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Kiera

“I’m so glad you had room for me,” I said, opening the door to my best friend’s little black Audi. I glanced up at the house and stopped for a moment. It was old and in the literal middle of nowhere. “This is your new place?”

My bestie stepped out of the car and smiled. “Sure is. I got a great deal.”

I glanced at the peeling paint falling off the side of the nearest wall and raised my eyebrows. I bet you did. I had to admit, it was an impressive home, probably at one time. It looked to be about three stories if you counted the attic and massive in size. Something that would have housed a farmer and his large working family.

“Bex, are you sure it’s safe?”

She gave me a look, and I shrugged. “I’ve been here for six months. Everything works like it should, and no one comes out this far.”

Bex liked to be on her own. One thing we didn’t see eye to eye on, but when you grow up in the city, you tend to either go all the way to bum fuck nowhere or stay in a large city like St Louis where I was eventually going if everything went right. Just a short pit stop here in the middle of nowhere, and then it was back to a city with more opportunities for my singing career.

“Yeah, I’m sure they don’t,” I mumbled, walking up the stairs onto the porch. Bex hurried up beside me and opened the creaky screen door. She stepped inside and I glanced back to the car. There was no turning back now.

The inside wasn’t as bad as I’d pictured in my head after seeing the mess that was the peeling paint and old looking outside. Bex did a good job at decorating and painting the living area to make it more modern but still keep the older feel that she liked. The walls were painted a dark green with light yellow trim and accents. The windows were also draped in that same light yellow color. She kept the hardwood floors and added some green and yellow rugs scattered throughout the living room and dining area. Her couch was that same dark green with light yellow pillows placed at each end.

The stairs to the left were kept the same with the hardwood it originally had. My eyes traveled up the stairs and stopped when I saw the weird mirror at the top. She followed my eyes and chuckled.

“That was here when I got the place. It was too pretty to get rid of,” she said with a shrug.

I raised my eyebrows and she waved me towards the stairs. “Come on, I’ll show you where you’re room is.”

I sighed and followed her up the stairs. The minute I stood in front of that mirror, I felt a little uneasy. What the hell? I glanced at Bex. “Are you sure you like this thing?”

“Yeah, why?” She said turning to look at me.

“It’s just that it’s a little creepy,” I said.

“I don’t know, it belonged to some guy that lived out here years ago,” she said. “The locals once told me he was a weird guy that was into… things.”

“Wait, what?” I continued to look at myself in the mirror for a moment.

“Yeah, he was into magick or something,” she said.

“You mean he was a warlock?” I sighed. Bex knew I was a witch and there were others out there, but she didn’t know how deep it went. She didn’t know about how warlocks liked to keep witches and reapers in line. She wasn’t one of us.

“I guess. I forgot you were into all that,” she said. “What? Does the mirror creep you out that badly?”

“It’s just that mirrors can be portals to other worlds.” She stared at me and crossed her arms.

“Never mind,” I said and forced a smile. “I’m probably just tired from traveling.

“I mean maybe he did do some weird magick shit here, who knows.” She walked down the hallway and I followed. The rooms were good sized and they weren’t as creepy the further we got from the mirror, but there was something about it I just didn’t like.

We walked down the hallway to the very last room on the right. I stepped inside and dropped my bag on the floor near the door. The room was bigger than I expected with a double bed in the center of the room with the head of the bed against the far wall.

“This room is huge,” I said taking it all in.

“One perk of getting an older house,” she said with a slight laugh.

I glanced at her and back to the bed. It was an older style but looked like it would be pretty comfortable. She even had some comfy blankets on top, even though it was the middle of summer.

“We can go to town for dinner and then I’ll let you settle in tonight,” she said.

“Sounds good,” I answered. Honestly, it would be nice to get some time with my friend and to see what this little town had to offer.

“I’ll be ready in five minutes,” I said.

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Chapter Two

It was a nice night in town and I was happy to hang out with Bex, but when we came home the only thing I could think about was that bed and passing out for the night.

