Vampire King Chapter 25

The Pain of Dying Prematurely
The Pain of Dying Preamaturely
Emory
Jacob’s pale skin catches the moonlight as he comes toward me, his pace surprisingly human now, a bit cautious. I can’t anticipate what he’s waiting for, but I wish I knew. Maybe then, if I had some kind of an inkling as to what he’s up to, I would be able to do something to get away from him.
My eyes immediately go to the library floor below me, but it’s so far. Even if I had my wolf, which I don’t, I am pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to make that leap and walk away unscathed. I wouldn’t mind breaking all four of my limbs if it meant getting away from Jacob, but there’s no point in contemplating something ! can’t do anyway. I can’t shift, and if I did, I would just be easier for him to catch with four broken legs.
Vampires can easily leap down from heights of this distance with no problem whatsoever.
Me, in my human form? Nope.
Still, he feels the urge to say, “I wouldn’t even think about it, b**h. You jump down there, you’re just going to die a more painful, slower death.”
I know he’s right, but I also don’t want to let him kill me, I think I can fight him. I fought those three guards in the feeders’ dungeon, but he is probably more skilled than they were. After all, he’s likely participated in battles, or at least trained for it, and those guards had not. Didn’t Jacob say something the other day at dinner about killing wolves?
“Stay back,” I warn him, stepping out of my heels. “I will hurt you.”
“Oh?” he asks, his eyes dropping to my feet. “Are you going to throw more of your death-shoes at me?” He snickers, and when he opens his mouth wide, I see that his fangs are already beginning to elongate. They must be two or three inches long already. I don’t remember ever seeing vampire fangs this long, and they’re continuing to grow.
“No, I’m not going to throw my shoes at you. I don’t need to.” I’m still trying to sound tough. “I took on three trained guards in the dungeon the other day. I can handle you.”
That chuckle resounds throughout the library again, but this time, he’s not the only one laughing, and behind his shoulder, I see Opal appear. She’s wearing an evening gown, likely the same one she wore to dinner early, and she looks more like she’s on her way to a ball than to murder me.
I know that I’m screwed now. She may look like an untrained, domesticated housewife type, but I’m sure that’s not the case. Besides, she has the natural fighting instincts of a high-born vampire.
I’m not going to give up, though. Maybe if I stall long enough, someone will hear the commotion and come to help me. I’m not above actually screaming for help. I don’t want them to see that I’m afraid yet, though. So instead of yelling. I knock over a bookshelf. It thunders to the ground and shakes the entire loft. I do the same with one of the chairs, throwing it between us.
Both of them are amused. “That’s a nice try,” Opal says, “but it’s not going to work.”
I have my back to the window now, as Opal stands between me and the chairs, and Jacob is between me and the railing. He must think there’s still a chance I might jump.
An idea sparks in my mind, and without hesitation, I try it. Picking up a lamp off of the table in the reading nook, I throw it at Opal a hard as I can.
+25 BONUS
The Pain of Dying Prematurely”
She’s not fooled this time. Her hand darts out, and she catches it before it can hit her. She nonchalantly tosses it over the railing, and it shatters all over the floor. She seems confident that the noise won’t alert
anyone.
The guards that patrol this part of the castle have all been paid off,” she explains. Taking a step forward, she says, “No one is coming.”
My eyes widen as I realize she’s telling me the truth. What am I going to do?
“It’s one nark, b**h werewolf against three vampires,” Jacob says. “I think the odds are in our favor.”
“Three?” I repeat. That’s when I realize there’s another vampire on the floor near the first bookshelf, the one closest to the balcony. I can barely see him from back here by the window, but I don’t have to see
him to know who it is.
Lex.
Kane and Rainer had said he would be willing to help me, that I could count on him. Maybe he’s just falling prey to peer pressure at the moment.
I’ll try anything.
“Lex!” I s
shout. “You know that your brother is going to be furious when he finds out about this! You can’t let this happen. It’s your duty as next in line for the throne to obey the law of the land!”
Opal giggles. “No one is going to find out that Lex or either of us had anything to do with this, silly little b**h. We’ve already got our cover up plan in place. When they find out what happened to you, the guards who are responsible will be easy enough to track down, Jacob will be f**king his maid, maybe his butler as well, and Lex and I will be in bed together, our naked bodies wrapped in the sheets.”
My mouth drops open as I realize what she’s saying. She’s sleeping with Kane’s brother-Lex is sleeping with her.
