Chapter 5
Rhea pov
My dad pushed the book that was open in front of him towards me as he spoke, regret and anguish littering his voice. “Part of the conditions of peace is that our kind would help the vampires to reproduce, seen as their women are barren and any mundane who tried to bare the child of these things would die before they reached the time of birth.”
My head was blank as I listened, my thoughts unable to catch up with what he was saying, his words making little sense to me. I frowned, watching both him and my mum, waiting for them to explain further.
“Our kind is special, our women have shorter pregnancies and a she-wolf with alpha blood would be able to bare the child of a vampire to term and survive.” That’s when it clicked, but he continued before I could open my mouth. “That is why the war began, they wanted a percentage of our women and we refused, we were almost wiped out. All of us. I lead the army against Gabriel thirty five years ago and we agreed that the first daughter of every Alpha would be handed over to them when she turned sixteen. She would become a vampire bride and bare the children of the vampire that was chosen for her.”
Oh shit.
“You are our first born daughter Rhea, the day you were born, you were promised to Gabriel. You will become the vampire Kings wife and you will have his children.” My mother sobbed loudly as I jumped from my chair and began backing away.
No no no, they can’t do this! I can’t marry Gabriel! He over a thousand years old! I began hyperventilating, my entire body shaking violently.
“How can you do this to me?!” I screamed, “why didn’t you tell me?!”
“We weren’t allowed to tell you until you were of age, please Rhea. If we had another choice, we would take it.” My mum cried, rushing around the table to embrace me.
I stopped her before she reached me with a growl, my own heartbreaking sobs slipping through my clenched jaw and tears coating my cheeks. “I won’t go, I won’t do it!”
My father stood, his eyes glassing over slightly, informing me that a pack member was contacting him through the mind link. “It’s too late, he’s here.”
“No!” I shook my head and turned to bolt from the room just as the door slammed open, my biggest nightmare strolling in with a smile on his face as though my world hadn’t just exploded around me. He had raven black hair that was pulled back into a tight ponytail and piercing crimson eyes, the same colour of his every meal. He wore a black button-up shirt with the top button undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and black trousers. He was gorgeous yet utterly terrifying, and my own parents were so easily giving me to him. I couldn’t be this vampires mate!
Alora! What are we going to do? We can’t just go with him.
If you want to be free, you’ll have to fight.
How can we fight the King of vampires?! No one is that strong. We need a plan!
Attack him while he is distracted and then run, we can’t stay here.
What if we fail? What if he catches us?
Then we will be mated to our worst nightmare.
He took one look at my face and my trembling form and laughed slightly, his voice laced with humour. “Don’t look so frightened little wolf, I will take care of you better than any of your own kind could.”
My trembling only worsened as he took a threatening step towards me, my heart thumping recklessly in my chest as my breaths were fast and panicked. I quickly thought of what Alora had told me and I snapped into action, slamming my bare foot right into his manhood as spinning in a tight circle, crashing my elbow into his nose as he crouched from shock and pain; his immortal form crumbling to floor as my father shouted out in protest.
“Rhea no! What are you doing?!” I could feel the anger radiating from my father as he used his alpha tone, but I was unaffected as I bolted from the room as though my life depended on it, and it more than likely did.
I burst from the room as fast as my small legs could carry me, the two vampire guards outside the door stunned as they glanced back at their king, waiting for his orders. I skidded around the corner and took the steps two at a time as I painted, I needed to get out, I don’t care if me and my wolf became rogues, we couldn’t stay here, not now.
I glanced back, my breath rasping as I reached the first floor, praying that I would have enough time to disappear into the woods before he recovered and came after me. I couldn’t see anyone behind me, thinking that I had succeeded when I stumbled into a wall of stone, the force from the impact sending me rolling across the wooden floor. I collided with the wall my leg twisting awkwardly as I looked up with blurry eyes, my head fuzzy and my eyes unfocused.
“I’m impressed, not many have been able to attack me such at that and live to tell the tale.” Came a strange yet powerful voice, the words seemingly humorous but the tone anything but.
My eyes finally focused after I blinked several times, fighting back the tears of defeat that threatened to fall as I locked eyes with the crimson vessels of my doom. This can’t be happening, no no no! I screamed internally as my entire form shook with fear and confusion. How had he caught me so fast? I had used every ounce of strength I had!
I rolled onto my stomach preparing to stand when I was suddenly ripped from the floor, my chest crashing into the very creature I wanted to be apart from, I pushed and twisted, attempting to loosen his grasp on me, the panic attack I could feel forming in my chest, proof that I was weak. I couldn’t fight off the vampire king, no matter how much I hated my father for giving me to this creature, he knew I wouldn’t be able to escape, that I would be trapped with him.
I felt a cold breathe on my ear and instantly froze, my heart threatening to explode from my chest, “I like it when they struggle.” The vampire King whispered.
He lowered his head to my neck, breathing deeply as he inhaled my scent, a sharp pain suddenly shooting through me as he sunk his sharp fangs into the soft skin. I tried struggling at first, the pain only increasing as I moved, he was draining the very essence from me. Alora whimpering somewhere deep within my mind. Eventually, the pain overwhelmed me my body going limp in his grasp moments before darkness overwhelmed me and by then, I welcomed the darkness.