Wolf's Claim (The Royal Heir Book 3)

by Jen L. Grey

  The vampire blurred as he ran toward me, his eyes focused directly on my head.

  He was either hoping to knock me out or punch the hell out of me. Either one wasn't good, but that also meant they didn't really want me dead like Richard said. What exactly did they want from me?

  At the last second, I crouched and punched him in the stomach so hard that he lost his balance.

  "Idiot." Richard rushed me with a crazed look. He was looking everywhere, and his eyes appeared dead.

  These were the most dangerous types of attacks because you couldn't tell where they may target. They were only reacting and wanting to hurt in any way possible.

  He reached out and grabbed my long, red hair in his hands, jerking back. My neck snapped, and pain ricocheted down my spine. Of course, he'd be the one to fight like a girl.

  I spun around and clasped my hand on his wrist before driving his arm upward toward his head, dislocating his shoulder.

  "Ow. Shit!" He cursed as he released his fingers from where they'd tangled in my hair. With his free hand, he clutched his shoulder, crumpling to the ground.

  Checking on my mate, I looked in time to see Mason give the vampire another huge punch in the face. Blood was pouring out of his opponent’s nose.

  As I spun around to face the vampire I was still fighting, a hard fist punched me in the cheek, causing my jaw to pop.

  Pain radiated throughout my head, but I couldn't let it faze me. I needed to get back in there and help the others.

  The vampire reared back again, expecting me to be stunned. As he lurched forward, I dodged his fist and cut my hand up to hit him right in the chin. As soon as my hand pounded in to his bone, I heard a sickening crack.

  His head jerked back, and his eyes filled with rage.

  Rage meant adrenaline, which meant he didn't feel as much pain as I needed him too. Luckily, it also meant he wasn't thinking clearly. He reared back to hit me in the face when I spun around and kicked him in the balls.

  A loud groan escaped him as he fell onto the ground.

  "Why can't you just submit?" Richard screamed as he put his shoulder back into place and tapped into his wolf shifter speed to reach me. Fortunately, wolves couldn't run as fast as vampires, so he never became a blur.

  He lowered his body, trying to use one of my moves. If he got me by the waist, I'd have a hard time getting away seeing as I was only half his weight.

  At the last second, I spun away and dropped my elbow into the back of his neck and watched him fall to the ground.

  You're having fun, aren't you? Mason had his arm around his vampire's neck as his eyes caught mine.

  Kinda of, but we need to end this to get back in there to the others. I had a feeling there was a reason why they weren't coming out, and it wasn't going to be a good one.

  Let's end this then.

  I kicked Richard in the head, causing him to blackout.

  Rose came trampling through the back door. "What the hell is taking so long? I can't keep them this way for much longer." She stopped when she saw the one vampire whose nuts still had to be hurting him stand and Richard passed out on the ground. Her eyes went to the tree where the disintegrating vampire was still turning to ash. "We don't have time for this shit."

  "Oh, I'm sorry." She was acting as if we were making her late to a party or something. "Are we inconveniencing you?"

  "Stop with the attitude." Rose rolled her eyes as the wind picked up, blowing her midnight black hair over her shoulders. She glanced over at Mason and sighed. "Why am I not surprised that both of you are still standing when you were outnumbered?" She straightened her shoulders and marched directly to me. "Let's go."

  "Do you think I'd actually leave with you?" If she did, she must be on something stronger than my blood. "I know about your lover."

  "Ah ... So you've visited good ol' Agnes." She shook her head while a creepy smile spread across her face. "I'm sure she was thrilled to tell you all about my story." She took a deep breath and frowned. "But all of that is history in a life that is no longer mine."

  "Just leave us alone, and you can leave here without getting harmed." Mason yanked the vampire's neck to the left, breaking it. Then he dropped the vampire on the ground. "It'll be a win-win for all."

  "Aw, it's sweet that you think you can win." She snapped her fingers, and ten new vampires appeared from the woods. "You see, over the last three years, I've realized how strong you've become and knew not to underestimate you, unlike those four idiots did."

