〰 Dylan 〰"Hey. Back again. It"s nice to see your face around here, Prince Dareios." Alican, the bartender, says with a soft smile while cleaning out a shot gla.s.s with a rag. I nodded to her respectively, knowing she wouldn"t sell me out even if the demons offered her a million dollars.
She was a loyal companion to me ever since I saved her from the vampire in the alley a few years back.
"I"ve told you to call me, Dylan." I remind her, my voice hoa.r.s.e from traveling all day so I was farthest away from my insatiable mate. Her words about oral s.e.x only causing a shiver to ripple down my spine.
"Of course, Prince Dareios." She teases before sniffing the air and giving me a questioning look. "You are not with your mate? Why is this?" Alican asks me, pouring me a gla.s.s of scotch and handing it to me while I pushed down my demon.
"She is not ready for mating. At least not in that sense." I tell her when sipping the burning alcohol. "I had to get away from her before I forced myself on her," I told Alican as she leaned over the bar and frowned at me.
"I feel like you are not telling the truth, Prince Dareios. I know you very well." She reminds me, wiggling her finger at me when I sighed and swigged my gla.s.s of scotch.
Was it really more than that?
Was she really afraid of me when she came on me?
Tried to seduce me...?
"I believe it is you who is afraid of her," Alican admits to me, leaning away and creating the c.o.c.ktail a siren had asked for. I snapped my gaze to her while she took orders left and right, letting my thoughts wander.
How could I be afraid of my wee woman?
I could never be afraid of her, even if I did find out she was a fierce Valkyrie and a clone. She may be growing stronger every day, but she is still my little one. Khole was my small woman I was destined to protect and there was so much I had doubted before.
If anything, I didn"t deserve her.
I was so selfish and conceited before and now that I am with her twenty-four-seven... She is so much more amazing than I could ever imagine. Her trust in me made my chest swell in pride even when she was afraid of a man"s touch.
She surpa.s.sed her fears in order to live in a world that only hunted the weak, but now with her exceeding all my wishes of a mate... I couldn"t imagine a greater woman, witch or not.
Khole was my woman and no other...
"Holy s.h.i.t..." I mutter, drawing Alican"s attention as she gave the drink to the man and returned to my side with a curious look.
"Let me guess. You"ve realized that your mate is stronger than you could even imagine and that you want her more than anyone else." Alican says with a soft tone when I pushed the alcohol away from me and pressed a hand to my forehead.
"She won"t want me... I"ve hurt her feelings." I said in a defeated tone, now understanding Pairs"s disgust with me the other day. Now that I realized I couldn"t even think of another other than my mate, I felt revolted by the other women here.
"You think that mates don"t fight?" Alican asks with a calm chuckle, grasping my gla.s.s and pouring another gla.s.s of scotch. "Everyone will get into a fight, Prince Dareios. It just depends on how you both handle it. Do not let the gap between you both widen as I did. Take a chance on your mate. She may understand where you came from." She tells me with a saddening smile, clearly remembering her own mate and how he left her.
I hope that a.s.shole never returns.
"You"re right. I should-"
"Dylan!" An ear-piercing scream rang through the bar before Pairs and Hjala stumbled into the bar. Hjala was bloodied and injured all over her body when Pairs carried her inside with tears in her eyes.
"Alican-"
"Rags and lots of booze. Got it." Alican nods, hurrying away to grab what I needed before shoving past the crowd of people watching us.
"What happened? Where is Khole?" I question them, hooking my grasps underneath Hjala and carrying her while Pairs followed me closely.
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"The Valkyrie house was attacked... Khole... Was taken."
〰 Hours Before 〰
〰 Khole 〰
I laid on the couch, munching on popcorn and messing with the soft fabric of the borrowed pajamas I was wearing. Both, Hjala and Pairs were somewhere in the house doing G.o.d knows what.
Not like I wished to know.
I shook my head, trying to rid thoughts of what they could be doing knowing it was something s.e.xual in some kind of way. They acted like the kids in the movies I"ve been watching these last few hours, each of them fl.u.s.tered and giddy.
The Tv was currently off as I stared at the blank screen and relaxed under the warm bag of water on my stomach. It felt nice there since I cramped like a son of a b.i.t.c.h. It was so horrible that I was ready to sleep on the couch if I had too.
Even in pain, my mind still wandered to Dylan and what he was doing. If he missed me or if he was celebrating his freedom.
The thought made my stomach twist in pain but I pushed it away and thought back to our few calm days before our fight. His teasing and me taunting him back, the tension between us burning the dust around us.
Though I guess that was my imagination, but I wanted him so much that it hurt me. I thought he felt the same way and if he didn"t I"d give us some kind of relief though he didn"t even want me touching him.
