END ROADS

CHAPTER 43: HE OWNS ME WITHOUT THE CLAIM

Well, if I have ever been freaked out in my life, it wasn't when I was locked up in the dark basement, or stacked in a turned over car, or being tortured by a vampire prince either. It is when you are standing in the middle of a whole army, armed, strange with two injured females I the arms of their adorable males. Well, at least I adored this Grey.
"Good to see you Adrian Grey" well it was as if I was hearing it in the turned over sentence again but the man's voice made me shiver and cling onto Grey's neck. He had turned cold, his green eyes cold and dark, he showed no expression, and his breathing and heart beat almost unnoticed. He was the cold beastly vampire he was... at least I had a clue.
"I could say, am not as pleased as you are little man" Grey answered and the man grimaced his face darkening more.
"Of course you are never courteous at all, not even to your elders" the man taunted. Grey burst into laughter shaking a little
"Well, I could have considered that proposal if you were a little older than forty eight am beyond two centuries you know" he smirked... looking pretty hot when he was being the bad and nasty don't care guy.
"Heh, does that make you wiser?"
"No, it makes me a little more advantaged. At least I got the slightest idea what you look like when wrapped up in a shawl suckling and lifting your tiny limps high in the sky in satisfaction" I wanted to laugh at that but everyone else looked so serious, I swallowed it for another time. That's if we were making it out of here alive.
"Are you insulting me?"
"Don't get me wrong buddy. You said I do be courteous, am working on that by reminding you the things that make you delicate and a little cute. Friendly?"
"You are a shitty brat"
Grey smirked "I know"
"Now, business time, give me the golden rope and you can get your asses out of here without a scratch"
"And you think am gonna do that and ran off with my tail stuck between my legs?" Grey scoffed
"I would love to see that, noted down in history of the great Strong Wood" he grinned but his eyes were just hollow, dark and dangerous.
"You are not having the golden binding rope to you. You kidnapped someone's mate, used the binding magic on her drained her magic leaving her just a hollow vampire... almost human and you think am gonna get your ass off that easily. You must be sick in the head"
"I didn't scent any bond ... I mean any mating bond on her, she was just bound to a coven so I wasn't breaking anything that would be unbearable for her" he answered carelessly.
"And who the hell gave that shitty mentality? Was it David?"
Strong Wood smiled "He wouldn't mind the kind of mentality I have, Adrian. Yours pinches him a little more that he just has to grin even when he is so damn serious"
"What was that?"
"He is just so pleased that your groins scream the hell out of themselves when his daughter is close by or playing cute and lovely. Am pretty sure having her in your arms like that makes you a little bit distracted and you are only worried about her right now. Not even yourself"
grey trembled a little, a guilty expression crossed his face then it disappeared as soon as it came.
"So my dad is seriously an asshole?" I buttered out before I knew it.
"Point taken, he will be glad to hear that his only daughter calls him that. He will be so pleased you know" Strong Wood said sarcastically.
"As if I care" I rolled my eyes at him.
"Enough of wasting my time idiots, am I having that rope or after a blood bath?" Strong Wood asked with boredom.
"What do you think? You definitely know the answer Mr" Grey said setting me down on my feet facing Strong Wood.
"Three against seventy, I don't think it is a fair fight. And the Gala daughter... I don't think she knows anything more than hiding"
"Thank you for the statistics Mr Strong Wood. It will help me strategize on how am dragging you to hell"
"You are always too confident in yourself. Sadly it is not beneficial for you, you could not use it to even protect the girl you adored the most. What is the use of the ego you got?"
Grey trembled his eyes shifting into a bright red colour, his fangs extended snarling like a wild animal. Then that familiar growl emerged at the pit of my stomach as he pushed me behind him protectively. With the broadness of his shoulders and the massiveness of his body... i could barely see anything beyond him. Dom on the other side shifted shaking his hair like a lion's mane, he looked dangerous. He laid his mate just at the entrance of the cave beckoning me to look after her when they will be busy tearing throats.
