Blood Yellow (Blood Series) Read online

  On that note, Haydar grabbed Jonothon’s collar and escorted him to a closet cell inside his chambers. He threw him against the concrete wall and laughed as he watched Jonothon’s head bounce off it. He closed the heavy door and locked it, keeping the insignificant male out of sight until his bent returned.

  Jonothon’s body felt like it was in shock. Between the poison and beating, he didn’t know what was worse. How was he going to get out of this, and would Leigh still accept him when it was over? Haydar was right about one thing, Leigh didn’t accept imperfections, and now, that was all he was.

  Haydar left his office and went out to the main training facility where his bent had the soldiers practicing. He sat back in the shadows and observed what his men were doing. He wanted to have someone to be proud of, but yet again, he was disappointed. There was no one out there who gave him the pleasure he deserved. No one since Sarah, that is. His last hope had been Leigh, but even she had let him down.

  “Jonothon is in the cell in my office,” Haydar told one of his captains as he handed him a key. “Go take his body and place it on Leigh’s floor. Make sure he is chained down and cannot escape. Take one of the spears in the supply room and put it through his left shoulder.”

  His man looked at him for just a moment before nodding his head and walking off towards the supply room. Inside, there were three different kinds of spears. The first one was basic, a shaft of bamboo with an iron tip sharpened at the end. This wouldn’t be what Haydar wanted; someone could easily break this to escape. Next there was a javelin, the type of spear used by the infantry men of the Byzantine Empire. Finally, there was the az-zaġāyah...the spear of their people. This spear was eight feet long, and the iron tip was at least 18 inches long, both sides of the blade razor sharp. The shaft’s wood, while thin, was sturdy, and the blade’s accuracy was lethal. This, this was the one Haydar would want him to use.

  With the assegai spear in his hand, he walked to his master’s office and opened the door. He could see the blood spatter off to the left and knew better than to ask questions. Making his way to the cell, he positioned the spear in a fighting stance. He didn’t know what he would find on the other side of the door and wanted to be prepared for anything.

  His body tightened and his stomach churned. His commander was doubled over in pain from the abuse. He knew he couldn’t show any weakness; Haydar was always watching. With the assegai jabbing at Jonothon’s side, he forced him to look up.

  “Move.”

  It was the only word that needed to be said. Jonothon struggled to pull himself up. The poison from the collar made his nerve endings numb; his legs and arms felt like jello.

  “Move,” he said once more, the spear going into Jonothon’s side this time.

  He listened to the colonel cry out in pain. He had zero sympathy; he’d known what he was getting into when he agreed to join the team.

  Jonothon made his legs stand firm after ten minutes of trying. His soldier wrapped his arm around Jonothon’s side. The spear was positioned at his throat in the event he attempted to escape. Walking through the hallways, they left a trail of blood in their wake. Jonothon’s mouth was spilling over with blood, and his side was now dripping with it, his clothes no longer soaking it in.

  Upon reaching Leigh’s door, Jonothon thought he would be placed on the bed, but he realized quickly his luck had run out.

  His body was thrown onto the ground next to a metal chain. The soldier clasped the chain to his collar. He then looked, and with his eyes closed, took the assegai and jammed it through Jonothon’s left shoulder, puncturing the skin, bone, and eventually the floor.

  Without a word, Jonothon was left alone on his lover’s floor, pinned like an animal. This would be the end of him and Leigh; she would never accept him, displayed as garbage and left to die. Haydar was right; he was a fool to think Leigh would have ever been his. He should have realized from the very beginning, the only man Leigh would have in her life was her abb, even if she hadn’t realized it yet.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Nikole watched as the man she loved was brutally tortured. She felt his blood rolling down her face from the splatter Leigh was causing. It wasn’t enough that she had humiliated him. No, she needed to remove all the dignity and honor he had. He’d already lost so much; this wasn’t fair, and it was all her fault. She never should have stayed over these last three months. She should have left him alone like he wanted.

