The Captive Series 1-5 Read online

  It didn’t matter how much she longed to stand up to this imposing, overbearing, pitiless creature, to do so would only cause problems. Especially since, if his looks and words were any indication, he was a prince in his own right.

  Aria had heard rumors there were four brothers and two sisters. She’d also heard there were three brothers and no sisters, or even five brothers and three sisters. The gossip about the royal family swirled outside the palace towns, with the rebel camps knowing even less about them. Aria supposed that was the way the royal family liked it, where no one knew anything about them for sure, and they couldn’t be entirely pinned down.

  She wondered which of the brothers was older and would one day rule the kingdom. She supposed, in her situation, it didn’t make much of a difference.

  Her prince remained silent, his indifference causing a small twinge in her chest.

  Had she imagined the growing bond between them? Had she chosen to believe he might be starting to like her? What other reason could there be for taking her on a walk today? Why else would he have been teaching her to read? Had she been that gullible?

  Of course, she had been, she realized. Utterly exasperated with herself, she forced her head back down. She was nothing to him, she never had been, and never would be. She’d known he was only toying with her, stringing her along to make it hurt more in the end, and though he probably wasn’t done playing his game, she was.

  Her fingers clenched as she took a deep breath and fought to restrain her temper. She wasn’t angry at them, she wasn’t even mad at this whole awful situation, but she was infuriated with herself.

  She was a fool to let her guard down, a fool to think she was anything more than a backwoods, disposable girl to them. Except, she was more than that, they just didn’t know it.

  Her father was a leader, a ruler in his own right. In her world, she was an outstanding hunter and a strong warrior. She didn’t have Daniel’s knack for making strategies and creating plans, nor did she have William’s charismatic ability to rouse people to battle, but she was quick, strong, and highly adept in using multiple weapons.

  Yes, she may be a nothing in this world, but in her world, she had many different talents and abilities that were greatly admired. In her world, she was something; she was loved and respected.

  And she missed it fiercely. Heat colored her face; suddenly feeling homesick as she remained expressionless beneath this stranger’s cruel perusal of her. She wanted so badly to be free of this room and to take back the last five minutes. She wished she’d never come out here, wished she’d slipped away before either of them noticed her.

  This was better, she decided, it was much better this way.

  She’d spent the last couple of weeks in a kind of suspended dream. She had been trying to deny reality, but now it was staring her in the face, and it was as grueling and cruel as always. She’d known food, opulence, and cleanliness here, but that was little compared to the respect and unconditional love of her family.

  “Perhaps, when you are done with her—”

  “I do not think so, Caleb,” the prince said forcefully.

  Caleb’s face twisted into a malicious smile. “You plan on using her until there is nothing left?”

  “I have not decided.”

  Aria shuddered in horror at the words. She forced herself to keep her head down, afraid if she looked at either of them she would start screaming and never stop. She fought the urge to tell them how awful they were, how wrong and horrendous and cruel their world was.

  She wanted to scream at them that she didn’t deserve this, that her people didn’t deserve this. She wanted to tell them exactly what she thought of them, but that would only guarantee her death.

  She would show them she was more than nothing and something special. To do that she would have to get free of here, she would have to be the first blood slave ever to escape the bonds of their master, and she could do it somehow.

  “Leave us,” her prince commanded.

  Aria glanced up, Caleb was still inspecting her as if she were a side of beef. She hated the leering gleam in his eyes; it reminded her of the creepy little vampire who first claimed her.

  “Now!” her prince barked.

  The prince had never raised his voice at her. He had been overbearing and pushy when she first arrived, but he’d never yelled at her. Fresh indignation washed over her, but she buried it beneath her growing fury and sense of betrayal.

  She managed a brief nod before turning on her heel; she forced herself not to run as she hurried from the room. She didn’t want them to suspect how infuriated she was.

