“Brother, it has been too long.”
Aleksei bared his fangs and growled as Dorian’s nail pressed into Lana’s neck. His nail sliced through her skin, her blood sliding down her neck and disappearing beneath the bodice of her gown. She gasped and closed her eyes, and Aleksei took a step forward, ready to tear Dorian’s throat out, brother or not.
“I wouldn’t do that, brother of mine.” He clicked his tongue and smiled. “Let’s all be calm. We wouldn’t want me to accidentally snap your Chosen’s pretty neck now would we?”
He gritted his teeth and sensed his men move forward. He held up his hand, knowing Dorian spoke the truth.
“I suggest you stay where you are. It would only take a flick of my wrist and her delicate neck would break in two.”
Aleksei held his hands in front of him, showing his brother he wasn’t a threat. His eyes darted between Lana and Dorian, fear making his words tight and clipped.
“You’re supposed to be dead. How can you be alive?”
Dorian’s smile faltered somewhat, as if he, too, felt the pain at seeing his family in the flesh. All these years he thought his brother died, but here he stood, flesh and blood, and threatening to end his love’s life. The male who stood in front of him was no longer his brother. Even though he looked liked Dorian, even smelled like Dorian, he now worked with the Bloodless.
He dipped his head and ran his tongue over Lana’s flesh, Dorian’s eyes never wavering from his. Aleksei bared his teeth and hissed, taking another step forward with his fists clenched.
“I would stay put, brother.” Dorian opened his mouth, his fangs elongating and pressing against Lana’s pale skin. Tears ran down her cheeks, and Aleksei wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and make her pain go away.
“What do you want?” Aleksei stared at his brother with rage boiling inside of him.
“Can’t read my mind, Alek?”
It pained Aleksei to hear Dorian call him by the nickname his family used. His family lived hundreds of years thinking their brother was dead. Dorian was still a Breed, and that alone gave Aleksei a small twinge of hope that Dorian could be reasoned with. He was vaguely aware that Milo and Luca stood closely behind him and were stone silent.
“You know I can’t.” Dorian had always had a strong mental block that was impossible to breach. “I will ask you once more. What do you want?”
“Come on, Aleksei, you should know what I want.” He ran his tongue along her flesh and smiled. “She tastes so good.”
“Don’t do that again.” Aleksei kept his voice calm and low even though a whirlwind of emotion barreled within him. When he got his hands on Dorian—and he would—he was going to slowly tear each and every one of his body parts off.
“What I want I have. If you were wise, you would leave us.”
“You will never have my Chosen. Let her go so we can finish this like real Breed warriors.”
Dorian laughed and stroked Lana’s hair with his other hand. “You killed many of my minions, brother. Very disappointing since that means I will have to go searching for others.” Dorian’s eyes traveled to Osip, his lips curling in disgust. “I see you have switched teams, traitor.”
“You betrayed me when you didn’t have the dagger you promised me. You brought this upon yourself.”
“Couldn’t fight me alone, Seeker?”
“Don’t think for one moment that I couldn’t have taken you out with my bare hands. I thought this would be a better show, more dramatic.”
“You and your fucking cloaking. I should have killed you when I had the chance.”
“Enough of this. Give me Lana, and I’ll kill you quickly.” Aleksei had no intentions of doing that, but until he had Lana safely in his arms he would say anything.
“No reminiscing? I’m slightly hurt.”
Is this how it would go? Cat and mouse games to placate Dorian? “What happened to you?” He asked the question without emotion, his eyes on Lana’s too pale face.
“They attempted to kill me, brother, just about succeeded. Drained me almost dry and left me for dead. Of course, I got the better of them. I killed their horde leader and claimed the horde for myself. You see, I could have gone back to the family, but what would I have been? Nothing. You were the eldest and therefore would be king. I would have just been one of your loyal subjects, and that I couldn’t have.”
Aleksei shot his gaze to Dorian, his story unbelievable. “You were always selfish, Dorian. Ever since you were a fledgling, you thought of only yourself.”