Had he been playing me or was he just satisfied with innocent kisses and friendly hugs?
What a nice friendzone moment.
I grumble a curse, sinking further into the couch while twirling the knife around in my hands softly tapping the arm of the couch. The same knife he gave me so long ago when the people came to hurt me when he was still a sweet mute Cade...
I knew that Cade and Dylan were the same people but I still missed those simpler times when we were held at an equal. Now I feel like he is trying to overpower me at times and that I am a tiny pon in his game.
That"s the reason why I"ve been pushing myself so hard. I don"t want to admit that I want to play the damsel in distress and have him come for me every time.
Oh, how I wished that would happen right about now...
I"d even forgive him...
"Kho? Do you hear that?" Hjala asks her disheveled form appearing over the banister as I sat up and listened. I hear what sounded like twenty separate fearful screams when shoving the warm bag and blanket away from me.
"Are those... the wraiths?" I question when she leaped over the railing and s.n.a.t.c.hed her daggers.
"They aren"t wraiths. It"s our ghouls. The protection of this place..." She whispers before Pairs hurried down the stairs, her shirt backward. "Why would they be screaming? Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds only scream when they"re afraid." Hjala notes as Pairs looked at me then at her with a confused look.
I thought back to my days here, only remembering that the ghouls had screamed at the presence of Dylan or Pairs.
"Demons." Both Pairs and I, said at the same time while Hjala stared at us for a moment.
"Demons? The only demons that know where this place are you and Dylan." Hjala points out as my face brightened up.
"Dylan," I whispered before darting out the door and looking out into the forest for him. The other ladies came out to stand beside me, though Hjala still held her sword tightly and looked on alert.
We stood there for a moment, the sounds of the ghouls growing louder when the shadows scurried in front of us with horrified expressions. I ignored all of their faces, my heart beating like crazy as a shadow emerged from the shadows.
"Dylan!" I screamed ready to run out to him but Pairs grabbed my arm. "Let me go! He came back!" I snap at her when she shook her head and backed away.
"That"s not Dylan..." She whispers, her face twisting in horror as the shadow separated into several more people. "They"re here for Dylan and me... Come on. We"ve gotta go inside and now." Pairs pulled Hjala and me inside before slamming the doors shut behind us.
"Princess Kayleigh! We"ve found you after all this time, might as well come with us now. There"s no escape!" A man"s cold voice yells when she shivered and pushed away from the door.
"Place a barrier here. I know none of this makes sense, but trust me. You don"t want them inside." Pairs tell us hurrying upstairs as Hjala looked at me.
"Go. I"ll place a barrier here and one in your room. They will not break through if I have anything to do about it." I nod to her while she clasped my arm in thanks. I watched her dart upstairs when I kneeled down and placed the bloodied ban at the door.
I darted for my blade as soon as the first bang came from the door, my barrier on the door holding them back but there were plenty of windows for them to come through.
With my sword, I ran upstairs just as a window crashed followed by a loud thump. Hjala was at her door, Pairs in the room and scrambling for something in their room. I nodded to Hjala kneeling down and placing my shield at the doorway and darting for the window.
"Princess Kayleigh. Quit this game. You"ve played far too long." The man yells once again while my barrier was thrown over their room.
"f.u.c.k off! She"s my mate!" Hjala screeches, flying out the door with her daggers.
"NO! HJALA!" Pairs screams, rushing to the door but I grabbed her arm and forced her to remain.
"Stay. They are here for you. I will bring her back." I promise, giving her one last shove before running out the room and swinging my blade down at the nearest demon.
Hjala fought a larger man while three other ones cornered her. Her fury causing the house to shake with lightning when I sliced through one of the demons, a roar in pain rose from within them.
Before the demon I stabbed could attack me, I slammed my foot on his back causing him to spiral down the stairs and hit two other demons advancing towards me. Pairs remained where I told her to, but she looked like she really wanted to help us.
"Stay," I order, flying over the banister and bringing down a demon who was attacking Hjala. We both tumbled to the ground before I kicked out and jumped off the ground, stabbing into the demon with all my might.
Another deafening roar left the demon as I was torn away from the demon and thrown to the ground. I hissed in pain, my wrist throbbing in pain when I demoness pulled my blade from the demon and glared down at me.
"Stop this insolent fight and return our Princess. I know you placed the barriers." She snarled at me, pointing my own blade at me as I grinned at her and lashed out. My foot connected to her ankle making her fall to the ground.
I reached for my blade, running my nails down her arm so she would release my weapon. She screeched, letting me have it when I heard Hjala crying out.
