“You’re not going to do anything, Sayer. When she appears, she’s going back with me to face the consequences of what she’s done.”
The Black Prince turned his dark eyes on me, full of his vampire, and I met him with my own.
“So you can place your hands on her again? Maybe rough her up even worse this time? To the point where you critically injure her frail human body? I don’t think so. You’re lucky to be alive after the stunt you pulled. And don’t think I don’t know. I know everything.”
Guilt swarmed my stomach. God, I loved her. Yet, I continued to hurt her and I couldn’t stop myself from doing it. It drove me crazy, especially since I was fighting with my mind over what her status was to begin with. Sure, she might become a powerful vampire, but she wasn’t yet. She was a slave. A human. And she was mine. It was a jumbled clusterfuck in my head and nothing I did to try to figure it out made sense before something altered it and screwed everything up all over again.
“She’s coming with me,” I bit out.
Silence drew out between us until I caught the softest whisper of footsteps. Slowly, Tessa slipped from the shadows, but she didn’t put her head down and cower as I expected. She held it high while she covered the distance to the member’s table. A flush from her fucking Hunter one last time still rested on her cheeks and I knew I wasn’t looking at the Tessa Sayer brought out. No, this was my Tessa. The realization only broke my heart even more.
“I have a confession to make.” She swallowed hard and looked between Sayer and me nervously. “But I don’t think I have to tell either of you, do I?”
“We know,” Sayer said, grinning. “And what you’ve done is perfectly normal. Acceptable, no. Normal, yes.”
“I’m going to fucking kill him. You know this, don’t you? I can’t believe you.” I stepped closer and watched as she moved a good foot away. Instead of addressing me, she turned her attention nervously to Sayer.
“I want you to…change me. I want you to do it right now. If you do this, I’ll become your concubine willingly and do as you wish. But I want Hunter as my slave. He’s agreed and is ready to be at my side to help me when I’m ready for him.”
The floor could have fallen out from me at the betrayal of her words. What happened to killing Sayer? What happened to her wanting to remain with me? My claws extended and the devil in me raged at the agony shredding my heart.
“Done. Go to my hall, Armand will be waiting for you. I’ll take care of your bonded.”
Growling poured from my throat and my vision went red as Tessa stared over at me, terrified. With every side-step she made toward the tunnel, I countered it.
“Don’t you dare do this. Don’t you dare take another fucking step.” My voice was deep, almost unrecognizable as I tried to move in closer. Sayer stayed even with us, ready to step in if he needed to. I barely caught Julius rushing from the tunnels from my peripheral vision.
“Marko, please. I—”
“Don’t please me,” I exploded. “You betrayed me! You…deceived me! Fucking Hunter while you’re bonded to me? I loved you! Do you think I give that away freely to just anyone?” Love you to death. Love you to death. The familiar mantra repeated in my head. Death. Death. “I could kill you right now.” My footsteps grew quicker, as did hers, and I saw the horror in her eyes. “I should fucking kill you right now for what you’ve done!”
Power slammed into me from behind and the air exploded from my lungs at the force. I used my own, pushing with everything I had as I fought to my knees. I knew it was Julius’ and it wasn’t strong enough to keep me down. It might have been impossible to get up and walk, but I wasn’t immobile like he’d hoped to make me.
“Let her go, Marko,” Julius said, getting closer. “You knew this was going to happen. He has the right.”
“She’s mine,” I snarled, turning to face him. “Mine. No one else’s.”
Still, he came closer, adding more power. My hand slammed into the cement, but I refused to go down all the way. Tessa’s bare feet padded against the floor and I fought with everything I had as she disappeared with Sayer into the darkness.
“Help me escort him to lockdown. I want him there until I say otherwise.”
Anastasia and Natalia were a good five feet away. I felt myself lifted to stand by their combined powers and although my legs moved, I felt as though I were floating through the large room.
“Don’t do this. Tessa! Tessa!” I thrashed against their hold, unleashing the true depths of my power in an explosion from my body. The boom was so loud, like a crack of thunder, causing all sound to dissipate. Ringing left me lightheaded as I fought to focus on my surroundings. The members were trying to stand, just as disoriented as me, but I didn’t wait. I rushed toward the tunnel Tessa had entered, colliding with the curved side as vertigo took over. I knew it wouldn’t take long to change her. One bite. One insertion of his fangs to push out the true poison he harbored. The blood he needed of hers would come from the bite. Seconds, that’s all it would take. It drove me faster.
