Chapter 13 : Blood on the Marble Floor

*Gemma* He was only six feet away from me. I could hear his heart pounding in his chest. Fueled by what emotion, I couldn't tell. But of course, Connor could too and interpreted it wrong. "Alright, enough staring," he barked, jerking his head back. "They're mine, so don't let your lower brain think." I forced myself not to wrinkle my nose in total disgust at the comment. "Give us a fake name at least," the Alpha sighed dramatically. "I like to address my prisoners by their birth name. It makes things more… intimate." "Darian works for now," the male said. "Darian. Clever thing thinks he can fool me with a Niburgh name," crooned Connor, patting "Darian's" cheek aggressively, making him wince and groan in pain as the slap aggravated his injuries. My body tensed further. Raisa was squeezing my wrist so hard it hurt. But I knew if she didn't keep me in place I would do something stupid. Connor looked and sounded crazed, breathless as if excited. "Have you ever heard of the kingdom of Moonwake, Darian?" Darian didn't react. "I've heard of it, yes, Connor." Connor slapped Darian so hard that he spit blood when he cracked his neck to the side. Raisa pulled me back just in time to avoid it splattering me. "Do not call me that, you filthy mutt," Connor snarled. Darian, his hands still forced to be at his sides, had no choice but to let the gushing blood run down his face and drip onto the floor with little patters like raindrops. The acrid smell of it started to fill the air and burn my nose. "What can I call you then?" he rasped. "I thought you wanted intimate?" The Beast's jaw worked again. I heard his teeth grating together. "'Alpha' will more than suffice. Now, answer my next question with the state of your body in mind. I don't mind hitting hard enough to knock out a tooth or two. I can add it to my collection." My gaze went to the bands of canines strung together on his upper arm. "What do you know about Moonwake, hmm? Enlighten my girls. Especially this Eastern sea-lover." Darian glanced at me again, but this time only a safe second before looking back at Connor. "It was the greatest pack in the West." "An objective opinion," Connor mused. "I certainly didn't think it deserved to be." "Why is that?" asked Darian casually. "I noticed you called it a kingdom, not a pack. Is Hazel Coast not considered a kingdom yet?" Connor scoffed a laugh. "Semantics are my favorite topic. For the smoothness of the conversation, sure, let's refer to it as that to appeal to your inflated ego. Clearly, you were a fan. You know, those pacifists had naturally white hair? Quite like yours, coincidentally." "What a coincidence indeed. There were a lot of outlying packs that did, too. Snowkeep, perhaps? Do you remember them before the sacking?" Connor quirked his head in thought. "I might have heard of them. I can't remember if that was me or just a name I heard when Syrus went on a rampage in that area. All the conquering over the many years, you know, all the names and places start to blur together. So I would like you to refresh my memory. Who was the Alpha of Moonwake?" Darian mimicked Connor's thoughtfulness. "Adelio, I believe? It's been a long time for anyone. Twelve years or so? Half someone's lifetime. You killed him, I'm pretty sure. His entire family. Him, his Luna, and his, what, five pups?" "Seven offspring," Connor corrected snappishly. "And several have escaped those same violent deaths. So, as you might have already guessed, I have reason to suspect you are what they have been calling 'the lost king.' One of the last surviving members of the Liviana dynasty." "'The lost king.' That's an admirable name. I would love to be dubbed that. Unfortunately, I lack the skills of a leader, my parents having been born humble and poor. I am a brother of two sisters who perished under your rule as well." Darian's voice suddenly darkened. "Their throats were torn out. A favorite punishment of yours." "How tragic. But how do you know it was me and not that bastard Syrus? He sharpens all of his teeth if you didn't know. A bit of a savage, don't you think? He could have easily—" "If you know your rival so well," interrupted Darian, "his death signature is a slashed throat. Ironic, don't you think?" He was the bravest wolf I'd ever seen, I realized, reeling from his death wish by sarcasm. Who else in the East or West would stand up to Connor Herrick, much less speak so flippantly and live longer than two minutes? And seemingly having held his own against not just Connor but Cillian too, based on their bloody faces. He was walking on such a fine line. Connor had kidnapped and brutalized him instead of killing him, so who was he expecting him to be? Connor grabbed Darian's face between his hands and headbutted him so hard that skin broke and bled on both of their heads. He released Darian, and when he prodded the new injury with a clawed forefinger, Darian cried out and fell to his knees. I felt a bolt of lightning forked through my heart, fraying the edges of the ribbon around it. "My lord." The other girls flinched at