Love Bite Obey

Chapter 10: Alarm

Author's Note: Two chapters were published today, so be sure to read Chapter 9 first (and the Chapter 8 rewrite too).

My mouth hangs open in shock. Rahlan just killed a man like it was nothing. It was so fast that I didn't realize what was happening until it was over. He made it look effortless. Spending all this time with him, pushing him as much as I do, I forget what he's capable of. He's a lord who has led many men into battle, a soldier who's fought his whole life. While I've seen the scars on his chest, I'm only now wondering what he has done to the men who inflicted those wounds. When he has a goal, no one will stand in his way.

Before I have enough time to process the situation, the rope on my wrists goes taut again, jerking me forward. I run after Rahlan, following him up the stone staircase. We don't stop on the second floor, continuing straight to the top one. Living in castles his whole life, he knows exactly where he's headed.

Upon reaching the top floor, we hurry down a passage, screeching to a stop at the final door. Rahlan twists the handle, but it doesn't open. Without hesitating, he steps back and kicks the door with his sword still in hand, ready to fight and kill any guard on the other side.

There's a crack, but the door remains up. Rahlan steps back and kicks again, shattering the bolt and nails out of the door. It swings open, and Rahlan charges in.

My rope lays loose by my feet. Expecting a fight, Rahlan dropped it so that I could keep myself out of danger. He's out of my sight, and the air is silent. I expected to hear rushed footsteps or the clashing of swords, but there's nothing. The quiet atmosphere feels surreal after Rahlan's murder and the rush up the stairs.

I slowly step through the broken door. Rahlan's standing in the middle of an empty bedroom. His shoulders are low, and his sword is pointed down like he's barely hanging onto it. He's looking over a large empty bed with dull gold sheets. On the right stands a wooden chest of drawers and wardrobe, and on the left, two large doors open up to a balcony.

"Rahlan?" I call.

"This is her room," he says with his eyes still on the bed. "She should be here."

Wind blows through the open balcony doors, tugging on the decorative material around the bed's canopy. The sword is shaking in his hand. He's afraid – afraid that he's failed, that Mia's death is certain. The idea of Rahlan being afraid feels ridiculous. Even when he fought Ivan, he was arrogantly confident until the moment he passed out, like he was sure of himself and that he had control of the situation.

I touch his arm, and he looks at me. "We'll find her," I say.

He nods. While he may not be certain of his ability to save her, I am. If I was trying to rescue someone important to me, Rahlan would be the first person I'd want on that mission.

A footstep breaks the silence, and our eyes both jump to the balcony doors. A blond-haired vampire man is standing at the threshold, frozen in surprise. He's wearing a white shirt and pants that are decorated with thin gold threads, an outfit only suited for indoor use. The most striking thing about him is his lack of a weapon.

"Who's that?" I whisper.

Rahlan marches towards the man.

"Wait-" He raises his hands and steps back, but Rahlan's grip on his clothes cuts him off. Rahlan twists him around and shoves him backwards into the bedroom.

The man stumbles back and hits the ground. He tries to push himself up, but Rahlan's boot slams into his chest with so much force that I fear it's a lethal blow.

To my relief, the man groans and coughs, folding over to his side. Rahlan grabs his shirt and pulls him up to a sitting position, positioning the sword's bloodstained point an inch from his neck.