In the past, Zezi was quick to always find strength in her wolf whenever she was feeling too weak to combat a situation but not this time.
Against a mate bond, her wolf was far more vulnerable and she had to be the stronger one for the both of them.
She pulled her hands up to his hand, not looking away from his burning and accusing gaze, as she tried to pull it away from her neck and the mark that was increasingly burning hot against her skin the longer he invaded her private space.
“My family, please. Don’t kill them. I’ll do anything.”
Speaking was hard as she tried to hold her breath, to stop his scent rushing into her nostrils and flooding her senses.
Something shifted in his gaze and his hand fell from her neck.
Then he took a step back, his face hard and his eyes as cold as ice.
“I shall no longer execute them, but the pesky wolf and little pup dared my wrath when they tried to abscond with you, and they shall be punished fully for it.”
She opened her mouth to defend her family but he held a hand up.
“They are my prisoners and my prisoners they shall remain, till you come to me yourself begging for me to take you due to the very need of me.” He gave her a one over and Zezi straightened up under his scruntinizing gaze, not wanting to look one bit intimated nor affected by a man she knew must have killed many without even laying a finger upon them.
A man that called himself her mate but whom she only saw as an undeserving curse laid upon her by the Moon Goddess.
Seeing him always drove a dagger through her heart…
—-and made her ache so badly for his touch, the need growing more and more consuming everyday that it threatened to drive her insane.
She clenched her hands into tight fists by her sides once again, drawing blood. Focusing solely on the pain to take her mind off him.
His gaze shifted from her face once again, glancing briefly at her hand and the blood that slowly dripped from her clenched fists down to the floor, then his gaze darted right back up to her face.
“You won’t last long.”
The moment the door slammed shut behind him, she drew in long breaths of relief, pushing a hand on the wall as she leaned heavily against it for support, smearing it with her blood in the process.
Her chest was raising and falling fast, her body growing weaker and weaker, punishing her for denying it yet again the pleasure and gwaning need that it so much rightfully craved.
Finally, she got to the bed and sat by the edge.
Fighting against the next pain that hit her in waves.
Her neck– aaargh– the burning ache.
She stood up, fighting against her weakness as hard as she could as her legs swayed lightly underneath her.
Being affected by his presence was the norm, but this much? Something was wrong.
She stared back at the mirror as she bit her bottom lips, suppressing her throaty grunts of pain.
There was George’s mark on her neck, and with a little more focus she could see it fading slowly away.
The pain hit her again, making her hurl over, a groan slipped out through her lips, her hands slamming against the table in a crash, as she lost balance and rested heavily on it for support.
Her breathing was faster now.
More rapid.
She raised her head up and inhumane growls rang out from the depth of her throat.
Pain.
So much that it made her eyes clench shut and ache.
Pain.
So much that it shook her to her very bones.
Her eyelids flew open, revealing the dangerous shade of blue they had now become.
Her hands extended against the table, her claws elongated as they clawed down on the surface of the hard wooden surface, sending some things crashing to the floor along the line.
Her grunts later became a long howl.
Filling the room, dissolving into the walls, ringing into the night.
Then it was over and her head was bow again, her breathing ragged, her hair covering her whole face.
Carrying George’s bond was starting to get unbearably painful.
She heard a click and her eyes quickly darted to the door.
Gwen stepped in, looking at her with anticipation.
Zezi was sure that she still looked wild and her howl hadn’t gone unheard, but Gwen had acted like as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
“How did it go, Milady?”
Zezi frowned, her lips dipping to the corners over her extended canines, in confusion.
“Did it go well?”
Her canines slowly drew back in, changing her features when they finally disappeared back into her mouth.
Noting that despite Gwen hinting that she wouldn’t help, she had done it anyways.
Of course, she was the one that had helped to convey her summon to the King. Who else would it had been?
“I guess. He won’t kill them anymore. For now.” Her heart ached just saying it.
This wasn’t in anyway better. They were still in that moon forsaken dungeon, receiving punishment, they were still very much at risk. He could kill them at anytime.
Her family was suffering because of her, she hated this!
But she had to sound appreciative, because she would still need Gewn and she would need her to be willing for whatever it was she would do next.
That would only happen if she knew that her help was received with gratitude.
She didn’t even know what it would be but she knew better than to risk the only vampire she could use around here.
Gwen smiled, taking her free hand by the wrist and pressing a letter into it.
“His Majesty has invited you for dinner.”
She frowned, her rage burning again.
No way!
This was an intentional punishment!
Why would he want her there? To show that he had power over her? Why would she dine with the person holding her family as his prisoners? Someone with no mercy that was comfortable with having a child within the cold dirty walls of a dungeon?
Why would she want to sit at the same table with him.
She hated him.
She wouldn’t go.
“Don’t you see, Milady, you have one more chance to convince his Majesty to let them go.”
Zezi’s frown slowly dissolved.
Wait—
She hadn’t seen it like that.
Maybe, this wasn’t so bad. In fact, maybe this dinner was a good thing after all.