I followed Bex up the stairs and felt eyes watching me. I hesitated and for a moment, thought their were eyes looking back in that creepy mirror at the top of the stairs. I blinked a few times but the feeling of being watched was so strong. I shook it off and headed to my room.

I glanced back at Bex. “Have a good nights sleep,” she said before closing her door and I stepped back and closed mine. The room was quiet even with the window open. I guess I expected more sounds from the wildlife, but silence was all there was. It was slightly un nerving, but I pushed it away.

My body ached from the travel and the night out we just had and that bed was too inviting. I striped my clothes off and slipped on my PJ top. It was too warm for the bottoms so I left those off and crawled into the soft bed. It creaked and groaned slightly, but was so comfortable. It didn’t take long for me to pass out.

A movement under the bed woke me. The mattress shifted as it it was pushed up and let down, but I didn’t move. My heart beat out of my chest because what the fuck?

I realized I couldn’t move if I wanted to. I stared at the ceiling as a shadow with red eyes stared at me. I couldn’t make much out, but the tallness of it and the long claws on either hand. It stepped towards me and the moonlight from the window hit it.

The thing was massive, at least seven feet tall with dark skin and rippling monsters. It has a large mouth with teeth almost too big for its mouth. A long split tongue flicked out before it set its red eyes my way.

I tried as hard as I could to move, but my body wouldn’t let me. It put it’s hands on the the bottom of the bed and sniffed at my feet, before leaning further forward and letting its knee on the bed.

The creature sniffed up my legs and it’s forked tongue flicked out at my thighs, hitting my skin. I swallowed hard and waited for this thing to eat me or whatever it was planning to do to me. What am I saying? This has to be a dream, right?

It crawled further up my body, putting it’s hands on either side of me as it moved closer to my face. It stopped when we were nearly nose to nose and cocked its head, letting that damn tongue flick out and lick my face.

It leaned to the side and sniffed at my neck, its pointed teeth grazing my skin. Gently, it bit down, drawing blood and making tears well up. This was it. This creature was eating me and there was nothing I could do about it.

It gently let go and leaned back over my face and growled, its red eyes fixed on me. I closed my eyes and held my breath, waiting for it to finish the job, but nothing came.

I opened my eyes and the creature was gone.

***

I sat on the bed for the rest of the night with the lights on waiting and holding the blanket over my body. When the sunlight shined through the window, I finally felt like I was going to be okay.

It had to be a dream, right? The damn thing felt so real, all the way down to the bite on my neck that throbbed even though my skin was perfectly fine. No marks. No bites, nothing.

I absently rubbed the spot where the creature bit me or at least it seemed like he did. The moment I heard Bex open her door, I was getting dressed and heading down the stairs. I sat at the table and waited for her to sit so I could talk to her about this crazy dream.

She glanced at me before taking a double take and sitting across from me. “Are you okay?”

I shrugged. “I had a weird dream,” I said simply. “Do you ever have any dreams about creatures here?”

She wrinkled her forehead. “What do you mean?”

“Like anything attacking you or wanting to take a bite out of you?” I regretted it as soon as I said it. The words sounded so crazy.

“A creature?” She shook her head. “No. Never.”

“It was so weird. Like it was right there on the bed with me,” I said, shaking my head. “I swore it bit me.” I pointed to the spot on my neck that still ached, but there was something else underneath it I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“It bit you?” She pulled my hair away from my neck and shook her head. “There’s nothing there. Maybe you strained your neck or something and your body came up with a wild explanation in your sleep.”

“Do you see anything?” I asked, secretly hoping maybe there was something to this and I wasn’t just crazy.

She looked and shook her head. “There’s nothing there.”

I nodded and leaned back, forcing a smile. “You’re right, it had to be some crazy dream from lack of sleep or something.”

“You’ll get better sleep tonight. I don’t have anything planned,” she said with a smile. “Unless you want to go out for something.”

“No, I’m good staying in and watching a movie or something,’ I said.

“How about some coffee?” She pulled her chair out and walked away, but I still was left feeling like I was just a little bit crazy and had no idea why.

