explained. “We are several miles
outside of the Citadel in a cave
located in the heart of a mountain
made of almost pure iron. For some
reason this mountain range blocks all
forms
of
blood
bond
communication.”
Who the hell knew that iron was the
kryptonite to the mating bond.
Raven breathed out slowly, trying
not to panic. She was a cop, damn it,
she needed to act like one. “Okay,
who exactly are ‘they’ and why the
hell are they holding us here?”
Mila’s chains rattled slightly as her
body shook. “They are rogue males
that live outside of the Citadel. They
are horrible, vile creatures who
kidnap females and use them as
bartering tools.” She paused then
whispered, “They hold us in here
until they have…visitors that want to
trade for something.”
Oh god, I’m going to be sick.
Raven’s heart pounded in her chest
like a frantic drum beat. She
swallowed back the bile that tried to
force its way out. Hell, at least she
wasn’t naked. “How long have they
had you?”
“I have only been here a few
risings, but when I was brought in I
saw another cave with around ten
other females,” Mila whispered.
Oh my god…
“The first night I was brought here I
could hear the screams. It was
terrible, until a few hours later when
they came for me. Then I discovered
the true meaning of horror.” The
chains on Mila rattled again. “I turn
eighteen in two weeks…”
Raven tried to reach out to comfort
Mila but the chains binding her
wouldn’t reach. Anger surged through
her at the thought of what the young
woman had been through. The light
dusting of hair on her arms stood up
as her skin prickled with an
electrical charge. She had to get past
her anger and focus on trying to
figure out how to get them the hell out
of there. “I’m so sorry about what
happened to you, Mila. Believe me
when I say I know how you feel. I
promise you, we will make them
pay.”
She took another calming breath.
“Can you tell me how many rogues
are here and why are we being kept
separate from the others?”
“There
are
about
twenty-five
rogues in total that I have seen, but I
do not know how many are here right
now. Most of them are resting now,
but they take turns keeping watch.
You and I have been taken for a
specific reason, or I should say for
specific males. I lived in the Citadel
with my brothers. A few nights ago I
heard a conversation about a plan to
kidnap you. My brothers were talking
to their best friends. I could not hear
the entire conversation but I heard
enough. I went to a friend of mine to
figure out what to do, but did not
know she had been part of the plot.”
Tears streamed down Mila’s face.
“She told them what I had heard. My
brothers gave me to their friends and
I was brought here. We are to be
their own personal slaves.”
“Like hell we are,” Raven snarled.
“Who are these bastards?”
“You watch what you call my
brothers,” Selina growled from the
open doorway. She walked into the
cave, wearing Raven’s circlet on her
head.
Fuck, Raven thought. She should
have known it was Selina. This bitch
was bat-shit crazy topped with a
heaping dose of loony. She’d be
getting her damn crown back…after
she killed that psycho cunt.
Selina walked right up to Raven
and slapped her hard across the face.
Raven yelped as her already aching
head slammed back against the rock
wall. “You stupid human. You think
you can humiliate me and get away
with it?”
Selina stalked away, pacing the
small enclosure. She spun back to
stab a finger in Raven’s direction.
“You stole them from me! This
kingdom should have been mine!
Now, I will claim my rightful place
on the throne.”
Raven laughed loud to cover the
sound of the chains rattling as she
tested the strength of the manacles
around her wrists. Damn it, the thick
metal had absolutely no give to it.
“Seriously? Do you honestly think my
mates would trade me for you?”
“I do not need them,” Selina
sneered. “I would have taken them as
mates after my brothers killed
Savitar, but you screwed up my
plans. Now they will all have to go.”
“You think you’re going to kill off
all three of my mates?” Raven asked,
incredulously.
Selina smiled. “We will and then
my brothers will take the throne with
the help of the rogues.”
“Keep dreaming, bitch.”
Selina let out a scream of rage and
came at Raven again, slapping her
over and over again. Pulling up her
leg, Raven was able to land one good
kick to Selina’s middle and the other
woman fell to the floor as her breath
left in a rush. Selina got up and ran at
Raven again, wailing manically but
was jerked to a halt as Brynt came
into the room.
“Calm yourself, sister.”
“She hurt me!” Selina wailed as
she threw her arms around her
brother.
Raven could see the irritation flash
across his face as he patted his
sister’s back. “I thought I told you to
leave them alone until we were
ready.”
Selina bowed her head and pouted
like a child. “But I heard them talking
and they were saying such vile things
—”
Brynt sighed. “Go make sure that
the room is ready. I will be there
shortly.”
Selina turned to leave but Raven
called out to her first. “I’m gonna get
that crown back soon,” she warned in
a frigid voice.
