Page 56 of Mated to the Vikings

A jolt of current shot through my system, a series of images rolling in a strangling flash.

“You will be given a special reward for your service, Erik Trebold.” He laughed and laughed, the sound more annoying than the first time.

In his hand he held a syringe, needle glimmering in the fluorescent lighting. “I don’t want a damn reward,” I scoffed, straining against the steel shackles, chained like a mother fucking beast. The rattling sounds filtered into the dense space, the stench filling my mouth with bile. I let out an intense growl, my muscles bulging from the exertion.

“Do I need to further restrain you, Mr. Trebold, or will you be able to control your behavior?”

I snapped at him, grinding my teeth together. For once, he seemed terrified.

The hard cracking of the whip against my naked back drove me forward. I grunted, refusing to give the guards that satisfaction of crying out in pain. I was fed up with the tests and examinations. The harsh reality was that my world was the same as being in prison, the locked cage only larger, the food tastier.

“You have one last chance, Mr. Trebold. There won’t be another.” The doctor grimaced, his skin paling, but I would never forget the evil in his eyes.

“Are you all right?” Brexin asked, breaking the spell.

“Perfectly fine,” I barked, determined to block out the wretched memory as well as the hatred spewed from the depths of the room as I walked forward. There was no place of peace for a man like me. All I could concentrate on was the beauty standing in front of me.

Reaching out, she grasped both my hands, the same quiver in her lower lip jutting into my system, cutting a jagged slice in my heart.

We were still in danger, perhaps more so than before.

Could I manage to keep her safe? My mind jerked back to yet another damning vision, one from earlier. Why the fuck was I experiencing them now?

“You have a decision to make, Erik, and I don’t have much time. What is your decision?”

The words cut through me like a bloody blade, a reminder that I had no choice if I wanted to live. I’d been allowed a feast in terms of what I was used to, meats and cheeses, fresh fruit and bread, but I hadn’t been able to stomach any of it. I was sick. Sick at heart. Sick in my body. Sick in my mind.

I was still the murderous creature they’d dragged from the streets, tossed away like an animal. There was no recourse unless I signed, unless I agreed. Snarling, I glared at the man, my head throbbing and my eyes still unfocused, more exhausted than I’d ever been. “Give me a pen.”

“Excellent. After this, your new life begins. Just imagine being able to mate.”

Mate… The single word was a reminder that this entire game had been well planned. The memory was fresh, as if the event had occurred only yesterday. I glared at Steen, refusing to process what was being forced upon me. I had no choice to make, just like I hadn’t months before. I was simply a man tossed to the wolves. This time, the wolves were in predator’s clothing.

I laughed, the sound booming into the great hall.

“What’s wrong?” Cassia whispered, inching closer.

“Not a damn thing.” My answer was for Steen’s benefit.

“Go. Enjoy your first night together. Tomorrow, we will plan for a battle.” Steen held his smile, more practiced than I’d seen before. Hiding. Waiting.

And he would be watching.

Several armed guards led us through a series of corridors and to a long, dark hallway, a single room at the end. They said nothing, merely opening the door and allowing us inside. I knew they would stand guard all night, making certain we followed through with our duties. And once again, I would play the part, acting as required.

But tomorrow was another day.

* * *

Cassia

Mated to three, two who’d once been very human and one true alien. Beast. Monster. All the names that I’d heard them called rushed into the back of my mind. I had no sense of reality, no way of understanding the ramifications of what I’d just been forced into. I was now their property, required to follow their rules, playing the obedient little female human. Nothing made any sense any longer.

I’d seen Erik’s twisted face, the enraged expression just seconds before we were led out of the great hall. He wasn’t just worried about our future. He was prepared to perfect his desired level of revenge. What in the hell had occurred in a few short hours?

I grabbed onto the last memory before boarding the shuttle, the very last time I walked out of my apartment, never knowing it was the last time. Another gift had been sent, the most beautiful roses, yet another forbidden item in the world of the endangered humans.

From my caretaker, and the salutation on the card? His hope for the future.