SWNOVELS Chapter Masters of Manipulation
" I am tired of your failures,” Samara scoffed. " That foolish vampire went to kill that girl and got himself caught.”
" That was unexpected, Mam,” Archer said in a soft tone.
" Do not try to defend your incompetency,” Samara spat, and Archer shut his mouth. " This girl is proving to be a major hindrance, and did you say she knows how to trap me with the help of her mates?”
“Y-Yes Mam,” Archer whispered.
Samara was furious. Archer winced when he felt a wave of pain go through his entire body. He fell on his knees and begged Samara to stop. The pain subsided after a few minutes of agony, which felt like a lifetime. Archer was breathing heavily, trying to gather himself. He stood up and said in his most respectable tone. ” I-I have a plan, Mam.”
" What plan?”
" Adele is not in our control, but Chris is. Moreover, he can be easily manipulated.”
Samara was quiet for a few seconds, and then she chuckled evilly. " I like that. Do you know what you have to do?”
" Yes, Mam. I have already thought about it.”
" Fine,” Samara sneered. " You do what you can, and I will show him a nightmare of my own.”
A ten-year-old Chris was in the forest with his Mom. She was not her usual loving self; rather, she was forcing him to put his blood on the stone, threatening him with a silver dagger. Suddenly Chris was an older Chris, and his mother transformed into Adele.
Adele smiled at Chris lovingly and shoved the silver dagger towards him. ” Put your blood on this moonstone. Together you and me can rule the World.”
Chris was startled. ” What are you saying, Adele?”
" I want to be a powerful woman. With Samara’s help, I can achieve that.”
Chris backs away from Adele in disgust. ” I knew it. You are no good. I should have never trusted you.”
Adele sniggered. ” When did you ever trust me? You and Liam have only used me for your own benefit. Did you think I would sit down and take all your bullshit? I will show you your place.”
Chris was shocked at Adele’s behavior. He had never seen her behave so cruelly. Adele then turned around and went towards Liam, who was lying unconscious on the floor.
" Liam...” Chris said, worried, and approached him, but Adele stopped him. ” I have poisoned him. I will give you the antidote if you put your blood on the stone and free Samara.”
Chris was furious. He held Adele by her throat and threatened,” I will kill you.”
Adele struggled to breathe but managed to say, ” K-Kill me, b-but if I am d-dead, Liam will die t-too.”
“F**k,” Chris cursed and loosened his hold on Adele, and she coughed and tried to get some air into her lungs.
" How can you poison your mate?” Chris asked with hatred in his eyes.
" When have you two ever considered me as your mate? Why should I think about you? I want my revenge,” Adele screamed.
Chris suddenly opened his eyes, expecting Adele to be in front of him, but all he could see was the ceiling. He wondered where he was, and then he remembered everything. He was lying in a cellar, his hands and legs bound to the wall with chains. He couldn’t move an inch as he had been injected with a drug that rendered him paralyzed.
Chris didn’t know how much time had passed since he was locked in this dungeon as he was constantly being given the sleeping or the paralyzing drug. How he wished he could move, he would have broken the chains with his bare hands and killed everyone who stopped him. He moved his eyes around and realized he was in a different cell now. Why was he moved? He concentrated on his surroundings and tried to sniff Liam’s scent but couldn’t get any. Hope he was okay; he was too worried for Liam.
Suddenly he heard a commotion. His prison door was opened, and a person fell to the ground with a thud. He could immediately recognize the scent; it was Archer. Chris tried to look, but they were out of sight.
He heard the sound of chains moving, and then Archer yelled, ” What are you injecting me with?”
" It’s a sleeping drug. It will take effect in a few minutes, though you wouldn’t have needed it. You can’t even land a good punch,” the rogue mocked. After making sure Archer was bound in chains, the rogues left locking the gate.
" Chris...” he heard Archer say, his voice laced with worry. Chris tried to move but failed miserably.
Archer couldn’t help but smirk, seeing Chris so helpless. Just two more days, and then he would be dead along with his best friend and that pain in the a*s mate. Now was the time to show his best performance. Archer made a look of fake concern and approached Chris. ” Chris... Are you alright?”
“I am okay, but I can’t move as I have been drugged,” Chris said. ” How did you get here?” Chris looked at his friend, who was bruised and bleeding all over. ” What happened to you?” he asked, shocked.
" I came here to rescue you, but the rogues caught me,” Archer said sadly.
" Did you see Liam anywhere?”
" No, Chris. I hope he is fine.”
Chris shuddered at the thought of Liam being hurt, but as Chris was still alive, he was confident that even Liam would be safe. ” How did you know about this place?”
" I was searching for you from the day we were attacked. I happened to see the rogue who had hit us and followed him here.”
" Why did you come alone?” Chris snapped. ” You should have informed Trevor and Dalton and got them along.”
