by Laura Hysell
They all moved with lightning speed, and I struggled to keep my eyes on one man in particular. Mark dove beneath Garrett’s feet and came up, one hand turning into a claw and slashing at the vampire’s belly. The vampire roared as the werewolf claws sunk into his stomach, and he kicked out, sending Mark flying across the room.
One of the other werewolves already in wolf form, took the opportunity to attack and leapt onto Garrett’s back. He latched his massive jaws around the vampire’s neck and clamped down. Garrett rolled and yanked the wolf off his back, just as another man moved in for the attack. The vampire was faster though, and grabbed the man, tossing him with a sickening crunch into the wall. The wolf moved back in, attacking Garrett from the front as Mark moved in from behind. The two coordinated their moves, but Garrett concentrated on the wolf in front of him, ignoring the human form of Mark coming from behind. Mark used his partial wolf form to attack the vampire, slicing through his chest as the wolf latched onto his throat. The vampire struggled to fight off the coordinated fight, but he eventually lost as Mark pulled his head from his body.
The crowd went wild, and the announcer stepped forward once more. “Justice has been served! Garrett, the traitor, has received his punishment. Let us congratulate our winners!” The crowd that had been tumultuous at Garrett’s death, suddenly grew quiet as the light illuminated the werewolves.
Henri stood and held a hand out to me. I was leaning forward, on the edge of my seat, my fingers crushing the thin fabric of my dress. I plastered a smile on my face and took Henri’s hand as he led me toward the edge of the balcony. The spotlight shone on us as Henri spoke. “Behold, the might of our army.”
“They’re werewolves!” someone shouted, and Henri smiled condescendingly across the arena toward the voice.
“Yes, they are werewolves. But they’re merely dogs; fierce, loyal dogs. See this one here,” Henri indicated Mark, who had yet to look up toward us. “He tried to take my Queen from me, but he is truly just a dog. See who he is loyal to now.”
Henri snapped his fingers, and Mark darted his eyes upward. “Subject 17. Sit,” Henri ordered, and Mark dropped to his knees in the sand, his eyes still on Henri. “Subject 17, Stand.”
Mark stood, as though pulled on puppet strings. How was this possible? Mark’s eyes never wavered from Henri’s face as he pulled him through a variety of commands, to the delight of the crowd. Henri made Mark sit, stand, jump, run, play dead, and the crowd roared with laughter.
“Tricks!” a woman’s voice shouted.
Henri’s eyes flashed with anger as he looked across the crowd. “Sylvia? You are on thin ice already.”
“Prove it!” she screeched. “Prove you really control the dog who fucked your bitch!”
My eyes scanned the room, trying to find the woman who yelled across the crowd. I found her, dressed in a long, bright red dress and matching scarf, her auburn hair loosely curled. Henri gripped my arm tightly and pulled me toward him. His anger was palpable, but it wasn’t directed at me. I gasped in surprise as he pushed me front of him, facing the throng. “Prove it, you say. Subject 17, look at your Queen.”
Mark’s eyes turned toward me, but there was no reaction there. Henri’s hands groped my breast, and I flinched against him. He tests his control, the voice warned.
Is Mark truly under his control? I asked the voice.
He tests his control over you as well as the werewolf. He proves his might to the vampires. He tests their allegiance. I suggest you play along. I hadn’t gotten an answer, but I knew the voice was right. I needed to play along. Henri had moved one hand under the slit in my skirt while the other groped my breast. I leaned my head back in pleasure, angling my head to one side so Henri could bite my neck. It was what he wanted.
Henri bit gently, drawing a small amount of blood before pulling away. “Subject 17, come here,” Henri commanded.
Mark backed up several steps, then raced forward and jumped, grasping the bottom of the balcony and pulling himself up. Mark stood inches from us, watching as Henri pulled at the thin fabric of my dress. Henri’s hand brushed between my thighs, drawing a gasp from my lips. Mark’s eyes flickered briefly, but the look on his face was blank.
“Subject 17, sit,” Henri ordered, and Mark sat down immediately. I could feel Henri’s pleasure as he raised his voice to address the room. “Are you satisfied now? I have broken this wolf, and he is now mine! He is loyal to me, as are all the werewolves! We control these beasts! They are ours to command!”
