Birthright: Book 1: Know Thyself

by Bella Colt

  It is strange to get to know a part of my family. I never had any type of real family until I met Declan. I do miss his family, but I yearn for him in a way I never thought possible. My chest aches with it all the time, making it hard to stay focused on what Linda and Luther have been saying. Linda keeps saying that we need to make a plan and insists that they will not let anyone kill me. I think she is hoping for some input from me, but I have no clue how to get free. Luther is always apologizing for everything he has done and keeps asking me how he can help; it is kind of getting on my nerves.

  Linda reminded me about my mental connection with Declan yesterday, but I don’t see how it can help me. It’s shameful for me to admit to her that it’s only a one-way connection. He bit me, but I didn’t bite him back. When I told her this, I was reminded that Declan can potentially feel what I feel, so I made a mental note to try and block my hurt and depression from him. He shouldn’t have to deal with my emotional distress when I’m sure he is dealing with his own.

  Linda and Luther are trying to coax ideas out of me when a guard steps in and holds open the door for two more. They approach me where I’m lying on the makeshift bed and grab me by the arm.

  “WALK!” He commands with a heavy German accent.

  I walk unwillingly in between them, but I try to comply to avoid getting hit. Each guard is holding my arms in a viselike grip. We walk out of the room and down a dark spiral cement staircase. This place really is like a dungeon. I shudder at what else could be down here. The staircase is dimly lit by candles, placed sporadically on the stairs, leaving huge piles of wax on the ends of many of the steps. I see rooms randomly spaced along the stairs as we progress. When we reach the last level, in what had felt like a never-ending stairwell, I notice a new guard. He is twice the size of the guards holding me. He is wearing an executioner’s mask that's hiding his most of his face excluding his mouth. He’s standing in front of a huge black metal door that is cracked open. I audibly gulp as I shiver uncontrollably, but I’m consciously trying to keep my mental wall up for Declan’s sake.

  The colossal guard smiles from ear to ear boasting the one tooth he has managed to keep on the upper half of his mouth. I turn my head away from him so I can hide what I know must be fear and repulsion on my face. The massive man immediately grabs me by both arms and throws me into a pitch-black room. He slams the door behind me, closing off all the light. I’m surrounded in darkness on my hands and knees. When I realize that he hasn’t followed me in I sigh in relief.

  ‘CRACK’

  The sound and the resulting rush of air whips my hair into my face, and I try to get up off the ground. I try to move, but I hear another ‘CRACK,’ but this time I feel pain radiating from my back and through my whole body which causes me to fall, face first, back to the ground with a wail. I manage to beg for it to stop through the screams and tears before I hear the whip again. This time I feel the pain and burn immediately when the whip connects. I feel this sensation over an over again, but I lose track of how many times I am struck before I black out from the pain.

  Chapter 6: King Dierk

  Damn, stupid bitch! She is so weak. I barely even whipped her, and she’s already passed out! Oh well, that doesn’t mean I can’t still have some fun. I walk over to where she’s lying on her stomach on the floor and start kicking her, and I don’t stop until I’m satisfied with the cracks I hear. My newest torment only causes the smallest of groans to pass from her lips. Kneeling, I turn her over and start punching her in the face trying to wake her up. I deserve more than this! These small pitiful sounds; I want her screams.

  “GRR!” I groan in frustration.

  This isn’t fun when she won’t even suffer properly.

  “GERD!” I yell through the door.

  He opens it, and I pass by him without a glance.

  “Enjoy yourself with her Gerd, and then have her taken back to her cell,” I say, not turning around to address him as I begin the walk up the stairs. I must go prepare for the twelve council members that will arrive tomorrow.

  He answers me with a grunt. I’ve always liked him. He is a man of very few words. He deserves this reward, I think.

  Chapter 7: Amara

  I wake up groggily and my eyes slowly start to open, allowing light to enter through my lashes. I am lying on my stomach on blankets, and I quickly realize I’m back in my original cell.

  “Linda?” I croak out my dry throat.

  “Right here, dear,” she answers.

  She hands me a small cup that has some murky water in it and I take it to greedily gulp it down.

  “Are you okay?” She asks, concerned.

  I think about it, and I actually don’t feel that bad. The last thing I remember was being whipped in a dark room several levels below.

  “I’m not sure... how’s my back looking?”

  “You have barely any scabs left; it seems your wounds have almost completely healed overnight,” she says, looking at me curiously.

  “I’m a quick healer,” I state, hoping that’s good enough because it’s all I know.

  I am preparing for a torrent of questions, but she just nods. I look around and see that Luther is asleep against the opposite wall.

  “What happened?” I ask Linda.

  “We don’t know, they took you for a while. We can’t be sure, but we think you were gone for about three hours. When you were brought back..,” she pauses, her face pale with a horrified expression. “Well, it doesn’t matter now that you seem to be doing so much better,” she finishes looking at the ground.

  “Well, how long was I passed out?” I ask, expecting her to have already told me.

  “About a day, I think,” she answers.