"Becky, stay hidden with Elia. No matter what happens stay behind covers till everything has died down. Do you get me?" Grey hissed between his teeth. I nodded straining a yes from my throat.
"And for you Dom, I will destruct them then you will go off to the cave and get the others over here, you understand?"
"I get it" he nodded firmly his gaze on the Gala soldiers around us.
"Done reassuring your little treasure?"
Grey snorted "You talk too much" then he sped off like lightning extracting two large daggers from the bands of his trouser. Dom followed a moment later with something resembling a sword but much smaller. The tip was needle sharp and the edges...don't even talk about them they sent chills down my spine.
Not long when the brilliant white snow, heads rolling limbs scattering blood smearing. Grey looked furious, his movements graceful, his eyes burning with rage and blood thirst. A dark shadow loomed behind him spilling a cold deadly aura that scared me off even when he wasn't close at all. Dom had disappeared after getting his hands on a few soldiers and now the battle field as Grey's to dominate.
I held Elia close making her wear the hood Grey gave me since goose pumps begun tracing her skin while I was just fine. I held her close watching Grey swing his daggers gracefully, his dark hair he barely trimmed spilled on his shoulders and forehead. I have never seen him that massive and violent and beautiful at the same time. He was making me lose my mind falling for him every day, every second and my mind spanned with it but it scared me and made me smile at the same time.
The Strong Wood guy was just watching, with another lady looking like a mafia lord standing beside her. The men were too many most of them were just hovering around the circle. Some reached him with their claws and weapons but he used every movement to his advantage. But some reached him clawing his back that set my heart in raging flames. The ones who managed cuts were slit on the spot, some escaped but the more he was wounded the worse my rage became, the more I wanted to protect him, the more I wanted to join him in the slaughter the more my heart ached.
I was so dead!
The fight continued, Dom joined together with the others. I have witnessed war before with Grey using simple magic but not of this kind of war. Where watched people die, life escape from them, eyes turning lifeless, pupils dilating, bodies going limp. Blood gushing, flesh torn open to the extent of the bones greeting the air. It scared me yet I wanted to join and get Grey away from the deadly blades.
The Gala had no luck but the vampires were mostly injured but not as bad. I scanned the battle field, watching Abi, with her intricate fighting skills, Clark with his ability to cause pain with his eyes like Adelyn, then Ethan who was enjoying it as if he was dancing to a hip hop song and break dancing to it but he looked so serious and scary. The fight went on, my fear rose and rose then what I feared the most happened!
Grey was so focused on the two warriors in front of him, and furious. When he was furious... he always let his guard down, furthermore his senses were a little unreliable. Then from the rest of the warriors emerged a cunning female holding her sword high and made a hug slice on Grey's back. Blood splattered on her face as her lips curled up into a wicked smirk of satisfaction. My heart clenched, the world going still for a moment. My eyes went wide staring then they were blinded with tears. They cascaded down my cheeks watching Grey howl in pain as he slaughtered the three with one whirl bringing everyone to a halt. Then he was there, his shoulders sagged as he yanked off his T-shirt revealing the nasty cut running across his back. He staggered turning to face my direction his bright red eyes dimmed into dark holes. Then his body quivered before he went down onto his knees, head bowed. His hair spilled over his face.
I dropped Elia from my hands unintentionally eyes fixed on Grey. The familiar growl split through my stomach making me quiver screaming Grey's name on top of my voice.
I was on my feet in a second racing towards Grey, the vampire that stole my heart unintended. Anyone who blocked my way was clawed or fell by the blades of my two daggers. I reached Grey, my heart pounding hard when I heard his breathing that had now become pants of pain and agony. Tears clouded my eyes everything blurring and fading, all I could see was the one man, one male, one vampire who stole my first kiss, who stole my heart and soul without pushing and I didn't even struggle to keep sane. I walked in willingly, followed his trail till I found myself in too deep that turning around was impossible even if I wanted to.
It all felt so right, like two pieces that have been torn apart for ages finally coming back together to be as they were meant to be from the start. I could not control my tears, my cheeks were wet, tears trailing then I joined him on my knees when I could no longer stand - my knees gave away. My hands trembled as I reached up to his face to push his smooth hair back so I could see his face. His brows were knitted, his eyes hollow almost lifeless, his lips painted in blood that he had thrown up.
