Everlasting Bond (34 page)

“You knew I would, that I could?”

“Yup. That night in the woods I had my proof. I knew you could, but I just wasn’t sure how. So, I set up the right situation and here we are.” He gave her a smug grin, stroking his ego at his own cleverness.

Katrina let out a deep sigh in disgust. “You tricked me!”

“Oh, don’t be such a baby.” He folded his arms and stared at her. “She was a good mother and taught me well. She knew the casualties of war,” his coy voice snickered, as his eyes burned with a fiery yellow tint.

“You’re insane!”

“No, I’m a realist, Caroline. Crazy people don’t realize what they’re capable of. I however, know exactly what I can do. And more importantly, what I want.”

Katrina wanted to reach her hand forward and punch him in his demented face, but couldn’t. Instead, s
he gave Donovan an angry glare.

He let out a low grumble of laughter at her feeble attempt. “Haven’t you learned by now, you’ll only hurt yourself?”

“Screw you.”

“Later,” he smirked. “First
, I have to take care of this. Can I trust you not to kill anyone else until I finish cleaning up your mess?”

Disgusted, Katrina refused to answer. Instead she watched in horror, as he pried Ms. Stevenson off of the silver piping and threw her remains over his shoulder. She dangled like an empty sack in his arms. “I’ll only be a minute.”

Katrina watched him leave and held her breath until he closed the door. Alone again, she leaned against the wall and awaited her fate in frustration. The more time she had the more her hatred for Donovan grew. Any thoughts of having to be near him made her stomach turn. The only hope she held onto was that after he changed her, maybe he would make her death quick. She knew it was highly unlikely, but she had to give herself something to look forward to. If she didn’t, then there was nothing left for her to hang onto.

In attempt to forget where she was, Katrina let her mind wander. It was all she could do to keep herself together. She needed to escape to someplace she felt safe or she would lose her mind.

With her eyes closed, she found herself back in the safety of Cole’s bed. Her body shivered in pleasure, as she felt his presence underneath her. Remembering how good it felt to be next to him only made her heart ache more. Katrina was so lost in her fantasy, she thought she could even smell him. She wished it would never end. Unfortunately for her, it did.

The sound of Donovan’s stomping feet brought her back to the cold earth. With each step he took, her stomached turned. And when he reached the door, she thought she was going to vomit.

“I’m back. Did you miss me?” he teased, as he burst through the door.

As he walked towards her, Katrina stayed still. She was too tired to fight with him anymore and she knew there was no point. Feeling the warmth of his body in front of her made K
atrina tense; she hated having him that close.

Being near him and not being able to do anything made her feel helpless. As his hands started to lightly stroke her hair, her body cringed in disgust. Each touch was a violation she w
as forced to endure repeatedly.

“Spending eternity together won’t be that bad. You’ll be adored by all. In time you’ll grow to love me. If not, well then you can always join your fri
end—what’s her name—Stephanie?” he coldly threatened.

“Stacy!” Katrina angrily corrected, as she shot him an angry glare.

Ignoring her outburst, he continued with his speech. “Honestly, I never understood what you saw in my brother. He could never give you the kind of world I can. Imagine the kind of life you could have with me. The two of us together would own every one of those weak, aging, bags of flesh,” He beamed, as his voice became elated with joy at the very thought. “Humanity’s overrated, don’t you think?”

“The only thing worse is a cold-blooded killer.”

“Think about it, Caroline, a never-ending food supply doing our bidding for us,” he continued, “We could be gods, admired by all. With you at my side there’d be no one to stop us. Oh sure, my father and his kind could try, but they’d be no match for the new powers you'd bring to the table.”

Katrina flinched, as he caressed her body with his warm velvety hands. In her anger, she had forgotten just how cold she really was. As much as she despised him, she craved the warmth his degrading hands offered. The icy air had begun to painfully numb her insides and the heat he offered helped thaw some of her discomfort.

“You’re cold. No wonder you’re angry with me. Let me warm you up.” Pushing himself up against her, Katrina felt his arms slither up and down her body.