***

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. We watched a movie and ate frozen pizza. I found myself relaxing and not thinking about the crazy dream. Bex was right, there was nothing to it and I was probably just tired from the long day we had the day before.

When night time rolled around, I found myself getting really tired from being up half the night like an idiot. I wasn’t a child, but this dream made me feel like one. The fact I was worried about something as silly as a monster under my bed like I was ten or something was crazy.

I laid down and stared out the window at the trees blowing in the summer breeze. They caught the moonlight and created shadows on the floor. I felt myself drifting to sleep until a creak on the floor startled me. I didn’t even have a chance to turn my head before long clawed fingers were covering my mouth and an arm was around my waist pulling me against a hard body.

I thrashed against the creature, but he just pulled me tighter to him and slid under the bed into darkness, still holding me against him.

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Chapter Three

My head spun with the shift in energy and the grip this thing had on me. I couldn’t see a damn thing, but the feel in the air was very different from where I’d been. Dimensional travel wasn’t unheard of, but it was rare and nothing I’d ever experienced.

Finally, my eyes adjusted to the darkness, but the creature holding onto me still didn’t let me go. He kept me pressed against him as he walked through a dark looking side street. What the fuck is this a city?

I pulled at the hand over my mouth, but it didn’t move and the creature didn’t say anything. He was too strong and I wasn’t going to get free like this. The only option was to wait until he decided to put me down, whenever that was.

My eyes focused on the area around us. Maybe if I kept my eyes open I’d be able to figure out how to get out of here once I got free. It looked very much like a city in my own world, but with no humans and it seemed like very little life at all. The streets were old looking with bricks and fire for light, but the buildings were closer to what we had. They were taller in some places with what looked like several apartment types set ups. Some with lights on and others were dark.

He walked further down the street until he got to an old looking cottage. It was small and very out of place, but it had a certain charm to it. The roof was old looking, maybe made out of some kind of tin and the walls were odd looking wood I didn’t recognize.

The creature opened the door and walked inside, letting go of my mouth for a moment to do so. He closed the door behind him and walked the two steps it was to the bed and dropped me on it. I pulled myself back against the wall and glanced at the door.

He followed my gaze. “No.” His voice was gruff and surprising. I just stared at him and he stared back. “No,” he said again.

“I’m not staying here,” I snapped and he huffed.

“Stay,” he repeated. “Mine.”

“What?” I said shaking my head. “I’m not yours or anyone else’s.”

He stepped to the bed and leaned over me. “Mine.”

I kept my eyes locked to his glowing red ones. “No.”

He ran a claw over the spot on my neck where he’d bit me the night before. “Mine,” he repeated.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I snapped. My mind raced over everything that was going on. I was literally in a monster den fighting with a monster about being his property. I was a fucking witch for Christs sake. I should be able to get out of here with my magick, but here I was paralyzed in fear this thing would eat me if I tried to run.

“No leave,” he said and I sighed.

“I’m going home,” I demanded.

“Home here,” he said and stepped back. The full size of him was illuminated by the candles flickering around the little shack we were in. He was way taller than me and all muscle. If he wanted to kill me, all he had to do was flick his wrist and I’d be dead before I could say a word.

“Why?” I kept my eyes on him as I spoke.

“Safe,” he said and I kept my eyes on him.

“Why do you want me to be safe?” I shook my head in confusion.

“Mate.” He let his split tongue flick out of his mouth like he was tasting the air. “Mine.”

“I don’t understand,” I said shaking my head. “I’m fine in my own world. I don’t need your protection.”

“You do,” he said, glancing at the door. “Hunted.”

“Hunted by who?” I almost laughed at the idea. And don’t even get me started on the mate thing. That was reserved for the wolves and I was definitely not one of them.

He didn’t answer, but put a chair in front of the door and took a seat. Even if I wanted to leave, I’d have to get past him and that wasn’t happening.

I was a prisoner of a monster.

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Chapter Four

I didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep until I opened my eyes. The fact I’d been stolen in the night should have kept me up, but exhaustion had other plans. The first thing I looked for was the monster, but he was nowhere to be seen. This was the moment I was waiting for. I stood from the bed and realized there was a metal cuff on my ankle with a chain attached.

