[Rosalie’s POV]
“You're shaking like a limb,” Diego chuckles, finding amusement in my fear. “What exactly do you fear I will do? Do you think I will fuck you here in the open for all to watch? Or do you think I will kill you?”
Opening my mouth, I prepare to respond with the latter but remain silent, knowing my response didn't matter.
“Just do it!” I hiss, closing my eyes. “Why waste time taunting when you've already won?”
For a moment, Diego doesn't speak, and all that can be heard are groans and guttural snarls that indicate that the hunt is over and all those who have been auctioned lost. And when he continues to remain silent, I open my eyes to find that he is looking down at me with disgust in his eyes as he too listens to what is happening around us.
“Is that what you want?” He suddenly asks, taking me by surprise. “For me to rape you right here and now?”
My eyes widen as I take in each and every one of his words, which are laced with venom. Wasn't that why he bought me so that he could do as he pleased? If not, then what exactly was his reasoning, and why did he remove my shirt?
“I hate to break it to you, little criminal,” he continues, baring his teeth in rage. “I am not one to force myself on anyone, and when I do fuck, my partners are willing participants.”
“Then why…” I begin, but stop as he pulls something from his back pocket. It looks like a simple box, but when he opens it, I see a glowing ring.
With wide eyes, I watch as he puts it on his finger and then brings it down between my breasts, burning the flesh there.
“STOP!” I shriek, unable to ignore the burning pain I’m feeling while the scent of charred flesh reaches my nose, threatening to make me hurl. “PLEASE!”
At my words, Diego pulls away the ring and takes in his handy work, and once he is sure that it is to his liking, he gets off of me.
For a moment, I don’t move as I examine his proud face while trying to determine exactly what it was that he was even up to. If he didn’t buy me to use me as a toy, then what other reason was there?
“Get up,” he orders when I continue to not move. “Don’t you dare think I’m going to pick you up.”
Despite his words, I continue to lay there, listening to the sounds around me and fixing my gaze on the labyrinth ahead. What exactly would happen if I were to just get up and run again? Would he kill me for my lack of obedience? I was half-tempted to try.
“Do it, and you’ll regret it,” Diego warns, seeming to read my mind. “I’ve already won this game.”
Giving the chance at freedom one last look, I slowly get to my feet, and once I’m up, my throat is being cuffed and I’m being yanked.
Eyes widening, I reach up and claw at the collar that Diego has placed on me, making me no better than an animal.
“Did you think I was just going to let you follow on your own?” He chuckles. “You’re my pet, and as such, you should be treated like one.”
Pet. He was saying that I was a pet and much lower than a sex slave or breeder.
‘Kill him,’ the darkness hisses, attempting to come forward only to be blocked by some invisible force. ‘What?’
Instantly, shock rushes through me as I understand the purpose of the collar.
He knows. Diego knows what I’m capable of, and this collar he has placed on me is his way of making sure that I don’t retaliate and attempt to kill him like I did my husband and his bastard guard dogs.
“Don’t look so shocked,” Diego calls, watching me over his shoulder. “Did you really think I would allow you to freely use your gift?”
Gift? Was he really calling the thing that threatened to consume me on a daily basis a gift? If anything, it was a curse. One that would end up destroying not only me but all those around me one day.
“Don’t just stand there!”
Gasping, I find myself being pulled forward so that I’m sent crashing to the hard earth below, and instead of stopping to allow me the chance to get up, Diego continues to move, dragging me along behind him while all those present watch in amusement. It is only when we reach the exit of the labyrinth that he pulls me up by my leash to show me and my marked body to the crowd.
“You see this woman!” He booms, continuing to hold me up while the collar around my throat chokes me. “She is mine, and if any of you dare to touch her, I’ll fucking kill you without a second thought.”
“Why?” I hiss, not understanding the point of him staking his claim on me like this. “Why are you doing all of this?”
“Because you’ve got something I need,” he responds simply, releasing me, so I go crashing to the ground once more. “And once I’ve used you to the foolest, I’ll personally kill you with my own hands.”
After that, I’m dragged forward and out of the game arena, where I am thrown into the trunk of a car. Once I’m in place, it is slammed shut, leaving me in complete darkness that reminds me too much of my dark cell back in Blood Moon.
“No,” I whisper as the phantoms from that time begin to swarm me. “No! Go away! Please!” I cry, feeling their claws scraping against my skin. “PLEASE LET ME OUT! NO!”
