Page 25 of Taming Darkness

Terry freezes and gets up at the same time I do. His clothes are charred, and his skin is black in places. Burns cover his face and hands and wherever his skin is exposed. He stumbles back as my eyes lock on him, as if creating distance might help his case.

“Enough Wraith!” My head snaps to the side and I spot her. She is standing on a nearby roof.

First, obviously, I notice her, but when my eyes travel lower, I notice that she has someone in front of her, forced to their knees.

Instead of fear, rage burns through me, fueling insane anger and the need to get my hands on her. How dare that woman think she can get away with something so brazen? All this so she can strip her own daughter of her magic, use, and abuse her. Terry laughs, the sound wicked as my eyes fall on my mate at her feet.

“Maybe we'll take turns on him too, why not, most have from what we know of his records,” Terry taunts and I grit my teeth.

Kalen is at her feet with a heavy chain around his neck as if he is a pet. Holding the end of the chain was Queen Bitch herself, Aleera's mother.

“If you're smart, you will give up now to save your mates. Give us Aleera, Darius. You don't need her,” she yells before a smug smile plasters across her face.

“You would let your hunters abuse her. Your own daughter!” I scream at her.

Lydia laughs and shakes her head. “Don't be ridiculous, I wouldn't abuse her. Besides, it's not like she can't take them, she'll heal fast. Never know, she might even like it. Imagine the power she would consume, we have a few that willingly lay on their backs and spread their legs for us. She'll be well looked after and rewarded for helping her people.”

“You're disgusting.” “No, I am a leader. Sacrifices need to be made for the greater good, Darius. She is just one of those sacrifices that need to be made.” Lydia drones on.

“You make us out to be monsters, yet you're the real monster, aren't you, Darius? The one who is responsible for all of this,” she adds. When I don't answer, she yanks on the leash and Kalen jerks with her.

Was that all she could think of? Her grand, impressive plan? To capture one of my mates to stop me and save herself from death?

I would be damned if I ever let her get away that easily. Unharmed, at that. No, she is getting everything coming her way, so I shake my head and stared straight into her eyes when I spoke. “Only a fool would take on the Demonic King and think they'll live to see a new day,” I remind her.

“Maybe you don't see this mate of yours I've captured?” she taunts me as she grabs a fistful of Kalen’s hair and pulls his head back. “Wouldn't you hate to bring this young man pain? Go ahead, tell him how little this man means to you.”

As soon as we get out of this mess, I will kick Kalen's ass for getting caught so easily. I’m concerned about him, but right now, I can’t show weakness. I have to stay strong and let rage fuel me to victory—no time for other emotions.

Acting as if I don’t care is difficult, but I still wave my hand at her and smile. “Go ahead. I'll slice through your little hunter army and come straight for you. Then, I will pull that twisted heart out of your chest and crush it.”

She clicks her tongue at me, and golden light sparkles in her hand. “Remember, this is on you, Darius,” she spits my name.

I grunt, and the light glows brighter. It dances up and down the chain. Kalen hisses as the first wave of pain flows through him from the chain, but to his credit, he doesn’t scream.

“Stop!” A voice rips through the air, and I turn to the side to see Tobias carving his way through a group of hunters. He’s covered in blood and has a ferocious look that twists his handsome face into something grotesque.

There must be twenty or so men surrounding him, but they are no match for him. He grabs one by the throat and bites them before tossing them out of the way like rubbish.

I had forgotten how powerful Tobias truly is. He deals with the danger with ease. Even now that we have an entire army standing against us, he cuts through them like the hunters are paper he could shred with a single swipe.

I don’t need them all here. I’m relieved to see them, of course, but this is my war to fight. Why can’t they listen to me and let me fight my own battles? Some things can’t be fixed just because they are at my side. I can handle this on my own. They should have stayed with Aleera.

Lydia releases another burst of energy into Kalen. We watch how our mate’s body contorts and jerks back and forth, but no sounds emerge from him.

The fact that he refuses to struggle angers Aleera's mother. She wants his screams, cries, and agony. This bitch understands, perhaps, that Kalen is the weakest. She wants him to put on a show for us. It's her final attempt to prove she is better than us, and that she will always find ways to hurt us.

And because of her selfish, sick needs, more power flows down the chains. However, our mate somehow keeps his cries internal, despite the pain he no doubt feels. I can feel his agony, his need to scream, yet he holds it. Kalen refuses to give her the satisfaction of hearing his pain.

Chapter13

~Darius~

“Really, guys? You couldn't handle this without me?” Lycus says, entering the battlefield from the other side, with a wide grin. He grumbles something inaudible as he swipes a hand at his dripping-wet bangs. He scans our surroundings and sighs. “Tobias, you better still have my shorts. Those are my current favorites, and I'm not okay with losing anymore.”

Only Lycus is crazy enough to join an actual battle while being completely naked and still have a sense of humor. On the bright side of the situation, he is distracting some female power hunters, who have stopped focusing on Tobias and turned their gazes to him.

At one point, I caught one fanning herself while staring at my mate. I shake my head and chuckle as pride surges through me. Even in battle, women still swoon over him.

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