Captured By A Ruthless Vampire King
|26|~Bond Understood ~

Unedited.

Cyrus POV.

Still inside of Embry’s head.

Suddenly, the scene of the three she-wolves slips away before my very eyes only to be replaced with another.

I notice our new setting instantly. We are in my penthouse house during the attack that happened last night.

My monster is suddenly on edge. Something cold and heavy sinks into my gut.

Why is she dreaming about this? Something is wrong, very wrong.

My eyes immediately search for Embry. Almost, instantly I replace her.

She is standing in the middle of the staircase on the first floor searching for somebody. From afar, I can see her fear and I can feel her worry traveling through my bones.

I watch her eyes scan the room full of violence and countless deaths. Then, suddenly an imaginary force knocks her down onto her knees. I can almost feel the amount of tremendous pain that she is experiencing roaming throughout my own body.

I can feel the exact moment that a soft soul starts to roam throughout Embry’s body. Followed by, the shared bond buzzing like a bumblebee throughout her entire frame, exploring their tie as if the unknown soul feels nothing but the purest of love when it comes to Embry.

Then out of nowhere I feel the unknown soul physically being snatched away from my beloved. It literally, feels like my heart has been ripped out of my chest.

“Noooooooooo!!!” Embry’s top of the lungs scream, enters my sensitive ears as I’m forced to watch her throw her hands over top of her chest. As if it would soothe her pain, and the sad part is that I know that it won’t.

My frozen heart breaks once again.

The Pain, The Fear, The End, The Fury, and The Sorrow that she is feeling can be felt throughout my body.

I can feel all of her emotions. Every single one of her emotions.

And then suddenly I feel empty. I feel lost and all alone.No correction, Embry feels lost and all alone.

I hate this.

The emotions she is feeling is way too intense.

I watch her from afar gasp for air, shake, and then cry. She looks so broken, so hopeless.

All I can think about is running to Embry and placing her in the safe security of my arms, refusing to ever let her go. . Watching her like this, makes me feel like I’m dying.

Then suddenly, something inside of me. No correction, inside of Embry shifts.

With each passing second, a sudden heat inside of my chest increases. I can literally see every single sane though inside of her head slip away. I know that look very well.

She is losing control. Her wolf is taking over.

I stare into her eyes. This is the moment that Embry graduated from prey to predator. This is the moment that changed everything.

My chest is ablaze with hatred. Embry’s hatred. I can feel it.

Her mind is like a ship sinking beneath the intense and unforgivable waves of the vengeful sea.

I watch as Embry’s towering rage entirely takes over her body and her wolf golden eyes replaces her hazel ones. Then her neck snap back up to view the fight before her.

She is search for something, no better yet someone and for the life of me I can’t figure out why or who? Her nostrils flare widely as she takes a deep whiff of the air.

Then suddenly, she freezes and her entire frame goes stiff. I lean my head over to the side and study my beloved from head to toe.

My eyes travel in her eyes direction. She’s staring directly at no one other than Nicklaus.

Wait! What?

She is sizing him up. Why?

My head moves back and forth between the two of them.

He is also staring at her, waiting for her but why? I’m back to square one, completely lost. What the fuck am I missing?

My eyes do and quick scan and that’s when I see her. The she-wolf Kaya. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The bells start to ring inside of my head and everything suddenly clicks. Directly beside Nicklaus's feet lies the she-wolf Kaya lifeless body. He killed her. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

He killed Embry’s sister. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! That’s where I seen her face. She was lying void of life in the middle of my floor.

The very moment I put two and two together Embry charges in Nicklaus direction and my eyes snaps open.

There is nothing else that I need to see.

I understand everything. I finally get it.

My brother killed my beloved sister and it has broken her. Fuck.

The hatred that she feels for me and him is well-deserved. It’s no wonder why she tried to kill him. If I was her and one of her sisters killed Nicklaus I would want blood too. Fuck.

This shit is a fucking mess. How the fuck am I supposed to fix something like that?

No matter, what I do Embry will never heal. She will never forgive me, or him and honestly I can’t blame her.

My eyes scan over my sleeping beloved. She is tossing back and forth, still dreaming about her past.

Embry is traumatized. I pull her body closer into my chest, cup her breathtakingly beautiful face inside of my hands, and then plant another kiss her down onto her forehead. She calms down almost instantly.

Abruptly, a presence requesting to communicate with me can be felt inside of my head. It is Ravana. My eyes travel out the window and settle on to the position of the moon. Fuck, I already know what this is about.

I was supposed to meet Nicklaus almost an hour ago. I ignore Ravana's request then run my fingers through my hair. To be honest, I don’t feel like dealing with her at the moment. There is just too much going on. I’m already stressed the fuck out enough.

I feel like I’m carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Where the fuck is Speck at when I need her? That’s when another dreadful thought pops inside of my head. How the fuck I am supposed to bring Embry around Nicklaus? She would attack him on site.

Her wolf may take over... Anything can happen and the situation can go from bad to worse.

