Page 97 of Forged in Blood

We finally come to a halt, and I’m dropped to the ground with a thud. I force myself to a standing position and glare at the two men. Both are wearing night vision goggles, and both of them are at least six feet tall and three feet wide.

I glance around for an escape route. Throwing myself down the steep ravine would be preferable to what these two have in mind.

Jensen produces a knife from a side pocket of his cargo pants and holds it aloft. The metal glints in the moonlight.

I go to run, but he’s way too fast, and he catches me by my wrist. “Shall we carve you up while you’re still alive, darlin’? Or slit your throat and let you bleed out onto the ground first?” His rancid breath makes me shudder.

I try to pull away, but he holds firm. “A feisty little thing, aren’t you?” His lips are twisted in a cruel smirk.

He trails the tip of the knife over my cheekbone, and I flinch. Oh god, I’m going to die out here in these woods all alone. And just when my life was getting interesting.

My legs are quaking so hard I’m sure my bones are shaking, and my stomach protests at holding its contents in once more. This is really it. There’s no hope of my rescue. I can’t reach the boys. Nobody knows that I’m here. My heart and lungs are unresponsive, frozen. Closing my eyes, I wait for the sting of his blade.

“Get your disgusting fucking hands off her. Now!” The vicious growl reverberates in the space around us.

I’m pushed to the ground, and my knees scrape on the jagged rocks, causing burning pain to lance through me. My chest heaves, and I chance lifting my head, hoping and praying that I didn’t hallucinate the voice. Despite the dim light offered by the moon, I see him. My heart swells to double its usual size, and relief rushes through my veins. He’s real. He’s here.

He’s here for me.

“Alexandros.” His name falls from my lips like a prayer.

He moves so quickly and it’s so dark that all I see are shadows, but I hear it all. Tearing flesh, screams, bones breaking, choking. Death. Within moments, the bodies of the two men who grabbed me lie on the ground around me. Except the scattered pieces littering the dirt can no longer be described as bodies. Bile surges in my throat, and I clamp my hand over my mouth. Then I see his feet planted directly in front of my knees. I follow the lines of his body up to his face. A deep, dark scowl mars his handsome features, and his eyes are narrowed to thin slits. The sight makes my mouth run dry and my throat feel like it’s closing over.

He licks a single drop of blood from the corner of his mouth. “What in all the demons of hell are you doing here?” His low growl vibrates through my body like he’s tuned into the frequency of my soul.

My heart beats so fast I’m worried I’m going to use my entire lifetime’s worth of heartbeats in this single moment. What I’m about to say isn’t nearly enough, and the words are going to sound weak, but I have nothing else. “I’m sorry.”

Chapter

Fifty-Two

ALEXANDROS

“Sorry? You almost get yourself killed. You distract my boys from the most important night of the year, and all you have to say for yourself issorry?”

Fortunately for Ophelia, my rage at her stupidity is drowned out by the intense relief that they did not hurt her. More importantly, no vampire bonded with her and realized what she is. That the two pledges were our own did not cross my mind for a second whilst I was tearing them limb from limb. Nor did the fact that they were probably going to use her as bait, and therefore were calculated and ruthless and exactly the kind of new recruits House Drakos values.

Her bottom lip trembles. “I d-don’t know what else to say.” Her voice is a mere whisper. She winces, pushing herself to a kneeling position and blinks up at me. Her blue eyes are wet with tears, and the sight of her on her knees looking at me like that is enough to shred my last sliver of control to pieces. Desire, powerful and intoxicating, snakes through every part of my body. She submits so willingly and easily that I could…

I close my eyes and focus on Xavier.I have her. She is safe.

Thank fuck!His relief punches me in the gut, but it is followed by a buzz of fear.Is she okay?

Yes. Now get back to work.

On it. But please tell Ophelia I’m going to spank her ass so hard when I’m done that she won’t sit down comfortably for a month.

The hell I will tell her that. The words alone are enough to make my fangs and my cock ache. His relief at her being found is no longer enough to mask the desire coursing through him at the thought of what he is going to do when he gets his hands on her. So I block him out and hope that she will no longer be on her knees looking up at me with that expectant expression when I open my eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I force my eyelids to lift. Dammit. What kind of curse has been placed on me? She is still there, her vibrant eyes locked on my face like she is waiting for permission to move. Perhaps I should be the one to punish her for being so reckless. Right here in the darkness of these woods.

I could pull her across my lap and lift her tiny skirt. Tug down her panties and take all of my frustrations out on her creamy skin. Turn it blood-red. It would be no less than she deserves. And it would surely lead to one thing. My cock aches at the mere thought of it.

“I know sorry isn’t enough, but I…” She shakes her head and tears leak from the corners of her eyes. “I can’t explain it.”

That is suspicious enough for reason to wrestle back control from my base desires. “What can you not explain?”

The soft curve of her throat works as she swallows, and her pulse flutters beneath her pale skin. “It was like I had to come here. Like I…” She screws her eyes closed. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but earlier tonight I had no intention of coming here. I mean, I wanted to, but I knew it would be dangerous, and as much as I wanted to know about the Hunt, I’m not an idiot. I don’t want to die.”

---