“How did he defy his brother?” I asked as fear and foreboding crawled up my spine, tightening like a noose around my neck.
“While his brother did everything he could to find you, to protect you because he believed you were to be his queen as all have believed, Luke unbeknownst to his brother sought to find you, searched endlessly for you so when he did find you… he sought to kill you and end his brother’s fascination with you. He believed you to be in league with Eros, believed you to be inherently evil by helping Eros your lover steal the other two kingdoms. He has possession of a weapon said to end all immortals.”
My eyes focused on Luke. He was watching me with fierce yearning, perhaps knowing he had just lost me forever. “You followed me through the desert because you expected Eros to come looking for me. Did you enjoy thinking you were close to ending us both? Where is this weapon?”
“You have every right to hate me because I so unscrupulously misjudged you. I was shown your pain… your hate for Eros, and I finally understood my great mistake. I’ve paid for it more than anyone should have to. My brother is dead most likely because I wasn’t there when he needed me. Instead, I was doing everything I could to underhand his attempts to find you. I will never stop paying for the wrongs I’ve committed against you.”
“You think I would listen to anything now, after you’ve had all this time to come clean?” I exclaimed.
“You have been running from me the second I found you, claiming to kill me at every turn…”
Interrupting him, I asked about the only thing I now cared to know, “Where is the weapon?”
“He doesn’t know the answer. The witch he killed tried to save you and Eros, she made him forget, but every spell has a counter spell or a reversing spell- it is nature’s way of finding balance. He will simply have to find another witch, powerful enough. He may have been leading you to the witches in hopes of making them reverse the spell the witch cast to protect you.” My sister decided.
Unless my sister took it from him first, I now understood what my siblings were conspiring to get. They wanted the weapon, and I would help them find it. I decided to distract him from discovering the truth. “All you care about is your bloody vengeance; you don’t even care about the power, the kingdoms, immortality, or much less me. The witches told you I was coming, but you didn’t care- you wanted Eros instead. It is why you killed her.”
He howled from the pain my words caused. His eyes glowing molten silver… he pleaded, “No, you’re wrong. Let me explain. It was only that way before you stepped into that cave. I thought myself different from all these fools leaving everything and everyone behind… searching for you, including my brother. I too found myself crazed searching for you, in a frantic attempt to save my brother and I from a deadly obsession- I came up with a desperate plan. I knew our only fate would be death. I told my brother many times, but talk of you had spread and he too became too enthralled to listen.”
“Don’t listen to your sister’s lies… the witches were working with them not Eros. Remember they wanted you to mate with a dragon. You know me. You can feel what I’ve felt for you! I do not seek to betray you, enslave you as they did… I want to set us free.”
“By killing me, you have been the worst… your hate for me drove you to betray your own brother.” I struck him where I knew he would feel it most.
I said those words, I promise to set us free… I’d said them to Eros the last time I saw him.
“I initially thought the witch was trying to trick me, get me off track with the vision of Eros torturing you. But by the time she was done showing me your torture, everything changed, I was possessed with a hate for Eros I hadn’t thought possible, even after feeling it to large extent for the death of my brother. For you my hate towards him took on a new meaning.” He looked like he was suffering… but I no longer cared to believe him. He gave me a reason to hate him, and I tightly held on to it- hardening my heart against him.
“Watching you being tortured by him… I knew I had to find him and kill him because I was madly in love with you. Now I understood why I always sought to find you before my brother did.”
I couldn’t let myself believe him, believe this was the reason why he was always so patient… gentle with me- I understood what it was like to carry so much guilt… but I wouldn’t allow myself to feel compassion for him.
I walked over to him watching him fight my sister’s hold over him the closer I got. I whispered with hate dripping in every word. “Why would I listen to your lies, when you laughed jubilant at the thought of me on my back with Dracos between my thighs as Eros watched consumed with pain on our wedding night? Were those not your exact words to me? A Lycan in love would never be able to stand the sight of his lover with another. Did you know they would kill me rather than watch me choose another? You’ve never cared.”
“Release me now, and I’ll show you how wrong you are Beauty, I’ve painfully sacrificed, wanted, and loved you all of our days together.”
“You would say anything now. Just as they would do anything. What Eros did to me is nothing compared to what you planned. And Darius, well… let me just say he is no better, killed me repeatedly in order to keep me trapped, weak, mind scattered to the wind with desire for him. Darius didn’t need torture when he could just as easily kill me and have me wake up to blinding pleasure. So much more effective, wouldn’t you agree? I’ve never once felt for you what I felt for him.” He looked shocked, blinded by pain, and ready to kill me.
He was barely breathing as he watched me. This is how I wanted to see him, it reminded me… he always sought to kill me.
“But why would you care when I would soon bring you closer to what you’ve wanted most. But no harm done Ly… it’s quite all right because why would I want you Lycan when I’ve had… him?”
His eyes went solid black and his voice was hoarse, barely recognizable. “I will punish you for the lies you seek to destroy me with.”
What the hell, I backed away seeing someone else entirely in there… it was impossible. I quickly looked at my brother and sister to see if they’d seen it, but they seemed unaware of what I’d seen.
