TRIGGER WARNINGS!: This book contains some dark material including, explicit descriptions of rape, violence, gore, torture, murder, drug use, abortion. There are also detailed sex scenes, some including kinks such as, breath play and knife play. Aurora’s POV I wake up to the familiar pain of a spring digging into my back. Goddess, this cot is unbearable. How I am able to fall asleep every night is beyond me. I groan as I sit up, stretching my back and arms, trying to ease the pain. After a couple of satisfying cracks, it feels a bit better. I shiver and watch as my breath rises above me in this bitter dungeon cell. Living the same day every day has been exhausting. I always wake up too early. It'll be a while before they bring around breakfast. It's not much to look forward to, but it keeps me alive. Then I'll probably do some pacing. Contemplate every life choice I ever made that ended up with me here. I'll curse myself a bit for being so careless as to get arrested in the firs
Aurora’s POV My attention snaps back to the vampires who are now leading us closer to these unruly beasts leading the large wagons. The horse's mostly ignore us, which is a relief. My eyes fall on the group of wagons I assume we are about to be herded into. They actually don’t look all too bad. The wheels alone are taller than me, and the wagon portion looks big enough to fit ten to fifteen people. They are covered on either side and on top by a shelter made out of some type of thick, heavy cloth. The backs of the wagons are open to the night air, except for the doors that only cover the bottom half. Leaving the top half open to take in a breeze. Something I'm sure will be appreciated in the summer heat. I scan the area, counting the wagons in front of me. Six. Six wagons. Twelve vampiric horses, and with the addition of the vampires who were waiting for us when we made it up the stairs, twelve vampires. The first of the prisoners are led into the closest wagon, the rest of us
Samael’s POV I stand in front of the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling window in my throne room. My view of the mountains is hindered by the raging blizzard taking place outside. I distract myself with the snow that is swirling frantically in the wind on the opposite side of the glass. If I focus, I can pick out each individual snowflake in front of me before the howling wind takes them again. I sigh. My body is itching to go out there. To feel the wind whipping at my face and the coolness of the snow blowing around me. To feel something other than frustration. I unwillingly turn away from the window, only to be reminded of what had caused my frustration in the first place: Cassandra Hale’s poor messenger boy lays dead at the foot of my throne. I had stepped over his limp body after draining it of all his blood. His lifeless eyes stare at nothing. It seems killing the messenger can in fact be beneficial, maybe it will finally give that damn witch a hint. This is the third time C
Aurora’s POVIt’s too hot.How is it so hot?We’re going further north!It’s the third day of this incessant journey. For three nights I’ve been stuck in this wagon with two vampires and eleven other criminals. All of which are men, and all of them stare at me with dark expectations in their eyes.I recognize those lingering gazes and the not-so-subtle way they lick their lips as they trail lustful eyes over my body.They always look away though, when they meet my hardened stare. My real eyes would give them heart palpitations, but even my innocent chocolate brown gaze – the eyes they see because of the cloaking spell my foolishly hopeful mother put on me – can bring a man to his knees with fear.Gregory used to say he could see demons in my eyes, that there was always another presence within them, watching.I used to tell him that he was the demon, haunting my every waking minute. And he would shut me up with a slap across my face and a cock down my throat.A mad kind of excitement b
Aurora’s POVEveryone is staring at me. The prisoners look at me with unrestrained fear, the vampires observe me with suspicion, but some of them carry a sick kind of thrill in their eyes from witnessing me murder someone in front of them.We are all frozen in time for about five seconds. Then, three vampires take simultaneous steps in my direction. Before I can think, my arms are wrenched behind my back, and I feel a metallic coolness as my wrists are cuffed.“He deserved it” a voice comes from behind me. “He assaulted her.”We all turn to face Everett who has left the comfort of his hammock to… come to my defense?“What?” spits out the vampire still holding my arms behind my back in a vice-like grip, even though I’m cuffed.“That pile of shit was rubbing all over her and trying to force himself on her. She acted purely in self defense,” Everett states firmly. Then he turns to look at the prisoners standing in the immediate vicinity, “Didn’t she?” he asks them, and there’s an underly
“The land between the eastern bridge leading out of Shade City and the Famine Forest belongs to the Nightshade Coven! It has been our land for thousands of years. You and your despicable, void worshipping coven of witches have no right to lay any claim to it!”Adelaide’s lips curve into an arrogant sneer, “Careful leech, push me and I might just take your entire city out from under your miserable clutch. Your father would despise you for what you’ve turned his city into.”“WATCH YOUR TONGUE WITH ME WITCH OR I’LL RIP IT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH”“Oh, I would love for you to get close enough to try, you wicked old man. I see how black your soul is and I could easily twist it to do my bidding.”“Your highness!” Lucien Nightshade, leader of the Nightshade Coven, looks up at me from his seat at the grand meeting table in my council room. His expression is of disbelief and rage towards Adelaide’s attempt to, well, do exactly what she is doing, threatening the power of the coven leaders. That woman
