Lure (6 page)

There was movement next to me, followed by Marko lowering and whispering in French. “Jesus, ma minette, what has he done to you? I'm so sorry I haven't been there to protect you. My heart is breaking right now.”

I sniffled past the tears burning my eyes. I didn’t know this man, not really, but his sympathy hit right in my heart, stirring unfamiliar emotions.

“I’m going to kill him,” I managed in our language. “I will not forget this. I…can’t.”

“Nor will I let you,” he said angrily.

“Enough talk!” Sayer yelled. “Get up, Tessalyn. You wanted this fight, now show him what you’re made of.”

Sadness swept over Marko’s features and his hand came out toward me. I couldn’t help but flinch after everything I’d been through.

“I wish I could say I wasn’t going to hurt you, but you know that isn’t the case, right? I don’t want to, but it’s the only way I’m going to convince him I’m moving on. It’s the only way they’ll set me free. But, I’ll never get over you. You’re my heart and I’m going to show you how much I love you once I’m released. Stay strong for just a little while longer. If he’s not dead by the time I’m out, I’ll be the one who kills him. No one hurts what’s mine and gets away with it. And you
are
mine, Tessa. Forever.”

Marko’s arm latched onto my bicep and he jerked me up, violently. Threatening sounds left his mouth, but I felt no fear. “Now, fight,” he said in English. “And fight hard. I’m not going to take it easy on y—”

My nails ripped across his cheek, causing him to growl out in anger. His head snapped back to me and his eyes practically sparkled with approval.

“I don’t…know you.” I created more distance between us, shaking my head. “I don’t know you!”

Whether Sayer believed my statement, I wasn’t sure, but I
did
know Marko. Somehow, I did, and the vampire in me gravitated to him like nothing I’d ever experienced before. It made trying to fight him hard. I didn’t want to fight. I wanted his arms around me, holding me while I breathed him in.

“You may not now, but I guarantee after this day, you won’t forget me.” Marko charged in my direction and my instincts flared, assessing the threat racing toward me. I dropped low in a crouching position, thrusting myself up to catch his waist and bring him to his back. Sayer’s laugh filled the background, as did a clapping sound. My fangs bared and I dove toward his neck. Where I thought he’d move or try to prevent my attack…he didn’t. Viciously, I bit down, jolting at the power his blood caused pooling over my tongue. Fingers embedded in my hair and I felt the low moan all the way to my toes as he held me to him. The vibrations joined with the richness of his flavor and my body softened, molding into his. For the first time since I could remember, I felt safe. I felt
at home
. My tongue swirled over his neck and his grip grew tighter.

“Not yet, ma minette, but soon,” he whispered, jerking my hair and spinning me to my back. Feeling defenseless had me fighting in earnest and I wedged my feet against his hard stomach, sending him flying into the wall. Through the lust and panic, I managed to climb to my feet, just in time for him to make it back to me. My claws shot out, but he defended himself against the strikes. Blocked every fucking move I tried to make, over and over. It was almost laughable how good he truly was. He was taking it easy on me. Every move. Every action. I didn’t stand a chance.

Anger began to seep in and Sayer’s words repeated in my head. He was going to rape me again after this and there was nothing I could do about it.

Heat swirled in my belly and although Marko had me from behind now, I barely felt his strong hold as I tuned into myself. Darkness clouding the top of the cell projected in my mind and met me as my lids opened. The grip holding me loosened, but didn’t break.

“There we go,” Sayer said lowly. “Do it. Show him what you’re capable of!”

Black fog billowed from my mouth, pouring out in a thick mass that began to creep around us. The darkness would keep me safe. The darkness was
me
. Only I could save myself, and somehow I took comfort in that—even if it was only temporary.

“I love you.
To death
. Remember that through your hell. Know that I’m going to be there with you soon. We’ll make them pay. We’ll make them
all
pay.”