“Trevor and Dalton?” Archer scoffed. ” They have no power whatsoever; now your Pack belongs to your mate, the great Luna.”
" What do you mean?” Chris asked, confused.
" I approached your Pack for help, but Adele didn’t even listen to me. Those witches have brainwashed her.”
" How do you know about the witches?”
“I have researched a lot about them. Do you know Sybil’s ancestor was a member of Samara’s coven?”
Chris was surprised to hear that. ” Yes, Chris. Not only that, they were an avid follower of Samara. It was Sybil who helped the vampire brothers to get hold of the moonstone. Do you think they would have managed to get the magical stone without the help of a witch?”
Chris was taken back to the time 15 years ago when the vampires attacked them on their trip. The moonstone held great magical power, and obviously, a witch’s help would be needed. ” Where are the witches right now?”
" They are with Adele at your pack, with your pups,” Archer said and internally smiled. He knew the mention of their pups would surely hit a sore spot.
Chris tensed up. ” My pups?” What if they are harmed?
His negative thoughts are interrupted by Archer. ” I tried to explain to Adele about the witches being evil, but she seems adamant. She refuses to hear anything against her friend and her Mom. I hope history doesn’t repeat itself.”
Archer eyes Chris keenly and notices his expression. Though Chris couldn’t move, his face turned white. Archer was satisfied as his words had an impact on Chris.
Chris’s heartbeat was racing, and he thought about the nightmare he had a few minutes ago. Was Adele being influenced by the witches again? What if they use her to force me to free the evil witch? But Adele is loving and caring. She doesn’t seem the type to hurt someone.
" Was mom not loving and caring?” his wolf Conan replied. " She gave birth to us, but still she betrayed us.”
“Don’t you trust your mate?” Chris asked his wolf.
" I don’t know, Chris,” Conan signed. " I don’t know what and whom to believe anymore.”
Archer was proud of his performance. All those beatings and wounds he inflicted upon himself have not gone to waste. He knew it would be easy to manipulate this fool again. Now he had to use his trump card.
" The biggest concern now is their current plan.”
" What is their plan?” Chris asked.
" You must have realized by now that you have been kidnapped for your blood?”
" Yes, I guessed that.”
" You already know that your blood can free Samara from her trap, but there’s another catch to it.”
" What is it?”
" You also have the power to trap Samara back in the stone.”
Chris felt a ray of hope. ” Are you sure? How do you know about all this?”
“The rogue I followed, I found him because I was keeping an eye on Sybil. The moment you were kidnapped, I knew it had something to do with these witches. I heard Sybil talking to the rogues about Blood Moon day.”
" Blood Moon day?”
" Yes, it’s two days from now. On Blood Moon day, Samara has planned to blackmail you into putting your blood on the stone.”
" Is that why they kidnapped Liam?”
" Exactly, I think they knew you would do anything to save him.”
" I can’t let him die, ” Chris answered sadly.
" Why do you think your Pack has not yet come to save you?”
" I am sure they must be looking for me,” Chris said.
" Then why have they not found you yet? Even I managed to find you, then why have your pack members not come yet when they are far more capable than me.”
Chris didn’t know what to say to that.
" During my research...” Archer yawned and continued. “... I found an interesting thing. It was your ancestor Christian Black who trapped Samara in the moonstone.”
" Yeah, I know that.”
" Do you know how he did it?”
" No.”
" The Moon goddess has given the power to the Black bloodline to control the moonstone. With the right ritual, you can easily trap her back in the stone on a Blood moon day.”
" Then why is Samara risking to perform the ritual on a blood moon day? She could have chosen any full moon day to get released from her trap.”
“You are right. It was Sybil who suggested it. Sybil convinced Samara if she is freed on a Blood moon day, then nobody can trap her again, but that is far from the truth.”
Chris raised his eyebrow, and Archer said, ” The truth is, the person who traps Samara on a blood moon day has the power to control her. Why do you think Christian Black was so powerful? He could control Samara and make her do whatever he wished.”
“I don’t understand. According to what you say, if I trap Samara in the stone, then I will be able to control her?”
" Yes.”
" What will Sybil gain from it?”
" She will get her revenge.”
" Revenge?”
" Sybil’s family has been supporting Samara for ages, and after Samara was trapped, the witches and whosoever were associated with Samara were shunned by the entire supernatural community. Sybil wants her revenge from them all.”
Chris scoffed. ” Do you think I would help her with that? She would be a fool if she thought so.”
" No, you won’t do it, but your mate can surely help her.”
" What??!!”
" Adele is your mate, and your soul is connected to hers, so even she has the power to do it.”
Chris was stunned. ” You mean she can trap Samara and control her too?”
" Yes, Chris.”
" F**k,” Chris cursed and closed his eyes in despair while Archer gave a victorious smile.