“All hail King Donovan!” the announcer cried, and the chant was taken up throughout the room.
Henri moved the back of my dress, and I felt him behind me as he plunged his length into me. Panic welled inside me, then a strange fog grew in my mind. The fog beckoned to me, and I let it take over my mind. There in that fog, I heard myself cry out in pleasure. The cheers of the vampires drowned out all other sounds, and all thought from my mind. Henri thrust himself into me again and again, mere inches from Mark’s face. I knew what was happening around me, but the fog enveloped me, protecting my mind. At last I heard my voice cry out, and Henri thrust into me one last time before leaving me to speak with the vampires who had made their way to our balcony. I stood, staring down at the werewolf’s face as the fog slowly lifted in my mind. Mark stared straight ahead, but there was a tightness to his jaw that wasn’t there before. His hands were clenched at their sides, and his eyes glistened as though threatened with tears. His eyes flickered up to my face, and I saw the sadness and pain etched there before he dropped his eyes and plastered the blank look back on his face.
Chapter 9
I stood where I was, staring down at the werewolf before me while I listened to the vampires congratulate Henri. My body shook, and it took all my self-control to stay as I was and not run screaming from the room. Sylvia walked up beside me, and I turned my attention to her. She was beautiful, like most of the vampires here, but she wasn’t as young-looking. I guessed she had been turned into a vampire sometime in her forties, judging by the small lines around her eyes and mouth. The knife pulsed suddenly on my thigh, as though warning me that danger was very close by.
“So,” Sylvia began, crossing her arms under her chest, “what do you think of the King’s show?”
Henri had moved away from our balcony, talking with his men and congratulating himself. Most of the vampires had followed him, leaving Sylvia and me alone except for Mark still kneeling a foot away. “It was quite a spectacle,” I responded, unsure what else to say. I couldn’t very well tell her what I really thought.
“A spectacle? Yes, I suppose one could call it that. I wonder though, how much is truth?” she mused, almost to herself. Her black eyes turned toward me, eyeing me up and down before flickering to the werewolf. “We have heard of this wolf for months now. Our King has regaled us with stories of this werewolf trying to pull you away from him with magic and sex. He kidnapped you and used Pack magic to coerce you into sleeping with him. If you hadn’t escaped when you did, this wolf would have turned you into a werewolf like him. Assuming you survived the transformation, of course.”
“Was there a question here?” I asked, trying to mask my irritation.
“Did you love him?”
I swallowed, my eyes flickering to Mark and back to the vampire quickly. “A werewolf?” I asked, feigning incredulity. “He’s like a pet; a dog.”
“Hmm, so you say. Still, do you feel a pull to the werewolf? Pack magic is said to be strangely powerful, if the stories are to be believed. Perhaps I should eliminate him, just to be sure.”
“Henri controls him now. There is no need to eliminate a valuable warrior like him. Besides, I doubt he has connection to his Pack any longer. Wouldn’t that remove his Pack magic?”
Sylvia turned thoughtfully toward Mark and ran a hand through his hair. “He is a handsome one, for a dog. Subject 17, look at me,” she commanded, but Mark didn’t move. “Subject 17, I said look at me!”
Mark still didn’t move, an
d Sylvia lashed out, striking him across the face. “You can’t command him,” I stated, stepping forward until I was inches from Mark’s side. “And I didn’t give you permission to touch him.”
“You?” she sneered, glaring at me. Her voice dropped to a mere whisper. “You’re Henri’s whore, nothing more. Call yourself Queen all you want, but you have no power.”
I pressed a hand to Mark’s shoulder, and he looked up at me. The look on his face was unreadable and I knew I was about to make a huge gamble. “Subject 17, stand,” I commanded.
Mark blinked at me and I held my breath. Sylvia laughed, a high-pitched chortle. “Little whore doesn’t rule anything,” she laughed.
Her laughter trailed off as Mark slowly rose to his feet. “You forget your place, Sylvia. I am Queen,” I stated, staring the black-eyed vampire down. “Henri’s army is my army. His men are my men. They will obey me. They will protect me. Haven’t you stopped to wonder why your King chose me?”
