Chapter 018
“Why don’t you guys just take your shirts off for once during your training so I actually have something good to look at.” Dawn commented from her place on the ground beside the training grounds where the Alpha’s were getting ready for their training. Liv snorted and shook her head from her place on the fence next to Dawn.
“You are fourteen.” Jackson stated. Dawn’s eyebrows shot up. “So? That doesn’t mean I don’t like looking at hotness.” By the gods, this girl really had no plate in front of her mouth. A smirk appeared on his face, but was wiped off by the next words that came out of her sister’s mouth, “Don’t smirk, I said your bodies are hot, that doesn’t mean you are.”
“How can his body be hot but not he himself?” Ben asked with a frown.
“Because he is not his body, and his body is not his entire being.” Dawn said with a proud smirk. Damn, this girl was good. Liv chuckled softly as she saw the, filled with rage, gaze of Jackson to Dawn who still had that smirk on her face.
After her demand from her betrayers yesterday afternoon, she had a slow day and nothing had happened. She had gone to sleep early and had been woken up by the curling feeling in her lower abdomen, her heated body and the urge to come, which she had done in the shower. Trice. It had taken tree climaxes for her body to cool down and the urge to become more dormant. Which means it was already becoming too strong for her to ignore any longer. She truly didn’t know what she was going to do when the desire drove her mad. Liv took a deep breath through her nose and forced the fear out of her mind. The only thing she could do now was wait and see what happens when the time gets there. No matter how irritating and nerve wrecking it was.
After her shower she had dressed herself in some black jeans and a pine green long sleeve which accentuated the copper in her auburn hair.
Pine green had always been her favorite color. It reminded her of the leaves of the birch trees in Greenland, tempered with the cold of her island across the frozen lake in the winter. So, it hadn’t been a hard decision to grab that shirt.
Dawn had come in after she was dressed and asked her if she wanted to irritate the Alphas again and that was another easy decision. Now here they were and Dawn was already sending Jackson over the edge before they had even started.
“Fucking princess.” He muttered as he turned away from Dawn’s gaze and walked away. “Oh boohoo, go jerk off or something.”
“By the gods.” Liv muttered as Jackson growled loudly and turned back to her and took a few long and angry strides to Dawn. Liv was off the fence in no time and stood in between Dawn and Jackson, the latter glaring down at her. “Keep that sister of yours in check.” Liv raised her eyebrows at him. “Which one of us are you talking to?” She said as everyone here knew that the both of them were equally bad. He leaned a little more in until their faces were inches away from each other. His eyes snapped to something behind her before a smirk appeared on his face once more and his eyes snapped back to her. “The both of you.” He said before he turned away. The feeling in her abdomen almost whined at the loss of a male so close.
“He really thinks he’s so... Kerra!”
Before she even knew it, she was grabbed from behind and a needle found its way into her neck, blackening the world around her as her body went limp.
§
A hand stroked her hair as her head laid on someone’s lap. A drop of something wet fell on her cheek.
“Stop being dramatic, you knew she was here for a reason.” Luke’s voice filled her ears, even though it still sounded far away.
“She doesn’t deserve to be used by him like this!” Dawn’s voice sounded closer. Why does her body feel heavy?
“Be glad that he just took her blood and didn’t took her like he actually wanted to.” Ben’s words made her come back to the present.
Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked against the harsh light of the day. She turned her head. She was still on the training grounds. Her eyes travelled further down to her bare arm. Her sleeve was rolled up and there were multiple puncture wounds in her lower arm which should have already healed by now... Everything clicked together in her head and angry tears welled up in her eyes. King had taken her blood. He had drugged her and taken too much of her blood. Not enough to kill her, but enough to slow down her healing and make her weak. That was why her body felt heavy. That’s why she felt like passing out again.
“Look who’s awake.” Daniel commented.
She wanted to sit up, to move, but she couldn’t do anything. He must have drained her until she had barely enough blood to stay alive. “Kerra?” Dawn’s soft voice started to become distant as she felt herself slipping away again. “Kerra?!” Her voice was more demanding and worried than before, but she didn’t react. Her eyes fluttered closed and a tear rolled out of her eye as she fell away again.
§
“Has she woken up again?” Dwight’s hard voice filled her ears. The sound was distant again, but clearer than before.
“Two times for a brief moment, but she wasn’t truly awake, she just opened her eyes before she fell away again.” Rev answered Dwight, who hummed in response. Footsteps sounded towards her, before two fingers were placed on her neck. “Her pulse is normal. She should be waking up soon as her blood would have been replenished by now.” Dwight’s voice sounded closer. Her arm was picked up. “Her puncture wounds have also healed now.”
“You took too much, Dwight.” Ben said. Her arm was released and placed back where it was. “King told me how much to take and that’s what I did. It was an order. Do you disagree with our Prime Alpha, Ben?” Even though his voice sounded distant she could still hear the trap in it.
