Filed To Story: Claimed by the Alpha I Hate Book Read Free
I headed towards the forest line just at the end of the road. I needed to be far from the pack’s territory.
From there, I would call the shadows and have them send the Vampire King my location. It was all downhill from there.
‘Have you left yet?’ Nolan’s voice flooded through my mind, rough and somewhat raspy. ‘I’m about five minutes away from calling this entire thing off and dragging you back home.’
‘You wouldn’t do that.’ I chuckled softly, savoring the sound of his voice. ‘I’m heading into the woods now. I’ll be off our territory within an hour.’
‘I wish there was another way.’ Nolan replied, and I could almost see the grimace that tugged at his face.
‘I know, but Breyona would do the same for me.’ I smiled, his voice filling me with a small sliver of peace. ‘When I get back, we’re going to have a lot of time to make up.’
‘You don’t have to remind me; I know what I’ll be missing.’ Nolan chuckled, though it was dry and somewhat forced. ‘Remember, you need to be back here before your heat begins.’
‘I know.’ I nodded, stepping over rocks and pushing back branches as I continued walking through the forest. ‘Two weeks max.’
‘Let’s make it one.’ Nolan countered, ‘I’ll be waiting for your voice the entire time. One last thing, if that
Vampire tries to put his hands on you, k**l him. As much as I want to do it myself, I’d rather have him d**d sooner than later. Only my mark should be on your body.’
‘Oh, I plan on it.’ I chuckled, ‘He won’t get his hands on me, I promise.’
Nolan sent an alert to the patrol team on this side of the forest, telling them to steer clear so that I might pass. He hadn’t given them a reason, nor had they asked for one. I walked through the territory line without a wolf in sight.
I could have shifted, it would’ve made the hike a lot faster, but I wanted to prolong this. I wanted to prolong my freedom. Within the next hour or two, I would officially be a prisoner. I was nearly positive that my Father would keep me around until I changed my mind, or use a full-blooded Vampire to try and mess with my mind. I remembered what Grandma had taught me, and developed my own methods on shielding my mind. The Vampire King could try, but I would never condone the deaths of my people.
I walked for two hours before stopping. I had been far enough away thirty minutes ago, but wanted to make sure the Vampire’s wouldn’t be anywhere near this pack. Birds chittered in the trees; leaves rustled as squirrels darted away from my presence. The forest was teeming with life, and despite the situation, it was beautiful. The sunlight shone through the trees, making the emerald leaves look delicate and transparent. As much as I hated to interrupt the peace in this forest, I had things that needed to be done.
I closed my eyes and called out with my mind, calling to the shadows that lurked in every corner and crevice. A tugging sensation formed in my gut, and I winced as the forest around me grew quiet. The birds were no longer chirping, the leaves were no longer crunching under the small feet of squirrels.
The air around me grew uncomfortably cold, a chill settled in my bones and crept up my spine.
I opened my eyes to see the forest had darkened, the sunlight no longer streamed through the treetops. Shadows slithered from every dark corner, some large tufts of darkness, others small and leech-like. They glided to a stop at my feet, circling my body and waiting like patient pets. Larger shadows lingered at the edge of the forest line, and I could feel them watching me with burning intensity. I could feel their barely contained anticipation.
They liked meas much as shadows could like a person. They liked that I made deals with them, that I fed them my blood. I had only tasted blood twice in my life, but each time had been quite the experience. The initial thought of drinking blood made me want to retch, but the tastethe strength it brought on was unlike anything I had experienced. Don’t get me wrong, I had no plans on going around biting humans, but I couldn’t deny a part of me relished in the taste and strength.
‘What is it you need, Princess?’ They hissed in unison, their slippery voices circling my head and running down my skin in cold waves.
I pulled out a small pocket knife from the pouch in my leggings. Nolan had given this to me when I told him of my plan, and assured me there was no silver within the blade. It was small and unassuming, and would do little damage if I actually stabbed someone with it. I flicked it open and watched what little sunlight was left catch the bright metal of the blade. The point was deviously sharp, begging to break through skin.
I placed the pocket knife against my palm, gritting my teeth as I dragged it across my flesh. A hiss of pain escaped my clenched teeth, reminding me of how the shadows often sounded. Blood pooled in my hand, hot against my icy skin. The shadows slithered around my feet, their anticipation building with each drop of blood that splattered onto the earth.
“I need you to send my location to the Vampire King, along with a message.”
‘Tell us.’ They hissed, slithering around my feet excitedly, ‘What is the message?’
I gathered the blood in my hands, throwing it into the air and watching as it rained down on the shadows at my feet. They swarmed on the blood, and I watched in silence as they cleaned it from the earth.
“I’m here. Come and get me.”
Each passing minute gave me more time to think, a curse in and of itself. The more time I had to think, the more I wondered if there was a way out of this mess, a way Breyona and Giovanni could return safely. I was risking so much on the hopes that my
Father would actually let Breyona and Giovanni go. Breyona was useless to him once he had me in his clutches, but it was Giovanni I worried about. Giovanni had betrayed his King, and any proud leader would want retribution. There was a large chance the Vampire King had no intention of letting Giovanni go, and I knew Breyona would refuse to leave without him. I needed a plan in case that happened.
One hour and thirty-four minutes is how long it took to hear the quiet crunching of leaves beneath the heavy feet of the Vampire Kings men. I knew the men coming to take me were Luna Freya’s men, as no Vampire would survive a blast of direct sunlight.