“Tessa!”
The door loomed ahead and just as I approached, my knees almost gave out. And not because of anything anyone did or how fucked up releasing that much power had left me. I suddenly realized how weak our connection was. Our link. Our…bond. It was fading. The ties holding us together were breaking one by one.
But not my love. Not the obsessive state of mind I was in concerning my former slave.
My fist slammed into the door, knocking it from the hinges. Sayer’s tall body had Tessa’s pinned against the wall and her nails were digging into the back of his black shirt. His arms were around her waist and I watched him untwine them from her body as he lowered her to turn around and face me. Blood was still on his chin as he met my eyes. But I couldn’t see him. Couldn’t see anything past the haunting look on Tessa’s face. She was frozen in shock. No. She was frozen in fear. Little did she know, the scary parts hadn’t even begun.
“Marko?” Trembling laced her tone and tears filled her eyes. A small part of my slave was still there, but she was disappearing so fast.
“God, what have you done, ma minette? What…?” My head shook, even as my heartbreak drowned out my anger and drew me closer. “Why would you do this? I love you. I do. I know my actions haven’t always shown that, but I’m trying. And now this?” My voice gave out at the end and she rushed past Sayer, throwing herself into my arms. Hearing her sobs crippled me even more, despite the fact that my vampire should have hated her for betraying me.
“I’m sorry. I love Hunter, even if I love you, too. This is the only way. I know you’re so angry with me, but—” Tessa stopped, pulling back and wiping her fingers over the blood escaping from her nose, right over her lip. The stream was slow but steady and her features drew in, first confused, and then panicked.
“I’m so angry with you, but more hurt. More…” I ripped at the bottom of my shirt, pushing the material in to catch the increasing flow. Knowing what was happening to her left me numbing just the smallest amount. “It’s done. We’re finished talking about it. You’ve just erased the past and now it’s time to focus on the future. On you. What’s happening to you right now is natural under these circumstances. You’re going to bleed out everything that is not your or Sayer’s blood. Then, his is going to combine with yours and take over, making you stronger. What you’re wiping away, ma minette, is my blood. You’re bleeding me out, just as I’m doing for you. Right here,” I said, patting my chest. “You won’t remember me for quite some time. But when you do, I’ll still love you. Even if you did deceive me.” I paused. “Even when we turn into enemies, because we will…I’ll even love you then. I hope you remember that, although I know you won’t.”
Her head shook and she swallowed profusely while she stepped back. Whatever she was thinking, I wasn’t sure. Those precious insights were forbidden to me now. It made the loneliness I knew was resting ahead even more of a reality. The swallowing increased and I sighed, shaking my head.
“Don’t hold it in, it’ll only get worse. The faster you get me out of your system, the faster you can be done with this. But you’ll have to excuse me, because I refuse to see you die. That’ll be coming here soon and I won’t witness your suicide. I don’t think I could bear it. See you in a few months when they set you free.”
Despite the anger that resurfaced, I couldn’t stop myself from jerking her to me and forcing my tongue past her lips. Blood flooded my senses, the essence I’d loved more than life itself tinged within, the smallest amount. I took it in as if I were the one dying. Only when I felt her knees give out from her internal pain, did I pull away.
“Love you to death, Tessa. But you won’t remember any of that either for a while,” I said, running my finger over the ink pushing its way free from her neck. “It won’t be long now. Stay strong. You’re going to need to be.”
I spun and pushed past Julius. His hand latched to my bicep before I could make clear of his presence.
“You’re going under lockdown. That’s final. If you fight me or pull another stunt like you just did, you’ll be in there for even longer.”
“If that’s what you feel you need to do, fine.”
Maybe it was for the best. I could already feel her dying and it was pushing my mind into dark places. Places, I’d never been before.
I let him lead me through the tunnel and back into the heart of the city. My feet planted the moment we entered the room. Hunter stood there with Marie. Although there was a smugness in her expression, it meant nothing compared to my need to tear the human apart. Why had I waited? Why hadn’t I killed him when I’d had more chances than I could excuse? My procrastination and distraction had cost me my slave. Cost me the only woman I’d ever loved. And now she was his.
“Don’t do it. Don’t even think about. You’ll be in lockdown for years if you do.”
“You’re dead, Hunter!” I yelled. “So fucking dead.”
My threat had him stepping toward me, but he halted at Marie’s grip shooting to his arm. The tug against mine had a warning escaping my throat. My stare jerked to Julius, who shook his head.