I wasn’t focusing on Marko’s words anymore. All I knew was the substance leaving me. It wasn’t like before and the realization was stealing my focus. The slight twinge of an odd perfume started to coat my throat. Surviving was key. I had to protect myself because I couldn’t kill the one person Sayer wanted me to. He promised to be there for me. He said he loved me. And something told me I might have feelings for him, too.

“Ma minette, what is that? What…” The hold loosened, quickly breaking away as footsteps stumbled back. Multiple voices filled the surroundings, but I could see nothing but the darkness swirling and dancing around me happily. Yes, it looked so happy. So alive as it rose and stretched out.

“Tessalyn Antoinette? Tessalyn?” A familiar voice had me turning, but I didn’t know who it was. Didn’t want to see as I clung to my armor. It was hiding me. Protecting me from the evil outside of it.

“Tessa?”

Another voice.
Hunter.

I took a few steps, looking down at Marko’s barely conscious body on the floor. His lids appeared heavy as he blinked up at me. There was a smile on his face. One of pride? I wasn’t sure. “Soon, me and you,” he whispered. One last blink and he closed his eyes for good. Whether he was pretending or really affected by my gift, I wasn’t sure. His heart was still beating, I knew that. I could hear it so strongly.
Thump-thump
.
Thump-thump.

In a daze, I lowered, putting all my attention on the call. And it
was
calling me in some unexplainable way.
Thump-thump.
Faster, it increased at my presence. But Marko didn’t move.

My head cocked to the side and I lowered, resting my ear over where his heart was located. A coolness enveloped his skin and I placed my hand over his defined abs, letting the temperature soak into my palm. He wasn’t healthy. Not in the sense that my instincts told me, but I couldn’t understand what it meant. He’d been feeding, or had started when I arrived, but how often did he get to in here? Was it enough?

So many questions began to push through my mind and for the first time, they weren’t about me. They were concerned over the man below me.

“What are you waiting for?” Sayer’s voice boomed above me, but was overtaken by a dark haired man, moving in closer to the side. I knew him, although I couldn’t remember his name. He swayed and swallowed hard, shaking his head roughly. It sent his long hair to the front of his shoulders.

“She’s poisonous,” he said, slurring his words. “God, my head hurts. Okay, Tessalyn, make the rest go away.”

I didn’t want to. I wanted the fog back. Wanted it to save me from what I knew would be happening soon.

The sound of heaving had me looking through the haze. Hunter was kneeling and gagging, holding his stomach as he braced his body up with his other hand. No words came from me, but I let go of the connection with my gift and watched it fade out. Within seconds, I was suddenly alone again. Exposed completely to the people who wanted to hurt me.

“Well, he’s not dead.” The vampire with long hair crouched next to us, putting his hand on Marko’s chest. With a tug of his shoulder, Marko began to blink heavily.

“Of course I’m not dead, Julius.” He coughed, rolling to his side. “You seriously didn’t think she could kill me so easily, did you? It was the distance. She’s damn toxic up close.”

Sayer’s jaw clenched as his glare shot to me. “Give her another few days and her powers will grow. She’d be able to kill you then. The poison will increase over time. She’ll be able to do whatever she wants with it.”

Marko’s eyebrow rose and he pushed to stand, falling into the wall to hold himself up. “Then maybe you should bring her back in a few days. If you’re brave enough.”

“Maybe I will,” Sayer countered.

“You going to make sure to rape her again before you do?” He turned to the dark haired vampire. “You see that, Julius? Is that what you allow to go on as our leader? A high-ranking member raping newborns?”

“Enough.” Julius looked between them, but I could see his uneasiness.

“No,” Marko said, shaking his head. “It is
not
enough. That blood staining the top of her dress was from the horrific beating she’d received before he brought her to me. I may be moving on from Tessa, but as second in command, I refuse to allow this sort of brutality to happen to one of our future members. Hell, future leader! She’ll take the throne someday. Imagine what this is doing to her psyche. Is he trying to create a monster? One who’s uncontrollable and worthless? We all know if this treatment continues she’s going to slip into the wrong frame of mind. One she’ll never be able to come back from. Tell me how Axis would feel about that?”

