Chapter Three
The soft tap, tap, tap of dripping water woke Mary Ellen.
Slowly, she lifted her lashes, only to stare at cold, stone walls glistening with condensation. Where in the bloody hell was she?
With a groan, she shoved her hands into the stone floor and managed to sit upright. But the movement only sent her dark world spinning. She couldn’t remember much… Aidan… Aidan had rescued her. But then, why was she here? Confused, she studied her surroundings. A large, dark space…the perimeters hidden within shadows. A shiver of unease raised the fine hairs on her neck.
A dungeon.
Mary Ellen surged to her feet, tripping. The hem of her skirt had come loose and was dragging behind her. Frustrated, she yanked on the material. Ruined. Utterly ruined. Whoever had done this would pay.
“Hello?” she cried out.
“Shhh,” someone whispered from behind her.
Mary Ellen spun around, searching the darkness. “Aidan?”
“Keep quiet,” he whispered. “Don’t move.”
“But…” A mixture of emotions held her captive. She felt ill, off balance.
He shifted, the softest of movements, but the sound was unexpected…metal scraping against stone.
“Are you chained?” she whispered furiously.
“Yes.”
Fear swirled through her in a bitterly cold wave. “Why?”
He paused for one telling moment. “I don’t know.”
“Oh Aidan!” She rushed toward his voice.
“Don’t!”
But she didn’t listen, didn’t stop until she collided with his hard, cold body. His familiar spicy scent put her somewhat at ease. A wonderful smell that overrode the stench of their dungeon. As she drew comfort from his being, he apparently did not glean comfort from her. His body was stiff under her touch. She didn’t care one wit.
“What happened?” She followed the line of his broad shoulders, lower, down his muscled arms where they twisted behind his back. He wore only his shirtsleeves, his jacket either taken from him, or lost. Her fingers brushed thick, cold manacles that wrapped tightly around his wrists. Hopelessness and fear combined in a sickening combination. Who would do this to them and why?
“Come closer,” he whispered. “Wrap your arms around my waist, as if we’re embracing.”
Mary Ellen didn’t hesitate. Eager to feel his touch, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his shoulder. He tilted his head toward her, his hair brushing her temple, his breath chill on her ear. As afraid as she was, she couldn’t deny the shiver of heat that whispered through her body. She’d dreamt of being in Aidan’s arms, but not exactly in this setting.
“We were captured. I don’t know why, or who is responsible, but they’re watching us.”
Her instinct was to pull away and demand answers. As if sensing her confusion, he brought his leg forward, tucking his foot behind hers and keeping her close to him. “Stay put.”
She swallowed hard, proud when her voice didn’t quiver. “Where are they?”
“About twenty feet above. Along the far wall there are windows.”
She slid a glance right. Sure enough, there was the faint outline of windows covered with metal bars. “Why? I don’t understand any of this.”
“Have you ever read about the gladiators from long ago?”
“From Rome?”
“Yes.”
“Of course.” Her father was a scholar, she knew lots of odd information.
“I have a feeling someone wants to reenact the games.”
She didn’t understand what he said, but she knew her feelings well enough to recognize panic. A panic she’d never felt before. A panic that froze her body in place, made her heart thunder so loudly it hurt.
Hinges screeched, a metal door opening from across the room. Mary Ellen spun around, searching the darkness, afraid of what she’d find.
“We’re not alone,” Aidan said.
Just as he said the words, a low groan whispered through the large dungeon…someone hurting…someone in pain.
Mary Ellen swallowed hard. “What’s over there, Aidan?”
The groan turned into a low growl that vibrated the very stone walls, stirring the stale air. Mary Ellen stumbled back into Aidan’s arms. A dog…or worse…something inhuman.
From the windows, a bell rang. “My friends,” a man called from above. She knew he wasn’t speaking to them, unless he had a very odd way of treating his friends. “Shall we begin the festivities?”
“I don’t suppose he means charades and cards?”
Aidan didn’t respond, merely yanked on the chains, trying to break free. She latched onto his left wrist, digging her fingernails into the hinge of the manacle, attempting to pry it loose. The only thing that broke was her nail.
“Perhaps I can speak with them. If they know I’m related to Grayson, they might ask for a ransom.”
“They don’t want money, my dear.”
The growl across the room turned into a high-pitched cry. Mary Ellen froze, her stomach churning. “Whatever it is, it’s coming.”
Frantic, she wrapped her hands around the chain and placed her foot against the wall, pulling. It wouldn’t budge. “Tis no use!”
Light burst to life, torches that lined the cell and sent leering shadows that leapt across the stone walls. Needing the comfort of his touch, Mary Ellen slipped her fingers through Aidan’s. His hands were cold. So very cold.
Human shapes stood in windows, some men, some obviously women with their wide skirts. So many people. Ten? Fifteen? It was hard to tell. She tore her gaze away and focused on the far end of the room. Something hovered there in the shadows. A dark shape, snarling, growling.
