“I think you’ve done
enough with my wives. Don’t you?” Leeb loosened his hold on my neck, but didn’t
release me. “She must be quite good if you’re dumb enough to let your guard
down and feast on her in the deserted lands.”
The others chuckled and
reached for their guns. Even Zee dusted his pants off.
I’m
going to charge for Leeb.
Samuel’s voice entered my brain.
As soon as you can sneak out of his grip,
grab a horse, and race away as fast as you can. Just look for the mountains
ahead and hide.
No.
They’ll shoot you.
I thought.
I have the dagger in my hand. I can help.
Samuel growled again.
All guns pointed at his face.
Leeb towed me a few
feet back.
“You had to tup three of my
wives, didn’t you? And to make matters worse, you drunk so much from all three
of them that they were weak for days.”
“Poor Leeb.” Samuel
displayed a mocking pout. “You have ten wives. It’s not my fault you can’t keep
them all happy.”
“Well, ask this one how
much I pleased her when I’m done,” Leeb barked.
Samuel advanced.
“Stay where you are.”
Zee grinned and raised his gun. Samuel continued. A wooden bullet blasted from
the gun’s end, ripped through the air, and pierced Samuel’s arm before he could
take another step toward me.
“No!” I screamed, hit,
and shoved at Leeb, trying to get out of his arms.
Samuel grunted as dark
blood spilled from the wound. “Let her go.”
“I think I’ll keep
her,” Leeb replied.
Samuel drew closer to
us.
Another bullet shot through his
shoulder. Fear coursed through my veins. Grunting, Samuel continued to take
another step as his eyes focused on me.
“Please stop, Samuel!”
I yelled. “And, Leeb, please don’t hurt him!”
“Awww, this red-haired
creature loves him.” Leeb snorted.
Blood streamed down
Samuel’s arm. He closed the distance some more until only three feet remained
between us.
Remember,
Samuel
whispered in my head,
run when he
releases you.
Zee twisted the top on
his gun again and then aimed at Samuel’s head.
“No. You’re going to
get yourself killed!” I cried.
Samuel hissed.
“She’s right.” Leeb
dragged me back a few feet.
“What do you want,
Leeb?” I asked. “I’ll do what you want, just please don’t shoot him.”
“I like her. She’s a no-nonsense
woman.” Leeb placed a dry peck on my neck. “Well, I want many things, but I can
settle for you being nice and letting me shove my snake between your hungry
lips.”
A grumble boomed from
Samuel’s chest.
“Is that it?” I
swallowed down a shiver. “Anything else to let Samuel go?”
Don’t
negotiate with him
. Samuel’s voice filled my head.
“Your blood and hair smells
so good.” Leeb sniffed my hair. “What are you?”
“A domina.”
Leeb chuckled to
himself.
Brie?
Samuel
targeted me with his gold eyes.
“The king would give me
five hundred pocks for a domina’s return,” Leeb announced.
“Five vials of my blood
could get you five thousand pocks,” I offered. “That sounds like a better deal
to me. Plus, if you let me go freely, I’ll give you another five vials every
month for a year. You would never have to work again.”
Leeb snorted. “Maybe
I’ll just grab you, lock you up in my house, and drain you when I want to. My
children would appreciate a new pet, and I would love a new whore.”
I trembled in his arms.
“I’ll figure out a way to kill myself. I won’t be imprisoned against my will by
anyone.”
“Hmmm,” Leeb murmured.
“How can I trust you to give me these vials each month?”
“You can take me to my
home in Zumaya. You’ll know where I live and all of my family. I would never be
able to run from you. I just left
Capitol
City
and was going there.
Zumaya was where I was heading—”
“You’re lying.” Leeb interrupted.
“If you left
Capitol
City
and was heading for
Zumaya, then you would have went south, but you’re heading north, completely
out of the way.”
Shock rocked me. I struggled
not to sway back as I glared at Samuel. He averted his eyes.
“We were traveling north?”
I asked “This whole time you guided me away from Zumaya?”
Samuel stayed quiet.
His eyes never met mine.
“Why would you do that?”
I continued. The only sound that came was Leeb and his brothers clucking and
laughing.
“Looks like Samuel lied
to you,” Leeb said.
“Apparently,” I
muttered. “Nevertheless, release him and take me to Zumaya. I’ll give you all
the blood you want.”
“And what about my snake?
I would love to feed that mouth of yours.”
An exasperated breath
escaped my lips. “Will this…feeding be a one-time deal?”
“Perhaps.”
I
won’t let you do that!
Samuel’s voice slammed into my
head.
Under
this blanket, I have my dagger in my hand,
I thought.
I’ll get him inside of the tent and stab him
in his crotch. Will you be able to handle the other guys?
You’re
being unreasonable and stupid!
Another deep growl
emitted from Samuel’s chest.
“I’ll do what you ask.”
I twisted to Leeb and got a good look at him. Red jagged scars plastered the
right side of his face. Someone must have cut him with wood. Those were the
only types of injuries vampires had difficulty healing. He had those same brass-colored
eyes like his brothers. Dirt and sweat stuck to his face and neck. He wore
brown leather pants and a matching vest. No shirt was under it, just pierced
skin. Lots of little gold rings were stuck into his nipples and the curve of
his pecs. My stomach twisted with anxiety.
This
has to work.
“You like what you
see?” Leeb asked.
“I’ll do what you want
in the tent. I just don’t want Samuel watching me.”
“Tiny, put up that the
tent and do it quick.” Leeb grinned and exposed stained teeth. The stench of alcohol
drifted from his mouth.
This
is dangerous.
Samuel’s voice entered my mind.
