Page 86 of A True Mate Bond

Tears started running down her cheeks again. “You didn’t have to kill them.”

He leaned even closer, smirking, his eyes vile. “Didn’t you enjoy our little fight? I thought it was quite amusing how that sad excuse of a wolf thought he stood a chance against us.” He laughed. His companions, the other men agreeingly chuckled in the front seats. “Your pack thinks so highly of you that they would sacrifice their own life for you. Yet here you are, willingly obeying me without restraints, standing no chance against me.”

He was right, yet she couldn’t move. The fear of losing her two girls paralyzed her and she would do anything to keep them alive. She knew even if she tried to escape, she stood no chance against any of them, even less all four together. She wouldn’t risk the wellbeing of her children. All she was able to do was to comply with them and hope she would make it out in one piece.

He leaned back against the seat and stared at her. His eyes darkened, sending a shiver down her spine. He was evil and that only scared her more because his master, the one he was taking her to, had to be the devil.

She turned away from him, trying to hide her fear and attempted to calm her racing heart. Her body still hurt, longing for Blake and missing his touch. She wanted him to be here so bad that it pained her physically. Her muscles wanted to start moving toward his direction and it took all her strength not to do so. Not only because she had no idea where she would have to go, but also because she didn’t want to enrage her abductors and risk anything.

After what felt like hours of silent yet painful torture, the van slowed down, turned left, and drove over a bumpy road.

The bald man started stretching. “Finally.” His tone annoyed and harsh.

“You know we needed to make sure to lose her scent,” the driver snapped back at him.

The van stopped and the bald man launched forward and grabbed Niev’s arm. The door opened and he dragged her out into the dark. Her legs had been bent to her chest for so long that they now caved in under her weight. Crashing to the ground, she cut open her knees on the gravel. She squirmed at the unexpected pain shooting up her legs.

“For fucks sake,” the bald man growled. He grabbed her and tossed her over his shoulder, his arm so tight around her hips that she was afraid he would crush them.

She bit her lip, forcing herself not to make a sound as he carried her away from the van. Her surroundings were dark, the only light source being the moon above them. She was carried toward an old, rundown, scary mansion on the middle of a stony hill. She lifted her head to see more and noticed a brick wall surrounding them. It seemed at least ten feet tall and as far as she could see, only had one massive metal gate.

Goosebumps appeared all over her skin as she tried to picture her escape and realized that there was no way for her to do so alone. The thought of Blake having to fight these wolves scared her, especially after she’d seen what they’d done to others.

She was carried through a massive wooden door into a medieval-looking entrance hall, lit by torches hanging from the brick walls and a large fireplace that was opposite of her. The air felt cold and damp. It seemed as if nothing had been touched or repaired in at least a hundred years.

The man dropped her to her feet and held her up with his large hand, painfully squeezing her upper arm. His grip was the only thing that kept her from falling to the floor as she found her balance. Her gaze caught something moving in the right far corner, hiding within the shadows.

“Were you followed?” The dark husky voice seemed to come from the shadow Niev was trying to decipher.

“No, Master.”

“Leave her with me.”

“Yes, Master.” The bald man let go of her and rushed out of the massive wooden door that led outside, slamming it behind him.

She squinted her eyes, trying to see who was lurking in the shadow but couldn’t see past the darkness. “Who are you and what am I doing here?” she asked, her voice much weaker than she would’ve liked.

The shadows moved and Niev gasped at what she saw. Stumbling backwards, her shoulders hit the massive wooden door behind her. There stood a man eight feet tall. His eyes completely black, his shoulders broad, his skin covered in hair and his hands large with sharp, claw-like nails. His facial structures were more beast than human, his teeth sharp and his beard covering his whole jaw and cheeks.

“You’ll be my mate, the one to bear my children.”

Instinctively her hands cupped her tiny bump. “No.”

He came closer, slowly, threateningly. “You have no choice but to do as you’re told if you want your children to be safe.” He stopped, towering over her. Reaching his hand down to her, he let his finger slide over her cheek bone. “That wolf didn’t do your beauty justice.”

His touch, though not violent or harsh, hurt her not only physically but mentally as well. It was wrong. Every cell in her body wanted to pull away and scream for him to stop, his touch burning her skin like acid.

“Now, my mate, I’ll show you to your room so you may rest.” He turned and walked toward the corner he’d been lurking in before. She lost sight of him before she heard a door open and his footsteps stop. “Come, or I’ll have to ask my wolves to bring you to me.”

Her muscles weren’t willing, and she had to force herself to take a step forward. With each step she took, her body fought her more, using up all her energy. After what felt like an hour, she’d finally reached the shadow into which the man-beast had disappeared. Her eyes needed a moment to adjust to the darkness before she saw him standing in a doorway, holding the door for her to step inside. The thought of protecting her children by doing what he wanted was her driving force.

She stepped inside and found herself in a large bedroom. It seemed old and had dust everywhere, as if no one had been in there in years. A small fire to her right lit the room, throwing frightening shadows on the walls and furniture.

He closed the door and stepped closer to her, reaching his hand out to her bump pressing against her stomach. His touch sent lightning bolts of pain through her.

“Soon, you’ll be carrying my child and until then you’ll stay here.”

Niev needed a moment to find her voice. “What will you do with my babies?”

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