Filed To Story: Claimed by the Alpha I Hate Book Read Free
Ember folded her arms over her chest, not at all bashful as she grunted, “Sorry.
It’s been…awhile since I’ve talked to anyone. My people skills are rusty.”
I wanted to tell her I could think of a few better words than ‘rusty’ but shoved the urge down. Pissing her off wouldn’t coax her into helping us. In fact, there wasn’t much more I could say. Ember alone held the power here, and it was high time to make a decision.
“Are you going to help us, Ember?” I asked without hesitation.
This time, she looked nervous. She twisted her fingers and picked at the skin around her nails.
“She’ll kill me.” Ember whispered.
I shook my head. “She won’t, because you’ll be coming with us.”
“Let me guess, you have a cell waiting with my name on it?” She laughed dryly. Her discomfort was a tangible force that skated along my skin and set my jaw on edge.
Looking into her eyes, I forced what little power I had left into my voice, and hoped it was enough to show her how serious I truly was. It was a risky promise to make, but if it meant stealing yet another powerful witch from Freya’s side, I’d bend over backwards to make sure it was kept.
“You have my word as Luna and Queen of the Vampire’s that you will not be imprisoned or harmed in any way. You will be reunited with your sister and will be treated with the same respect and dignity as a member of my pack. Whether we win or lose, my promise stands.”
As my words sunk in, Ember ceased her fidgeting. Her shoulders lowered an inch and a fire flared to life in her eyes.
“Well, then. What are we waiting for? Let’s get out of this shithole.”
“Unless you want to carry the two of us the entire way, I’m going to need some blood.” I groaned.
The second Ember removed the cuffs, my body slumped forward like a sack of bricks.
My flesh had become a dead weight that refused to cooperate with my exhausted brain. Concrete bit into the palms of my hands as I struggled to stand to my feet. Ember huffed and released her hold on
Brandon, letting him crash to the floor as she knelt at my side.
“Agh! Fuck, Ember. Could you have been any rougher?” Brandon groaned, cradling his bloody wrists against his chest.
She side-eyed him and said, “Yes, actually. I could’ve.”
“Well, thanks for being gentle.” Brandon shot back sarcastically.
Ember thrust out her arm, her wrist inches from my face. She stared down at me with a scowl on her face. It deepened when I stared at her through cloudy, disoriented eyes.
“I don’t care if you’re on your death bed, this is a one-time offer. Bite me and take some blood before I change my mind.”
My vision doubled as I reached out and wrapped my hand around her arm, feeling for a soft, fleshy spot to sink my teeth into.
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” I muttered, bringing her arm to my mouth.
A faint hiss slid past her lips as my teeth sliced through the layers of skin covering her muscle, carving a path to the blood- filled veins below. If I wasn’t losing strength with every passing second, I might’ve found it strange that I was biting Ember of all people, drinking her blood like it was the nectar of the gods.
Come to think of it, the flavor was a bit different. Much like her scent, Ember’s blood had a kick of spice to it, like it had been infused with cinnamon, clove, and hints of a crackling bonfire. The warmth of her blood spread throughout my body, increasing in heat until it was almost painful. Just as I felt the lick of actual flames against the inside of my veins, it vanished. In its stead came strength and a weightlessness that made my limbs tingle.
The wounds around my wrists, ankles, and neck began to fade, the skin stitching itself back together with the help of my magic.
“Don’t drink me dry, now. Thirsty bitch
“Ember grunted; her voice laced with pain.
I pulled away and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Ember sat back on her haunches before losing her balance. Her butt hit the cement floor with a light thud. She blinked a few times in rapid succession, shaking her head as though she were trying to clear away the cobwebs.
Brandon was slumped against the wall, watching the two of us with an expression I recognized all too well.
“That was kind of hot.”
“Shut up.” Ember and I snapped in unison.
I locked eyes with her. Mine narrowed on their own accord and hers quickly followed suit. Just like
Tessa, there was no way I’d trust this girl, but I’d take whatever risks necessary to get out of this place.
Getting to my feet was all too easy now that I was healed and my strength slowly on the mend. I made my way to Brandon holding out a hand that he didn’t hesitate to accept. As I helped him to his feet, I reached out with my magic and imagined it washing over his skin, carrying away the wounds he endured.
They were much worse than what I endured since he couldn’t help but thrash against the cuffs. I could only heal them about three quarters of the way before I felt my energy wane. There were still bands of red skin where the metal had touched him, but they were no longer festering. That had to be good enough.
“Your magic feels tingly.” Brandon commented, shaking his hands out.
“That’s lovely. Can we get going before Freya comes back and murders us?”
Ember said pointedly.
Curiosity had me asking before I could think otherwise. “If Freya isn’t here, then where is she?”
“She’s out running an errand. Don’t ask me what it is because I don’t have a clue.
What I do know is that we need to be long gone before she comes back, or we’re all screwed.” Ember replied, scaling the three concrete steps that sat before the heavy wooden door blocking us in.
She raised her fist and knocked three times before a lock clicked and the door swung open. Beyond it was a set of stairs cloaked in heavy darkness. The only source of light came from a small sliver beneath a door up ahead.
“Follow my lead and say nothing.” She commanded, hitting Brandon and I with a stern look.
We took the stairs one by one, drawing closer to that small sliver of light with ever step we took. On the fourth step, a faint sound hit my ears. By the sixth, I recognized it as laughter. The laughter didn’t belong to one person, but dozens. There was a robotic quality to it that came off as odd, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what it was until we reached the top and Ember opened the door.
It was a television, an old one with a build in DVD player. The screen was oversaturated with color, though that could’ve been due to the kids show that was playing. As we stepped into the kitchen, a cheesy laugh track sounded.
What followed next was a giggle, one too real to have come from the television’s crappy speakers.
We stepped into a kitchen that looked like it had been plucked from the early 2000′ s. The tile floors had a checker pattern that stood out against the pale-yellow cabinets. There was a white kitchen table at the center and sitting in one of the wooden chairs was a little girl.
Her hair was the same pale yellow as the cabinets, pulled into two pigtails that rested on either side of her head. The little white bows attached faced outward, their tails swinging every time she giggled at the TV.
Ember approached the little girl slowly. I couldn’t help but notice how her movements were slow and almost cautious. It set me on edge, Brandon too from the looks of it. What kind of magic did this little girl have that would make a witch like Ember nervous?
“Angelica, I need your help.” Ember’s voice was unnaturally soft. The tone sounded strange with her slightly raspy voice.
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