by K Loraine
Adrenaline clutched my throat. “No.” My response was too quick, too fearful. She noticed. One of those perfect eyebrows arched and her lip twitched with the hint of amusement.
“Ah, Perhaps I was wrong. Your bravado certainly does a lot to disguise your feelings. In your case, you might want to exercise a little restraint. We don’t want you sassy. We want you obedient.”
She reached out, long fingers brushing loose strands of my hair. Then she leaned in and took one long inhalation.
“Hungry?” I asked.
She shuddered, then stepped back. “Famished.” Her eyes grew dark, filled with the desire I recognized, lust for my blood.
“Go ahead, taste me. Take what your brother never had the guts to claim.” I was playing with fire, but I wanted out of this. And if that meant letting her drain me, so be it.
“You little slut. My brother was right to put you aside. You’ll give it up to anyone who might save your pathetic ass.” She strode to the wardrobe and pulled out a dress before tossing it in my face. “Put on your clothes and come with me or I’ll restrain you here and now and only let you up to piss and bathe until you outlive your usefulness.”
From the anger in her voice, I knew she wasn’t bluffing. She watched as I slipped the soft dress over my head and dropped the sheet all at the same time. As soon as I was clothed, her hand was around my elbow, gripping tight enough I knew I’d have bruises. Together we walked along the hall, down the staircase, and to the wine cellar where my donations took place. Each step made my heart race with the possibility of seeing Cash. Could I look into his eyes and not fall to pieces? I wasn’t sure. I hated that I felt like this.
“Quiet your mind,” Sorcha hissed. “If anyone hears that you are pining for Cashel, you’ll both suffer. He’s been through enough. You can’t have him and the hunter both.”
I worked to control my thoughts, to raise my shields and keep her out. But I don’t want Logan. I wish I could shout the words out loud for everyone to hear.
She pushed open the door and there, in the cold cellar, I saw him for the first time since Elias made me break him. “Cash,” I breathed, unable to stop myself. His broad-shouldered frame was covered in a navy blue sweater so dark I almost mistook it for black. Those dark brows of his were pulled tightly together, the only indication of his displeasure. He wouldn’t look at me, but I saw the sharp inhalation, the clench of his fists, the slight change in his posture when I walked into the room.
“Brother, do you have objections to me taking her donation?” Sorcha addressed him while shoving me into the chair roughly. My head hit the back of the chair and I couldn’t help the pained sound that escaped me.
“Careful,” I complained. “I can sit on my own.”
“I’ll do it.” Cash’s voice sent a quiver of longing to my belly. I wanted his touch so much. My body ached for him. But then I remembered the days and nights I spent alone in a dark, cold well. The women he’s been feeding from. The dead look in his eyes when he told me to get out of his sight.
“No,” I said, jerking my arm away from him when he reached out to me. “I don’t want you to.” I leveled my gaze on Sorcha. “You’re my keeper now. You do it.”
The woman crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. “Well, looks like your little bird bites back, Cashel.”
“She’s not mine anymore,” he said, his words cutting and strong. A statement of absolute dissolution of everything between us. He was done with me. I’d never get him back, but at least he was alive.
18
Olivia
I counted the days and nights as they passed by carving small lines into the windowsill with the edge of a bobby pin I’d had in my hair after Sorcha had styled it for yet another family dinner the night after I was released from the well. That was five nights ago.
Every dinner was torture. I spent each one at the end of the table while the vampires drank wine and ignored me. Elias seemed to get off on it, forcing me to watch them but keeping me on display as I worked to cloak my thoughts and keep them all in the dark about his threats. Every time he caught me looking at Cashel, a wicked grin would twist his lips. Cashel had been stoic and distant, his eyes never quite meeting mine. He hated me. But it was nearly time for yet another donation, and my skin crawled at the thought of anyone other than Cash taking my blood.