  “Stop, Leigh, stop! I’ll give you myself if you just let him go. He is an innocent. He isn’t part of our family’s feud. Please don’t kill him.”

  Leigh left her knife dangling from his chest as she walked up to her bent amty. She knew the Kadins were weak, begging for mercy. No one who had any worth begged. “Nikole, you think I am going to kill him so quickly? Oh no, that’s not how this works. You see, I will keep him alive just long enough until I am finished. Then you, Princess, will get to hold him as he dies. You will never get a tomorrow or a happily ever after. All that will remain of his useless, pathetic, boring existence will be ashes.”

  Nikole wanted to move, wanted to kill, but the needle was still at her throat. Would it be worth it to get one shot off, one chance…one try?

  “I can tell what you are thinking, Nikole. You are very transparent, especially since I can sense your thoughts. Remember, blood relations? Do stop over thinking this. I can see the frustration and confusion in your eyes. All will be explained shortly. Patience, and the master plan will unfold.”

  “I’m so sorry, Alec…” Nikole said under her breath as she was forced to watch Leigh go at him again. His beautiful body was now scarred and torn.

  “Alec, wake up.” Leigh slapped him across his face, hard enough for Nikole to hear his jaw crack. His cheek twitched for a few seconds before his still body regained life. He looked up at Leigh who was holding a garrote made of vines in her hand. She wrapped it around his neck and let out a laugh as she began to squeeze the rope together.

  Alec looked at Nikole, who was trapped in the chair, tears running down her face. He knew he should tell her it wasn’t her fault and that everything would be okay. He was getting the death he deserved, a traitor’s death. He would not be where he was today had he killed Haydar in 1777.

  “Nikole, don’t cry…”

  That’s all Alec was able to muster before Leigh had another branch come around and gag him again. She had to admit he had courage. He bit through the other gag. He fought as best as he could, given that he was confined in place. No, the truth of the matter in Leigh’s eyes was that Nikole didn’t deserve him. But, that wasn’t for her to judge. He chose to be with Nikole; therefore, he would be killed.

  “You know the best part of all this? After I kill the lot of you and take from you everything you ever loved, I will get to be queen. Very soon, the world will be at my command. No one will be able to stop me. I will not be the same as your family, disgraceful, the lot of them. Your abb was weak in letting the humans do what they pleased, but I will not be so generous. I have studied our history; I will take us back to the beginning when humans were created to be the cattle which we fed on. The Algula will rule again, properly.”

  Leigh let the restraints on Alec loosen and he dropped to the floor. He didn’t move much except for his muscles starting to spasm. She leaned over him and ripped what was remaining of his shirt and pants from his skin. She laughed as parts of his skin were torn off; the parts that she had meshed together with each slice and jab of her blade into his flesh. She looked to Nikole and smiled, her fangs pulsing, her eyes dilated and flashing iridescent shades of green. This was the type of moment she lived for, the moment when someone realized that all they love would be no more, and that she was the true hand of fate.

  “I’ll see you around, Nikole. Give my regards to Zayn, and be sure he understands that the next person under my blade will be you, unless he surrenders.” Leigh vanished right there; the needle being held Nikole’s throat dropped to the floor, the glass shattering
and making a clinking noise against the wood. Nikole rushed over to Alec, who wasn’t breathing much. She had to focus to see his chest moving.

  “Alec, please don’t leave me. Please stay with me…” Nikole’s eyes flooded with tears as she leaned over and kissed his lips. She felt his hand move to her leg as his fingers brushed along her skin.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t fight. I’m so sorry I didn’t know how to escape. Alec, please, please don’t leave me!” She grabbed his hand and moved her body to lay next to him, putting her other arm around him and holding him close to her. She heard him moan as her body pressed his wounds. She moved back, realizing she was causing him more pain.

