Page 96 of Bite of Vengeance

I pressed my lips together, not saying a word. Nothing I said would help this situation. My heart pounded almost painfully. He was going to use me to get Kali. And I didn’t stand a damn chance against him, especially with his vampires surrounding me.

“I know you’re bonded with her,” he continued in a low voice. “Which means I need to be very careful on the orders I give you. I can still hold power over you, but not when it comes to her. Protecting her will come before anything else.”

Orders. Ice lined my veins. He was going to entrance me again.

“I’ll have to do better than I did with Viggo. Even with my entrancement, he still managed to leave the property.”

“Even if I’m under your control, you won’t touch her,” I hissed, my chest heaving.

He smiled cruelly. “After everything I’ve accomplished, you still underestimate me.”

The scent of human blood suddenly overwhelmed my nostrils, and I whipped my head toward the front of the vehicle. My eyes widened when I saw Rowan sitting at the end of the bench. His arms were pulled behind him as if bound by something.

A huge gash on his forehead was still dripping blood, and his nose was swollen and crooked. Nearly every inch of his skin was black and blue. He was heaving in shallow breaths, and his heart was beating furiously. From how he was breathing, I was guessing at least a couple of his ribs were broken. He opened his mouth as if to say something before his eyes cut to Amaros. His silence made me curious about how badly my father had tortured him.

“I could have entranced him to obey,” Amaros said, noticing where my attention was. “But I like this way better. He had a hawthorn tattoo like Kali, but that’s not an issue now.”

I could only imagine the creative way my father got rid of Rowan’s tattoo. From the way his eyes were spitting loathing at my father, I was guessing it was painful.Good fucking riddance. I hoped he suffered.

Images of when Kali was chained to the chair filled my head. The gleeful way Rowan had taunted me when I’d been fucking helpless while he tortured her. Fury slid down my limbs, and a growl vibrated in my chest. I jumped to my feet, lunging across the vehicle with every intention of killing him.

Until a hand wrapped around my throat, throwing me back onto the bench. Amaros loomed over me, keeping his grip on my neck.

“I still need him,” he informed me coldly before his gaze locked on mine. Panic washed over me when he held me hostage with entrancement. “You will not touch Rowan. You will not fight me. You will stay at my side until I give you an order.”

He released me, and I fell back onto the bench, my pulse thudding out of control. He purposefully didn’t say Kali’s name. I had a feeling that our bond would shatter any control he had over me. But clearly, he could still entrance me if it had nothing to do with her.

“Why do you need him?” I gritted out.

He sat back down, glancing at Rowan before looking back at me. “He’s the reason we’re in this truck. You and Kali are the reason I got to him. With you and the Shadows ravaging the human cities, they had to travel, leaving them vulnerable.”

“Where are we going?”

“After I got rid of that pesky tattoo, I was able to entrance Rowan.” A smirk lifted his lips. “Not only did I find out that PARA had been hoarding Shadows for Keeva to control, but now I know where they’re being kept. We’re going to get them.”

I stared at him. “Get the Shadows?”

“Yes.”

“They won’t listen to you.”

“I know.” His voice was calm, but the rage swimming in his eyes was crystal clear. “Kali will lead them.”

The bands of entrancement kept me on the bench as my fists clenched. “You don’t have Kali.”

If he did, I would feel it. She wasn’t in danger—not at this moment. Amaros let out a cruel chuckle.

“I will. Your bond with her will lead her straight to us. While I believe she still has a soft spot for humans, her feelings for you will be greater.” He paused, looking at me thoughtfully. “Your life or the humans. She’ll choose you.”

“You’ll kill me if she doesn’t listen?” I bit out, expecting nothing less from him.

“You think there are no consequences for betraying me?” he roared, losing control. His eyes brimmed with anger and hurt. “I am your father, and you chose her. Believe me, Zan. Your punishment will come later once all of this is over and I have Kaliandthe Shadows under my control.”

“And Keeva?” I asked between heavy breaths. I was fighting the entrancement so damn hard, but I still couldn’t move an inch closer to my father. While I knew he was going to harm her, she was under no threat right now. My bond with her was doing nothing to try to overpower his mind control.

“I’m sure she’s been looking for us ever since we took Rowan. But she can’t track him like Kali can with you. They aren’t bonded. Once we find her, I’ll make sure she can’t interfere.”

He was telling me all of this with ease. He had all the confidence that whatever plan he had would work.

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