Chapter Forty-nine

Gwen

Gwen jerked and Paris shoved her behind him, serving as a human shield. She peeked from over his shoulder and made out the figures of three guys in villain's coating, standing by the doorway with ticked jaws. Gwen shivered when the one in the middle moved forward and pulled away his glasses, revealing a set of eerie hazel eyes.

"Hello, Paris." The one who appeared to be their leader smirked, inviting himself into his house.

"What do you want?" Paris asked, snarling as he hid Gwen behind him the more like a bedspread being tucked into the sides of a bed.

"The girl behind you." Ioan flicked his teeth with his tongue and cocked his head to the side, gripping the belt straps of his black trousers.

"Why?" Paris furrowed his brow, turning cold underneath Gwen's palms.

She darted her gaze from left to right and studied the three men. The one who appeared to be the youngest, whose demeanor was less of a confident person struck her with the memory of Mihai. He looked so much like him, and it made her heart ache in remembrance.

"Who are they?" She whispered into Paris' ear, and he ignored her, too busy exchanging death glares with Ioan.

"You know, I never liked you." Ioan paced around, grabbing a picture of Paris' young self from the wall. "But now I do after what you did. Hand the girl over."

"Why?" Paris asked, ticking his jaw.

"Get the girl, boys!" Ioan exclaimed and they launched at Paris. He tried to fight but they pounced on him.

Gwen screamed, watching them throw blows at each other and bruising their lips. She crawled behind a chair and her lips trembled alongside her entire body. She gripped the necklace around her neck, seeking for comfort from the cold engagement ring that hung down her neck. She heard a crash and she jolted, tears threatening to gush down her eyes and she risked a glance from behind the chair. She could see Paris giving and receiving uppercut. The middle child gripped Paris' head in-between his arms and kneed his face. Gwen shuddered, fear trapping her heart as she pulled herself back behind the couch. Her eyes glued shut and she wished she had not honored his invitation to come in.

"Hello, Regina." A voice hissed beside her like a snake, and she shook, feeling her heart race up her throat and closing up her wind pipe. He smiled maliciously at her and raked her body from head to toe.

Gwen whimpered, clasping her empty chest in search for her heart before trailing her hands up her neck and gripping it, trying to stop her heart from exploding. She fell on her buttocks and crawled on them away from his predator's unwavering gaze.

"It's either we do this the hard or easy way, pick one." Ioan flashed a foxy smile, already stripping her naked with his blazing eyes that screamed lust.

"Let her be!" Paris yelled, striving to free his arms from the clutches of the two princes. His lips were swollen, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Gwen shook her head furiously, while a tear lingered on the base of her lashes, waiting for a push to roll down.

"What do you want from me?" Gwen croaked, feeling a lump in her throat as she darted her gaze to Paris who was being pounced on by the two brothers. "Stop hitting him!" She screamed when they left a punch on his face that led to him vomiting blood.

"Oh," Ioan said, cocking up a brow with a grin so mischievous. "You think Paris is a good guy?"

Gwen knitted her brows into a deep frown and stole a glance at Paris' brutally beaten face.

"What-what do you mean?" Gwen stammered with confusion laced in her voice.

"Would you like to know what he did to your lover prince?" Ioan stood, taking slow strides away from her with the frame still in his hands.

"No, Ioan. You don't have to tell her that." Paris jumped, giving one of the brothers a gut-wrenching blow.

"Why, are you scared?" Ioan's voice had a dark tone to it, one that conveyed danger.

"Leave her alone, she has done nothing." Paris grunted, about to smash the head of the last brother standing with his elbow but was stopped by the instant kick driven into his stomach, sending him to the ground.

"Your boy here," Ioan gripped Paris' neck and pressed it, raising him above the ground. "Told the queen Mihai killed a vampire so she would banish Mihai for him to have you all to himself."

Gwen gasped, feeling all the air leave her lungs as she watched Ioan toss him in the air like a bag of chips. Her mouth dried up and she forcefully swallowed a saliva down her parched throat.

"What is he talking about?" Gwen directed her gaze to Paris' weak body on the broken table. She blinked once then twice, freezing to the spot as a result of fear. "Mihai was banished because of you?"

Paris groaned, rubbing his lower back as he sat up and avoided her gaze, "I can explain."

"Explain that you were selfish?!" She screamed, tears burning pathways down her cheeks. Her chest heaved and she balled her fists.

"I got no time for lovers drama," Ioan said, inching close to her trembling body and he crouched down, dragging in his bottom lip so it could be between his teeth. "Let's see what I can make you do before the queen arrives." Ioan stroked her cheek, and she slapped his hand away, glaring a hole into his head.

Ioan attempted to pick her on his shoulder, but a great force sent him tumbling down.

"She is going nowhere!" Paris hissed, elongating his fangs and turning as white as snow. Terror gripped Gwen and she screamed, almost getting a heart attack at the shocking scene. Her breathing seized and everything seemed distant, the punches and growling grew farther, and she stood in a void lifelessly, trying to process her shocking discovery.

