The Chosen Series Box Set: Books 1 - 3

by Charlene Hartnady

  “Get her over there,” the guard whispered, pointing to a spot just inside the cell. The space was out of their reach because of the chains and shackles.

  Becky’s heart raced as she realized that both Rushe and Ross could get into trouble if she was found so close to them. Also, this guard might be in deep shit for letting her go to them. She scrambled away, taking her place at the cell entrance. There was just enough time to smooth her shirt and to run her fingers through her hair.

  A big male walked up to them. He was a brute with thick arms and a clean-shaven head, his hands were fisted at his sides.

  “What is the human doing in your cell?” he asked, looking from Gideon to Ross and back again.

  “What is it to you?” Ross snapped back.

  “She shouldn’t be in there with them.” His eyes narrowed on Gideon. “You should know better.” The big male lifted his nose into the air and sniffed loudly. “Mmmm, sweet,” he said as his eyes moved to her. They lowered, heating as they landed on her breasts, lowering further to the junction of her thighs. He sniffed again, louder this time. “You smell delicious.” His eyes heated even more as they returned to her breasts. “So, female, from your scent I can tell that you like us non-humans.”

  “Leave her alone, Titan,” Ross growled.

  Her heart-rate picked up a whole lot. She tried to keep her breathing even. If she started perspiring, she would probably give off more of a smell and she didn’t want to attract him any further.

  “I can scent both you and that wolf on her. She obviously enjoys rutting. I can definitely tell how it is that you were attracted to her.” The big male had yet to lift his eyes from her breasts. “You rutted with both these males, human.” It was a statement not a question.

  “None of your freaking business.” She clasped her hands in front of herself to try and stop them from shaking. She needed to get a grip. He might be interested, but he wouldn’t try anything.

  “I am also non-human.” His dark eyes finally met hers. “I have been told by many females that I can rut well. Would you like me to show you?”

  She shook her head. Hard.

  “Back the fuck off, Titan!” Ross snarled, pulling hard against his chains.

  “He won’t try anything? Will he?” she heard Rushe ask the question. His voice held an edge of panic.

  Becky fought to keep her emotions under control. To keep her breathing even. To keep her heart from racing out of her chest.

  Titan ignored both Ross and Rushe. “I can scent that you are very aroused. I love the way you smell. My dick is hard.” His nostrils flared. “I would like to ease your need, female.”

  “Leave her the fuck alone,” Ross snarled. “If you so much as lay a single finger on her, I will kill you.”

  Both males were standing and by the way the chains were jangling, she could hear how they were straining to get free. Becky didn’t dare take her eyes off the male in front of her.

  “This female clearly likes non-humans. I can scent that she is very aroused. Who am I to argue?” The big male shrugged. “If she is in need, I will ease that need.” He shrugged again.

  Her mouth was dry. She tried to tell him to go to hell but her tongue wouldn’t move.

  “Fuck you!” Ross yanked hard at the chains. They jangled loudly. His muscles bulged. His neck muscles roped and his face contorted in rage.

  Becky took a deep breath, trying hard not to panic. She instinctively knew that if she allowed herself to lose it, he would come at her. He was a predator and right now, she felt a little too much like prey. “You heard them.” She licked her lips. Her voice quavered a little as she spoke. Working hard to sound in control, she spoke again, this time with more authority. “I’m not interested in you. I don’t care what your nose is telling you, I do not feel in the least bit aroused by you. Please leave me alone.”

  She was horrified to feel her own nails digging into her palms, horrified even more to notice how this big vampire’s eyes were still firmly on her breasts. They were hooded with desire, even his cheeks were flushed. This asshole clearly wanted her badly. He didn’t look like he was concerned with the consequences, just as long as he got to fuck. What the hell was she going to do? If he came at her she was helpless.

  Titan ignored her remark about not being interested in him. “I came to inform you that the kings will be down in the next twenty minutes, which gives us enough time to play.” He licked his lips, a taut smile briefly flashed across the asshole’s face.