“Well, Aleksei, you can’t count on anything or anyone in this fucking world but yourself. So, as you can see, I am now a king in my own right.” He bent down and kissed the side of Lana’s neck. “I have a queen, too. It’s just too perfect. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to take care of your child that she carries.”
It took Aleksei a minute to process what he just heard. His child? He looked at Lana, her eyes wide and confusion and shock pouring out of her at what she also just heard. “It’s all lies that come out of your mouth. I would have known if my Chosen carried my young.”
“Would you have? She has been with me this whole time, and I assure you my senses are not tainted by wanting to claim her.” Dorian laughed, his hand moving to her stomach and rubbing slow circles. “I have to admit, though, I have thought about what she would feel like beneath me.”
“I will give you anything for her back in my arms safely.”
Dorian seemed to think about it for a minute, but Aleksei wasn’t fooled. “You see, dear brother, what she carries is what will give me the power over all others. I know you must remember the prophecy.”
“You think our young will have the power to rule over all others?” Dorian lifted Lana’s dress, Aleksei growling deeply in warning. She whimpered in protest but didn’t move. Her long, creamy thigh was reveled and then her stomach. She didn’t look as though she was with young, but he knew that didn’t mean anything.
Right by her belly button was a crescent moon within a circle—the marking of the Prophesied Female. The prophecy played through his mind, and he couldn’t understand how he missed something so significant. He memorized her body, every curve and dip—every inch of her creamy flesh. How could he have been so blind with the need to claim her that he could have missed the significance of her birthmark—a mark he kissed and licked countless times?
“I am sure when a male finds his Chosen all other rational thoughts are gone.” Dorian spoke the words as if he had read Aleksei’s mind. “Believe me when I say if there was any other way I would have taken it.”
Memories flashed through Aleksei’s mind of when Dorian was but a fledgling. Those were memories Aleksei had gotten strength from, his memories that helped the guilt he hadn’t been able to save his brother.
“Join me, brother. We will treat you well, and you will only have to answer to me.”
“I will always be your king, Dorian.”
Anger distorted Dorian’s face. “Well, you leave me no other option, then.” He opened his mouth and descended on Lana’s neck.
Aleksei watched in slow motion as horror rushed through his blood stream. Lana pleaded with him silently and closed her eyes as Dorian’s fangs sank into her neck. Aleksei was vaguely aware of Dorian humming his approval and the other Breed males standing behind him shouting. His eyes rang, and his blood rushed to his ears. Aleksei snapped out of whatever haze he had been in and ran across the room. Dorian ripped his mouth free from Lana’s neck and she sagged limply in his arms. Dorian scooped her up and ran to a door off to the side.
He was fast, much faster than a Breed should be. There was something tainted about his brother, something dark and deadly that coiled around him and seeped with power. He reached out, about to grab Dorian’s jacket, when his brother’s arm came out and slammed black magic into his chest. He flew backward, hitting the wall on the other side, the rock crumbling behind him from the impact.
He shook of the dizziness and stood. He ca
ught a glimpse of Dorian going through the door and descending a set of stairs. His men stood off to the side, their gazes straight ahead and blank. He called out to them, but none of them answered, their gazes still trained ahead as if they were frozen in time. Dorian was using black magic.
He raced toward the door and down the stone stairs, no light penetrating the unusual darkness that greeted him. He could smell Lana’s blood, and it became stronger the farther he went. The stairs ended, and a dirt floor greeted him, the smell of rich earth thick in his nose. No light penetrated the stone walls on either side of him, but it made little difference against Aleksei’s superior vision. He moved quickly but cautiously, not wanting any surprises on the way. The tunnel opened up to reveal a large cavern. Stalagmites and stalactites littered the cavern and looked out of place around the modern furniture sporadically placed around the room. Candles flared to life, their shadows moving against the rock walls as if they were living, breathing entities.
A huge bed took up one wall, its black silk canopy hanging around it. Water dripped from somewhere within the room, and the earth scent did little to mask Lana’s blood. He inhaled deeply and moved toward the massive bed. He reached out and pulled the black draping that hung from the canopy away.