  Chapter Eight

  Aria stayed mostly in her room for the next few days, she didn’t bother the prince, and he didn’t bother her. At every meal time, trays of food would be sitting outside the door for her. She took them because not doing so would be foolish.

  She planned to attempt an escape, she would escape, but to do that she would have to be strong. Food was necessary for that.

  The only company she had was Maggie; though the girl was always polite to her, they had little to say to each other, and Aria didn’t trust her. On her third day of imposed solitude, the prince came to her room, but she ignored him by pretending to sleep when he opened the door.

  On the fourth day, Lauren arrived.

  Aria was stepping out of the shower when she spotted the blonde in the bathroom, clothes in hand. Aria froze at the sight of her. Their gazes locked for a poignant moment before Lauren turned and left the room.

  It couldn’t be a good sign she was here today instead of Maggie. Aria grabbed the towels Lauren left behind, dried herself quickly, and wrapped the towel around her.

  She moved warily to the dressing room in between the bathroom and her bedroom. Lauren’s hand was resting on the back of the chair as she waited impatiently for her; a cruel smile curved her full mouth as her gaze perused Aria. Aria would have been happy never to see this girl again, and it was more than apparent Lauren felt the same way.

  “Where is Maggie?” Aria inquired.

  Lauren shrugged absently; she lifted the brush, twisting it within her hand as she eyed Aria maliciously. “I don’t know; the prince has requested my services from now on.”

  Aria’s hands clenched. This was just one more way for him to humiliate and put her in her place. He was punishing her for locking herself in her room to hide from him, and he wanted some reaction from her.

  She wouldn’t give him what he wanted as she vowed to take this punishment without protest. She could take whatever he, and Lauren, threw at her.

  She didn’t look at the girl as she settled into the chair before her. When Lauren began to brush out her hair, she pulled so sharply at it that she tugged strands of it from Aria’s head. Unable to keep herself from wincing, Aria didn’t utter a complaint.

  Lauren smoothed her hair out, then grabbed some of the barrettes on the table. Revulsion slithered through Aria at the bite marks marring the pale skin of Lauren’s wrist and inner arm.

  The hateful blonde leaned close to her ear. “The prince was exceptionally hungry this morning.”

  Aria froze, unable to move or blink as the implication behind those words sank in. No matter what Lauren did to her, no matter what happened within these rooms, it wouldn’t do Aria any good to tell the prince about it because Lauren was his mistress, and the one he fed on. He wouldn’t believe anything Aria had to say, especially not when it was about the woman who provided for his needs.

  Though revulsion filled her, she was ashamed to admit that realization caused an odd twinge of betrayal in her. She detested him; she reminded herself sternly. She wouldn’t allow herself to be jealous of his relationship with Lauren because she despised him.

  She should be relieved he hadn’t turned to her, that he was going to other women, but she wasn’t. Why?

  She may not understand her strange reaction to these circumstances, but she was beginning to understand Lauren’s intense dislike of her. She wa
s threatened by Aria’s presence in this place, threatened by whatever it was the prince intended with Aria.

  What Aria didn’t understand was what she was doing here. The prince had someone to sustain and provide for him. Why was she here when he hadn’t even once tried to feed on her? Was she merely here for his enjoyment? For him to torment?

  She knew the vampires were brutally cruel and indifferent, but this was the first she’d heard of this sort of treatment of a blood slave.

  Then again, she’d always assumed a blood slave was drained and tortured physically. Perhaps they were also mentally assaulted and played with until they lost their minds and had to be destroyed because they went stark raving mad.

  Aria shuddered at the thought seconds before a barrette jabbed roughly into her scalp. She shot Lauren a dark look, but her protest and irritation died out as she saw the malicious gleam in Lauren’s eyes. A sinking feeling filled her as she realized it wasn’t only the vampires here who were cruel, but also the humans.

  She was completely at Lauren’s mercy, a fact driven home by the sharp stab of the next barrette.

