Page 11 of Forced Vampire Mate

“I thought you were…” I trailed off. Locked away? Dead? I never asked Luken what he’d done to Greyson.

Greyson stalked forward. “Oh, my brother overestimates his strength. I still have friends in the palace. Now come, Elara. Drop the staff and make it easier on all of us. You signed your death warrant when you let him bed you. You could have been spared. Now, surrender for Thessa’s sake. Otherwise, she will be a tribute to the Gods once more.”

The choice was impossible—and one that I ultimately didn’t have to make.

Thessa screamed, her fangs lengthening as she sprang forward. She clawed at Greyson’s face, but he sprang aside, and one of the mercenaries jumped in front of him. Greyson laughed as he drew his sword. The mercenaries formed a tight wall around us, but half of them turned their attention to Thessa. The others hung back as Greyson came at me.

I jumped forward, swinging my staff. Greyson spun out of my reach, but I wasn’t going for him. The mercenary behind him didn’t see me coming in time. The staff cracked down on his head, making it burst like a ripe pumpkin. Gore flew every which way as I spun, using my staff as a vaulting pole to leap behind the mercenaries, landing close to Thessa. With two more smooth motions, I broke the throat of one and crushed the testicles of another. He dropped, screaming and writhing.

“Don’t kill the panther,” Greyson ordered, hanging back as the mercenaries moved out, dodging our blows. “And if you can, try not to injure her too badly. She must be unblemished for the Gods, and my healing can only do so much.”

We fought. We fought as hard as we could. But we were outnumbered. I managed to kill another mercenary before Greyson was there. His sword sank into my staff, and as Thessa sprang at him, he backhanded her into a tree. She dropped, and the elves were on her in an instant, grabbing her paws and twisting her body so she couldn’t free herself.

“Take her to the van,” Greyson ordered over his shoulder. “The Gods will be pleased to have her again.”

Blood rushed in my ears as I leaped after them, remembering the image of Darcie being dragged away. The way she’d screamed and fought, but the vampires who had her wouldn’t release her. Now Thessa was being dragged away. She screamed and fought, but they wouldn’t let her go. Back to the temples, a place she’d been willing to die to escape.

“No,” I gasped.

A bite of cold went through my stomach. Sound seemed to cut out as my grip on my staff faltered. My distraction cost me. Greyson’s sword slid smoothly through my stomach, the blade cutting through bone and flesh. I met his gaze to find his eyes cold. There was no victory or triumph in his face, only grim satisfaction. He withdrew the sword and stabbed me through again.

“Mourn her, Elara,” he whispered as he caught me. He twisted my staff from my hands and pulled his sword out of me again. My legs shook, and he kicked them out from beneath me. I fell to the ground with a spurt of blood erupting from the wounds in my stomach.

Greyson crouched next to me. “I know what you must be thinking. An attractive young girl with all these hot-blooded males. But I will give you this comfort, Elara. She’s meant to be a tribute to the Gods, which means she must be pure.”

Tears of pain blurred my vision. I’d failed. I gave up my chance to save Darcie by saving Thessa, and here I was. It was all for vain. I was dying, and she was going back. They’d end up tributes to the Gods, and I could do nothing about it.

“Is he there?” Greyson murmured. He remained crouched near me, unmoving. “Can he feel that you’re dying?”

A beating came through my bond with Luken. Pain and terror, the likes I’d only felt when Darcie was taken away. I could almost hear his voice, pleading with me to hold on.

“Finish it,” I whimpered, hating that I was putting Luken through this.

Greyson laughed. “So he is. I hope he suffers. I hope he knows that I’m here, that I’m going to watch the life drain from your eyes. Your injuries are fatal, but they won’t be quick. He was too stupid, too slow to save you. Now, all I have to do is wait.”

He shifted to sit cross-legged next to me, his gaze still cold. He meant it. He was going to take his time and enjoy my slow death.

My fingers twitched toward my staff, and he reached across to take it. He placed it behind himself and settled back down. Next, he put the sword aside and drew a hunting knife that he twirled in his hands, ready to strike me again. The bond pulsed, Luken, trying to send me his strength. I felt him as though he was right beside me.

“Greyson,” I gasped, the taste of blood on my lips.

He lifted an eyebrow. “That’s not my name.”

“What is?” My mind raced, rebelling against the coldness that seeped through me. I was healing. Not quickly, but I was healing. Was I stronger than he thought?

His lips pressed together, an amused look crossing his face. “So, Luken never told you my real name? That figures. Sometimes, I wonder if he even knows it. My name is Draven. My mother always called my father her raven because of his black hair. So she named me for him, in her way. Sentimental, no?”

He laughed as he twisted the knife in his hands.

As he spoke, I stretched out my senses. I heard no sound of breathing or movement from the mercenaries. They’d withdrawn to some distance. If I could drink some of Draven’s blood, I’d heal. How could I convince him? I let tears well in my eyes and run down my cheeks as I moved my stare toward the sky. He was doing this to hurt Luken.

There was only one thing I could think of to offer that might be enough to change his mind. But it meant giving up something I wasn’t willing to give up. So I pushed it aside, trying instead to think of my surroundings. I was injured badly, but the pain was fading. I’d be able to move. I would be able to run.

Thessa… I closed my eyes. I couldn’t save her if I was dead. I had to leave her behind. There was a lake nearby. It’s why I chose this place. If I could get into the water…

“Draven?” I let my voice shake.

“I’m not feeding you my blood, no matter what you offer,” he answered at once.

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