  “Wait, I was gone for three hours! I was only awake for a few minutes before blacking out from the..,” I stop myself because Linda looks like she’s about to be sick.

  Apparently, I didn’t look too good when I first got back because she won’t even talk about it. What in the hell was done to me while I was out?

  “Have you come up with a plan?” I finally ask, ready to do something, anything, to get away from here and back to Declan.

  “No, I’m sorry” She answers, looking defeated.

  I'm not sure that I was able to block Declan during the time I was gone. I physically shudder at the thought of him hurting himself or Wolf going crazy because they can feel what I feel. I need him to know that I’m still alive and how I really feel about him. I’m so stupid! I completely forgot that I should be able to mentally tell him if I focus hard enough. He heard my thoughts once before when I was right next to him and not even trying. So, this is worth a shot! I close my eyes tight and start to focus on Declan, I think hard over, and over again. Again, I find myself upset that I didn’t bite Declan back. With all the love that he’s shown me, I shouldn’t have hesitated to reciprocate. I know in my gut that he’s right for me, I just feel it in my heart.

  ‘Declan, I love you!’

  I hope that he can feel as well as hear my sincerity, just in case I don’t make it back to him.

  Chapter 8: Declan

  Once the pain in my back stops, it takes me over an hour to compose myself enough to sit across from my father again. My poor Amara. She was in so much pain, and I wasn’t there to stop it or even comfort her. I’ve been staring at my hands for ten minutes. I am feeling slightly guilty now that I’m actually holding the weighted contents of the envelope. I wonder how she’s going to feel about me reading it, pissed, upset, or disappointed?

  If there’s a chance that there is anything in it that can help me find her, then I’ll deal with the consequences happily. As long as I have her with me, I can deal with anything. I finally take a deep breath and rip open the envelope from the top. I unfold the few yellow pages that are filled with beautiful loopy handwriting. I read and re-read the letter for twenty minutes before my father’s patience runs out.

  “Well, what does it say?” He asks.

  I raise my eyes from the
letter to meet his.

  “I won’t repeat what this letter says, it’s personal and meant for Amara! I wouldn’t have read it if I wasn’t so desperate!” I exclaim, my voice cracking slightly. I continue before he can say anything else. “We’re still going to use the information, but no one else will read it. I don’t want anyone invading her privacy like this! We need to be looking for the King of werewolves, King Dierk,” I finish saying.

  “Why King Dierk?” My father gasps, the horror showing in his eyes for a split second before he masks it.

  “He’s Amara’s grandfather, and King Dierk is the only one that gains anything from taking her. He killed his own son while trying to have Amara’s mom murdered,” I explain breathing deeply to contain my rage.

  I’m trying to think of the best way to track down the King’s location, while not wanting to say any more about the letter. The werewolf King is basically just another Alpha. The only difference is that they’re descended from the original bloodline, they have a bigger pack, and are foreign. There’s isn’t a pack-law in the states that force werewolves to obey this Alpha King. Werewolves in the states are more modern and go with the flow of their surrounding environment. Foreign packs do tend to still be stuck in the old ways, including still using torture and sacrifices. My face blanks and pales at the realization of my last thought.

  “SHIT! How do we find the King? He will kill her if he hasn’t already done it!” I start yelling but end up sobbing and slump to the ground in defeat. It feels so hopeless. Death seems like the only way to stop the pain of losing Amara. How can I save her from a king?

  I haven’t felt anything but my own anguish since the immense pain in my back earlier. I feel physically numb now. I feel a growl form in the back of my throat at the memory...Someone was hurting her. I will kill everyone that touched her, rip them limb from limb, and enjoy the smell and taste of their blood as they take their last breath. I am losing control as the violent thoughts torrent through my minds.

  ‘Declan, I love you!’ I hear Amara’s voice whisper softly in my head.

  I quickly shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I can’t believe what I just heard until I hear it again a little stronger this time.

  ‘Declan, I love you!’

  My heart swells as I stop breathing and listen to her voice in my head. She’s alive, and I’m actually hearing her! I feel hope jolt me awake, seemingly for the first time since she’s been taken. My mind is suddenly clear, and I jump up of the ground with tears still falling down my face. My tears of frustration and torment have transformed into tears of joy. I wipe my eyes to clear my vision. I wish I could talk back to her.

  Why don’t we look for her where the King lives in Germany?’ Wolf asks.

  He is finally talking to me again. I feel like he has given me a piece of myself back, and it fills me with purpose as my brain starts to work. I am so stupid the letter said the King was in Germany. I am only now realizing how out of it I really was.

  “Amara is alive; we need to find her and as quickly as possible. Do you have any contacts in Germany or know anybody? Demon, witch, or vampire; I don’t care who! Just someone that knows how to find the King or where he could be?” I ask my father.

  “Do you really think that’s where he’s taken her?” My father asks, not answering my question.

  I take a deep breath and force my brain to think about it. I realize that he most likely would have left Germany a while ago. The Germans have made bold political moves in the last century, and there’s talk of them trying to start World War III. Any pack not wanting to get dragged into human politics would’ve left for safer territory by now.

