Chapter 64
Viviane
Damien’s body is so heavy on mine. His rough hands bruise my skin as his sneering face gazes down at me, and nausea writhes in my belly as I feel his hardness digging into my stomach. My mind is whirling, struggling to stay in the present as past horrors seek to drag me under, and simultaneously fighting the urge to leave my body and dissociate from the violation I’m about to suffer.
In the distance Caspian’s roars and growls fill the air, the sound of his body slamming into the glass over and over again wrenching at my heartstrings terribly. I don’t want him to see this, I can’t bear the thought of him blaming himself for not saving me, and I know he will.
Calling out to him through our mental link, I try to tell him to turn away, even though I know it’s useless. Don’t watch, Caspian. I beg, please, I don’t want you to see this.
No! He thunders back, don’t give up, Viviane! Just hold on!
It’s okay. I mentally sob, I’ll be okay. I’ve survived before and I’ll survive again, just turn away.
I can only hear a wordless roar as he continues to struggle, and in a last ditch effort, I scan Damien’s body for any point of weakness or tool I can use against him. He’s the only thing in my reach now, and my only chance of escape is to somehow incapacitate him from my prone position.
He’s so distracted pawing my bare breasts that he doesn’t notice me scanning his form, and I’m so preoccupied trying not to feel his harsh touch that I almost miss the metallic glint poking out of his boot. At first I think I’m hallucinating, but the more I zone in on the item, the more certain I am: he’s got a dagger.
My hands are still trapped above my head, so my only hope is to still and pray he’ll release me. Making my rigid body relax is almost impossible with him bearing down at me, but that dagger is the only weapon in this entire room, and my only chance of actually using it is to catch him completely by surprise.
“Oh don’t go giving up now.” Damien complains when I finally stop fighting him, “where’s all that spirit I saw downstairs?” He taunts, giving me a shake.
“I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of making me scream.” I tell him coldly, making my limbs go completely limp.
This does what I hoped, and Damien releases my hands so that he can use both of his own to make me regret my words. While his rough fingers pinch my breasts and thighs, I slide my arms down to my sides and close my eyes.
“Look at me!” He snarls, seconds before pain explodes in my cheekbone and Caspian emits a vicious snarl. My head reeling from the backhanded slap, my fingers close around the hilt of the knife poking out of his booth, gingerly pulling it free even as Damien fists his hand in my hair and begins trying to rip it right out of my head – or so it feels.
I’ve only got seconds to act, and my brain runs a quick calculus. I’m not sure I’m strong enough to get the dagger through his ribs into his heart, but I don’t think I can get it up to his neck without him seeing me. Then, as Damien grinds his erect member into my hip, I realize there’s another target I can attempt – one that won’t kill him, but one that will certainly stop him from raping me.
With a surge of bloodthirsty rage unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, I stealthily adjust the position of my arm, and cry out so that Damien will focus on my face. “That’s it,” He cackles, “Not so tough now, are you little mermaid?”
“I don’t know.” I whine pitifully, my knuckles going white I’m gripping the dagger so hard, “you tell me.”
With a rush of adrenaline, I stab the knife into Damian’s genitals and rip the blade upward.
The Alpha howls in pure agony, rolling off my body and cradling his groin with frantic wails, “what have you done!” He’s reaching for me with one bloodied hand, but I’m already off the bed and racing for the red button on the wall. I slam my crimson-stained palm into it, and a mechanical whirring roars to life as the glass walls lift once more.
Damien is prone on the bed, curled on his side and crying like a baby as he grips his mutilated manhood. If things had been different, Caspian might never have attacked a man incapable of defending himself, but all bets are off after what Damien has done. In wolf form, Caspian launches onto the bed with bared fangs, and the next thing I know, Damien’s howls of pain become screams of pure terror.
The sounds are horrible: flesh ripping, gurgled cries and bones cracking. It probably only takes a few seconds, but for me it feels like hours. I’m curled up against the wall, my eyes clamped shut and my hands plastered over my ears. I’m shaking from head to toe, tears streaming down my face as my mate slaughters the other man in cold blood.