Raisa's sudden command. "Release us from this barbarous nonsense. It's not good for the soon-mothers." Connor stood there panting and bleeding. He whipped his head toward Raisa so fast I heard her heart lurch. But her expression remained steadfastly firm. His blazing gold eyes flicked down to notice her holding my wrist, then up to meet my face, lingering for a moment—I made sure to keep my gaze on him and not on Darian curled in a ball on the cold, bloody marbled—then to Raisa, and then to the line of harem girls trembling. I heard sniffles; some of them might have been crying. Connor showed no hint of remorse. I doubted he had a single fiber of it in his body. He blinked as a trail of blood made a thin streak down his temple. "None of you want to see this traitor's true identity? You don't want to know if he is the enemy I have been chasing for the past decade?" Connor took two storming strides toward Raisa, who merely lifted her chin in faint disgust when he stopped with two inches between their faces. "You don't want to watch me break him? If you do, I would consider your proposal." Raisa's heart skipped a beat again. She hesitated; that meant she considered it. Whatever this deal she wanted to make with Connor, one that was her breaking point to escape Hazelsone, she was desperate for it. She merely said, "I will stay. Let the girls go." Connor's smile was bloody, too. "Agreed. The rest of you—out! Now!" They didn't need to be told twice as the others fled out of the open doors back into the safety of their rooms. I belatedly realized that I was technically one of "the rest," and even though Raisa shoved me from behind, I forgot to move. Connor was quick to snap his gaze at me. "You want to see how I torture my enemies into getting what I want, Gemma Brooks?" Darian collapsed onto his side with a pained grunt. "See?" Connor chuckled darkly, still holding my gaze. "I'm already making headway. You seem awfully pale, Easterner. I hope you do not have a weak stomach." Connor waved a hand; his Epsilon closed the double door, locking me and Raisa inside. "Let's test it. Help Darian here up onto his feet. Show me your loyalty to me and me alone." Connor grabbed my elbow and yanked me away from Raisa in one easy jerk. He ignored Raisa's gasp of protest. "Get your hands dirty, Gemma. Blood is a little slippery, so make sure you get a good, firm grip. And pull with your legs, not your back. I can't have you injured. I'm going to bed you before lunch tomorrow." My mind was chanting, no, no, no, no, intermingled with every swear word I knew. I tried to dig in my heels, but that didn't work so well barefoot on a blood-soaked floor. I wasn't afraid of blood, but I didn't want to cover my hands with it. That would have been my hesitation in a normal situation. This was not a normal situation, and I realized I wanted to run and throw myself onto the floor to save Darian, but I couldn't be too eager; Connor would use that against us both. "How cold of you, Gemma," he barked when he noticed my resistance. "I figured you would have enough compassion to fall to your knees and help him." Well, that backfired. Connor released me with a shove. I slipped and indeed fell to my knees; they both cracked but didn't break, and I cried out in pain. "Connor!" Raisa shouted in shock. "Gemma—" A harsh slap echoed into the air. I gasped and spun to see Raisa collapse to the floor as well, hand to her cheek that Connor had cracked a hand across. I didn't see a sign of blood. She forced a smile. "I'm okay," she said quietly. "Goddess help me!" roared Connor suddenly. "How did I come to be surrounded by bleeding hearts?! Raisa, I expected you to have lost your compassion years ago. I thought you were on my side." "I am, my lord," Raisa said elegantly, looking up at Connor as he turned his back to me and Darian. "You are my master, my keeper, my savior…" I used the chance she gave me to turn back to Darian. Fully aware of Cillian and the Epsilon's attention on our every move, I put one hand on his shoulder and grasped his forearm with the other. "Are you okay?" I breathed. He lifted his head warily. His eyes were no longer clear and sharp, but they still widened when he found my gaze. "Your name is Gemma," he croaked so quietly that only I could hear. I nodded once and swallowed threatening tears. "Yes. How did you get here?" "I think that's fairly obvious." I ignored the jab as well as the stench and feel of blood when I struggled to get a good grip on him as my body protested. "Get up. Come on, you can do it. You have to do it." He moaned in agony, but I could tell he was doing his best to drag himself onto his feet. With his arm slung around my shoulders, I used every ounce of my strength—which was pathetic—to support him. Finally, we were both standing, and when I craned my neck up to see if he was alright, I found him smiling at me. Smiling. At a time like this. It sent a shiver down my spine—it was the same one as in my dream. The warm, kind, thankful smile that I only imagined, and yet here it was in reality. And I made a grave mistake by smiling back.