  Within seconds, half of the vampires blurred toward Mason while the other half came at me. They grabbed us by the arms and forced us to the ground onto our knees.

  Except for the fifth vampire of Mason’s pulled out a gun and placed the gun right against his temple.

  Our bond flooded with fear before he cut it off.

  “No, stop.” I tried yanking free from the iron hands that held me securely in place. No matter how hard I struggled, I was at their mercy.

  "Oh, now this is fun. You either agree to come with me willingly or I'll allow you the same honor as I had." She motioned to the vampires. "You can watch the love of your life be killed right in front of your eyes."

  The vampire cocked the gun, ready to shoot.

  "No, wait." I couldn't lose him. "I'll go. Just don't hurt him. Please …"

  "Elena, no." Mason's eyes widened. You can't go with them.

  Do you really think I have a choice? I was going with them either way even if Rose was going to pretend otherwise.

  "Damn magic." She huffed and shook her head. "I shouldn't have given you that option. Now, I'm bound to it. Fine, hold him down until I tell you otherwise."

  The vampires dug their fingers into my skin and then turned. My feet stumbled until I forced my legs to walk with them.

  I'm going to find you. Mason's words were strong like a vow.

  You'll need the witches to help. I had a feeling that was the only way they'd be able to find me.

  As I was forced into the woods, I could feel my mind fill with dread over what was to come.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I wasn't sure how long I'd been stuck down in this basement. It could have been minutes or days at this point.

  When the vampires carried me off, one struck me hard in the head, causing me to stumble and they put a shit-smelling bag over my head. To think that the last minutes of my life would be like this was what I'd been afraid of for so long.

  The thick chains that caged me were connected to the walls. They had locked both my wrists and even ankles into the cuffs. I could only move around three feet. A little straw had been strewn out on the ground for whenever I needed to do my personal business. There were no windows, so it was literally like time stood still. It was crazy; at times, I could have sworn I heard another heartbeat near me. I was so alone that I must have been hearing things.

  Footsteps pounded on the stairs as a door creaked open. The light from the hall spilled in, causing me to wince for a moment before my eyes adjusted.

  Rose entered the room with a superior grin on her face. "Well, well, well. . . How the mighty have fallen."

  If she expected a reaction, I wasn't going to amuse her. I stayed put and glared at her.

  "How are you doing?" She pulled out a dagger from her bag that she tossed on the ground. Her black hair was pulled back, and her amber eyes were light. She pursed her red lips and took a deep breath. "Mmm, royal wolf blood. The smell is heavenly. Unfortunately, your blood can't give me the same high as a vampire because of my witch part."

  "Well, you're mostly witch, so that would make sense." That little tidbit of information filled me with relief, but at the same time, there was no need to keep me alive.

  "However, it still makes me more powerful." She winked at me. "So don't worry. I won't kill you ... yet." She walked over as she examined me from my head to my toes. "This is going to be so much fun. Let’s see, I could drink from your neck, but hurting you would be so much more satisfying."

&nb
sp; "I haven't done anything to you." All these people hated me for things that weren't my own doing.

  "But your blood has." She stepped up to me, her eyes locked onto my wrist.

  I refused to back down. The more I acted like scared prey, the more she would enjoy herself. Luckily, I’d blocked Mason's bond to me when I got here. I didn’t want him to worry.

  She grabbed my wrist and pulled it toward her, sinking her dagger into my skin. She pulled the dagger from my arm and licked the blood off of it. "Oooh … So good."

  A whimper wanted to leave me, but I held it back, standing strong.

  "You see, blood is one of the most important things in life. I'm kind of an expert on it." She flicked her finger up, forcing my body to slam into the wall.

  Pain coursed down my spine, but I couldn’t move. I was plastered there.

  "After all, I'm an abomination. Hell, I'm not even supposed to exist." She licked off the other side of the dagger and cut her eyes to me. "You see, Agnes believes that I was turned during the birth process, but she's wrong."