“No.” Ben answered with a tight voice.
“Good.” Footsteps walked away before a door opened. “Inform me if she wakes up.” Dwight said before the door was closed.
“Asshole.” Ben muttered.
Silence greeted her once more and she slipped back into the darkness.
§
Her eyes fluttered open. Harsh light filled them. Liv closed her eyes again, before she slowly and painfully tried to push herself up. A hand found its way to her shoulder and gently pushed her down. Her eyes snapped open and looked at the owner. “Stay down.” Caden said gently before he retreated his hand. “How are you feeling?”
Her eyes snapped to her arm and the realization of what happened came back to her. More tears filled her eyes as a lump filled her throat.
He took her blood.
King actually drugged her and took her blood like she was a fucking blood bag ready to be drained. The feeling of being weak and stupid washed over her. She should have seen this coming. She should’ve had her guard up. She had let this happen and she hated herself for it.
Overcome by her emotions, the tears fell out of their own account as she pulled her arm towards her chest.
She had never felt so used in her entire life.
She had never felt so weak.
Caden moved towards her. She immediately moved away from him. “Get out! Get away from me!” She yelled, at least as best as she could, as she met his gaze. He clenched his jaw as he held her eyes, before another tear fell which he followed with his eyes.
“Just leave me alone.” She whispered as she turned on her side with her back towards him. Liv closed her eyes and willed the tears to stop but they didn’t. She couldn’t stop.
Caden clenched his fists as he saw her vulnerable state before he got up from the bed and walked out of the room, where Rev was standing guard in the hallway. The beta clenched his jaw as his eyes travelled to the small figure on the bed before his eyes met his Alpha’s. They shared a look before Caden closed the door.
As the click of the door sounded, she broke down completely. Muffling the sounds of her sobs in her pillow she cried her eyes out. The defeat was felt in every part of her bones and she hated every part of it.
§
She didn’t know how long she laid there crying. All she knew was that it had become dark and the feeling of hunger that took over her entire body. It drowned out everything else until hunger was all that was left. Slowly and painfully, she pushed herself up in a sitting position. Her eyes fell to her lower arm again and she clenched her fist as the image of the many puncture wounds filled her mind’s eye.
She had let her guard down, thinking that King was still too focused on Finnegan. That had been her mistake. One she had paid heavily for, but not again. She won’t let them take from her that easily again. That was something she was going to make damn sure. Dwight had blindsided her and she hadn’t seen it coming, but next time he won’t have arms left to jam that needle in her neck.
They can have this victory; they may think that they have won, but this war was far from over and she wasn’t going to lay down and die.
Liv got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, she saw her red eyes and pale skin tone. Her hair was plastered to one side of her face and was a mess. She cleaned her face and hair before she walked into the room again and opened the door to the hallway. Rev’s gaze found hers as soon as she opened the door. She sighed before she ran a hand over her face.
“If you are going to give me a hard time for what I did to you, then please go fuck yourself.” Her eyes met his again. A crooked smirk was plastered on his face now. “You would think I am that much of an asshole, but I’m not.” Yeah right. The smirk disappeared as his gaze turned sour. “Besides, you just went through basically the same thing, so I think we’re even.” She rolled her eyes at him before she walked out of the room and went downstairs. Rev, of course, following her every move. Guess he was back on guard duty.
As soon as she took a step into the living area, a fast figure attacked her and wrapped its arms around her while a female voice squealed in her ear, making them ring. It took her a few seconds before she realized who was holding her and crying against her neck. Slowly the squeals of her sister turned into words.
“I am sorry! I am so glad you are awake! I can’t believe they did that to you! Are you okay?! Do you need anything? I am so sorry, Kerra!” Liv sighed as she wrapped her arms around her sister as well and hugged her back, stopping the slur of apologies and worry. Her eyes snapped to the pool table where Caden, Ben, Daniel and James were looking at them, while the others looked at her from the couches. It always baffled her how the Alphas really have nothing else to do than sit on their asses and do nothing while King is always busy. Her eyes met the gaze of a smug Dwight. She clenched her jaw and flipped him off before she slowly released herself from Dawn’s firm grip. Her sister had the same red eyes as she had. She must have cried as much as well then. Liv released a long breath as she tucked Dawns hair behind her ears.
“I’m fine, Dawn. It takes more than just some blood loss to kill me.”
“They...” Liv cut her off by placing a hand in front of her sister’s mouth and shook her head in exhaustion. “Whatever you want to say, I already know and it’s not going to change anything. Let it go for now. I’ll make them pay when the time is right.” She said as she removed her hand.
“You wish.” Dwight said. Her gaze snapped to him. “Challenge accepted.”