STOLEN BY THE HEARTLESS LYCAN

Chapter 4: The Morning After

Cora’s pov:

“You’ve been lying to me all this time, Eva! The child can speak.”

Papa did not give my mamma a chance to explain herself before he kicked her square in the ribs, sending her flying across the room.

“Mamma-” I screamed as I tried to get to her, my voice hoarse, the effects of the throat numbing drug already wearing off.

Rough hands wrapped around my wrists and jerked my arms behind me. Pain shot through my shoulders as my captor pulled hard enough to rip my arms off. Torture racked my veins and I opened my mouth to scream just as another calloused hand clamped down hard on my mouth.

No… No not again.

Papa and Mario’s manic laughter reverberated throughout the empty basement as my mother screamed and cried for help while I battled against restraints screaming for her.

My muffled screams only seemed to entice my captors more. They seemed to get off on beating my mother half to death.

I shut my eyes to the scene playing out in front of me, hot tears streaking my cheeks as the light gave out from my mamma’s eyes.

“No no, you have to watch, principessa,” Mario snarled, grabbing my chin with his grubby hands and leering at me, “look and see how traitors are punished so that you never think of trying to escape again.”

I woke up with a start, glancing around my surroundings, my head pounding with the after affect of the nightmare I just had, my throat felt raw and achy.

As always, as soon as I opened my eyes, the nightmare flitted out of my memory. I glanced around at the unfamiliar room, my heart still pounding from the nightmare. The bedside lamp was turned on, bless Neptune, and casting a gentle glow across the entire vintage styled room.

I was lying on the nicest bed I have ever had the pleasure of sleeping in. It felt like a pile of clouds and gossamer. I sat up and stretched, feeling more refreshed than I’ve ever been in years.

The room was as dark as night but the sunrays filtering in through slits between the heavy draped curtains was what made me know that it was early morning.

Recalling the events from last night, fear knocked me out of the bed and I quickly did a quick pat down to ensure that all my body parts and organs were intact. I had no idea what business dealing my father could have possibly had with the Talaverras but I knew that Creed was not above making me pay for his crimes and my internal organs would possibly be a good place to start without the threat of a struggle.

Seeing and sensing no sign of incisions, I decided that he was just biding his time.

It took me a while to realize that I was now standing on my feet and I froze, checking my knees to see that it was perfectly fine now, even though it had been a crushed mess just yesterday.

I’ll get someone to heal your wounds before morning.

I recalled his words from yesterday… He had meant what he had said last night.

A warm feeling settled in my chest at the realization but I pushed it down and remained rational.

Creed wants me. I can smell a man’s want a mile away. There’s practially no difference between him and the men my papa made me perform for. In many ways, he was far worse than them and I was entirely his power now. Had practically served myself up to him on a silver platter. I had freaking begged him to take me along with him, my fear of the unknown clouding my common sense.

He was a strong powerful man but I’ve never met a man that could resist my charm if I really put my mind to it. They were all the same, controlled by their ego and libido.

I just have to play my part to ensure that I don’t get torn to pieces before I can plan my escape.

I tried the door handle, which to my absolute shock was left unlocked. I took a tentative step outside the bedroom that was to be my new holding cell.

Creed’s home was large, scandinavian, comfortable. The walls were eggshell white, high ceilings, crystal chandeliers, expensive decor.

It felt like I was walking forever before I stumbled into a living room area, still shocked that he underestimated me enough to let me roam the halls on my own.

“F u cking follow them, Fergo. If you lose sight of them, its your head on the chopping block.”

I froze.

Creed was talking on the phone, his deep voice reverberating throughout the room as he gave instructions about some ‘product’ that his men were planning to intercept at some border. Really, I couldn’t make sense of anything he was saying but I stayed there and watched, a strange, tight feeling clamping around my heart the more I watched him.

He was wearing a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows exposing arms large enough to crush a man’s skull without any trouble. He had multiple rings on his left hand that glinted in the sunlight as he ran his hand through thick luscious dark hair I haven’t stopped thinking about. He was incredibly good looking, tragically so.

My heart rate suddenly escalated until it became practically impossible to breathe. I could see myself doing something incredibly stupid, like developing a crush on him. If that isn’t Stockholm syndrome at its finest, I don’t know what is.

I stood rooted to the ground, peering around the corner as I watched him. Something told me that if I made a sound or tried to move from my position, he’d notice me.

He was standing by a minibar and I watched as he poured himself a drink… another drink from the looks of it.

I wrinkled my nose as he brought the glass to his lips. It was barely eight in the morning and he was already drinking. I wondered for a second if he was an alcoholic. Papa had been. It made him more violent, unpredictable, quick to anger. He might have killed papa for whatever reason but it was starting to dawn on me that I might have traded one monster for another.

He must have noticed me staring because his gaze suddenly sliced to me, pinning me down as you would an insect under a microscope.

I froze, the bones in my knees and elbows locking together.

He watched me as he leaned against the bar and with every passing second, heat crept up my neck, making me aware that I was holding the gaze of the most dangerous man in the city.

I suddenly imagined what he was going to do to me now that I was in his possession. What he expected of me. Seduction was my forté but s e x, not really. I wasn’t exactly a virgin but I was still inexperienced in areas that really mattered to men like him. Even if I decide to ride the wave, he’d chew me up and spit me out by the time he’s done with me.

He stretched his hand out, beckoning me to come to him… no, ordering me to come to him and my feet seemed to move on their own like I was tethered by that invisible string.

I couldn’t imagine anyone refusing this man. Without even making his request audible, everything in me wanted to submit to him without question.

His arm wrapped around the back of my waist easily while he continued his phonecall. Something felt familiar and safe about his arms around me, like he was always meant to touch me like this, hold me like this.

He switched to a language I couldn’t quite understand and I fell into the sea of his scent.

Shutting my eyes, I inhaled a lungful like it was a job I was paid to do. I was so into the action that I didn’t realize that he was no longer talking on the phone and had asked me a question until he repeated it.

“Did you sleep well?”

I was quick to nod and guarantee him that I had slept perfectly well in the nicest bed I have ever slept in but that was when he gripped me, his fingers wrapping around my throat and squeezing, forcing me to keep my eyes open as I stared into the dark abyss of his gaze, glowing with rage.

His thumb was pressing down hard on my pulse that was now racing wildly. Oxygen fought to leave my lungs that were threatening to burst from the interruption in my respiration.

I was about to learn my first lesson since becoming his prisoner.

“Do not f u c k i n g lie to me again.”