Tempting Darkness
Chapter 4

Aleera

For three days, I sat in this cell. No one came except one man. He brought me a bottle of water and some bread, but that was it. Every morning like clockwork. They hated me, but I didn't care; the feeling was mutual. Yet, despite my hatred for the men that killed my family, I didn't think they would do this to me. Yes, I ran, but I had a good reason for not being with them. Did they honestly think I would go running into the arms of my parents' murderers?

I should have chosen the werewolves. At least I wouldn't have suffered this misery. Stupid mistake, Aleera. I was f*****g stupid for calling on them. Hearing the steel door groan as it opened, I looked over to see the man of the morning. He walked over, his back ramrod straight. He bent down, placing a metal plate on the ground that held three slices of bread.

"Are you trying to anger them?" he asked, speaking for the first time in three days. It speaks! I thought dryly. I was beginning to wonder if he was mute and was waiting for him to bust out some miming. It would have been nice to have some entertainment. He growled when I ignored him. He growled like some savage, making my head turn to glare at him.

If he wasn't one of my mate's minions, I would have appreciated the conversation but since he was also helping hold me captive, I couldn't care less about his words. He had brown hair to his shoulders and even darker pitch-black eyes. His scent told me he was a were-fae; he had Lycan blood running through his system. That and the black eyes were a dead giveaway.

They looked nearly as eerie as Darius, but nothing made my blood run colder than Darius's demonic eyes. I blinked at him before turning back to the wall that had captured my attention, and I continued to count the bricks on the wall; it had become some kind of game-that and counting the smears of blood.

"You are asking for trouble. Just be happy they let you live. Not eating will anger them, and if you don't eat or drink soon, I will be forced to tell Darius," he said. The man didn't look that old, maybe in his late twenties, around my mates' ages. His tone revealed that he thought I was some naive girl who ran into trouble and was brought here on a whim.

"Answer me, goddammit. If I have to go up there and tell them, they will probably order me to kill you, so please eat. I don't want to be responsible for your death. I have enough blood on my hands," he muttered the last part more to himself, staring at his clean hands like he could see the blood that stained them.

"Death, now that sounds appealing. Bring on the grim reaper," I told him.

"I am being serious. They... they will hurt you. Do you have any idea who they are? What Darius is capable of?" he asked.

"What's your name?" I asked him.

"How can she still not know?" I thought I heard him mutter.

"After three days now, you choose to speak to me. Were you told not to talk to me?" I asked, and he looked away. So... he had been told not to converse with the enemy, I chuckled to myself.

"What's so funny?" he asked before chucking a water bottle at me. The bottle rolled across the ground, and I was almost tempted to drink it. I licked my cracked, dry lips, my tongue so dry it felt like sandpaper. My throat was raw, but if they intended to keep me here forever, I would rather starve to death and put myself out of my misery. I was doing well so far. Nearly seven days total without food, three days without water.

It shouldn't be too much longer if I could hold out a little longer. Thirst would kill me quicker than starvation, and I guessed that if it were hot down here, dehydration would have killed me by now. But it turned out it was like an igloo down here, so it was taking a little longer than I had predicted. Lucky me, I thought bitterly.

"Nothing. You worry about telling Darius that I replace it funny, is all," I told him.

"Why would that be funny? They will kill you. No, they will force me to do it, and that's worse."

"Why is that worse?"

"Because I don't want to, that is why. You may have a death wish, but I don't like killing people. I have seen enough people die, and I am not someone who enjoys killing."

I snorted before coughing on my laugh. "You hate killing people, but you are a were-fae. They love hunting and slaughtering. I was nearly dog food before they brought me here."

"I am not a monster, and I sure as hell didn't ask to be down here with you. So, please drink at least, so I don't have to tell them. I would rather you stayed down here and away from everyone than up there with-" He didn't finish what he was going to say; instead, he looked toward the door.

"How about you tell them I am eating and drinking like a good evil minion, and they will be none the wiser?" I told him, rolling my eyes.

"I can't do that when they ask every day about you, so if you die and they replace you, they will blame me for not telling them."

"Instead of asking you, they could check for themselves, so run back to your master," I told him, shooing him away with my hand, the movement taking way too much energy than it should.

"You have no idea. I warned you," he said, rushing out. I sighed, reaching for the drink bottle and tossing it through the bars so I wouldn't be tempted to drink it.