  “No, you’re probably right. He’s probably here in the states... but where?” I ask flatly.

  I am trying to think of any way that can we can track him down. I look into my father’s eyes pleading for more help. He sighs while rubbing his chin, obviously thinking.

  “I might know someone. He’s a neighboring Alpha, a few towns over. His father was part of the King’s council before he was killed,” he explains.

  “Call him, why are you sitting there when we need to find her now?” I yell, getting frustrated.

  “Go shower and eat something! I have a feeling we’ll need to fight for your mate, and you will need your strength for that. Your sister could take you in the state you’re in!” He orders.

  I nod my head before I turn around to the doors and exit. My head is reeling at the possibilities of where to look for Amara as I head towards the downstairs shower.

  Chapter 9: Adair

  I watch as Declan walks out of my office with the first glimmer of hope that I have seen in his eyes since this ordeal began. Sighing heavily, I pick up the rotary phone on my desk to call my friend Mason. I dial the number. I am slightly amazed that I still remember the number. The last time that I saw Mason was before Declan was born. It’s amazing how quickly time flies when you have kids, I think, as I hear the second ring. I hear two more before someone picks up.

  “Hello,” A deep, gravelly male voice answers the phone.

  “Hello, I’m looking for Alpha Mason,” I state with my Alpha tone.

  “This is him, who is this?” He asks, using his Alpha tone as well.

  “This is Alpha Adair.”

  I hear him coughs and choke on, what sounds like, a drink.

  “Well, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Mason asks.

  I can hear the smile in his voice. “Unfortunately, it isn’t a pleasant reason that I am calling,” I answer quickly and then continue before he can ask me questions. “I need a favor; one I would owe you eternally for!” I say as I wince at the desperation that is in my voice.

  “What’s going on that has my dear friend Adair so riled up and scared?” He asks, jokingly.

  “I’m getting to it, just answer my questions first,” I say while I wait for another interruption. When none comes, I continue.

  “Your father was on the King’s council, right?” I ask.

  “Correct,” Mason answers in a curt and slightly suspicious tone.

  “Do you have any contacts or any way of finding out where the King is at currently?” I ask, hopefully.

  “Before I can answer that, I have to ask you why?”

  I take a deep breath hoping that our friendship is stronger than any loyalty he may have to that bastard of a King.

  “He has taken my son Declan’s mate, and we have to get her back. I know very little about the King, but I do believe he’ll kill her. We know she’s still alive because Declan is semi-mind inked with her.”

  The other end is utterly silent except for the steady sound of his breathing as I wait.

  “God, help us! You don’t have much time then. You have four days to devise a plan!” He exclaims like he knows something.

  “Four days? What in the hell do you mean? Tell me what you know, Mason!” I demand into the receiver growling.

  “I just opened an invitation a few minutes before I picked up the phone. Since my father was on the council, I still get invited to all the big...um…e-events for the King,” he stammers.

  “Events? What kind of events Mason” I shout questioningly.

  “Well, mostly public trials and that type of thing. But this invitation states it’s for an ‘opfer rituellen’...and…it’s a brutal sacrifice ritual!” He explains.

  I feel the blood and warmth drain from my face at the thought of Amara being tortured to death or being publicly humiliated.

  “Will you help us?” I ask growling, gaining some of my confidence back.

  This is my daughter, the future mother to my grandchildren and the only person who can make my son happy. I have to help get her back home!

  “Yes, of course, I will. I’ll travel to your house tonight, and we’ll come up with a plan. My knowledge of their proceedings so far will help us,” he offers without hesitation.

  “Thank you. I’m grateful for your help. Seriously, I’ll be eternally indebted to you,” I say
as I hang up not waiting for him to argue. The doors to my study burst open, and Declan walks in looking marginally better.

  “I have news!” I say as he sits down in the chair across from me.

  “My friend will help us, in fact, he already has. He’s been invited to..,” I pause knowing I can’t tell him what is planned, I’m worried he won’t be in his right mind if he knows what his mate could be faced with if we don’t succeed.

  “Umm…invited to attend a party with the King in four days. He is coming here tonight to help us come up with a plan. We will get her back, son; I promise.”

  He lifts the corner of his lips in a meager attempt at a smile. It’s the first smile I have seen on his face in a while.

  Chapter 10: Amara

  It’s been two days since I tried to send Declan a message. According to the guard’s taunting, I only have another two days before the “ceremony” starts. That’s what everyone, within earshot of me, calls it now. Instead of whatever the hell else it was that they called it, Opfah... something, I think. Whatever it is, I know it’s terrible, and it has to do with me. I haven’t been taken away again since I woke up. Linda said that this is unusual. Even being surrounded by blood-family is doing nothing for my spirit and resolve. I’m almost to the point of welcoming death because that is undoubtedly what this ceremony’s end result will be. I shake my head to try and remove the negative thoughts. Sighing, I turn my attention to watch Linda and Luther huddle together in a corner, whispering back and forth occasionally flicking a gaze my way.

  “Whispers don’t make friends!” I scold with a dirty look.