Cole
Sleep eluded me. The fury coursing through my veins was too potent, too raw. Iâd never experienced such a sensation before, and I knew it was because of her, because of the bond we shared.
I found myself wondering if she felt it too. I regretted ever revealing to her that I could read her thoughts. Ever since, sheâd been practicing the art of concealment.
I slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb her. Even as dawn approached, she slept on, her heartbeat slow and steady.
Iâd already arranged for a human doctor to come today and had ordered for Raven to be released from the dungeon. Kaden had been all too eager to accept my plan of pretending to be her owner.
The last piece of the puzzle was for Martin to forge the necessary paperwork. That was no problem though, he was always willing to lend a hand.
I sent Kaden to retrieve the documents. Questions were bound to be asked, and we needed to be prepared.
Humans had very few rights, but pets were seen as possessions. If Raven was owned by another vampire, she couldnât be feasted upon.
I wanted to help the other humans, as strange as that may seem, but I was powerless.
The whole situation left me feeling perplexed. I wanted to confront Brayden, to ask him why he hadnât secured her in the room. I knew something was amiss, and I wasnât a fool. But Brayden was one of my oldest friends.
I needed to remain rational, calm, composed. But first, I needed to find the damned vampire who had dared to lay his claws on my little pet. My initial suspects were Marcus or Annabelle.
I quickly ruled out Annabelle. She wouldnât have stopped, nor would she have brought Olivia back.
Marcus was a plausible option, but the question was âwhy.â Marcus was too much of a coward to do his own dirty work.
There were a few laws protecting human pets. If you harmed one that had an owner, the price was steep.
Proving it would be challenging, but I was already considering taking them far away. Somewhere no one could hear their screams.
My thoughts were interrupted by a small whimper. She was awake. I rushed over to her, kneeling on one knee as I brushed the hair from her face. Her cheeks were stained from the many tears sheâd shed.
âAr-are- you going to pu-punish me?â Her voice was barely above a whisper, and it tore at my soul.
âWhy on earth would I punish you, little dove? Youâve done nothing wrong,â I reassured her, gently stroking her hair.
She looked away, âI broke a rul-le. I tried to stop him! Heâs was just to-too str-stong.â She was crying again, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.
I turned her face towards me. âListen to me, pet. You did nothing wrong. Forget the rules. There are no rules. Understand?â
She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand and gave a small nod.
I explained that a doctor was coming to check on her and about my plan to release Raven. She seemed nervous about the doctor but relieved, grateful that Raven would be okay.
I had completely forgotten about that damn party. I needed to explain that to her too, but I decided against it. It would only overwhelm her.
The human doctor arrived and thankfully, nothing was broken. She had some bad bruising and was weak from blood loss. Her bruises were already starting to turn a yellowish color.
I knew that soon, I would have to tell her the truth. That she wasnât entirely human, but part fae. That she wasnât my pet, but my beloved soulmate whom Iâd been searching for, for so many years.
***
Raven
I paced back and forth in the tiny cell, waiting for the bloodsuckers to return. The floor was nothing but dirt, which was fortunate. It provided a hiding place for my makeshift dagger.
The walls were made of stone, worn down and covered in dirt and dried blood, but sturdy. The humans were crying, begging, shivering from the cold.
The vampire guard stood still, oblivious to us. We were invisible to them, we always had been. They saw us as nothing more than food. Or toys.
Had I really agreed to play along and be a pet? Could I even do that? He was different from other vampires, but he was still a leech. A murderer. I had to stay vigilant, not lose sight of my purpose here.
I sprinted to the bars of my cage, dust kicking up as my feet pounded the ground. Pressing my face against the bars, I saw a tall shadow, hands in their pockets. I squinted, trying to make out the figure in the dimly lit dungeon.
âMiss me already?â he snickered.
I stepped back to get a better look at my adversary. Was it the leech trying to make me his pet? No. It was the devil himself.
âYou,â I sneered. Where was myâ¦? Damn, it was buried in the dirt somewhere.
âIt appears that you are no longer available for dinner,â he mocked, feigning sadness. I didnât respond, letting my smirk speak for itself.
âNo matter. Iâll find her soon enoughââ
âOver my dead body!â I shouted at him.
âWell, that was my plan, but plans can change, be improved or improvised if needed.â
I was ready to attack him, to rip his head off. I could do it, if not for these damn bars. The door to the dungeon slammed shut, and before I could blink, he was gone. The coward.
I was still staring down the dimly lit hallway when I felt a gust of wind. I turned around to find two bloodsucking leechesâoh, it was him.
âAre you ready to pretend to be a good little pet?â Cole snickered.
âWhere is she?â
His expression shifts, becoming a blank canvas. âSheâs safe. Once weâve got you cleaned up and fitted with a collar, you can stay with her.
âKaden, your owner, will need to make appearances with you a few times a day, but the rest of the time, you can watch over her.â He gives me a knowing wink.
Could he know? Itâs impossible. He couldnât possibly.