Her Forever
Chapter 33

Seth

Five f*****g days since I last saw her. The damage has already been done, and my wolf is almost out of control. The constant need to kill, torture, or destroy has almost exceeded my capabilities to control Caspian. Sadie is my only remedy, and I’m fading fast.

I can’t remember how many times I’ve made the b***d-suckers cry out in pain, begging for mercy. I won’t show mercy unless it’s earned.

Nathan has stayed close to my side, trying to show any bit of loyalty he has left. He has taken it upon himself to stay with the vamps that are locked up within the basement and still getting very little information from them.

The only thing we can get out of them is that Sadie is to be the new queen and to be mated as soon as her memories are revealed to her. The Ministry said since Sadie was human, the magic must have been too much on her mind and cannot have another compulsion put on her until the original is removed.

He’s planning on having her forget me and try to bond with her. The fucker is going to die, and I will tear him apart piece by piece. First, ripping out his damn fangs.

The heaviness in my chest gets worse by the day, and I know Sadie is hurting. Whether it is physically or mentally, I don’t know. In just a week, I had become so attached to her, not just by our bond, but her spirit. She was a kind and loving person, something I wasn’t used to seeing other werewolves. Sure, my mother is amazing and caring, but Sadie has something different. My Sadie.

“Alpha.” Ethan barges into the tattered office. No piece of furniture was left unturned, picture frames scattered across the floor. Rugs, ripped to shreds by my claws. I looked up, waiting for him to continue. I couldn’t trust my voice; it was about to crack.

“One vampire is talking. We brought him up to the conference room,” Ethan said with authority.

I stood up from my office chair and came around the desk, slamming the door open once again. My heavy footsteps pounded the floor as I entered the conference room. Marco had a wooden dogwood stake near his heart while he was chained to the chair.

The Pinecreek leadership was present, as well as was my team. There was silence in the room, waiting for me to speak. Caspian is begging to be released. He needed his turn, yet I was apprehensive until we received any information about finding my mate. ‘Patience,’ I whispered to him, only to receive a howl in return.

“Where. Is. She?” I growled each and every word. The vamp was terrified. Good, he should be. Marco and Nathan did a number on him. He wasn’t healing, and he was actually having infections from his wounds. That’s difficult for them to get sick. Maybe Nathan could be forgiven once Sadie returned. Maybe.

“I will tell you,” his voice shaken. “If I could have mercy, please,” he begged.

Any other time I would laugh at his failed attempt at begging, but I was desperate, and he knew it. I needed Sadie like I needed air, and I was drowning without her. With one large breath, I began.

“Your mercy will be a quick death upon the return of my Luna. Do you accept?” That is all I could give him.

“Yes, just please don’t return me to Draco, I beg of you.” My eyebrow lifted in surprise, as well as the others.

“Are you afraid of your own king? The king that is sworn to protect you and your kind?” Bergarian rulers differ from your average Kings and queens you see in fairy tales. Royals swear allegiance in protecting their subjects, never laying a hand on them to punish unless it is deemed necessary. Those who plan to put harm on anyone were swiftly taken care of, mainly by my pack and me.

We were a peaceful land, unlike the humans. It was strange and unlawful to hurt your race. They still had to obey the royals, but only because they respected them, and it was a decision for the good of their land.

I could understand him wanting to follow his king’s orders, and it is just how it was. However, not wanting to go back because of fear of their king was strange.

“Why would you not want to return to your king?” I spoke.

“He will torture us. Let us die slowly and painfully. It happens to many who do not wish to do his bidding, even if we think it is not for the sake of our people.”

Everyone in the room was shocked into silence. A king that does not respect its people to torture their own kind. It was punishable by death itself. King Drago must have become too powerful for his own good.

“He has the help of a witch, and she can expand his power and strengthen it. No one has seen her, and she hides in the shadows. No one knows why she works for him. Witches stay away from him, but she’s there. You can almost feel her when she is near,” he explained.

“What’s your name, vampire?” Marco spoke.

“B-Bastian.”

“Where are they keeping her? You have my word. You won’t be handed back to Drago.” I explained.

“There is a mansion not too far from here. It has been cloaked with a scent covering. The witch uses it to conceal our smells. She also has a cloaking spell to hide the mansion. If you show me a map, I can show you. I’ll tell you what you want to know; just don’t send my friends or I back, please.”

It felt too easy, but I would do anything. We had nothing else to go on. I grabbed a map of the area and threw it on the table. Roughly grabbing the chair and sitting down, I looked Bastian in the eye.

“Let’s plan our strategy, then.”

****

Sadie

My stomach was begging for food as I stared at Draco while he cut his meat. If he is eating the same thing, I guess I was OK to eat. Taking the first bite of the juicy steak almost made me m**n with satisfaction, but I made sure not to make any noise.

The ego-driven maniac might think it’s for him.

Each bite help satisfy my hunger as I ate the entire plate. I then realized that he was actually eating, too. “You can eat? I mean, eat food?” I questioned.

“Of course we can. It just doesn’t satisfy or relieve our hunger. I’m just eating, so you don’t have to feel completely awkward. I’m a nice man after all,” he said as he slowly put a piece of b***d-red meat to his face.

Seeing that I was finished, he patted his mouth with his clean napkin and held out his hand. I pushed my chair back but refused to take his hand. No way I was going to give him the fulfillment of touching me.

“Come now, and I won’t bite… right now.” He chuckled. Chills ran down my arms, and certainly not the good kind. His arms wrapped around my shoulders, and his cold skin didn’t relieve me of the coldness I felt around him. I missed Seth and the warmth he brought me.