“He chained me to the bed,” I said to myself, tugging on it to see how far it let me go. I could reach most of the little cabin but was just short of the door.

I grumbled and sat on the edge of the bed, messing with it, but it was locked and I didn’t have a way to undo it. My stomach growled but I ignored it. Who knew what would happen if I ate the food here. If it was anything like the Fae stories, I’d be stuck here and never allowed to leave. Maybe that was what this creature was going for, to keep me here until I just couldn’t take it and was locked here forever.

The door opened and he walked in with an arm full of fruits, at least they looked like fruits. He glanced at me and in the light, while he still was scary as fuck, his eyes were less glowy and more gentle. The creature sat the food on the little table and walked towards me. His long claws messed with the metal cuff before he was satisfied it wasn’t going to come lose.

“Why did you do this?” I said.

He glanced up at me and then back to foot before turning and taking that seat in front of the door he liked. “Told you, mate.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, shaking my head.

“King wanted you, but you are not for him,” he said, keeping those softer red eyes on me. “You made for me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’m made for you, huh?”

He nodded. “I keep you safe.”

“Won’t you get in trouble with this king?” I kept my eyes on his as I spoke and he shifted in his seat.

“You are not his,” he said, standing and walking towards me. He towered over me before leaning down and moving my hair away from the spot on my neck where I swore he bit me. “You are marked.”

“You did that,” I said, my body heating at his touch but it shouldn’t. He was a monster. He could shred me to bits if he wanted.

“Marked for mating,” he said, dipping his head to my neck.

My breath caught and I swallowed hard. His tongue flicked against my skin and I almost lost it right there.

“See, you know,” he said.

I opened my mouth to protest, but a knock at the door brought me out of my haze.

He glanced at me for a moment before stepping back and heading to the door. He stepped outside and I caught my breath.

What am I doing? Am I that horny, like really? I straightened myself up and adjusted myself on the bed so I was further back. If he tried that again, he’d have to work a bit harder.

The door opened and the creature walked back inside. Gone were the gentle eyes I’d seen earlier and the bright red ones were back. He walked to me and undid my ankle cuff before picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I yelled, but he didn’t answer. I was once again at this monsters mercy and I was getting tired of it.

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Chapter Five

I tried to keep my mind focused with all the blood rushing to my head, but I couldn’t tell how long we walked when we hit the forest area pretty far from the city. He hadn’t spoke and hadn’t bothered to put me down as any point either, even with me hitting his back from time to time and demanding it.

“Put me down. I can walk,” I said and he huffed.

“Too slow,” he said.

“Where are we even going?” I demanded.

“Safe place,” he said. “Mating cave.”

“I’m not going to mate with you,” I said. I was getting tired of him constantly talking about it. What happened to talking and getting to know what is happening here instead of jumping right to fucking on a rock?

“You will,” he said with a slight chuckle and I rolled my eyes. Most of the fear I had when this started had dissolved, but I was still worried about getting home. This was not my world and I wanted nothing to do with it.

“You have a lot of confidence,” I muttered and felt his tongue brush against my leg, sending shots of electricity through me. The reaction my body had to him was very confusing. The day started to fade and I realized we’d been out here all night just walking to god knows where. Each step meant I was further from figuring out how to get home.

He finally walked into the opening of a cave and I watched as the rest of the forest faded away. I couldn’t see anything, but he seemed to be just fine with it. I felt him throw me down and braced for the hard cave floor, but instead I landed on a mattress of furs and straw. Not as comfortable as my bed but it was better than hitting my head on the ground.

I still couldn’t see anything, but the cool air in the cave was nice against my skin. I heard his footsteps walk back towards the front of the cave and then there was a small amount of light. He must have lit something. It got brighter as he got closer and he lit some lanterns on the sides of the cave.

“I don’t need light, but you might,” he said, peering down at me. His eyes shifted back to that gentle look they held, but he was stiff as he looked me up and down. My sleeping shirt had ripped just below my breast when he brought me to this world, but I hadn’t noticed until now. He seemed fixated on the small amount of my skin showing through.

