Page 100 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

My stomach threatened to expel its contents as the world spun, and my head thumped against Eren’s back, all energy to fight leaking out of me. Eren slapped a hand on my ass and carried me back up the hill. I wanted to swat his filthy fingers off me, but it was all I could do to stay conscious.

On the road, a big black SUV screeched to a halt as we crested the hill. Two men jumped out and opened the back doors.

Eren tossed me roughly into the backseat and leaned over, his breath hot as he put his face close to mine.

“Time to take you home. Time to make you mine.”

The door slammed shut, the sound of it crashing into my ears, a final punctuation on my chances at escape. Tires squealed as Eren’s man pulled away, rocketing us toward some unknown and terrible final location. Any possibility of being saved dwindled as we put more and more distance between us and the wreck.

Up front, Eren chuckled, his voice droning in and out as my vision and hearing blurred and faded, unconsciousness quickly dragging me under. The last thing I saw was trees flashing past through the window.

Reaching up with rapidly vanishing strength, I touched the glass. A single word, screaming out through my mind, shouted by my subconscious and magic, echoed through my head. The only chance I had was a shout of help as I slipped into darkness. The last word I thought before darkness descended was a single name, screamed out inside my mind.

Jace.

Part 2

Chapter 1

Kirsten

Tick-tick-tick.

The sound pulled at me, hauling me into consciousness like a wet towel dragged up from the bottom of a pool. The ticking continued after I awoke, but I kept my eyes closed. A hundred thoughts fluttered through my mind. Most were confusing and disjointed. The car wreck. The sounds of breaking glass, snapping plastic, and twisting metal. Panic surged through me as I recalled Eren pulling my limp body from the car.

With a hope and a prayer that it had all been a bad dream, I allowed my eyelids to slide open. On the wall opposite me, a clock marked the passage of time, the second hand tapping out that annoying rhythm. Clicking away my life as though it meant nothing. Cold, heartless, and condescending.

Gritting my teeth, I sat up and swung my legs around to the ground. A wave of dizziness rocked the world, and I had to close my eyes until it steadied. Finally opening them again, I found a nondescript, unfurnished gray and white room. It held only the cot I’d woken up on, a single chair, and a small table. Two doors stood closed on either side of the room.

After checking one and finding it locked, I tried the other. The door opened to a small bathroom, though “bathroom” was an exaggeration. All it had was a toilet and a small sink.

I was caught. A mouse stuck in a trap. As badly as I wanted to lose my mind to panic, I did all I could to stay calm. Sitting on the cot, I focused on how to get myself out of this.

Eren must have brought me to some safe house or something inside Scottsdale. That much had to be true. He wouldn’t want me too far from his base of power. His pack would serve as a de facto army if Jace tried to come rescue me. A faint hope of seeing Jace ride in like a white knight was quickly quashed by my own pragmatism. No. I couldn’t wait for Jace. I had to help myself.

Jace did know I was in trouble, though. That last phone call would have been enough for him to know. I could still recall how terrified and angry he’d sounded when he’d realized Eren was trying to kidnap me. Regardless of whether or not he’d be successful, Jace would come for me. That alone sent a pang of fear through my chest. Jace had no clue where I was being held. If he tried to rush in here, guns blazing, he might get hurt or even killed. I had to find a way to get out before the worst happened.

The stone on my neck, still there even after the wreck and kidnapping, hummed against my skin. A low and ominous pulse. A moment later, the deadbolt on the locked door clicked, and the door swung inward. Eren appeared, a smarmy, shit-eating grin on his lips.

“Well, well, well,” he said. “Looks like you’ve finished your little nap.”

“Fuck you, prick,” I hissed.

Eren leveled a finger at me. “You see, I like that. Shows fire and grit. Something I want passed on to my heir.”

Despite my best efforts, an image flashed across my mind. Eren, sweaty and grunting, thrusting into me, trying to impregnate me with his spawn. It was all I could do not to gag and puke right there at the mere thought of it.

Swallowing the bile back down, I said, “What do you plan on doing with me?”

“I can see you’re afraid,” Eren said, stepping closer. “Don’t be. I’m not going to hurt you. I wouldn’t want anything happening to my future mate.”

I glared at him as he reached forward and ran a finger gently down my cheek. Rather than flinching away, an unconscious and vicious surge of magic burst forth, running up from my chest to my face. An arc of something like electricity burst out, crackling like lightning and snapping at his finger.

Eren jerked his hand back with a wince, then chuckled as he shook his hand. “Oh, temper, temper, young lady.” His eyes traveled lasciviously down to my crotch. “Can you do that with all your body parts? Might be fun.”

“You’re disgusting,” I spat. “Touch me again, and you’ll see exactly what I can do.”

Eren took a step back and spoke as though I hadn’t said anything. “You will be my pack witch. Once we’re mated, you will be my personal witch. You will use your powers to protect me and my pack from outside influence, and you will provide me with an heir.” He cocked an eyebrow. “More than one if you’re as fun in bed as I think you’ll be.”

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