Instantly, a hand gripped her shoulder and it sent electric shocks down her spine, bring her back to reality. The moment she locked gazes with Paris, she flinched and backed away from him.

"You've been lying to me!" She screamed, growing aggressive as she shaped her fingers into talons, ready to fight.

"Gwen-" Paris reached out to her but she swung her arms and sank her nails into his face then scratched it down, leaving marks of hatred on his cheek.

"Get away from me." She shivered, looking around and noticing he had taken all the brothers down. "Romania was a bad idea, bad idea," she said repeatedly, rocking herself on the floor and sinking her head into her knees. "Who else is a vampire, Armani?"

"No, she isn't-" Paris paused, his body growing rigid as his face fell flat and he slumped–a vase had been broken on his head, sending driblets of blood to glide down his forehead.

Gwen screamed with enlarged eyes as she watched him crash to the floor. Suddenly, Ioan picked Gwen up and held her by her neck, raising her to the ceiling and she fought, kicking her legs and leaving punches on his hand as she choked–all were to no avail as he didn't budge. Finally, she kicked his balls and he released her, dropping her harshly on the floor. She crawled hastily away from him but couldn't go far because a white handkerchief with a strong smell was held over her nose–she blacked out.

******

Gwen's eyes twitched, followed by her fingers. She hummed, feeling uncomfortable and sore in the buttocks. All she could see was darkness because her lids were tightly sealed. In a bid to get comfortable, she tried to adjust but couldn't. Slowly, she peeled her eyes open and winced when a bastard headache stabbed her with a jack knife. Her vision was blurry for three seconds before everything became clear. Ahead of her were bar of irons that looked like a cage or was it a prison?

"Where am I?" Gwen jolted up the floor, but she was yanked back by the chains around her that made a noisy clattering sound. She glanced down at her wrist and paled at the big chains that rounded her wrist and ankles thrice. "Help!"

Gwen coughed, feeling parched. Suddenly, something with an unpleasant smell rode down her nose and into her throat. Gwen gagged, looking beside her only to find a man whose eyes appeared to have been plucked out and worms crawled out of his sockets. His chest was open, and she could see his flesh and it seemed like his heart had been ripped out. She sucked in a shaky deep breath and let out a deafening scream from her dry lips then moved away from his body with a heart that sprinted.

Suddenly, she glued her mouth shut when she heard distant footsteps that grew louder with each breath she drew in from her nostrils. She squinted, anticipating to see who the person was.

Gwen marveled once a woman came into sight. Her skin was white like milk and free from spots or scratches. She had the prettiest blue eyes and Gwen felt the woman could read her soul. Her hair was allowed to fall freely down her waist and a crown sat buoyantly on her head.

"So you are the Regina." The woman spat, bitterness rooted in her words as she snapped her fingers and had one of the guards unlocking the prison iron. "You're even prettier than Shimeca."

Gwen's tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth and the only thing she could do was watch this majestic being in awe.

"What's your real name?" Her thick Romanian accent scratched Gwen's ears and she blinked without a response, not taking her gaze off her. "Cat got your tongue?"

Gwen shook her head, holding her breath as she strode closer to her.

"So what is your name?" The queen inquired, trailing her fingers down Gwen's trembling face and cupped her face.

"Gw-Gwen." Gwen stuttered, heart racing as fear made her knees buckle.

"Ah, you sound angelic too." The Queen stared deep into her eyes with a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Is that why you turned my son against me?!" Her eyes turned stone cold, and the color darkened as she clenched her jaw and tightened her grasp on Gwen's cheeks. "Bitch!"

Gwen whimpered, shivering as she felt the queen's nails sinking into her flesh and pressing her dental bone.

"Let me go, please." Gwen cried out, feeling the pain like it would crush her jaw.

"Not until I punish you for making my son commit an abomination." The queen seethed, releasing Gwen's cheeks and hitting her palm on Gwen's nose in a bid to break it. Gwen groaned, tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Let me go, I promise I have nothing to do with your son and I'm leaving Romania for good. I have a wedding to attend and-"

"Silence!" The queen thundered, punching Gwen in the cheek. Gwen widened her eyes and took in a deep noisy breath as she spat, afraid that she might have broken a tooth. "You must pay you slimy bitch!"

"You're a mother and you're old enough to be mine, spare me and I promise I would never return to Romania."

"You're such a bastard, I wouldn't take you as a daughter even if you were a burnt offering." The queen replied sarcastically, grabbing a fistful of Gwen's hair. "I can't have a daughter that is prettier than I am," she whispered, inflicting immense pain on Gwen.

"You're a maniac, Mihai would come for me." Gwen cried as she prayed silently for Mihai to show up. Her scalp felt like it was on fire when the queen continued her torture.

"Oh, Mihai?" The queen laughed, releasing Gwen's hair and wiping away a tear. "He's dead."

Gwen stilled, blinking rapidly as her breathing stopped for a minute and she parted her lips to speak but nothing came out.