Filed To Story: Claimed by the Alpha I Hate Book Read Free
“You’re going to feed them your blood?” Tristan asked, his face contorting with surprise.
“I’ve done it before.” I shrugged, grimacing at the strange look on his face. “They don’t seem to mind.”
“Well of course they wouldn’t.” Tristan scoffed, “You’re half-vampire, half-werewolf. Not only that, you’re a part of the Kouritis bloodline and heir to the throne. Your blood is of the highest standard. The
Vampire King would lose his mind if he heard you fed the shadows your blood.”
“It’s not like I have an endless line of willing victims.” I rolled my eyes, already catching a glimpse at the kind of person my Father was.
“Use my blood.” Tristan replied, pulling a small silver blade from his pocket, pressing it into my hands gently.
Confusion twisted in my gut at the gentle expression on his face. I was far from ever trusting Tristan with anything, but I wondered what game he was playing. Did he think the werewolves were going to win? Was that why he was suddenly kissing up to me? He hadn’t tried to force himself on me yet, a positive sign. Not only did he go through the minds of Luna Freya’s men, he was willing to use his blood to call the shadows, to keep me safe from my Father.
I pushed those conflicting thoughts aside and steadied myself. I closed my eyes, reaching with my mind into the deepest corners of the room. Calling the shadows was effortless now, as they responded to my calls with barely contained glee.
When I opened my eyes, the room had darkened, the thick shadows against the wall pulsing. The icy coldness washed over me, though this time my body seemed to handle it better. I was becoming used to calling the shadows, the thought both excited and worried me.
The shadows pulsed and slithered from the darkest corners of the room, gliding across the floor to pool at my feet. Larger shadows remained behind, watching me with silent interest. I had their undivided attention, and was both thrilled and intimidated by that fact.
“Their almost excited to see you.” Tristan scoffed, shaking his head. “Do not mistake their excitement for fondness. They enjoy your blood, your power.”
“I know.” I replied, my voice strong. “I know what they are. They’re not pets.”
“No, they are not.” Tristan agreed, giving the shadows a wary glance. “They are much more obedient to you, it seems.”
I stood from the bed and walked over to Tristan. His eyes were guarded as the shadows followed closely behind, pooling around us in a sea of ebony. He placed his hand in my own, his crystal eyes smoldering as I pressed the blade against his palm.
Ignoring the intense look in his eyes, and thinking only of Nolan, I called out to the shadows.
“Be stern with them.” Tristan murmured.
“I need a favor.” I told them, “I need you to conceal the cobalt mark on my skin, and hide Nolan’s scent from my body. Do not remove the mark, just conceal it. I expect it back once I leave this place.”
‘What will you pay, Princess?’ They hissed with their silky voices, ‘The blood of a pure-blood Vampire?’
“Yes.” I nodded, “You can have some of his blood.”
‘We enjoy your blood, Princess.’ They whispered, pooling around my legs, stretching out like cats.
‘Ancient blood, powerful blood.’
“It is mine to give as I see fit.” I told them, “I told you what I offer, do you accept?”
“Yes, Princess.” They whispered, their voices caressing my skin like shards of ice. “For you, yesss.”
Tristan gave me a firm nod, and I pressed the blade hard against his hand. I might’ve been harder than needed, but I couldn’t force myself to feel guilty. Blood pooled in his cupped hands, a blazing shade of scarlet. The scent swirled around me, rich and potent. Melted chocolate and blood oranges, liquid nectar. The Vampire side of me practically watered at the mouth, but I pushed it aside with ease.
“Drink.” I told them, and watched as Tristan let the blood splash to the floor.
His blood splattered across the floor, tiny crimson drops flying in every direction. The shadows devoured the blood feverishly, leaving the floor spotless.
I pulled the hem of my t-shirt aside, looking down at Nolan’s cobalt mark. I ran my fingers along it, remembering how it felt as his teeth sunk into my skin. I remembered the ecstasy that coursed through me when his lips grazed the mark, the way my name sounded when it left his lips. I watched in sheltered sadness as the cobalt mark faded from my skin, the lingering scent of Nolan vanishing from my body. Not gone, just concealed.
Three days, or possibly fourI wasn’t entirely sure, but the monotony of being locked in this room was slowly eating away at me. The silver cuff on my wrist kept me from mind-linking Nolan, and kept Maya at bay. My skin under the cuff was sore, red and irritated as though I had a rash.