Drago led me to a study, and it had an enormous fireplace with two chairs on either side. He beckoned me to sit down in one while he sat in the other with a red wine glass. Pretty sure that wasn’t red wine.

“Now, tell me, Little Dove. What do you know?”

I sat for a moment, gathering my thoughts. I played with the little string on the hem of my dress. My feet barely touched the floor from the massive chair, and I felt more like a child being reprimanded for putting my hand in the cookie jar.

“I know my aunt was a werewolf and took care of me. She kept me away from the Pinecreek pack, but it seemed like that was her home at one time. I’ve had dreams of my aunt and Uncle Jeremy taking me away from two people whose faces I can’t see. I never remember meeting Jeremy. I’ve only seen him in pictures,” speaking quietly. “I inherited their cabin once she died and moved to Pineville Creek after that.”

“Hmm,” he said while swirling the b***d in his glass. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s all I know.”

“Well, let’s get your memory back then, shall we?” With two of his fingers, he motioned for someone to come forward from the doorway. It was Diana, the girl that checked on me every day and brought me food and became somewhat fond of her. She was sweet, and I could tell she didn’t want to be here, yet she hid her emotions well. I’ve tried to bring up why she was here but would wave it off as nothing important.

“Diana?” I spoke softly and looked between Drago and her.

“Hello, Sadie, or should I say, Sabrina?” Her smile came up in a small curl as she nodded at me.

“Sabrina?” I tilted my head.

Diana walked to me as Drago stood up from his chair. Both came to either side of the chair.

“What are you going to do to me? What is going on?” I panicked. I tried to get out of the chair, only to have Drago put his hand down on my shoulder.

“Now be my good Little Dove and let her help you.” Drago’s voice was firm and authoritative. I had no place to run, and I knew I wouldn’t get away. Praying I was only getting my memory back, and no compulsion was going to be used on me, I sat there. The helpless way out. That is what I was, helpless.

Diana’s hand touched my forehead like she was feeling the warmth from a fever. Her eyes closed, and her brows furrowed. The voice humming from her lips was entrancing, and I couldn’t help but listen. My forehead felt hot and burned. My eyes closed, and the headache I had a few days ago reappeared.

My whimpers turned to sobs, and I tried to pull her hand away. Drago gripped my hand, trying not to puncture me with his claws. “Hold tight, Dove, it will be alright,” he tried to coo at me. Feeling more disgusted, I tried to thrash away from her hands.

My breath hitched, and my breathing slowed. There were no pictures flashing through my mind, no bright light at the end of the tunnel. All I saw was blackness and cold. I could feel my heart rate slowing to just tiny thumps.

“That’s enough, and you are going to kill her!” Drago spoke harshly to Diana.

My eyes opened for a fraction of a second, and I saw her lips turn into a slight smile as she continued her assault.

“Dear brother, her mind has rid of the memory. Our powers were too strong when she was a child. The compulsion cannot be removed.”

Diana’s hands let go of my head, and I tumbled to the floor, being gently laid down by Drago’s chilly hands.

“What? Will I be able to compulse her again? To make her love me?” He roared.

What a sick freak. I rubbed my forehead, ridding of the glistening sweat.

“No, you won’t. I guess you will have to win her the hard way.” Diana chuckled lightly. “Serves you right for trying to take something that isn’t yours.” Drago then slapped Diana, and she landed on the floor next to me.

I gasped and tried to reach for her hand, but she just looked at me and whispered, “I’m sorry, Sabrina.” Several vampires came into the room and dragged her to her feet.

“Take her to her room,” Drago said with malice in his voice.

“Come, Little Dove.” He spoke sickly sweet to me. “Let’s get you to bed.” He bent down to pick me up, but my body would not cooperate. I grunted as I tried to stand up, but he quickly picked me up bridal style and leaned my head to his chest.

It was sickening, and there was no heartbeat in his chest. He was cold as stone as he walked me up the stairs to my room. I tried to stay awake, but my head still hurt from Diana trying to help me regain my memories.

Drago opened the door and peeled the covers back and set me into the bed. Carefully taking off my shoes and covering me with the duvet. “I’m sorry she hurt you, Dove. I’m trying to make it right.” Internally, I scoffed at him.

Too tired to fight, I laid my head on the pillow and closed my eyes. My whole body was aching from what Diana did to me. I wish I were as strong as the rest of the female wolves back in the pack. Maybe I wouldn’t hurt so much.

I could feel Drago’s stares, and I opened my eyes. My eyes were empty, and I showed him no emotion. How could I? He was a monster.

Drago sighed and left the room.

I couldn’t understand why he wanted me. He mentioned before I was royalty, werewolf royalty. Does that mean he wants to take over some kingdom? Were the faceless people in my dream my parents? If my parents were alive, do they know I’m still around too? Were they looking for me?

The longer I thought, the weaker I became. Sleeping was the only remedy, and I knew I wouldn’t sleep much because Seth wasn’t by my side. I felt cold. So utterly cold in this house, full of vampires.

I fluttered my eyes to get some sleep, but I felt warmth. My chest didn’t ache from missing Seth. I was feeling lighter, stronger. With my newly found energy, I slung my legs off the bed to look out the window into the night. It was late, and the moon was high in the sky, lighting up the garden below.

Guards were standing at every entryway. I looked far out into the woods. My hand was on the cold glass when I finally saw them. His electric blue eyes. He took one, two, three steps out into the open of the yard. His enormous wolf was magnificent.

His fur, black as night, blew gently into the wind. The fur around his neck almost looked like a mane a lion would wear. It was thick, beautiful, and I wanted to run my hands through it.

His wolf stood tall and proud on all four of his paws. His head lifted to the moon and roared his battle cry as the other wolves from back home stormed the property.