Chapter 33 — To win
Nevaeh:
I wake up in a great deal of pain. My back hurts, and so does my stomach. As I gaze down at my torn and bloodied dress, I can’t believe that Henry and Aaron tried to kill me. Images of what happened rush through my mind. I remember Henry stabbing me in the stomach with his claws and falling down the stairs. My hand shakes as I pull my dress up to inspect the damage. My left ankle is swollen, and my legs are bruised, but there are no stab wounds in my stomach, and my leg isn’t broken. How is that possible? Moving my hand up, I trace the skin around my stomach. There’s not even a scar. Relief and fear war inside of me. Is this a dream? Am I really alive, or am I lying dead in my house?
Swallowing hard, I gaze around the cold dark room. The soiled brick walls are barren, with only a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. The light casts an eerie glow around the room, and there are no windows. I search the shadows until my eyes land on a large metal door. The door opens a second later. To my shock, one of the Councilmen who took Mikhail away enters the room. He’s the man that wanted to see my mark. I remember they called him Lukan. There’s no doubt the man is gorgeous. He’s tall and attractive with brown hair and green eyes. However, his eyes are cruel and vacant. He’s not one of the good guys.
His lips curl into a smirk, and he moves closer. “Hello there, it’s Nevaeh, isn’t it?” He mumbles in a dulcet tone.
But I’m not fooled. His tone might be friendly, but I can see right through him.
I take a step back and cringe when my ankle begins to ache. I don’t say a word, though. I can’t trust that anything I say will not make things worse.
“I’m Lukan.” He mutters.
Lukan raises his hand and caresses my face, which makes me flinch fearfully. His eyes roam my face appraisingly as he pushes a tendril of my hair behind my ear. “I can see why the abomination and the demon are taken with you. Even bruised and bloodied, you are breathtaking.”
My heart thunders in my chest as he moves closer and grasps my hair in his fist. My scalp aches between his bruising grip, and the pain in my ankle intensifies. My vision blurs as the pain reaches an unbearable level. I have to close my eyes and grit my teeth to keep myself from crying.
Lukan’s lips quirk at my reaction. The sadistic bastard is getting a great deal of pleasure from my pain. However, I don’t give in and let him see how much he’s hurting me. He's so close at this point that I can feel his breath on my face.
“What I don’t understand, my beauty is how you survived a fall down the stairs and a hellhound gut wound. Would you care to explain how that was possible?”
I refuse to answer, which seems to enrage him more. “I asked you a question, you little whore! How did you survive?” He screams in my face.
A frightened sob escapes my lips, but somehow, I manage to stifle my cries.
“I...” My voice comes out in a croak. “…I don’t know.”
Lukan pushes me against the wall and grabs me on a chokehold. “Oh, I think you know, lovely girl. So, I’m going to ask you again. What the fuck are you?”
I don’t know what to say. He thinks I’m lying, but I honestly don’t have any idea why I’m still alive.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about; I’m human,”
For a moment, Lukan’s dead eyes gaze intently into mine. To my surprise, he releases his grip on my hair and takes a step back. “You really don’t know, do you? Oh, darling, I’m sorry to break this to you, but you’re most definitely not all human. No human would have survived the stab wounds of a hellhound’s claws. Hmm…I guess that’s a mystery for another time. Right now, all I want is a little revenge.”
His hand slides down my shoulder and grips the middle of my dress, ripping it down the middle. My body quivers with fear, which seems to gratify him.
“Your boyfriend thought he pulled one over on me by turning the Council against me, but I have something he really wants, and I’m going to enjoy breaking it in.”
He places his hand over my breast and pinches me hard. I try to fight back, but he’s too strong, and the pain in my ankle is unbearable. “No, please, don’t,” I whisper pleadingly.
Unfortunately, Lukan is unaffected by my pleas. “Oh, little girl, you do know that I killed my own sister, don’t you? Which calls to question why you would think I’d take pity on you?”
I don’t have time to struggle before his lips smash into mine. I try to pull away, but he’s too strong for me. At that moment, all the lights in the building go out, and the security alarms go off.
Surprised, Lukan pushes away and searches the room. “What the hell?” He mutters. Just then, the door bursts open. An enrages growl escapes Lukan’s lips before he pulls me against his chest and faces the man that I love.