Sayer grabbed my arm, jerking me to stand. “I
am
Axis! Tessalyn will be treated however I see fit. I made her. She’s mine. If I want to beat her to within an inch of her life every day, tell me, who’s going to stop me? You?” He laughed. “Julius? No,” he said, shaking his head. “No one tells me what to do. If you don’t like how I treat Tessalyn, she and I will gladly go back to Dallas.”

“No…no.” Julius’s hand rose and he continued looking between me and Marko. “Sayer, you may have made her, but she was a part of this community first. You know the rules. You can leave if you feel you must, but she stays. If you’d like to take it up with Axis, you can, but we all know what they’re going to say. They’ll need my permission for relocation and I refuse to give it. Tessalyn Antoinette stays. That was the plan from the beginning and my gift tells me that’s the way it’s meant to be.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Marko’s mouth.

“As for the…treatment of her.” A wealth of emotions played across Julius’s face and I could tell he was having a hard time trying to pick his words. “What happens behind closed doors is of none of our concern. Sayer knows the repercussions his actions will have on Tessalyn. For all vampires concerned, let’s hope he chooses wisely how he wants to mold his future concubine.”

My heart jumped as nausea and panic had me trying to pull free of Sayer’s grip.

“Are you serious?” Marko shook his head at the older vampire. “You’re going to allow the beatings and rape to continue? To her? To the one you’re entrusting to rule in your passing? What if she ends up taking us all down? Can you seriously say that’s good judgement from a leader?”

“One more word and I’ll push back your next feeding for weeks. Don’t test me, Marko.”

“Fuck…the feeding,” he yelled. “It’s not right and you know it. Be our leader, not the puppet you’ve been to Sayer since he arrived. He owes you nothing and you have absolutely nothing to prove. She’s turned. You got what you wanted. What else could he possibly have that tempts you? Axis? Do you feel he’s going to convince the elders to let you in?”

Julius narrowed his eyes and spun around, refusing to answer as he left the cell. Sayer pulled me out, letting the cell door slam behind him. Marko’s eyes held mine and I didn’t care if he saw the tears escape. Apparently, my leader had abandoned me to the worst hell there was and I had no idea how to survive it.

Chapter 9

Hunter

There were many times in my life where safety was nonexistent. Through the night patrols and being in a foreign country where death sometimes happened on a daily basis, the only thing that got me past the fear and uncertainty was knowing I could provide assurance and courage to the soldiers who looked up to me. But I wasn’t on another tour. And the woman I loved wasn’t some soldier under my command. Here, I was helpless. And, with what was happening to her, even more so.

To see your heart, your other half, endure grotesque acts of violence and rape when there was nothing you could do about it was worse than anything I could imagine witnessing. It was destroying me. No matter how much I yelled or threatened, nothing helped. It only made Sayer hurt her more. And now, he was threatening me.

As I stared at Tessa’s limp body, cuffed to the bed on her stomach, I couldn’t stop the stream of tears from racing down my face. Four days this had been happening. Aside from the bastard letting me loose for bathroom breaks and meals, he kept me restrained in his invisible bubble, trapped right next to the bed. He wanted me to see her pain. He wanted to break me, and he was succeeding.

“Yes! Hurt me.” I could feel the craziness in my eyes as I waved him closer. Anything to get him away from her. Blood coated Tessa’s sides from where his nails had repeatedly tore open her back. The tears had long dried on her face. Now, she just stared in my direction…gone—a zombie of his making. I could tell she was no longer aware of what was happening. She’d been that way for a while, only jolting or whimpering when he added new marks. But she wasn’t here. I’d seen that haunted look before. My Tessa was possibly more broken than I was and I had to find a way to bring her back. To get rid of her maker and fix the damage that had been done. Looking at her blank stare, I wasn’t sure that was possible.

