by Brynn Burke
At first nothing happens. Usually a whole collection of the persons thoughts and actions pop immediately to the forefront of my mind, then a beacon of sorts would pinpoint a person’s location on the map I create inside my head… but nothing, absolutely nothing. I stand here scratching my head, staring down at the glass bottle.
What in the world?
As soon as I think those four simple words everything hits me like a ton of bricks. It is so much information that I stoop over, squeezing my head to try and relieve the pressure. I am seeing everything about this girl.
Everything.
The images are powerful, alarming. Screenshots from her life flashing in my mind’s eye. It starts off with her childhood, her family, her likes and all her dislikes, and when I finally get a look at her appearance, my once slightly shaking body is now fully convulsing. I can hear the blood coursing through my veins and my heart… the beating is so loud I stop grabbing my head and placed them on my ears to quiet the noise. My whole body is being torn apart from within.
Next, I see her in a dungeon, a masked man looming above her. I see all the things done to her by this man and my anger spikes. The beatings, the rape, all the things I didn’t want to think about and now will never forget. When the mind movie of her life is over, I realize I am curled up in fetal position on the floor.
I know exactly what’s going on and I know exactly who the person is that did all these horrendous things to this female. I want to vomit, and I want to run, far… far away.
This girl. This poor innocent girl who has been tortured and abused for so long… is my mate. My true mate. Someone I hope to never come across. Nothing good is going to come from it. I am not the type of man who will be a good mate. I enjoy my freedom too much and I have done things, so many things that I doubt she’d be able to overlook.
Fuck!
As much as I don’t want a mate, I have one. She is mine.
My father wanted me to find someone, a slave and that’s exactly what I am going to do. I am going to find this female and protect her from the likes of him. He is never going to get her back after the things I just witnessed. I will never subject another to face all the things she has endured.
I wanted to kill him before, but this just puts the topping on the cake.
Archer Addison better watch out. Father or not, if you come near me or anything that is mine, will show you exactly the man you raised me to be. I will be out for blood.
1
Oksana
I’m awaken by the feel of wind on my face and the smell of fresh air.
That’s not right, there is no way I could feel such a thing if I am in the dungeon.
Then it hits me.
I’m not in the dungeon. I’m in a moving vehicle. I can feel the vibrations radiating through my body, the jostle every time we go over a bump or take a turn.
I’m out. I’m free.
Oh, shit, I think to myself and pop an eye open slightly.
I come face to face with the man who bought me at the auction, causing me to react without thinking. I lift my leg up and kick him as hard as my little weak body can muster. I see in slow motion as my foot makes contact with the man’s head, then he goes flying into the doorframe, body slumping down, as he loses consciousness.
I have to get away. There is no way I can go through everything that has been done to me again. No way I can endure such things only with a different sort of Monster. No. Escape. Freedom. Must have freedom.
I scramble my body up and as far away from the slumped over man as possible, leaning into the other door. I look at the person driving, and I have to do a double take.
Holy shit, there’s two of them!
They are identical. I see the man driving look up in the rearview mirror as if he notices, who I can only assume is his brother, is out cold. Then he turns his head and looks back at me.
“Shit!” The man grumbles and slams on the breaks so hard my body collides with the passenger side seat in front of me, head first.
My stomach fills with knots as the car skids from left to right on the cement. I feel an uneasiness being in a vehicle. After all this time, the commotion fills me with more nerves than I care to admit.
As soon as it comes to a complete stop the man puts the vehicle in park and rotates his body in my direction. He doesn’t mutter a peep, just looking at me… staring. He opens his mouth as if to speak but I stop him before he can.
“Don’t move. Don’t say a word,” I hiss at him while shaking my head. The mystery man’s eyebrows crawl up into his hairline as his mouth closes quickly.
I don’t want him to talk to me. I don’t want to get to know him. Yes, he… they… one of them, might have saved me, and I am grateful… more than grateful, but right now all I want is out of this vehicle. I want to go home, to forget about everything that has happened for god only knows how long.
Knowing there is an unmeasurable amount of time lost because I was taken, years of my life gone by in a flash because of a sick bastard who decided to steal me for his own. I’ll be damned if I allowed these two men to put me back in the same sort of hell I just escaped from.
I go to reach for the door handle but before my hand even makes contact with the metal, I see the other one move. The one I kicked moments before jolts from his slumped over position. His eyes flash open and his gaze instantly focuses directly on me. He lifts his hand, reaching out in my direction.
“No!” I shout. His hand hovers in the air and I see the same look of confusion his twin had on his face when I told him not to speak.
The way he’s looking at his brother… It’s like they are having a silent conversation and I believe it even more to be true when the man in the back seat with me nods his head at his twin.
“What did you do to my brother, Oksana?” What does he mean what did I do to him? I did nothing.
This is all too much.
Too much to comprehend right now.
I know I need to pull myself together, but these men are quite intimidating. They are much stronger than I am, bigger and there’s no telling what they plan on doing to me.
Am I going to be yet another person’s pawn?
Do they plan on torturing me the same ways Monster had done?
No!
I won’t allow it.
I can feel anger coursing its way through me and the brazen women from earlier raises her head from within. I quickly reach for the handle of the door and push it open. I’m not thinking when I do it. My body is leaning against the doorframe, so as soon as I open the door, I start to fall out. I reach for the ‘oh shit’ bars on the side of the door and catch myself before I land in a painful heap on the ground.
I see the man in the back seat react, afraid of my escape. He leans over the seat with intentions to grab me or catch me. Who knows at this point. I jump out of his grasp and land on the ground with two planted feet which is a feat considering this truck is lifted quite high off the ground.
“Stay, please… stay!” I beg in an almost too quiet voice, warding him off with my hands. It doesn’t work though. I see that he is still coming towards me.
“Stop!” I shout, but instead of it coming out like a shout, it’s similar to a deep growl. I’m not fucking joking around and that came out clear as day through my voice.
I close my eyes and repeat the counting process that has calmed me so many times in the past and when I open my eyes… what I see… it can’t be possible.
Both men’s gazes are pinned on me. Their eyes glowing an eerie yellow color. They are both shaking their head back and forth and I can hear chuffing.
I see their nails are longer, acute and their teeth… once dull are now razor-sharp and pointed. Hair starts to grow on their faces, arms and any other part of their visible skin. The front of their faces begin to expand outward, making them look like those B rated wolf movies. You know the ones whose special effects make-up is just horrific? Then comes the snapping of bones. It sounds like every bone in their bodi
es are breaking, and they start to contort in directions that are not humanly possible. I reach up and put my hands over my mouth, my eyes probably looking like one of those kid toys that have a goo coming out of the eyes sockets when squeezed.
What in the actual fuck?
In a matter of moments, two very large fucking wolves are sitting in the truck. Large can’t even begin to describe their size. They seem to be as big as a horse, cramped inside the vehicle. My whole body is shaking, and its fear that keeps me rooted in place. It won’t let me leave. I am frozen. Incapable of moving even an inch
This isn’t possible.
Things like this don’t exist.
My astonishment ebbs my fear.
Werewolves don’t fucking exist.
There is no other explanation as to what they are besides that.
With everything else that went on tonight, and yes… I remember every little miniscule detail. I hear a growl from within the truck and I force my body to move, slamming the door to the truck and take off into the surrounding brush without so much as a glance back.
The only thought running through my head is that the world I once knew, well… it no longer exists. I just don’t think I’m prepared for this new world.
2
Killian
I lay here on top of the dingy duvet in this cheap ass motel room counting the brown water stains on the ceiling.
Two hundred and forty-six…
Two hundred and forty-seven…
There are surprisingly a lot of them.
Anything to keep my mind occupied. I must have done it a hundred times at least so far, but nothing I do can prevent the constant turmoil going on inside my head. I have no idea what I am going to do with anything I have learned the past hour.
Everything in me is wanting to go find this girl, check on her, make sure she is safe and not with someone who is going to cause her further pain, but I know she is not ready for the likes of me. Hell… I’m not ready.
The thing is… we look too much alike, Archer and I. Our facial features are too similar, our body type is practically the same and after everything she went through… everything done to her by my despicable father… she will be upmost terrified. Even with the mask my father constantly wore on his face, a mask I have seen countless of times hanging upon the wall in his study… I know without a doubt she will think I am him.
I sit up in the bed, placing my feet firmly on the floor. As soon as I lift my head, I come face to face with the stupid empty vial of blood. Once again… I am thinking about what I saw while consuming it.
Seven years… I can’t imagine… actually that’s a lie. I’ve witnessed everything she has gone through, every small detail. It was like I was there watching her experience. All of it, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it. I was at the estate plenty of times and not once did I imagine she… my true mate, was being held hostage in the basement, facing life and death situations.
I could have saved her, prevented all of this years ago. Blame is to be laid upon me as well. Not all of it of course, but some.
I would have saved her, if I only knew…
The anger coursing through me just doesn’t cease. It’s causing my hands to continuously shake and all I want to do is kill someone, anyone. I would give anything to erase what I witnessed, what she went through, but alas that is not within my capabilities.
I haven’t thought about someone else’s wellbeing in well… not since…
No!
I will not think about it.
I shake my head before those memories resurface and take over me, but there is no stopping it once it starts.
* * *
Many years ago…
“… and so, the prince fought for the only thing that mattered to him… his princess. He knew that there was no way to rescue his beloved until the terrible beast was slain. He also knew that this beast could kill him if he wasn’t too careful. So, he snuck upon the large terrifying dragon while he was sleeping and sunk his sword deep into the belly of the monster. But, right before the dragon died, he let off a terrible wailing noise that could probably be heard kingdoms away. The roar was so loud that it made the prince’s ears bleed and took away his hearing, but none of that mattered. He needed to find his princess and save her from the terrible curse placed upon her. A curse that made her sleep for an eternity only true loves kiss could wake her…”
“Mother… how can such a thing as a kiss save the princess?” I ask my mother while wrinkling my nose. Such a simple thing as a kiss shouldn’t be able to rid this princess of a curse.
My mother reaches her hand up to my hair and brushes it out of my eyes. She’s always so kind, so gentle. I can see a sparkle in her grey eyes as she starts to speak and a small smile covers her face.
“Because true love conquers all, my son. Just wait… you will see. Once you find your true mate, she will knock you off your feet and make you question everything you thought you knew. Everything you thought you didn’t want, you will receive and be grateful for it my son… cherish it every single moment for the rest of your existence.”
My mother stands, grabbing her skirts in hand and leans over giving me a kiss on the forehead.
Before she can leave me, I grab her hands in my own, “Mother, is father your true love?” I ask full of curiosity.
She gives me a small smile and pats my hand but within that smile holds what I think is sadness. She doesn’t look happy. “My dear, that is a question to be answered another day.”
I don’t pester her for the answer. I think deep down I know the truth… so I change the subject.
“Oh, but, Mother… just one more story before bed? I am not even tired yet.”
I look up at her and see how her blonde hair is perfectly coiffed atop her head with golden ringlets falling around her shoulders. The makeup on her face is painted on with precision. She looks like an angel. The most beautiful angel ever.
“I would love to, sweetkins, but your father has requested an audience.”
She presses her lips to my forehead yet again and grabs the blankets that lay in a heap around my waist, pulling them up around my shoulders.
“Now get some shut eye. I will see you bright and early. I love you, Killian.”
She blows out the candles surrounding my room and pauses for a moment at my door before I hear it close shut.
I wait a few moments and quietly follow behind her to my father’s office.
As soon as I creep closer to my destination, I notice the door is open only but a crack. I peek in and see my mother sitting opposite my father at his desk.
“What is this that I hear of? You are whoring yourself out to my men, Nadine?”
Oh no.
I knew this voice.
This is the voice he uses when he is not happy about something. I push the door open a bit more, just enough to squeeze myself through. The way the desks faces, my father won’t notice me, but I can tell my mother notices my presence by the way her eyes widen. She stands abruptly and slams her hands down upon the desk in front of her as I crawl to the window and hide behind the long thick curtains.
“What is this blasphemy…” She practically shouts with anger laced within, but is immediately cut off, not finishing her sentence because my father stands in front of her. The smack he lays upon her cheek rings throughout the room. I place my hands over my mouth to stop my cry, so he doesn’t know I’m here. If he does, I’ll be in very much trouble.
“I will not tolerate this sort of behavior, Nadine. You are mine! You have disrespected me for the last time!”
He takes her by the neck and slams her down atop his desk. I can hear it in his voice. See it in his behavior. My father is high on blood.
Bloodlust.
Every young vampire learns about bloodlust. It is like a disease for vampires. A disease where you consume to much blood and lose sight of yourself. You become a monster. One whose sole purpose is to feed, kill anything and everything with a puls
e. Humans, animals and some even drink other supernaturals blood.
I see him caress his hand down my mother’s face where he slapped her, her eye and cheek are already bruised over. I can see even better when she turns her head in my direction and then quickly rights her head back to look at him.
The fact my father can hit my mother with not an ounce of regret infuriates me.
She’s human after all.
He knows she cannot handle his full wrath without killing her.
“You want to spread your fucking legs and be a whore, fine… I’ll treat you like a whore.”
I hear the tearing of cloth, and see him go for her, sinking his fangs deep in her throat… that’s when I know.
I know he’s going to do something unspeakable to her.
My mother turns her head in my direction. I can see the tears coursing down her cheeks. She mouths to me ‘I love you’ and I can’t help the tears that start falling down my own cheeks as well.
It’s a game my mother and I like to play. Read the lips. It’s our own little way of communicating without anyone knowing what we are talking about. Over the years, I have gotten very good at it, mother told me so herself.
With my father’s face still latched onto her neck, hers starts to turn white. Before she loses consciousness, she mouths one more thing to me, ‘close your eyes my sweetkins’ and I can’t help but obey.
I know deep in my soul what was about to happen.
I believe she does too.
My mother knows this is the end, she’s not strong enough to fight the beast my father became when he over-indulged.
I sit in the cove of the window for what feels like hours. Trying to block out the noises. Trying to remember my mother’s stories, remember her voice as she read them to me. It’s the only thing keeping me rooted in place.
I must have fallen asleep because as soon as I awaken, I realize I am still in my father’s study and I can see the sun rising up in the sky from its slumber out of the window behind me.
