Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94234 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94234 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“The hell? You too? Impossible.” Alessandro gripped Bell’s jaw, glaring at his mating mark that sent him into a rage. He ordered sternly, “Get him chained down.”
Bell was dragged to a wooden table and body-slammed onto it. His bones felt every hit, every blow, his skin, every cut of his flesh; that healed slower and slower as they continued to beat him mercilessly. He bolted upright when he heard chains scraping across the cement floor. They were large enough to anchor a small boat. Multiple sets of arms smashed him to the hard surface while they draped the huge chains over his body and bolted them to hooks in the floor. The brute tightened the heavy links until Bell could hardly take a breath. His limbs were secured next. When they finished with him, Bell was laid out on the freezing table motionless except for his head, which he was allowed to rotate side to side.
Alessandro’s chest heaved, his fangs peeking out from under his parted lips. His breaths were shallow and Bell could see he was just restraining himself. When he was certain Bell was fastened in place, he turned his back to him and addressed his large crowd. Vampires filled the bottom level, and the five above them. All of them watching with fascination and greed. Not all of them were stolen prisoners from the tombs, some were young, healthy, newly turned vampires.
“He says I’m spreading false truths.” Alessandro retrieved Bell’s expensive cane, surveying it carefully. He didn’t pull the deadly blade from its sheath, instead he jabbed Bell in his side with the marble handle, hard enough to crack his ribs. Bell didn’t give the bastard the satisfaction of crying out. Instead, he concentrated on the few breaths he could take. “But here he lies as proof.”
Bell’s head was yanked to the side, “See. He’s let a shifter mark him. It’s why he smells like absolute dog shit.”
The vampires started seething and grumbling to ones close by them, nodding and agreeing with their leader.
“The king has mated with the Alpha Zenith. To the ones I have woken from your prisons… you are free now. You have no king. We will not be ruled by shifter laws too. You don’t have to let them shove their unnatural mating down our throats and take it!”
Loud eruptions of agreement and disdain radiated around the thick walls. The ones who were still awakening from their blood-deprived coma were feeding periodically off the new vampires, trying to regain the full function of their limbs and abilities. He didn’t like this.
Bell tried to move, and was unsuccessful. “You have a king. He is more your king now than he ever was.” Bell couldn’t yell, but he hoped they could all hear him. “His beloved is a Volkov wolf—the fair and just one. They only want to see us thrive in this new society and—”
Alessandro slapped Bell hard across his face. “Shut up! They don’t care if his wolf was birthed from the goddamn Virgin Mary, they have no business mixing with our kind. What next, half-breed, vamp-shifter pups? Feral hybrids!”
A cacophony of ‘no’s’ and ‘boos’ rang out, some of the vampires throwing rocks and debris from the balcony down onto him. Bell didn’t give up, “All of you can be pardoned if you surrender now. If you help me I will ensure that each—”
Alessandro bashed Bell in his side again, but he kept talking, his breathing becoming harder with every word. He had to fucking try. “None of you asked to be pulled from your tombs. The king will pardon you… he has mercy. Most of you know Chadwick Bentley. He would never desert you.”
“Liar! The king killed his own captain over a wolf.” Alessandro shoved his forehead against the side of Bell’s face and rumbled threateningly in his ear. “If your tainted, putrid blood wasn’t so vile I’d rip your throat out and drain you dry.”
Bell only needed one hand free and he’d show him exactly who the hell he was, and why his reputation did indeed precede him.
“Hurry up and get the communications system back online. Once we show the council our numbers and our new hostage, they’ll have no choice but to negotiate. And I’m going to give you everything I’ve promised… freedom.”
“Or you could listen to someone who has the actual authority to offer that,” Bell managed, through his wheezing.
Alessandro spun on him, ready to do some serious damage to Bell with his own cane, when large arms were wrapped around him pulling him back towards the center of the room. “Sir. Don’t kill him yet. That’s what he wants, then we’ll lose our leverage.” The vampire was young and spoke with a British accent. He looked to be a fresh face as well. Newly made vampires had a clarity to their dark pupils that older vampires lacked, as the light in them typically faded over time. Bell was going to keep antagonizing his captor and keep him talking—and enduring the pain leveled on him—because he had no doubt help was on the way.