Sylvia’s eyes widened, then narrowed. The knife pulsed a warning just before the vampire struck. I was fast, but not fast enough. Her hand connected with my cheek just as I began to duck out of the way. The knife came to my hand immediately, but I didn’t need it. Mark had his big arms around Sylvia’s waist, holding her above his head while she screeched and wriggled against his powerful grip. He turned toward the balcony and shifted his stance before throwing her across the theater. She screamed just before she made impact with the far wall and crumpled to the ground.
I moved toward the balcony and watched as several vampires moved in to surround Sylvia. Henri moved up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Take her back to level three,” he ordered.
“Good job, Subject 17,” Henri told Mark. Mark bowed his head in acknowledgement and Henri reached out to pat him on the top of his head, as though he truly were a dog. It wasn’t the first time Henri had done something that reminded me eerily of Sarah, and I wondered again at the extent of their relationship. “I should reward you. How would you like to be my Queen’s official bodyguard and protector?”
Mark nodded his head briefly, but his eyes remained downcast. The knife tingled in my hand, and I sheathed it quickly before anyone noticed it there. “I shouldn’t need a bodyguard,” I said softly to Henri.
“You never know when danger will be nearby. Besides, my Queen shouldn’t have to get her hands dirty,” Henri responded as he turned toward me and brushed a hand across my injured cheek.
“I will accept a bodyguard, if you think it necessary, but I still think I should be able to take care of myself.”
“Don’t play games, my dear. If you wish something, just ask it,” Henri said as he leaned away from me casually and crossed his arms.
I smiled and shrugged my shoulders, imitating his casual attitude. “You are creating an army, and I will be at your side when we take down Petrivian,” I began, looking at Henri expectantly. He nodded his head in agreement, and I continued. “I’m not a great shot, but I do know a little about guns. What I don’t know, at all, is how to fight. I’ve gotten lucky in the past, but that is all it was.”
“You wish to train in combat?” Henri asked, his eyebrows rising slightly. For once, I had actually surprised him.
“Yes, I do. Guns, knives, hand-to-hand; I want to learn it all.”
Henri crossed his arms, the look on his face thoughtful. “If my Queen wishes to learn the art of fighting, who am I to deny her? First thing in the morning, I will set up training for you with the humans.”
“I want to fight vampires,” I replied, then bit my tongue at the dark look that crossed Henri’s face. “We are going up against Petrivian’s vampires, aren’t we my King?” I amended quickly.
“Yes, we are. Humans first, then I’ll let you try your skills against vampires.”
“What about the werewolves?”
“Do you have a desire to fight werewolves?” Henri asked, casting a quick glance at a very silent Mark.
I shrugged my shoulders and looked pointedly at Mark. “You never know who, or what, will betray you. I should be prepared for anything. As you said, we never know when danger will be nearby.”
Henri smiled and looped his arm around my waist, leading me away from the balcony. My answer had pleased him, so much so I could feel the smugness emanating from him. “You will be the greatest Vampire Queen the world has ever seen,” he whispered in my ear. A shiver ran down my spine at his words, but I turned my face toward his and smiled easily.
Henri led me down the stairs and onto the arena floor, where my heels sank into the blood-covered sand. Vampires in finery wandered across the arena, examining the humans and werewolves who had been brought back out after fighting, along with a few fresh men. My hand looped through Henri’s arm as we milled around with the other vampires. The announcer stood in the middle with another man holding a large chalk board with numbers and tallies on it. I watched as a man dressed in a suit and top hat handed the announcer a wad of money, and the other man made marks on the chalk board.
“What are they doing there?” I asked Henri, indicating the two in the middle of the arena.
“Betting on the next fights,” Henri replied. “Come, let’s make a few bets of our own.”
“Ah, my King,” the announcer said as we walked up. “Betting is still open, and there are some good odds, if you’re interested.”
I stared at the board, baffled by the lists of numbers and odds. All the fighters were listed by a series of letters and numbers, making the whole thing even more confusing. My eyes scanned down the list of fighters. “How are these listed?” I asked, pointing at the fighter list.
