In a matter of seconds, everything changed. The brother I grew up with was no more. The fear of the unknown was suffocating me.
Run.
That was all I wanted to do right now. Just run.
I heard Simon calling my name while trying to catch up, but that only made me run faster.
I would keep running until I couldn’t run anymore.
I would run until I was able to accept what the hell just happened.
***
Cassius
A hard slap across the face woke me from my drug-induced unconsciousness. I hissed angrily at the person responsible and was mildly surprised to see Gwyn standing in front of me. Quickly glancing around, I knew Ana was gone. I couldn’t smell her, and the room was destroyed. Guards helped me to my feet while servants went to work cleaning.
“I see you handled this situation greatly.” Gwyn said sarcastically. I was in no mood to deal with her. I needed to find Ana and kill those bastards that took her from me.
“Where did they go?!” I demanded. A guard pointed to his broken window and I rushed to it. Down below, the dark ocean was still. No sign of them anywhere.
“The sharks have probably killed them by now. They were spelled after all by Raven to attack anything non-vampire in the water near the castle.” Gwyn stated coldly. I spun around. Something about the way Gwyn was acting seemed harsher, even for her, but that was not something he cared to deal with right now.
“Get together a group of men, and meet me by the gates in twenty minutes.” I ordered the guards. They nodded and followed my instructions. I completely ignored Gwyn and brushed by her on my way out of my disastrous room.
I needed to find Ana.
“Your father wants to meet with you now.” Gwyn informed me before I crossed the threshold of my room. The thought of my father and what he’d just done to my mother made me furious. Seeing Ferox was the last thing I wanted to do right now. I knew I would lose control and try to kill the horrid King himself.
“What does he want?” I bit out without turning to face Gwyn.
“Something that involves your mate.” She replied, saying the word mate as if it disgusted her. In a blink of an eye, I was on her with a hand wrapped around her throat.
“I don’t care what your problem is, but remember, I am your Prince. You will, above all, show me and my mate respect or else I’ll rip your pretty little head off.” I spoke in a dangerously low tone, leaving no room for arguing.
Gwyn eagerly nodded her agreement, and I released her. I tried to leave the room again, but Gwyn still wasn’t done.
“Did you know?” She asked.
Slowly, I turned and faced the council leader. Gwyn held her perfect face frozen, still trying desperately not to let any emotion leak out. Too bad, I could already see the cracks.
“Know what?” I asked. I had a nagging suspicion about where this was going.
“About…” Gwyn trailed off, looking away. More cracks of emotion broke through. I stepped closer to the beautifully cold vampire. At one point, a long time ago, I considered her somewhat of a friend until her true colors came out, proving she was just as power-hungry as the rest of them.
“About you and my sister?” I offered. It was something I began to suspect weeks ago but never cared to dig into further.
Gwyn’s head snapped up at me swiftly. Her speechlessness spoke louder than any words could.
“Did she get to you?” I asked, taking a piece of her blonde hair in between my fingers.
Gwyn remained still, but the slight gloss in her eyes was all the answer I needed.
“All these years, you’ve kept yourself cascaded in ice so no one could get near. You clawed your way to the top, beating out male and female vampires twice more qualified than you. And now what? Now, you stand here before me fighting back tears over Catalina the snake. My sister used to hate when I called her a snake as children, but it describes her perfectly. And you, with all your coldness and relentlessness, just allowed her to slither her way into your heart while you stood there with the gates open, smiling like a buffoon. What do you expect me to do? Pity you? Confront my sister on your behalf? No. What I will do is nothing because the way I see it, you deserve this heartbreak; this pain for being so foolish. If you’re going to lie in bed with snakes Gwyn, don’t cry when you get bitten. The question now is do you wither and die or bite back?” I finished my little speech and let go of her hair. I walked out of the room, not waiting for her response.
I never loved Gwyn, but I respected her determination. It was admirable. But now, she was acting pathetic over Catalina of all people. I was disappointed in her fall, but if I knew Gwyn, she wouldn’t stay down long. I had planted the seed in Gwyn’s head, now it was time to watch it grow. And Catalina better be prepared for when her ex-lover strikes back. It was sure to be eventful.
Five minutes later, I stood in the last place I wanted to be with three vampires and a witch I was beginning to hate. Catalina sat on the edge of their father’s desk, tightening her gloves, while Ferox finished a phone call. Raven stood behind him in her usual shadow-like self, and Gwyn was the furthest away, choosing to stand next to the door while I stood in the middle of the office.
“Number of deaths?” I asked when Ferox ended his call.
“Our side? Only a few guards. On the other side: Marcos, Maximus, and Acacia.” Ferox informed me.
I didn’t know Maximus died, but I wasn’t surprised. Bet lord Henry is pleased.
“All justified deaths if you ask me.” Catalina added.
That only angered me.
“She was your mother! She gave you life!” I shouted, letting some of my built-up rage slip out.
Catalina jumped off the desk, storming into my face. “I have no heartbeat! Therefore, she gave me nothing.”
“You’re part of the five first families that makes you royal. And royals, my little sister, are born and not made.” I shot back
“They were all parasites, Cassius. Don’t be mad I had the strength you didn’t to exterminate them.” Catalina replied maliciously.