You can get killed.
Then
focus on taking care of these guys as quietly as possible.
“Blasted woman,” Samuel
said as Leeb guided me by him. The vampire named Tiny sped around the campsite
as he raised the tent.
A few minutes later,
Leeb dragged me inside the tent. I sat on the ground. The grass teased my
thighs. Naked and wrapped in the blanket, I hid my hand clutching the dagger
behind my back. The tent closed behind him. I hoped Samuel had an opportunity
to attack Leeb’s brothers.
Leeb fumbled with taking
off the vest. “Watch those teeth. I don’t take kindly to my snake being
scraped.”
“Of course not.” My
fingers shook. Bile rose in my throat. I swallowed it down and concentrated on
the task ahead.
“Take off that
blanket.” Leeb yanked the vest off. I followed his command by removing the
blanket with my free hand. Leeb’s lips curled at the edges. “You got a nice
pair of tits. I want to rub myself all over them.”
I averted my eyes to
the ground. “The deal was only—”
“I know what the deal
was.” He untied the laces on his leather pants. I gripped the dagger tighter,
to the point that the hard edges of the wood dug into my skin. No noise sounded
outside. I wondered what was happening and if this was in fact a horrible plan.
I
killed two. I’m chasing Tiny a mile away.
Samuel’s voice
blew into my head. Relief soared through me.
Are you okay, Brie?
Yes!
Did
you start?
No.
Please
be careful, Brie.
Just
focus on Tiny.
“Lick your lips,” Leeb ordered.
“I like the mouth nice and soft before I enter it.”
I swallowed down my
fear and licked my lips.
“I like my woman
willing and wet.”
I sighed as he wrenched
out the pathetic weapon between his legs.
Well,
I guess all vampires aren’t huge like Samuel.
Leeb stroked his little length.
His breathing increased.
“Come closer please,” I
said.
“Oh, I’m going to come
closer.” He smiled. “And then I’m going to come all over that pretty face and
all in that silky red hair. It will be white when I’m done with you.”
I gagged a little.
He stepped closer until
only half an inch laid between my face and his dirt-smudged mushroom tip. Without
hesitating, I stabbed him with the dagger. The point sliced his snake in two. Cold
blood sprayed my face. He screamed in horror and grabbed himself. I yanked the
dagger out and pierced him in his chest. He punched me. The impact shoved me
back, but I held on to the dagger and thrust it into him again. A stinging burn
bloomed across my jaw. I gritted my teeth and focused on him instead of the
pain. The wooden blade sliced through Leeb’s skin with ease. Green slimy mucus
and more blood spilled from the opening. His hand wrapped around my neck and
squeezed. I struggled to breath.
“Tiny! Nico!” Leeb
yelled.
Battling against his
hold on my neck, I stabbed him again over and over, not even sure where I was
putting the wooden blade. He growled, but his grip loosened until I was able to
break free. I continued to spear him, spotted his eyes, and gouged him in both.
He fell back, crashing to the ground. The tent collapsed around us. I fought
with the heavy material until I found the opening. Shrieks ripped from my
throat. I stabbed more, not even sure if I was hitting my target.
“Brie!” Samuel roared
as the tent lifted off of me. “ Stop!” He knocked the dagger out of my hands
and picked me up. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” My lips
quivered. Blood and green liquid painted my skin.
“You killed him.”
Shock plastered
Samuel’s face. I began to turn my head, but Samuel stopped me. “You don’t want
to see it.”
I buried my face into
his shoulder. A cool breeze brushed against my wet skin and rushed through my
hair. Samuel carried me somewhere. I shut my eyes, not caring where we were
going.
“Everyone’s dead,” he
said. “You’re safe.”
Crickets chirped ahead.
The sound of water trickling made me look up over his shoulder. A large river
was a few feet in front of us, full of violet water. The two moons reflected in
the dark watery surface. Samuel laid me down on the ground. Soft soil formed
around my body as he trailed his fingers all over my skin.
“Are you hurt at all?”
he asked.
“No.”
In a blur, he lifted me
up and took me into the river. Warm water enveloped my toes and then rose up to
surround my whole body as Samuel carried me farther into the middle. I climbed
out of his arms and stood in front of him. The water ended at my nipples.
“I’m so sorry.” Samuel
cupped water in his hands and poured it over my shoulder. Leeb’s blood washed
away from my skin.
“That wasn’t your
fault.” I closed my eyes, held my breath, and lowered into the water until I
was completely submerged in the river. The warm violet liquid soothed my skin
and the bruise where Leeb had punched me. My hair rose above my head and swayed
with the waves. Bubbles skittered past my flesh and teased the tips of my ears.
And then I stood. The water streamed down. My drenched hair stuck to my face.
“I’ve never been that
scared in my life.” Samuel wiped the strands away. “Please let me handle it
from now on. Never put yourself in harm’s way like that.”
I sighed and gazed at
him. “Don’t worry. You only have to deal with me for another day or so.”
“Meaning?” Samuel’s
fangs appeared as he washed his face.
“We’re turning around
and going in the correct direction to Zumaya or I’ll get someone else to take
me.”
His hands paused in
midair. He held them there for a few seconds and then dropped them. Water
splashed around us.
“Why did you take me in
the wrong direction?” I stared at the moons’ rippling reflection in the water,
unable to look at him.
“I needed more time
with you. I longed for it.”
“That’s a very selfish
want.”
“But it’s the truth.”
“I trusted you.” I
combed my fingers through my wet hair. “I won’t be trusting you anymore.”
“We made a connection
through blood and our bodies.” He touched my chin with his fingers and lifted
my view to him. “We united—”