“Yes, as soon as his soul is back in place, we’ll remove the people watching her. You have my word.” Markus’ voice ran over Tegan’s skin and she knew she could not let him do this. She slammed her heel into the arch of his foot and lurched forward. Two steps away, he grabbed her hair and yanked her back. He held her tight against him.
Tegan heard the rustle of something before the witch spoke again. “He’ll be blood starved when he wakes.”
Markus shook Tegan a bit. “That’s what she’s here for.”
She tried to look towards where the witch’s voice came from. Maybe, just maybe she could reach out to her. “Please, don’t do this. You don’t understand what will happen if you raise him.” She pleaded and tried to jerk away from Markus.
“I know that my granddaughter will live.”
Tegan doubted that, it wasn’t like the Circle to keep their word, especially Markus.
A smooth chanting filled the chamber and an ancient magic brushed over Tegan’s skin. She hissed and tried to pull away from the power. She hated magic, it’s what had made her into what she was. A creature that couldn’t die, made for only one purpose, to feed the beast in the cave. Noises she couldn’t place came after the chanting and power flooded over her. It stole her breath and froze her body. She tried to breathe around it, but couldn’t. A familiar feeling she would never forget. The Father. Her panic escalated, but Markus kept a grip on her arm. She could feel something watching her and with the power in the room she knew it had to be the Father.
“My gift to you.” Markus threw her to the ground. Her hands slapped against the stone floor and she scrambled to get away.
But even with her enhanced speed she couldn’t escape the Father. She screamed when he pinned her to the ground and used her hair to pull her neck to the side. His fangs broke her skin and without any power from him to shield the pain, the bite hurt. Fire tore through her as he drank. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she tried to shove him away and claw the cold flesh pressing against her, but nothing helped.
‘Calm, Tegan.’ His voice entered her mind, a thick rolling accented voice that seemed to promise everything.
She couldn’t go back to being his pet. Thrashing around, she tried to fight against him, crying out with each swallow he took of her blood, but he did not budge.
“We’ll let you two get reacquainted and we’ll be outside when you are done. We have a lot to catch you up on.” Markus’ voice sounded far away. “Take her home and call our people back. She kept her word.”
Tegan didn’t hear the witch’s response, only his voice in her head again. ‘This is what you were made for. To feed me. Cease fighting against me and I will dull the pain.’ The only thing that mattered was getting the Father off her.
Her heart slammed against her chest and her throat tightened. “Please...please no.” Tegan sobbed, she hated how weak she sounded. She stopped her screams and dropped her arms. “I’m not yours anymore.”
A sting of pain in her head struck, but the burning in her veins stopped. The Father’s hands skimmed up the side of her body and she cringed. ‘You belong to someone. Someone has bonded you.’
The image of her master pulled up in her mind and she tried to reach out for their connection, but Father’s power cut it off.
‘Lucius...he was a mere fledgling vampire when your brother betrayed me.’
There was no mistaking the anger in his voice. Tegan could only hope being bound to Lucius would be enough for the Father to free her. “He is my master.” She whispered, feeling the effects of the blood loss taking her. The room spun, even with her eyes covered her stomach churned, yet the vampire continued to drink. Unconsciousness overcame her....
***
Tegan woke and tried to open her eyes. Cursing, she realized something kept them shut. Lifting a shaky hand she felt thick thread stitched through her lids. Again. She took a deep breath and tried to quell panic crawling through her. The Father was awake and she was still with Markus. It couldn’t have been that long since the Father woke, but why hadn’t Lucius contacted her? He had to have felt her return to the human plane. No...the Father blocked the connection. Her hands skimmed the ground around her and she tried to figure out where Markus had left her.
The rough stone below her told her she sat in the same cell, or at least a similar one as before. She couldn’t sense Lucius, which meant she was back in the demon realm. She stood, testing her body and how it was recovering from the feeding. Shaking, but moving. Good. Not that she could do anything while blind. Fuck. Taking a deep breath she tried to find the knot holding her eyes shut. If she could see she could survive...maybe.
The creaking of the door made her freeze. The power entering the room told her exactly who walked in. Markus.
“I see you’re awake now.”
His voice sent shivers through her, but she tried to stand tall. “You’re done with me. It’s done. The Father has been raised, return me to my master.”
He chuckled and brushed his hand down her cheek. She flinched away from his touch and he grabbed a fist full of her hair. “I can’t just return you, Tegan.” Markus dragged her across the floor, tightening his grip in her hair.
She cried out and grabbed his wrist, trying to force him to let go. Snarling, she elbowed him and tried to throw herself away from him. He merely grunted when her elbow connected with him and yanked her back. Her foot slipped against the stone floor and her leg twisted. A sickening pop sounded through the room and pain shot through her leg. Markus laughed. “There is no stopping this.”
No. She had to keep fighting, even if the Father was awake, she had to get back to Lucius. She twisted and turned in his grip, but only succeeded in causing herself more pain in her scalp. He didn’t drag her far, but the air changed, so she knew they weren’t in the same room. Markus shoved her face first into a wall. He pressed his body against hers to pin her there. She tried not to panic, having him that close meant he could feed from her. He outweighed her and had the advantage. At this angle, even if she head butted him, she’d only hit his chest.
