Page 85 of Hunted By the Headless Horseman
Ican barely stand—which is exactly what Thaddeus wanted.
My limbs are too weak to do anything as he carries me closer to the little clearing in the old Covenant ruins. His jaw is hard, but his eyes are malicious and victorious, something darker and more dangerous. Like I witnessed that one night. He wears a royal purple robe now. A distinguished Elder among all the Brothers.
And I wear…a sheer white gown. It clings to my body, thin as a whisper, offering no warmth or comfort against the chill of the night. A shiver skitters up my spine.
I lost count of the orgasms he forced upon me. One after another. And when I passed out, he would use smelling salts to rouse me…and begin all over again.
Nothing in me could battle him now. His unwilling submissive. His demure “wife” once more. And yet, I’ve stored every drop of feminine wrath within my mind, harnessing it deep within my soul.
“You stabbed me, Belle.” His voice is low and venomous, curdling my blood. “Shed my blood and escaped me. And now, you’ll be punished for your betrayal. For your sins. I’ll enjoy every moment of it. Especially knowing Jackson Moore will never come for you.”
“He doesn’t need to,” I mumble, curling my arms with my palms on my thrumming heart. “He’s here. He’s always here.”
He leans closer, satisfied eyes gleaming. “Tonight, I will cleanse you for the blood you spilled, for the life you took from me, and for opening your bed to another man. Don’t worry. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll remember who you truly belong to.”
The fire roars hungrily, its flames heating my skin and casting a sinister glow over the ruins of the Covenant. Dark energy infects this place. Hellish. Godforsaken. I whimper as Thaddeus advances to the stake a few paces opposite the fire. The bonfire blazes between us, its heat oppressive, making my skin prickle.
Thaddeus shoves me roughly against the stake, his fingers rigid as he ties my wrists above my head with thick, coarse ropes. I grit my teeth, my heart pounding as I vainly pull against thebindings. The cold wood presses into my back, but it’s nothing compared to the dread slicing through my chest.
“You should have never left me, Belle. Never have crossed me,” Thaddeus growls, tightening the ropes until they bite into my skin. “Tonight, I will take your blood, your flesh, and then…your heart.”
The words hit me like a physical blow, their weight sinking like a stone in my stomach. My hands clench into fists above my head, my arms trembling.
“I owe you nothing,” I spit at him. “And you will never find my heart. Not if you had a thousand lifetimes. In this world or the next, it will always belong to Jack Moore, my real husband.”
Thaddeus’s face twists in anger, his eyes narrowing as he steps closer. “Then, I will have your soul. When you bear my child, the last memory of your precious Jack will wither away, just like the pathetic man he was.” He steps back, his eyes gleaming with dark intent. “You’re going to carry my bloodline. I’ll break this curse and finally be free. This is my assurance.”
Terror strikes me like lightning from him holding up the book, wagging the Summoning book. Everything in me lurches, screaming, dying as Thaddeus throws it into the fire. Without the book…oh, god! It’s gone. If dawn comes, Jack is lost to me forever. The Summoning spell, the magic of those pages, our blood bond…
It will all be gone.
Bile churns in my stomach, forcing it into my throat. A deep-seated pain wracks my chest. I jerk against the ropes, trying to shake off the panic. But the Brothers, in their sick, sadistic black robes, have begun to chant. One has thrust an iron poker into the fire, one with Thaddeus’s brand at the end.
“You’re insane,” I screech, spitting at Thaddeus. “You think branding me will break the curse?” I glare at him, hatred simmering in every word.
Despite the ache in my chest, my heart feels stronger than ever.
Thaddeus’s face contorts with rage, and in one swift motion, he turns and demands the branding iron. The metalglows a dull red, its shape forming the grotesque Covenant circle of his family’s bloodline. He moves toward me, one hand gripping the iron, the other pulling at the neckline of my gown.
No matter how I writhe, the ropes anchor me to the stake, and Thaddeus does the rest, his body pinning mine with one hand on my hip and the other…gripping the hot iron. His face darkens with fury before his smile returns, twisted and cruel. Then, he reaches into his robe and dangles a leather strap. “You can fight all you want. But tonight, you’re mine, Belle.”
My blood turns to ice, but I force myself not to show him my fear. My gaze drifts to the fire, the flames crackling louder, but something else—something faint—whispers in the back of my mind.
I’m coming, Belle.
My heart leaps, and I nearly choke. Jack.Jack!His voice is so soft, like a delicate night breeze, but it’s unmistakable. He’s alive. He’s coming for me.
Hope surges through me in wild and fierce waves, but I can’t let it show. Not yet. Not while Thaddeus still binds me here, helpless. I stay defiant, lips pressed into a tight seam. I can’t let Thaddeus know.
He raises the branding iron high, the firelight flickering in his eyes with a sickening grin. “This will seal your fate, Belle,” he murmurs, almost tender in his cruelty. “Once this mark is on you, you’ll belong to me forever.”
The branding iron hovers inches from my skin, and I lock my gaze with Thaddeus, refusing to flinch. “You’ll never break me, Thaddeus Thorne,” I hiss, my voice low and cold, my pulse thundering. “Not with fire. Not with your twisted bloodline.” I narrow my eyes, my lip curling in disgust. “And Jack will rip you apart before you ever touch me again.”
Thaddeus pauses, tilting his head like the assured predator he is. But I still catch the sliver of doubt in his eyes.
“Stop lying to yourself. He is six feet in the ground. And no curse will bring him back,” he growls and leans closer until his teeth scrape along my jaw.
I give him nothing. Because I can feel him, my true husband.Jack is closer than ever! The book is gone now, pages consumed by the fire. If he makes it to me before dawn, could we somehow find his heart?
