Page 74 of Blood Caged

Don’t think about that, Mia.

I refuse to dwell on anything that might make me think there’s a shred of humanity in him.

“Feel free to borrow any that interest you,” Soren offers.

I turn to face him, ready with a biting retort about the generosity of my jailer, when I realize how close he’s standing. We’re barely a breath apart, and I can see darker flecks in his indigo eyes. I step back hastily, my heart racing.

Soren clears his throat and moves toward the kitchenette. “There’s food here if you get hungry,” he says, opening a well-stocked refrigerator.

“What? No bottles of blood?” My tone is cutting.

“I moved them to the cabinet,” he replies as if I just asked an actual question.

As I lean in to look inside the refrigerator, our arms brush. The contact sends an unexpected shiver through me, and I jerk away as if burned.

“I’m not much of an eater,” I say quickly, withdrawing from him.

Soren nods, his expression unreadable. “The bathroom’s through there,” he indicates a door to our left. “You’ll find everything you need.”

“As long as you don’t leave the seat up, I’ll be happy,” I mutter.

“Vampires don’t use toilets, Mia.”

I snap a look at him. Is he teasing me? But his expression is completely serious. “What? But then, how do you…? No. Forget I asked.” I wave a hand, desperate to escape this suffocating proximity. “I think I’ll take a shower,” I announce, already moving toward the bathroom.

“Mia,” Soren calls softly as I reach for the door handle. I pause but don’t turn around. “I know this isn’t ideal, but I hope you can be…comfortable here.”

I bite back a bitter laugh. Comfortable? With a monster? But I’m too exhausted to argue. Without a word, I slip into the bathroom and close the door firmly behind me.

This is going to be hell.

Mia

I’m running, my heart racing so fast it feels like it’s going to burst. The damp earth squelches beneath my feet as I race through the darkness. Sabine and Jemma are just ahead, their ragged breaths matching my own. We’re so close to freedom, I can almost taste it.

Suddenly, a spotlight blinds me. Rough hands grab my arms, yanking me backward. I struggle, kicking and screaming, but it’s no use. They’ve got us.

“No!” I cry out as Heath emerges from the shadows, a cruel smile twisting his face. “How could you betray your own kind?”

He doesn’t answer, just nods to someone behind me. I’m forced to my knees, Sabine and Jemma beside me. Lucien appears, his eyes glowing red in the darkness.

“You thought you could escape?” he sneers. “Foolish witches.”

He raises a hand, and I watch in horror as Sabine and Jemma are dragged away. “Wait! No! Please!” I beg, but my pleas fall on deaf ears.

The sound of gunshots echoes through the night. Two bodies thud to the ground.

“Your turn,” Lucien hisses, reaching for me.

I bolt upright, a scream tearing from my throat. My heart races, and I’m drenched in sweat. For a moment, I can’tremember where I am. Then reality crashes back – I’m in Soren’s quarters, a prisoner still.

The door bursts open, and Soren rushes in. He’s bare-chested, dressed in just a pair of black sweatpants that hug his lean hips.

I stare at him, my breath coming in ragged gasps. His eyes are filled with concern, and for a moment, I forget he’s my captor. He takes a hesitant step toward me, then another.

“Mia,” he says softly, “are you alright?”

I shake my head, unable to speak. The nightmare still clings to me, the images of Sabine and Jemma’s bodies hitting the ground playing on repeat in my mind.

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