He yanked her left arm above her head and secured it. The cold metal around her wrist helped ground her, but gave her no comfort. She would be restrained. The past crept into her head. Being restrained to the wall couldn’t bode well. She felt a pressure in her head and cringed as Markus pulled her other arm up and put the cuff on it.
“The past, all the keys lie there, don’t they?” He whispered and she could see images play across her mind.
“Please, Markus.” Her voice broke. “Please don’t do this again.”
His hand ran over her back. “I didn’t bring my whip, so a knife will have to do.”
A sharp tear went across her back and she screamed at the pain invading her skin. The trickling of blood rolled down her back. Tegan tried to catch her breath, but it was pointless. The next blow came swiftly, crossing the first one. She clenched her fists, refusing to give into the cry of pain. Her nails bit into her palms as the third blow came.
Slice after slice, she tried to focus on anything else. In the end she hung in the chains sobbing. Blackness ate at her vision, blood loss dragging her into the world of unconsciousness.
The snap of the whip made her cringe, but it was the barbs digging into her back that made her cry out. All of this because she had been out without Master Lucius, she would pay with a pound of flesh. She couldn’t see the blood drip on the ground because of her blindfold, but she could feel it moving down her back.
Another snap of the whip and another chunk gone—her stomach lurched at the pain. She took a deep breath, trying to remember what Lucius taught her about controlling her emotions. Without his power, she struggled. She needed him, but he hadn’t come.
Water cascaded over her and she hissed as the salt in it burned the open wounds. Deep breathes, she jerked in the chains as more water was tossed on her.
“He abandoned you this time too.” Markus whispered in her ear. She hated his abilities to
work with memories. Before, she still had her connection to Lucius to stop it, but now, in the demon realm, she could only become a victim to his powers.
“My master would never abandon me.” She growled. “Just because you bend rules to keep him away doesn’t mean he’s left me for dead.”
Her head jerked back and she felt his hand grip her hair. “Dead? You can’t die, Tegan, remember? We proved that.” He shoved her head forward and it hit the wall.
The pain echoed in her head and she waited for something else. Anything else. She heard his footsteps against the floor and then a door open and close. She hung there alone.
She didn’t know how long Markus was gone, but the man in her dreams that always soothed her never appeared. When she awoke Markus’ body was pressed against hers. His naked chest pressed against the open wounds and sent waves of pain through her. Lips traced her neck. “I love the taste of your blood.”
Mentally preparing herself did nothing. His teeth tore through her skin and pain exploded in her body.
Remember Tegan, remember the last time I had you.
No. She refused, but his power pulled up the memories. The table, the pain, the feedings.
“Stop.” She begged. “You’ve gotten what you want. You are breaking the laws.” She tried to reason with him, but he continued to pull blood from her.
He pulled away and unhooked her wrists. She fell to the ground, her body too weak to hold her up. Waiting, she tried not to think of what could be next.
A hand tilted her chin up and she found herself wishing for her sight. Her hair seemed stuck to her skin. Blood started dripping from the wounds on her back again, her knee pounded in pain, and fear rolled through her. The whip...no...that wasn’t right.
Pain crippled her thoughts as she tried to remember what had done the damage to her back. She put a hand to her head and flinched at the tender spot.
“I have a special place for you.” Again, he grabbed her hair. She tried to get to her feet but he dragged her across the hard floor.
She twisted and turned, but it only caused her more pain. Lucius, Master. She tried, but there was no sense of him. Help me! Nothing.
Markus threw her against a hard edge.
She felt the floor with her hand. Not the same stone as before, not a cell. What the hell?
“Stand up.” The Father’s voice rolled through the room. “I want to see the damage Markus has done so far.”
Not nearly as much as he’d done before the Father had woke. She felt around and above her and found a ledge. She struggled to pull herself up, her back screaming in agony and her body sore.
“This is how you intend to carry out your plans?” The Father asked and Tegan felt him run a hand through her hair, pulling when he got caught in the matted tangles of blood.
Plans? She tried to focus on the conversation.
“I’ve already started with the rest of it. She takes her place on the table and serves everyone.”
The table was the ledge she used to pull herself up on, she was sure. She panicked and backed away only to trip over her own feet and fall with a crash.
“Feeding is her worst fear, it brings up memories of serving you. The rest of the torture will be done there. I’ll return her when I feel the time is right and my plan is in motion.”
She scurried away, but the Father grabbed her throat and lifted her off the ground.
“Be still.” His power moved through her and she tried to fight it, but without Lucius’ connection she couldn’t.
She stilled, her body relaxing and the pain fading. A tremor moved through her as his power touched her. “It is my time with you now.” The Father whispered. “You will remember what you are and then Markus can continue his work.”
Tegan wanted to fight it, wanted to fight against him, but her words were not under her control. “Yes, sire.”
***
Two weeks later
Night after night, he came to her. Others fed from her. The smooth surface of the table did nothing to ease the pain in her back. Bound tight against it, she hadn’t been able to move since the night Markus had left her there. Dirty, bleeding, and in pain. Her body heeled the minor injuries, the needles, the knives, and the older bite marks.