The mattress shifted as he moved more in my direction. Although I somewhat kept my attention on Sayer, my real focus was on Tessa. Her breathing was so slow, almost nonexistent. The separation of her lips and lax features once again forced death into my mind. Faces flashed before my vision, causing my hands to clench. I fought to breathe as I was thrown back into my past. Back to holding one of the many bloody men whose lifeless eyes stared up at me.

“Do you think you’ll make an obedient slave, Hunter?”

Sayer’s breath was suddenly brushing against the back of my neck. I jumped, gasping as the room was before me again.

“I will be the best slave for Tessa.”

“Wrong answer. For both of us,” he hissed.

My eyes closed and I tried to still my pulse past the shock of the memory. Slowly, I nodded. Anything to diffuse the situation. If I could make Sayer calm, maybe he’d change his mind and leave. I knew what he intended. After all, he hadn’t finished fucking Tessa. I noticed he rarely came with her. Not unless she was fighting him, and she’d learned to stop doing that relatively quickly.

“Good. Now bend over the bed.”

Opening my eyes was almost impossible. When my lids lifted, I brought my gaze back to Tessa. I didn’t procrastinate or put off the inevitable. I knew what would happen if I fought. He liked that too much and I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of hurting me more than I knew he was already going to.

The top half of my body leaned over the side of the mattress and I immediately wrapped my arm around the small of Tessa’s back. Blood met my forehead as I placed it against her ribs and I closed my eyes again, bracing for Sayer’s invasion.

“You learn faster than I thought. Or maybe you secretly want this.” His fingers stroked up the back of my thigh and my jaw clenched as they moved over the curve of my ass. For days now, he kept Tessa and I both nude. It was a sign from the beginning of how things were going to be with him here.

“I don’t. Just get this over with.” My words were forced, clipped, as I fought the rage shaking my body. Fear should have been there, but my hate overshadowed any other emotion. I’d never wanted to kill someone as much as Sayer. Not even Marko, and that showed me just how deep my revulsion ran. I had to find a way to end this.

Pressure circled around the entrance of my ass and my hand clutched Tessa’s hip. Tighter, I hugged her. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to protect her. If, somehow, this was the cost to prove my love and duty, it was all I had left.

“Someday you may come to enjoy what we all have. It doesn’t always have to be a bad thing when the three of us share each other. Tessa will learn who to obey; you will learn, too. Once the two of you know your place, things can fall together perfectly. I can see it. It’s beautiful. With Marko dead, nothing will stop Tessa and me from reaching the top.”

His finger disappeared for only a moment before it was replaced. Wetness messaged directly over my entrance and my whole body tensed as his finger slowly slid inside. I couldn’t stop myself from clenching around the penetration. I didn’t want this, yet I knew I couldn’t stop it.

I stayed quiet as he withdrew, only to surge deeper. Tessa body jerked at my increasing grip and I loosened, grunting at the pain as he slid in another finger, stretching me wide.

“When Tessa faces Marko again, there will be no hesitation. She’s going to know the repercussions. She’s going to finish him immediately.” The anger lacing his tone only increased the brutality of his thrusts. He had no care to be gentle.

“Marko is going to kill you.
I’m
going to kill you.”

Tessa’s clear English had my head jerking to face her. How many times had she repeated that statement in her head to make it sound so clear?

My hand shot up to cover her mouth but she snapped her teeth in my direction, causing me to pull back.

“Is that so?” Sayer’s hand stilled, but he didn’t stop violating me.

“Yes. Take…hands off human…you’re dead.”

“Shut up, Tessa. You’re only making this worse,” I rushed out.

