“Sir, please let me introduce myself. I am Leon.” Leon stated as he stood a little taller in the doorframe and stretched his hand out to her father.
“I don’t care who you are you cannot have her!” Ulrich seethed as he made his way towards Ada. He slammed his fist in her face. Leon gasped at what he just witnessed and went to move in front of her. Ulrich was faster though and pushed him out of the house slamming the door shut.
Ulrich locked the door and then stalked towards Ada once more. Ada saw him coming and ran to her room closing the door and locking it. She was trying to get out the window when Ulrich broke the door open and grabbed her feet. He pulled hard and slung her by her feet across the room.
Ada slammed into the wall then fell to the ground hard feeling a little dizzy. She got up and tried to run out of the room even though her head was on fire. Ulrich surged forward and snagged her by her long black hair. He flung her across the room again sending her flying towards the wall with the one window in the room. She slammed into the window breaking the glass. The glass shards cut into her face and neck.
Ada felt the burn and sting of the cuts but all she saw on the other side of the window was Leon’s worried face. With the window shattered she heard him yelling for her. Her voice would not work however and she wanted to yell at him to go, to leave her to die knowing that this was the end for her.
Ulrich stomped over to the bloody mess of her. He grabbed a jagged shard of broken glass and stabbed her with it in the stomach. He then threw her lifeless body out the window. Tossing out the remains of the only woman left who wanted to leave him. When he was done he went back out to the table and sat there in wait for his son to come home. Things had changed and he needed to let the boy know. They would also be packing up and moving now that the town would be dying in just a few days. He was only home early because he had infected the last one earlier than expected today.
Chapter 3
Sleeping Giants
The nightmare Kaiden had envisioned and spoke of earlier was now a real thing, just with a different person. In one conversation a woman who he thought of as family and trusted, had twisted that trust into an uncomfortable thing. The nightmare had just become a living thing.
Kaiden lay in bed worried about this new twist that fate has brought them. Leon had pulled the soul mate bond away from Ada and it latched on to Sarah all by itself, like it was meant to be there in the first place. Ada had moved out into the barracks and Kaiden had made sure to take some precautions before he went to bed. But the worry would not leave him. He had a gut feeling that something more needed to be done about the situation he just didn’t know what that was.
“Kaiden, why are you tossing so much? What is bothering you?” Zoe asked groggily
“I feel like there is something more we need to do and I just don’t know what that is. But what I said at dinner about how I would feel if Aldrich was living in this house. Well now I feel that way only it’s because of his sister and not him. It doesn’t feel right.” He explained
“Then you need to do something about that. You know what your ability is right?”
“No I haven’t really figured it out yet.” He responded and little confused at why she would ask that.
“Honey you are a natural leader with a strong intuition. Marsali told me that you are mostly never wrong, if you just listen to yourself.” Zoe told him and she sat up in bed and turned towards him. She was fully awake now.
“Well then I need to go wake Alexi and Gosha and speak with them about what I am thinking. Angel I don’t want you to think wrong of me but I do not feel safe with her here now. She knows exactly what we have and where the traps are. What if she manages to escape and she finds a way to him and tells him everything? I am thinking we need to banish her but first I need to know if we can erase her time here and possibly implant that Leon pulled the soul mate bond a while ago.” He mused aloud
“Well go wake them and I will be down shortly. I just need to brush my teeth and stuff.” Zoe said as she twisted in the bed throwing the sheets aside so she could get out of bed.
“You don’t think I am being too harsh?” he asked worried that she might think he was.
“Kaiden I trust you completely and honestly I agree with you. I was not wrong that there was an elephant in the room but I think that elephant grew into a wooly mammoth and we only made it worse.” She shrugged. “This might just be what we need and if your intuition is telling you that is what you need then I agree completely.”
“Alright I will see you in a few moments. Can you please call one of the girls to come listen for Lily? I do not want you to bring her if this works out the way I want it to.” He asked
“Actually I don’t want to disturb them. I will bring her with me to Vivi’s suite and if we have to leave from there to go to the barracks then I will leave her with Vivi.”
“Sounds good, I will see you in a few moments.” Kaiden kissed her on the cheek and then got up to go to Vivi’s suite.
When he arrived at the suite the door was open and he knocked gently before he walked in. Vivi and Christian were on one couch and his parents were on the other. They were deep in discussion.
“Kaiden thank god you are here! We were just talking about everything that happened tonight and well I just don’t feel comfortable with her down there.” Vivi said as soon as she noticed Kaiden walking in the room.
“That is actually why I am here. I don’t either and well to be blunt I want to banish her, tonight. But I need to ask a question first.” Kaiden explained
“Kaiden I think I love you more right now!” Christian smiled at him.
“What is the question?” Gosha asked
“Well is there a way for you guys to mess with the mind? Before you answer that let me explain why I am asking. Ada knows us. She has been watching us for weeks and knows our strengths and weaknesses. She knows what we have here and all the traps we placed. She also has access to the border. I can banish her no problem but she will still know everything. So I was thinking we could like erase her time here and make her think Leon pulled the bond a while ago or something. I just need us to be erased from her mind and her time here. In fact she saw the website so that needs to be gone too.” Kaiden grumbled realizing exactly how hard it was going to be if they could do this.