Her head ached. Every time Markus came he used his abilities. It was to the point that time no longer held importance. She needed to get back to her master. Back to Lucius and beg his forgiveness for screwing up. Something didn’t feel right though, other than the damage. The pain was off from what she could remember.
“Good evening, Tegan.” Markus’ voice entered the chamber. His fingers danced over her skin. “A pet human, it’s a shame that after tonight you will be released.”
Her punishment was finally over, she could go back to being with Lucius and her brother. She couldn’t respond to Markus, her throat was raw and she lacked the strength. Some time ago, she’d given up. Even as a Blood Human the loss of blood took its toll. Night after night meant weeks of recovery, if she would be allowed.
“Just me tonight.” Markus promised, his hand resting on her stomach. He threw water on her and she coughed and sputtered. Once over her head, once over her stomach and another over her legs, ice cold. She shivered and felt a cloth smoothing over her. “I like my food clean. You’ve been on my table for a while now.”
Bound, trapped, and treated like nothing human. She tried to ignore the ginger movements of his hand. He finished and his hands brushed up her. His fingers danced over the juncture and pulse there making her tense. His favorite spot to feed from. She cringed as he scraped his fangs over it and then bit into it. He drank and with each pull she felt herself grow weaker. If only death could be a reality for her.
He pulled back as she teetered on the edge of consciousness. Her limbs were freed and he pulled her onto the ground. With no strength to hold herself up she fell and pressed her cheek to the ground. He stepped on her back and with a knife reopened her wounds. The bloodletting was enough to drag her under, blissfully she faded and the pain disappeared.
Kaden sighed as he pulled his car up to a parking spot near The Disappearing Act. A commotion kept him from getting too close to the bar and during daylight hours that caught his attention. More so, the cops and ambulance parked nearby were also odd. What the fuck? He moved through the crowd. EMTs were lifting someone onto a stretcher. Long white hair stuck to the body and something resembling a dress clung to her. Tegan. Rage filled him and he tried to get past the police officer at the scene.
“No one’s allowed past this line. We’re trying to get a hold of the owner of the bar and find someone who can identify her.”
He could, but Lucius would lose it if he did. He stepped back and clenched his fist. He couldn’t let her wake alone. Rushing to his car, he pulled out his phone. Once he was in the car and following the ambulance he called Lucius.
“You’re not going to believe this, but she’s back.” If she lived. Oh God, the blood on her. She had to survive. Had to.
Chapter One
Present Day
“Tegan, I’m your mate.” The man’s gaze met hers.
She studied the way his dirty blond hair fell close to his jaw and her gaze flickered up to the gray of his eyes.
Her heart pounded in her chest at his words. No. That couldn’t be right, her master would never allow her to have a mate and yet... She looked at their entwined fingers. The warmth of his hand engulfed her cold skin and she concentrated on how he felt. Perfect. With him close she could believe that she was safe, something in her screamed to believe him.
“I need my master.” She whispered, not meeting his gaze. Putting a hand up to her head, she cursed the pounding. “Please.”
The man in front of her sighed. “It’s day time, I’ll take you there tonight. Right now, I just want you to rest.”
She closed her eyes and nodded, letting go of his hand. Nothing made sense right now. She could only recall pain. She knew nothing of the man in the room with her, nor did she know
why she’d been brought to a Hunters’ location.
Shivering, she pulled the blanket around her, trying to warm her body. She couldn’t fight the symptoms of blood loss and shock. They would fade eventually, but she never got used to the feelings. The bed dipped and a warm body pressed against her. “Don’t panic,” he whispered. “I just want to help. You need the warmth right now, don’t deny it.”
His voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place from where. Something from a long forgotten dream. His arm wrapped around her and pulled her close. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of his heart and let the rhythm lull her to sleep. The steady sound of the heartbeat beat the silence of the cell....
No, no, don’t think about it. She told herself, but she couldn’t help but remember. Sleep pulled her under with the cell being her last thought.
The sound of a whip echoed in the room and the barbs dug into her back, with an expert move Markus pulled it away and she cried out. She could feel the blood drip down her back from the new wounds.
Disconnected from her own body, she stood watching the massacre. Cloth covered her eyes and even now, as she observed from the outside, something obscured her vision. Something that only tinted the world around her, not completely blocking the light out.
“Is this what happened before you were left on the street to die?” The man who claimed to be her mate appeared next to her. Now she knew the voice from the dreams belonged to him. All the dreams haunting her while being tortured. When she went into the land of unconsciousness, he came to her. She’d never seen his face because of the fabric.
His question caught her off guard though. She couldn’t die. Surely as her mate, if he spoke the truth, he knew that. “I don’t know.” She answered honestly. “I feel like this was so long ago and yet...it’s fresh. The pain, the memories, the wounds still cover my body.”
“We’ll figure it out.” His voice soothed her.
Promises, always promises and yet... “I don’t remember you. Lucius doesn’t allow me to look for a mate.”
Dark War Chronicles Box Set One Page 47