We’re arriving today. The last three days have dragged by slowly. A few hours after leaving the Eternal Flame territory we entered into the country of Dema Mortem, and we’ve been travelling through it ever since. It is my first time ever leaving the Emberi Empire – its widespread cities and quaint little towns have been all I’ve ever known.If I hadn't spent the last year rotting away in a cell, I would have found this journey to be extremely boring. On the contrary, I’ve been quite enjoying myself. My front seat allows me to watch the scenery outside; a simple joy I didn’t realize how much I missed.Although, so far, all I’ve seen of Dema Mortem is vast forests. We’ve been following the same small, winding road for days now. Early yesterday the lush greenery turned to a frozen winter wonderland, and the wagons slowed ever so slightly as the horses had to cut a path through deep snow drifts.The sun is high in the sky and the air is pleasantly cool, which, considering how far north we
I wake up to the glow of sunlight streaming into my window. My body is stiff with sleep, but I have no intentions of leaving the comfort of my new bed. I curl up in a ball and revel in the warmth of the sun. I open and close my eyes a few times, getting them used to the light. When the sensation of needing to pee hits me, I prepare to ignore it. Having been allowed only one visit to the bathroom a day for the last year has given me a level of control over my bladder. My eyes shoot to the door across the room when I remember I have my own bathroom now.Excitement courses through me and I jump out of bed, cross the room in two steps, and wrench open the bathroom door. There she is – a glorious toilet – all for me. Since my appearance sent me into a state of depression last night, I didn’t bother taking in the rest of the bathroom. There’s a small toilet next to the sink, which I immediately sit on to relieve myself. Across from me is a mid-sized washtub, with actual taps, meaning I won’
“Eli?” I look down at his bruised, tear-streaked face, and my heart sinks into the pit of my stomach. “What happened to you?”The man in the fancy clothes laughs loudly, “I did. Well, actually, my men did.” He takes a step closer, and Samael’s hand tightens around mine, “Eli here seems to have broken one of our most serious laws; not only did he interact with a witch, but he went as far as accepting help from one.”I glare at him, “How can you even know that?” Looking down at Eli, I hiss, “You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone!” He just cries, his eyes faraway, like he’s not really paying attention to his surroundings.“Cassian, what the fuck is the meaning of this?” Samael growls dangerously, and I notice some of the men shifting uncomfortably, their eyes darting to Samael, then away quickly as if they are afraid to even look at him. Wait, he called that man Cassian… this is the fucking emperor.I grow a bit weary of the situation, and Danika’s senses go on high alert, as I take in a
“Baby, would you come here please?”Samael joins my side, immediately snaking his arm around my waist as if he has been dying to touch me this whole time. I look up at him with a warm smile, “I think you deserve a moment with the man who enjoyed what was rightfully yours.” I turn back to Gregory, who stares at me pleadingly, and smirk at him.“As you know, this is Samael Dema, the vampire king. He’s my mate, the person created just for me by the Moon Goddess, Selene. Can you believe that daddy? A king, who worships the ground I walk on.”I trail my fingers along my mark on Samael’s neck, “See this, it’s a werewolf’s mark, this let’s Samael feel everything I feel, which can be both a blessing and a burden, because he feels my rage and my pain from the things I went through here, the things you put me through.”“My king,” I place a kiss on Samael’s cheek, “take what you want from him, just keep him alive for me.”“I thought you wanted me to only drink from you?” He asks in surprise. “O
I look up at the low ceiling, relieved to see the hooks still embedded into it, they will make this much easier. While Petra is holding her bleeding leg and whimpering like a wounded animal, I walk to the shelves against the wall, and open the delicate looking box that holds their leather straps.Standing over her, I hold out my hand. “Get up,” I order, tapping my foot impatiently.Her tear-streaked face looks up at me sadly, “what happened to you Aurora? Where did my sensitive girl go?”“You destroyed her. Now get the fuck up.” I aim a kick at her leg, then drag her from the sofa, and pull her as she screams for mercy to the middle of the room, directly under the same hook I had been left dangling from many times.“You know I drill,” I say, remembering all the times I was in her position, “arms up, Petra darling.”She cries uncontrollably, lifting her shaky arms into the air, “Good girl,” I say, praising her like a child.“W-what are you going to do to me?” she whimpers, as I fasten