As the moon rose, I stood in the library once again, but this time, I was alone after Sorcha dropped me off and ordered me to stay put. No wine and conversation with Lucas and Calliope, no cozy fire. I shivered in the ridiculously thin silk gown Sorcha had laid out for me. I missed Brenna.
Tonight Sorcha had insisted I add a different oil to my bath, this one a crisp juniper rather than cloying rose. My hair was piled high on my head, exposing my throat. I felt like a prized lamb being prepared for the slaughter.
“There’s my pet,” Elias said, catching me by surprise at his nearness. His finger glided over my nape, repulsing me. “You look exquisite tonight, my dear. Such a prize. No wonder Cashel desires you.”
“He doesn’t anymore. You saw to that.” I frowned. “I’m not a prize. Not your pet. I’m a human being with free will. I have a choice, unlike a pet.”
He hummed in what I could only interpret as amusement before his lips brushed my throat. “Collared pets can still roam their homes. It’s only when they’re around outsiders that they must stay on their leashes. But no matter the circumstance, they must obey their masters.”
Fighting a shudder, I turned and stepped to the side. “Again, you aren’t my master. I’m here to help you, and you’re keeping me safe. That’s our bargain.”
A dark chuckle rolled through him. “It’s sweet that you think there’s any kind of bargain between us. I could easily toss you into a cell and drain you slowly without any comfort offered.”
“Where’s Cashel?” I asked, feeling cornered and overwhelmingly anxious. Elias wasn’t particularly kind, but this conversation was overtly predatory.
“He’s...preoccupied with his latest conquest. As you know, he wants nothing to do with you.”
“Only because of you.”
“Exactly because of me. He’s doing what he’s told. Preparing for when he takes his place as my heir. He’ll continue on the right path now that he knows you’re nothing but a pet for him to use and discard.”
Cold fingers brush my cheek, then my throat. “Don’t fucking touch me,” I say, trying to jerk away from his touch.
“I’ve had enough of this playing nice nonsense.” A cold piece of metal snapped around my neck, not uncomfortably tight, but definitely not something I would choose to wear.
“What is that?” I asked, panic lacing my tone as I felt the cool ridges of a jewel-encrusted choker.
“It’s proof you are property of the Blackthornes. A collar fit for my favorite pet. Tonight I’ll show you off to nobility from every vampire coven in the world. You’ll shine for me if you know what’s good for you, pet.” He clipped a bejeweled chain to my collar and tugged, bringing me forward. “Or should I call you, little bird, as Cashel does?”
My stomach churned, turning over and twisting all at once as the reality of his statement hit me. Cashel had abandoned me, and I couldn’t recover from that. I hadn’t played my cards close enough to my chest and now I was in the hands of the King. Elias Blackthorne had far different needs than I was willing to see to. He would take my blood whenever he wanted, and I was sure he’d do the same to my body.
“Cashel will never take the steps to bond with you. He’ll do as he’s told, and you’ll never be free.” His voice sent me nearly to my knees with fear. I tugged and tried to break the collar off my throat, but he only laughed and pulled me forward. “Come along, little bird. You’ll look lovely seated at my side tonight.” I hated the sound of Cashel’s name for me on Elias’s lips. Hand on the leash, he pulled me behind him, his long and lean frame different and similar to Cash’s all at the same time.
I fought the tears in my eyes and force
d myself not to pull against the collar and leash because the last thing I wanted was for the edges of the metal to cut into my skin and draw blood in a room full of vampires. We stopped outside a pair of gilt doors at least two stories high and Elias jerked the chain until I was right next to him.
“If you make a scene, I’ll bleed you in front of them, perhaps I’ll breed you as well. They’d love that, to see me stake my claim on a human again as I did to Lucas’s mother.”
My heart hammered and I swallowed back the bile that threatened to rise. “I’ll…I’ll be good.” I hated the words as they left me, but I had no other choice. This vampire was never going to be inside me.
“Good pet. I’m glad to hear you’ve finally been broken. Maybe Cashel did a better job than I gave him credit for.”