“What is it?” she demanded. “A dog?”
“Of sorts.”
What the hell did that mean? Frantic, Mary Ellen searched the shadowy space, looking for something… anything that might serve as a weapon.
“We’ve often wondered, debated even,” their esteemed host spoke from behind the windows above, his voice echoing against the stone walls, “Who would win between these two beasts, and now we’ll know. To entice them further, we’ve thrown in a fair maiden. Gentlemen, place your bets.”
The crowd murmured their approval and Mary Ellen realized that there was only one maiden here. She tightened her grip on Aidan’s hand, but he wouldn’t look at her, his face turned away, focused on those windows. “What’s happening? What does he mean?”
“It’s my fault,” he whispered. “Mine.”
“No, don’t say that.”
“You don’t understand.” He dropped his gaze to the ground. “I’m not what you think I am, Mary Ellen.”
Frustrated, she cupped the sides of his face. “Then what are you?”
He lifted his gaze. Those beautiful blue eyes glowed with an eerie light she’d never seen before. “I’m a vampire.”
o0o
She didn’t scream. That was good. It was what they were expecting. But Mary Ellen was stronger than she looked. He’d known that about her almost immediately and it was part of the reason why she intrigued him so.
She did pale, her body swaying as if she might faint. Perhaps that would be better. She wouldn’t witness the horror that was about to unfold.
“You can’t be serious,” Mary Ellen whispered. She didn’t laugh, or scoff. She didn’t even get angry, instead she merely stared at him in bewildered confusion because she knew, deep down, she knew there was something different about him.
“I’m quite serious.” He jerked again on his chains. If he had fed even a week ago, he’d be strong enough to break the bonds. Damn his pride. They’d known all along what he was and they’d reinforced the chains, doubling their strength.
“I…I don’t even know what that means!” Mary Ellen cried.
Instead of fearing him, like most sane women would, she latched onto the front of his shirtsleeves, her beautiful face a mere breath away from his. Oddly, he felt very muc
h like tasting her lips at that moment. With a groan, she gave him a little shake, as if knowing the way of his thoughts.
How could he explain what he was? It meant that most people thought of him as an animal. But not Mary Ellen, no, because at the moment she understood there were worse things than he…such as the people in those windows.
A bell rang from above. Suddenly the chains holding him captive loosened. They fell to the ground with a clank, his arms finally freed. Aidan clenched his fists, bringing life back to his hands as he searched the darkness for the beast that was to come.
“What’s happening?” Mary Ellen spun around, studying the dark shadows where the torchlight couldn’t reach. Shadows where low growls erupted.
Aiden stepped in front of Mary Ellen. He didn’t dare tell her the truth. “We’re about to find out.”
It was a werewolf. Even if he hadn’t seen the man transforming, even if he hadn’t heard the growls, he knew the scent. The scent fed the beast within him, anger simmering below the surface. He’d fought a werewolf before and easily come out the victor, but he’d been rested and fed.
He slid his gaze upward toward the windows; five women, ten men, all watching eagerly while drinking…his nostrils flared…red wine. Their excitement was almost palpable. Disgusted, Aiden turned his attention toward the werewolf. The beast hadn’t completely transformed.
“Dear God,” Mary Ellen whispered, following his line of vision. “Is that a man or a wolf?”
“Both.”
She held up her hands. “No, absolutely not. Vampires and now…now…this? I refuse to believe such nonsense.” She spun around and slammed her fists against the metal door. “Hello? Excuse me, but there’s been a mistake, if you could just open the door…”
The shout of laughter was audible even to human ears. Mary Ellen turned, her face flushed with horror and embarrassment. She was providing them with the entertainment they desired and expected. He wanted to kill them all for laughing at her. And he would. But first…he had a werewolf to destroy.
“Think about it,” he whispered, biding time while the beast inside him took control. “Your brother-in-law—”
“What about Grayson?”
His blood began to simmer in his veins. “He’s pale, tends to avoid daylight.” He kept his gaze pinned to the wolf as the monster inside him crawled and clawed to the surface.
“You’re saying…you’re saying Grayson is a vampire?”
He nodded, feeling his teeth lengthen.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Will you believe this?” He lifted his lips into a snarl, his canine teeth long and pointed.
Mary Ellen swallowed hard, staring at his mouth. “Meg—”
“Knows,” he hissed.
She jumped, startled by the sound of his voice. Yet, still Mary Ellen shook her head in denial. “She doesn’t! She wouldn’t marry him!”
Anger fought with control. “She knows and it doesn’t matter to her. Some people believe in love, not money and connections.”
She flushed, her lower lip trembling. “Are you really discussing my ideas on marriage now, of all times?”
“No, merely making an absurd comment so you wouldn’t notice the werewolf stalking us.”