“Hurt?” He asked.

I shook my head. “No, just a rip.”

He nodded and knelt down to me, still leering over me because of his size.

I pushed myself back and he seemed to smile, his sharp teeth showing. I glanced at them and back to his eyes.

“No harm,” he said, nuzzling his head into my neck. “Never harm.”

“You bit me or did you forget,” I smarted off and then regretted it. What if the no harm thing was only if I did what he wanted.

“Mark needed to come,” he said. “Had to.”

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked and if he said mating one more time, I was going to lose it.

“Safe. King looking for you. Can’t have you,” he said, pulling his head back and making a sound that almost sounded like purring. “Mine.”

“Someone warned you,” I said without thinking.

His tongue flicked against my neck and my whole body tingled. “Friend,” he said.

“Why me?” I asked, closing my eyes and letting that tingle spread over me.

“Made for me,” he said, his clawed hand slipping behind my back. “Mate.”

My eyes flew open. “Stop using that word.”

He chuckled and let his tongue slip down my collarbone, sending that tingle through me again.

“Wait, where are you going?” I said, breathlessly.

“Prepare mating,” he said, looking back for a moment and then walking out of the cave.

I let my head fall back and stared at the side of the cave. A part of me was wondering what the hell I was doing. This was crazy, but every touch of his tongue made me feel alive and willing to do anything he wanted, even if it was this mating he never shut up about.

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Chapter Six

I rolled over and pulled a fur over my body while I waited for him to get back. I didn’t even know what to call him. We’d just shared such an intimate thing and it still felt like one of those weird one night stands were you don’t remember their name, but this felt different. It was hard to wrap my brain around, but something like my body only wanted him and no one else would feel the same. How could that be possible when he was a monster and I was a human? Sure, I was a witch, but that didn’t mean I went out of my way to look for monsters to have one night stands with.

I heard commotion outside and sat up to see what the creature was up to, but it wasn’t him that came into the cave. I slid back, pulling the fur over my still bare legs as someone I didn’t recognize walked in.

He was clearly a human and smiled slightly when he saw me. His blue eyes locking onto mine. “There you are,” he said and glanced to the two Minotaur monsters behind him. I followed his gaze as they stepped forward and reached for me.

I thrashed and the fur fell to the ground in front of the bed. The guy realized I wasn’t wearing anything on the bottom and held up his hand. The Minotaur’s stepped back and turned to face away.

“Please get dressed, Kiera” he said, his eyes drifting down my body. The sound of my name coming from him was unsettling. “No one should see my new queen but me.”

“What?” I said, grabbing my pants and pulling them over me. “Who are you and how do you know my name?”

He smirked and motioned for his monsters to grab me again. “I’m the king of these monsters.” He stepped so close I could have kicked him, but thought better of it. “And you are going to be my queen.”

***

When his goons grabbed me and dragged me out of the cave, I tried to fight them off, but they were way bigger than I was and that asshole was right behind them. I had no idea where I’d go if I did get out of their hands. They shoved me into a car looking thing and the “king” got in across from me.

“I can’t believe Arios took you like that,” he said. “He was only supposed to get you and bring you to me.”

“Why?” I said, keeping my eyes on him. I mean, my creature, Arios apparently, told me the king wanted me, but I still had no idea why or what the hell kind of hold this human looking man had on this place.

“Because I saw you in the mirror and knew I had to have you,” he said with a smile. “You’re a powerful witch, Kiera.”

“I’m not good with anything magick,” I corrected. The last time I did anything, it was raging disaster.

“You just haven’t been doing the right kind of magick,” he said. “I can teach you and then we can rule over this place.”

“What even is this place?” I cut him off.

“This is another world created by my magick,” he said, leaning back in his seat. I think he was waiting for me to be impressed.

“And the creatures?” I pressed.

“They had a small pocket here. I just expanded it,” He said.

“So, you didn’t create it.” I crossed my arms. “I don’t want to be here. I want to go home.”