Selina shot a glare at Raven before
she stomped from the room. Mila
cowered against the wall as Brynt
stepped closer, but he only had eyes
for Raven. He squatted down, staying
out of reach, but Raven still felt
violated as his eyes roamed over her
body. She was damn glad she was
still wearing her dress. “You may not
make a good queen, human, but I will
surely enjoy having you.”
“I’m gonna kill you, you sick son of
a bitch,” Raven snarled at him,
lashing out only to come up short at
the end of the chains.
Brynt chuckled. “What can you do
to me, human? You are chained like
an animal and will be so until we are
done with you.” He stood, staring
down at her with sick lust lighting his
eyes. “I do hope you survive this
night, Raven. It would be a shame if
we lost your beauty.”
Utter dread filled Raven at his
words. Dear god, what the hell were
they planning to do with her? If she
was immortal now, they could torture
her endlessly before she got free.
“Calm yourself, little warrior. You
are not alone, I am here with
you…”
Raven wanted to sob with relief
when she heard Lunaria’s voice
inside her head, but she struggled to
keep glaring at the asshole looking at
her. Lunaria’s voice was faint and
Raven had a sense it took a lot of
power for the goddess to reach out to
speak to her. She was grateful though,
and just hearing the goddess’s voice
helped Raven regain control of
herself.
“In a little while you will be shared
by all the males here. Both of you
will be,” he said casting a lecherous
look at the terrified younger female.
“Since Mila here still needs to learn
the lesson of betraying her own.”
“You’re one to talk about betrayal,
asshole,” Raven growled, trying to
bring his attention back to her.
“The kings betrayed us all by taking
you as their mate!” he snarled then he
smiled at her, making her stomach
roll ominously. “You should be glad
I will be the first. Once Vadar gets
here, he will not be as nice to you as
I will. When we are through, if you
are still alive, you will be knocked
out and taken to a location far from
here. When you wake, your mates
will sense what has been done to
you. It will disable them enough so
we can kill them with little effort. If
you die tonight your mates will not
even care to fight back as the grief
takes them. Either way, they will race
to your aid and the palace will be left
defenseless.
Koreth
waits
with
warriors loyal to us, ready to strike.”
“You sick fuck,” Raven whispered,
horrified.
“You will see how I fuck soon,
Raven.” Brynt chuckled. “If you do
live past tonight, be comforted in
knowing that we will not share you
often. You will belong to Koreth,
Vadar and I. When we are kings, we
shall have a harem of females that
belong to only us. Koreth would
rather lead the assault on the palace
than play with you now. But later if
you survive, you will learn that you
should be nice to me if you want me
to protect you from my brothers’
more violent tastes.”
Suddenly, he jerked Raven to him
and crushed his mouth down on hers.
Cupping her hand, she slammed it
against his ear, hoping to pop his
eardrum. Brynt let out a snarl and hit
her hard, making her slam back
against the stone wall.
“You bitch!” he growled out
holding a hand to his ear. By the way
he swayed, it looked like she was
successful in injuring him.
Good, the fucker deserved it.
“You will pay for that. Perhaps I
should let Vadar have you first so
you learn your place,” he growled,
breathing heavy. “Both of you rest
now, it shall begin soon and you will
need your strength.”
He left the cave to the sound of
Mila quietly weeping. Raven closed
her eyes, reaching out to Lunaria in
her mind.
“I am here with you,” Lunaria said
softly, sending a sense of warmth and
comfort through their link. “I cannot
come to you, but it is almost dawn
and I will send the last of my
strength to Silas.”
“What do you mean, the last of
your
strength,”
Raven
asked,
alarmed.
Lunaria laughed softly. “Do not
fear for me, little warrior. I will
need to rest soon, but my lover
awaits the dawn to come aid you.
Can you feel the magic within you,
Raven? You can save yourself…do
not fear the change. Give into it and
let the dragon spirit guide you…”
Raven felt the Goddess of the
Moons fade from her mind, but
something inside her settled. She
would not let Brynt and his group of
fuckheads follow through with their
plan. Since her mates had no clue
where she was it was up to her to
save herself.
And she would.
Feeling the current running under
her skin, instead of fearing it, Raven
embraced it. She tapped into the
hidden power surging through her and
fed it with all the rage and fear she
was feeling. She felt on the brink of
something momentous, but held it
back, somehow sensing that the time
wasn’t right to unleash the power
within her.
Not yet…
“My queen? Raven?”
Raven turned her head, looking
over at Mila and heard her gasp.
“What is it?”
“Your eyes…they are glowing!”
Mila gasped quietly.
Well, hell. So much for holding
things back. “Glowing like yours
glow?” Raven asked, needing to
know what she was dealing with.
“Aye, but it is like green fire. They
are beautiful, but…why are they
glowing?”
A slow smile spread across
Raven’s face, and for the first time
since she woke up in the cave, she
took an easy breath. “Mila, I think I