Her black eyes met mine and I wasn’t able to turn away fast enough. Like gravity, I was sucked into the darkness. Where I expected her fear or anger to take over, I didn’t find it. Calmness and a sense of peace settled over me. I could still hear voices, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. And I knew Sayer was still having his way with me. Yet, I felt nothing. Nothing but a sense of relief for the first time since I’d come to this underground hell. Whether time stretched out for seconds, minutes, or hours…I wasn’t sure. Warmth blanketed me…coddled me, like I was a baby. And in the blackness, I was safe. Free of my duties and responsibilities.

But it didn’t last long enough.

Pain jolted me from my blissful haven, so intense and sharp, the gag was automatic. My fingers dug into Tessa’s hip as my body curled into itself, heaving through the agony of what was happening to me. My toes dug into the cement as I tried to scramble away, but I couldn’t move.

“Say it. Say it, Princess!”

I looked up in time to see Sayer digging into the side of Tessa’s face with his fingers. Blood dripped down her cheeks from his nails while he shoved her head more into the pillow. I could feel his weight over my back while he kept his cock buried inside of me.

“Say it!”

Spit sprayed out of her mouth, barely making it to the bed, her face was being pressed down so hard. I thrashed, slamming my elbow back into his ribs in quick succession. It was enough to have Sayer swaying to the side, but closer to her.

“You will say it! You are mine! You think Marko is going to protect you? Where is he now? That’s right, he’s locked away. And he’ll stay that way forever if I have my way. You’ll never see him again so you might as well let him go and start worrying about the other man you love.”

My head snapped back at his pull and I locked up completely as his teeth and fangs bit into my neck. The thickness from his poison was immediate. Tessa’s screams pierced the room so loud, I fought against Sayer’s hold so I could cover my ears. Harder, he gripped, thrusting his cock into me wildly as he drank my blood. The pain engulfing me was easing, twisting and morphing to some sick form of arousal. I didn’t want to enjoy what he was doing. I didn’t want to like it…but suddenly, I did.

“I told you,” he said, breaking from my neck. “Tell me you want more.”

Tessa’s screams continued, but I didn’t care. I held her waist tighter, pressing my fingers into her skin as I stared, fascinated. An animal was taking over me from his venom. I needed more of his cock, but I needed…

Sayer reached forward, jerking Tessa’s legs apart. He didn’t have to tell me what to do. I was lost, gone, as I dove forward, burying my face right into her pussy and ass. I wanted to taste all of her. To fuck her in both places with my tongue while Sayer had sex with me the one way I never thought I’d want to experience.

“I knew you’d see my way, pet. Feast on what belongs to us while I take care of you.”

He rested more into me, reaching around and stroking down my length. His thrusts turned slow, tortuous, making my head even fuzzier. I couldn’t think or decipher anything but my cravings. And I was desperate for Tessa’s cum. For his, inside of me.

Vibrations from the continued screaming made my body hum. They weren’t lessoning. The steady volume buzzed in the distance: high pitched, low pitched, long, short. The vast power from behind the voice never wavered. I wasn’t sure how long it went on. All I could do was suck and lick on every inch of her most private areas. But I never got what I wanted. What I longed for the most. Sadness started to etch in and with it, the pain of what was happening to me. Swelling inside my ass increased as Sayer pounded harder. Each sway forward jostled my stomach and regardless of my drugged state, I heaved again. And again. Words spoke lowly behind me, but I couldn’t focus on anything but the moans beginning to pour from his mouth. Warmth pumped into me and I couldn’t hold in what was dying to escape from the moment the vampire had touched me. Reality was starting to sink in. What I’d done was pushing through and mortification didn’t even break the surface of the guilt starting to fester inside of me.

Still, the screams continued, even after Sayer pulled out and left me lying there limp in my own vomit.

Broken. Yes, he wanted to break me. He wanted to break her. Perhaps he’d done his job. Tessa and I were his toys, and he’d accomplished what I thought no one could ever do. Sayer shattered me. Defeated me. And I’d violated her. I was just as bad as my rapist. He wanted to show us who had the power, and it was all too clear. No one was coming to help us. We were alone.