Lana lay pale against the dark sheets, her blood steadily dripping from the twin puncture marks that marred her neck. Inhaling deeply, Aleksei tried to pinpoint Dorian’s scent but had no luck. He bent down and swiped his tongue across the small holes on her neck, sealing them and stopping the flow of blood. His jaw clenched at the taste of his brother on her skin. His hands fisted on the sheets around her as his gaze traveled across her body to assess any damages. Aside from the marks on her neck, she appeared unmarked.
“I’m sorry, my love.”
“That really is a beautiful sight.” Dorian’s amused voice boomed in the room.
Aleksei spun around and hissed as Dorian’s scent finally hit him. “Why am I just now sensing you?”
“I have friends with benefits, and well, let’s just say they’ve shown me a thing or two.” He looked behind Aleksei, a smile covering his lips. “She really is splendid, dear brother. She tastes better than the oldest aged wine.”
Aleksei launched himself toward Dorian, who in turn did the same, causing the two to crash together in the air. Aleksei wrapped his hands around Dorian’s neck as the two fell to the floor. Aleksei swung his arm out, catching Dorian in the head, and causing him to stumble back and laugh.
“You have trained well, brother. How about we skip the new age shit and go back to the old ways?” Dorian circled him as he reached behind his back and withdrew a sword Aleksei remembered well. “Ah, you remember this don’t you?” Dorian spun the sword in his hand and took a fighting stance.
Aleksei reached behind him and withdrew his own sword, smelling the blood that marred the steel from his earlier killings. He gripped the sword in his hand, bringing the metal over his head and around his body before taking up a similar stance.
“You were always good with the steel, weren’t you, Alek?”
“Don’t call me that. You are my enemy now, and you shall die at my blade like they all do.” Dorian took a step toward Aleksei and brought his sword down.
Metal clashed together, the sound echoing off the large cavern walls. For several minutes, their swords slammed together as metal against metal created a deafening roar in the cavern. Dorian’s blade occasionally caught Aleksei in the arm or thigh, but that didn’t cause him to falter in his moves. He welcomed the pain—it reminded him of what he was fighting for…Lana.
“I remember when we used to spar together in the forest behind mother and father’s home.”
“Shut the fuck up! You are no longer my brother.”
“You were always good in a fight. Although I do remember beating you a few times.” Dorian flipped into the air and brought his sword down across Aleksei’s leg. The blade came down, cutting into his flesh and hitting the bone. He hissed in pain but didn’t let it slow him down. The injury slowly started to knit itself back together, leaving a raised pink scar. By tomorrow the skin would be unmarred.
“It’s really a shame. Our injuries heal so quickly you can’t fully bask in the pleasure of inflicting your enemy, or in this case, my brother, with pain.”
Aleksei crouched down and brought his leg out, bringing Dorian’s legs out from under him. Jumping up, Aleskei spun his sword around his head and brought it toward Dorian’s sword arm. Dorian fell to the ground and rolled out of the way. Aleskei launched himself at Dorian again and brought his sword across Dorian’s stomach. Dorian howled in pain and looked down to see blood gush out of the wound. Dorian’s face changed from amusement to fury, and he lunged at Aleksei, sword dropped on the ground and fists raised. His fist connected with Aleksei’s face, crushing bone and sending him slamming into jagged wall. Aleskei shook his head, his brain scrambled from the impact and his bones crushed beneath his skin. Flesh wounds healed instantly, but broken bones took a little longer to heal. Spitting blood out, Aleskei wiped his arm across his mouth and stared at Dorian.
“Your little Chosen will be a good fuck, brother.”
He stared at Dorian, his adrenaline surging within him and allowing him to stand even with his broken bones. “You will never have her!”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Her blood is in my body, and so you see, she is already a part of me.”
He roared and charged toward Dorian. The two of them slammed together, two massive bodies locked in violence. His body screamed in protest, his broken ribs rubbing together and causing him excruciating pain. He gritted his teeth and thought of Lana, her sweet face giving him the strength he needed.
