Chapter 34 Captive
Captive
A familiar darkness blanketed me, thick and cool. Part of me wanted to go back to sleep, but Luca wasn’t pressed against my back with his arms curled around me, holding me like I was his favorite teddy bear.
I shifted, reached out behind me, and met nothing but scratchy blankets. Wait, where were our soft sheets and cozy coverlet?
A match fizzed and a candle flickered to life, illuminating Evrin’s regal features. His high cheekbones and sharp jaw no longer sent excitement and affection through me. Cold dread trickled through.
He glided closer, stopping at the foot of the bed.
“I know it’s been hard being apart, but everything will be okay now.”
I refused to answer, scooting back until I was seated, and wrapping my arms around my knees. I’d wanted to sacrifice myself for my mates, and I got my wish, foolish as it was.
“Are you going to vacate the city now that you have me? Like your mother promised…” I hated how small my voice sounded.
Evrin chuckled, and nothing about it was comforting. “They didn’t return you. In fact, right now, they’re looking for you. But they won’t find you.”
My heart dropped. The vampires had been a step ahead since I was taken. Luca was probably out of his mind, and maybe Cade too, considering our fated mate bond.
I stilled, wondering if the bond would work from this distance. I reached inside, trying to sort my emotions from his. That connection felt dull, but it was probably the residual venom in my system. I got faint hints. Anger. Fear. Determination.
I tried to send a feeling of love and sadness. I was heartbroken to be separated from them. If this was the only way I could communicate with them until venom blotted it out entirely, I’d send as much as I could.
“I’m so grateful to have you back.” Fangs flashed as he smiled again.
“Who betrayed the pack?” I asked. “It doesn’t matter now, I can’t tell them. I want to know.”
Evrin hesitated. “Some fool who was in love with Harper. I captured her and her little mate, and she said he would do anything to get her back. And it was true.”
“You didn’t ask his name?”
“It was Colt or Walt or something.” He was utterly unconcerned, completely confident I was never getting out of here.
“Luckily, I recovered you before the Blood Moon, and now it’s only a few weeks away. Before you know it, you’ll be like me.”
“What if I don’t want that?” I asked quietly.
Evrin considered for a moment. My heart rose, daring to hope. “I don’t think that really matters, does it, Summer?”
The dread in my gut turned to fear.
“You’ll take my venom, give me your blood, and then I will turn you into an eternal companion, happy to serve me. Once you turn, you won’t even remember those disgusting animals.”
“I’m one of them.” It slipped out, and I tensed.
“But you are delicious, and you are mine. It’s really unfair that those wolves have such sweet blood, especially before they shift.”
“I shifted,” I blurted.
What was wrong with me? I was trying to convince him that he didn’t want me? Did I really think he would lose interest and let me go? My mates were hunting him. If anything, he would use me as bait or end me out of spite.
“That’s unfortunate, but I don’t think it has tainted your blood much,” he said thoughtfully. “Perhaps I should check again.”
He lunged, and I let out a shriek as his teeth latched onto my wrist. Venom pumped into me, more than I remember getting before, and I felt myself slipping away again.
When I woke up again, I felt weaker, nauseous. My wrist ached, like he had drawn far too much blood. He probably had.
“There you are, my heart,” Evrin said, swimming into focus. “I’m so glad you shared about your time as a wolf. Since you have shifted, we cannot wait until the Blood Moon. I certainly don’t want you turning into an animal during our mating ceremony.”
I tried to growl at him, but it took too much energy.
“So I got my mother’s blessing to turn you now.”
My heart stuttered. Turn me now? No. He couldn’t.
“No,” I rasped. “I already have two mates. One is a fated mate, and we’ve bonded. I wear their claim marks. You cannot take me as your mate.”
His smile was icy needles.
“That makes it a sweeter revenge, don’t you think?”
“No,” I said, struggling to get up, but my body felt too heavy. My stomach clenched as if I hadn’t eaten in days. Maybe I hadn’t.
He’d almost drained me.
I knew what came next. He had told me about the process in poetic detail when I was still enamored with him. He didn’t bother with any of those niceties now.
Lifting my other wrist, he bit down again. I hissed at the pain, but he gave me no venom. I tensed, my mind dissociating while he drained what he could.
“I think that should do it. I imagine you’re feeling awful right about now. You’ve lost enough blood to kill a human.”