His hot breath pierced her skin, as his lips lingered on her neck. She wanted to throw up, but she wouldn’t dare give him the satisfaction. Katrina clenched her eyes in hatred. She could feel how much enjoyment the moment brought him.

Feeling his lips trace the outer edge of her ear, she tried to steady her frantic breathing. Being that it was just the two of them, Katrina knew it was only a matter of time before things became much worse for her. Even his hands seemed to have a mind all their own. She could feel them molest her body repeatedly, each time daring themselves farther. Unsure of how long he would keep his distance, Katrina hoped there would be an interruption and soon.

“It should have been me you know,” he nuzzled in her ear. “If it was, I would have never left you alone.” As he spoke, his words only angered her more. He could promise anything, but it held no meaning for her. The hatred she felt for him festered deep inside her. She could never be with someone as cold as this monster standing beside her.

Katrina wished for nothing more than to be able to get out of there and run. Now that she was pinned to the wall like a dog, she knew it was pointless. Instead she had to stand there, forced to let him violate her. She wanted to ball up her fists and break his nose, but she couldn’t move her arms. The more he talked the easier it was to tune him out. Pretty soon his voice faded into a low humming sound, easily forgotten. This left her mind free to wander someplace better, for a brief while.

“I want you so bad,” he whispered, forcing her to freeze in shock. Feeling his hands make their way up her dress, her heart raced in a panic. With him tracing the contours of her bare flesh, she knew her worst fear was about to come true.

Katrina swallowed hard, pushing the vomit building inside her down to the hollow base of her stomach. Thoughts of thrusting her foot upwards into his groin floated in her head, but it was just a thought. She didn’t have the strength. Her body was a knotted ball of agony from being pinned against the hard wall for so long. Even the simplest of movement caused her great pain. His vile hands almost reached their destination, when a light tap at the door stopped them.

“What now?” his angry voice snapped.

“Sorry to interrupt my liege, but it’s time. The moon’s almost at its fullest,” said the same familiar male voice Katrina had heard a few days earlier, or however long she’d been down there. Everything started to blend into one and she realized she really had no idea just how long she’d been in her prison.

“You hear that? I
t’s time to go. Before we do, let’s just keep you from temptation, shall we?”

Katrina felt Donovan unchain her hands. Grasping both of her hands with one of his, he tightly bound them with another thick piece of rope. Prickly hairs poked themselves into her exposed skin. After a while the constant scraping began to itch, becoming unbearable. Katrina tried to ignore it as best she could. Tired and miserable, her stubborn temper refused to give Donovan anymore reason to celebrate. Instead, she regained her composure and forced the agonizing feeling to bury itself deep inside her.

“Let’s go.” Donovan picked her up and held her close against his chest. Feeling his scorching body press against her, Katrina’s turned cold in disgust. She looked like a rag doll being tossed around in his strong monstrous arms.

With every step he took, Katrina’s heart beat in panic. Feeling him make his way up the stairs, her body trembled in fear. She could hear loud sounds coming from the wooden door they were nearing and it scared the hell out of her.

Things didn’t get any better once they were outside. Katrina’s eyes strained to focus. Being kept in darkness for so long, it was hard for her to make out features of her new surroundings. It took her a little while before her eyes fully adjusted and she could see again. As things came into focus, Katrina could see rows of torches lighting up the darkened sky. Looking straight ahead, Katrina gasped for air. The scene before her was horrifying.

A sea of yellow irises were eagerly glaring up in her direction. Doing a second glance, she noticed something else. The crowd that had gathered was a good distance below her. Feeling the unusually colder breeze, she could tell she was some place high. There wasn’t enough light for her to make out any recognizable features to guess exactly where she was, but the drastic temperature change gave her all the proof she needed. The
Rocky Mountains wasn’t a good place to be. She was so far from home, they’d never find her in time.

Drowning in fear, her body trembled at the horrific sight before her. The yolks of the crowd’s eager eyes were fixated on her. She felt like a piece of steak being offered up as the main course, to a pack of starving wild hyenas.

