Chapter 61 Caleb
CALEB
When Ryker steps away, the guards move forward to rip Lula from Fi, who cries out for her.
“No, please,” she begs. “Don’t take my baby. Please.”
Lula kicks her feet like the fighter I know she is, but she is no match for the two men dragging her away.
Ryker’s laughter at Fi’s distress and Lula’s crying has me seething. “I love hearing you beg,” he says with a sickening smile. “Just like when I took your husband’s life.”
I’m going to kill this motherfucker in cold blood.
Lula screams as she tries to reach out for her mother with one hand, but is restrained.
Then her eyes meet mine with pure panic, begging me to do something.
I scurry to my feet as Ryker has me frozen still.
I don’t fight the force field he’s placed around me; I need to save my energy if I’m going to pull this off.
Lula’s life will be on the line if I don’t.
“Wait,” I heave through my chest.
Ryker spares me a bored glance. “What?”
“Sacrifice me instead,” I say through heavy breaths. “Let her go, and you can have me.”
The air turns eerily quiet as everyone stares at me in shock, probably wondering why I have a death wish. But I’m getting out of here alive.
Ryker stalks towards me with narrowed eyes. “Why would I sacrifice you?”
“Because I’m sure draining your own bloodline will give you the powers you so desperately crave.”
His eyes narrow at me before he smacks me in the face. My head snaps to the side as my cheek begins to burn. “You think you can humiliate me?”
“Just speaking the truth.”
Ryker releases a low growl. “Who do you think you are?”
“Your son.” I flash him a grin to get under his skin.
“Do you really think you’re smart, trying to save that worthless girl?”
I resist the urge to strangle him; instead, I keep my breathing even.
“Because once you’re dead, nothing is going to stop me from destroying her and her pathetic mother.”
My nose twitches as I release a slow breath. “Then sacrifice me. You’re going to do it anyway. Why not get it over and done with? You want to break me, but you won’t. You never will. So take me off this Earth for good so I can stop inconveniencing you.”
Ryker’s breath brushes my face, and I try not to grimace. “I can’t wait to share the news with your beloved pack that you’re dead—nothing but dust. And once I take over, I’ll do the same to them. Including your mate, whom I will personally torture for the rest of his life. You failed them.”
I bite down on my jaw to stop myself from reacting. He won’t be able to touch a hair on Evan’s head when I’m done with him.
Ryker waves a dismissive hand, and they release Lula as Fi scrambles for her, tugging her back into her embrace. The two guards reach for me instead, pull me out of the cell, and lock it.
Lula breaks free from Fi’s grip and rushes towards the bars, gripping onto them as tears leak down her face. I don’t draw my eyes away; I keep them on her as they pull me down the hall.
I mouth one word that has her eyes widening.
Eleven.
Dominic stands at the end of the hall, his arms rigid at his sides. We lock eyes again, and I despise that I can’t tell what he’s thinking. This is the time I need him to take my lead, and prove that he wants a better life than working for my father.
When we reach the top of the stairs, my eyes burn from the lack of sunlight, but I blink through it rapidly, trying to stabilise myself as quickly as possible.
A cold rush of air hits my face, and I glance over the stained glass windows. Before I can appreciate their beauty, I’m shoved down onto my knees in the middle of the room, his four guards standing around me, holding me down by my shoulders.
Ryker starts to pace back and forth in front of me.
It’s an uneasy feeling. As if he’s trying to figure out what he’s going to do to me.
He slowly moves over to a large cabinet.
I glance over the knives, lined up perfectly.
His fingers glide over the handles of each one before gingerly picking up a smooth machete. I gulp down the tightness in my throat.
He stalks back towards me before pausing a few feet away. He inhales a deep breath and waves his hands around himself. “Now you’re here before me,” he starts, his eyes nearly glazing over. “I know this is right. The Gods want it to be this way.”
My face scrunches up. “You mean the Goddess, and she definitely doesn’t.”
He scoffs. “Oh, please. She doesn’t exist. It’s all nonsense. You honestly believe a woman could be the ruler of our kingdom?”
“Yes,” I say simply. “Because if they let men like you rule, there’d be nothing left.”
His hand raises, and he smacks me across the face with the hilt of the machete. My cheek burns as blood coats my taste buds.
“Keep talking, Caleb. I dare you.”
My nose wrinkles at his words.