  “Baby, don’t worry. I’m going to fix you. I’ll go get your first aid kits, and I’ll tend to you like you did me.” Nikole went into his bathroom and gathered up a small, plastic, bedside bucket, the one he had used for her when she was there. She took the items she needed and brought them back to him. Kneeling beside his body, she began to clean and dress each wound. She tried to stitch his skin together, but not all of the pieces lined up. She took her time and after an hour of tender loving care, she looked down to see a man covered in white gauze almost entirely.

  “Alec, you need to feed. Can I sit you up so you can take from me?”

  She could hear a soft murmur coming from his lips and took that as a yes. She stood up and pulled his body to a sitting position. Nikole wrapped her arms around him and exposed her neck for him. With a slice of her nail, she cut the skin and pressed his mouth to it. She slowly started to feel him pulling on her. The light pressure played with her body, all while her heart was in a panic that he was going to die.

  Alec managed to take a few small pulls before natural instinct kicked in. His fangs elongated and his mouth clamped down on her neck. He began pulling and sucking on her hard and long.

  Nikole’s body had already begun reacting. The fact he was covered in gauze was ignored when her blood began to heat up while her senses kicked into over drive. Her core started to pulse, her heart quickened, her nipples hardened.

  The smell of her arousal made its way through Alec’s nose and danced in his head. His body was no longer going through the motions, but in full control. His bandaged hands pushed on her pants as he wanted them off of her and for him to be free to take what he wanted.

  She understood what his silent command was, and within seconds her pants went up in flames. She wrapped her legs around him as his cock was hard and pulsing for her. He needed her to be around him. Nikole positioned her body and slowly pushed down on his erection. She moved carefully so as not to hurt him.

  Once inside of her, Alec released her neck and, with a lick, sealed the wound. He looked into her eyes, and with the little power he could muster, he started to push against her body. He wanted her to move against him.

  Nikole was ready and willing to listen to him. She didn’t know how much longer they would have together, or even if he would survive. Tonight might be their last.

  Up and down she moved. She watched as his head dropped back, and his sighs brought life to her mind. Slow and gentle, tender and sweet they made love for what he knew would be the final time.

  The smell of their juices mixed together, and their hearts beat as one. This was the moment she’d waited for with him. “I love you, Nikole, and this isn’t your fault.” He closed his eyes and laid his head back, his breathing shallow and slow.

  “I love you too, Alec.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Zayn stood there and watched her sleep in silence, her short breaths causing her chest to rise and fall evenly. The motion was hypnotic as he had nothing else to focus on. He wanted her to have a peaceful sleep without any disturbances, so he stood guard over her bed. Even the nurses were scared of opening the door. He had ripped one’s head off, almost literally, a few hours back when she had tried to take Adara’s vitals.

  “You know I’m not going to die, right? You can stop standing over me like you are ready to pounce on anyone who comes in the room.” Adara adjusted her position to move to her side, so she could look at him without straining her neck. “I’m safest in the hospital. If anything happens, I will have the whole staff in my room in moments. Please just sit down.”

  He looked at his future queen. Even in a hospital bed and gown she was breathtaking. He walked over to his chair and sat; he couldn’t completely relax, not until he got her back to their home. “You should really be sleeping. You heard what the doctor told us earlier. If we keep you stable for the next two days, then hopefully your body will start to repair, and we can go home.”

  “Yes, Zayn, I heard him.” She let a soft chuckle escape as her hands moved over her stomach and caressed her skin. She liked him being so protective, but he needed to calm down. “I’ll be okay now. Why don’t you tell me again what you said to me earlier?”

  He watched her beaming over at him. The halogen light bulbs made him think of angels as she smiled.

  “I’ll be sure to have our room ready for us when we arrive. I will also be giving you my omm’s ring. You will be our queen.” As he spoke those words, he reached out for her hand and placed a kiss on her ring finger.

