Page 82 of Craving Her Vampire

I feel something brush against my ankle, and I swallow the vomit, wanting to spew on Turner. I desperately want to see my brother again and hug him, but if he has lost himself, will he want to see me? Will he recognize me? Is he too far gone afterbeing tortured in this place? Is he afraid every day? Or is he resolved in his prison?

We come to a set of stairs, and as we descend, I see the door at the bottom. I move to Turner’s side, and he looks at me suspiciously. Carter reaches into his pocket and pulls out the keys to unlock it. The metal grinds as it swings open, and I stumble into Carter.

“Careful, dear,” he says.

“Sorry, I slipped.”

“Welcome to my dungeon.” He waves his hand, and I walk past him, knowing he could lock me away. I grind to a halt. “Have your reunion. I will ask for the coin again soon. We’ll come back when you're acclimated.”

I barely hear the door shut and lock.

There isn’t a guard watching my brother.

All I see is chains. Chains attached to the walls, holding a dozen shifters and vampires.

My vision dims when I hear them rattle.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Daisy

“Snap out of it,” a voice demands. Cold hands cup my cheeks, and I blink.

“Sally?” I whisper. She is standing close, naked.

“Girl, you have balls. Big fucking balls. I thought for sure you noticed me on the stairs. Micah owes me big. I don’t like being locked in a dungeon,” she says, stepping back when I focus on her face.

“How? How are you here?”

“Micah asked for a favor. I don’t like to disappoint that delicious vampire. Do you know how often people look at the ground? Almost never. I can tuck myself into a small ball. The car ride was fun, and I loved the attitude. My scent is minimal among all the others in the world, plus I can mask it. The stench of this castle masked what little I have. The nasty man didn’t even sense me. Asshole,” she growls, rubbing her hands down her crossed arms.

“Micah sent you? Is he here?”

“Not yet, but probably momentarily. When you hear the screams, he’s here.” She steps to my side and we both look around the room.

Tears blur my vision. Everyone in the room has given up. All of them are skinny, dirty, and hopeless. The room is long; the shifters and vampires are lined along the walls. The smell is overwhelming, but I smell lions, bears, coyotes, leopards, and vampire. Several of them look at us with dead eyes; the others don’t lift their heads.

“Do you see him?” Sally whispers as I walk forward.

“Not yet,” I mumble and look back and forth. Sally stays glued to my back, and I can’t imagine she is comfortable being naked in the filth. I lock eyes with a vampire with bright red eyes, and I shiver. He is the only one standing. Carter’s plan didn’t work with him. He’s skinny, and his skin is almost pure white, but there is life still in his body and eyes.

“He gives me just enough blood to survive,” he rasps. “Are you here for your brother?”

“Yes. How did you know?” I tremble as his low timbre floats over me.

“Carter loves to chat about it. Most days, he won’t shut the fuck up.” He looks to his right. “He is the last one.”

“What’s your name?” I ask.

“I don’t remember the last time someone asked me that,” he mutters. “Rowen.”

“Nice to meet you. We will get you free,” I say.

“Free? The door is locked. He won’t let you out.” He frowns.

“She has a vampire mate. You’ll be free soon,” Sally says.

“Plus, I stole the keys,” I inform them.

---