  “We are not permitted to rut with humans,” Ross bit out, sounding frustrated and possibly a little desperate.

  She had to work hard not to lose it. Her lip quivered so she bit down on it while hugging her arms around herself. Trying to shield her body from his hungry stare.

  Titan’s eyes flashed to Ross. “I can scent you on her. You clearly rutted with her. I want to do the same. It is only fair. Why is it that you get to have all the fun?” The big male growled. “She is clearly in a state of arousal and needs help with that. Since the two if you are tied up, I’m going to help her out.”

  “I told you not to come near me.” She held up her hands.

  Gideon, spoke for the first time. “Since you have delivered your message, you can go. You’re not allowed to touch the human. Leave her alone. She clearly does not want you.” He sighed. “You’re making my job difficult. Ross is right, we are not permitted to rut her.”

  “My nose does not lie. I can scent that Ross has had her. I should be allowed to have a turn. I can clearly scent that she wants me.” Titan took a step towards her, he stared hungrily at her breasts. She’d always loved her twins. Right now she wished that they would just disappear.

  “Get away from me!” she yelled as he took another step in her direction. She kept her hands up like a shield, knowing that it wouldn’t help if he came at her but unable to put them down.

  Both Rushe and Ross continued to strain and pull. The chains rattled, their frustrated roars echoed through the cell.

  “I said to leave her be,” Gideon snarled. The guard moved into the cell and put a hand on the big male, trying to pull him away. She gasped when the mean son of a bitch turned and punched him in the jaw. After another well-placed left hook, the guard fell to his knees. The bastard kneed him in the face, there was a sickening crunch followed by a spray of blood. Gideon fell backwards. His eyes rolled back and his jaw was slack, telling her that he was probably out cold.

  “What the hell?” she gasped. Becky covered her mouth with her hand. This so wasn’t happening.

  “I swear to god, if you lay even a single hand on her, I will hunt you down and I will kill you with my bare hands,” Ross snarled.

  “Leave her the fuck alone,” Rushe said, his voice a deadly whisper.

  The clean-shaven male laughed. “If the two of you could have her, then so can I.”

  She closed her hand tighter around her mouth to stop another horrified gasp as she noticed that Titan was sporting a huge erection in his leather pants.

  “You will die!” Ross pulled against his chains. Both males fought hard, trying to break free. She could see that the chains were too thick and probably silver-infused. There was no hope for escape. Becky was on her own. Her knees nearly gave out at the realization.

  “I think I’ll take my chances.” The big male smirked. “The kings will have to see it my way. I’ll make it good for her. Once I am done with her, she will beg me to take her again.”

  His eyes locked on her. She shivered under his feral gaze. What the hell was she supposed to do? Becky took a step back, glancing towards Rushe and Ross. If she could make it to them, she might be safe. It was as if Titan had read her mind because as she turned he grabbed her, yanking her off her feet.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” he whispered into her ear. Shivers ran up and down his spine.

  “Leave me the fuck alone!” she screamed. “I don’t want you!”

  “Your scent tells me different, female. You can’t lie t
o me. There is not much time left.” His breath was hot, his hands dug into her. She could feel a definite bulge on her backside where he pulled her against him.

  “I don’t want you. Are you freaking deaf or just stupid?” It was clear that this male had made his mind up to rape her. If she didn’t do something soon, she was in deep, deep shit. Becky twisted in his arms and raked her nails across his face while trying to pull free from him.

  His grip on her tightened. At this point it would leave bruises. He repositioned her in such a way that she was unable to get at him. Even her kicks were useless. “I see that you like it rough, female. No problem, I can deliver.”

  “Leave me alone. Stop!” Her chest heaved. Her breath coming in rapid pants.

  She could hear Rushe and Ross behind her, they struggled, screaming profanities. It sounded like they were doing everything in their power to break free from the chains. Surely someone would come, someone who would help her escape this nightmare?

