only a step in front of us.
We turned down a second hall, our footsteps echoing on the cement
floors, before stopping in front of the final cage.
It was smaller than the others, devoid of a bed or any blankets. Only a
single bucket rested against the far wall, overflowing with piss and shit.
I plugged my nose instinctively at the repugnant smell, and Atta released
a strained cough.
A man sat in the cell, his back to us.
“We caught him a couple of days ago, attempting to kill a Council
Member,” my dad bit out scathingly. His eyes hurled daggers at the man’s
back. “A leader of the fucking human resistance.”
My eyes widened before I quickly blanked my expression.
Surely, it wasn’t the same resistance that Z once worked for. There were
dozens—if not hundreds—of groups across the globe that sought to end the
Kings’ rule. The Alphabet Resistance was only one small faction.
My pulse skittered with fear and trepidation.
“If we get him to talk, we’ll find where the others are,” my dad continued,
an eager, malicious glint in his dark eyes.
“I’d rather you kill me,” a familiar voice drawled lazily.
Oh, fuck.
He finally turned, the single bulb casting strange shadows on his face. His
auburn hair was greasy and stringy, speckled with blood, and a jagged gash
ran down the length of his cheek. When he smiled, revealing bloody teeth, he
appeared more Nightmare than human.
T.
One of Z’s closest friends and a member of the Alphabet Resistance.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“Kill you?” My father laughed, the sound so cold and chilling that my
blood turned to ice. “I’m not gonna kill you. But by the time I’m done with
you, you’ll wish you were dead.” Turning towards me, my father grabbed a
knife out of its sheath and held it out as an offering. “Would you like to do
the honors, my dear boy?”
EIGHT
Z
W hat did you bring on a mission to the Vampire Kingdom
to save your missing mate?
Pursing my lips, I surveyed the small pack I had stolen
from Devlin. So far, I had a water bottle, fresh underwear and bras, two
changes of clothes, and a few hunting knives. I didn’t know what I expected,
but I was hopeful that the mission would be successful. It had to be. I refused
to accept anything less.
I didn’t want to weigh down my bag with canned food and other non-
perishables. If worse came to worst, I would hunt for food. I had done it
before—numerous times—when I worked for the Resistance.
With a sigh, I slipped the bag over my right shoulder, slung a bow and
arrow over my left, and sheathed knives to both my thighs.
“You ready?” Killian stuck his head into the room, expression anxious
despite the hard, determined glint in his eyes.
“You don’t have to come, Kill,” I murmured, exiting my room and
locking the door. I then dropped a red tablet Bash had given me—it was
supposed to prevent any man or woman with ill-intentions from entering my
room.
“I’m coming.” Killian clenched his jaw and fisted his hands. “We all are.”
I knew that arguing with him would be futile. All of my mates were
immensely protective of me, despite the fact I was capable of kicking their
asses in a fight. Still, the backup would be much appreciated, and all of the
princes had been to the Vampire Kingdom enough times to lead me.
When we exited the Capital, my mates were standing beside a sleek black
car. Devlin and Killian were whispering amongst each other, and Ryland’s
shadowy form hovered just above the hood of the car. Bash was silently
fuming, arms crossed with a petulant pout to his lips.
“Where’s Lupe?” I questioned, noticing his absence immediately. Before
any of them could answer, the door behind me snapped open and my burly
Shifter emerged. His tanned skin was pale, ashen, and dark circles
surrounded each of his eyes. Ignoring the others, he stalked forward until he
“Z, I need you to trust me,” Lupe pleaded, eyes intent on my face. At my
furrowed brow, he leaned closer until his forehead was against my own. “I
can’t explain everything right now, but I need you to trust me.”
“I don’t understand,” I replied honestly, searching his eyes. What the hell
was he going on about?
Lupe sighed, dropping my shoulders and taking my bag from me. “I just
need you to trust me,” he said at last. “I have a plan.” Those ominous words
sent goosebumps up my spine. A niggling voice in my head demanded that I
question Lupe. But before I could articulate one of the thousands of questions
clamoring for attention, the Shifter opened the car door. “Let’s go save Jax.”
WE TOOK TWO EIGHT-PASSENGER CARS. One consisted of me
and my princes—sans Jax and an unconscious Dair —and the other had Axel
and a few guards and servants. I didn’t know why we needed them, but the
Kings were insistent.
Lupe sat beside me, jaw clenched tightly. When I tried to ask him what
was wrong, he pressed his lips into a grim line.
“Trust me,” he whispered, and there was a hint of pleading in his growly
voice.
The road through the mountains was twisty, the rocky cliffside closing in
on all sides of us. The beauty of the Capital never failed to amaze me. Even
from this distance, peeking through the boughs of trees, I was utterly
captivated. The large building sat in a valley created by the mountains. Floor-
to-ceiling windows revealed a copious amount of artificial lighting. And a
large body of water sparkled like thousands of diamonds directly beside it.
