Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
After showering, I slip on one of Tobias’s shirts when a phone rings.
My fingers twitch. I want nothing more than to grab it and beg whoever is on the other end of the line for help.
It's a good thing I hold that impulse back though because Tobias heads to where it lay on the charger and answer it. "What?" he snaps, with a growl..
Theo comes out of the shower using a towel to work on his wet head. Theo raises a brow. "What's going on?" he demands. He pauses, reading something on Tobias's face, and nods. "I can go."
Tobias hangs up on whoever it is, a deep crease in his forehead.
But at least his eyes haven't changed. That is when I'd worry.
Besides, I haven't done anything else to upset him, I should be safe for a time.
"You're not going," Tobias snaps at Theo.
He sighs. "I will." He stomps off to the closet to get dressed.
"You'll be staying with Imogen," he orders before coming out in a suit.
“Where are you going?” I ask, although I’m pretty sure it was a work call.
“Work," Tobias snaps. "You're staying with Theo, and I expect you to behave."
“I’m not a child, Tobias. Don’t speak to me like that.”
He raises an eyebrow at my protest. "I'm not in the mood for your sass right now. I'll be back."
I know it’s pointless, but I have to try. “Why not take a trip together? We could all go and I can grab my things."
Tobias pauses buttoning his cuffs and gives me a long look. “No, you don’t leave here, Imogen.”
“Why?" You make no sense. I can’t just rot here." Tobias's hands clenched and unclenched. He ignores me, finishing up his buttons, I move toward him and he grips my hands, before letting them go. I take over the buttoning of his shirt. Maybe a new tactic.
“Please? I will stay with Theo, I promise.” Uh oh. A vein is popping out on his neck. I’m pushing him to his brink again. He'd almost drowned me last time, who knew what his punishment would be the next.
“No! I am sick of this argument. You’re not leaving, Imogen, so stop asking.” His eyes grow dark, locking on me.
Theo comes behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. “I will watch her. She will be fine, Tobias, then I will bring her back here safe and sound.”
Tobias's eyes glint. He shoves Theo away from me, knocking him to the ground. Tobias pushes me to the side. Theo's eyes have turned a solid crimson. He springs up from the ground and shoves Tobias back, hard.
Tobias's skin ripples. Appearing as if a wave is beneath it.
No doubt an early sign of him preparing to shift.
He grabs Theo's shirt, yanking him forward.
His eyes now completely black. I grab Tobias's hand that is clutching Theo.
"Please," I plead once more. I know it’s probably on deaf ears. This man is dangerous.
Tobias lets go of Theo, throwing him to the ground before he grabs me by my neck.
I squeak as he squeezes and my air is pressed out.
He picks me up, squeezing tighter and tighter.
Spots dance in my vision. His anger knows no bounds.
I claw at his hands, nails sinking into his skin.
I struggle to speak, to gasp, to do anything but he just kept squeezing.
My struggles increased for a momentary moment before I go limp. I can't fight anymore.
Tobias lets me go at the same moment Theo tackles him, both falling to the ground. I collapse to my hands and knees gasping. I can't stop coughing as I try to get air back into my system. Why was it always air with this guy?
They're both on the ground fighting now. I can't tell who is winning as they keep rolling over and punching each other. I crawl the best I can on my hands and knees. My windpipe feels like it’s been crushed in a vice. I can still make out the imprint of every finger on my neck.
Tobias looks over from his fight with Theo and his eyes come back in a second when he sees me on the floor trying to breathe.
Instead of the familiar rage, horror dawns on his face.
He pushes away from Theo and grabs me into his arms. I use all the strength I have to push him away.
I don't want him to touch me. "Stay away from me," I manage to whisper at him.
I don't think I can talk louder than that.
Tobias reaches for my cheek. “I didn’t mean to.
You can’t touch me when I’m like that.” His fingers tilt my chin up, exposing my neck.
His eyes widen, taking in the damage he caused.
"I'm sorry," he whispers, letting me go.
He turns away from us, leaves, and slams the door behind him.
I continue staring at the door waiting to see what else will happen.
Theo steps closer to me, offering me his hand.
I gratefully take it, letting him pull me to my feet. I don't have much strength at all left.