“I’m talking about the dark Gods, the ones that told me exactly how to reach power beyond any creature on this planet.
And I was blinded by the thought of needing a bloodline heir, but I think all I needed was to drain you instead.
It’s the only way to get what I want. I’m certain it’ll give me immortality. ”
I've never heard so much nonsense in my life. He’s gone batshit crazy.
There’s a surprising knock at the door behind me, and I tense.
“Ah—” Ryker’s expression twists into none other than excitement. “Right on time. Our guest is here.”
My blood turns ice cold. If it’s Evan, I’ll break down. I’ll lose control. I’ll be distracted.
I have no idea what he’s done with him, but Ryker having my necklace is everything I need to know.
They came face-to-face, and that could mean anything.
He could be dead for all I know, and the bond wouldn’t even tell me.
My stomach sours at the thought, and I push down the nausea creeping up my chest.
Ryker opens the large doors, and I glance over my shoulder to find Carson strolling in. I don’t blink as he follows behind my father, completely avoiding eye contact with me.
My head guard. Working for Ryker.
“You bastard,” I murmur as he walks past.
“I told you that you had snakes in your pack, Caleb.”
Carson still won’t meet my eyes. I don’t know if it’s out of guilt or disgust.
“Look at me,” I hiss through my teeth.
But he doesn’t. I’m shaking with fury.
This is why our plan was a disaster.
This is why Evan almost died.
This is why I ended up here.
“How could you do this to me?”
Carson’s eyes clench shut, and after a few moments, he glances in my direction. “Because I had to.”
Ryker looks far too pleased with himself, and I can’t wait to rip out his throat. He takes a step towards me and reaches for my wrist before running the edge of the sharp blade down my arm. Crimson blood rises to the surface within a second, and I groan at the pain that slices through me.
My blood drips onto the floor as he smears his thumb over the cut, spreading it over my skin. He catches me by surprise as he raises his fingers and licks my blood off them. I stare back in horror as his eyes nearly roll back.
Who has this man become?
I’ve heard stories about the dark Gods and my grandparents’ experiments with contacting them, but they've always been a folklore story that even witches wouldn’t dream of dabbling in. But when it comes to Ryker, nothing is surprising.
Before I can blink, he grabs my other wrist and slices the blade across it before dropping the machete behind him. He takes my arm in both of his hands and sucks on my wound, drawing the blood out as his throat releases a haunting sound.
He releases me for a moment and speaks in a language I’ve never heard before. His eyes roll back as he reaches for my wrist again before licking up my blood, and I grimace.
A loud crash echoes from behind us and Ryker rips his mouth away from my arm, his teeth doused in my blood. His eyes are open and alert to the sound. He glances at Wes and Dominic.
“Go find out what that was,” he says gruffly.
Wes and Dominic both nod and leave before heading down the stairs to the basement. Ryker turns away and walks back to the cabinet. I flick my eyes down to the machete that is a few feet from my knees.
Two guards still have my shoulders pinned down, but they’re both watching Ryker as he picks his next weapon.
In a flash of a heartbeat, I lunge forward to grab the machete before swinging it with my right hand, slicing through the right guard's throat. He releases my shoulder and cups his hand over his neck as blood squirts out like a waterfall.
I don’t hesitate to break free from the other’s grip before swiping the machete the other way, cutting the blade through his chest. There is blood everywhere as they both stumble backwards.
When one falls to the floor, the other is still standing. I slash at his throat until his head nearly detaches from his body.
Ryker’s eyes are burning with fury as he storms back towards me, knife in hand. “What the fuck have you done?”
His hand flies out to hold me still with his powers, but I move faster. My head tilts, and I focus on his neck, tensing my eyes as I channel my energy and every single heart-wrenching emotion that pours out of me.
Evan.
My pack.
Every soul downstairs fighting for their lives.
It ends now.
Ryker’s eyes widen in horror as I breathe heavily through my nose. He claws at his throat and tries to use his powers, but I have him physically in a chokehold, and it’s fucking liberating.
My mind screams at me to stop from the pressure inside my body, but I hold on. I’m not showing a single sliver of weakness when this might be the only true chance I get to end his worthless life.
“I’m doing what I should have a long time ago,” I snap through clenched teeth.
Ryker growls deep as the knife between his fingers starts to shake, and despite holding my powers against him, he flicks his wrist an inch, and it flies through the air.