17. Lumi
Chapter 17
Lumi
T he world freezes at my words.
All movement ceases, and the creatures in front of me go still as a statue. I count them: two males and one female.
With a flash, two witches appear out of thin air.
I blink as if I’m imagining them. But I know the two female witches that appeared are as real as the three vampires. I’ve always known of their existence, but it’s still hard for me to get used to the idea of them actually existing.
The vampire sinking his teeth into Emeric releases him, spitting out a wad of fur as blood oozes down Emeric’s sandy hue.
“Stay wolf,” the vampire snaps at him, and I realize he tasted some of Emeric’s blood, which means he has the ability to control Emeric.
“Leave him alone!” I shout, terrified they’ll kill him.
Emeric stops moving, but he’s still breathing. Even I can see that from here, as my eyesight sharpens in the night.
“And why would you offer yourself up?” the blonde-haired vampire with a charming grin to rival Emeric’s asks.
I frown. “He’s my friend, and he doesn’t deserve to die. Let him go, and you can have me.” I don’t know what possesses me to say the words that leave my mouth. They could move on me in less than a second. Their fangs, speed, and magic would defeat me before I even had a chance to turn toward the door.
“Does it matter why she wants to trade, Draven? Make the trade, and let’s go,” the shorter, bulkier one says with jet-black hair.
“Silence, Nikolai,” Draven says, appearing to act as their leader.
Nikolai rolls his eyes, seemingly unfazed by Draven’s tone.
The female vampire scoffs.
“You can’t agree with him, Vespera,” Nikolai says.
“Patience,” Vespera says, watching me closely.
All of their blood-red eyes are watching me without blinking. They are waiting for something. But what?
For Ambrose to come to rescue me?
If he hasn’t already come to my rescue, I fear he won’t make it in time.
“Hmmm,” Vespera says, turning toward Draven.
“What do you want?” I ask. My eyes cut to Emeric, looking for any clue as to what they are doing here and what they could possibly want.
Emeric barely shakes his head. I know he’s telling me to run, to get into the house like he told me to earlier.
I grind my teeth together. “ Not happenin g,” I shoot back mentally to him, even though I know he won’t get my message.
One of the witches steps forward, until she’s standing next to Draven. She’s in long, white, willowy robes that her long white hair blends into. I can’t imagine the witches spend all their time in these robes, but so far, it’s the only thing I’ve seen them wear.
“You were right, Serenity,” Draven says.
“You’re a brave, foolish girl,” Serenity says, studying me a minute longer. They all study me, still waiting.
“Let Emeric go and take me in his place,” I say again, knowing I’m exactly as Serenity called me—brave and foolish. If they do take me, I’ll be dead by the end of the night.
Time goes still once again. All eyes lock in on me—waiting. Then I realize what they’re waiting for, a second before they say it.
“You really can’t shift?” Vespera says, whipping her long, thick brown curls over her shoulder in annoyance.
“I—” I start.
“She can shift,” Ambrose’s deep voice booms through the courtyard as his breath heats the skin of my neck. My entire body burns and aches to lean back into his chest, for his arms to wrap around me in a comforting embrace.
But I don’t dare move, and he doesn’t move to touch me either.
“But why waste her time doing so on the likes of any of you? You can hear her heart, how steady it is. She’s not afraid of any of you. But you should now all be afraid of me. Leave before I rip out your throats,” Ambrose growls.
I finally get the touch I’ve been seeking, but it doesn’t offer me any comfort. Ambrose grabs my bicep and practically throws me through the backdoor of his house.
“Will Emeric—?” I start, but Ambrose cuts me off.
“He’s fine,” he snaps.
“But—”
Ambrose moves so fast, stopping only millimeters in front of my face. I’ve never seen anyone move that fast, not even the attacking vampires I just witnessed.
My heart is pounding fast in my chest. It seems it only responds like that to Ambrose.
He growls. It’s an authoritative growl that rings through every bone in my body. A growl meant to serve as an alpha command.
He turns, and I feel the pull to follow him. I don’t speak, just follow. Step by step, my heartbeat quickens with each step.
I want to look back to see if Emeric is safe inside the house or if the others left so easily. Could Emeric really take on three vampires and two witches alone while under the mind control of a vampire? I don’t think so. But Ambrose is confident he’ll be fine.
I don’t look back. My eyes are laser-locked on Ambrose’s bare, muscled back, contracting with each step he takes. And then up to his hair that he’s pulled half up in a loose bun.
He opens a door I haven’t been through and starts walking down the steep staircase, not bothering to flick on the lights. But then, why would he when his vision is perfect in the dark?
Thankfully, mine is as well, or I’d be falling down the steep staircase.
Every instinct I have tells me not to follow Ambrose down the stairs. And yet, there’s a tiny part of me that tells me I must follow. That’s the part I have hope in. The part of me that is still a wolf. The part of me that is capable of shifting.
We reach the bottom of the stairs before Ambrose whips around.
“You disobeyed me,” Ambrose growls.
“Yes,” I nod.
“I can’t trust you.”
“I can’t trust you, either.”
He shakes his head. “Then you leave me no choice.”
Before I can open my mouth to ask what he’s talking about, I’m moved. My feet are lifted off the ground, and I’m set roughly down a few feet away. Then I hear the quick clanking of metal doors.
“Do not leave this cell,” Ambrose roars, the alpha command washing over me in an unbreakable order.
Ambrose locked me in a cell in his basement and used an alpha command on me to ensure I stayed put, all for trying to save his friend’s life. Ambrose can’t be my mate. We are never going to recover from this.
And yet, even as I think the words, they aren’t true. I know with every part of my being that Ambrose is my mate. Only the two of us can break the curse. But first, I want to break a few of Ambrose’s bones for locking me in this cage. Then I’ll figure out how to fall in love with the bastard.