Captive

ZAYDA

~BUZZ BIZZ CLICK CASHAW BUZZ~

“What is that noise?”

Oh god, my head is fucking killing me.

My eyes flutter open, and all I see are machines. Gadgets. Pipes.

And blood.

My blood.

Being siphoned out of me and into all the machines. Being collected into vials. Syringes.

That’s why I feel so woozy.

I go to mutter a cry for help, but my lips and throat are too dry.

Chains bind me overhead, and it’s only then that I realize I’m being hung upside down like a piece of meat.

So all the blood can flow.

This is sick.

Disgusting.

And terrifying.

But I can’t worry about myself.

I want my fucking baby!

“Thor.”

I start coughing right after saying the word. My throat feels like sandpaper.

An insidious laugh makes my skin crawl.

Nautica walks into the room, his blue especially bright, and his skin and muscles looking healthier than ever.

“Don’t worry, Zayda,” Nautica says, kicking me in the stomach so I sway. “Little Thor is in ~great~ hands.”

My ribs burn and I cough more, stinging the back of my already hurting throat.

~This monster doesn’t know who the fuck he is messing with. ~

You don’t mess with a mother and her child.

Swinging on the chains, I rock my body forward so I can get close to Nautica. I headbutt his nose, and blood squirts out.

He stumbles backward and grabs a hold of his leaking nostril.

“You stupid bitch,” he growls.

I don’t care about how weak I am. I don’t care about my woozy head of blurred vision.

I. Want. My. Baby.

“GIVE ME MY FUCKING KID!” I scream.

My lungs burn like fire. The skin on my dried lips cracks.

Nautica breaks out into a belly laugh.

He extends a finger to my busted lip and lets a drop of blood fall onto his finger.

Slowly and sensually, he licks it.

His nosebleed stops.

“The essence of the Blood Raven,” he murmurs maniacally, reaching for a vial of my blood.

He taps the side of the glass with a nail. “This is what will unlock the true slayer abilities inside me.”

“You’re disgusting,” I spit. “I’ll break free from here, and when I do…”

“You won’t,” Nautica says confidently, smelling the blood in the vial like it’s a fine whiskey, “you’re too drained of blood for your magic to work.”

He grabs a big wad of my hair and thrashes me about, flailing my stiff neck from side to side.

“You, Zayda, second coming of Freesia, belong to ~me~.”

With that, he downs the vial of my blood like a shot of alcohol. He puckers his lips and relishes every second of the taste.

~Fucking sicko. ~

Then, his eyes turn a magnificent light blue.

Nautica’s laughs thunder throughout the room.

“Now that I have your blood,” he grins, “the game can really begin…”

HAZEL

“That was a step too far at the reception,” I say, angrily tugging my hair out of a bun.

Rex locks the door to his apartment behind us. I haven’t had the chance to move my things in.

If he’s going to be such an asshole, I don’t know if I want to.

Still, I love how he controls everything around him. I love how people bow to him.

But I don’t want to be another submissive of his, compliant to his every beck and whim.

~Unless it’s in the bedroom, of course. ~

I try to ignore how fucking hot he looks unbuttoning his snow-white tuxedo shirt. His cologne smells like gunmetal and pine needles.

“Did you hear me?” I ask, throwing up my hands. “I said that Adara's comment was unnecessary.”

Rex unlaces his dress shoes.

I make for the door.

“Fine, ignore me. I’m leaving.”

Rex’s head snaps upwards. His eyes seem distant as if lost in thought.

“I can’t stop thinking about that kid,” he mutters.

~Aww, does my man have a soft spot after all? ~

“There’s a lot that’s difficult to explain,” Rex confesses, his voice softer than usual, “without you recalling your memories through visions.”

I take a seat by him on the bed and try to break the tension. “Okay, well maybe you could just tell me about what’s gone down instead of like, casting Blood Magic hexes on me.”

Rex laughs and buries his head in his huge hands. “That’s fair. I’m ready to tell you.”

This will be a big test for him.

How well can he let me in? He’s all there physically, but can he be a good mate emotionally?

Rex scratches at the stubble on his chiseled jaw.

~Why is it that the biggest guys have the hardest time saying such simple words? ~

“Rex,” I say kindly, setting my hand on his. He recoils. “I’m past the age of playing games or worrying about communication issues. If you can’t be honest with me, then I’m out. Mated or not.”

Rex looks at me. His cheeks redden in the slightest.

He takes my hand firmly. “I’m never losing you.” ~Not again~.”

“So then talk to me, Rex.”

Rex sighs deeply. “Your twin sister, Freesia, was tortured and killed… by two of my brothers. It’s what kicked off the curse on Requiem City all those lifetimes ago.”

“Okay,” I nod, urging him to go on, and listening intently.

~So far, so good. ~

“If I was stronger, if I had met your sister sooner,” he says through a frustrated exhale, “then maybe things would be different. But I wasn’t, and they weren’t.”

Kind of like Loch and Hael not being able to save Adara…

“Exactly,” Rex says.

~Holy shit. Did he just read my mind? ~

“~I did~,” he says. “~The closer we become, the more powers we gain. This is our mind-link~.”

I curl up in Rex’s lap, and he strokes his hand through my hair. It’s reassuring to know he can be this tender.

“So after Freesia was murdered… ~and her kid~… the Dragons were all cursed… they all dropped dead… but you and I survived, I was surviving off your blood. I was too weak to stay with you after… not after Korserath died too... ah…”

“Who’s Korserath?” I ask gently.

“Just another brother, ~but not evil~, he was exactly like me and you loved us both,” Rex explains, but I can tell he doesn’t want to speak any more of Korserath – it’s a sore nerve. I suck up the fact that I won’t get all answers right now. I choose to just focus on Freesia and her death and what he’s thinking right now.

I search my mind for a memory or a vision but fall on nothing.

“It was devastating. I felt like I was rotting away while you were gone.”

He turns to me now, looking in need of some tender love and warmth. Rex kisses me on the lips. Long, and passionately.

“That’s why I will do anything to protect you,” he says, “And to save Zayda and her child.”

I smile softly, enjoying his passion.

“So if Freesia was the Blood Raven, what made me the Sword Dancer?”

“Freesia’s voice could control the dragons. Her magic was remarkable, and her blood even stronger.”

“Wait,” I laugh, “so I don’t get any cool powers?”

Rex chuckles. “Hazel, you’re the Sword Dancer. Your magic lies in your blades.”

He looks me dead in the eyes and grins. “Any weapon you touch can kill a dragon.”

My heart skips a beat.

No wonder Rex wants me by his side.

~I’m the greatest asset to the slayers…~

Rex grunts and motions toward his abdomen, where his scar is healing.

“Let me see,” I say.

The scar is healing well, but he could probably use more blood to help the process. Summer mentioned that him feeding would facilitate the healing.

I get on top of Rex, feeling his bulge penetrate my panties under my dress. He grinds on me, and I feel the electricity from his long shaft.

Leaning forward and kissing him, I eventually crane my neck to let him feed.

Then, the ecstasy of his fangs piercing my flesh.

Although we’re fully clothed, I cum on top of him while he sucks down my blood.

Rex pulls away and gets up to take off his pants. His dick is huge and begging to be released from its cotton prison.

Right as I go to pull his underwear down, Rex collapses to his knees and coughs up black sludge.

~What the fuck?~

“Rex!”