  Titan dragged her kicking and screaming down the hallway, already his hands moved across her body. Nausea rolled through her stomach “No, please …” She’d tried everything else, maybe a good dose of begging would help. “I don’t want you. I’m attracted to those two in there, that’s what you’re smelling on me. I’m human, despite having had sex with them, I don’t do the whole free sex thing.” She tried desperately to make him understand. To make him stop.

  At first he ignored her, then a giant hand squeezed her breast. “I promise to make it good for you. I know exactly how to touch you in ways to make you want me. I’m good with my hands and my tongue. Before long, you will be begging me to take you. It will need to be quick, but I can make you come in less than a minute. I am good with my dick.”

  “Not going to happen. Just leave me alone!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. Maybe someone would hear her.

  “Don’t bother. The dungeons were insulated a long time ago so that no one would hear the screams during torture sessions. You are wasting your time, female. I said I would make it good for you and I will. Let me lick you for a while. If you still don’t want me after, then I’ll let you go.”

  She didn’t care that no one could hear her, Becky screamed louder as he pulled at her shirt.

  “I want to touch you,” he growled. The male was just too freaking big and strong. He ignored her efforts at trying to get away. “So soft.”

  Becky fought him all the way, yet he still managed to pull her shirt up exposing her breasts. He growled, his eyes firmly on her tits. His hands moved to her bra. Her whole body was yanked back and forth as he tried to remove it. Becky held onto the straps even when she heard a rip. He was not doing this to her. She wouldn’t freaking allow it.

  A loud roar sounded from down the passage. This was followed by a screeching and a snapping sound. Then erratic jangling combined with heavy dragging noises. The roar became deafening. Definitely closer. It had Titan loosening his hold on her. Not enough to get away though. Becky fought harder.

  She sobbed in relief as Rushe appeared, he pulled her from the vampire’s arms. Rushe shoved her behind him using so much force that she hit the far wall, pain flared but she didn’t care. Becky crawled into a sitting position with the wall to her back. After giving herself a once over, she realized that aside from a slightly grazed knee and a few bruises, she would be fine.

  A roar drew her attention back to the fight and to say that Rushe was pissed was an understatement. Every part of him was tensed and ready, his face contorted in rage. His eyes held a wild look. They glowed in the dark corridor.

  The vampire tried to say something but Rushe tore into him using fists which were tipped with sharp looking claws. He snarled, revealing vicious teeth. They gleamed like ivory razors. Sharp enough to render flesh. He made the most godawful growling noises. Titan tried to defend himself, then he tried to run. Before long, the male, curled himself into a ball on the floor. Rushe continued to kick at him. Hard thuds and sickening crunches. Titan’s body bounced with each impact. His intention to kill the male was evident. Both by the way he continued to pummel on him, as well as by the rage still etched on his face. His eyes were wild yet focused. Zoned in on the downed male.

  “Rushe,” Becky tried to gain his attention, saying his name over and over. She eventually jumped up and grabbed him by his arm, trying to pull him off the injured male. It wasn’t that she didn’t think Titan deserved it, but rather that she didn’t want to see Rushe persecuted for protecting her from the scumbag.

  It took some effort, she even staggered back several times, but didn’t stop trying until she finally reached him. Rushe froze. He snarled, an awful sound that made her want to cringe away from him. She knew that Rushe would never hurt her, so she kept her hand on his arm.

  Hopefully, in her efforts, she had stopped him in time. She was so afraid for him. Even though the asshole had tried to rape her, Rushe was a wolf and therefore in even more shit if this vampire was dead. In fact, it was safe to say that he might not walk out of here if the bastard didn’t make it.

  Rushe turned to face her, his eyes glowed brighter than she’d ever seen before, he pulled her into an embrace that took her breath away. Her breasts were crushed against his chest. “Are you okay?” he murmured softly in her ear. “Are you hurt?” He tried to pull away so he could look at her but she wouldn’t let him. Becky needed him close. She could feel that his claws were still out because they were digging into her. Weird, but it gave her comfort. His chest heaved against her as he still breathed in ragged pants, sounding more animal than human.

  “I thought he was going to …” she whimpered.

