Dr. Luna
The Vampires Promised Bride Chapter 57

Erebus clicked his tongue. "Just look at you. Covered in blood and bruises. You are very unsightly." "And whose fault do you think that is?" Lucy said tiredly struggling to her feet when the deity entered the room.

leave it on."

"Yours of course. Your disobedience is the cause of your pain and suffering. Like now... you still refuse to put the clothes on that I have given you. I'm sure your mates' scent has almost disappeared completely from the dress you have on. No sentimental reason to "I'd rather wear this old dress that smells than to wear your clothes with your scent on them."

"Oh, Lucy... I'm going to have to teach you another lesson..." Erebus walked up to her, grabbed her by the neck, and slammed her back into the wall. "I hate doing this to you princess... but you need to be trained properly." He took his free hand and traced it over Lucy's lips. "I think I am going to make this a new hobby of mine. Finding a spirited woman and seeing how long it takes to break them. I'm afraid none will compare next to you though." He gripped her tightly now with both hands forcing her to hold still. Then he licked her neck all the way up to her cheek. He chuckled as she struggled against him in vain. "Still being disobedient I see... I'll have to discipline you again."

He took his hand and slapped her across the face. He curled his lips up angrily as she shot her defiant green eyes right back at him. He growled and clenched his teeth. "Quit fighting me!"

She felt his hot humid breath and spit beat against her face. She continued to look at him challengingly. "I'll never stop fighting you."

Erebus chuckled. "You will, though princess. I just haven't broken you enough yet. But... You. Will. Break." His lips curled up as he pressed himself against her. "You feel that... you are making me excited princess. The more you fight... the more I want you. So keep fighting. Keep exciting me. It will make the release all the more worth it."

Lucy felt bile rise up in her throat. She could feel his excitement pressing on her and it repulsed her. She turned her head away from him. It had been a week since she was taken. A week of being in hell. Every day he worked on breaking her and training her. Her body was bruised and bloodied. She was dirty. Yet, she continued to fight. She wouldn't let him see how affected she was actually getting from all of this. The emotional toll it was taking on her. And she was beginning to feel dirty.

Erebus has forced his kisses on her. He had trailed his hands over her. He hadn't forced himself on her more than that... yet. He is still banking that she will eventually want him. He wants her to ask for it. Like hell, she ever would. But she wasn't sure if she was still worthy of her mate anymore. Another man had touched her body and her lips. They were supposed to only ever belong to Derek... She still wanted to escape this place. But she wasn't sure now about where she would go. She couldn't become Derek's queen now. He deserved better. She could make a deal with the witch doctors and break the blood bond. It was probably better that way. She was tainted now. How could he want her after this? She could imagine his thoughts after seeing hers and what she had been through. She didn't want to feel his disgust. She didn't want the man she loved more than anything to feel repulsed by her.

"Well, I guess that is it for today's lesson. See you tomorrow." Erebus gave her a smug smile and stepped back from her. Then with a wink, he vanished.

Lucy tried to get her breathing under control as she felt herself panicking slightly. There was no escape. No one would find her. And she felt disgusted with herself for feeling so weak and desperate.

She slid down the wall as her heart raced wildly. She had never felt so vulnerable and weak. Her chest squeezed tightly together making it harder to breathe. Her lungs were constricting and she wasn't getting the oxygen she needed. Her vision began to tunnel until finally, darkness overtook her.

Another week has passed...

"Damn it." Abaddon cursed as he and Levi stood in an empty building. It had been two weeks since they last saw Lucy. TWO WEEKS! They couldn't find her though. He could feel her but couldn't get close to her. During that time he and Levi had been searching nonstop. They had been spending a lot of time together and they had formed a passive-aggressive relationship. But there was a trust between them now.

Lee groaned and leaned his hand against the wall. "We can't keep going on like this. The family can't continue like this either."

"Neither can Derek. He is leading the vampire army viciously looking for the witch. He is breaking with every day we can't find her. I can't imagine what Lucy is going through. I can only tell you she is alive. But that's all I can feel." Abaddon sighed, the creases on his forehead showed the worry he was feeling for Lucy.

"Alexis isn't speaking to any of us. She hates being locked up but she isn't alone. Aiden is stuck under house arrest with her. I think he is also getting more and more agitated by the day. It is only a matter of time before they both rebel." Lee sighed angrily. "Damnit where did he take her?!"

"What exactly is the separating factor between deities and demons? Just curious because it looks like there isn't much of a difference. One is considered automatically evil just because of their name."

"You know I don't know anymore. I really don't." Lee shook his head sadly. He was working with a half-demon. Jin was the sweetest demon he ever met. And Harley, who was the son of an original demon, had been a great help and mate to his niece Destiny. "What do you think he is planning by taking her?" Abaddon asked quietly.

"If Wicker is Erebus..." Lee frowned and shook his head. "He probably took Lucy because he thinks she is Aken's mate... thinking about the premonition he must already know Aken is mated to the fairy princess. And Lucy is a fairy princess... Lucy would never tell him she wasn't the one he was looking for either. No matter what he does to her..."

