Lana kept her eyes from going wide as she took in his appearance. He was so tall and so heavily muscled that she didn’t know how he fit through the door. His hair was black as night and cut close to his scalp. His eyes were the same color, as dark as Aleksei’s when he changed in front of her.
Lana’s hand involuntarily clenched as she saw his enormous fangs. He truly was the monster Kasia described. He walked up to Kasia and ran a finger over her cheek. She had her eyes cast down, but Lana didn’t miss the way the girl winced as if she had been burned.
The man seemed captivated by her as he stared at her bent head and continued to run his hand along her cheek and then her hair. She wanted to protect the young girl, but she might end up doing more damage. Lana vowed that when she escaped—and she would—she would take Kasia with her.
As more loud footsteps sounded from outside the door, the man straightened and pulled away from Kasia quickly. Two men walked through the room, one having the same onyx, bottomless eyes and huge frame, and the other…the other being the man who took her.
“Stefan, what are you still doing in here?” The one with the obsidian eyes spoke in a distorted voice as he bared his fangs.
Stefan, the one who had been stroking Kasia’s cheek, turned around and bared his own massive fangs. “Just wrapping up, and you would do best to watch your fucking mouth around me.”
Kasia backed up as if she knew there was going to be a fight. Lana could see the man who took her sniff the air and move his gaze on her. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed he didn’t know she was awake.
“Both of you shut the fuck up. It looks as if we have an audience.”
She heard footsteps come close to her as a light sweat broke out across her forehead and her heart beat wildly against her ribcage. Her eyes were shut so she couldn’t see anything, but she could feel someone right beside her.
“Rise and shine, princess.” The deep, distorted voice right by her ear had her bolting off the bed and throwing herself against the wall. The one named Stefan smiled at her, showing off his very white, very long fangs.
“You’re scaring the shit out of her. Knock it off.”
Stefan turned and bared his fangs at the one who spoke. “Fuck off, Osip.” He inhaled and smiled again. “I love the smell of fear, don’t you?”
Lana looked around the room in a panic and saw a small gap between the two men. She looked at Kasia, who also planted herself up against a wall and kept her head low. There was no way she could get to Kasia and make it out of the room before one of them caught her.
“It’s pointless to try and run. I can see the idea all over your head. You wouldn’t get far and would just end up pissing a bunch of vampire’s off.” The man who took her, Osip, spoke as he stood against the wall with his arms crossed.
“Kasia, come on.” Stefan called out and looked at Kasia, who started to walk toward the door, head still bent and hands clasped together.
How was Lana supposed to get them both out of here? She would find a way even if it killed her, which most likely it would. Lana watched as the three left the room, leaving only her and Osip. He closed the door and leaned against it, his silver gaze trained on her.
“Bet you’re wondering what you’re doing here.”
She didn’t bother with replying, just gave her answer through her stare.
“Yeah, I bet you are. I took no pleasure in capturing you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, that’s what I do, capture and deliver, but I took no pleasure from taking a weak human female.”
Why in the hell was he explaining himself to her? She couldn’t care less the way of it all—the only thing she cared about was that he had done it and that she wanted to leave.
“He’ll come for me.”
“I know he will, but he won’t find you.” He walked away from the door, and Lana pressed herself more firmly against the wall. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” He laughed, stopping and looking at the wall. “You see, he’ll try to find you, probably using his last dying breath to do so. The thing is, he’ll never find this place, ever.” He leaned against the bedpost, his attention going back to her. “You know, you really should eat. You’re not hurting anyone but yourself with your stubbornness.”
She pressed her lips in a small line and narrowed her eyes. She really hoped she hurt him bad when she kicked him. “Why are you keeping me here?”
He actually had the audacity to look offended at her question. “I’m not keeping you anywhere. Actually, I think it’s rather heartless to hunt down and capture a female, a human to boot.” He shrugged his broad shoulders and pushed off the bedpost as he made his way toward the door. “Like I said, you should really eat. Nothing has tainted your food, so rest assured.” At that, he walked out the door and locked it from the other side.
She sagged against the wall and let gravity take her to the floor. She was so confused and scared that she was having a hard time processing everything. She wondered what he meant when he said Aleksei wouldn’t be able to find where she was. Dread filled her at the thought of never being found, but she knew she needed to stay strong and have faith in Aleksei. It was then that she rested her head in her hands and finally let all of her pent-up tears flow out.
Chapter Eighteen
Aleksei paced back and forth across the hard tiled floor, his heart a constant ache in his chest. A week passed since Lana had gone missing, and he felt it down to his very bones. He couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and he snapped at anyone who spoke to him.
He knew she wasn’t dead—could feel her life force pulse through his body. He had been going out at sunset and staying out until the sun was just starting peak over the horizon. There were many times when he had come home with burn marks across his face, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t even feel the pain. The only thing he felt was the agony that centered in his heart, in his very soul, at the thought that they had her.
