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I snorted. “Then I guess you’ve already considered Drew’s babies as well.” The thought of putting those three precious souls in danger made me want to slit my own throat.
Hunger burned in the Mindolin’s black eyes. “Yes, I gathered the babies were a weakness. However, I am not interested in them yet. Soon, but not yet. I have something I need to do first.”
A blow to the knee I’d taken from Zhaine caused me to limp as I began to pace. The blood had quit flowing from my nose. I healed fast, but blood would keep me stronger.
“Who do you have around here for a blood donation?” I halted mid-stride to look at my father. “At this point, I’m not picky what I drink from.”
The Mindolin’s lips parted in an evil smile. A woman appeared out of the air beside him and collapsed to the ground, unused to jumping. She was young, a teenager, bound and gagged. Her wide eyes filled with fear at seeing the man with black eyes beside her. When she noticed me, her eyes pleaded with me to save her.
“Will she suffice?” My dad cackled, and the girl paled.
Forgive me.I spoke over my link with Brynn. I closed the link before her reply came through as I stepped forward and eyed the girl up and down. She was still in her pajamas, and the way she turned from me showed she felt exposed in the thin silk. Not to mention, she had to be freezing. Was the shaking she did more from fear or from cold?
My eyes on her heated, not of their own accord, but from force. The girl really was quite beautiful and not too much younger than me. She would be close to the mature age limit of seventeen. Still, what I was about to do could ruin her. I hated myself already.
Her eyes widened more as I knelt in front of the place she sat. When the fact I was not her savior hit, she screamed and dug her heels into the ground to push herself back.
This hadn’t been what I’d intended when I’d asked for a drink. I’d expected him to give me one of his henchmen. Of course, he’d hand me a vulnerable young woman to torture. Here I’d just expressed my disappointment in my mate. My father was testing me, and I nearly failed when a tear fell from her eye. The vision of fires destroying Cambria pushed me on. Where would I be during that vision? I could stop the fires.
My large hand circled the much smaller girl’s neck. She trembled in my hold. If I wanted, I could easily snap her neck now and relieve her of the horrors she’d likely face as a prisoner of my father. At another time in my life, I wouldn’t have thought twice to end her pathetic existence just for the sake of losing one more weak female in the world.
I pulled at the girl when she tried to escape me. My nose went to her neck. Bile threatened to choke me. Only a few hours ago, I’d bitten into my beautiful wife and tasted her sweet blood. While biting this girl was not a crime or adultery, it felt like it.
After a deep sniff beside her neck, she whimpered and pushed against my hold as I took in her scent. I leaned in to whisper in her ear.
“I’m sorry.” I licked from the bottom of her jaw up to her temple, and she whimpered again. My soul screamed at me as I leaned in to whisper again, keeping my voice low so my father wouldn’t hear. “Forgive me.”
My teeth sunk into her neck. She was Neutral. I’d known that before biting her, but drinking her blood confirmed this fact.
Her fighting stopped. Instead, she lay limp in my hold. After another gulp, she moaned. Surprise when her lips kissed my neck halted me. I hadn’t removed her gag.
Aaron laughed. Another test.
I took another drag of blood while the innocent young girl nibbled at my neck. I had a mate, and I hadn’t spoken the bonding words during this drink, so the girl’s teeth wouldn’t break my skin. If they did, it’d hurt, and I’d have something to say about it.
Her attempts to seduce me weakened the more blood I took from her. Did my father expect me to drain her dry? I couldn’t.
I dropped her unconscious form to the ground when she passed out from blood loss. She’d be fine. Once her blood count went up, she wouldn’t be able to tell I’d drained her. The memories of what I’d done to her, and what I’d caused her to do, would remain. Her humiliation would be great, and when this was over, I’d either need to make sure to stay away from her or find her to apologize.
My eyes fluttered closed as the blood strengthened me. I smiled. I hadn’t drunk so much blood at one time in so long. I’d forgotten how much strength my element gained because of it, how much hotter the fire in my veins ran, when I had extra blood in my system. Brynn’s blood hadn’t counted. I hadn’t taken enough from her during our bonding to notice a difference in me.
“You didn’t kill her.” My father looked entertained when I opened my eyes.
I scowled at him for ruining my moment. A coyote howled in the distance. He smelled the death in the area and was coming to take part in the feast. The scowl I wore turned into an evil grin. “Who said I didn’t kill her?”
My father laughed. “Indeed. Now, help me with a decision.” He moved to stand closer to me. The gleam in his dark eyes faded as his mood turned serious. “I want one of your brothers.”
The blood in my veins ran cold. How many times would I have to betray my siblings? Onyx had warned me I would need to. I’d thought she’d meant I’d betray them once in a big move, but maybe I’d betray them many times.
“Which one?” I asked while I kept my shock hidden.
The Mindolin’s arms crossed over his chest. “That’s what I need your help with, Adam. Which do you recommend?”
I ran my index finger over my lips, thinking. “Carmon just received his Life powers. Physically he’s weak, and mentally he’s overtaxed. He’s overwhelmed by them. However, I can’t make him submit. Drew is at full power and angry. His unlimited strength would pose a problem. Chris is still mentally healing from the time you damaged him.”
Our dad laughed. “That was fun. He is stronger now for it.”
The Mindolin had made Chris unable to heal properly, leaving his body crippled. Our father had also entered Chris’ mind and berated him over and over until Chris had very little self-esteem left. This job was important, but I’d do anything to keep my fun-loving brother away from our father.