“You could have everything you want here,” He said, leaning to me. “All you have to do is except your place here.”

“You’re fucking crazy if you think I’m excepting anything,” I snapped.

“Or do I need to kneel between your legs to get your attention?” He smirked as he spoke.

I wanted to say something mean or smart ass, but my brain was so startled by the fact he knew what happened to say anything. “I know what happens around here.”

“I’d rather spend my time with Arios if I’m going to be stuck here.” I forced a smile and leaned back in my seat. The car suddenly stopped and he stepped out. He held out his hand for me to take, but I ignored it.

“You can let me hang onto you or my guards. It’s your choice,” He said, keeping his eyes on me.

I reluctantly took his hand and he pulled me out of the vehicle. We were standing in front of a large house that looked vaguely familiar. I glanced at him and back to it. “This is Bex’s house.”

“No, this is my house. Your friend just happens to live there,” he said. “Too bad she’s not a witch.”

“Is that the only reason you want me around?” I let him lead me into the home, but was not happy about the fact I was stuck with him. I couldn’t help but wonder where Arios was and if he was okay.

“Do you want me to lie?” He asked and I glared at him.

“I won’t agree to this, you know. I’m going home,” I said.

“What if I agreed to send you home. All I need is the link to your power,” he said, stopping just inside the home.

“Why?” I asked, but then the realization dawned on me. He was the warlock from the house.

“I need more power and your link will give it to me. Agree to be my queen and I’ll take you back to your world,” He said.

“What’s the catch?” I asked.

“You will no longer have access to your power,” He said. “But something tells me you can live with that.”

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Chapter Seven

I didn’t have to stay in the same room as this Monster King, thankfully. I laid in my bed thinking about the creature who took me. The one that made me feel things I didn’t think I would. Especially, when it came to something that looked less than human.

I rolled over and pulled the plushy blanket up to my face. The only way I was getting out of here was to give my power away and marry some fucking warlock. It was the best choice to go home, but did I even want to go home anymore?

My thoughts flooded my brain until I finally fell asleep, but even in my dreams, he was the only one I saw. His black form and red eyes staring at me with a hunger that was far from human. His clawed fingers sliding up my body and pulling me to him. I could feel his tongue touch my skin and send shivers through me. There was no escaping how much I wanted him.

Even when I slept.

***

I woke up to open curtains and fresh clothes sitting on a chair. These were more my style, but were also modern. Thankfully, he wasn’t expecting me to put on some fancy dress and pretend to be a princess, yuck.

I made my way down the stairs and stopped the moment I saw that man. The one who wanted to marry me and take my power. He was standing at the foot of the stairs like he knew I was coming.

“Why are you always waiting like that?” I mean I’d only met him last night. Did he stand there the entire time or what?

“I knew you were coming and decided to meet you,” he held out his hand and smiled.

I glanced at his hand and then his weird smile. Something was off. He looked as though he’d already won, even though I hadn’t agreed to anything.

“Where’s Arios?” I used my creatures name and it felt odd considering he wasn’t who told me.

“Why would you ask that?” He said, cocking his head, but still holding out his hand as an invitation.

Now I was getting worried. “You know where he is, don’t you?”

“I may,” he said.

“If you expect me to agree to this marriage thing, I need to see him one last time,” I said, crossing my arms and staying put a few stairs away from him.

He pulled his hand back and turned away before looking back again. “We can discuss it at breakfast.”

I furrowed my eyebrows but stepped down the stairs and followed. It wasn’t like I had a choice. I glanced back at the door to the place where a minotaur stood, not making eye contact with me at all. They would do what he said without hesitation and I’d be stuck here until I agreed or became someone he couldn’t use.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what was worse.

“Why do you care about a monster that snatched you from your bed?” He asked barely glancing back to me.

“Why are you so afraid to let me see him?” I countered.

He smiled slightly. “Afraid? No, just curious. I have everything you could want. What do you owe him?”

