Chapter 61: Chapter 61

My entire body is freezing and the walk back seems to stretch on forever. The buzz from using granny’s power has left me exhausted, nearly paralyzed completely. The adrenaline leaves and here comes the low of using magic, the physical and energetic exhaustion. Yet my mind is racing and yet the closer we get to the castle, the more worried I become. I will once again be alone with Zeke. Only this time I am in no position to fight him.

Using way too much energy than fathomable I try to sit up in Regan’s arms, his fur tickling my skin as I grip his shoulders. “I can walk,” I tell him, I can’t afford to be lazing around while we walk back, I needed to move and get feeling back in my limbs. But instead of letting me go, Regan just adjust his grip on me, one hand sliding under my butt as he wraps my legs around his waist. My face heats when I come face to face with him when he licks my cheek. I stare at him thoroughly grossed out and wipe my face with the back of my hand.

“That was damn nasty, god knows where your tongue has been, you could have been licking your ass for all I know!” He laughs.

“I’m not a dog,” he huffs.

“You look like one walk on two legs to me.” Instead of answering he does it again and I swat him with my hand.

“Stop being disgusting!”I snarl at him and he laughs tugging me closer but I try to get out of his arms, he growls, nipping my cheek and chin with his sharp teeth. I hiss at the sting of it wondering what he is doing and why he is biting me.

“Do that again and I will bite you back!” I snap at him. When he does it again I shriek only this time he nipped at my neck. Having enough of his biting, I bite him back. only when I do, she shifts and instead of biting his shoulder like intended, I bite his neck.

Regan groans and I jerk back finding flesh instead of fur, hands instead of claws, and him very naked.

Regan growls and I look at his neck, the wound healing when he growls grabbing the back of my neck and biting me back.

I thrash as he bites my lip and he chuckles kissing me instead. I push on his shoulders making him lose his grip slightly and I slide down him, his hands quick to move, stopping me and hoisting me higher.

A shriek leaves me at the thought of being dropped, but Regan uses that to his advantage forcing his tongue into my mouth. I bite his tongue, making him groan, and the kiss turns violent, teeth and soft tissue clashing. “Okay, you win!” I chuckle against his lips which are assaulting mine. He laughs pulling back slightly when someone clears their throat.

“As entertaining as it is to watch you two love birds, I would like to get home before dark.” Lyon snarls at me and only then do I realize Regan is no longer walking and we have stopped.

“Hand her over,” Zeke says and my grip on Regan tightens.

“She’s fine,” Regan snarls at him.

“And she’s my date, hand her over,” Zeke repeats.

“I can walk,” I tell them, and Regan sets me on my feet only for them to be swept out from under me.

“Zeke!” Regan snarls, but Zeke takes off. A squeal leaves me as my surroundings turn to a blur of green and brown, I can hear Regan calling out but his voice is muffled by the wind. My head feels dizzy from the motion, my stomach queasy and I have no choice but to press closer to him. The wind whipping my arms is making them sting.

“Zeke, slow down. You’re hurting me,” I whimper, not expecting him to but he does and then suddenly holds me out at arm's length looking me over. “Where am I hurting you?” he demands while I dangle in the air.

“The wind, it stings my skin.” I hiss, and he grunts crushing me against his chest just as Regan, Lyon, and Gnash catch up to us.

“Fucking prick, give her back!” Regan snarls, his hands grabbing me. Zeke growls at him but Regan ignores him when Hunter suddenly growls at Regan. Regan glances down at him before glancing at Zeke.

“Call him off, Zeke,” Zeke shakes his head. And continues stomping through the forest. Regan goes to grab him.

“You’ll only hurt her, she is fine, Regan,” Zeke snarls.

“Not in your hands she’s not!” Zeke growls and both of them stand toe to toe for a second, and I find myself caught between them. If either of them shifts right now I am in a bad position to escape before the claws come out.