  “I will always protect you. Always come for you.” His voice was still thick and deep. Almost unintelligible.

  She buried her head in his neck, holding onto him as if her very life depended on him. She even wrapped her legs around his hips, needing to be as close to him as she could get. Hot tears cascaded down her cheeks. There was nothing she could do to stop them.

  “Shhh,” Rushe whispered. “You’re safe now.” One big hand pulled her closer while the other stroked her hair. Slowly but surely the tension eased out of her. Her breathing started to return to normal. “That’s it, honey. I’m here. I’ve got you.”

  Then he tensed, his whole body turned hard. His breathing slowed and he growled softly in warning.

  Moments later there were sounds of footfalls, quite a number of them. A large group was approaching.

  “What the fuck is going on here?” Brant snarled as his eyes landed on them. His gaze moved to the fallen vampire. “Surely you didn’t think you could escape, wolf? You’re in my castle, on my territory, for fuck sakes. How dare you harm one of my coven!” His eyes narrowed. “I’ll see you beheaded for this.”

  Zane followed directly behind the bastard king. “You had better have a good explanation for this.” His jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth.

  Rushe carefully lowered her onto shaky legs, he pushed her behind him. “That motherfucker tried to force the human to rut with him.” He stood to his full impressive height, keeping one of his hands on her as he moved further in front of her.

  Becky wasn’t going to allow these vampire kings to push her around. She wasn’t going to allow them to hurt Rushe either. She moved out from behind him even though he tried to keep her there. She swatted his hand away, ignoring his low growl. “You heard Rushe, this bastard tried to rape me.” She looked down at the fallen vampire, relieved to see that his chest still moved up and down. Part of her was sorry he was still alive. She spat on him and kicked him solidly between the legs. “Fucking asshole!” Becky wished that she was wearing her six-inch stiletto heels so that she could do some real damage. She winced as pain shot up her leg. Maybe steel-toed boots would have been better.

  “You shouldn’t be here, female. This is no place for a human. You are no longer in your own world, and while I’m sorry this happened,” Brant narrowed his eyes, “this is exactly why we do not allow humans and vampires
to mix. You do not understand our ways, you are too fragile, too puny and are easy to hurt, even killed too easily. I hope you have learned your lesson.”

  Becky gasped. What the hell was wrong with this asshole? “Didn’t you hear what I said? He tried to rape me. I don’t care whether he’s a non-human, an alien or something else entirely. No means no in my book. It should mean no in any book. No, I haven’t learned my lesson.”

  Brant clicked his fingers at one of the guards. “You are right.” He sighed like it hurt him to say the words. “He shouldn’t have touched you regardless of how willing you scent. Have him thrown in a cell.” He motioned to the cell in question. “I will ensure that he is punished.” Brant turned his dark, fathomless eyes on Rushe. “I take it that you escaped so that you could save her?” He sighed again, this time more heavily. “You’re lucky, wolf. I’ll let you off this time with a warning.”

  “So full of it,” she couldn’t help but grumble.

  Rushe implored her with his eyes. He was trying to get her to shut up. With a curt nod, he secured his arm firmly around her and ushered them back to the cell. His chains dragged behind him along with a big clump of the wall. Rushe had quite literally pulled out a massive piece of the castle’s foundation in order to save her.

  Ross sagged back against the peeling brick as he caught sight of her. “Thank the gods.” He was breathing heavily. Blood cascaded down his arms where the chains and shackles had bitten into his flesh while attempting to escape. He looked at Rushe. “Thank you for saving her.” Then his eyes flew to Brant and Zane. “The wolf was merely protecting the human. This is not his fault. If anyone should take the blame, let it be me.”

  “I see that the two of you are still friendly. How cute,” Brant smirked.

  “Cut the shit,” Zane growled, he was looking at Brant. “We don’t want to start a full scale war with these beasts. We promised the Alpha that we would return this wolf safely to his pack.”

  “I have agreed to let this slide, but there will be no more rutting with humans.” Brant fixed his eyes firmly on Ross.