He won’t help me. Why would he? He must have feelings for this insane woman to be sleeping with her.
“King Kane is smart. He’ll figure it out,” I tell them.
“Is he as smart as you are?” Jacob asks, pulling a red piece of paper out of his pocket. It’s the same kind of paper that they used to lure me here, and I have to wonder if they haven’t done something to try and trick Kane, too. Maybe he’s far away in another part of the castle, thinking I am waiting for him or on my way to meet him.
No, he wouldn’t fall for that, and they are not st**pid enough to try that. Jacob is just trying to make me feel s**d for falling for this.
Well, I’m too busy being scared to feel too st**id.
If I’m going to make a move, I have to do it now. I dart toward Jacob, getting Opal to move that way. Then, I loop around and head for the ladder. I think Lex will let me go if I can get down, but Opal is there, her hand rushing out to reach for me. She grabs my arm and yanks me back. I throw an elbow and hit her right in the chest. Wincing, she loosens her grip, but by then, Jacob has me by the other arm.
They’re not holding me the same way those idiot guards had me: I can’t swing my legs over the top of them. So, instead, I kick. I bring my leg back into Jacob, aiming for his groin. He side steps and twists my
#25 BONUS
The Pass of in Frematurely
arm behind my back hard enough that I hear the bones snapping
Pain consumes me as my arm shifts out of its socket can’t think about anything else as the blinding fury lashes up my arm. But then, I remember that if I don’t fight, I’m going to die. I try to kick him again, but he has my leg pinned between his now, and it’s like trying to draw my thigh out of a vice
It’s not budging
I turn my attention to Opal, but she’s got my other leg. It’s like they’ve done this before.
Her fangs are a good four inches long now, and I know this is it for me. They will drain me dry, killing me
within a few minutes.
“Help me!” I scream. Lex, please! Kanel Nellie!”
I am still screaming for all of the people I can think of when I feel the piercing sting of Opal’s teeth sinking into my skin. She’s tearing into the flesh between my neck and shoulder. A moment later, I feel the same horrid sensation near my jugular.
I try to scream, but I can’t. No sound will come out of my mouth as Jacob rips deeper into my throat. The only noises I am able to make now are a wheezing sound when I inhale and a gurgling sound in the back. of my throat
It all seem to be happening so fast and yet in slow motion as well. As the blood rushes out of my body. my limbs begin to grow cold and tingly first. Then, I feel as if I am no longer connected to my body
My brain takes a bit longer to fade as a flood of memories fires off in my mind’s eye. I see my grandmother before she passed away, baking cookies in her kitchen, and everything smells like warm, chocolatey goodness.
I see my mom in the back garden of our house, a bouquet of purple lilacs in her hand as she talks about how the garden is coming in nicely this year.
My brother and I are tearing through the woods, racing, trying to see who can get to the swimming hole fastest, both of us dreaming of the day when we’ll be able to do this as wolves.
Our nanny is holding Lola, all wrapped up in a pink blanket, a huge smile on Corinne’s face as she shows me my baby sister’s scrunched up, red face. I kiss her on the cheek and promise her, “I will always protect you, Lola.”
Friends from school flash by in waves, some standing out more than others.
Darius, his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he asks me if I think it would be a good idea for the two of us to go to the school dance together-since we are going to be ruling the pack together one day. I accept -for that reason only.
I’m standing in a throne room, nervous, waiting to hear what my father is about to say, when the most enchanting man I’ve ever seen steps before me, and my eyes lock on his. I never want to look away.
Kane is on top of me, looking down, passion flickering in his eyes as he assures me with just one look that everything is going to be all right, that he’s about to make love to me because he cares about me; this isn’t just sex for him.
A scream breaks loose from my throat as everything fades to black around the corners-the bookshelves, the sitting area, the window, the moonlight….
+25 BONUS
The Pain of Dying Preamaturely
“Stop! Stop right now! I command you!”
I hear a voice from below me. I think it’s Lex. But no one seems to care what the king orders, so why would they care about the prince?
And then, everything is dark, and cold, with just a haze in my line of sight, as if I’m floating through a dark sky in a bank of clouds.
I am falling. The sensation of the floor rushing up to meet me penetrates the darkness. I can do nothing to stop myself from falling, just as I can do nothing to stop myself from dying.
I want to say his name one last time, but I have nothing left.
There’s nothing left.