The tall doors swung open and the music in the room came to a stop. Filling the room which I realized was a macabre version of a ballroom were hundreds of people. No, these weren’t people. They were vampires. I’d become accustomed to the difference in their energy, I could easily tell the difference. Vampires exuded cold strength, a hum of something other in their auras. It was like a low-frequency electrical signal, constantly buzzing around me. There were humans scattered throughout this ballroom as well. Women dressed in gowns that showcased their exceptional beauty, men in fine tuxedoes, but all sporting bite marks and collars, some with leashes, some without.
“Are they all…”
“Pets?” he asked. “Yes. We don’t love humans. We possess them. And you are the best in show.” He tugged on the chain again and pulled me into the room. A soft hum filled the space as the crowd’s focus landed on us. Together we walked to the other end of the room, and relief filled me as I caught sight of the throne. We were almost there. I’d be able to turn my attention on something other than walking without the constant bite of the collar.
He sat in his throne and I moved to sit next to him, but he shook his head. “Oh, no, my dear. I’ve had something special made for you.” He raised his hand and motioned to his attendants.
A glistening silver birdcage, large enough for a human, was carried in by two vampires. They settled the cage on a raised platform in the corner on full display of every pair of eyes in the room. “You may not leave unless I give you permission. You can thank Cashel for giving me the idea. A little bird should have a cage of her very own.”
Then with a flick of his wrist, a slight stinging sensation on the exposed skin above my left breast had me jumping in surprise. Every vampire in the room tensed, their heads turning to face me and the single drop of blood that now slowly trickled down my front. I wiped the drop away before it could stain the silk gown, but I knew the damage had been done. I wasn’t cloaked in roses, my blood had been spilled, and they were hungry.
“Go on,” he chided. “Into the cage where you’ll be safe.” He unclasped the chain leash from my collar and grinned. “Better hurry before it becomes a frenzy.”
Sharks. Again, I was surrounded by sharks. I ran, faster than I should have been able with the ridiculously high heels that had been provided, but I made it. The door slammed shut behind me, locking with an ominous clang of metal. A female vampire reached out and grabbed one of the bars, but a scream tore from her as her hand sizzled and burned.
“Ah, Selina. Did you really think I’d let you get to her? The bars are solid silver. Anyone who tries to taste my pet will suffer greatly for it.” He stared out at the crowd. “No one touches my pet. You can smell it on her. The sun. She is property of the Blackthornes, and unless you swear fealty to us, none of you will ever reap the benefits of having her.”
I swallowed back the terror in my throat and settled myself on the bench swing in the center of the cage. At least it was cushioned and large enough for me to draw my knees up to my chest. The bleeding had stopped almost as soon as it began, such a small wound, but deadly all the same. Elias gestured to the musicians, just a small nod of his head, but the crowd seemed to change with that one motion.
The music began again, swirling with dark sensuality and gradually, the vampires’ attention drifted from me. They took up their partners, human and vampire alike, and glided to the dance floor. I watched them move, a strange smoothness in their steps that spoke of the preternatural abilities afforded them. They practically floated across the floor, twirling and spinning at unnatural speeds. The vibrant kaleidoscope of colors that were the women’s dresses mixed with the heady scent of bergamot and woodsmoke made my stomach churn. It was all too much.
A few vampires made their way to the throne, kneeling before the seated King as they exchanged words. Were they paying homage? Dedicating themselves to him? I couldn’t tell, because my human hearing couldn’t comprehend what they were saying. I wanted Cashel. I needed him to protect me from this world because I knew I couldn’t. But he was nowhere to be found. Because as much as he’d made me feel things, he didn’t care about me. I’d been a spectacular fool to believe any different.
Elias stood at his throne and said in a booming voice, “As you can see, my pet is special. She holds our future in her blood. I’ve gathered you here together to bear witness to a new chapter in our history. The moment we harnessed the sun and became the most powerful creatures on this planet.”
