Chapter 66

Trigger warning Violence---- Sorry guys, I accidentally hit submit before putting a trigger warning

on the last chapter. I hope I didn't trigger anyone last chapter; I usually remember, but it slipped my

mind last night.

Zirah POV

By the time I see the lights of the castle breaking through the forest, I am moving so slowly from

exhaustion that my feet are dragging. Gnash's fur brushes my legs with every step I take. The castle

lights glow brightly in the darkness, illuminating the trees and creating a striking contrast of light

and shadow. Relief slivers through me, knowing I am nearly home. I am almost there, but I can still

feel the exhaustion. It's weighing me down.

I take a deep breath and keep moving forward when I hear someone running through the forest. I

stop knowing it must be the three kings. Hunter and Shadow rush past us, followed a few seconds

later by Lyon. He doesn't stop; instead, he keeps heading toward the castle, yet I don’t miss the fact

that he is drenched in blood.

Gnash's tail wags eagerly, and I know Regan must be close. Turning around, I find him stalking me.

His shirt is torn and drenched in blood. Large cuts litter his chest and arms. He also has a cut down

one side of his face that I can tell is slowly healing. I move toward him when he growls, making me

stop. The look on his face is lethal. He's livid, his eyes are blazing, and his lips are drawn tight in a

snarl. His body is tense and stiff, and his hands are clenched into fists. His posture is rigid and

threatening, and he looks ready to lash out at me at any given moment.

Gnash pauses in his run to his master, looking back at me. He turns about to come to me when

Regan snaps at him. "Sit!" Gnash whimpers and sits on his rump, then whines loudly.

"Enough from you," Regan says, stroking his fingers through his fur when he digs around in his

pocket. "Regan, I'm sorry. I didn't think."

"No, you didn't! Now I need to deal with the Vampiric King and explain why we just breached a

treaty and killed his damn men!" Regan yells at me when he pulls a collar and chained lead from his

rear pocket. He clips the collar around Gnash's neck. Gnash yanks on the chain, trying to get off it,

and he shakes his head, tugging on it, trying to slip out of the collar.

"Enough I said, Gnash. You found her. She's safe!" Regan tells him as he stands up and moves

toward me.

I take a step back, unsure of what to do. He looks at me up and down, then speaks, his voice hard

and unforgiving. "You're lucky we found you. If you run again, I will drop you on the vampiric king's

fucking doorstep!" he shakes his head.

With those words, he turns and walks away, leaving me standing alone in the dark. Gnash continues

trying to break free as Regan all but drags him back to the castle. "Keep walking, human!" comes

Zeke's menacing voice behind me, and I turn to look at him. In his hand, he holds a piece of birch as

he casually strolls through the woods. The crunch of leaves and the snap of twigs is extra loud.

When he nears me, he seizes my arm in an unforgiving grip. "I said keep walking!" He sneers,

pushing me ahead. Looking at the top of the hill, I see Regan struggling with Gnash while he

continues walking. We pass through the gates, and the vampire guards glare at me. Ducking my

head, I rub my arms, trying to warm them.

Zeke follows me silently. His presence behind me makes me uneasy. I can feel his aura threatening

and pressing down on me. Stepping inside, I hadn't come in through the back entrance before. The

walls were adorned with intricately woven tapestries and paintings. The polished marble floors are

cold beneath my feet, and this part of the castle is deserted.

Chandeliers hanging from the ceiling glow brightly, and the walls are lit with sconces. The furniture

is made of the finest woods and covered in luxurious fabrics, creating a luxurious and calming

atmosphere. The windows are tall and let in the moonlight while overlooking the lush garden and

grounds of the castle. Yet despite its beauty, it's nearly impossible to forget the man behind me, and

as I navigate my way, his aura only grows more menacing.

"Next left!" Zeke says coldly, and I turn in that direction, finally finding the stairs. This castle is as

complicated as the maze, making me wonder how the maids remember every room and floor.

Thinking of the maids, I notice as I climb the stairs, I don't spot any when I hear Zeke speak again,

but to a guard.

There is a heavy, oppressive silence that hangs in the air, making me feel uneasy. I could feel the

eyes of the Lycan guards on me as I climb to the first level. I am acutely aware of the tension in the

air on this floor.

"It's already set up in your room, my King," the guard replies, glancing back at Zeke. He nods and

points toward the huge, heavy doors leading to their sleeping quarters.

“My King, I know you're angry, but..."

“You don't question me!” Zeke snarls, making me wonder what is happening. The guard glances at

me.