However, no amount of pleading frees me. Instead, I feel the car jerk forward, taking me from my latest hell to another, while I wish that it would just all end.
“Please let me die!” I beg the goddess while squeezing my eyes shut in hopes of making the phantoms disappear. “Please just end my misery!”
“I can’t.”
The voice is faint, so faint that I’m not sure if I heard it or if I imagined it.
“I’m sorry.”
“What?” I gasp, my eyes flying open. “Why?”
Nothing more is said after that, and I truly begin to think that I just imagined the whole thing, but something deep down in me knows that what I heard was the goddess. But why couldn’t she end me and free me of this pain? Was she forsaking me just like everyone else had in my life?
‘You’re alone,’ the darkness giggles. ‘All alone! You’re a monster, and no one will ever love or want you!’
‘You’re right,’ I respond, curling in on myself. ‘I’m a monster.’
I was a monster from the moment I was born. That was the reason mom’s village didn’t accept me and the reason I was locked away, and now it was the reason I would be used as a tool for Diego.
[Ciaran’s POV]I lead my little mate through the bar and out toward the parking lot while everything in me screams to stop this and just leave her. However, unlike the first time we met, the bond feels so much stronger, and I can’t stop my wolf as it begs to have a taste of her. And frankly, this evening I wasn’t in the mood to be cautious, not when fate was continuing to bring her to me. However, there was something that didn’t make sense and that bugged the fuck out of me.She recognized me and my threat.Frowning, I reach my car and yank open the door to the backseat, and not wasting any time, I throw her inside and then climb in, slamming the door behind me. And once inside, I’m trapping her wrists between my hand, taking note of how fucking tiny they feel in my grasp. All I had to do was squeeze a little, and they would break.A human. I was mated to a fucking human. Me. Mated to such a weak being. What kind of fucking joke was this?“Why?” I grunt, trying to make sense of what w
[Chanel’s POV]My body buzzes with a delicious energy due to Anthrose marking me. Even though I’m exhausted from the ordeal that I’ve suffered through, I feel so invigorated that it leaves me stunned. However, by the looks of Anthrose and even Gil, who silently slumps to the side, I know that not all of us are going to be able to search for the artifacts needed to save Rosalie and Diego.“Anthrose,” I say quietly, letting him slump against me. “We should let Sam and the others find the artifacts.”“What are you saying?” Anthrose demands, jerking away. “How can we possibly…”He doesn’t finish his words before he is collapsing again, and I know that he isn’t going to fight me if I drag his ass out of here. But I know that even I won’t be able to do that, not when I needed to support Gil.“Are you able to walk?” I ask, deciding to not scold him for trying to act like he was fine. “Or should I…”“I can walk.” He assures me, slowly standing. “What about you?”“I’m fine,” I admit, joining h
[Anthrose’s POV]Joy rushes through me as the taste of blood explodes on my tongue. Goddess, it tastes so good, especially mixed with the fear that is trickling from the one that I’m slowly ripping limb from limb. It’s all I can taste, all I can feel, all I can focus on.That’s it. The darkness in me purrs. Kill. Kill everyone.Kill everyone. Right. I needed to kill everyone because they’re the ones who did this. This was their fault. They were the reason I was left with no other choice but to embrace the beast that I always kept in the shadows.Kill.The word repeats itself in my mind again and again until I feel hands wrapping around me, pulling at me, all of them attempting to stop me from killing the one beneath me.“Anthrose.”“Stop it.”“We need him alive.”Bullshit. We didn’t need this bastard alive! He deserved to die because he…The rest of my thought gets lost as a sweet scent slams into me, drawing my gaze to the single figure who lays on the ground clutching their abdomen.