Her statement made me so furious, I knew my eyes were like lava right now. I couldn’t control the vicious hiss and flash of fangs I released in my sister’s face. How I longed to sink them in her neck and rip out a chuck or two.
“Enough!” Ferox boomed, silencing the room. We continued to stare each other down, but neither said another word.
“Gwyn, where is the girl? I told you to bring them both.” Ferox stated, rising from his seat.
Gwyn stepped up and glanced at me briefly before returning her attention to the King. I was mildly impressed that her composure was back to its normal impeccable state.
“My apologies, my King, but the girl is gone. She escaped during the chaos.” Gwyn spoke in deliberate professional tones.
“Hmm, and who should be blamed for that?” The King asked as if he really wanted her to answer.
Instead, I did, and I looked directly at the shadow behind him. “Maybe it’s your witche’s fault. It is her job to spell this place to keep prisoners in.”
“What is your interest in Ana anyway, my King?” I added with a bit more hostility than intended.
Catalina winked at Gwyn before taking her seat back at the edge of their father’s desk.
Gwyn remained unmoved.
“Let’s just say, son, if our blood to awakening Erebus is the key, your mate is the map.” Ferox stated triumphantly.
“How is that possible? You’ve only been searching for him for a thousand years with no leads. If you ask me, the map to finding him died with Celeste.”
“That’s not true, young Prince.” Raven spoke up.
The witch made her way around Ferox slowly until she was inches away from me. “I’ve been inside her head. I know things about her she doesn’t even know; secrets and memories placed in her by her mother and Hildegarde both before and after she was born.”
I huffed, annoyed. I never liked the witch. In my experienc
e, dark witches couldn’t be trusted. They were power leeches, hopping from vampire to vampire in search of more power to feed off on.
“And…” I pushed
“And Celeste didn’t die with the crystal within her. She gave it to her daughter. That’s how they were able to spell it so they could hide Ana in the ground for a thousand years. It’s also how she was able to live as a human for so long without being found. But now that she’s a vampire, her crystal heart is like a beacon tracker. I can find her whenever I want because of it, and we can use it to find Erebus too.” Raven told me in her raspy voice.
I stared at the veil hiding her face. For years, I wondered if the stories of dark witches were true but never found out. Today, she may just push me to reveal her hideous face to the world and find out once and for all if the rumors were true.
“What if she doesn’t comply?” I questioned. There was more to this than the witch was letting on.
“The beauty of this whole thing is your mate doesn’t need to be alive for us to use her heart.” Raven added and I had the feeling she was smiling under that veil. In that instant, I lost control. My arm struck out, and I backhanded her across the face. The witch flew back, crashing into my father’s large desk. The next second, a group of guards swarmed to restrain the unstable Prince.
“I WILL NOT LET YOU KILL HER.” I roared, throwing guards off of me left and right.
“You will not choose her over your family!” Ferox yelled, banging his fist against the desk so hard, he dented it.
“YOU KILLED MY MOTHER! THIS IS NO FAMILY!” I ranted. More guards latched on to m,e trying to keep me from attacking.
“Take him to the prison cells until he regains his senses.” Ferox ordered.
“I’ll make sure he gets there properly, my King.” Raven chimed.
It was something about the way she spoke that didn’t settle well with me.
I had a feeling Raven planned to do more than just make sure I was tucked away nice and quietly in a cell
***
Ana
Dying once in a lifetime was horrible. Dying twice was just a bitch.
I fought against the cold heat coursing through me, but it was too strong.
I could hear a mixture of screaming voices around me, but I tuned it out.
The noise only made it harder to control my body which, by the way, was shaking uncontrollably.
The others were surely worried, and that was something I wish I could stop.
My chest constricted tighter, and I felt like my heart would explode inside me.
And then it was over.
Dying had to be a nightmare from which I could not awaken from. What kind of luck did someone need to have in order to die twice? Bad luck? Or no luck at all? Either way, I had it. My second death was horrible, probably more so because all my friends were around, witnessing it. I wished I could have comforted them in some way, but there was nothing I could do.
Now it was over.
I no longer felt any pain, only peace. It was a strange peace; one that made me feel like I was not alone, even in death.
For someone who was dead, I sure did feel comfortable, relaxed, and warm. I nuzzled deeper into the feeling. That was when I realized whatever was happening to me wasn’t what it seemed.
For one, how could I be dead and still feel so good and strong?
Not only that, but I could hear everything; a mouse scurrying away, the wind rustling some leaves, deep breathing, and a steady heartbeat.
Wait, a heartbeat?
Startled by the revelation, I sprang up from the comfortable bed. I looked around and noticed I was in some sort of old barn house. But that was not the shocking part.
The part that had me nearly swallowing my tongue was when I realized what I was sleeping on.
The soft bed wasn’t a bed at all. It was the largest animal I’d ever seen.
This was from the girl who just fought a freaking shark.
My jumping away woke up the large creature. It stood on its huge four legs, easily reaching six or seven feet tall. The black fur shone and glossed the way a brand new penny did. It was all black with the exception of its silver tail and yellow glowing eyes. My mind screamed for me attack it, but I simply could not.
