The council thought they had collected us all, stopped the experiments, but I knew better. I observed them round us up and turn us into their slaves. I snuck in that night, watching as they killed Gabriel for what he did. They called him mad, some a revolutionary, but they agreed in the end he had to be stopped. He had polluted the genes, his power, and that was his final punishment.
In my eyes it was too fast, he deserved more pain.
The door opens, making me jump. I turn my face away and wipe my cheeks, clearing my throat. “All ready, or do you need to find a mirror to check your hair?”
“No, I checked in inside...Bella, what the fuck? Have you been bleeding?” he roars, his power filling the car, suddenly making it hard to breathe, but I know he would never use it against me.
“I cut myself, that’s all,” I mutter, starting the car and ignoring the infuriated and protective vampire in my passenger seat. He reaches across and tries to turn my face, but I jerk away, and he roars again.
“Bella, look at me!”
Sighing, I do, and his eyes widen, searching my undoubtedly blood and tear stained face. I see it, actually see the red covering his vision and freeze. Fuck, I didn’t expect him to react like this. He looks like he’s about to get out of the car and start killing people until he figures out who hurt me, he doesn’t realise it was my own memories.
With no option but to talk before he starts a war, I reach across and lay my hand on his arm. He freezes, his eyes locking on mine. They are pitch-black and his whole body vibrates with power and anger, and I realise just how powerful he is. This man is a god, one stilled under my hand, but I know I need to proceed carefully, because I’m not speaking to Ciar the tease right now. No, this is Ciar, the original vampire protecting his mate.
“Ciar, look at me, breathe. I’m okay, I swear, no one attacked me…” Licking my lips, I carry on nervously, I don’t want to answer too many questions, I’m not ready, but I know I need to give him something, let him behind my wall just a fraction. “It was just a memory. I was searching for the fallen when it hit me. I wasn’t ready, that’s all, I can usually brace myself, but I couldn’t this time.”
“Show me,” he demands, and I swallow.
“I—”
He leans closer, flashing fangs. “Show me,” he whispers, deadly serious.
Fuck, think.
“Ciar, please,” I start, and he narrows his eyes. “Fuck!”
Turning away for a moment, I cover my face. If I show him, what will he think of me? Will he know what I am from it? Will he attack me? Turn me in? Toss me away, finally realising I can’t be his mate because I’m so fucked up and unnatural?
It all races through my head, but he doesn’t move an inch. He’s frozen like a statue, and he will keep waiting, not giving in. I know it, so I force my panic away and pull off my gloves. He watches each movement cautiously.
Reaching across, I slap my hand down on his arm, and before I can change my mind, I throw myself back into the memory, but my anger and panic at my own stupidity throws me into another one instead, and I can’t pull away. He covers my hand, stopping my retreat. Forcing me to watch it with him.
“I’m sorry, please, I’m sorry!” I sob, as the door slams shut in my face. Struggling to breathe, consumed by panic, I slam my fists into the wooden door again and again, tears streaming down my face until I can’t see. “I’m sorry!” I scream. “I just wanted a friend!”
Sliding down the door, I press my head against the scarred wood. “I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to be alone anymore,” I whisper.
Just then I hear the click, and a panicked hiccup escapes me as I turn to the room, it’s pitch-black like always as I strain to see through the unnatural darkness. “Please,” I beg in a small voice, but I should have known it wouldn’t work. He wouldn’t be moved by tears, he would just think it was another sign of my weakness.
The click comes again, and I curl into a ball, wrapping my arms around my body so I don’t have to look. I know he’ll leave me in here until he’s satisfied, but I can’t, I can’t face it again. It nearly broke me last time.
I hear the crackle before his voice comes over the speaker. “Look, look what you did. Look at what weakness gets you.”
I lift my head, unable to help myself, and what I see sends me screaming backwards into the door. Jason, the kid from next door, is there. His face is empty, his eyes dead as he comes towards me, no longer human. No, just a slave, another proof of his power.
I slam myself backwards, panting, my eyes dropping to the console between us. I’m unable to look into his eyes after what he just saw in my head. Fuck, how did I think I could do this? I’m messed up, he made sure of that.
“Bella,” Ciar whispers softly. “Look at me.” I can’t, I refuse. I can’t bear to see that same hate and disgust in his eyes when he realises how weak and fucking messed up his mate is.
He reaches across and I flinch. I hear him swear under his breath before he exhales, presses his finger under my chin, and tilts my head up. Unable to resist, I raise my head and meet his gaze. He cups my cheek, his eyes searching my face, and I see something strange in those depths...is that respect?
“My Bella, I can’t imagine what you survived...if that was only a glimpse.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know how you lived and became this amazing, smart, kind, and sometimes crazy woman that you are today, but I know, Bella, you could never lose me. Never push me away, what you lived through—Bella, it astounds me. You are a fighter, a warrior, I knew it when I met you, but I have never been so sure in my life. Your strength, your stubbornness and courage...I’ve never met anyone like you. I have lived through wars, the fall of countries and dynasties, but you, Isabella? You are what takes my breath away, all of that pales in comparison to the strength in you. I won’t push or ask, just know I’m here whenever you wish to talk about it.” He leans closer. “Bella, my heart breaks for what you went through, but I promise you, you will never be alone again, and no one will ever hurt you. Never again. We will conquer this world together, my love, we can take on anything.”
I search his eyes repeatedly, clinging to his words, but I see the truth there. He means it, he isn’t disgusted or pulling away, he’s watching me like I’m everything to him. Like he can’t believe I’m here with him.
“I can’t…God, Bella, to think I could have lost you…” He shakes his head. “No, I can’t or I’ll lose it. You are here, and whenever you’re ready, we will tackle your past together, my love. I just have one question.”
I stiffen but nod and he carries on, “Is he dead?”
“Yes,” I whisper, surprised, and he grins.
“Fucking hell, I wanted to hunt him down and use my many years of torture techniques on him,” he mutters. “There was this one the French taught me…” He sighs, eyes alight. “Back then, the French really knew how to make people scream in pain, it was an art form.”
I snort out a laugh, unable to help myself, and his face softens. “There she is. Come on, my little warrior mate, I don’t ever want to see that doubt in yourself again. You are worth a million of whoever that man was, you are alive, and he is not, and that makes you stronger, better. Now it’s time to kick some ass. You ready, or do you need me to kiss you better? I’m okay with both.” He wiggles his eyebrows, making me laugh again as I push him away.