Page 91 of The Unwanted Mate of the Lycan Kings
“Shit is like rocket fuel.The first few mouthfuls always burn, then after that, it’s like drinking water.”He shrugs, tipping the bottle to his lips.He gulps down half the contents like it is indeed water.Only he starts coughing once again.He chokes and retches, smacking his chest.“Fuck, where did Malachi get this shit from,” he coughs.
“Malachi?”
Zeke nods while catching his breath.“Yeah, Father orderedthe maids to piss off everything except wine, though my uncle always has a stash in his room, so I helped myself.”
“Well, it seems you can’t handle a big boy’s drink,” I tell him and he growls.
“Shut up and wash me,” he snaps.
Zeke glares straight ahead, determined to drink his vodka, yet no matter how much he drinks, he complains of the burning and how it makes him feel queasy.When he stands to climb out, I avert my gaze and hand him his towel, but he sways stepping over the edge, and even though I grab his arm to steady him, he still nearly trips over the side.
He staggers back to the room, clutching the door frames to hold himself upright, and I suddenly feel bad for poisoning him.He doesn’t even bother getting changed, just snatches up another bottle he pulls from inside the bedside drawer and gulps it down.
“This one tastes fine...”he mumbles, staring down into the bottle, then his eyes dart to me.I quickly race back to the closet and pull on one of his long-sleeved shirts before wandering back out.He’s sitting up in bed, making me wonder if there wasn’t enough in the vial.He pats the bed beside him, and I stare at the spot before reluctantly moving toward it and climbing in.The moment I do, he pounces on me.I shriek, trying to shove him off, but his claws escape his fingertips, and he grips my neck.
“You’ve done something to my drink,” he purrs.“Haven’t you?”I shake my head, and he blinks quickly before his eyes roll into the back of his head.He slumps over me, his weight crushing the air out of my lungs, and I grip his hair, pulling his head up to find him out cold.A devious smile springs to my face as I shove him off and climb out of bed.I tuck him in, pulling the blankets up, and even passed out, he begins to sweat from the toxins coursing through his body.
For a while, I watch him sleep, needing to ensure the others don’t come looking for him and also for time to slowly tick by.I watch the alarm clock on the bedside table.When it’s nearly time, I escape the room, checking the corridor first and ensuring it is clear.Once I’m sure that no one is watching, I retrieve the key and get changed into my clothes, putting on extra layers knowing how cold the nights can get.Once dressed, my heart beats erratically at what I am about to do.Thisis my one chance, and if I’m caught, there will be hell to pay.Putting on some shoes, I move toward my door and pop my head out.I have ten minutes to get down to the gates and after that, there’s only a small window when the guards change shifts.
Stepping out into the corridor, I find the place silent and cold.I quietly sneak to the huge double doors, opening them just enough for my body to slip through, then gently close it.Relief fills me when I realize the guards that usually wait at the door feel it’s not necessary while I’m supposed to be with the kings.I find it surprisingly easy to escape the castle and make my way down to the maze without being spotted.However, when it comes to the gates, I bide my time, waiting for the exact moment I know Shelley should have switched off the cameras.
“Fuck, something sweet is in the air tonight,” I hear one guard say as I hide among the shrubs, my brows pinch, and I watch as one vampire man sniffs the air, looking in my direction.Only then do I remember I am covered in blood from Zeke’s torture at dinner.I mentally curse myself, squeezing the jacket I’m wearing closer.I wait for what feels like hours, but it’s only a few minutes before the two guards leave their posts and wander toward the castle.
The moment they’re out of sight, I run for the gates, twisting the key and opening it.My skin crawls, and my breath lodges in my throat when the gate creaks open, and I slip through.Not wanting to alert anyone, I decided to leave it open, knowing closing it would run the risk of them hearing it.With no time to spare, I run for the trees, determined not to stop until I physically can’t walk anymore.
Chapter 43
The pitch-black forest it nearly impossible to see through asI brace my hands in front of me, almost running into trees.Trying to navigate my way through, I stumble blindly through the forest, staggering over broken tree branches and then falling face-first over a fallen log.