The creature watched me intently. It surprised me by slowly backing away from me as if to give me space. Interesting.
The large animal then lowered itself back on its belly and flattened its floppy ears. If I didn’t know any better, I would say it was trying to show me it wouldn’t harm me. Not like I’d had any real experience with unnaturally large animals, but something about it made me feel at ease.
I cautiously stepped forward, led by my instincts. The animal, as I got closer to it, began to resemble a wolf more and more. Actually, I thought it was a wolf, but larger than any wolf I’d ever seen. Once I was close enough, my hand reached out to it. Surprisingly, the wolf licked it sloppily with its big pink tongue, and I couldn’t help but giggle.
“You’re not going to hurt me.” I said, smiling, as I continued to let the wolf lick my hand. I gazed back into its golden eyes, drifting deeper into them.
And then I screamed.
No matter what color they were, I know those eyes.
For the last two years, I stared into them, losing myself in their depths.
The wolf’s eyes were not just the eyes of an animal…
But also a man…
A man I know very well.
“Seb?”
Chapter 47
Take me…Make me Yours
Ana
“Seb?” I said again hesitantly.
The wolf stopped licking, and slowly nodded its massive head.
I slapped my hand to my mouth to keep the scream in.
Oh my goodness! Seb was a wolf! How did this happen? As I continued to look into his eyes, I realized he didn’t look upset. His silver tail was gently wagging as he continued to patiently watch me.
“Can you change back?” I asked. This was such a blow to my mind that Seb was actually a werewolf! I wondered how all this happened? And when? Seb’s ears perked up, and he tilted his head to the side curiously. The act was so adorable, I couldn’t help but smile.
Maybe he coulnd’t change back, and he was stuck this way. The thought broke my heart, and I couldn’t help but reach out and comfort him. My hand caressed the side of his jaw. The fur was so soft, I could rub it forever.
Then suddenly, something amazing began to happen.
The fur on the place I touched began to literally melt away. I was so shocked, I yanked my hand back. Beneath it was Seb’s beautiful tan skin. He raised his head back to me, and right before my eyes, the wolf faded. It didn’t look painful but magical as if a breeze of magic swept over him and blew the wolf away. In seconds, the wolf was gone and Seb lay in its place.
“Seb!” I screamed and jumped him. He engulfed me in the warmest and most loving hug I’d ever felt.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” He whispered in my ear, still not letting me go.
“Same goes to you, wolfman.” I joked.
We pulled apart slightly, and that was when I realized he was naked.
“Oh gosh!” I shouted, slamming my eyes closed before they traveled all the way down his amazing sculpted body.
Be cool, Ana. It’s just a hot guy, but damn, I wanted to look so badly.
Seb chuckled before placing a kiss on my forehead. A second later, he got up, and I could hear him shuffling around.
“You can open your eyes now,” he said, amused. When I opened them, he was standing in the middle of the barn in nothing but tattered shorts. Only light from the moon shined through the cracks in the ceiling, but it was more than enough to see the gorgeous man before me.
“So, what happened? And where are we?” I asked, changing the subject and looking around the empty barn at the random haystacks.
Seb gently took my hand, leading me to one of the stacks of hay to sit on. He sat next to me, slowly checki
ng the area where I was shot. It was completely healed, but I was surprised to see a tiny silver scar where the hole once was. I also noticed my dress was torn, and my bra was exposed. Embarrassed, I tried to cover it up.
“Well, you scared me to death.” He started, looking so relieved. “I was fighting with Talon when I heard your voice. It was like a whisper in my mind. Do you remember calling out to me?”
I thought back to the moment when I realized I’d been shot. The pain consumed me. But in the back of my mind, I knew what, or rather, who I needed.
“Yes. It was instinctive.” I told him honestly. There was another reason why I called to him, but I wasn’t ready to say it just yet.
Seb took my hands in his and explained. “When I thought you were going to die, Ana, I nearly lost it. I couldn’t bear to live knowing I failed to protect you. When Helia came, she gave me this look that told me I could save you. At the same time, I felt the wolf inside me. He was going crazy trying to break free, but I refused to let go. For so long, I didn’t let go. But when it came to saving your life, I did. I knew the wolf was how I could save you, so I let it take over. It hurt like hell, changing, but it was worth it. My wolf knew immediately that you needed its venom. Something about werewolf venom cured your platinum infection. After that, my wolf needed to take you someplace safe to heal, and this old barn was where we have been for the last two days. I couldn’t change back or leave your side. My wolf wasn’t satisfied that you were well until you touched me.”
It brightened my heart to hear how much he cared for me. However, two days? I’ve been out for two days? It only felt like hours. The others must be going crazy! I had to get back and make sure they were all okay. I stood abruptly to my feet, but Seb gently pulled me back down.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure everyone is fine.” He assured me; almost reading my mind.
“I still need to make certain. If Cassius or his men find them…”
“Sshh.It’s okay. Helia appeared to me last night and told me they were headed back to Cora’s. They’ll be safe there.”
Pure: A Paranormal Romance Page 51