“Did you run it by your brother's?” The guard questions, and Zeke growls, making him drop his

head.

“Question me again, and you will spend the next week in the cells. Are we clear?” Zeke snaps. The

guard clenches his jaw, and I notice another guard standing nearby, also watching.

“My apologies, my King. It won't happen again,” the guard quickly apologizes. My brows furrow in

confusion, and Zeke snarls threateningly, turning toward me. I duck behind a pillar, trying to figure

out what is going on when the second guard speaks.

“My King, I think Elias was just wondering if you are thinking clearly. You know how wolfsbane

affects temperament. We are just worried you're not thinking clearly. We tested the bottle, and the

concentration was quite high; we worry it is affecting your judgment in regard to the girl. Maybe

you should sleep on—" his words are cut off by Zeke's quick movement, and I cover my mouth,

stifling the gasp that tries to escape me.

“If I wanted your opinion, I would ask.” he says coldly.

"Yes, my King!” the man rasps, his face turning purple as he struggles to breathe—my heart races

when Zeke lets him go and shoves him. “Next one to question me dies!” he snaps, turning on his

heel and continuing in my direction.

Not wanting to be spotted, I quickly rush to the doors and push them open, heading toward my

room so I can get some clothes when Zeke's hand snatches my wrist. His grip is punishing, and I cry

out, feeling his fingers bruising me.

"Last I checked, you still have five more hours with me!" Zeke snarls, dragging me back to his

bedroom door. He opens the door, shoving me inside, and I end up sprawling on the huge rug,

barely catching myself in time before I headbutt the floor. His anger is palpable, and I can feel it

radiating off him as he steps in after me and slams the door shut. His voice is cold and menacing,

and I can tell he's not going to let me out of this room anytime soon. "Get up!" he snaps at me.

Glancing around the room, I can see there is no escape. I slowly stand up, taking a deep breath as I

prepare myself for whatever is to come

Looking around the room, I stare at the decadent furniture. The room is filled with the warm glow of

the lamps on either side of the four-poster bed.

Turning around slowly, I looked for Hunter, but he wasn't in his cage by the writing desk that was in

the corner. But I notice that the marble fireplace is on the wall, with a roaring fire burning.

"Where's Hunter?" I ask as a sliver runs down my spine. Zeke's anger crackles in the air like the

crackling of wood in the fireplace. "With Lyon," he responds as he shoves me toward the bed. I

stagger forward and clutch the wood at the end of the bed and grit my teeth when a silver glint

catches my eye. Before I can comprehend what it is, Zeke moves impossibly quickly, clamping a set

of handcuffs onto my hands.

"Zeke?" I stammer as my heart beats erratically. He growls, his chest pressing against my back. "You

could cost me my throne,” he growls next to my ear. As I turn around, he presses his entire body

against mine, shoving me over the end of the bed once more. He reaches for the silver thing I

spotted, and I finally recognize it for what it is—a chain.

He attaches it to the handcuffs while I struggle to break free of him. He snarls, stepping back and

yanking on another chain. My arms are ripped above my head. The grating of metal on the wooden

beam support of the bed is loud, and I thrash. Zeke, however, ignores my pleas, tugging my hands

up until only the tips of my toes touch the thick rug. My arms ache as I twist from side to side, and

Zeke locks the chain around a hook, leaving me suspended.

"You will think twice about running from me again!" he growls, walking back toward the door. At

first, I thought he was leaving me here, but he stopped, grabbing something from beside the door.

When he turned around, I noticed it was the piece of birch he had in his hand when we walked

home.

"Zeke, wait... what are you doing?" I snap at him when he comes over to me. He undoes the button

and zipper on my pants, and I kick my legs and thrash in my restraints. He rips them down my legs,

tossing them aside and leaving my bottom half bare. I might as well be completely naked with the

small coverage my torn shirt gives me.

I plead for him to let me go, but my words are cut off when I feel the birch slash across the back of

my thighs. I sputter, choking on the pain when he pulls the piece of birch back again. This time I

scream as pain tears through my backside. Pain, all I know is the pain as he beats me with the birch

until my legs are nothing but a bloody mess, covered in welts. Blood trickles down my legs and

drips from my toes. Staining the thick rug when he has finished, he uses the birch to lift my head

that hangs limply between my arms—forcing me to look at him.

"You won't be running anytime soon,” he sneers, tossing the birch aside before stalking out of the

room, leaving me dangling from the bedpost.