I’m fucking insane… he haunts me.
He shouted, “You are frigid cold, heartless, and cheating yourself out of your own happiness- deceiving yourself, but I promise you by the time you realize this it will be too late.”
I hysterically laughed at him.
“You will cheat yourself out of happiness with a mate who will die a million times just to see you happy… in my bed.”
“You,” I continued to laugh trying to recover from what I thought I’d seen, but unable to- a tear slipping, “you said you’d show me a wild ride no strings attached, and you expect me to believe of your undying love… after hearing of your wishes to kill me! Save your breath, all you wish to do is take from Eros what he has already taken from you. What better way than to use and discard me once I’ve led him to you? I know your plot… and I don’t blame you. How many times did I try and do the same with you. I used you to find the witches, so I may break Eros’s bond and then, well you just became unwanted baggage.”
He looked through me burning a hole of contempt in me… trying to reach a soul that left when I realized his true intentions, “I said those words because I would say anything to have you, but I knew you desired me, and if I told you I loved you… I would have lost you because all you do is RUN! You’ve been running from your emotions for me since you first felt them in the cave. We know each other, you and I.”
“I don’t want to hear your lies any longer. I will find this weapon so be very weary of searching for me when I do discard you.” I shouted covering my ears.
My brother fought Allessa’s hold, “Release me Allessa she is too close to the Lycan.”
I quickly stepped away, listening to my brother’s words. “Allessa release our brother, he was right in not trusting the Lycan.”
I was finally done with him, and the Lycan finally saw me fo
r what I was. My mother had won in the end. I couldn’t feel anything any longer.
It appeared the Lycan was in shock from my words because he was immobile for the first time tonight.
“I do not believe in these visions, he is not my mate… a mate would not feel as I do right now. I despise you, Lycan!”
Andres landed right beside me, taking me in his arms. “I will find them both and bring their heads on a golden platter and put his on a silver one, but first I will make the Lycan suffer for your pain.”
“I feel nothing, brother. Do as you wish with that dog, but I rather die than feed from it again.”
As my brother’s arms wrapped protectively around me, the Lycan became irrational again. “You promised me you would be Mine.” He bellowed becoming insane. “I demand you to be true… Fucking beg me now as I’ve heard you so many times before!”
My eyes shut at his insults. I screamed, “Cease your struggles against my sister and kneel before your King.” I watched him trying to fight both our hold on him… fighting through the pain with clenched teeth as his tattoos began forming, his whole body going rigid- shaking with his resistance, he was doing everything not to surrender, but it was out of his control. When finally one knee came crashing hard against the ground and then the other. “He is yours brother, to do with him as you wish, my present to you. The next in line for the Lycan crown, your pet.”
“Do not do this Emmaley, I do not wish to unleash on you what I carry trapped within me… but I will given no choice.” Luke snarled.
My brother grabbed my hand, “You will cease to use her Christian name and only refer to her as your Queen.”
Luke looked at our united hands, my heart beat uncontrollably… I knew they heard it. Then his eyes pierced my brother with a promise of death in his eyes.
Fearing for my brother’s safety I said, “I do not want to speak to it again, brother. I will command it to keep on its quest for Eros, and if we’re lucky they will kill each other.”
“Beauty, you are not this heartless, you Love Me… I saw it in your eyes tonight!”
“You saw nothing. I feel nothing, but the hatred I now feel for you.” I traced in front of the kneeling dog while my brother came fast behind me, grabbing me back against him, and prevented me from tearing out the Lycan’s heart. My brother whispered in my ear. “You mustn’t be close to it, or he will mate with you by force fearing all is lost.”
I knew Luke would not attempt what my brother accused him of, but I couldn’t remain in his presence… it was entirely too painful.
I turned in my brother’s arms, unable to let go because he was covered in the Lycan’s blood and had his scent all over him. I shocked myself wanting to be closer to my brother just to feel closer and smell the Lycan.
Only a couple feet away from us, I knew he watched, I felt him burning hate right through me. I wanted to turn, go to him, love that part of him I’d somehow connected to so completely, but instead I silently cried my soul away. My brother saved me from further embarrassment by taking me in his arms and carrying me away. I heard the Lycan yell, he would kill them all and do worse to me than Eros and Darius ever did combined.
I know them to be empty promises, he’d let his hate get the best of him because he was not capable of the things he promised… his plan to end me was flawed from the very onset because he never had it in him.
I was inconsolable while my brother tried to comfort me. He strode into a massive bedroom, gently laying me in a bed when I realized it looked different from the one I was in earlier, and I brokenly asked, “Is this your room, Andres?”
“Emmaley, I do not trust you to sleep anywhere else in this house while the Lycan is out there. I will do anything I can to prevent you from meeting your fate with that monster.”
“Yes brother, I will not fight you in this.” I answered feeling so tired. “May I impose by asking for some privacy first? I wish to wash away all this blood, the smell of the beast from me.”
“I’m sorry, but remembering your robe, I must ask. Did he force you sister? Did he force to mate with you?”