Abaddon looked darkly across the room. They needed to find her but how. All they could keep doing is searching in the area that drew him the most. He knew she was in a general direction but that was it.

"Let's keep looking. I can't take even taking a breather." Abaddon growled out and watched as Lee nodded his head in agreement. "What will you do if you find this Erebus?"

"I'll disintegrate him. A dark deity, even a tier-one, can't be stronger than a light deity. At least not on their own merit."

"What is the Kraken... Aken?"

Lee frowned. "He was a light deity who went dark. And ended up cursed and forced to remain bound to the sea. He is only able to roam the earth now because his life is still linked to Tyler. He was cursed to remain in the sea from the other deities. Aken rose up against the other gods... but before that... well he had some run-ins with Erebus. There is a history there between the two of them. This has become a personal vendetta for Erebus. But that bastard is involving my family in his feud with Aken." He balled his hands together. "He doesn't realize it yet but he just created another enemy. I don't forgive those who mess with what is mine. I'll kill Erebus or he will have to spend eternity running from me. For what he has done to Lucy... and what he plans to do to Alexis I will end him."

"What is going on here? Why have the vampires and dragons descended upon us?" Beryl asked angrily from her hidden location.

"I don't know but they seem angry. We haven't even done anything yet but the way they are fighting now is different. It is merciless and unyielding." A dark elf said nervously seeing the witch's anger.

"I am so close. I didn't go through everything I did for nothing! And of course, those damn cowards haven't shown themselves yet." Beryl clicked her tongue and paced madly across the floor. "What set them off? Something must have happened..." What was she going to do now? It was only a matter of time before she was found. If she was going to go down then she might as well at least take one member of the Locke family down with her. Yes... even if it was only one of them...

She just needed to hold out and stay hidden. The opportunity would arise to at least destroy one of them. She had waited so long already and she wouldn't lose out now. She would disappear until things calmed down some. Yes... she just needed to disappear for a bit longer.

"Deploy the next two units. Let's keep them busy." Beryl said with a smirk looking at the dark elf. She would use this moment to escape deeper into the darkness... for now.

Jasper wiped the damp beads off his forehead. They have been scouring through the lands looking for the witch and any sign of Lucy. It was all they could do. They could only continue to fight and wait. It was t*****e. He looked at a nearby tree where Derek was leaning his forehead against it. He was worried about him. He was breaking little by little. He walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder.

Derek glanced at the hand for a brief moment before closing his eyes. Where was his Lucy? How was she? Was she okay? It was his job to protect her... he failed her. How could he have let her fall into dangerous hands? What kind of mate was he? It hurt so much. It hurt that he lost her when she was right in front of him. It hurt knowing how weak he was that he couldn't get her back. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.

"Hey... we are going to get her back." Jasper said gently.

"We? We aren't going to do anything because we aren't strong enough to get her back." Derek spit out bitterly. "Don't do this to yourself..." Jasper whispered out.

"If anything happens to her..." Derek stifled a sob and felt Jasper's arms wrap around him.

"Don't. Don't think like that. She is coming back to us. So let's get rid of this witch. It will be one less thing for her to worry about, right?" Jasper felt Derek's body tremble slightly. He had been forcing himself in front of everyone to look strong. Their strong and fearless leader was actually shattered.

"Jasper... listen to me." Derek straightened up and turned to look at his cousin. His wet eyes met with him head-on. "Just listen, okay?" He watched Jasper nod slowly. "If... if something happens to her... I'm giving you the throne. No words Jasper. I can't go on without her. I won't go on without her. Gosh, Jasper do I even deserve her anymore? I let her down. I told her she was safe with me."

Jasper's face was crestfallen as he stared at the red watery eyes of his cousin. "You didn't let her down Derek. There was nothing anyone could do. Who could fight against a deity?"

"Another deity. Maybe that's what Lucy really needs. Someone strong enough to protect her." Derek swallowed bitterly the sting of his own failure burned him.

"Derek!" Jasper grabbed onto his cousin's shoulders gripping tightly. "You need to be strong right now for her. She is going to need you and your strength when she comes back. Be the man she needs. You can't afford to break. I know you want to because it sucks. And it hurts like hell. I want to destroy the world looking for her." He gripped Derek's shoulders tighter as his own eyes watered up. "I depended on her too much. I took for granted that I would always have her light around." He grit his teeth and shook his head slowly with his eyes closed. "We don't know what kind of hell she might be going through and when she comes back she is going to need our light this time."

Derek's bottom lip quivered and he nodded his head as wet droplets escaped to the ground. "My poor little mate..." He breathed out in a whisper. When Jasper looked up the two men locked eyes. "You're right. I'll be whoever Lucy needs me to be. I just need her back."

"I know you do." Jasper gave him a weak smile. "We all need her back."

Derek straightened up. He would do everything in his power to fight now. It was the only way he could fight for Lucy. And if something tragic happens to her... he already decided. He wouldn't go on either. He would also die. Because life without Lucy would not be a life at all.

"Incoming!" Chaz yelled from the distance. "And there are a lot of them." "Good." Derek said coldly. "I need to take this aggression out on something."