“I can do that.” Leon said from the doorway
“Leon!” The five of them said all at once a little nervous.
“I am sorry I didn’t mean to scare you. Actually I went up to your suite and Zoe told me I could find you here. I was actually thinking along the same lines you all are. I can’t sleep because I just feel like she is going to sneak in the window and kill me.” Leon admitted with a little worried smile.
“So you know how to do this mind thing?” Alexi asked
“Yes and I can teach you if you wish. I never taught Ada, it was something my parents also told me to keep quiet with. The mind and the soul mate tether were the only two things they taught me in secret. They didn’t really feel comfortable with Ada knowing them. They were great teachers and I miss them dearly. This is the first place I have truly felt safe at.”
“Look, I know it is my fault I no longer feel safe but it was something I had to do. Ada has always held on to the past. She has never gotten over leaving him and has always wanted to go back. When we found out it was indeed her brother doing all this killing she actually wanted to go to him and scold him or something. I never understood it and a part of me was always closed off to her, I felt like I had to build a safe in my head. That part is where I keep all my secrets from her.” Leon hung his head
“If you can and are willing to do this then I would like to get it done now.” Kaiden said
“I will need another willing Blood Dragon to help. One has to open the mind while the other finds the memories and then… well deletes them or changes them.” Leon explains
“Teach me! I want to be the one to do this.” Vivi said
“Would the rest o
f you like to learn too?” Leon asked. The Blood Dragons nodded and Leon began to teach them. He didn’t show them he just told them the how of it.
Zoe made it to the suite and knew right away that they would be leaving the suite. She put Lily in one of the empty cribs in the room with all the other toddlers. She then went and sat next to Kaiden while they waited for Vivi to change and Leon to finish his lesson. It was one in the morning by the time Leon was done teaching them. Kaiden and Leon led the way as Vivi and Zoe followed. Justine was on her watch and she noticed them leaving the house. She flew down to them and it took a minute for her to shift.
“Where are you guys going in such a rush?” Justine asked confused
“We are going to banish the mammoth and delete her memories.” Vivi replied with a smile on her face.
“Oh the elephant that grew into a mammoth? I understand completely. Can I come with you guys and watch since we don’t have to watch for her sneaking away now? I mean you are going to escort her out right?” Justine asked
“We will we are going to have to put her to sleep and then drag her to the border and do the mind wipe there. Banish her then push her through and she will get confused and go away from it.” Zoe answered “So yes you may come and that man of yours watching us up there from the roof can come too. We might need him.”
“Come on Baby!” Justine whistled and then followed the small group to the barracks.
When they arrived at the barracks Justine and Gabe grabbed robes that were hanging just inside the door. As soon as they walked in a little further they felt something wrong in the air. It was quiet but they could hear a quiet argument taking place inside one of the rooms. Just as they were about to walk in Alex came around the corner from the entrance to the barracks.
“I need to block you guys. Something is going on in there and you need to not be felt. Sorry I just felt a need to be out here.” Alex explains shyly
“Good thinking Alex. Here hold my hand and only block us ok? No one else.” Zoe says as Alex grabbed her hand and they walked farther into the hall. They followed the sound of the quiet arguing and found it got louder the closer they got to Levi’s room. Once they were outside the wall they could hear clearly what was going on inside and Ada was in his room.
“You are his son and you need to take me to him. He needs to know what they are planning and I need to tell him!” Ada whispered harshly
“Lady I don’t give a crap who he is and what I am to him. You have no idea what that man is capable of and what he will do to you once you do find him. Now let go of her and wake her back up!” Levi sneered
“Your little soul mate bitch here is going to die if you don’t get me to my brother! My father was always right! The soul mate bond makes you weak and a prisoner to that bond. Leon taking that from me was the best thing he could have done. He will pay for the pain it caused me when he took it though.” She bit out
“Just let Bronwyn go and I will tell you how to get there but I am not leaving. I will never be his slave again!” Levi said with a bit more confidence. He had noticed Vivi stick her head around the wall and knew they had a plan. “You have no idea how good it is here compared to how it is with him. You don’t know anything. Let her go NOW!” he yelled which made Ada jump and she let go of Bronwyn. The girl fell to the floor as Gabe rushed into the room and punched Ada in the side of the head knocking her out.
“Thank god! Please wake her up? Ada did something to her and she won’t wake up no matter what I do.” Levi pleaded with Vivi.
“I knew you had goodness in you Levi and right now I am proud of you. Any of the other ones would have led her out with no looking back.” Vivi beamed at him as she leaned down and then placed her hands on Bronwyn. She sought out why she wouldn’t wake and gasped when she did find it. She looked to Levi as tears welled in her eyes. “Levi honey, if I wake her up she won’t be Bronwyn again. Her brain is completely dead.”
“WHAT!” Levi and Leon yelled at the same time.