I flinched at his words, tears welling up in my eyes because I’d been weak, and I had let myself believe his need to protect me was pure. I never sensed he was after anything with me, I thought he just wanted to keep me close- love me in some way, given the chance. I’d been so wrong because he’d been the worst out of the three.
“No brother he did not… he was kind, gentle. I believed his lies, completely making a fool of myself. He’d asked me to marry him, and I believed he loved me, so in time who knows I might have given him everything, willingly... it is why you found me when you did. I did run from him. I’ve been running from him since I met him.”
“Has it happened then, be honest… did he take your virtue? Has the prophecy taken place?”
“I have not lain with him, brother. I believe he was waiting for the full moon.”
He smiled, showing his relief. “You were weak. Allessa was wrong in allowing him to take you. You will soon realize all these feelings you have for him are effects from the spell the witches cast. All you need is time… and for me to put an end to your dependence for his blood.”
I nodded, “I wish him gone from our lives.”
“Nothing would please me more sister. Allessa is seeing to the monster, I shall help her and send her to you so she may properly dress you. I too will bathe in your old room. Allessa fixed the window, so you have nothing to fear. She will fix everything, she always does. There is much we have to discuss, but rest we will speak tomorrow before our journey home.”
As soon as the door shut behind my brother, I easily found the bathroom and ran to the glass shower stripping away the robe as I went in. I turned the silver knob to the hottest temperature waiting for the water to wash away my tears, his blood- my troubles. I was mesmerized looking at his blood flowing down my skin to mix with the water in a swirl before disappearing down the drain. Looking upward, I cried soundless tears for allowing myself to be caught by the witches and almost falling in love with the beast when all I represented to him was a means to an end. After Darius, I promised myself never to trust again… but this was so much worse, just a few sweet words, some not so sweet but tempting just the same, and promises- unbelievably, it was all it took to leave me with half a heart.
I knew Darius loved me, I had entered his mind, witnessing all his emotions for me… first hand, but the Lycan… there was nothing to clue me in but his actions. Now, I just carried the knowledge he thought to use me to trap Eros and end me from the very beginning. The Lycan still thought to fool me, pretending to care. I needed to find the weapon, it was key to gaining my freedom from all those who sought to use me for what I represented.
I leaned my head against the hard, small edges of the rocks covering the shower walls, bracing against the adjoining wall. Wondering how I would continue, knowing the Lycan was the only one I could drink from. I needed to stay strong and keep him away from me … perhaps drinking his blood from a cup. My brother could keep him a prisoner and extract his blood until we found an alternative and send him away. This would have to be the way of things until I came up with a better plan. Maybe my brother would be able to capture Darius… and then, I’d be able to make the dog pay for the pain he caused me. Make the Lycan watch as I enjoyed another’s blood.
I smiled, surest way to teach the dog a lesson because I think I just may manage to make him hate Darius more than he hates Eros.
No, what am I saying… this is not who I am.
Stop, just forget him. Forget them both. I knew I was wrong to purposely put them against each other. My pride had been hurt and now I sought to hurt his- acting childish instead. It would be simple… I would make myself forget- that would be his punishment.
Washing myself, I noticed things were blessedly quiet within the house. My sister and brother must of taken the Lycan somewhere outside knowing I didn’t have to feed until two days from tonight because I was no longer exerti
ng so much power in order to survive.
I realized now I was scared because all I ever wanted was a normal life, and it was something I would never have. Darius once warned me that I would never lead a normal life. I thought it was due to some terminal illness, but now I understood perfectly well what he meant, what he tried to protect me against. I would never know what it would feel like to truly be loved by someone who wasn’t after me because I would make him the richest, longest living being to exist. What was the benefit of being so powerful if I would live forever alone, never to trust anyone? Maybe Darius had all the right answers after all.
Chapter 18: The Bodies are Piling Up and I’m Still Hungry
Just as I was shutting off the water, my sister walked into the bathroom, “Sister, I have news. Please do not be alarmed by what I am about to say.”
She tensed, “The Lycan escaped, but do not worry because he may not gain entry- I’ve put up mystical guards. The good news in all of this is, just before… I was able to immobilize him and Andres drank from him. I believe this is the answer we are looking for. If Andres drinks from him then you won’t have to because you can drink from Andres. I am hoping this will slowly allow for you to drink of our brother’s blood and eventually have no more need for the Lycan’s blood.”
“Did Andres follow him?”
Her green eyes, same shade as our brother, light up when I ask about Andres. She hands me a warm towel, while I hastily dry my body, tie it around myself, and walk out of the shower. “No the Lycan won’t go far as long as you’re here.” She looked at me waiting to see how I reacted to the news.
“I’m fine sister, do not worry, I’ll do what I have to as long I don’t have to see the Lycan again.” I finished drying myself waiting expectantly for her.
She had a look of approval before shutting her eyes. I felt the warm caress of material weaving on my skin, so I looked down seeing I now wore a golden silk nightgown with a crisscross low open back. I looked down at the thin nightgown, and felt she and my brother planned something that didn’t feel right. This was not the night gown to wear while my brother slept in the same room.
Savage Awakening: A Blood Thirst Novel (Book 2) BDSM Erotica/ Paranormal Romance/ Romance Erotica Page 11