[Chanel’s POV]I stare on, watching as Anthrose and the rest of his group surge forward, attacking the guards who were just sneering at me, and I can’t help but laugh at the difference in their demeanors.“Cowards,” I spit, sitting up and snapping my thumbs back into place. “Acting all high and mighty until actual danger appears.”As I speak, I grab the chains that are holding my ankles and begin to pull while ignoring the pain that shoots through me. Fuck, they were strong, but I was stronger. Soon enough, they begin to crack and then break apart, allowing me to finally get up and move to Gil’s side.“Just hang in there a bit longer, alright?” I tell him, clutching his cuff and starting to fight with it. “Then we will get you out of here and…”“No!” Gil gasps before breaking into a coughing fit. “We can’t just leave!”Frowning, I take in his words, trying to make sense of what it is that he is saying, but I don’t get to question him further before pain shoots through me and my body a
[Anthrose’s POV]The next morning we move out the minute the warm sun begins to paint the ground that we sleep on. After a quick breakfast, we head out with me leading the way since I’m the only one who can get a feel for the location that we are searching for.Together, we silently move across the island while keeping our senses alert in case of a surprise attack. However, the expected never happens, and by the time we are close to our destination, I can’t help but feel like all of this is too easy, and by the tension I feel from my companions, I know that they’re feeling the same.“Up ahead,” Sam murmurs, coming to my side. “I can see it.”Nodding, I take in the shining figure that I’m certain is the temple, noting the dark aura that radiates around it. Even from here I could tell that the things residing within were something the normal wolf wouldn’t want to approach, but given what we were fighting for, I wasn’t going to let it stop me.“Prepare yourselves.” I announce, letting my
[Anthrose’s POV]For the rest of the day, I search the island for a sign of where Chanel and Gil may be, but come up empty. And when my group can’t seem to move anymore, I have to call the search to a halt. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t continue to keep my connection with the earth, searching while dinner is made.It’s a silent ordeal, as I’m certain that the entire group is feeling the weight of what is at hand and what we may encounter when we find the ones we are searching for. I could only assume that a fight was waiting for us, and it was because of that that I even agreed to res.Sighing, I close my eyes and let myself slip deeper into a trance, searching until I feel something press against my consciousness that snaps me to alertness as hope flares through me along with a longing that I’ve never felt before.‘Chanel,’ I whisper, not daring to truly believe that I’m feeling what I am. ‘Is that you?’For a moment, all I’m met with is silence, causing me to believe that
[Anthrose’s POV]My body screams at me, begging me to stop, to take a break, but I can’t stop moving. Behind me, I can hear noises of complaint and exhaustion escaping my companions, making it clear that they’re feeling the same thing as me. However, I can’t stop moving; I won’t stop moving; just the thought of stopping makes me so damn anxious I want to fucking destroy something. I can’t stop the feeling that if I stop looking even for a second, Chanel will vanish completely.Shivering, I try not to think of a world where she doesn’t exist somewhere. Sure, it was one thing to keep my distance and allow her to live the life that she deserves, but to even think of her not being somewhere alive and happy damn near kills me.‘Chanel.’ I call to the darkness, hoping and praying that by some miracle she will respond to me. ‘Where are you? Why aren’t you answering me?’“Anthrose.”I immediately freeze as the voice reaches me, but I realize a moment too late that it wasn’t Chanel’s voice, it
[Chanel’s POV]I look around me, taking in the stone walls around me, noting how they’re cracking, allowing vines to grow through them while my intrusive thoughts try to get the better of me. They’re screaming things like what if this place were to collapse. What if you find yourself at a dead end? What if you run out of air? It’s irritating as fuck, and even though I keep telling them to shut up, they just won’t.“Hey,” I call to Tyson, who leads the way in hopes of distracting myself. “Are you certain that we are going in the right direction?”Since he was the one to choose our path and take the lead, I could only hope that he somehow could track the way out of this place, but what if he was just leading us deeper into this underground labyrinth?“Hey,” I repeat when he doesn’t respond to me. “I’m talking to you.”Frustration growing, I move forward and grab his shoulder, forcing him to turn and look at me, but I’m not met with the same gaze that I was used to. Instead, I’m met with
[Anthrose’s POV]We spend the rest of the day searching for any sign of Chanel or Tyson, but all we come up with is nothing. It’s almost like neither of them existed or were somehow spirited away from earth.“We should rest.” Henry, one of Ulrick’s warriors, suggests later that evening. “We will be useless in helping them if we are exhausted.”“Are you saying that this little bit of action exhausts you?” I demand. “If that's the case, you are more than welcome to rest, but I’m going to keep searching.”“But, sir…”“I said I was going to keep searching!” I growl, not giving two fucks if I came across as argumentative or defiant. “There’s no fucking way that I’m going to stop until I find her.”Even though only a couple of hours had passed, I couldn’t help but feel like days, even weeks, had already gone by without Chanel’s presence. It was fucking maddening, and I was beginning to feel like a crazy man. How the hell did I manage to stay away from her for so many years in the past?No.