And Then There Were Four by Lilith Carrie
Chapter 39

How was it that my life had made the turn it did?

All I wanted was peace, and yet I was resorted to participating in a twisted society that deemed holding people hostage as a way to fix their problems.

“I already told you why. What part of that don’t you understand?” He snapped, his eyes narrowed in my direction.

“I don’t understand, why me…?” I searched for a part of him that could see reason, “I get that you have issues with them, but I never did anything to you.”

I watched as he paced around the room. The rigid stance of his body showed the frustration he was feeling. “It isn’t about that, Ivy. You mean something to him, and to be honest, I wish it wasn’t you. You don’t deserve what’s coming, but I won’t deny the joy I do have in being able to have you as mine. You’re special.”

Special? This man really had lost his mind. I was nothing special. All I wanted to do was finish school, and make an impact on humanity to help better our planet.

A simple tree hugger, as most would call me.

Sighing in disbelief, my eyes gazed towards the window. Mandy’s figure paced back and forth as she talked low on her phone. I wasn’t sure who she was speaking to, but when her phone rang earlier, she jumped at the opportunity to step outside and take the call.

“I will never accept you, Caleb,” I stated firmly, trying to show him how serious I was.

The one thing Hale had taught me was that mating was about acceptance of both parties. So theoretically, if I didn’t accept him, he couldn’t claim me, right?

At least, that was the hope.

A deep chuckle echoed from his throat as he stopped and glanced towards me, “it doesn’t matter. You don’t have to accept me, because when I mark you, it will be too late.”

Too late? What does he mean it will be too late?!

“You can’t mark me.” The statement was meant to be firm, but disbelief laced the words instead.

“Oh, I think you will replace that I can do as I want.” Caleb laughed before striding toward me, “I know that in time you will love me.”

Love was such a strong word to use, and I wasn’t sure if I even knew what love was.

“It won’t work.” I replied, rolling my eyes. “I don’t know what delusional world you’re living in, but I’m pretty sure love doesn’t exist.”

“You will change your mind eventually, Ivy.” He was confident in his beliefs that I would love him.

And his arrogance over the matter infuriated me.

“No, I won’t!” I yelled, showing him I wouldn’t back down, “Damian will come for me and there is nothing you can do about it.”

As the words left my mouth, Caleb gripped my hair and pulled me towards him, his face inches from mine, “never say his name in front of me again. He is nothing.”

A swell of fear rippled through me seeing a new side to Caleb. This was a man who wasn’t afraid to get what he wanted, and that wasn’t the same man I knew.

“Get your hands off me.” I snapped.

No matter how scared I was, I couldn’t show him fear. I had to keep myself together and wait for the right moment when I could escape. Who would have thought the sweet and caring professor I once knew would turn out to be a man of insanity?

“Nice try, but I know what’s really running through your mind. You say he will come for you, but there is still doubt lurking in the depths of your consciousness.” The smirk on his face made my heart sink.

He wasn’t wrong. I doubted whether Damian or any of them would come for me. I had done nothing but create problems for them since I had arrived. The conflict of my arrival had torn their happy family apart, and even though they were trying to work through it, I was still a complication.

“Fuck you.” I spit, showing emphasis on my reluctance. There was no way I would let him get inside my head. Even if I had doubt, I wouldn’t stay Caleb’s prisoner. I had to replace a way to break free from his hold and get my life back.

Even if that meant running forever. I would do it.

“So fiesty.” He smirked before firmly tossing me over his shoulder. My eyes widened at what he was doing.

“Put me down!” I screamed as he forced me down into the darkness.

The damp, stale stench of the basement invaded my nose, causing a sputter to escape my lips as I coughed. There was no telling the last time this basement probably had ever seen any kind of attention, and now here I was being locked into it.

“You are going to learn that when I want something, I will have it, Ivy.”

A new sense of fear swept through me, my heart racing with every step he took. There was no telling what he was really planning to do, but my mind wandered to what it could entail.

Forced mating. Unwanted desires. Caleb was a man determined to have me, and make Damian live in the same pain he had lived in for such a long time.

He quickly threw my body down upon something soft, and as I scrambled to look around, I saw the old tattered bed beneath me.

“The hell are you doing?” I gasped, as I watched Caleb reach down and pick up a steel chain from the floor walking towards me.

“What does it look like?” He retorted, “I can’t have you escaping.”

“No!” I screamed, my body scrambling backward as I tried to put as much distance between him and me. It was useless, though. Caleb snatched me by the ankle and dragged me towards him before clipping the shackle to my wrist and smiling down at me.

“Only two days left, Ivy. As soon as the moon’s high and the bond breaks, you will be mine.”

Two days. His words ran through my mind as I watched his figure retreat back up the stairs leaving me in the darkness.

I didn’t see it as I had two days left.

No, I saw it as I had two days to escape. Reaching up, I grasped the necklace around my neck and yanked it off. The once object of privacy was now my only means of escape.

I had to have the element of surprise. Otherwise, my fate would be sealed with his bite.