  Aria withstood it all through the next few days; she took the handfuls of hair she lost in silence. She remained quiet through the skin pinching, jerking, pulling, and shoving it took for Lauren to get her into clothes that fit perfectly once on.

  Bruises marred her skin from her chest down, but for some reason, Lauren didn’t touch her face. Though she was in pain, Aria wouldn’t give Lauren the satisfaction of her tears. She still hadn’t seen the prince, but she would be damned if she let Lauren report back to him that she’d been reduced to tears.

  Instead, she kept it all inside, letting her resentment fester. She used every abuse to fuel her rage and fan her drive to escape this place. Even when the stake wasn’t on her, she always kept it nearby, and there had been a few times she’d resisted the urge to shove it through Lauren’s cold heart. She wouldn’t waste her opportunity on Lauren though, no matter how much she despised the girl.

  She continued to remain hidden away, but if she were going to have a chance to use the stake against the prince, she would have to see him again. She couldn’t bring herself to approach him when he was here, and he hadn’t returned to her room. She had to stop being such a coward.

  Today, she promised herself as she stood beneath the warm water of the shower, hoping to ease the ache of her taut and bruised muscles. Today, she would stop hiding and face him again. Today, she would start playing the game once more. It was the only chance she had of ever regaining her freedom.

  She was climbing out of the shower, unaware anyone else was in the room until Lauren shoved her. Her knees smacked off the marble floor which stung her palms and bruised her hip. One of her ribs gave way with a sharp crack as her ribcage connected with the corner of the shower stall.

  It was the first time a cry of pain escaped her, but she wouldn’t let it keep her down. Gritting her teeth, Aria cradled her bruised side with her hand as she pushed herself up. Gingerly, she rose to her feet and glowered at Lauren.

  She’d been trampled by horses before; it had hurt worse than this, but not by much. At least then she’d rolled under most of the horse’s hooves, and it was quick. Now, she was on a constant collision course with the woman torturing her daily.

  She didn’t know how much more she could tolerate before she snapped and pounded the girl into a bloody mess. Though she was beaten, and now also broken, Aria was confident she could still take the blonde and just as certain she would face immediate death for her actions.

  She was beginning to think death might be worth it if it meant getting to a little revenge on Lauren. The only thing holding her back was she planned to exact revenge on all of them, not just the bitch before her. She was going to show everyone she was more than the simple-minded, weak blood slave they believed.

  Aria held her ribs as she defiantly met Lauren’s smug smile. She walked into the dressing room, trying not to cry as Lauren pulled the strings of her dress harshly. She ignored the tray of food outside her door, preferring to curl up in bed as she attempted to fight off the agonizing pain crushing her chest.

  It didn’t help that she couldn’t get the dress off because she couldn’t work the horrible ties free. For the first time, she didn’t bother to dig the stake out from under the mattress.

  Somehow, she wasn’t quite sure how, she managed to fall asleep for a little bit. It was dark when she woke again to Lauren’s prodding. “Get up, you lazy creature.”

  Aria bit her bottom lip, drawing blood as she held back a moan. Lauren pulled unapologetically on the ties, finally releasing the snug binds pinching her ribs. Aria sagged in relief, panting in as much air as her abused ribs would allow. Lauren released her and left the room, leaving Aria to figure out how to get the dress over her head and the nightgown on.

  It took more strength and energy than she cared to admit to wiggle her way free of the dress. Tomorrow morning, she was going to throw the thing out. It was the piece of clothing she hated most now, even more so than the ridiculous heels.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, she tried to gather her strength to slip the nightgown over her head. She could just leave it off, Lauren hadn’t bothered to help her out of the ridiculous undergarments she had to wear here, but she couldn’t bring herself to sleep in such a vulnerable state.

  It was bad enough having to wear the silly nightgown to sleep when she was used to so much more, but to wear less would be far worse. She was in constant danger here; she must be clothed to be at least a little prepared for that threat.