My days and nights began to switch, s******g with my already questionable sleeping patternnot that I expected much sleep when my Father was somewhere lurking about. Tristan came to the door once every couple of hours, a tray of food and a small cup of blood in his hands. He needn’t worry that I might run, as I was already too weak from the constant contact with silver. I was practically human, making Tristan and the rest of the Vampire’s much stronger than me.
It was blatantly obvious the Vampire’s weren’t used to human or half-human guests, as the food was horribly lacking. Gelatinous oatmeal and often small packs of crackers or cookies. I wasn’t ashamed to say I downed the cup of blood he had given me at each meal, though it worried me where it might have come from.
Each day I’d ask Tristan when the Vampire King would finally see me, when would Breyona and
Giovanni be releasedeach time he said ‘soon’, annoyingly cryptic. It gave me more than enough time to think over Tristan’s sudden loyalty switch. He had told me once that he had his own plans, that he never wished for the Werewolf species to be eradicated. Does that mean I suddenly trusted him? Not at all, but I needed whatever allies I could find.
I leapt from the bed as I heard footsteps echo down the hallway, followed by the thick wooden door to my bedroom holding cell open. Tristan stood in the doorway, this time without a tray in his hands. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and hushed.
My stomach was in knots as I followed him down the hallway, towards the back of the warehouse.
Tristan was silent the entire time, his shoulders tense at what was to come. We stopped in front of a thick set of double doors, the wood smooth and flawless to the touch. Two Vampire’s stood on either side of the door, their dark eyes never once straying from where they stared.
My eyes bounced around the room as the doors swung open, revealing a room I had once been to. It was the room I visited when my Father used the shadows to call me to him. A large maroon sectional was sat in front of a large fire place, a thick Persian rug under our feet. A small bar carried decanters of suspicious looking scarlet liquid. Sitting on the sectional, with one of his arms draped over the back, was my Fatherthe Vampire King.
I had seen my Father once before, but this time was different. I hadn’t seen him in person, not truly.
The aura that surrounded him was dark and suffocating, like walking into a sauna. My lungs struggled to breathe in the thick air, and my heartrate sky rocketed. The mop of styled raven hair on his head was identical to my own, right down to his bright eyes, which stared into the flames roaring in the fireplace.
I was hyperaware at how the shadows in the room slithered, hiding in the darkness as they surrounded us. I could taste their excitement, their interest in what was about to happen.
“Sit, Daisy.” My Father all but commanded, never once turning to look me in the eye.
Tristan stood off to the side, leaning against the fireplace mantle as I trailed over to the couch. I sat as far away from my Father as I could get, holding my ground as he turned and looked into my eyes.
I always thought his eyes would be empty, lacking any hint of a soul. I was wrong, his eyes weren’t empty. They were filled with a burning hunger that would bring the world to its knees, an anger that consumed every sliver of compassion or conscience. Looking into my Father’s eyes taught me something, evil doesn’t just pop into existenceevil is born, bred, and taught.
I tried to imagine my Father as a child, eyes full of wonder and happiness. I didn’t bother looking for any sliver of good within him, as I knew it had all been smothered by that vicious fire burning in his eyes, but he had not been born evil. Life warped him, changed him into this monsterand not once had he resisted.
I could see my features reflected in his own. The dark hair, full lips, and round eyes. Looking at my
Father’s face made me realize how little I had gotten from my Mom, and I wondered how she stomached raising me. How could she look into my eyes for all those years and not see the evil, twisted mate she had once given into?
“Do you understand why I need you here, Daisy?” He asked, those luminous eyes staring at me, slicing away the layers until he reached my soul.
I resisted the urge to fidget, to shift uncomfortably under his stare. Everything about him was intense, frighteningly so. I knew without a doubt that with my help, he would achieve his goal. He would never rest until the Werewolves were all but eradicated, and the humans lined up for the slaughter.
“You need a Queen.” I repeated the words that plagued my mind for months now.
Tristan watched the two of us carefully, his eyes never lingering on the Vampire King for too long. My
Father scoffed, though the action lacked emotion. He looked me over for a minute, running his eyes down my hair, my face with his speculatory gaze. I was sure he saw what I did, himself reflected in my face.
“Why would I need a Queen I cannot trust, one I cannot control?” My Father asked, one of his dark eyebrows lifting as he stared at me. I had the feeling his question was rhetorical, so I kept my mouth shut. “What do you know about witches, Daisy?”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
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