“I will kill him, her slave or not. So help me, I will. Maybe not today, but soon. Mark my words.”
“We’ll see,” he said, looking back over. “The future changes by the second. Nothing is for certain anymore. We may all be surprised by these turn of events. After all, even I didn’t see this happening.”
Julius led me into the tunnel and darkness encompassed me, pushing into my skin like the living thing it almost was. The beat of my heart slowed and my steps faltered. I knew what I was feeling was the last of our bond dying. Of Tessa…dying. I pulled at my collar, cursing the burning that stung my eyes. My heart clenched and tightened, becoming crushed and torn against the spasms leaving hers fighting to continue. But it wouldn’t. One set of beats…two…the hard thump hit again, and then, nothing. No second beat. No new sets.
“Fuck.” The word dragged out and my breaths came out labored as I felt my legs almost give out. My steps were as broken as the walls crumbling down around me. Life suddenly didn’t matter. Nothing did. Death. God, I wanted to die, too. I wanted to be back with her, even if I knew she’d return here and I wouldn’t. Even though the bond was gone, my love for her was stronger and clearer than ever. I knew she wasn’t herself when she’d left my room. Even when she’d climbed into bed with Hunter, she hadn’t wanted to do it. Regardless of her former feelings for him, the blood was making her even more confused. Yes, I knew she loved him, but she could love me more.
Bars slammed behind me and the shield rippled at my back. I knew what I had to look forward to. This time, I wasn’t being tortured with Tessa’s blood. No, my grief would my passenger and that wasn’t any better. I’d mourn the death of ma minette. The her that was now gone to me forever.
Perhaps it was for the best that her human life was over. That version would have never truly loved me anyway. Not like I loved her. She would have never understood what it was to be like us or why I’d treated her the way I had. Now, she would. She’d do it to her own slave. So, where did that leave me with her vampire? Would we truly be enemies when she was able to rejoin our world? How long would it take her to remember her past?
I sunk to the floor, leaning against the wall as my evil oozed through, trying to take over. The rage singed my insides and I torturously let it drag out slowly. Love. Hate. It collided in a swirl of aggressive sounds that left my lips. Words came back. Words she’d spoken. They filled the hollowness growing inside of me loud and clear.
“Someday, I hope our roles are reversed. You will feel what it is to be powerless to me. No matter what it is concerning, your pleas of mercy will go unheard. I’m going to make you suffer and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.”
“Maybe I’ll become the stronger one and I’ll let you serve me.”
Her threats repeated continuously. They quickly became all I heard. They mingled with my madness. Tempted the Master Vampire in me to dominate her back into submission. In my dark, twisted mind, it was suddenly warping into some sick game. A new one, filled with excitement and challenge. And it was with the woman I loved. One I knew better than anyone. But this time, she’d be tougher. Smarter. Even if I had to scheme, I’d make sure I wouldn’t lose. Tessa may not have met the perfect version of me yet, but the one she’d be introduced to all over again as a stranger would be what her dreams were made of. I’d seduce her. Show her why I was the one who deserved her love. I’d make her love me.
As for Hunter, he didn’t stand a chance when it came to a fight. And that was if he even stayed around long enough for me to have permission to kill him. After he got a real glimpse of the monster his childhood love was going to become, I had no doubt he’d run from this life. And when he decided to, I’d intercept him. It made me smile. He was in for more than he bargained for and no amount of faith was going to smooth the blow he had coming to him. And I’d be there, watching, waiting…taking what was mine.
To be continued….
About the Author
Alaska is an erotic BDSM author who also goes by the pen names Jennifer Salaiz and Jenny May. She lives in the Houston area...for now. She's a dreamer, and longs for the day when her husband and kids can load up in the car and drive until their hearts’ content. Adventure and discovering new places play a huge role in Alaska's life. It drives her, and feeds the creativity of coming up with new locations for her stories.
Within the last two years, Alaska and her family have drove across the country twice, and also drove the distance from Texas to California three times. Asked, if she could choose one place to permanently settle down, where it would be, Alaska laughed. "Montana, today. Tomorrow, it may be Alaska, again. I go back and forth."
When Alaska’s not dreaming of spontaneously hitting the road to find a new place to write about, she's being a mother and wife. If you're looking to connect with her to learn more, feel free to email her at [email protected], or find her on Facebook. You can also stop by her website jennymayauthor.com.
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