  Drawing in as deep a breath as she could, she knotted the nightgown before her and bit by bit, slipped her arms into the sleeves. She winced as pain shot through her battered ribcage. Struggling not to cry out, she bit her tongue as agony tore through her side.

  “Arian...”

  Aria froze with her hands were trapped inside the sleeves of the nightgown. She hadn’t heard the prince coming. In the forest, she heard a field mouse from a mile away. But here, in this strange and deadly place, where she needed her senses the most, they were failing her miserably.

  She didn’t turn to face him; she couldn’t bring herself to do so. Instead, she remained unmoving and grateful for the impractical, uncomfortable undergarments that at least shielded some of her nudity from his view.

  She kept her head turned away from him and held her breath as she waited for him to take his fill of the damage done to her before he left again. She didn’t know what brought him here tonight, not when he’d left her alone for so long, nor did she care. She wanted him to absorb whatever he could of her, and go. She had no fight in her at the moment.

  “What happened?” he demanded.

  Aria clenched her jaw as she pulled the nightgown further up her arms. She ground her teeth against the throbbing of her body. She refused to answer him or let him see she was at all disturbed by his presence.

  Suddenly, he was before her. He seized the nightgown as he attempted to pull it away from her. Aria held on, unwilling to relinquish anything to him. However, he was far stronger than her, and he wasn’t injured.

  In the end, she lost.

  She glared at him as her hands fisted impotently in her lap.

  “What happened?” he demanded gruffly.

  “Like you don’t know!” she snapped.

  His mouth compressed into a severe line; a muscle twitched in his cheek. “I wouldn’t be asking if I knew. What happened?”

  Aria refused to cower beneath the weight of his stare. “Your bitch happened!”

  Disbelief registered on his face; his mouth parted, and she felt his eyes wander over her again. It was far more of her body than any man had ever seen before, but she didn’t give him the satisfaction of trying to shield herself. He already thought her far weaker than him; she wouldn’t support his theory by shrinking from his gaze.

  “Are you talking about the girl who was here earlier?” he asked.

  Aria didn’t apprecia
te being played with. Especially not right now. She intended to go back to sleep and give her body a chance to heal before it was assaulted again tomorrow.

  “Yes, that girl,” she replied with a sneer.

  The prince’s gaze traveled over her once more and she could feel the blistering heat of his anger.

  “Why did she do this?” he asked.

  Aria shrugged then winced as she instantly regretted the action. She clamped down on the small cry that almost escaped. Inhaling sharply through clenched teeth, it took her a moment to speak again.

  “Because she can,” Aria said. “I am just a blood slave after all.”

  That muscle in his cheek was throbbing now as his nostrils flared. “You may be a blood slave, but you are my blood slave.”

  Aria refused to meet his gaze; she kept her hands folded in her lap as she focused on the back wall.

  “Stand up,” he commanded gruffly. Aria didn’t move. “Get up!”

  The words were practically snarled at her, but she still didn’t move. She’d been beaten down enough over the past week, she would take whatever small victories she could get, and disobeying him was one such victory. She didn’t think about the fact he could do whatever he fancied to her right now. She didn’t care anymore; she would withstand whatever he did to her and anything else they threw at her until she broke free.

  He made a low hissing sound, and then his hands were on her arms. She was surprised by how tender his touch was as he lifted her. He set her on her feet; his hands rested on her arms as he stepped back.

  Heat flooded her face. At least on the bed, she’d been somewhat hunched over and sheltered from him, but not anymore. She couldn’t stop her hands from instinctively fluttering up to try and cover herself, but he pulled them aside.

  Aria buried her annoyance and despair as she stood before him with her body almost entirely exposed for him to see. He didn’t leer at her, didn’t stare at her as if she were inferior to him and unworthy.

  His fingers trailed across her ribs, running over the edge of the dark bruise there. Though she kept her face impassive, her body instinctively flinched away from his touch as it neared her broken rib.