Lana hadn’t called him, and he tried hundreds of times to reach her. When the sun finally set all those days ago, he was a crazed mess as he had Luca mist him to Lana’s house. Everything on the outside looked the same, nothing disturbed, but as soon as he opened the front door, which had been unlocked, he caught an unfamiliar smell. It was something he never smelled before, and mixed with that dark male scent lay something he was familiar with—the stench of the Bloodless.
It was faint, barley even noticeable, but there nonetheless. It was after he walked through the whole house that he noticed the back door open. His heart stopped as he caught the beautiful aroma of Lana’s sweet blood outside. He charged through the house, finally falling to his knees in the backyard, the bloodied rock lying in front of him. His emotions ran raw as he threw the rock across the yard and watched it embed itself in the thick trunk of a tree.
So now, a week later, he still had no idea where she was. He came to a realization as he thought about why the rogues would want her. She matched the physical description of the female the Bloodless were after—the Prophesied Female. He paced the floor as he checked his watch again…almost sunset…almost sunset. He chanted the words in his head over and over again as the seconds ticked by.
The Lykens offered their help, and since they could go out during the day, Aleksei used every last one of them. He had every available Breed male searching for her, all of them knowing by now the female they searched for was their King’s Chosen.
He was tempted to use other resources available to him, but the thought of what the Seekers would ask for payment was a price he wasn’t willing to pay. They would have found Lana for him, but they would have wanted her eternal soul…as payment. They were cruel and selfish bastards.
He scrubbed a hand along his face, feeling the stubble that grew in from the week. He knew his family, and everyone else for that matter, worried about him. He planted himself in the leather love seat by the window and dropped his head in his hands. His breath caught, and the tears he held in this whole week finally spilled forth. It felt as if his heart had been torn o
ut of his chest, like the light Lana gave him no longer shined.
He knew she was still alive, could feel her life force run through his veins, but the very idea that those beasts had her, such a fragile and innocent being, made his blood run cold and his fangs shoot out of his mouth. He walked a thin line that was long overdue to snap, and he couldn’t wait until he found her because the ones who took her from him would pay with their lives.
* * * *
Lana lay on the bed she had become so familiar with, her home away from home. She snorted at the idle thought, sickened by its very presence. Time had no meaning anymore, the days running together until there were no minutes, no seconds and no hours. She ran her hand over the smooth silk of the comforter and let her mind drift off.
She started to lose hope that she would ever be found. She refused the food they brought her, partly because she didn’t know if it was tainted, and the other part because she just really had no appetite. She was grateful for Kasia, though, and the breads, meats, and cheeses the young girl brought her. She refused it at first, thinking Kasia was unaware if it had been poisoned, but relieved when Kasia assured her it was from her own supply. It wasn’t much, but Lana ate the food, putting her trust into her that the food was safe.
Her stomach was always on a rollercoaster, and she was constantly throwing up. She started to notice the dresses that were brought for her to wear were becoming looser, the fabric hanging off her body like a sack. Little presents also started coming with the meal trays, but she pushed them away as she did everything else.
Kasia came by every day, but Lana couldn’t tell if it was once a day or a longer gap between the visits. She had no sense of time anymore, and it drove her mad. The two of them became friends, and Lana anticipated these small visits. True, Kasia was there to clean, but the two of them found strength in one another.
She stared at the door, suddenly hearing footsteps pound down the hallway. This was how it was every time they dropped Kasia off. The door opened moments later, and Kasia walked in. Her head was lowered, and her hands were folded together in front of her. Usually she smiled at Lana and talked freely with her as soon as the door shut, but Kasia didn’t say a word, just started cleaning the room.
“Hey, is everything okay?”
She kept her head down and started to straighten things up even though Lana started taking the liberty of cleaning up after herself.
“They will come for you tonight.”
She stared at Kasia’s back, confusion running through her mind. “What do you mean?” She stood and walked over to Kasia, who wiped off an already clean dresser top. The wood shined beneath Kasia’s rag, but still she continued to wipe from left to right as if in a trance.
“He has waited as long as he will, and now he will come for you tonight.” Kasia turned around with a dazed look on her face, tears shinning in her emerald green eyes.
“What are you talking about? Who’s coming for me?”
Kasia dropped her gaze to the floor, her tears finally spilling over.
“Kasia? You’re scaring me.”
She raised her eyes, a sad smile covering her lips.
“Are they going to kill me?” She whispered the words, fear squeezing her chest.
She shook her head, and Lana let out a somewhat relieved breath. “So, who’s coming for me and what do they have planned?”
“The master of this place, the leader of all of these monsters.” Kasia wiped a tear off her cheek and sniffled. “I overheard the monsters talking about how he was getting anxious to meet you and wouldn’t put it off any longer.”
“What will he do with me?”
“I don’t know, but he feeds off women, so maybe that’s what he wants you for, although this whole kidnapping is not like him. He usually finds willing women, gets what he wants and then gets rid of them. I fear for you and don’t know how to help you.”