I dropped my gaze. The truth was, I didn’t know what was pulling me to him. I mean sure he’d given the best tongue action I’d ever had, but that wasn’t the only thing pulling me to him. There was something else. Something that was screaming at me to get to him, to make sure he was okay and never leave him again. “I don’t know.”

He grumbled. “Arios thinks it’s a mate bond, but we both know humans don’t have that.”

I didn’t say anything. The last thing I wanted was to get him in more trouble, but that word, mate, He called me that over and over and I brushed it off. What if this was the cause of everything happening to me? What if he really was my mate?

“I have him someplace safe,” he said. “Once we are married, you can see him.”

“That’s not going to work. I want to see him before,” I countered.

He took in a breath and crossed his arms. “No.”

“Then I won’t marry you,” I said, holding his gaze.

“Then you will never leave this place. I’ll hold you here until you marry me or you die.” He smirked. “The choice is yours.”

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Chapter Eight

I picked at the food his little Minotaur minions brought to my room after that. The idea of sitting across from that asshole made my skin crawl. Did he really think I was just going to go along with what he said?

There had to be a way to find Arios and get the hell out of here. I had no clue where we could go, maybe back to my world. There was a reason the so called king of monsters couldn’t get me himself.

I bit my lip thinking about that weird idea of a mate bond. Maybe it was like the television shows I watched and I could find him with it. My brow furrowed at the thought, but the deep aching in my gut told me I was on to something.

I sat on the edge of the bed and closed my eyes, thinking about where he could be. That ache became stronger and tears stung the edges of my eyes, but they weren’t mine. Slowly, a dark room came into view. It was dark and smelled like a basement filled with stale water. He was chained to a wall but still sitting on the floor. Arios’s head jerked up like he knew I was there, those red eyes fading from feral to gentle. The same ones he looked at me with the last time I saw him.

“Mate,” he said softly and I bent down to touch his face. I was no longer scared of what those sharp teeth could do to me. This was real. He was mine.

And I was going to find him.

***

I carefully opened my door and peaked around the corner. The King’s goons were nowhere I could see so at least I was avoiding them, but something felt different. I wasn’t sure if it was me or what, but something was different. Something was begging to be let out.

My feet quietly hurried down the hallway and turned to go down the stairs. That’s when I noticed the mirror. The same one as Bex had in her house. This had to be how this king could see what was going on in my world. He was using it to spy on me and Bex.

Bex. I hoped she was okay and not getting wrapped up in all this. That was the last thing she needed now that she found a life she was happy with.

I turned and hurried down the stairs and pushed the thought out of my mind. Bex was safe. She wasn’t a witch and this dude was interested in power, not a human and she was just that, a human.

My eyes searched the area for anyone or anything watching, but the guards were outside keeping things out as much as keeping me in. There was no way I could get past them without being seen.

I sighed and searched for that little ache in my stomach until I felt it and let it lead me, but it wasn’t taking me outside the house. No, it was pulling me to a door I didn’t recognize at the end of the hallway closest to the door.

My hand reached for the knob and pulled it gently open to find stairs. This was the door to the basement. I guessed that would make sense if you wanted to keep your enemies close but keep them out of the way. The area was quiet except for the sounds of my feet hitting the wood of the steps as I made my way down. The moment I got to the bottom, I felt him.

“Arios,” I said, stepping forward and letting my eyes adjust to the darkness.

Chained to the wall on the other side of the room was my creature. The monster that stole me from the world and now I wanted nothing more than to keep safe, even if I didn’t understand why.

“Kiera,” he said, the words coming out clumsy, but making the pit in my stomach turn to heat.

I almost ran to him and he pulled at the chains holding him steady to the wall. “We have to get you out of here.”

He pulled at the chains again, his arms flexing with the force, but they didn’t budge. I ran my hand over one of the metal cuffs and realized they were engraved with magick.

“You won’t be able to pull yourself free. They have magick,” I said and sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Mate,” he said softly.

“I know, but I cant get you out of here like this,” I answered.

“No, you mate me,” he said simply and I raised an eyebrow. “Power after.”

“This really isn’t the time for that,” I countered.

“Power break chain,” he said again, pulling his hand and making the chain rattle.