It took all my energy to drag my wrist back to my chest. I couldn’t handle this feeling. It certainly felt like I was dying, and at this point, I would love for it to end. That would be better than living with this feeling of absolute weakness and pain.
Evrin cradled me, lifting me up to sit. “My good little mate,” he crooned. My entire being revolted at the idea. “Here, drink.”
A cup pressed to my lips, and a cool, metallic liquid spilled into my mouth. I coughed, trying to spit it out. Evrin pinched my nose with his free hand, forcing me to choke and swallow some of it down.
It was his blood, and it would turn me into a vampire.
There was nothing I could do to stop it.
The cup was back, pouring his blood in as he forced it down my throat. This was worse than death, but I promised myself that as a vampire, I would kill Evrin. If I wasn’t entirely brainwashed.
A distant noise drew his attention, and he paused, setting the cup aside. Evrin dropped me onto the bed, and my breath rushed through my blood-coated teeth.
As he rose to investigate, I turned my head to spit out as much as I could. I tried to vomit, but I was too weak to trigger it.
The door banged open, and dark figures burst in. Evrin hissed angrily, pulling out thin daggers and facing them.
“Hey bloodsucker,” a feminine voice shouted. A gun went off, the noise deafening in the small space.
Evrin dropped.
A second shot went off, and Lana crossed into my blurry vision. Her tits were squeezed into full tactical gear, and her beautiful face wore a vicious grin.
Luca reached me, lifting me up and cradling me in his lap.
“I need to puke,” I tried to say. My voice was reedy and thin.
“You’re okay,” Luca murmured, holding me against his chest. “You’re safe now. We’ve got you!”
“Luca,” I rasped. “I drank blood. I need to throw up.”
His muscles tensed against me. “Lana!”
The blonde crouched beside us. “How is she?”
“They gave her vampire blood. She says she can throw it up.” His voice shook, and my hope drained away. It was too late, wasn’t it?
“No problem,” she said. “Bend her over, yes, like that.”
Without hesitation, she shoved her fingers into my throat, gagging me until I heaved. My stomach jerking was agony, but it worked. Lana pulled her hands away as bile and blood poured from my mouth.
I choked and gasped for air as my body heaved again. “Let it out, honey,” Lana said, rubbing my back. I probably got puke on her shoes, but she stayed with me, even as Luca’s hands trembled where he held me.
“What’s wrong with her?” Cade asked, practically shouting across the small, dark space.
Lana stood. “He forced her to drink his blood, and she just threw it up. She’s fine, but weak.”
Luca slid off the bed, lifting me against his chest.
“We need to get her home. She might need a transfusion.”
Air ruffled my hair as they marched through the unfamiliar passage. Lux joined us in the hall, as well as Rhett. Who was home? An alarm went off in the back of my head, but I couldn’t reach it.
In Luca’s arms, I felt so safe, I started to drift into sleep. He jostled me, saying, “Stay with me, wildcat.”
Rude.
We walked through another door, and cool night air washed over me.
“Oh, shit, she looks bad,” someone said - Finn, maybe?
“Get the med kit,” Cade barked. “We can’t wait for home.”
“Agreed,” Luca said, laying me down across the bench seat of a van. Everything started to fade again, until a sharp pain in my arm jerked me awake .
“Ow!”
“It’s okay, but stay conscious for me, baby.” My head was in Cade’s lap. “I’m giving you some of my blood.”
“What blood type are you?” I asked blearily.
“We’re fated mates, it’s a match,” he said with a smile in his voice. The van lurched into motion, the engine rumbling as we sped down the empty city street.
The lights of skyscrapers flashed past the windows, but I was only interested in watching Cade’s profile. He rested his head back, his throat working. He was achingly beautiful.
Warm hands ran over my shins and rested on my knees. I tipped my chin to see Luca. He grinned at me. “Hey, there. Starting to feel better, wildcat?”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I think so.”
“Cade’s blood will wash away any leftover vampire shit in your system. Once you get the venom out of your blood, you’ll be good as new.”
“Thanks,” I said, tears blurring my vision. The first one ran down over my temples and into my hair.
Cade wiped his knuckles over my skin, brushing the moisture away. He shushed me, his thumb rubbing over my cheekbones. I leaned into his touch.
“You can sleep now, baby.”
That was permission enough for me.