  I couldn't help it. I was intrigued. "You don't have to lie to me." If I didn't believe her, she might let more slip. That's what all the bad guys do at the end. They liked to spill all their dirty little secrets and frustrations.

  "No, I thought the same thing until the day the great priestess handed over my real mother's diary. You see, she was never able to open it because it takes the blood of the witch or their descendants’. So of course, I was able to open it and read a lot of things that made everything clearer."

  "So you didn't tell anyone what it said?" What type of person hid herself from those she loved?

  "Don't act all superior … bitch." She blurred as she appeared right in front of me and kneed me in the stomach.

  I wanted to fall over, but I couldn't. I was still held securely to the wall.

  "You came to me, trying to hide your own wolf." She stood in front of me and tilted her head as she examined me. "But her diary told me the answers to all of my questions. You see, my father was the one who had bit her, hoping to kill her and me. She wrote the last entry on her death bed in pain as she changed just in case I somehow made it."

  "You know who your father is?" I opened the mate bond up to Mason. Can you hear me?

  Yes, thank God. I’ve been going out of my mind. His voice sounded relieved at first but became more desperate as he continued. Where are you? We have no clue. The scent vanished.

  I opened up to him more than I ever had before, needing him to hear what was going on. If I didn't make it, they would at least know.

  "Of course, I do. But he didn't know, so I played that to my advantage. The night I killed him as he tried to protect you was one of the most oddly satisfying nights of my life. I let him know that some secrets can't be killed."

  "The vampire prince." That's how she was the queen. Of course, princess wouldn't be enough for her. "But how didn't he know?"

  "Oh, he knew, but he didn't think I could ever figure it out. He reminded me at every opportunity that I was worthless and a curse. He made sure everyone believed he was heirless, but obviously, he knew better. He looked at me with nothing more than contempt until I waltzed over to his house with blood; pure, genuine, queen wolf’s blood." She laughed and lifted her head to the sky. "For once, the almighty vampire prince was knocking on my door and hunting me down. Between having control over him and manipulating Darren by not revealing your location, I was living the high life. It at least justified your existence."

  Holy shit. This is bad. Mason's concerns flowed through to me.

  "You were good for something until your mate forced you to set your wolf free." Rose spat at the floor as if she tasted something nasty. "And now you're here with his child growing inside you.”

  What? Mason's voice grew loud.

  I’d thought I had been going crazy. Me being pregnant had never even entered my mind. Only now, here I was, bleeding and being tortured, knowing there was a baby growing deep inside me.

  "But don't worry." She chuckled. "It won't be harmed, for now. It makes your blood extra powerful, especially since it’s a girl.” She lifted the dagger and stuck it into my skin at the edge of my shoulder where it connected to my chest. “Isn’t that almost like poetic justice? But unlike my father, I’ll make sure you and she die when the time’s right.”

  Pain pierced my shoulder, and tears rolled down my face. I tried moving, but all it did was make it hurt to breathe. I groaned as I attempted to just hold my breath.

  "You see, that’s only a small portion of the amount of pain that I felt when your father killed my lover." She snarled at me and dug the blade deeper into me before she broke out in laughter.

  "He ... didn't ... kill ... him." Pain throbbed throughout my body, and I closed my eyes.

  "It was his car. He should've known not to bring it." Her voice rose higher, filled with hysteria and hate.

  Elena. Mason screamed through the bond. Please tell me you're okay.

  Not able to handle his crippling fear with my pain, I shut down the bond again. However, when I did it this time, I felt empty and alone.

  "But don't worry. Your daddy loved you so much there is a piece of him in you, and I’ll get my revenge." She reared back, hitting me right upside the head, and then she yanked out the dagger. “You’ll not only feel the same pain as me but more, by the time I’m done with you.” She released me from her magical hold, and I crumpled to the ground.

  "Elena?"

  I could've sworn someone was saying my name, but I tried ignoring it. If I woke up, all I'd feel was more pain. They needed to leave me alone so I could stay blanketed in darkness.