“See, Caroline. Your new family is waiting for you,” Donovan’s annoying voice echoed in her ear. Katrina frantically roamed the crowd searching for any escape. She needed to find an opening and fast. One moment was all she would get for her chance at freedom and she had to make it count. Soon, familiar faces began to stand out amongst the bloodthirsty mob.

As one of them came into clear view, Katrina was shocked. Feeling like an idiot, she realized she should have known. That male’s voice had been one she’d heard every day for the past two years. Principa
l Weber was staring up at her.

Anger swelled inside Katrina. The betrayal she felt began to rise up in her throat making it raw. These were the very people she had spent her entire life around. It made her wonder just how many people she knew were
in on Donovan’s sadistic plan.

Disturbed by the crowd that seemed to be growing in size, she concentrated on finding an opening and not letting them get to her. Once she found it, she knew the hardest part was going to be picking the right moment to run for it. Chances of her actually escaping were minimal at best, but she knew she had to try. She couldn’t just lie still and be forced to endure more of Donovan’s crap. It wasn’t in her nature to go down without a fight and this would be the fight of her life.

Katrina felt Donovan lower her frail exhausted body down gently onto a solid slab of stone. The moment it touched her skin, she flinched. It was like lying on a bed of ice. Shivers started to run through her. She would have hyperventilated, if she hadn’t been preoccupied with what Donovan was up to.

Watching him casually walk around her, she became uneasy. She tried to breathe as quiet and steady as she could, to hear what he was up to. It wasn’t easy. The throbbing of her pulse kept getting in the way. Taking in slow deep breaths, Katrina tried to focus her attention on Donovan.

When he turned to face the anxious mob of wild dogs, she could see his body language change. He stood very still, like a proud dictator preparing to deliver his victory speech to his blindly loyal followers.

With her nerves teetering on the edge of insanity, Katrina closed her eyes and attempted to focus her attention elsewhere. Anything was better than having to stare at the eager crowd, which at the moment was a scary mixture of beasts and humans. Awaiting her unknown fate was pure torture. Thinking back to memories that held the happiest of times for her helped ease some of the suffering. If this was to be her last moment as a human, she wanted Cole’s face to be the last thing she saw.

“You’re right. Watching the stars is delightful, but not as mu
ch as a full moon,” he snarled.

Hearing the deviant pleasure in his voice, Katrina’s olive eyes opened and glared in spite back at him. Anger consumed her, as the realization hit her. “You waited for the full moon?”

“Of course I did. I should have turned you sooner, but I was having too much fun playing along,” he taunted.

“You’re
unbelievable!” Katrina snapped.

“No. Methodical. I didn’t want to risk anything this time.
I needed to hide until the time was right. It seems you really can teach an old dog new tricks!” Shooting her a devilish wink, his eyes deepened into a vibrant buttery yellow. “I almost forgot. I have a
present
for you.”

“Present?” A bad feeling cr
ept up inside her.

Donovan motioned to two men she didn’t recognize to come forward. Katrina’s heart sank. They were pushing a man in her direction. She couldn’t get a look at the face because of the bloody pillow case covering it. The only thing she could make out were his dingy navy t-shirt and jeans. They tied his hands behind him against a large rock that was nearby. Something told her things were about to get slightly worse. Whoever it was, he was
putting up a pretty big fight.

“It’s more like an after party snack.”

“You’re disgusting!” she spat.

Donovan ignored her remark. “Showtime,” he growled, as his deep voi
ce became vicious with delight.

Annoyed, Katrina wanted to kick him until he went rolling down the mountain and hit every jagged piece of rock on the way down. Just the image of his body tumbling against the earth like a rag doll mad
e her breathe a little easier.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t do anything. Still tied to the stone slab and helpless, she had no choice but to watch the horrific s
cene unfold in front of her.

“My dearest of pets, I respectfully come before you on this glorious occasion to celebrate. Tonight we commemorate a new start, a blissful new beginning to be enjoyed by all our kin alike. No more will we have to hide silently in the shadows waiting, whilst these vermin roam free as the plague they have become on this Earth.” Donovan pointed in the unknown male’s direction.

