Chapter 52: Mary
The man chuckles, laughing at either my response or my attempt to escape his grip. My heart skips a beat as I hear the faint echo of footsteps coming towards us.
“Please just let me go.” I beg the man, my eyes tearing up as I look up at him, my hands trembling with fear the closer the footsteps got.
“Sorry kitten, no can do. You see, I’ve come to Asher with a request, one he won’t grant if I allow his prized possession to escape.” He replied, a look full of sorrow and regret on his face.
“Whatever your requestis, I can grant it.” I reply desperately.
“Only the Alpha of the Werewolves can accept my request.”
I knew then and there that all hope was lost. I was going to be captured by Asher once more, and there was no telling what he was going to do to me this time. I kicked, clawed, and threw my head at the man, trying everything I could to escape his grasp, but his body didn’t even move. He held his position like a wall made of stone.
“Ahh Marques. I see you’ve found my treasure.” Asher smiles, walking towards us, his stride demanding power,
“And what a beautiful treasure she is Asher.” The man, I now knew was named Marques replied.
Asher’s eyes gleaned, his face curled into a wicked smile.
“Perhaps, I can give her a spin when you’re done with her.” Marques replied staring hungrily at me.
“By the time I’m done with Mary, there will be nothing left of her.” Asher growled, fire burning in his eyes.
“Well then, by all means keep her.” Marques replied handing me over to Asher, a look of regret on his face as his gaze met mine once more, “I’ve come to discuss more urgent matters, than that of a woman.”
“Very well Marques.” Asher replied, his voice no longer laced with contempt, “Wait for me in my study, Mary and I have some unfinished business to attend too.”
“I have no business with you!” I yelled spitting in Asher’s face, causing him to release me from his grasp, once again reminding me of how bad he was at this holding a person captive job.
This time however, Asher recovered far to quickly. His hand latching onto my wrist as he pulled my body up against his. “Spit in my face again, and I’ll have you flogged and strung up for all your citizens to see you.” He growled into my ear, his body hardening against mine, causing bile to raise in my throat.
He started to trail his lips over my ears and down my throat. My body stiffening with fear. I couldn’t escape his grasp, I wasn’t strong enough. His hands started to roam my body, gliding across my stomach and up to my breasts, before firmly grabbing them, palming each of them in my hand. Tears started to slowly pour down my face, as I lost the will to fight. I began to wonder if I would ever be in the arms of my mate again, and if I found myself there would he consider me damaged goods because a wolf touched me.
Asher’s lips stop on my neck, right in between my jaw and my collar bone, sending chills down my body.
“No matter where you go, I’ll always be able to find you now your highness.” Asher hisses, before burying his canines in to my neck. My skin feels like it is on fire, a hot burning sensation running across my entire body. My vision becomes cloudy, fading in and out, the pain to intense for my body to handle.
“That’s it, good girl, close your eyes.” Asher whispers his grip on my body not loosening.
I try my hardest to fight through the pain, not wanting to lose consciousness, but my attempt is futile. The pain is too much. My eyes close, they’re to heavy to open now, however I haven’t fallen into a slumber ye,t I can still hear the conversations around me.
“You marked her?” Marques asks, disgust in his voice.
“Yes.” Asher growls, “And what does it matter to you, fish boy.”
“She has a mate, she’s already marked and mated.” Marques spits.
“And?” Asher questions, “What concern is that to me?”
“Your mark could kill her.” Marques states, his tone laced with discontentment.
“Good, it’ll save me time on having to do it later.” Asher replies, “Nikolai will have felt that bite. He’ll be in even more of a hurry to find his mate now.” Asher chuckles darkly.
“Goddess help us if she dies.” Marques replies, his words being the last I hear before I fall into a deep slumber. Asher’s poisonous mark, flowing through my body.
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Marques was starting to irritate me, my blood boiling with rage as he looks at me with discontentment in his eyes. Every once in a while he’ll steal glances towards Mary as we walk towards my study. Whenever he looks at her his eyes are full of pity, plus something else. I want to say guilt, but what does he have to be guilty for. He didn’t put Mary in this predicament, the only thing he did was hold her until I could catch up. That is the only reason I was allowing Marques into my study. I already had a feeling on what he wanted to discuss, but I loved watching people grovel. Especially merpeople. They were the weakest of the shifters, having to return to the water every night as their body forces them to shift into their mermaid form.
I already knew what Marques wanted. A small girl had been picked up by my scouts about a week ago. She hadn’t shifted yet, so her mermaid wasn’t fully present, meaning she could stay out of water. A mermaid born on land would be human until they first shifted, a merperson born in water would be born as mermaid, unable to shift into their human form until their sixteenth birthday. I could tell the girl was a mermaid just by the color of her skin. Merpeople were the only ones born with sharp bright green slanted eyes. Taking in Marques similarities to the girl, I could tell they were closely related, making me wonder if he was her father or her brother. While Marques didn’t look very old merfolks looks could be deceiving. Not that it mattered how he was related to the girl, I wouldn’t be giving her back. She would be used in the spell the witches were preparing for me. I wanted all the powers of every supernatural being. I wanted to be indestructible, the most powerful being in the world.
I had spent too much time groveling under the rule of the vampire. It was high time the Wolves took over, with me as their leader we would become an unstoppable force. With the dragons and the witches lending their support, providing me with an indestructible army. Nikolai would come looking for his mate and when he comes knocking on my door, I’ll be ready to kill him.
Marques and I reach my study in a matter of minutes, it isn’t far from the hallway Mary had run down. I open the side room to my lobby and drop Mary on the bed, injecting a shot into her arm filled with a magical potion brewed by the witches that would keep Mary asleep, allowing time for my mark to heal. This potion had the ability to weaken Mary’s bond with Nikolai and strengthen my bond with her. Soon Nikolai’s mark will leave her body, and mine will be the only one left.
Marques thought I intended to kill Mary, but that wasn’t my intention at all. Mary was a phoenix shifter, the most powerful supernatural being to exist. A power like hers couldn’t be gifted by magic or potions. I intended on making Mary my Queen. Together we would be an impenetrable force.
I close the door quietly behind me, locking it as I go into my study, Marques still looking at me with disapproval in his eyes.
“Please sit down Marques.” I state gesturing towards the seat in front of my desk.
“Thank you Alpha.” Marques responds taking the seat, his eyes not leaving mine.
His power was strong for a merman. Most wouldn’t be able to look me in the eyes. I had known Marques for a long time, but I didn’t know his background. Could he be from one of the founding families, descended from the original shifters?
“What can I help you with today Marques?” I ask studying his features a little more closely as I wait for him to speak. The family descended from the original mershifter was noted to have a small anchor shaped birthmark on them. There’s a small mark peeking behind his ear, but I can’t tell if its an anchor or not, there was no discreet way to check either.
‘Check the mergirl over. See if she has an anchor imprint anywhere on her body.’ I command my Beta.
“No one will touch my sister.” Marques hisses, the scales on his skin turning a more vibrant yellow as his mermaid tries to shift through.
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**AUTHORS NOTE** ***Thank you for your continued patience in between updates. I have been going through an ongoing battle regarding fair treatment, but I couldn't drag my devoted readers into it, while I tried to stick it to the man. I will be adding at least two more chapter by Sunday this weekend. I am currently working on updates for my other novel The Escort, but as soon as I put out two of those, I will work on the next two chapters of TVKS. I hope you enjoyed this update, and once again, thank you for your support. xoxo Marriah***