Lana stumbled back toward the bed and planted herself on it. Would he drain her? Kill her in the process? Aleksei’s face went through her thoughts, and she felt like weeping with how unfair things had become. They were playing with her, like a cat toying with a mouse. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at Kasia, who watched her with sympathy.
“Help me escape.” Desperation coursed through her like a freight train that wouldn’t be silenced.
Kasia just shook her head and sat next to her on the bed. “I can’t escape any more than you can. I don’t know how to.”
“Have you ever tried?”
Kasia’s gaze became unfocused as if she were replaying a memory in her mind. “I’ve been here for as long as I can remember. I’ve tried so many times to leave this place I lost count. They always find me, though…always. This place is one giant maze, a catacomb of tunnels. It confuses you—makes your mind not know what’s up from down.” She looked at Lana and smiled a sad, hopeless smile. “I wish I could help you leave. I would leave with you. I’m a prisoner the same as you are.”
Lana got up and put her arm around the young girl’s slim shoulders. The two of them stood in silence until Kasia pushed Lana toward the bed and went back to wiping off the dresser. They were coming, their loud footsteps pounding down the hallway and stopping on the other side of her door.
The door opened, and she dropped her gaze and stared at the floor. One of them came close to her, his large boots coming into her view. She didn’t look up as something dropped on the bed. She heard the soft click of the door closing and heard the lock turn. She looked up. A tray of food sat next to her as well as a long rectangular box next to that. She picked up the box and tore the satin red ribbon off. Lifting the lid, she pulled aside the tissue paper and saw his newest gift.
Lying between the smooth tissues was a deep red silk gown with black crystals inlaid in the soft material. A note lay next to the dress, and she hesitantly took it out and opened it.
Only the best for my future queen. I look forward to finally meeting you, my dear.
D.
She set the note aside and looked back at the dress and then the tray of food. The smell of the herb roasted chicken and potatoes made her stomach growl in anticipation. Her mouth watered, but she hesitated eating it. How long could she live off the small pieces of bread Kasia brought her?
She took the fork and moved the food around on the plate, the delectable scents wafting into her nose. She once again thought of Aleksei and the short time they had together. She should have told him how much she had grown to care for him, how much she wanted to spend her life with him.
Since being in this prison, a lot of things had come clear for her, the main one being that she loved him. She knew she loved him before, but after being torn away from him everything became clear. She thought of how it could have been with them, how she would have loved sharing her life with him.
The tears spilled down her cheeks, and she speared a piece of chicken with her fork. If she could go back in time, she would have told him she loved him and wanted to be with him forever. His life was far from what she ever believed in, far from what she ever envisioned for herself, but as she sat alone, she could only think about what they could have had. He was caring and thoughtful, diligent and strong, and she knew that despite the fact his was a vampire—an idea she was still trying to accept—she knew that without him, she wouldn’t be happy.
It was too late, though, and he would never know how she truly felt. She thought about Kayla and how much she missed her dearest friend. All the times they shared growing up, all the laughs and tears. She would have liked to tell Kayla how much their friendship meant to her.
She sniffed and put the piece of chicken in her mouth, the food bland as she numbly ate. She closed her eyes and smiled as the images played across her mind like a movie—her own sad and depressing pictures of what she would never experience again.
Chapter Nineteen
Osip walked through the halls as he waited for Lord D to give him his reward for finding the Prophesied Female. He waited long enough to claim what w
as rightfully his, and his patience was growing dangerously thin.
He could almost feel the Dagger of Life and Death in his hands—feel the power that coursed through the jewel-encrusted handle. He could feel the coolness of the sharp blade pressing into the skin of the one he wanted dead most. He had a score to settle that was long overdue.
He cloaked his appearance by instinct and made his way toward D’s chamber. He was about to open the door when it sprang open and a few males walked out. He slipped inside, making sure not to touch them as they walked past. Lord D and Stefan sat at a table picking off pieces of meat and drinking thick red liquid that was not wine out of crystal goblets.
“I want her.” Stefan popped another piece of meat into his mouth as he stared at his master.
“I know, but you must have patience. She is still young and has yet to complete the change. You will end up killing her if you act too quickly.” D took a long sip out of his glass and made a disgusted face. “It gets cold so fast.”
“I know, my lord, but the change is close, and it is becoming harder and harder for me to resist.”
Osip didn’t know what they were talking about but had an idea of whom they spoke. He knew it wasn’t about Lana because D wanted her for himself. The only other option would have to be Kasia. He had seen the way Stefan eyed her, and it made Osip’s blood run cold. Lust raged in Stefan’s bottomless black eyes every time the girl was near. The girl was human and wouldn’t survive whatever Stefan had in store for her—that Osip knew for sure.
“Enough talk about the girl. Have you arranged for my chambers to be set up properly?”
“Yes. Everything is set up to your specifications, and the girl will be prepared for you as was discussed.” Stefan took a big drink of the thick red. “How do you think he will react when he doesn’t get what he seeks?”
Osip’s ears perked up at the change of topic.
“I assume he will be quite angry with me, but he will be disposed of, so it makes no difference.”
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