are ordered OUT!”
Nasir knew better than to argue with Zayn in public; their relationship was a tricky one at best. Right or wrong, he was the king, and he had to be respectful. He bowed his head and left, returning to the waiting room in hopes that by the time Nikole arrived; things would have leveled out with his moods. He could tell the medical staff had heard what happened. They all were looking at him with fear while he walked through the emergency room halls.
He found a seat near the entrance. This way he could see who entered and left. Zayn might not have realized it, but he was on his side, and he would do anything to protect him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“I know that you are a spy for Nikole. Tell me where she is staying, and I will kill you swiftly, without torture,” Leigh said to the man who was strapped to her table. She ran the knife up his legs; cutting his flesh and watching the muscle become exposed as the blood rolled down his olive skin.
“You will have to torture me; I won’t give up the princess.” The man screamed as the knife dug through his muscle and scraped along the bones. The pain was soaring through his body as the pressure that she was applying on his open flesh built.
“Bring me the torch,” Leigh commanded her Lieutenant as she brought the bloody knife over his hipbone and up the side of his stomach. “Shall I just gut you now? We could hang your intestines up over your head, and you can watch as your insides drip all over your dying body.”
She watched as his face drained of color. Perfect…just what she wanted. She took his hand into hers and slowly ran her nails over his skin. She looked over at her Lieutenant as he brought the torch back into the room. He handed it to her as she moved back to her victim’s feet.
“One last time, tell me what I want, or you will not be identifiable.” She moved the torch to his leg; the flesh started to burn as she placed it along the severed skin. He started to screech as his wounds began to burn deep, the fire touching through to his bones. The man’s face paled as the pain pushed him over the edge into unconsciousness.
“Stay with me now. You won’t be getting out of this so easily.” Leigh signaled for her medic to come and revive her prisoner. She stepped back next to her abb and watched as the medic revived her captive.
“He probably doesn’t know anything.” Haydar said to her while the medic first tried s
melling salts to bring him back from the unconscious state.
“Probably, but there is no harm in playing for a while. When we drop his body off at the mansion for them to find, I want them to know I’m not someone to be taken lightly.” Leigh looked to her abb as a smile crossed her face. “I want my bent amty to know that I will be taking her down, and there is no one under her command to stop me.”
Haydar and Leigh’s conversation was interrupted by the abrupt and sudden screams from the victim. The medic had administered a shot of adrenaline to the heart and now it was time for Leigh to continue her fun.
“Tell me where Nikole is hiding out, and I’ll cut your throat, and you will be free of this pain,” Leigh said again as her blade tip ran along the man’s skin around his neck. All he could do was scream from the pain. She leaned over and licked the salty tears from his face. She let a low purring noise out when the man whimpered more under her control.
“The taste of fear, there is no greater treat. Bring me my cutting knives.” She took his hand into hers and started counting the knuckles. “One, two, three, four, you don’t really need these; you’ll be dead anyway. Five, six, seven, ah, thank you for my knives,” she said to the man who handed her the yellow leather pouch. She placed the man’s hand back on the table and pulled out her knife. How perfectly it fit in her hand. Pressing the blade down on the first knuckle of his thumb, she applied pressure as the knuckle cracked, and then was severed from his hand.
“STOP, PLEASE STOP!” the man cried out as she moved to the first knuckle of his index finger on his left hand. “I don’t know. I swear I don’t know!!” he cried again over and over.
“I told you there is only one way to stop this, give me the location!” She sliced off the second knuckle.
The man’s hand was trembling and his body shook. The exposed bone and the blood pouring from his hand caused Leigh to smile with excitement. “I love it when they are bleeders.” She reached over to the torch lying between his legs and brought it to his bloody fingers. Leigh pressed the flame to his exposed flesh, making him screamed until his heart stopped. His eyes stilled and his voice silenced. She dropped his hand and passed the torch off to one of her men.
“See that his body is delivered to the mansion with a note to Nikole. If she wants this to stop, she is to surrender herself and the crown. With Zayn away, she needs to declare us the rightful rulers.”
Haydar looked over his bent and the work she had taken great pleasure in doing. He was proud of how she handled herself. His sons would have fucked that up. They’d have been useless, and his team was better without them around causing issues.
“Leigh, I think it’s time that we plan our attacks. Let’s have everyone meet tomorrow morning in the hall. We need to strike them while Zayn is still missing. That is their most exposed weakness, the lack of a leader. We know Nikole isn’t able to command the forces like you, so we should be able to take them out swiftly.”
Leigh turned to her abb with her eyes glowing in excitement. “Agreed, I’ll make the announcement now. We will meet at noon and devise a plan.” She turned and started to leave the room. She needed to find Jonothon. The smell of blood and burning flesh had gotten to her. She was hungry and needed to feed. She pulled her phone out and sent him a text message, “Be home in twenty.” She knew he’d be here. He never missed an opportunity to feed.
“Be careful what you are doing,” Haydar said, breaking the silence in the hallway as she walked though.
“What are you talking about, Baba?”
“You are going to him again. I can tell. You are forming a bond and that will get you killed. Remember, families and loved ones are a weakness. You start having feelings, and you will have a very exposed weakness.”
Leigh turned around and looked her at her abb. He was intimidating to most, but not to her. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I’m not going to see him.”
“You might fool the others, but I know that look. Your omm had that look. Just be smart, Leigh. Don’t be the third child to let me down.”