Katrina started to panic. She could see the crowd growing more eager and hanging onto Donovan’s every word. He was seducing them with their own fantasies. Like a true dictator, he was reminding them of everything they’ve hated and putting a glimmer of hope into their all too willing faces.

“I know what my former family,
the vampires
, have taken from every one of you and I’ll take down every last one of them for my new faithful brothers and sisters. They degraded you as they ripped this world, your world, from you and gave it to these weak vile rodents. Forcing you from your homes to seek shelter elsewhere. And look what they’ve done to it. They’ve destroyed a world you worked so hard to create.

“They have every right to fear you. By their mockery at our own expense, they create their own chaos. Forced to live in underground dwellings, we have come to represent the very savages they believe us to be. But, all of that changes right here! No longer will you have to live in fear, while the bloodsuckers live amongst the huma
ns blending in with their food.

“Tonight is the night we begin a new chapter, and finally put them in their place as we take it back. We will rise above the weak and become victorious. With her blood, we will live like kings and never have to answer to anyone!” Donovan proudly smiled, as waves of approval flowed through the zealous and submissive pack.

Katrina could tell by the looks on their faces they were devouring every word he said. She however, was focused on the last part of his speech. Images of him ripping into her flesh crept inside her head and she was scared as hell.

Tears seeped down her soil-covered face. Terror and panic were setting in and she was starting lose hope. Then just as quick as it was there it had disappeared. Her temper started to take over. Anger began to consume her. She was sickened by the sea of bodies staring back at her. Katrina wanted to scream in rage. When Donovan was through with her, she would kill every last one of them. Even if it was the last thing she did.

“Hope you don’t mind, but I borrowed this,” Donovan dangled the amber amulet in front of her. It glistened like honey against the moon light.

“Where did you get that?”

“Oh, it’s just something I found. You know—lying around.”

“You were in my house?”

“You invited me in and that gave me an all-access pass,” he chuckled.

Angry, she asked the only question she had the strength to, “
Why the hell do you need that?”

“Caroline, you really need to pay attention. You shouldn’t leave something as important as this lying around,” he scolded, waving a long sleek finger in disapproval at her. “My brother told you to keep it with you for good reason.”

“You knew exactly what it was the first day you saw it, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did. I’m surprised you didn’t. Tell me Caroline,” he paused briefly before continuing. “Every time I was near did you ever experience anything uncomfortable?”

Katrina stared back at him and slowly put her hand to her chest realizing the significance.

“Let’s just say I’m not the only one that had a burning desire to find you,” he cocked an eyebro
w at her.

Katrina snapped, “It was warning me about you, wasn’t it?”

“Of course it was. Your mother put a protection spell on it, using my blood. It’ll warn you whenever I’m near.”

Rage instantly began to build up inside her. She couldn’t believe she had been so naïve and blinded by her own misery that she’d missed the significance of it all. And having an arrogant ass like him rubbing i
t in made it sting even worse.

Donovan let out a low rumble of laughter. “I told you, my family is really good about leaving out minor important details. Kind of piss
es you off, doesn’t it?”

“The only thing pissing me off is you!”

“Ouch! You’re such a little spitfire. Seriously behave, because you’re starting to turn me on and we have a few more things to take care of before we can get to that part of our evening,” he winked.

“I hate you!”

“Give it time and you’ll see things differently.” His eyes glanced her over before he continued his rant. “This little trinket does more than just protect you, sweet naïve Caroline. It’s the other piece of the puzzle, so to speak.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I need this to finish our little ceremony. The power that courses through this,” he dangled the amulet in front of her, “Is the key to everything.”

“And I’m just supposed to believe you?” She didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him.

Donovan leaned his face into hers and stared. “You didn’t know, did you? Imagine that. You held the one important thing that could both save and end you. Ironic, isn’t it?” Donovan’s eyes lit with mockery, as he lifted his cheek in a slight grin and took Katrina’s bound hands in his. He was about to say something when her cast caught his attention. “Well, look what we have here. My father always did have a knack for mold making, don’t you think?” he ginned.

