Any hope I had of that Silas was searching for me went up in smoke and I knew that I was on my own.

It broke my heart but I should have known better than to allow myself to fall for someone who was incapable of feeling the same way for me.

I was reminded of the man who I had first known when this had first started. I had confused the care and concern he had shown me when I become pregnant for something it wasn’t. His only concern had been the babies and not me.

He was living his life like I hadn’t meant a thing. It was the truth, even if it shattered my heart. I only had myself to blame.

I had seen things where there hadn’t been anything. It was hard to accept that he had used me like any other vampire would have. Perhaps he had treated me better than someone like Thane would have but he had carelessly discarded me when I had outlived my usefulness. He had our sons, he didn’t need me any longer.

He had never led me on, my heart had done it all on its own. Perhaps in a cruel world I had mistaken empathy for something else entirely. I had been starved of affection so it had been easy to mistake his actions.

It was the sight of two big burly vampires that brought my attention back to the present, back from the past where I had been disecting Silas’ actions.

“It’s time to get you cleaned up,” Thane’s sister announced as the guards lifted me to my feet.

I was still far too weak to walk on my own.

I just couldn’t understand why she wanted to clean me up for. None of her actions were making any sense but I had no strength to question or fight it.

The guards to me upstairs to a vast, richly decorated mansion. I’d been held a prisoner in the basement. They carried me up another set of stairs and down the passage to a bedroom at the end.

The room was beautifully decorated. The guards carried me to the bed and lowered me onto it.

“Jennifer and Agnus will help you get cleaned up,” Thane’s sister said when two female vampires dressed like servants entered when the guards left the room but stayed outside of the door.

It reminded me I was still a prisoner, even if the decor was better than the basement.

“Why?” I managed to ask, not able to understand what had caused this vast change from wanting to torture me to beg for my life to this.

It made no sense.

“We will discuss it after you’ve been cleaned up.” She scrunched her nose up at me. “I can’t stand the stench.”

She left and the female vampires helped me to the bathroom. One helped strip me naked while the other turned on the shower. They helped wash me as I held myself up by leaning against the shower.

Once my hair had been washed and I was clean they helped me back into the bedroom. They helped me dress into a beautiful red satin dress.

Why on earth were they dressing me up for? Nothing was making any sense but I knew better than to try and get any answers from the silent female vampires who were drying my hair and putting on some makeup.

Once they were done they helped me back to the bed. After they left, a guard entered and placed a glass of blood beside the table.

I drank the blood, feeling better once it was finished. I was afraid of what was to come, I didn’t believe for a second that any good was about to unfold. In fact I feared that something quite the opposite was going to happen. But I was too weak to try to escape and even if I did somehow manage to do that, where did I go?

In that moment, I felt very alone. I took a shaky breath and exhaled.

I fiddled with the hem of the dress that ended by my knees wondering who I was being packaged up for. Like Thane’s sister had bluntly said before. My only use was to bear their children and fight their wars.

I certainly wasn’t being dress to fight so that led me to the only other option and that scared me more than the torture she had inflicted on me before.

It didn’t take Thane’s sister long to return. She entered the room I felt a moment of panic of what was going to happen but I pushed the fear back down to catch my breath.

“Much better,” she murmured as she surveyed me. “That’s will be sufficient.”

I frowned. I felt like I was being treated like an object and not someone who had feelings. The most important thing was that I lacked any control over my life and what happened now. I was at the mercy of someone who hated me for the actions of her brother.

“I have a surprise for you,” she said with a smile.

I fisted my one hand, trying to stave off the panic that spiked in me. My body was too weak to run or try to escape. I was left with no choice but to wait to see what surprise she had in store for me.

She looked to the door and Thane stepped into the room.

My mouth opened in shock and horror. This couldn’t be happening.

“But…” I couldn’t even form a sentence. My mind couldn’t process what my eyes were seeing.

“It’s not possible,” I managed to whisper.

Thane smiled, the same cruel one he had used before he had attacked me in the clinic.

I was in danger, more danger than I could comprehend. Death or being tortured was better than anything Thane had in store for me.

“Oh but it is, very possible,” Thane retorted as his eyes swept over me. I could see the hunger for me in his eyes and I wanted to be sick.

“How?” I managed to whisper, my mind still reeling from what I had seen happen to him to him standing before me without any injury or pain.

He had been enclosed in a coffin with a silver dagger in his heart, how was it possible he was here?

“I have friends in very high places. Besides, due to certain events my punishment didn’t seem to be necessary.”

What did that mean?

“Silas took you from me, but you are mine now Avery.”

I trembled inside, my hand went to my chest. As a sire I had been taught not to show fear and to face every dire situation head on. But this one I couldn’t. I didn’t want to face it at all. I wanted to run and hide.

“No on will ever take you away from me again,” he promised.

“Talon has informed me that you are weak so it will be a few days before I will be able to seal our union.”

Seal? I knew what he was implying by the word, it only took the way he was leering at me to know what that meant. It was revolting.

Talon smiled beside her brother. They were both sick individuals.

My only reprieve was that I had a few days to try and figure a way out of the situation or I would be forced to be with Thane. I couldn’t even think about it. Just the thought was enough to make me physically ill.

“We shall allow you to rest, but I will be back to check on you.” Thane came up to the side of the bed and touched my face. It took everything I had not recoil for fear of his reaction.

Memories of the beating he had inflicted on me was enough to keep the fear of what he was capable of fresh in my mind.

“My sweet Avery,” he murmured.

I held my features stiff until he lowered his hand.

He departed with his sister and I was left with the knowledge of what was to come.

Once Silas had saved me from him but he wasn’t here to save me now. There was no one to stop Thane.

Even I couldn’t stop him.

This couldn’t be happening. I wanted to wake up in that very moment and be relieved it was just a nightmare. But I didn’t wake up and the nightmare continued.