“I’m nothing like Omm; she loved Derrik and coddled him when he was younger. That’s why he was stupid and was so easy to be killed.
“Your omm was very much like you, you just didn’t take the time to notice. But that is a discussion for another day. Be careful, bent. I warn you, he will be your demise.”
CHAPTER NINE
Adara lay in the hospital bed unmoving. She was aware that something had gone wrong, but she didn’t know what it was. She tried opening her eyes, but nothing happened. Why was it so dark? Who was holding her hand? Her heart sped up when her mind began to panic. She could feel someone gripping her hand. Someone was talking, asking the doctors to come in and help her.
What were they doing to her? Why couldn’t she wake up? Were they putting something in her? What was that feeling?
Adara’s mind started to spin in a whirlpool of confusion. Colors flashed in front of her mind’s eye. As the doctors administered the medicine to calm her heart rate, she saw an image come forward. It was fuzzy, off in the distance, nothing but a red colored ball. As it came forward, the image cleared.
“Zayn! What are you doing here?” She could see him walking toward her, his body hard and wet.
“I’m here to take you away; we are going to go for a swim.”
Adara was confused. A swim, why would they go swimming? “I don’t know how to swim. Just stay here with me. I don’t like this feeling; I can’t seem to get anyone’s attention.”
Zayn walked up to her and took what she thought was her hand. He pulled himself to her and captured her lips. His tongue broke through her mouth as she gave into his control. Zayn cupped her face in his hands and he pushed her up against something hard. Maybe it was a wall?
“Zayn,” she managed to say as his mouth continued seizing her lips. Over and over he kissed her, showing her how much he desired her. His hands moved from her face to her arms, they ran down her body. Suddenly, she had no clothes on. “What happened?”
“This is your dream, my love. Anything you want can happen. All you have to do is wish it.” She felt his hands move down her back and to her bottom. He cupped it and lifted her in the air. She wrapped her legs around his waist. Her back was pressed against a wall with him in between her legs. Her breast pressed up against his chest. She closed her eyes and let him play with her imagination.
Zayn’s mouth lowered from her lips to her neck. His kisses trailed along her smooth skin until he reached her breasts. Taking the right one in his left hand, he ran his thumb across the hardened nipple, sending chills down her spine. He kissed her left, full breast as his fingers tweaked the hardened and supple nipples. She let a purr-like noise out as he teased her into arousal. Adara felt her nipples harden further. The pressure Zayn was applying shot straight through her body to her core.
“I love your body, my sweetling.” She tilted her head back as he moved his mouth from her right breast across to her chest. Zayn kissed down her sternum then latched onto her left teat. She felt his fangs run across her skin. He was relentless in teasing her, making her crave more. His tongue flicked at her pointed nipple before his fangs sank into her soft skin. She gasped in pain, but it quickly turned to pleasure. His lips sealed to her skin as he suckled at her breast. His tongue flicked at her nipple while he held her breast securely in his mouth.
“Gods, Zayn!” she cried as she felt his free hand move between her legs. His fingers played with her slick folds. All she wanted was him; all she craved was him inside her.
“Please, please….” she gasped, begging him to claim her. Zayn slipped a finger inside of her, the hotness intoxicatingly perfect. He ran his finger over her clitoris, and then along her walls, the wetness making her feel so smooth. He slipped another finger inside, then a third. The thickness filled her as she started to move her hips in a slow circle against his fingers.
His mouth released her breast and returned to her lips, capturing them again. Suddenly, th
ey were on a bed. “How did that happen?” She looked around, still feeling the confusion.
“I told you, my sweetling, your wish is my command. Just wish it in your mind, and it will happen.”
She let herself settle into the bed. The warm mattress only added to the sensations her body was already feeling. Zayn kissed down her figure, his lips on her stomach, his hands dragging along her outer thighs. His lips captured her mound, kissing softly. His tongue trailed down her sweet, nectar-soaked lips. He slipped his tongue inside and she let out another gasp. His warm breath teased her, making her hips squirm with need.
“Zayn, please… You’re killing me!” Adara begged for more. Her body responded to him like it never had before.
His hands massaged her thighs as he opened his eyes and looked up at her, her face flushed red, her head back against the pillow, her eyes shut. She looked like a goddess from this angle. He kissed his way back up her body, finally taking her lips with his. She could taste herself on him. She wrapped her legs around his hips as she felt his shaft teasing her entrance.
Adara reached her hand between their bodies and guided him in. Her walls, tight at first, loosened with each inch he pushed through. She felt herself stretch while he slowly thrusted.
Zayn moved his hips in a slow circle, feeling her walls tight around him. He kissed down her neck as he picked up speed.
He was heavy with desire. His fangs had elongated to their full length. He licked her throat before he sank his teeth inside her skin for a second time. Her blood spilled into his mouth, and he pulled on her neck as his cock began to pump quicker inside of her. They moved in a rapid synchronicity, faster and faster while he fed off of her. Their bodies moving as one: one mind, one soul, one being.
“Gods, Zayn!” she heard herself say as he took more of her blood. She felt him seal the wound, and then he flipped her over onto her hands and knees. His palm ran along her ass cheeks as he had her on display for him. He thrusted inside again while his hands moved to her hair. He let his fingers intertwine her long black hair, pulling her to him, harder and faster.