A girl runs around the corner from the kitchen, her blonde hair askew. When she spots us, she opens her mouth preparing to scream. I use my speed to run to her, clamping a hand over her mouth, and stopping her from making a sound.She looks up at me with wide fearful eyes, and I realize she looks to be about my age… none of Gregory and Petra’s children are that old yet.“Are you…” I don’t know what her situation is, or why she is here, but I get the feeling it’s not good. “Do you need help?” I ask her, hoping she will trust me even though she has no reason to.My hand is still tight over her mouth, so she nods slowly. I glance back at Samael who just shrugs. Fuck. I wasn’t anticipating this.“I’m going to remove my hand, but if you make a sound, I will make you regret it,” I warn her.“*Goddess, Aurora, threatening her won’t make her trust you any easier,*” Danika scolds me.“*I don’t know who she is, what if I don’t want her to trust me?*” I argue back.Danika sighs, “*she’s just a s
Goddess, it feels like someone is banging on my head with a hammer. I groan as I stretch out my body, refusing to open my eyes. Last night is a blur; after our bath Samael and I stayed up drinking with Adrian, Dimitri, and Kieran. I ended up proving my superior strength to all of them in arm wrestling matches. No one could beat me, even when Adrian and Dimitri teamed up against me; I was still stronger. Which in turn, made me pretty damn cocky and I ended up chugging the last bottle of vodka to prove how tough I was, only to end up puking all over the kitchen floor. I think Samael cut me off after that. “I’ve let you sleep as long as I could, but it’s time to get up, my love,” Samael’s smooth voice whispers quietly in my ear.“What time is it?” I mumble, curling myself up under the soft blankets.“Mid-morning,” he replies, and my eyes fly open.“Oh shit.” I jump out of bed, and run across the room to gather my clothes, feeling Samael’s gaze linger on my naked body. Once I’m dressed,
The room goes quiet, the only sound is his blood dripping onto the floor. I stand up, looking down at the two dead bodies slumped over in their chairs, and a smile forms on my face. That was a lot more emotional than I expected it to be but also quite enjoyable. Holding their lives in my hands made me feel invincible, and I know that is wrong, but I’m excited to do it again tomorrow.I notice my shirt is covered in blood, so I remove it, turning to face Samael, who’s dark eyes are filled with a burning desire for me. It seems he found it enjoyable as well, judging by the bulge in his pants.“Take your clothes off,” I order him, and he obeys so quickly he’s a blur. I lick my lips as he leans his naked body back into the cushions, one arm stretched across the back of the sofa, the other gripping his enormous cock, sliding it up and down his length like he’s getting it ready for me.I remove the rest of my clothes, loving the way his eyes follow every move I make, roaming over my naked b
I slip my elemental dagger out from its holster around my upper thigh and its sleek blade glints ominously in the dim light. When Dr. Maddox sees the weapon in my hand, his struggle against the ropes becomes desperate; he throws his weight against them with all his strength as if he thinks he has a chance of escaping. Well… who am I to say he can’t at least try?Without warning, I raise my fist, and bring it down on his right kneecap with enough strength to shatter the bone. The doctors piercing screams echo throughout the room, high-pitched and ending in a long, drawn-out wail.I walk behind his chair, and untie his ropes, he doesn’t even realize what I am doing until they fall to the floor. He looks up at me with teary and bloody eyes as I circle back around to face him.“I think that’s enough. Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” I say in a gentle tone.He sniffles, nodding hopefully. I smile at him, “Ok, go on.” Taking a step back, I motion for him to get up. “The stairs are just
I stare down at the now lifeless body I’m straddling, a slight sense of satisfaction filling me. I let out a long sigh, “that’s better.” I barely pay attention to Dr. Maddox’s wailing cries as I soak in the feeling of taking the life of one of the men who took mine. Memories of long, dark nights in the freezing dungeon come back to me, maybe I can finally move forward from the horrors of my time there. Though I guess only time will tell; my nightmares may have lessened since finding Samael, but what if getting revenge and having my mate is not enough to bury the years of built up trauma? What if I never truly get the pieces of myself back… back from the Stallards, back from that dungeon, back from the inn where I was defiled for the first time. What if I stay trapped in all those places, never able to move away from it all, never able to let go… My breathing hitches as memories flood my mind, destroying the cage I built for them while I was rotting in the dungeon, and leaving me gas
Theodoric finally notices he’s not our only prisoner and stares in confusion to his right, “D-dr. Maddox?” he stutters out. Aurora changes her position, so she is still sitting on me, but facing her helpless prey, her back resting against my chest, and we watch as Dr. Maddox begins to regain consciousness. Theodoric’s eyes roam from the doctor to Aurora and I, confusion written all over his face. “What is this about? Why have you taken us here!” he screams, his face turning white and his body shaking with fear. Aurora ignores him, still watching Dr. Maddox, whose eyes are slowly opening, “Wha- where am I?” he mutters to himself. Then his eyes snap open and he takes in his situation, looking down at the ropes binding him to the chair, glancing at Theodoric, then setting his eyes on me. “You!” he exclaims, staring at me with a mixture of anger and distress. I just give him a smile, and he finally looks at Aurora. “Is this the so-called friend you said wanted to see me?” He struggles