Theo takes a deep breath before gazing deep into my eyes. "Imogen, he wouldn't have hurt me. Don't ever do that again." He pulls me into his arms to try to take the sting away, I suppose. "We aren't human, you have to remember that. We're not breakable like you."
I go stiff in his grip. Is he going to blame me, too? I push him away, storming into the closet myself and grabbing a random pair of pants. I don't know what to say to him, besides wanting to scream at him. But with my throat like this, I don't think I'd be able to even manage that.
Theo took the pants I'd picked out away, handing me another pair that looked like they might actually work. “Don’t be upset, he feels guilty enough. He is just on edge because I haven’t marked you yet. He will settle down once I have.”
I glare at him. "So nice of you both to decide everything for me. You're always getting involved in my business. I have my own life." It hurt to speak so much, but I push on. "Why is marking so important? You men are infuriating. Why couldn’t I have been gay?”
Theo snorts before pulling me into him. I stiffen again. No matter how mind-blowing the sex is, I’m not about to forgive this so easily. They could have killed me, and it isn't the first time. If I don't do something, I’m going to die here.
“Because Tobias has only marked you. The mark isn’t complete, and you can still leave.”
I lift my head at the word. “Leave?” I’m confused. If I can do that, why is Tobias acting like I’m his little sex slave? Maybe that’s a bit harsh, but it’s accurate enough. The only time he is nice to me is when he is playing my body like a harp.
“Yes, once I have marked you, you will be bound to us for eternity. The bond will never allow you to leave, and you won’t want to, anyway. The bond gets stronger, you will be able to feel what we feel, and us you.”
“Just from you marking me?” I resist the urge to touch Tobias's mark. I had no idea these things are that powerful. So far they are just really good sex toys. Well sex toys for me, I don't know if the men get anything out of it, and at this point, I don't care. I'll be selfish on that.
“Yes, after a few days and your mark is healed, you won’t want to leave us. Before then, though, you can reject us. That’s what scares Tobias.”
“But he has already marked me. How can I leave?” I almost snort. Tobias scared? There is no way that would ever happen.
“Because Tobias and I are fated mates, just the same as you’re ours, so his mark is like half, mine is the other half. It won’t be complete until I mark you. If you leave, it will destroy him, and after a few years, you will forget about us.”
Do I want to forget about them? I’m not sure what I want.
I’m torn between the life we almost had at the apartment, a normal life, that I would have given into without a thought in the world, and the fact they kidnapped me to the middle of nowhere.
I’m torn. There were times when I saw us being able to be happy together, as crazy as that sounds, but here I’m just their prisoner.
I can't even go to the apartment, where my mother is still sitting in her box. That thought upsets me, I haven’t even had a chance to release her.
I sigh and leave. Theo follows behind me as I walk down the stairs and into the living room.
I plop down on the couch. Theo sits much more delicately beside me.
I lean over, putting my head in his lap.
I don't want to have to think right now.
I want comfort. "Won't it hurt?" I ask softly.
He strokes my hair, running his hands through it. "You marking me."
“Yes, but Tobias will help.”
“What do you mean?” I ask with a frown. I’m not sure I like that idea. Will he do something worse to me?
“He will distract you from the pain. It will hurt initially, then it will be pleasurable like it was for you and him. But you being my mate and human complicates it a little. I’m a vampire, so I will want to feed on you.
" I wince. I'd seen enough vampire movies to know what happens to vampires in blood lust. That doesn't sound like a fun way to go.
"Tobias will make sure I stay in control.
" He strokes my head again. " He won’t let me hurt you, Imogen.”
I nod. The memory of Tobias's bite is fuzzy, I dimly remember unspeakable pain then my brain being racked by pleasure. I don't mind the pleasure, but the pain? That is scary.
“Want to watch a movie?” he asks, distracting me from my thoughts.
“On what? There is no TV.”
Theo reaches over me to the coffee table and grabs a remote control out of the drawer.
He presses a button and the painting above the fireplace opens.
Only it isn't a painting, it is a cupboard hiding the TV. Really? This could have saved so much boredom! Not that I had actually been bored. But still, I hadn’t even noticed it. Theo selects a movie and presses play.
“How do you have service when I can’t even get cell service?”