“Let me see!” Leon kneeled next to the young girl and placed his hand on her head. He found exactly what Ada had done. Ada had caused a bleed in the brain that caused her brain to swell so much it stopped. But it wasn’t a move that would kill her. The girl wouldn’t turn to ash until someone stopped her heart.
“You can’t fix it?” Levi sobbed
“I am sorry but we can’t. How long ago did she do this to Bronwyn?” Leon asked
“About an hour ago, she stormed in and grabbed her out of the bed and then started demanding that I take her to Aldrich.” He sobbed “I wasn’t going to take her I was trying to hold off until someone heard us and I don’t know!” he wailed.
“Do we let her live after this? I mean this is beyond cruel. She killed the girl without actually killing her. This is just wrong!” Vivi yelled and went to try and console her brother. She was not close with him but she was proud of him a moment ago and now he has lost his one and only mate. There were no more Blood half-bloods for a soul mate for him. The ones alive were all his sisters.
Kaiden and Zoe stood there in shock. They were unsure what to do. This was something they were not expecting to come across. This elephant had definitely turned into a wooly mammoth. And this mammoth had just taken a fragile man’s soul mate from him.
Chapter 4
Memories
Aldrich lay in his bed of furs thinking and dreaming about the day he would be king. He had seven more days until the three teams of humans arrived with their weapons. He would feed them and then let them have a day of rest before they made their way to Ireland. He would make sure his children were proper hosts to these humans he needed. A part of him also hated that he needed these particular humans.
For now he was content to relish the fight to come and prepared for his victory. He had his sons capture a woman for him and right now she was naked and strapped to a giant wooden X that he placed in his tent. It reminded him of how he used to enjoy taking his mate this way. The woman was a bloody mess and he had already taken her a few times tonight. He had healed and then beaten her more and then healed her again just to hear the screams she gave out that he loved so much.
He laid there and was reminiscing of his youth and the first time he took a woman. The way he took her instead of seducing her made his heart jump at the memory. It also made him think of his whore sister and how she had just left him to the beatings of his father. As he looks back his father was right to beat him and make him the man he is today. He just made him stronger. The day he took his first woman and gave her a beating, his father had walked in on him and his father had a look of pride on his face. That made Aldrich a happy young man.
Germany 1945
Aldrich remembers the day he came home from school at the age of seven and found out that his sister was dead. His father pulled him into the house to tell him that Ada was a whore. His father went on to explain that he had caught her in town sleeping with human men and he had to stop it. But Aldrich knew his Ada would not do the things that his papa was explaining to him. He knew she lived in fear just as he did. But there was another side of Aldrich that thought his sister might be capable of going with human men. Ada always did try to stop him from picking on the weaker race. He thinks her capable of this because that is what he was now doing.
Aldrich lay in bed with a human girl from his school. They were so easily swayed into bed since he grew into his body. He is now sixteen and his father encourages him to take these women when he can. As the human girl sleeps next to him on the hay in the loft of her father’s barn, Aldrich remembers the good times and the bad times. His sister is the reason he is the way he is now. If she had been stronger she would have saved him. But he has learned that all women are weak, Dragon or human, they are all weak.
Since Ada’s death they moved around more frequently, never staying in one place to long. Papa has taken on the teaching of his studies and sent Aldrich out to mingle within the towns they lived in. Papa has explained to him about the soul mate factor
and that he must not follow it. That with a soul mate you are blinded to everything else and she will only bring pain and misery in her wake. Papa has also explained how his role would be in a Sect and that is why they move around.
Once his father told him he would be used for the talent in his hands he never wanted to join a Sect. So they moved and Aldrich was allowed to do what he wanted. He was told by his father to bed women and if he found one he liked that he could bring her home to be the bitch of the house but she would have to service him as well as Aldrich. The idea of sharing a woman wasn’t as appealing to him though.
One day while he was out for a walk in the countryside he heard screaming. He followed the screams and it led him to a barn that was deep in the wooded area. He peeked through the slats in the barn and saw a woman hanging in the middle by her hands placed in chains that hung from the rafters. Her feet didn’t reach the floor and she was completely naked. This sight turned Aldrich on and he couldn’t take his eyes off the woman just dangling there. Then he saw the man come into view. He had a strip of leather and he struck the woman across her belly and she screamed out in pain. The man hit her over and over and Aldrich almost lost his head in desire. He wanted to be that man at that moment.
A week later he found a girl that he wanted. The thought of having her ate at him. He could feel it in his bones that she was the one that would be the first. But she was rich and spoiled and didn’t even look his way, so he knew what would need to happen. She was a beautiful red head and the way her dress fit he just had to see what was underneath. He also knew she was a proper girl and didn’t mess around with boys. He wanted to spoil her and ruin her all because he couldn’t have her.
He watched her for a few days learning her routine. On the third day he made his move. He had borrowed the horse buggy from his father and had parked it in a dark alley that she always passed. Then he waited on the corner until she came by. When she walked by he grabbed her from behind and held his hand over her nose and mouth dragging her into the alley. He held her that way until she passed out. He then threw her in the back of the buggy and threw a blanket over her body to hide it from anyone he passed.
Redemption (The Extinct Race Series Book 4) Page 2