The footsteps continued for the next ten minutes, growing louder with each passing second. I remained still, letting my senses drift to where the Luna Freya’s men walked. I could make out at least six or seven sets of feet, possibly more. A sickening sense of fear settled in my stomach when the heavy footfalls stopped completely, and the forest was once again enveloped in silence.
A stinging pain erupted from my neck, like a sharp bee sting. My hand flew up to the source, plucking a small dart from my skin. The needle was a few inches long, a clear substance dripping from the tip.
The forest around me blurred into bright shades of green and brown. I could no longer hear anything other than my panting breaths. The pain spread into my body, seeping into my bloodstream. The world around me tilted as my vision tunneled, and I found myself looking up from the forest floor. My legs had collapsed from under me, yet I felt nothing. The sky was a bright shade of baby blue, round tufts of clouds drifted by slowly. The world around me faded, the bright colors leached from my vision until darkness swallowed me whole.
I woke to the sound of voices, though I couldn’t make out who they were coming from. The main person talking had a rough voice, one I hadn’t heard before. I could hear gravel crunching and my body jostling as we drove down some road. My vision was obscured, cloaked by a dark mesh that had been placed over my head.
My entire body ached, my muscles groaning as I fought to remain still. I focused on my breathing, keeping it even and relaxed. Judging from the aching pain in my body, they had used wolfsbane. A dart that size should have been enough to render me unconscious for a few days, but for some reason I had woken up early. Maya was still down for the count, unconscious in my mind, but I was becoming more lucid with each passing second.
It must’ve had something to do with not being a full werewolf. That was the only explanation I could think of as to why the wolfsbane hadn’t worked to its full capacity. I strained my eyes, trying to peer through the thin fabric that was placed over my head. It was clear they expected me to still be asleep, as the fabric wasn’t as thick as it could have been. It was still day time, that much I could tell. I could make out blurred shades of green as we passed by a clu*ter of trees.
My hands were bound at the front, and judging from the slight stinging pain, the cuffs had small bits of silver embedded within. Not enough to cause excruciating pain, but enough to keep me bound and in human form. The silver and wolfsbane kept me from mind-linking Nolan, not that I had any useful information at the moment, but it would have been nice to hear his voice.
I was smushed between two large forms, both radiating an intense heat. My head was relaxed against one of the men’s shoulders, who sat still as I slept against him. From what limited hearing I had, there were four men in the vehicle. Two smushed against me, one in the passenger seat, and one driving.
“Tristan has the room ready. She should be out for the rest of the day.”
I wondered if they were going to throw me in a cell, much like the one they probably put Breyona and
Giovanni into. I wasn’t expecting hospitality and kindness, I knew exactly what I was walking into.
Would my Father actively try and sway me to his side? Or would he use my friends against me, forcing my hand?
If Maya were awake, I could’ve tapped into her senses, heightening my own. As it stood, I was on my own for the time being. I strained my eyes harder, ignoring the prickling headache that formed across my temples. We were driving down a narrow two-lane road, there were no other cars passing us by. I could make out a large parking lot at the far end of the road, and what looked like a small clu*ter of vehicles parked inside.
I used my minutes wisely. The closer we got, the more details I could make out. As we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed the large building that stood at the edge. It had to be a warehouse, as it was larger than any house I had ever seen, and looked run down on the outside. My eyes snapped over to the entrance of the parking lot, where a small sign said ‘Macys Warehouse’. It wasn’t enough information yet, but it was definitely a start.
The white walls of the building were stained with dirt and what looked like mold. I could just make out a bunch of wide bays for semi-trucks to park and make deliveries. I had expected something more extravagant, certainly not an abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere.
The car lurched to a stop, and I could hear two of the doors open and slam shut. The man on my left side got out of the vehicle, closing the door behind him. One of the men scooped me into his arms and headed towards a large set of double doors. The glass was tinted, making it impossible to peer inside. I should have known they would have remodeled this place. I couldn’t imagine the mighty Vampire King living in a mold and rat-infested warehouse.
As we stepped inside, safe from the sunlight, a familiar voice called out, one that nearly made me stiffen.
“I’ve got her.” Tristan said to the men. “Let him know I’m bringing her to her room.”
A large pair of hands grabbed my torso, pulling me from the car much more gently than I had expected.
Tristan scooped me up, one of his arms around my back, the other underneath my legs. I kept my limbs loose, desperately trying to maintain the facade that I was unconscious. I let my head roll against his neck, grimacing under the thin fabric as his scent registered in my nose. It was nothing like Nolan’s rich and intoxicating scent, the smell of nature and male musk. Tristan’s scent was lighter, with just a hint of sweetness that let me know he was in fact a Vampire.
As I remained still in Tristan’s arms, I made sure my mental blocks were in place. Grandma had told me to picture a library, but that technique hadn’t worked so well for me. Instead of a library, I pictured a thick wall of steel, blocking my mind from anyone who might want to intrude.
As Tristan held me close to his chest, I could feel him slithering into my mind and greeting the thick wall with a frown. I nearly shivered as his fingers grazed down the metal, asking for entrance. My wall remained intact, and I continued scanning the inside of the warehouse.
I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting, but this wasn’t it. The inside of the warehouse had been completely remodeled; false walls had been placed in an effort to make the building look more like a luxurious home. We stood in what was supposed to be the foyer, a thick Persian rug covered most of the floor.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?