The farther away we drove, the smaller the Capital became until it was
merely a speck of dust. I found it ironic, in a demented way, how we
perceived our government to be larger than life until we were no longer in its
thrall. Only then did we realize how small it actually was.
“How long is the drive?” I questioned Lupe. When he remained taut and
tense, I rested my head on his shoulder. He seemed to physically deflate with
my contact, his body sagging in something akin to relief. He pressed a tender
kiss to my forehead.
“We’ll drive all day,” Killian answered from the passenger seat. Devlin,
of course, was driving. I didn’t expect anything else from my Genie—he
always had to take control when the opportunity arose. It was what made him
an amazing leader.
“There’s an inn just before we enter the Vampire Kingdom,” Ryland
added. His shadowy form hovered in the seat in front of me. “We’ll stop
there for the night and discuss strategies.”
“Perfect,” I murmured, yawning. The events of the past few days were
already catching up to me. My eyelids were leaden, unbearably heavy. It
proved how much I’d grown to trust these men that I was even considering
falling asleep.
“Rest,” Lupe murmured, stroking my curly hair away from my face.
“We’ll wake you up when we arrive at the inn.”
I wanted to protest, but my mouth was incapable of forming the words.
Instead, I snuggled deeper into his side, his rhythmic breathing lulling me
into a deep, soundless sleep.
I KNEW I WAS DREAMING, yet I didn’t know where I was. Weren’t
dreams supposed to be an extension of your subconscious? Wasn’t it true that
you only dreamed about things you saw in real life?
It was unbelievably dark, a single candle sitting in the middle of the
room. The orange and yellow flame flickered, casting strange shadows on the
wall and floor. It appeared to be a cell of some sort with gray stone walls on
three sides and iron bars on the fourth.
As I stepped forward, my eyes latched onto the single figure lying on his
back. A black liquid seeped out of a wound on his chest. It almost appeared
to be tar. No, not tar.
Blood.
My heart hammered as I knelt down before the painfully familiar male.
His light brown hair was longer than I remembered, matted with blood, and
his skin seemed gaunt and pale.
“Jax,” I gasped in horror, running my fingers through his hair.
His eyelids fluttered against his high cheekbones before they snapped
open, honing in on me.
“You’re not real,” he murmured, blood drizzling from his parched lips.
“Jax...” All I could do was stare at him in numb horror. This wasn’t the
eccentric man I had grown to care for. This broken, defeated man was a
stranger. I continued to smooth back his brown locks, tears distorting my
vision. My breaths were choppy, harried, as I stared at the Vampire. “Here,
take my blood.” I attempted to press my wrist against his lips, but he turned
away from me with an animalistic snarl.
“You’re not real!” he screamed, shaking his head adamantly. “You’re
not real! You’re not real! Go away! Go away!”
Ignoring his outburst, I removed a dagger from my sheath and sliced the
skin of my wrist open. Blood welled, dripping onto his dirty white shirt. His
fangs extended at the enticing smell, and his pupils turned red.
“Jax, you need to eat. You need to heal.”
“No!” he roared. Before I realized what was happening, my back was
pressed against the grimy stone wall and his lips were inches from mine.
“I’m not going to allow you to trick me again, bitch.”
My heart thrashed at the feral, unhinged glint to his eyes. Emotion
gripped the organ in an impenetrable, steadily shrinking vise. I didn’t know if
it was fear for myself or worry for him.
“Jax, please. You’re injured.”
“No! Go away, Aaliyah! Go away!” Spittle flew from his mouth as he
screamed.
“I’m not Aaliyah! It’s me. Z. It’s me!”
“Don’t lie to me again!” he screamed. “I hate you!” His hands wrapped
around my neck, no doubt leaving bruises, and tightened. My breath lodged
in my throat as I struggled futilely against his impressive, enhanced strength.
“Jax,” I wheezed, clawing at his hands. “Jax, please.”
“Get out of my head!” His voice was anguished, a broken cry, and
caused my heart to crumple.
“Jax...” Before I could finish, I was wrenched away from my crazed
Vampire mate. I had one final moment to see his eyes—tainted with darkness
and pain—before his features dissipated like smoke.
“Z, WE’RE HERE.” Ryland shook my shoulder until I groggily opened
my crusted eyelids. There was a pain in my neck from the awkward position I
had fallen asleep in, and my limbs felt like spaghetti.
“Huh? What?” I murmured, rubbing at my eyes. My skin felt raw and
blotchy as if I had been crying. All I could recall were the snippets of the
strangest dream...
Try as I might, I couldn’t firmly grasp the elusive memory. It trickled
through my cupped palms like water.
“You okay?” Ryland asked worriedly. His shadowy hand touched my
forehead and then my cheek. I swatted it away irritatedly.
“I’m fine. Just a strange dream.”