When the sounds of death finally cease, I can hear only Caspian’s labored breathing and my own whimpers of fear and pain. After a few moments I feel Caspian in front of me, but I’m afraid to open my eyes. I know it’s him, but part of my traumatized mind is afraid Damien might have won somehow.
“Viviane?” Caspian murmurs anxiously, taking my face in his hands, “can you look at me, sweetheart?”
My lips trembling, I shake my head from left to right. I can’t bring myself to look at him, I can’t make myself calm down. I think I’ve only held it together up until now because I didn’t have a choice, but now that Caspian’s here, I’m finally letting myself fall apart – knowing he’ll pick up the pieces.
The next thing I know I’m being cushioned against the warm planes of Caspian’s muscular body as he wraps me in his arms, squeezing me so tightly I cannot breath. “It’s over baby.” He promises, “You’re safe.”
It’s a shock to have him touching me after Damien, but my heart seems to recognize my mate even if my brain cannot, and I melt into his hold as he repeats the same words over and over again. “You’re safe, Viviane. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
I lean into his comforting embrace, burying my face in the curve of his neck and sobbing with relief. It doesn’t feel real that he’s here, that it’s all over. My heart is still racing, and I can barely comprehend that this horrible ordeal is really over. When I can finally bring myself to open my eyes, Caspian is covered in bruises and Damien’s blood. “Are you okay?”
My mate takes my face in his powerful hands, studying me closely. “I’m fine as long as you are.”
“I’m sorry.” I sniffle, “I’m so sorry I went to the settlements, this is all my fault!”
Caspian tsks and pulls me back into his arms, “you can’t think that way. Because of you Damien is dead. We can finally put a stop to all of this – the pearl farms, the brothels, everything.”
Hiccuping, I resist the urge to glance at the carnage that once was the Bloodstone Alpha. “Does this mean you’re Alpha now?” I ask.
Caspian’s jaw tightens, “there’s going to be a lot to figure out in the coming days. For right now, I just want to get you out of here.”
I whimper and latch onto his arm when he tries to pull away from me, and he shushes me gently. “I’m just going to get something to cover you up.”
When he walks to Damien’s dresser, I push myself up the wall until I’m standing. Watching as he pulls open the drawers and pulls out a man’s button down shirt, I raise my hands in objection. “I don’t want to wear anything that belonged to him.”
Caspian watches me for a moment, then replaces the shirt in the drawer. “I won’t make you.” He agrees, “but do you really want to go out there naked?”
Glancing down at my body – bare except for the brothel’s paint, I wrap my arms around myself shyly. “No.”
He nods, retrieving the shirt. “It’s just until we find something different.” He promises.
A little while later, we both emerge from the elevator back on the auction floor, but if we planned on walking out without a fuss, it’s immediately clear that’s not going to happen. One way or another, the Bloodstone shifters must have caught wind of what happened upstairs, because we emerge to face a crowd of stunned wolves and mermaids. Scanning the crowd, I see nothing but shocked faces among the wolves, and hopeful expressions from the mermaids. Then I see my mother, Chase and Kiera standing near the door smiling widely. I want to go to them, but I’m not steady enough to leave my mate’s side yet.
Caspian wraps a protective arm around my shoulders and pulls me close, glaring around at our unexpected audience. “Your Alpha is dead.” He growls, sending a wave of whispers rippling through the crowd. “I have my own pack to lead, and I have no interest in taking over yours. But know I won’t hand over power to anyone who plans to carry on Damien’s mermaid policies. This brothel – the pearl farms, are now closed. If there is one among you strong enough to lead and willing to make this transition, I encourage you to come forward. If not, I will fight any wolves who wish to challenge me, though I warn you I will not show any mercy if that is your choice.”
More murmurs traveled through the crowd, and many of the brothel patrons exchanged worried glances. Then, one by one, the entire brothel bent at the waist, bowing to Caspian and silently accepting his word as law. It looks like he’s going to be Alpha after all.