My hands smack the ground, breaking my fall, and a shriek leaves my lips at the falling sensation.Shaking myself, I peer around.The shadows in the trees are freaking me out, and every rustle of the bushes makes my heart thump harder as I push up off the ground to take off running again.
I can feel sweat dripping down my back as I struggle to weave through the dense foliage.The thick canopy of the forest blocks the moonlight, shrouding the forest in a cave-like darkness.This makes it difficult for me to make out the shapes of the trees and other obstacles around me.
I can feel the icy chill in the air, and it causes my lungs to burn with each breath, and my teeth chatter.I’m drenched in sweat, which is making its way down my back as I trudge through the underbrush.My heart is pounding as I try to quickly but cautiously find my way out of the forest.
I hear a twig snapping somewhere close, an eerie reminder that I’m not alone in these woods.I take a deep breath and steady myself,peering around, listening for the direction it came from.When I don’t hear it again, I proceed cautiously, trying to keep as quiet as possible.
After about an hour, I move to a brisk walk.My legs and lungs are burning, and everything aches.I am covered in grazes and lash marks from falling and being whipped by the branches.Yet something at the edge of my mind nags me.The deeper I get, the more unease settles over me, like I have forgotten something.Something important.
Coming to the river, I step off the bank, and I am plunged into the water.The water is freezing and steals my breath.I gasp as I try to catch my breath, feeling like I am being dragged further and further away from the riverbank.Spluttering and coughing, I swim to the other side, crossing the river without further issues.
Coming to the shallows, I am drenched and trudging to the river’s edge.I look at the stars, trying to get a sense of the direction I am heading when it finally hits me.That nagging, uneasy feeling settles in my gut as clarity washes over me.Shelley told me to head west...and the moment I look up, I curse.
Seeing the stars and constellations above me, I realize that I have been heading in the wrong direction all this time.I am not heading west, as Shelley had said, but instead, I am heading north, the one direction she specifically said not to go in.Cursing, I look back to the west where I should be heading, but to go that way, I’d have to backtrack and risking being caught.
Reluctantly, I walk along the river until I come to a huge waterfall, and I am forced to go even further north.Yet, the further I walk, the worse the sinking feeling in my stomach gets, making me stop.Goosebumps lace my skin, and a violent shudder runs up my spine.When I hear movement in the forest, I know I shouldn’t have ignored my gut instincts.
I freeze, my heart pounding as I frantically look around.I can sense the presence of something sinister in the shadows.I hear a rustle of leaves and the sound of heavy footsteps, and I know I am surrounded.The sound of wicked laughing and snarling fills the air, and I realize I am being ambushed.My eyes dart between the trees, searching for those that have snuck up on me.
The laughter cuts off abruptly, and all the noise seems to bounceoff the trees, not allowing me to figure out which direction they’re coming from.Hearing a twig snap, I spin around, looking behind me, when I spot glowing red eyes among the trees.I gasp and take a step back before hearing a noise in the other direction.
Turning in horror, I spot another and another.I count the eyes tracking me, twelve pairs of glowing blood-red eyes are peering back at me from every direction.I’m surrounded.I’ve walked into a trap, and from where they are standing, I know I’ve been herded.
When they step out from among the trees, I find they’re all wearing similar outfits to the guards back at the castle, and I pivot, trying to watch all of them at once.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”comes a husky voice, and I turn in the direction of where it came from.“I knew tonight would be a good night.I sensed you the moment you stepped out of the river, and we’ve been following you ever since.”He chuckles, and the other men laugh sinisterly.The man sniffs the air and closes his eyes, and a guttural groan leaves his lips when he does.My heart beats like a drum in my chest.“Oh, we’re going to have so much fun with you,” he purrs.
A hand grazes my ribs, and I spin, slapping the man’s hand away, only to feel another tug at my shirt.My breathing becomes more erratic as panic sets in.I turn to run, but there is a wall of bodies blocking my path.I’m trapped, and my heart races as I realize the danger I’m in.
