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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
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THE VICTIMS CHAPTER NINETEEN
When Aric's icy hand came down on my knee, I was startled and couldn't help but jump backward.After observing my response, he apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to startle you." You just looked unhappy."She sighed and wiped a tear from her pale face before saying, "I'm OK."Aric removed his hand and said, "You know," before adding, "you're a terrible liar."Liberty sniffed as she looked at him and apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, I was thinking about my mom." The past few days have been consumed by her concern for my well-being. I only wished there was a way to get the message across to her."When we get to town," he added, immediately taking his eyes off the road to gaze at her, "I will arrange for you to give her word that you are safe if you like." He continued by saying that he would do this for her if they reached their destination."Really?" I inquired, well aware of how my expression brightened.He nodded in agreement and turned his attention back to the road before
THE VICTIMS CHAPTER TWENTY
Aric whispered, "I'm sorry," and drew me into the darkness, holding her face in his hands. "I was helpless to stop it.With a swish of his hand, he cleared his hair from his face and said, "You know who I am; you know the position I hold. You can't talk to me like that in front of others."Liberty, fighting back the tears, was silent."Is that what you mean?"He let go of her face with a hiss and shook her by the shoulders.She shook with anxiety and said, "Yes."Aric groaned, grabbed her arm, and dragged her to his car, saying, "Fine."Aric opened the door and waited anxiously for her to enter; once she did, he slammed the door and leaned against it, attempting to calm himself.A knot formed in his chest despite his understanding that he had been forced to punish her for publicly criticizing him in such a public forum.Aric whipped out his phone and typed a hasty text before jogging over to his vehicle and slipping the key inside.Aric started his car and drove out of the parking lot
THE VICTIMS CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
This was the first time I'd ever spoken before my turn; even I understood that dogs and slaves weren't supposed to do that; f*ck, we learned that in kindergarten.I'd tried to flee after jumping out of Aric's car, but I had no clue where to go. My house would be the first place they'd go, and my mother would be questioned even if she didn't know where I was.Even if I had eluded Aric, another vampire would have found me, and I would have been lucky to be brought to him because I was in the heart of a city ruled by vampires.I noticed the yearning in his eyes when he finally caught me.I recalled the day my father took me to view the ancient clock tower and told me stories of Spokane before the takeover as we crossed the river.The city formerly housed 20,000 people from all walks of life, had a vibrant economy and was quite secure despite its higher than average crime rate.Even though I knew these were only the things his parents had taught him, seeing contented families lounging in
THE VICTIMS CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Aric was relieved to be back in his own house, where he could relax and stop worrying about being seen as "the heir."He left Liberty in the hallway and headed down the second level to his lodgings. When he opened the door, he found Henry, his best buddy, arranging some clothes in the boxes. .He called out to Henry, letting go of Liberty so he could give his pal a big hug, "I'm delighted to see you've come through as usual."Henry wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Well, you're lucky that your new pet and Josephine wear the same size. Otherwise, you would have been out of luck."Aric groaned, his expression sad, "Ah, Josephine." "How are you doing, my broken engagement?"She's passing through men like a racing hooker, his friend sighed.He then joked, "If I went through guys half as rapidly as my sister does, I would need more than vampiric immunity to keep the venereal diseases away."He made Aric chuckle, and Aric enjoyed being with his longest friend.He shook his head a
THE VICTIMS CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Right after our food was brought to the table, Aric made me try on every single item of clothing his buddy had left behind.Embarrassed, I took off everything but my underpants and accepted the shirts and pants he offered.Some of them he said were completely out of the question and threw away as soon as I removed them, while others he seemed pleased with, demanding that I twist and turn so he could examine me from every angle.He continued, clearly intent on exhausting himself and the entire library before he allowed me to take a break.Except for trips to the restroom, I spent the entirety of that time standing in the center of the room, removing and reapplying to clothe until my muscles cramped and hurt.At last, we were finished, and I was permitted to keep on the final ensemble, a cozy red sweater with jeans.I tried hard not to react negatively as I saw him reach for me.He sighed and dragged me to his bed, where he sat me down, so I was facing him.Ultimately, he ran his finger
THE VICTIMS CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
When Aric returned from hunting and saw the stack of papers on his desk, he swore at the heavens.After only a week, the pile of work on his desk threatened to topple over.Taking a seat, he mentally played Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Moe to decide which stack to attack first.He chose the stack on the left and prayed for the energy to go through the long day managing his family's business empire.Even though Aric understood his father could delegate much of the work—allotments for slaves, control over outlying areas of the city, demands extra blood allowances from the Carthage Faction—he still felt compelled to keep his son pinned down beneath its weight.Aric sat back, drinking from an empty cup. He considered getting more, but he wasn't that thirsty.Aric decided to take care of one more file before leaving for the day, but his heart sank as soon as he opened it.He had to read it repeatedly before comprehending what he was seeing.After reading that his father had renewed his engagement with
THE VICTIMS CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
My heart sank as I heard the shouts reverberate through the house. I immediately abandoned the shirt I was folding and sprinted to the door to assist the injured party.I tried to get out, but I'd forgotten I was trapped, so I cut my forehead open on the wooden door.More screams followed the initial ones, and they were suddenly silenced each time they were repeated. All of the dying cries were dreadful.When I put my ear to the door, I could hear the commotion of numerous individuals passing in the corridor. Distant, hushed voices trying to talk over one other.I banged my fist against the door and yelled, "Hello?" hoping to get a response. "Hello?"Those on the other side of the gap didn't even bother to halt before continuing their escape. Only after they had already left did I hear the distant banging of doors.The voice of someone calling, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!!!" caught my attention. It sounded like Aric, but it wasn't Aric.Outside, I could hear the approaching
THE VICTIMS CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Liberty pleaded, "Please," as she fought to free herself from his grip. Don't murder me, okay?As Aric let the words sink in, he was brought back to the present.His back collapsed as he took stock of the destruction he'd wreaked.As he heard her breaths becoming shallow again, he rushed back to her side to examine the cuts on her neck and gently move her hands out of the way.To think on his feet, he bent down and licked the cut, feeling encouraged to see it begin to close.Using vampire saliva to change one's appearance was a secret technique only a select few of the human race knew about. They needed human blood for survival, but their victims' wounds healed after being licked with their saliva, so they had to rip at the flesh to keep the blood flowing.For Liberty's sake, he had better be quick about it.He nearly exsanguinated and strangled her to death at the same moment, but eventually, the skin closed, leaving just a tiny pinkness behind.He put his ear to her chest out of wor
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