A dream that I couldn’t remember, no matter how hard I strained.
Frowning, I stretched my taut muscles and surveyed our surroundings for
the first time since I awoke.
Both cars appeared to be stopped in front of a modest, two-story log
building. Numerous windows allowed a copious amount of light to escape
through, illuminating the darkened parking lot. I didn’t see the rest of my
mates, and my worry increased instantly. I didn’t like having them out of my
sight. I knew they were big men and could protect themselves, but I liked the
responsibility of watching over them falling solely on my shoulders. It made
me feel...needed. Important. Somehow worthy of these seven men who had
clawed their way into my heart.
“We’re at the inn for the night,” Ryland explained, lazily running his
fingers through my tangled hair. “We’ve been driving all day.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?” I demanded immediately, already pushing
open the car door and grabbing my bow and arrows from my pack. Ryland
chuckled darkly, placing a restraining hand on my shoulder.
“Because we’re in Vampire territory now, my little dove. They don’t take
too kindly to humans.” There was a bite to his tone that I hadn’t heard before.
“Not even the Kingdom’s assassin?” I retorted, crossing my arms over
my chest.
“Not even her,” he replied easily. “Devlin is checking us into a couple
rooms, and Killian is contacting Dair. When he wakes up, he’s going to be
livid that we left without him.” There was a warning and a reprimand in his
voice. Instantly, guilt flooded me like a ten-foot tall tidal wave. I hadn’t
wanted to leave my Mermaid mate behind, especially when he was still
healing, but I didn’t have a choice. We only had five days to find and rescue
Jax. Defying the Kings would lead to my inevitable death. I knew Dair would
understand, but that didn’t negate the crippling guilt and hurt.
“And Axel and company?” I asked dryly. I hadn’t seen the ex-assassin yet
this trip, thank fuck. I didn’t know what I would do if I ran into him. Stab
him with a spoon? Probably.
“Already checked in.” Ryland’s voice was tight, heady with tension, but
before I could comment, he gripped my hand and pulled me towards the inn.
We had just reached the front entrance when muffled voices reached me.
“...fucking dumbass,” Bash hissed vehemently. “You need to fix it.”
“I’m trying,” Lupe snarled. The sound was so unlike my sweet Bear
Shifter that I paused mid-stride.
“You should tell her,” Bash continued, ignoring Lupe’s outburst. “Before
she finds out—”
“Hello, boys,” Ryland purred, interrupting my eavesdropping. I knew he
damn well did that on purpose. Stupid, sexy, shadowy asshole.
He dragged me towards the door where Bash and Lupe were huddled
together, deep in conversation. Both men sprang apart, flashing me identical,
sheepish smiles. Well, Lupe’s was sheepish. Bash’s just appeared annoyed as
if he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to stab someone or stab himself.
“What’s going on?” I queried, gl
ancing from one man to the other.
Ryland tightened his grip on my hand almost imperceptibly, tension
thrumming through his body.
“Nothing,” all three men said instantly. Bash threw Lupe a dirty look,
eyes scathing, before turning towards Ryland.
“We need to talk about Z,” Bash told the others, changing the subject.
“What about Z?” I asked, cocking my hip to the side and raising my
eyebrow. Again, the guys exchanged wary looks.
“You’re human,” Lupe began, fumbling over those two words. Twin red
splotches erupted on his cheeks.
“Wow. Do you want a reward for your detective skills?” I snarked. His
blush deepened before he took a fortifying breath.
“You’re human, Z, in a kingdom that considers humans food. You need
to be careful and smart.”
I glanced from one face to the next, but Bash refused to meet my
inquiring gaze. And Ryland, the coward, remained in the shadows.
“What exactly do you mean?” I asked, my thin patience splintering. My
hands balled into fists. “Spit it out.”
“Oh, what the hell,” Bash murmured before he lifted his head and met my
gaze directly. His emerald green eyes were speckled with flecks of gold,
somehow making the color even more enticing and beautiful. “You can’t be
Z our mate while we’re here. For your own protection. If they knew what you
meant to us—if they knew you were our mate—they would kill you.” He
took another deep breath as if bracing himself for war. “While we’re here,
you need to be our servant. Our slave.”
Could you really blame me for punching the asshole in the face?
NINE
DAIR
M y sleep was restless—I tossed and turned all through the
night, only to be woken by streaks of yellow from the moon
penetrating the closed window.
Groaning, I rubbed my freshly healed cheek against my pillow. It smelled
vaguely like my body cologne, though I would’ve much preferred to wake up
beside Z’s sweet, pomegranate smell.
Pain gripped my sore muscles as I stretched.
The last couple of weeks had been hell. I knew my father would retaliate
after I killed Tavvy, but I hadn’t expected the extent of his delusions.
Immediately upon our return, he strapped me to that disgusting bed in the
slaves’ quarters and removed both my legs. His blade had cut through