I stared at him. Sure warlocks could access a witches power if they married, but he was a monster. It didn’t work that way did it? “I can’t.”

He pulled me into his lap and held me there for a moment. “Can.” His tongue slid against my neck and the heat in my stomach radiated through my body. “Will.”

“This will free you?” I said.

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Chapter Nine

I stayed there with my head against his chest, thinking about what just happened. His clawed hand cupped my body and he stood still holding me.

He didn’t say anything as he pushed up the stairs and through the hallway, not even bothering to make sure no one was there. He’d grabbed my pants from the floor and sat me down before giving them to me. “No one see you, but me.”

I chuckled at that and weakly pulled the pants over me. The moment they were on, he grabbed me again and held me against his chest. He kicked the door where the guards were and growled at them. They looked at him and then me before holding up their axes ready to fight.

He growled again and held his hand out. The magick he pulled from me felt warm when he used it, like it was awakening inside me again and again, but it was gentle and everything he was.

The axes melted just like the cuff that held his hands while we mated. They stepped back in shock, but he just shoved them out of the way and walked into the cool night air.

“Where will we go?” I managed.

“Home,” he said simply and started running. The cool air pushed my hair into my face and I pulled it away. He was moving so fast and there was no way the King would be able to keep up. He was making sure of that.

“But he knows where you live,” I countered.

“Cave,” he said simply.

“He knows that too.” I shook my head. “We should go to my world.”

“I can’t stay there,” he said. “Must stay together or die.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but the moment I gave into the mate bond, I was giving up my world forever. The thing is I don’t think I would have made a different choice if I knew.

The moment we reached the cave, he put me down to walk in. He glanced at me for a moment and then motioned for me to go. I stepped into the dark, but my eyes adjusted and I glanced back at him.

“I can see in the dark?” It wasn’t even just that. I could see everything. The moss in the cracks, the little creatures who were trying to stay out of the way on the walls and floors and the water that I heard dripping in the distance through a small hole.

“Share power,” he said and waited for me to make the entire trip into the same area where the bed was.

“So, you can use my metal melting thing and I can see?” I asked, taking a seat on the bed.

“And strong for mating,” he said with a huge smile on his face.

“Is that all you think about?” I joked and he leaned over me, his long tongue flicking out to taste the air around me.

“Yes,” he said simply, letting his clawed hand rest against my back.

“What about the King?” I asked, desperately wanted an excuse to give myself a second before him and he would want another round.

“King can’t use. King go find another,” he said, letting his tongue glide across the side of my neck. “Safe now.”

He pulled me closer and let his teeth graze against my skin. My body shuddered at the sensation. He leaned over me until I was laying back on the bed and pulled my shirt over my head, dropping it to the floor.

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The King of Monsters

He watched through the window upstairs and glanced at the Minotaur guards he’d put in place to keep this from happening, shaking his head. “How did she find him?”

“I’m not sure,” The bigger one answered. “She just seemed to know.”

“So, maybe this mate thing is real for monsters,” he said, letting his crossed arms fall to his side. “I need another witch.”

“There are plenty to choose from,” the Minotaur said.

“No, I need one with power if I’m going to maintain my rule here,” the King said, turning to face the Minotaur.

“What about the other?” The other Minotaur said, stepping forward.

“That woman is a human. That doesn’t fit my needs,” he said, waving them away.

“That woman is a witch from an exiled family,” he said.

He cocked his head at the Minotaur. “How do you know that?”

“I can see her dormant magick,” he said. “It’s well hidden, but it’s there.”

The King stepped up to him and used his magick to push him against the door, pinning the large creature there. “Why am I just hearing about this now?”

“I hadn’t seen her till yesterday. You had Kiera then, so I didn’t say anything. I thought you knew,” he said, struggling to speak.

“You will bring me that witch.” He let the Minotaur fall to the ground. “If you try anything like what Arios did, I’ll kill you and everyone you know.” He stepped towards the Minotaur. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, my King,” he said and pulled himself to his feet.

“There will be no mistakes this time. Bex is mine.”

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