  "Elena?" A hand touched the back of my neck.

  Obviously, whoever it was, wasn't going to leave. I kept my eyes closed as the pain seeped back into my consciousness. I listened and almost cried with relief when I heard the second heartbeat inside me. I'd been so afraid I might have lost it. No matter what, I had to escape before I did.

  "Holy shit! I can't believe this." Warm, strong hands grabbed my arms and gently turned me over, moving the hair out of my face.

  My eyes cracked open once I recognized the accent. "King Adelmo?" Of course, he'd be involved.

  "Yes, it's me." He huffed as his hands ran over my body, taking inventory. "No wonder they didn't want me down here."

  "What do you mean?" My words were thick with pain and sleep.

  "We've got to get you out of here."

  I opened my eyes to find him glancing around the room, looking for some backdoor exit. I almost wanted to laugh, but that would hurt too much. Thankfully, my wolf side was kicking into gear, and I was healing. "Is this some kind of trick or mind game?"

  "What? No." His gray eyes lightened, and his head shook from side to side. "I promise, I didn't know this was going to happen."

  His smell stayed the same, and his heartbeat didn't increase. He was telling the truth for now.

  I slowly raised myself to a sitting position. "Do you honestly expect me to trust you after finding out you helped kill my father?"

  "My God." His mouth dropped open. "Louis told you."

  "Yes, he did." What the hell was he expecting? "He told us when Atlanta’s alpha, Brent, told me that he was going to start the process to dethrone me." I had a feeling he and Brent knew each other well.

  "Look, I didn't know Darren planned to kill your dad." He lifted both hands in the air. "He asked if I would be interested in expanding my monarchy. He wanted to talk about collaborating so my kingdom had some influence in the U.S. Had I known what collaborating truly meant, I would've never asked for the impromptu meeting that weekend."

  "Wait, that wasn't planned?" Hell, I’d been so young; I didn't really know our schedules or even care at the time.

  "No, I called it last minute saying I was visiting from out of town." He ran a hand through his hair. "Of course, I knew he'd come. He always wanted an excuse to go to the Hamptons, but I'm sure you know that."

&nbs
p; "I do." I scooted so my back was against the wall, helping prop me up. I didn't want to say too much and discourage him from coming clean.

  "Anyway, I was shocked when your dad and the rest of you ran out the door." His eyes were glassy with tears. "And within twenty minutes, Darren was telling me that you all were dead and he appreciated my assistance on handling the situation."

  That sounded like something my pompous ass of an uncle would say.

  "And then he blackmailed me, claiming he'd tell the world what I'd done if I didn't give him access to whatever he needed." He pinched the bridge of his nose and huffed. "I've always lived with the guilt of that night."

  "Well, your son appears to think it was more involved than that." Even though I hated to admit it, everything seemed to prove true. "So what are you doing here now? And why are you confessing to me? You made it pretty clear the way you felt about me."

  "Richard called me in." He took a deep breath. "He said they needed help cleaning up a matter and brought up the pictures he had of me visiting with your father before he died. Hell, they even hired Europeans to run him off the road. They have it all locked up like I orchestrated the whole thing, and then my son willingly stayed with you. I'm sorry, but your family has manipulated and blackmailed me for the past thirteen years."

  "No, my family didn't. They died." Did he think he'd get my sympathy for that? "My uncle and his family did. Did you ever think that Louis might not want to lead and that he might want to be here with his mate?"

  "His mate?" King Adelmo's body seemed to sag. "It's that girl you’re always with, isn’t it?"

  I hadn't meant for it to slip. It wasn't my news to share, but hell, we were having a heart to heart.

  Two pairs of footsteps pounded on the stairs.

  "Shit, I'm not supposed to be down here." He stood straight, and his eyes fixated on the door as it opened.

  "What do we have here?" Richard walked in as the dim light reflected off his greasy black hair. "I thought you were staying upstairs."