  “Are you sure that’s what I want? I haven’t said yes yet. You just assumed…” She knew she was teasing him, but the look on his face when he spoke of wanting them to perform the nexus melted her. She couldn’t turn him down. They had been talking all night about everything, dealing with the last three months, everything that had happened. She knew he’d grown and changed.

  “Adara, stop toying with me. One way or another, you will be my wife, even if I have to tie you to the bed to perform the ceremony, and don’t you think I won’t do that.”

  His breath caught when he saw her looking up at him, still beaming. He knew she was going to say yes; he could feel it inside his bones. “Just a moment, Adara, I’ll be right back.” He leaned over and kissed her head, then vanished. He teleported his way back to his home and walked over to the safe he kept in his office. Punching in the code, he heard the safety mechanisms click and release. He opened the safe and pulled out the red velvet box he had kept his omm’s ring in all these years. The yellow gem sparkled against the light as he held it in the air.

  “Here I come, Adara. Be prepared.”

  Minutes later he was back by her bedside. His lips repositioned against hers as he kissed the soft, tender skin. He took her hand in his and knelt before her as his free hand pulled out the box, his thumb and middle finger pushing open the lid.

  “Adara, with my love, honor, and devotion, I present to you my omm’s ring. Please take it and do me the honor of becoming my queen, my other half, my soul. Let me take the rest of our lives making up to you for the trouble I caused and to help raise our child.”

  She didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until she released it. She did love him even though everything they were going through was because of his decisions. She didn’t want to raise their child without him. She couldn’t raise their child like that. With a soft smile and a hint of tears in her eyes, she picked up the box and examined the antique ring. Her right forefinger slipped the ring out and she handed it to Zayn. In a smooth motion, he took the ring and placed it onto her left ring finger.

  “Yes, Zayn, I will perform the nexus with you.”

  And just like that, Zayn’s heart melted as he leaned over and kissed the top of her hand.

  “Thank you, my queen, thank you for completing me.”

  Zayn rose from the floor and climbed into the hospital bed with her; he situated them so they both fit inside the railings while he slowly stroked her stomach.

  “Our princess is going to be special, Adara. Just wait and see all the wonders she will possess.”

  He leaned over and kissed her neck, his tongue and lips lingering on her skin. He wanted to taste her, wanted to have her inside of him and him inside of her. His hand moved up to her chin, and he turned her head towards him. She shifted her body in a slow motion
following the direction he was moving her chin.

  “Stunning, that is what you are. Even as you fight to protect the life of our child, you are stunning.” He ran his tongue again along her neck, the tips of his fangs pressing on the skin, teasing her. He felt her bring her hand up to the back of his head and held his lips and tongue on her neck.

  “Take me,” he heard her murmur before his fangs broke her skin and her sweet blood flowed into his mouth. He drank until his need was satisfied, and then moved his neck to a better angle for her. Her hesitation lasted a few moments as she enjoyed the feel of his body against hers. She loved how the bump of her baby felt within his embrace. This is what she had been missing these last three months.

  “My king,” and in that same breath her lips and fangs sealed over his skin, and she began to feed. The taste of his life source inside of her drove her insides mad. They started to burn as his scent overwhelmed her senses. She knew her body had already started to repair itself, but something about this moment told her she was going to live, and so was the baby. With a dash of her tongue, she slid it across the skin and sealed the wound.

  They lay there motionless and at peace as their molecules started to bond together. They knew the sensation only lasted a few weeks, but Zayn was sure that once they were together forever, feeding would be an everyday occurrence.

  “Your Majesty?” one of the nurses said as she opened the door. “We are sorry to disturb you, but it’s time for Miss Adara’s next round of treatment. Shall we come back at a better time?

  “No, please come in. We were just drifting off to sleep.” Zayn kissed Adara’s forehead and slipped out of the bed, allowing the nurse the room she needed to work. No matter what else he knew, he loved this woman, loved everything about her. He would spend his life worshiping the ground she walked on; and from now on that was the image she would see and take notice of.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE