Chapter 24 #2
“Well, let’s get down to business. The courts have ordered some tests to check for anything in her bloodline.
Tarina will escort her down soon to have her blood taken.
I am still waiting to hear back on when it will be decided what will happen with your mate but seeing as you have marked her already and considering your family’s reputation, we have decided we won’t condemn her death and you won’t be punished for taking her as your mate, but we can’t allow her to remain human.
I honestly don’t know what you see in this human, but luckily for you your father has said he will leave the council if anything happens to her that would jeopardize his sons.
You’re lucky your father has stepped in on your behalf and that Maxwell has a soft spot for your father, because if it were my choice, she would already be dead,” he says peering over at me with disgust on his face.
I suddenly felt exceedingly small. I can tell humans are nothing but blood bags to this man. The way he keeps glancing at me makes my skin crawl.
“Don’t talk of my mate like that, Alaric, you may be in a position of power now but remember who got you where you are today.
Disrespect my mate again and we will have problems,” Tobias growls.
Alaric smiles challengingly at him but doesn’t glance in my direction again.
The door opens and the woman from the foyer enters, making me glance in the direction of the door.
“Go with Tarina. She will take you next door to have some blood taken,” Theo says, not taking his eyes off Alaric.
I can tell he wants nothing more but to kill the man; I feel his hatred strongly through the bond.
I creep over to the woman, and she smiles down at me before I follow her into the room next door, which is like a small infirmary, with different creatures on the wall and their anatomy.
I sit on the stool next to the steel table.
“I really don’t understand his hate for humans; we were all human at one stage, after many centuries as a vampire I think he often forgets that,” she says softly.
I relax a little, realizing she doesn’t share the same view he did.
She ties a strap on my arm before pulling a needle out of the drawer under the table and a vial.
She attaches the vial to the needle and holds my arm.
“You won’t pass out on me, will you?” I shake my head.
She is vastly different than the man next door; she is actually nice, and she kind of reminds me of Sally.
I flinch when she jams the needle in my vein.
I can tell she is holding her breath, as she holds my arm steady, letting the small vial fill with my blood.
She then withdraws the needle and places a cotton bud on it.
“I was a nurse before I was changed back in the 1800’s” she says. That explains why she looks like she knows what she is doing. She holds the vial up to the light, obviously able to see something in the red liquid that runs through my body.
“Most peculiar indeed,” she whispers so low I don’t think I was meant to hear. She then places the vial in a small box before sticking it in the fridge under the desk.
“Come on, I should take you back.”
“Is there a bathroom around here?” I ask, wanting to stall for time. I don’t want to go back in that room where I know that man is waiting and looking for any reason to kill me. Tarina nods, her hypnotic blood red eyes searching my face.
“Yes, down the hall, the last door next to the waiting area on your left.” I follow her instructions and make for the bathroom.
Just as I open the door, I notice Caroline and Josiah are no longer in the waiting room.
I wonder where they went. I step into the bathroom; it has a few stalls and three sinks and a huge mirror.
The white tiles gleam under the bright fluorescent lights.
I quickly wash my hands and wet the back of my neck. I already want to leave. Gazing in the mirror, I will myself to go back in the room and face the man. When I turn around, though, I’m not alone. I never heard the woman who stands in front of me come in.
She is gorgeous with her blonde hair and green eyes. She has soft facial features, and I can tell she has a lovely figure under her tight floor length gown.
Her eyes narrow when I stare at her face, her lips pressing into a tight line.
“You must be Tobias and Theo’s new plaything,” she says staring out me, not bothering to hide her disgust.
“I just had to see which pathetic thing they decided to take as a mate, although you are prettier than I thought you would be. So, where are they?”
“Excuse me?” I ask wondering who this stunning, yet nasty woman is standing in front of me.
“Your mates, you pathetic human, where are they?” she says leaning on the door frame. I roll my eyes and go to walk past her.
She puts her arm in my way blocking the exit. “Move,” I say glaring up at her.
