“Now, I have something special for you before the grand finale,” he said in a singsong voice while rubbing himself with his free hand.
Relief washed over me as I realized he hadn’t raped me… yet. There was still time.
“This will prove you are mine. I will achieve greatness using you, so you deserve this. It’s an honor. I don’t share this with just anyone.” He lifted the handle and pulled a branding iron out of the flames.
Complete, unadulterated rage slammed into me at the sight of a naked Gabriel holding a branding iron with a glowing orange ‘N’. The realization that he was about to brand me and then rape me gave me some strength.
“Stay the fuck away from me!”
Suddenly, the flames exploded from the fireplace. So hard and fast they reached the ceiling before settling again. Gabriel stared at the flames for a moment, then turned back to face me. His lips spread into a smile as he leaped back onto the bed to straddle me.
“That was a neat trick! Do it again!”
I didn’t know what he was talking about. I was about to lose consciousness again. My outburst had cost me what little strength I had left.
“You don’t know do you?” Holding the branding iron over my right hip. “You are unique. My plan will be even more successful than I’d hoped!”
“Fuck off, Gabe.”
“Ooh, you are a saucy little mutt, aren’t you? But I don’t want to get too excited just yet.”
He rubbed himself again. With a frighteningly brilliant smile he pressed the molten iron to my skin. The pain was searing, and I could no longer hold back my screams. As weak as they were, they still left me panting and my throat sore.
Gabriel moaned and gripped himself again. “Oh, that was good. See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” He dropped the iron and positioned himself between my legs. “I think it’s time for that finale.”
So weak, so broken I didn’t care anymore. I no longer had the ability to feel anything. I wanted it to end.
“Why don’t you just kill me?”
“And stop all this fun? No, my little mutt. Now that I know how to make you scream, I’m going to finish this round, then I will heal you and start over again.” He let out a horrible, crazed laugh.
Suddenly, his laughter stopped. “What? How is that even possible?” he asked out loud.
I focused and heard a banging sound coming from the vicinity of the hidden door. Ian’s voice calling my name. They were rescuing me.
Gabriel figured that out as well. He jumped off the bed to press another hidden button. Another secret door beside the fireplace slid open. In a flash, he was gone.
There was a sudden boom followed by a blur as Ian ran into the opening following Gabriel. There was still a chance of getting Gabriel.
“Oh, Kadi,” Sheryl said as she ran to my side, tears streaming down her face. “Oh Kadi, what did he do to you? I’m so sorry.” She was sobbing so hard her body was shaking.
She moved to sit on the bed beside me and I winced as she pulled the stained comforter over my battered body. “We will get you home soon. Get you healed.”
We sat there for what felt like an eternity. Sheryl murmured comforting words as I fought to stay conscious. Finally, Ian came back into the room. Alone.
I groaned in pain as Ian’s power washed over me in a blanket of pin pricks. His body was quivering slightly. His aura glowing and pulsating around him, electrifying the air. My raw skin burned with it.
At least once in all his years alive, I was sure he’d released the full extent of his power, but I’d never witnessed it. He always held back. Even in the worst of battles, but here it was in all its glory. It was truly amazing.
The power emanating from Ian’s aura intensified causing me to hiss in pain. It only lasted a second and the pin pricks began to subside.
Ian moved to stand beside the bed. “Goldie.”
He was still glowing, making him even more attractive. “You’re magnificent,” I whispered.
“I…” he started, but Bryce entered the room with Seth and Peder.
Bryce let out a yelp and reached out. I shook my head to stop him from touching me. It would hurt too much. Sheryl slid off the bed and moved to put her arms around Bryce.
“Shit is she…” Seth’s words trailed.
“No, but she is close,” Ian replied.
He unlocked the shackles holding me to the bed. Gabriel, not expecting an interruption, had left the keys on a bedside table.
Peder gave me a warm smile as he turned to whisper something to Ian. He was close enough for me to hear that they found more mortal captives.
There were fewer this time, but they needed attention. I was irrationally jealous that it was so easy to erase the torment they’d endured. I’d never forget.
“Thank you, Peder. I will handle that after I take care of Goldie.”
“Of course,” Peder said, leaving the room and taking Sheryl with him.
Seth and Bryce watched as Ian slipped his hands under my limp body. “This will hurt. I am sorry.”
As gently as he lifted me it still sent shards of white-hot pain throughout my body. There was no stopping the scream that tore from my lips or the blackness that came with it.
Chapter Ten
Gabriel was punching me again. My face, neck, chest, anywhere he could reach while straddling me. I fought back the screams, but I couldn’t hold back the endless stream of tears. My body was so battered, he wouldn’t allow enough time for me to heal in between the beatings. The pain was astounding.
He smiled at me. A sickening, depraved smile. His face lowered toward mine, his tongue slipped out to lick my face as he forced himself inside me. I did cry out then, in pain and despair. He was raping me. I had no way to fight him. I thrashed around trying to disengage him, but it seemed to encourage him. I held my breath hoping to pass out.
My last thoughts before everything faded to black were: I want to kill him. I want to die.
Strong hands gripped my shoulders, shaking me. I swung out, but the pain made me yelp. They were still shaking me, speaking to me. I couldn’t see them. I couldn’t understand their words.
The movement sent waves of pain through my body. I had to be quiet, I couldn’t let Gabriel know how much it hurt. I bit down on my cheek, but it was so damaged, that I almost cried out again.
Suddenly, I realized the hands were no longer shaking me. Instead, they were caressing me. They were murmuring something, I tried to focus on the voice.
“Open your eyes,” the voice said. It was so familiar and comforting that I tried, but my eyes were so heavy I could open them no more than a slit. All I saw were blobs of blurriness in various colors and shapes. The figure sitting beside me was no different: just a big blob of blurriness.
Something warm and wet covered my eyes for a moment. “Try again, my love,” the voice said.
This time they opened enough for me to focus. A small smile pulled my lips upward and quickly changed to a grimace when they split. I licked them and sure enough tasted blood.
“I hated to wake you, but you were yelling and crying. You were in obvious distress. I felt waking you from the nightmare was probably best.”
“Ian.” His name came out as a whisper. “Yeah, it was horrible. Hold me.” I needed his arms around me, even if it hurt. I needed his strength. He climbed into the bed and gingerly wrapped his arms around me. I snuggled in as much as I could and drifted off again.