“How dare…” Her eyes went from narrowed with fury to wide with shock. “The what?”
Aidan pushed Mary Ellen to the side and burst forward. They met in the middle of the dungeon. He slammed into the wolf, his fingers curling into the thick, gray fur. They hit the ground with a thump that would have killed a human. The man had transformed completely. He was gone, and the beast wouldn’t be able to control himself. The battle would be a fight to the death.
The wolf twisted in his arms, his muzzle snapping at Aidan’s throat. Lord, the animal was strong, or he was weak. Shite, this wasn’t going to be easy. Sweat broke out on Aidan’s forehead.
“I know you’re human form is in there,” Aidan tried, gripping the beast around his thick neck. “Fight it, damn you. We don’t have to kill each other.”
A sharp sting ripped across his thigh, claws tearing through is trousers and flesh. Aidan hissed in a breath, the pain turning to a throbbing ache.
Above, he could hear cheers from the crowd, urging them onward. They’d placed bets on who would win. He wasn’t about to lose. Losing would mean Mary Ellen’s death, or worse, she’d be turned into a werewolf.
Aidan shoved his feet into the animal’s belly and pushed away. They rolled apart, time to recoup and study the situation, time to regain their breaths. Aidan stumbled, barely able to put pressure on his injured leg. Damn it all, why hadn’t he fed? The beast leaned back on his haunches, watching him through yellow eyes, drool slipping from his muzzle and pooling on the stone floor. He was preparing to attack.
He didn’t give a damn about himself. He had to keep the beast away from Mary Ellen. He might not change with a bite from the wolf, for vampires were immune, but she wasn’t.
They burst toward each other at the same time, once again slamming together in the middle of the dungeon. Aidan kicked at the beast’s foreleg and heard the distinct sound of a bone cracking. A yelp of pain that told him he’d hit his mark. The beast was lame. Aidan flipped the animal over. He felt a moment’s remorse as he stared into the animal’s snarling muzzle, then reached toward its thick neck. With his remaining strength, he turned the large head until he heard the snap of bones.
The wolf stilled. The group upstairs grew quiet, then suddenly burst into raucous clapping. Aidan ignored them all. He didn’t care. Only one person held his interest. Slowly, he turned. Mary Ellen stood against the far wall, her eyes huge and luminous with shock and fear.
He stumbled toward her, grimacing every time his lame leg hit the stone floor. He’d seen it before…that utter look of terror. He’d sworn he’d never see that look upon Mary Ellen’s face, for she would never know the truth. She knew now. “Mary Ellen—”
“Two beasts then!” the man above shouted.
Aiden froze, jerking his gaze toward those windows. No. He hadn’t the strength for two werewolves.
“Aiden!” Mary Ellen rushed toward him. She didn’t stop until she hurled her warm body into his arms. Relief was bitterly sweet. He gripped her tight, breathing in her sweet scent. For this one moment he would soak in her essence and pretend all was well.
“You’re hurt!” She pushed back and cupped the sides of his face, the fear was replaced with worry. Actual tears trembled on her lower lashes.
Dear God, she cared. The human within him swelled with hope. “I…I’ll be well enough in an hour or so.”
Those eyes, those beautiful cornflower blue eyes watched him with what could only be called affection. “Truly?”
He nodded, unable to say more for a lump of emotion clogged his throat.
She glanced up at the windows, heedless to the effect she had on him. “Then, I do believe it’s time to escape.”
Aidan laughed. “Yes.”
But how to escape? The two doors were bolted from the outside. The windows a good twenty feet above. If he jumped and make it, could he break the bars? But he knew the answer to his problems even before the beast inside him whispered the word, blood.
Aidan swallowed hard and lowered his gaze to the pulse thumping in Mary Ellen’s neck. That smooth, pale throat. The beast inside him roared to life.
“What is it?” she asked.
Their gazes clashed and he saw something shift there, in her eyes…a knowing. “There’s only one way out of this.”
She didn’t speak for one long moment. “Tell me.”
“I have to feed.”
Fear and resignation mixed in her gaze. “On what?”
“You.”
Chapter Four
She gave a nervous laugh and took a step back. “You’re jesting.”
How he wished he was. How he wished this was a joke, or nightmare. Sadly, it was his life. “They’re bringing in two more werewolves. I don’t have the energy to fig
ht and kill them. I haven’t fed in weeks.”
“Fed?” her voice squeaked.
He took a step closer, she took a step back. “I’m injured.”
She swallowed hard and looked at him exactly as he’d expected…like he was a monster. He didn’t have time for her human sensibilities. “Damn it, Mary Ellen, either I feed from you, or we both die.”
She narrowed her eyes, annoyance flashing in those heavenly blues. “Well, when you say it that way.” She was furious and for some odd reason he found her dramatic nature amusing. “You’ve…you’ve ruined any chance I might have at a decent marriage with Worthing.”
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