Page 72 of Blood Caged

He has a point. Although it didn’t happen that way.

When I don’t respond, Maxwell goes on, “Get your house in order, son. Prepare for the new arrival and keep an eye on the Blackwood woman. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

I heave a heavy breath, knowing that there’s no point in arguing. “Understood,” I say simply.

Maxwell sets his empty glass down and rises from his seat. “I think we’ve said enough on this. I have other matters to attendto.” He starts walking toward the door. “You’ll see yourself out?” he says over his shoulder.

“Of course.” I nod. But I linger a while after he leaves his study.

My loyalty presses down on me, warring with the growing unease in my gut. Maxwell’s words echo in my head: “For the greater good of our people.” But at what cost?

I’ve always prided myself on my moral code, on being better than the base instincts that drive so many of our kind. Now, I find myself involved in acts that sicken me. The faces of those terrified women flash through my mind.

And Mia… God, Mia. Her strength, her courage, her unexpected vulnerability – they’ve all wormed their way under my skin. I want to help.

But the maker’s bond tugs at me, a constant reminder of my blood oath to Maxwell. For the first time in centuries, I find myself questioning whether that bond is enough to justify what we’re doing.

If I defy Maxwell, the consequences would be severe. The pain of resisting a direct order is excruciating, and he could make my existence a living hell. Not to mention the political fallout – a vampire defying his maker…even if they knew of my reasons, I’d be cast out, labeled a traitor to my kind.

But if I don’t act, if I continue to be a pawn in this game…

Fuck. How do I live with myself?

I stop my pacing, my decision crystallizing. I need answers, and I’m not going to get them by playing by the rules. It’s time to do some digging of my own, to uncover what Maxwell and Lucien are really up to.

To protect Mia and get to the bottom of this, I’ll have to be careful. I’ll need to maintain the facade of the loyal soldier while secretly working against them. It’s a dangerous game, but one I have to play.

And I’m ready to play it.

25

Chapter 25

Mia

The fat pooled beneaththe steak in front of me is beginning to congeal, and the salad on the side plate has wilted.

I don’t give a damn. I don’t plan to eat it. In fact, I feel like I’ll never be able to eat again. Not after what happened.

I can’t stop replaying it in my mind. The moment we thought we were free, the rush of cool night air on our faces. Then Heath’s smug grin as he stepped out of the shadows, shattering our hopes in an instant.

Sabine’s brazen glare. Jemma’s quiet sobs.

And now they’re gone. Because of me.

I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the images away, but they only grow more vivid. The dark cell they threw us in. Lucien’s cold eyes as he ordered Soren to “get rid of” them.

It should have been me. It was my idea.

My stomach churns. I should have been the one taken, not them. I was the ringleader, the one who pushed for this foolish escape attempt. But my cursed blood makes me too valuable to dispose of.

Anger flares hot in my chest. At Soren, for his part in this. At myself, for daring to think he might be different from the other vampires. For letting my guard down, even for a moment.

But beneath the anger is a gnawing fear. What will happen to me now? How long can I last in this hell, knowing the fate of my friends?

I prowl around Soren’s quarters, my new prison, feeling like a caged animal. My fingers trail over the furnishings, and I have to resist the urge to smash everything in sight. It wouldn’t change anything. It wouldn’t bring Sabine and Jemma back.

God…Sabine. Her dry wit had been a lifeline in this hellhole. And Jemma’s quiet strength, her unwavering hope. Gone because I dared to dream of freedom.

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