Chapter 43: The Alpha King’s Virgin by Charmeleon Chapter 43

Chapter 43

RAINE

“Ah, you’re awake.” A disembodied voice wavered in and out of earshot as I tried to regain my consciousness. “A pity we had to sedate you so severally.”

I tried hard to pry my eyes open, but the lids were leaden. The rest of my body felt the same heaviness, I couldn’t move, not even to lift a finger. Paralyzed. Trapped in my own skin.

A hand on my face, fingers ghosting over my features. I wanted to scream, pull away, but couldn’t.

“Poor girl…” the voice chuckled, “You so desperately want to make a sound, don’t you.” It was a man’s

voice, not very deep, but not feminine either. “Don’t worry, you’ll soon be able to scream to your heart’s

content, Raine.”

‘Tasha, Tasha!‘ I couldn’t reach her, couldn’t feel her. What have they done to me? Where was I? A desperate tear found its way out of the corner of my eye and again a cold finger tapped it away from my cheek.

“Ah…your tears are so sweet. I can only imagine how your blood would taste.” Again that ominous chuckle.

A vampire? I willed my eyes to open with all my strength and at last succeeded. My eyes opened to darkness not even my werewolf sight could penetrate. There was no one there. Tried moving my head. Managed to move it a little to the right. I was in a room, on a bed, that much I could discern. No longer in a cage.

My hands weren’t tied but there was a steel shackle around my ankle. At least it wasn’t silver. It took a lot to move myself to a sitting position. Out of breath, my heart pounding, I sat back against a bare wall. There was no headboard.

“You regain your strength fast.”

I whipped my head to the left and there I saw him. Shrouded in darkness, with only his silhouette visible, the man or creature sat in the furthest corner of the room, watching me.

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willed my mouth to work. “Who… who are you?” I blinked a few times to get accustomed to the dusk.

He unfolded from the chair and within the blink of an eye, he was right next to me. I have never been faced with a vampire before and involuntarily I uttered a shriek, shielding my face with my arms.

My fear amused him it seemed, because he gave a throaty chuckle and pried my arms away. “I do love it when they scream. But if I wanted you dead, Queen Raine, you would have been drained of your blood the moment you arrived here.”

I made the mistake of looking him in the face. Mesmerizing reddish alabaster–like eyes locked onto mine. I could feel him nudging my mind, trying to compel me.

“No!” I closed my eyes, turned my head away.

“Interesting,” he said. “Unusual for an Omega werewolf.”

I ripped my wrist out of his hold. “What do you want?! Who are you?” I said more forcefully than I felt.

“I am King Athan Dracul, a direct descendant of the first vampire. And you are in my realm.” He straightened himself to look down his hawkish nose at me, as if were a lesser being.

I thought about what Ross said, to not let my fear show, easier said than done when you were facing a vampire. But I was not going to let my fear control me, however hard that was. My heart was on the verge of exploding through my chest, I wiped beads of perspiration from my top lip. Swallowing down the bile that rose in my throat I faced him and said, “You had better take me back to the werewolf kingdom or there will be a war.”

“Oh, little wolf, I am counting on it.” The predatory smile on his face made my blood turn to ice.

I still couldn’t reach my wolf because of the wolfsbane. As soon as she recovered, I would try and escape. I had to try. Amaris would be searching for me, I know it, he would not leave a stone unturned until I was back with him.

“Why would you want that? We’ve been at peace with the other realms for years. Why would you want to jeopardize that?” How many enemies did Amaris have?

“Peace? Is that what you think this is? The way we’ve been existing?” He sighed and turned away from

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the cot I was lying on. “But maybe you have no idea, Queen Raine, of all the restrictions we live under

this so–called peace.”

“Restrictions?” I swung my legs off the cot, testing the strength of the chain restraining me. I doubted that I would be able to break it without the help of my wolf.

His attention snapped back to me. “Don’t be foolish to try and escape. Around here you’re nothing but someone’s next meal.”

Noted.

“But you haven’t answered my question, King Athan. What restrictions? I need to understand.”

I inched my way toward him. Now that I was on my bare feet, the full impact of his impressive height intimidated me. He was taller than Amaris, but not bulkier, leaner, designed for speed. No scent to discern.

He smirked at me; thin pale lips moved back to reveal a row of gleaming razor–sharp teeth. “Raine, do you think you’d be able to change your mate’s decrees? He fancies himself as the sovereign ruler of the kingdoms.” He made air–quotes with his hands, slender, long fingers. “He’s such an arrogant wolf. Protecting the humans while they are just a food source. Not so long ago werewolves preyed upon them too. What changed?” he shrugged.

I was confused. “So, this is about the humans?”

“Amongst other things.” In a flash he closed the distance between us, standing so close to me that my nose touched his chest. His hands clasped my shoulders. “I like the scent of your blood. You tempt me, Raine.”

I recoiled from his touch. “Don’t!” I pushed him away with what strength I had which seemed ineffective, but he let me go and I folded my arms across my body to hide how much I was shaking. I needed to sit down again.

“But I am a terrible host.” He clapped his hands, and moments later, three girls entered the room with plates of food. “I don’t want you to starve seeing as you’re carrying the royal heir.”

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