“Human fighters are indicated with an H, then their identification number. Werewolves are all listed by their case number. Subject 162, for example, has good odds of winning a fight against a human fighter, listed in this column, and fair odds against another werewolf, in the second column,” the announcer explained, pointing at the odds indicator for the fighter listed as S162.
My eyes roamed down the list, stopping at S17. “Is that Subject 17?” I asked, pointing to the line. The odds were in favor against a human, but his odds against other werewolves were surprisingly low.
“Yes, Subject 17 has already fought, so his odds go down with each fight, simply from exhaustion. Plus, he has shown poor fighting skills against other wolves.”
I mulled over that information, wondering why Mark fought so poorly. Maybe he just didn’t like killing his own kind. I dismissed the thought quickly, for fear of Henri peeking into my mind. “Why is my new bodyguard fighting in this at all?” I asked haughtily, crossing my arms and turning toward Henri.
Henri’s face was blank as he shouted out, “Subject 17, come here!”
I turned toward the balcony, just in time to see Mark leap over the edge. He landed softly in the sand and walked toward us, stopping just before Henri. His eyes were downcast, and his face showed no expression.
“Subject 17 is now my Queen’s bodyguard, and will no longer be participating in the fights!” Henri announced loudly.
The announcer’s face turned an even paler shade of grey at Henri’s words, and his eyes widened as several vampires converged on him to change their bets. I stepped quickly away as several men and women turned black eyes on me angrily. Mark’s line on the board was erased and a new number was inserted in his place. I may have saved Mark, but I had just subjected another werewolf to these fights.
“Does this please my Queen?” Henri asked me in a whisper, his mouth pressed close to my ear. I nodded my head without looking up, which was probably a mistake. Henri’s hand gripped my arm tightly, and I had to resist the urge to cry out. I felt the pressure of Henri’s power building and I braced myself mentally for it. “You feel nothing for Subject 17,” he growled into my ear. “He is a dog to you, nothing more.”
The pressure of his command overwhelmed me, and I struggled against it. Relax and let it wash over you, the voice from the knife said softly. I felt panic buildi
ng. The last thing I wanted to do was let Henri’s command take effect. I struggled against the feeling, and with each passing second I felt Henri’s order clamp down over me tighter. Stop fighting. He doesn’t control you anymore. My heart was growing harder, and I felt my compassion for Mark dwindling. The more I fought, the worse it got.
Fucking vampire! I would not let him control me! Stop fighting him. The harder you fight, the more power he uses. Relax and let me help you. I didn’t know how the knife or the strange voice in my head was going to help, but I was out of options. Henri was seizing control quickly. I took a deep breath and relinquished control. Henri’s power crushed into me, and I stumbled backward. Mark’s face flashed across my mind, and I thought of all the time we had spent together. Memories of our time as teachers, before I knew the truth of the world, surfaced in my mind. I remembered watching Mark from afar at school, and blushing when he cast a glance in my direction. Memories of laughing together in the lunch room over his conspiracy theories appeared in my mind. I felt Henri’s control slipping over me, then it washed past, like a wave on the ocean. My heart sped up and I opened my eyes.
“What do you feel for Subject 17?” Henri demanded in a harsh whisper as his fingers bruised the skin of my arm.
“I feel nothing,” I responded bluntly.
“If he dies, do you care?”
“No.”
“If I ripped him into a million pieces, would you care?”
“No.”
“If you saw him with another woman, would you care?”
“No.”
“Good.” He leaned away from me and I looked directly at him. His eyes had turned black and seemed to engulf his face. “Do you want him as your bodyguard?”
I shrugged, as though it were of no consequence. “I do not care either way. If you think he is a suitable bodyguard, then I will accept him,” I responded. “He seems to have done well so far.”
Henri grimaced, but quickly schooled his face. His eyes receded slowly back to their usual piercing blue, but a striking black ring around the iris remained. “I am not always around to keep you from harm, my Queen, and Subject 17 is a strong warrior. He will remain as your bodyguard.” I kept my face carefully neutral and nodded my head, but Henri had already turned toward Mark. “Subject 17, you will protect Queen Isabella and obey her in all things. Only my word is above hers. You will protect her with your life, and stay with her at all times, unless ordered otherwise. Am I understood?”
