Chapter 17: Too Many Evils

Tali

I don't know where I am. I take a moment before I remember the mall parking lot. I think about everything that happened.

I'm not worried about Meliyan and Zahaine being hurt, unless they did something to them after they took me.

I'm also not immediately concerned that this is Anthony. I am guessing normal sedatives wouldn't work on protectors, especially not that fast. No, this was one specifically for them, so I actually think I know who is behind this.

I crack my eyes open, and I'm lying on a thin pallet, on a cement floor, in a cement cell. There's an older iron door, and light is coming in through the edges, so it's not pitch black in here, but there's not much light. I'm not really worried about that.

I sit up gingerly, checking for any other signs that anything else has happened, and so far, I'm okay. I know that's not going to last long. I am also checking for cramping or pain in my abdomen. So far, that area is okay as well, but again, I don't think that's going to last.

I need to get myself psyched up for what comes next. I'm sure Gregory is behind this somehow. If I'm right, he has an agenda, and he was pissed I messed with it. So his solution will be to "put me in my place," so to speak. Now, he might do it himself, or it might be the men who took me from the mall. They at least work for him or with him in some respects.

I am thinking there's most likely a camera in here, and it probably has night vision if they're keeping me in the dark. They probably think the darkness will scare or unnerve me.

These men have no idea what I've suffered through the years. I've dealt with true evil. This is psycho, no doubt, but this evil is not on the same level as Paul and Anthony.

It's not long till I hear keys in the door. I'm sitting calmly on the pallet, on the floor, that I woke up on, and leaning my back against the wall, with my ankles crossed, and my hands folded in my lap.

The man who opens the door stares at me, rather surprised. I'm sure he was expecting a hysterical woman, and I'm definitely not.

"So, I do wonder how much Gregory is paying you to take a mated female protector from her protector mates."

"Mated?" He looks at me, and I hold up my arm for him to see. He momentarily lowers and shakes his head. Then he looks up and comes towards me.

"According to Gregory, when he's done, and we're done, you'll be mated to us instead."

I bust out laughing, "You can't break a mate bond, unless of course you're threatening to kill my 4 protector mates?"

"I'm not killing anyone. Gregory has some way to break mate bonds and replace them with new ones."

I shake my head," he's delusional and power hungry, and you're going to end up dying for him."

He gets angry at that and grabs my arm hard and yanks me up. He almost seems disappointed that he didn't make me hollar.

He pulls me along down a hallway. Whatever this place is, and I'm guessing an old prison, it's all cement. I keep trying to reach out to one of my mates, but so far I haven't gotten a response.

I know they're coming for me, but I'm not sure how long it's going to take them. I have to prepare for what these men are going to do to me before they get here.

We end up in a large room. There's a metal table with straps that doesn't bode well for me, but I've survived worse.

Gregory is there, gloating like he's actually accomplished something besides getting himself and everyone else killed.

I shake my head at him, "damn, I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think it was this stupid. Turning your back on your people and the council. Becoming a fugitive to a race that hunts them down. I mean shit, man, that's some serious stupidity right there."

He gets angry, and his face almost turns purple. He marches up to me and slaps me. I laugh and spit the blood in my mouth in his face. He then punches my face, and I'm still laughing.

"Okay, that's not what you said you were going to do." Another of the guys against the wall says.

I just shake my head, they're all fucking stupid.

"So, Gregory, what lies did you tell all of them to get them to agree to abuse and rape a mated female protector, and become rogues?"

All of the guys turn to him and stare at him. "You didn't say she was mated. We can't mate her if she already has mates."

"I have magic that's guaranteed to rip the mate bonds she already has out, and replace them with yours." He says haughtily.

I shake my head again, "I don't get the part where you're willing to rape an unwilling woman to mate her, because then, even if it did work, you'd have a mate that utterly despised you, and would probably kill you. I know I would."

The guy who seems sorta like the leader of this fucked up circus bunch looks at me, "You wouldn't be able to kill your own mates. The mate bond makes you love that person."

I stare at him for a moment, then laugh hysterically again, "Oh my fucking god, who sold you that utter line of bullshit. I am mated, and I can tell you from personal experience. That is so incredibly not true."

He looks over at Gregory again, who fidgets nervously."She's only a woman, just put her in her place and keep her there, who cares what she thinks, or how she feels, she's only for a man's pleasure and to give him sons, so fuck the bitch."

Everyone in the room is reeling from Gregory's craziness over there. These guys have just realized they bet on the broken horse, and they are fucked. So now, there's a decision to be made. They admit they were stupid, help me escape, and beg my mates for mercy, or they double down on the fucking stupid.

"Get on with it, and we'll see who's telling the truth." The man says.

I shake my head yet again, double down on fucking stupid it is. Now, I have to get through whatever comes next and hold out for my mates.