“Hand her over!” Regan speaks his voice ice cold and his eyes flash, his canines slipping free of his gums.

“Woah, okay both of you settle down!” Lyon comes over forcing himself between them.

“Stop, both of you. Zeke just gives her to him, for god’s sake.”

“Last I checked, she’s mine today. Now back off, Regan. Or maybe she will get hurt!” Zeke snarls, stomping off. I swallow and peer back at Regan over Zeke’s shoulder.

“If he was going to hurt her he would have already,” I just make out Lyon tell Regan.

“Regan! What’s got into you, have you forgotten what she means? What our father’s intentions for her are?” Lyon questions and Zeke stops. He peers down at me, hoisting me higher up his waist but I can’t help wanting to hear Regan’s answer.

“It’s always a damn woman!” Zeke snarls and I turn my gaze to him.

“Pardon?” I ask.

“That gets between us, and Regan holding attachments to you is going to end badly, I can fucking see it!” Zeke keeps walking and I twist in his arms to see the castle come into view. I can Regan and Lyon arguing behind us but I am just relieved to be back at the castle.

“Are you hungry?” Zeke asks me and I look at him.

“Starving but let me guess, an apple, or maybe lettuce leaf?” I ask him.

“If that is what you want then,” he growls dropping me. I hit the ground and he storms off without so much as a glance back. I groan, my backside hurting.

“You were fucking saying?” Regan snarls coming out of the tree line just as I get to my feet. My feet barely touch the ground for two seconds when he scoops me up. I curse.

“I can fucking walk!” I snap.

“I prefer you close,” he snaps at me. I shake my head, Regan can’t seem to decide if he wants me dead or alive.

“You’re going to get us all killed!” Lyon snarls, storming off ahead. I look at him and Shadow rushes after him. Regan however, purrs pressing me closer.

“Gnash come!” Regan calls and he follows after his brother. As we enter the castle I expect him to put me down but he doesn’t instead he keeps walking turning up a corridor I have never been down.

“Where are you taking me?” I ask him nervously. He doesn’t answer but we pass a few servants; one shriek spotting the king naked. The others avert their gaze. He follows the massive corridor stopping at a huge black door. He tugs on the handle and a cool draft brushes me making me peer into the darkness to realize it's a basement. My heart rate quickens as he steps inside, and descends down the stairs. I peer up at Regan, his eyes luminescent in the dark and burning brightly.

“Regan?” I murmur, my voice not sounding so confident down here when I can’t see a damn thing.

“You’re safe with me,” he whispers, his lips skating across the corner of my mouth.

“Am I?” I question unsure, his moods change so rapidly that it's hard to tell. He flicks the light on and I blink as the fluorescent lights flicker before burning brightly when they stay on. Glancing around I find dried-out herbs and plants, hanging from the ceiling.

Regan ducks under some moving me toward the huge bench. He sits me on top of it, then turns around rummaging through the drawers, he grabs a vial, and herbs that I recognize as wolfsbane. I watch as he crushes the plant, focused on his task, his fingers bleeding the more he handles it. The plant eats away at his flesh but doesn’t make so much as a peep despite knowing it must be causing him pain. He then turns on a bunsen burner and retrieves some bottled water along with a flask. He drops the crushed-up wolfsbane in it, and brings it to a boil while I watch.

“Regan?”

“For Zeke,” he tells me while removing the flask off the bunsen burner, he grabs a vial pours it into it then pops the cap on it before pouring the rest into a bottle. He shakes the vial letting it cool.

“I will have this put in his drink tonight,” He tells me holding up the bottle while I chew my lip.

He passes me the vial. I look at him shocked he is actually going to hand me something that can poison them.

When I don’t take it, too stunned for words, he slips his hand into my torn top, fiddling with my bra, he jams it between my cleavage.

“Keep that on you at all times!” he orders and I look up at him. His eyes flicker and I glance nervously at the door.

“What about your father?”

“Fuck my father!” he snarls.