I can’t have that.

I have to keep her safe at all costs, even if that means saving her from herself. It would be smart to just take her away for a while and give her a chance to clear her head. The only issue is my duties.

Man fuck my duties.

I’ll give up my crown if that’s what it takes to keep Embry safe and make her smile. We can just run away from here and live a life that consists of me groveling to Embry and being the comfort that she needs during her time of grief. I can make her smile again. I know, I can.

She may never be the same but I can help her get back to herself somehow or someway. That’s exactly what she needs, some alone time with me. Abruptly, a presence requesting to communicate with me can be felt inside of my head and once again it is Ravana.

“Yes Ravana,” I grant her access, even though I really don’t feel like being bothered at the time. Fuck, I wish I could just disappear with my beloved and leave everything and everyone behind.

“Where the fuck are you,” she snaps through the link. Who the fuck does she think she is talking to?

“Who the fuck are you talking to? Don’t forget that you are addressing a king,” I remind her. I don’t care how much she means or meant to me. She is still my subject, not my Sunshine, or my Queen. She is no Embry.

“I know very well who I’m addressing,” she informs me. “The same man who was just begging to come to my bed not even a night ago. That’s exactly who I’m talking to.”

“Don’t mix business with pleasure Ravana,” I hiss back. “None of that matters at this point. What the fuck do you want?”

I know I’m wrong, dead wrong but my monster doesn’t care any longer. Any feelings that we thought we had for Ravana is gone, long gone.

Ravana doesn’t respond right away. I know she is attempting to process my words and I also can feel her heartbreaking through our shared coven bond. Fuck, I’m a jerk.

“Ravana,” I lower my voice, attempting to calm her and myself down. Just because we didn’t work out and will never doesn’t mean I have to be a jerk. She doesn’t deserve that.

" My apologies, I’m just stressed out,” I tell her the half-truth. I am stressed but that’s not why I snapped.

To be honest, my monster now sees Ravana as a threat to Embry. He’s just looking for a reason to end her. I can’t allow that. “Please forgive me,” I sigh through the mind-link.

“You′ re forgive,” she sighs back. I’m sure her face is all frowned up and a million and one questions are roaming through that head of hers, which is another thing that I can’t have. She is out in the field. Ravana must be on her P’s And Q’s. The last thing I want is for something to happen to her because she is distracted.

“We shall finish this conversation later,” she speaks with a wise tongue as if she is thinking the same thing that I was just thinking. “I just wanted to inform you that we are about to head out,” informs Ravana and then her presence is no longer felt.

The very moment her presence disappears my jaw clenches and I rub my hands throughout my hair. As much as I want to just run away with Embry and leave all of this behind the both of us I can’t.

At least not until I tie up loose ends. I’m the one who requested to have this war. I’m the one who has started this all. So, I’m the one who has to be a man up and deal with it.

Besides, the wolves will never allow us to just slip away in the middle of the night and live peacefully. They want my head on a platter and if they somehow replace out that Embry is my beloved they will want to end her as well, she-wolf or not and so would my own kind.

I just have to think everything through and then plan my next move. So with that being said, I have to deal with my duties.

My eyes fall back onto my beloved. Embry is still sound asleep. It takes everything in me to refuse the urge of diving back into that beautiful head of her's just to learn more about her.

But as much as I would love to I can’t. I’ve got other things to figure out like how the hell am I going to take her around Nicklaus without Embry attempting to rip his head off. This would be so much easier if she just stayed asleep.

Wait that’s it! If I was able to successfully get into her head, I should be able to compel her, or at least try to compel her to stay asleep.

I can use her moment of weakness to my advantage for one last time because it really is for her own good.

Without further thinking, I rub Embry’s forehead and then place one last gently kiss on top of it.

“Sleep peacefully, Sunshine,” I compel. “Just think about your true heart’s desire and nothing else,” I say, secretly hoping that her true heart desire is me. A man can only hope. Right?

Once satisfied, I pick her delicate frame up from off the bed and pull her closer towards my chest.

I can only hope that she doesn’t break my compulsion. I can only hope.

Embry POV.

One minute my mind is filled with the image of Kaya’s lifeless body and in the minute it’s completely blank.

Then, I feel Cyrus as he lifts me up off the bed into the safe security of his arms and I let my head fall into his broad shoulders.

His mulberry spice scent invades my soul reminding me that the smell of him is my air. I can’t properly breathe without it. He smells so good.

A sudden rush of the winter's fresh air slaps me in the face and the chill seeps through my pores. My sensitive ears detect my mate opening the door to a car and I can feel the moment that he slides inside of the car. I try to open my eyes but I can’t because I simply don’t have the energy.

To be quite, honest I really don’t want to. I’m still tired. So, very, very, tired, like how I imagine another she-wolf would feel after she delivers a litter of ten pups. That’s exactly how I feel.

I don’t care how dramatic it sounds. That is the truth. Cyrus sits me in his lap and tangles my body into his arms as the car speeds off. My body is basically balled up in a protective ball.