“Well, aren’t you a feisty one, not even intimidated when I could snap you like twig, I figured you must have a backbone to take something that doesn’t belong to you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, now move.” She leans in closer with a smile on her lips that indicates she is up to no good. When suddenly the door bursts open and she straightens as Caroline barges in, a shocked look on her face, before it turns to anger.
“Imogen, come here,” she says, not taking her eyes off the woman, who I can tell she hates for some reason. The woman moves her arm and steps slightly aside, allowing me to pass.
“What are you doing here?” Caroline spits at the woman.
“To drop off the documents and to see for myself if the rumors were true.”
Caroline glares at the woman. “Go back to my son's, Imogen” she says, eyes still on the woman.
“I’ll be seeing you real soon, Imogen,” the woman says, throwing a smile that shows her fangs to me as I leave out.
I make my way up to the last door again and step into the room.
Alaric’s eyes snap to me as he smirks when I stride in.
I stand awkwardly, not wanting to get any closer.
Then the door is thrown open and in walks the woman from the bathroom.
Alaric smiles at her before holding out his hand, which she takes.
“I don’t believe you have met,” he says with a cruel smile.
“And they won’t be” says Theo, moving between me and the woman and cutting him off.
The woman steps forward and hits Theo in the chest with a white envelope. He growls at her.
“Next time you want to divorce someone do it in person, don’t send your parents,” she spits at him. I glance at Tobias confused, and Theo tries to pull me from the room.
I yank my hand from his before heading over to the woman and standing in front of her.
“Who are you?”
“Bianca, their wife,” she says, her voice so cold. I fight the urge to shiver. My stomach drops somewhere deep. I can feel the blood leave my face. They lied to me. I can tell she is enjoying the reaction I have to her name.
“I am also the one who gets to decide your fate,” she smiles cruelly. Tobias looks at Alaric, shock and anger on his face. “What is she talking about?” he spits, taking a step toward him.
“She is a member of the council, and since you decided to take a mate before divorcing your wife, we thought it only fair she could have a say in it, decide when your new mate will be forced to choose, death or the change,” he says.
I stare at the woman, a sly smile on her face.
One I don’t like. She is taking great pleasure in my discomfort and I know instantly I’m not going to like the next lot of words that came from those pouty lips.
“You have three days, Imogen, enjoy them; I will take great comfort in watching them snap that pretty little neck.”
Tears build up. Before they can fall, I rip my hand from Theo’s and run from the room.
I can hear yelling behind me as an argument breaks out, but I don’t care.
I just want to get as far away from here as possible.
Josiah and Caroline jump to their feet as I run past. “Imogen!” I hear her call out to me, but I just keep running.
I bump into people in my haste to get away from the nightmare that is becoming my life, only stopping when I run into Percy at the doors leading into this place.
Percy peers up at me with a red licorice strap hanging from his lips as he chews on it with his pointy teeth. He pulls the strap from his mouth, startled.
“Imogen, what’s wrong?”
“I need to leave. Let me out, please.” He glances around me. Noticing Theo and Tobias aren’t with me, he scratches his bald head nervously.
“I don’t think I should. Where are your mates?”
“Either open it or I will.”
“That’s not possible. Only supernaturals can open this door once inside.
I’m sorry, Imogen, I can’t let you leave without your mates.
” I can tell he genuinely feels bad for not being able to let me out, to escape this suffocating place.
Panic seizing every atom in my body, my heart hammering in my chest so hard, I’m afraid it was going to bounce right out of my chest. I clutch my chest trying to calm myself.
I haven’t had a panic attack in ages. I suck in a breath trying to get much needed air.
I close my eyes trying to ground myself as adrenaline starts pumping through my veins, the familiar fight or flight kicking in. Percy touches my shoulder.
“Are you okay, love?” he asks worriedly. “Your mates should be here soon. I’m sure they won’t leave you for too long. That I am certain of.”
“My mates are the fucking problem I want to escape from,” I scream, anger taking over. I’m so done with the lies, done with them getting their way. I shove past Percy and stalk to the doors.
“Open it, now” I demand. Percy takes a step back. I do feel guilty for yelling at him, but I just need out of this place, need to get away from them. Percy shakes his head.