The crowd erupted into cheers. Cries of, “Let us taste her,” ringing out and sending terror through me.
“Now, now, you know I’ve never been much for sharing. I was going to keep her for myself and those loyal to me. But recent events have changed things. While her donations have been frequent and plentiful, we have, through Calliope’s hard work, found that her blood isn’t the cure for sun sickness we’d hoped. The virus simply breaks down her magic over time.”
The murmur of concern through the vampires had my heart racing. Was he going to sell me to the highest bidder? Would I go somewhere even worse than this place?
He held up his hands in a gesture of calm. “However, after joining the blood of a vampire with hers, we’ve found there is a strong possibility of a cure through a hybrid.”
A hybrid? A thin sheen of sweat broke out over my skin and my stomach tightened with unease when Elias’s words came back to haunt me. Perhaps I’ll breed you as well. Hybrid.
“No,” I whispered so softly I almost didn’t hear it.
The vampires laughed. They looked at me, and they laughed.
“Cashel, my son. Are you ready?” Elias stared at the doorway to his right and Cashel walked into the room, his jaw tight. I saw it the moment he caught the scent of my blood. His eyes widened, shoulders went even more rigid, and he looked straight at me.
“Father, what is this about?” he muttered.
“Why, this is what you wanted all along, isn’t it? Your prize for everything you’ve done to get us this far.” Elias chuckled and held an arm out in my direction. “We need a hybrid. Who better to provide one than my son and heir?”
My chest hurt as the implication of what he wanted fell at my feet. I was going to be bred just like Lucas’s mother. I was more useful to them if I gave them more blood, stronger vampires, a cure through my children.
“No, please,” I begged. “Don’t do this.”
Elias ignored my pleas, instead turning his head to the vampires who’d brought in my cage. “The altar,” he said.
They nodded and left, but returned soon after carrying a large stone table. I knew what it was for even if I didn’t want to believe it.
“Father,” Cashel said, disgust in his voice. “I will not lower myself to this.”
Something twisted inside me, an ugly combination of relief and hurt. Was I so unappealing after all? Immediately I chastised myself for being hurt by that thought. He was going to take me, rape me, in front of an audience and I was upset he didn’t want to lower himself to do it?
“You will breed her here and now or I will do it myself.” Elias’s voice was acid as he spat the words.
“We both know you can’t.” Cashel’s response was low and tight.
<
br /> “Are you willing to take that risk? I know you want her. I can see it all over you. I’m giving you the chance to take her, to do something that will change everything for us.”
Not here. Not like this. I don’t want to be fucked and used in front of all these vampires. But I stayed quiet, because if I’ve learned anything at the Blackthorne Manor, it was when to hold my tongue. If I told them what I wanted, Elias would make Cashel do the opposite.
“I’ll breed her, but not with an audience.” Cashel looked at me, anger burning in the depths of his gaze. But more than that. Gone was the man who’d held me in his arms and told me he’d keep me safe. All I’d seen in his eyes was now clouded with one emotion.
Hatred.
19
Cashel
I couldn’t bear to see Olivia in that horrific cage, her blood staining the front of the silk gown she wore. It had been sheer torture to know my father had her, but I’d had to play his game, making him think her betrayal had broken me. It was the only way to get us out of this place. Because I’d gone from needing her to save us, to needing her to be mine, even if she wanted someone else.
“Open the cage, Father,” I said, my mental walls projecting nothing more than hunger and lust. He needed to believe this. Needed to think I would take her and do nothing but breed her for our own purposes.
My father nodded at the guard nearest the cage. In a few quick movements, the door swung open and the vampires around her moved closer. No. They would not touch her. “She is mine,” I growled as I stalked to the cage. I held out a hand and waited for her to come to me.
“Take her to your chambers if you must, but before you go, give us a taste of what you’ll be enjoying.” My father’s voice was unsteady, sadistic, and I hated him for what he was making me do. If I denied him this, he’d see through my forced apathy. He’d know I was wise to him.