“You knew. When you ran into me the first time?” She couldn’t hide the surprise in her voice.

“First of all, if you remember correctly you ran into me and secondly of course I did. I told you I became very, very good at watching you. Even when you least expected it. I do have to admit watching you and my brother make out on the balcony was a little nauseating.”

“I hope when Cole does find you, your death is slow and painful.” Before Katrina had time to react, she felt the impact of his steel fist hit hard against her face. It was much more painful than Brody’s fist could’ve ever been. His hand crashed down against her face with such force, it knocked her back against the stone slab. The entir
e side of her face was on fire.

It left her head spinning in a wild daze. She couldn’t focus on anything. Even the crowd had seemed to be encircling her. An approval of laughter from the crowd echoed in her ears. She had to rest her head against the rock just to steady herself.

Then Katrina felt the warmth of something wet tickle the side of her face. She couldn’t reach to wipe it, but knew what it was.

“Ah, now see what you made me do? You’re a wild firecracker, Caroline, and I do love to play with fire, but be careful.” His yellow eyes glared back at her with a penetrating stare. “Push me far enough and it will c
ost you,” his low voice warned.

Staring at him and gasping for breath, Katrina tried not to think about the pain throbbing through her cheek. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how bad it hurt. She glared back at him coldly, as she fought back tears.

“I have done so much for you and still you treat me like I don’t matter.” Donovan started to slowly back away from her. “When are you going to understand? No one loves you like I do. I brought you this.” Donovan ripped off the pillow case revealing the identity of the male and Katrina was dumbfounded.

“Mason!” she shouted sitting up.

Mason’s face was battered, but she noticed something else. He couldn’t move one of his arms and the bone was sticking out. He was barely able to hold up his head.

“A peace offering.”

“What did you do to him?”

“An arm for an arm,” Donovan shrugged.

“You’re sick!”

“Call it whatever you want. When you wake up, you’ll be very hungry.” Donovan edged cl
oser to her.

“I can’t believe you!”

“I did this for you.”

“You’re doing this for yourself.”

He cocked an eyebrow and whispered, “Vengeance is bitter sweet, Caroline. Now, be a good girl and let me see your hand, hmm?”

“No,” she snapped. Katrina struggled
to hide her hand.

He leaned in so close to her she could feel his breath on her cheek, as his stern voice whispered, “This can be the easy way or the hard way. It’s your choice.”

Katrina debated whether to push him further. Part of her wanted to see just how far he was willing to let her go before he kept his word and killed her, but in the end she knew he would do something worse than death. Her body couldn’t handle being struck by his thunderous blow a second time. Glaring back at him, she knew she had no choice. She slowly wiggled herself out of the way and surrendered.

“Good girl,” he softly pecked her on the cheek.

Katrina watched in terror, as he reached for something hidden behind his back. Revealing itself slowly, Katrina could see a small engraved dagger. On the handle was some type of serpent. With voluptuous wings the size of its body, it embodied evil. It was very similar to the family crest she had seen on the Aldrich family wall.

By its aged appearance, Katrina could tell it must have been something Donovan had been carrying closely with him for many years. She also noticed that the symbol on it was slightly different than others she had seen. The dragon’s face had more of a demonic presence, something that was definitely not seen on the other symbol.

“Do you like it? It was a gift from my mother. Well, my first mother, I guess you could say. She always did have exquisite taste in cutlery.”

Frightened, Katrina swallowed the lump developing in her throat. The silver blade glistened against the pale moonlight like a plague of death. Now she knew exactly what Donovan meant about blood. Her heart started to race even faster. She tried to pull her arm away and protect it before the tip could penetrate her skin, b
ut Donovan was much stronger.

He was holding her hand so tight against him; she found it hard to breathe. The weight of his body leaned against her like an anchor of
cement. Any air she had inside was being forced out.