I spun around, seeing that she was knocked down on the ground. Her body was littered in injuries and the large demon that was calling the shots had his weapon ready to strike for the kill.
"Hjala! Move!" I yell at me, dropping my blade and ducking for her. The demon struck down and barely missed us as I held onto her and glared back at the demons. Before either of them caught what I was doing, I was up the stairs with Hjala limping at my side.
Despite my orders, Pairs hurried to our side and grabbed Hjala from me. I turned and saw that they were quick on my tail.
"Go. I can push them back enough for you to take her." Pairs nodded, grabbing Hjala and dragging her to the door. I looked around, grabbing the small table in the hallway and throwing it down the stairs.
Thankfully, it got us enough time.
Once they were inside the room, I turned to run but there was already someone behind me. They s.n.a.t.c.hed me making me growl and lash out but it didn"t work.
"Stop your struggling." The demon hissed, his grip tightening on my arms making me bare my fangs at him. Hjala and Pairs safely watched while the other demons came upstairs and looked at my barrier.
"There"s no point. You couldn"t break through the one downstairs, you won"t break through this one." I taunt the large man as he tapped it with his knuckle and growled. He turned to me with dark and hateful eyes before punching me across my jaw.
The searing pain from the blow made my entire body spasm in pain but I wouldn"t let him know it hurt me. I refused to give him that pleasure.
"Tell us how to get inside or we will kill you." He threatens making me chuckle and work my jaw out.
"You might as well kill me because you aren"t getting them. Dylan and Pairs or whatever you call them. They will remain here with us. You will not take them away." I grinned at him, the action on p.i.s.sing him off while he glanced at Pairs then me.
"Princess. You leave or she dies. It"s clear that the savage doesn"t want to have a normal conversation." He insults making me shrug.
"I"ve been called worse, honey. I am a former slave." I advise him only earning a sharp glare that rattled me.
"Khole. Stop talking." Pairs tells me though Hjala was grinning at me like a crazy person, clearly liking my s.h.i.t talking.
"Kho. Keep talking." Hjala backfires earning an irritated stare from her mate.
"That"s not a problem. I have much to talk about not that I am not that afraid of people. Did you know that I thought a m.u.f.fin was a mushroom for the longest time? I"ve never tried mushrooms but they totally look like them! I mean they are in the general shape of a mushroom and boy are they fantastic. I love them so much I make Dylan make them for me. His aren"t that great but they are getting better every day. Boy... He sure is entertaining to watch when he cooks though." I nod to myself, everyone staring at me like I was the dumbest person ever.
It seems like my mushroom story didn"t make them laugh, so on to the next.
"Oh! There was this other time when Dylan and I went to this kind of lake but it had a waterfall. Remind you, I don"t know how to swim at all. So he was telling me about his home which I suppose is his h.e.l.l but whatever. He was talking to me and then suddenly threw me into the lake! I nearly drowned because of the a.s.shole and he thought it was funny! He told me his Dad used to do that to him and Pairs every day until they learned how to swim." I said when smiling at the memory. "Oh, how I miss him." I sigh more to myself while shifting in the tight hold and tilting my head at the man.
The large demon was staring at me as if I was doing something so disgusting and for once. I didn"t care whether he didn"t like it. I felt at ease speaking about Dylan in this way. It felt free.
"Have you ever seen your prince smile? Because I have. It the most gorgeous thing I"ve ever seen and I strive to keep it. He may not want me as his mate, but he will always be mine. I will fight and cherish him even if he doesn"t want it. You b.a.s.t.a.r.ds will not take him away from me. I will die before letting him give his freedom up." I sneer, suddenly feeling protective as Pairs shook her head at me and smacked her palm on her face.
"You are his mate?" The large demon asks, shock apparent on his face when I remained silent and only continued glaring at him. "This is far better than I expected..." He glanced at Pairs then back at me. "We will leave the princess here. They will come for this woman." I felt the grip behind me tighten as I snarl dangerously.
"I"m glad for the upgrade to woman big man, but I swear to G.o.d if you don"t let me go I"m going to f.u.c.king murder you." I threaten before slamming my head against the demon"s face behind me and twisting out of his hold.
I lunged for the large demon but a blade sliced into my making me cry out. The blade slid out of me as I dropped to the ground and clutched my stomach, the searing pain causing my entire body to shudder in agony.
"Such a pleasure to finally get payback." The woman from before purs when I was hauled off the ground.
"This will make them return quicker then." The large demon agrees, his shoulders digging into my wound as I saw Hjala struggling to stand up.
"Don"t come for me. These a.s.sholes won"t kill me so quickly. Heal up and stay safe. I will be fine." I cough, feeling my vision waver into darkness when I slumped against the demon"s shoulder and pa.s.sed out.