Aleksei threw his fist repeatedly into Dorian, the blood that ran down Aleksei’s face starting to make it difficult to see. “You will never have her!”
He fell to the ground with Dorian, and the two rolled around. Crunching bone echoed off the walls, and blood coated the floor as his fists continued to plow into Dorian. He rolled him over and pinned him on the ground, all the while bringing his fists against his face. His knuckles were bloody and swollen, but Aleksei relished the pain, it was what made him stronger. He was vaguely aware of Dorian lying lifeless on the ground beneath him, but he still didn’t ease up on his brother—his enemy.
“Aleksei?” Lana’s weak voice came like a shot to Aleksei’s violence-filled brain.
He stopped throwing the punches and turned to see Lana sitting up, dazed and confused, on the bed. She looked so pale and fragile, the dark circles around her eyes standing out in contrast to her pale skin. She stared at him like he was a monster. He knew he looked like a monster. Blood covered every part of him, even dripping from his hair. The ground was slick with the fluid, and he slipped as he stood.
Dorian lay unconscious on the ground, his face unrecognizable for the moment until his body healed itself. He wouldn’t be out for long, but long enough that Aleksei’s men could transport him back to a holding cell. As much as he wanted to kill his brother right now, he knew that wasn’t the best course of action. Questions needed to be asked, and answers needed to be given. He didn’t move toward her, didn’t want to frighten her any more then she was. It was hard, though, so very hard not to pull her into his arms and kiss her soft lips.
* * * *
Lana looked at Aleksei as he got off the lifeless form on the ground. She couldn’t tell who it was because the face was so beaten up it was unrecognizable, but she had a good idea of who it might be.
“Aleksei?”
She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t remember what happened after Aleksei burst through the door. Everything seemed so fuzzy and mixed up, a cloud of disorientation still surrounding her. Her neck hurt, and she felt so cold. He held up his hands and slowly walked toward her. It was Aleksei, but there was something different about him, something dangerous and powerful.
“Lana, please don’t be afraid.”
She was so tired and let her bo
dy fall back on the pillows. He was in front of her in a heartbeat, his body covered in blood and the air around him charged with energy.
Loud footsteps sounded near yet far, and she saw out of the corner of her eye men rush in. She recognized some of them from the club, but the others drew up blank. Lana looked into their faces, all of her memories crashing back to her in a wave of clarity. She rolled over and emptied her stomach as nausea washed through her.
Pregnant.
The word bounced around in her heard, and she instinctively placed her hand on her stomach and looked into Aleksei’s worried eyes. He still stayed a distance from her, and she knew it was because he didn’t want to touch her with all the violence on him.
“Is it true?”
Aleksei stared at her for long moments as if he didn’t know how to answer her question. He finally closed his eyes and nodded.
“I’m so sorry, Lana. I didn’t mean to bring you into this, I swear it.”
He sounded so torn and hurt, so distant. She smiled and spoke the words that would either tie them together or tear them apart.
“I love you.”
He stared at her with wide eyes, and to Lana’s amazement walked toward her and dropped to his knees. He took her hand and placed it on his chest—over his heart.
“You are my life, my world, my very soul. You are what makes me whole. I love you with everything I have, and will do so for as long as I still have air in my body.” He lowered his head and stroked her hand.
She was speechless, utterly speechless. She looked over at the men watching her and saw amazement and confusion in their eyes. No doubt they had never seen their leader do something like this before. He stood up, giving Lana’s hand one last kiss and turned toward his men.
“Adrik, Milo, and Luca, take him to the holding chambers.” He pointed behind him at the bloodied and mangled body. Everyone was quiet.
“Who? There isn’t anyone there. Just a lot of blood.”
Lana pulled herself up, looking around Aleksei and the empty floor. Her heart pounded in fear. “Oh my gosh, please, don’t let him come for me.” She couldn’t stop herself from crying, the very idea of being a prisoner again too much to bear. Aleksei took her hand and kissed it, telling her everything would be okay and that he would never let anything happen to her again.
The Chosen: A Tale of the Blood Breed Page 19