Cyrus being the protector.

My mind starts to drift and I start to wonder where we're going but then I don’t care.

I’m too tired to care. It’s comfortable inside of his arms. I’m safe. Now, I know that sounds crazy after everything he put me through but that is also the Goddess honest truth. I feel safe and secure. Plus, his wondrous, masculine, and well-known scent is my air in real life.

It’s one of the key factors for my survival. My head rolls to the side and I feel him cup my face with his rough but yet gentle hands. Then, he spreads his delicate figures soothingly throughout my messy hair and places gentle but also firm kiss down onto my forehead. I melt.

My body temperature increase almost instantly, giving me a fever that is so hard to bear. An electrical fever. I’m burning up and the only person in this entire universe that can cool me down is him.

Cyrus. He really doesn’t understand the effect he has on my body, and he never will.

I shouldn’t even be thinking like this or about him but I can’t help myself. No matter, how many times I try to focus on anything else I can’t.

All I can think about, see, feel or even smell is Cyrus. It’s like my heart is craving to be touched by him. I’m such an idiot.

The sudden sound of the car engines pausing interrupts my thoughts.

“I killed her to protect Claire and I will do it again.” I hear someone yell, sounding pissed.

Who is Claire?

“I couldn’t care less about how you feel,” the voice adds in.

“Brothers!” says Cyrus as the sound of the window rolling down can be identified. Followed by the feeling of fresh winter air once again smacking my face.

Wait? Brothers? I didn’t know he a brother, let alone two, or more.

“Commander Vlad has picked back up on the trail,” my mate gets straight to business.

“He’s in the Northern forest. He has seen human footprints and can smell the were-bitch stench.”

So his brothers are in the business of hunting down my kind as well. Of course, they are!

They are related to my mate. I try to open my eyes just to tell him about himself and irk his nerves but apparently my eyes are glued shut and no longer works.

To further elaborate they refuse to open no matter how many times I try.

So, I just give up. I don’t have the energy for this shit.

Suddenly, the car door opens and the scent of burning cedarwood and expensive cologne is blown into the car, along with the wind. It’s one of them.

A vampire and it kills me to admit that it smells good.

I release a deep inner sigh. So Cyrus really does have a brother or brothers.

“She is your beloved isn’t she?” Cyrus's brother interrogates. Wait. He’s must be talking about me. He knows. That’s not good. Cyrus doesn’t want anyone to know about us. Which means he will most likely kill to keep his secret.

I’m a strong believer when it comes to my mate’s predator side. I know he will kill anyone or anything that gets in his way. I saw it with my own eyes. Now the only question that remains is will my mate kill his own flesh and blood to keep his secret?

Of course, he will. He is a monster.

You were just in lovey-dovey land with that monster I remind myself. True, but that doesn’t change anything. He is still a monster.

All of a sudden my heart rate increases in speed. I can only hope that he doesn’t kill his own brother because of me. I wouldn’t be able to live with that.

“Claire is also your beloved isn’t she?” my mate answers a question with a question, in the vampire native tongue.

Romanian.

Why is he speaking in Romanian? Oh, right my mate must know that I’m eavesdropping and he doesn’t want me to understand what he’s saying, but thanks to my father I do.

Most of the wealthy vampire houses originated from Romania, so my father thought it would be a brilliant idea to teach my siblings and myself their native tongue and for the first time ever.

I’m grateful that my dad was so adamant about us learning the complicated dialogue.

I can speak and understand multiple languages thanks to my dad.

However, the vampire native tongue was less appealing to me only because it is hard as fuck.

I’m not as fluent with the language as my father wants me to be, but I can hold a conversation in the language if need be.

I may sound like an American speaking broken English but still... I can process and speak simple dialogue.

Cyrus's brother doesn’t respond right away.

I take a second, to interrupt their brief conversation.

Cyrus asked him if Claire was his beloved. Who is Claire?

Hopefully, Cyrus brothers actually loves his beloved.

“When I raided one of the Northern Villages. I was doing what I do best.” suddenly explains my mate, sounding guilty.

He should sound guilty.

“I killed with no mercy. I even set her hut on fire. I don’t even think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself. I almost killed her. I almost killed my own beloved,” he declares and then suddenly I feel bad.

He sounds so, so, broken......

“Don’t beat yourself up over things you can’t change, brother,” responds Cyrus's brother. “You didn’t know.”

I can feel his eyes move in my direction and linger. “She is a strong little wolf,” he admits.

“She fought against me with great skill and no fear,” he says, officially taking my breath away.

“She is a strong little wolf. She fought against me with great skill and no fear,”

The only vampire that I’ve ever attacked was the one that attacked...

Oh, my Goddess!

That can only mean one thing. The vampire inside of this car is not only Cyrus's brother.

He is the foul creature that took away her life.

Kaya’s life.

He’s the King Of All Vampire Kings, Nicklaus.

Nicklaus is my beloved brother. The man that took Kaya’s life is my beloved brother.

They are bonded by blood.