"Grey..." I whimpered hoarsely
He looked at me his eyes unfocussed "I told you... to... to stat at the cave. I don't want you bleeding...
"Fuck the cave while this bastards are tearing you apart." I hissed in anger "You are so stupid, you are worried about me while you are the one bleeding to death"
"Am not dying, but if I am, I am not allowing you to come with me" he stared at me lifting his trembling bloody hand to wipe my tears painting my skin with blood making tears rush more and more. He smiled displaying his teeth that were once whit e as snow now painted in blood
"Cry often, you look pretty"
"Stop messing around Grey you are hurting yourself. Stay still I will try healing you" in a snap I shifted displaying my strange features. A few people around gasped but my focus was now on Grey. He grabbed my hand dragging my attention back to him.
"You look beautiful like that... but you don't have to hurt yourself for me"
I pulled my hand away smiling at him bitterly "I wish you knew how much I can do for you" then I walked to his back, kneeling before the spilt skin too deep, too bad, too scary... heart breaking. I placed my hand near the cut, careful not to touch it that could hurt him more. I closed my eyes following the simple strategies... concentrate, focus...think and act... but it was taking too long. Why wasn't it working? As I tried to think harder and find a way to activate the healing magic a voice sounded at the back of my head taunting me.
"It won't work Becky, you are too furious, too confused, too broken, and too angry to concentrate. Activation needs concentration and you lack that. How are you going to save him now?"
My eyes shot open flames burning in them, slowly I came to my feet not bothered to find the one talking but I could tell he was somewhere behind me.
"If you want to go back to that asshole you call Gala, shut up and leave or I will tear your chest open and devour your heart while it is still beating" I growled eyes flaming more and more.
"You can barely do that, you are too fragile, too emotional and childish to even think of that. Why don't you just let me finish him off, am pretty sure he is insignificant to you and he must have tortured you on your first day of meeting? Revenge can be a good thing to name his murder and death" Strong Wood!
I turned around slowly, my arms itching even without looking at them I knew they were covered in the deadly blue flames.
"Strong Wood!" I hissed "Do you know the meaning of torture? Heh, am sure you don't, a fool will always ask foolish questions and give foolish answers to another question. If he tortured me, then the revenge is mine to take but sadly I don't play revenge games, they are pathetic and childish. If that David believes that go tell him he is the biggest fool I have ever known in this life" I spat.
"He is your father, he won't be very pleased to hear her only child saying that"
"Don't worry, I have sold him to you free of charge. At least he is good to you that you defend him that much, I don't care if I existed through him. That man made my childhood a living hell and my life a living nightmare. What I feel for him is far much worse than hatred"
"Good to know now can you step aside and let me finish off that vampire? Am not ready to walk over my master's daughter"
I glared at him, "in this case, you will have to walk over me first before you get to him" I pulled out my daggers getting into a fighting stance.
"No Becky, don't do that" Grey whimpered from behind me the growl rumbling at the pit of my belly nagging me to back off.
"If that is you Grey, just let me do this"
"You don't have to do that for me" he trembled
"And if you think dying is the only option for you, then you are so damn wrong. If you dare die before me, I will follow you down to hell and torture you till infinity" that wasn't a threat, neither was it an assurance but it was what I felt like saying at the moment.
The remaining Gala warriors gathered before me, the vampires watching in terror as I challenged around thirty warriors on my own. I attached sinking the knife on any flesh near me tearing garments and skins apart. The ones I could reach properly I snapped their necks and left their heads rolling on the snow. I sank my nails into chests breaking ribs, the sound made me tremble in violence and howled laughter's that scared me more than anyone else. I tore off hearts squeezed them in my hands till they burst splashing blood on my face. A smile curled on my lips as I enjoyed the slaughter. I was so absorbed in the fight spilling blood amputating limbs. Burning in rage and blood thirst anger and violence consuming me. I leaped on a young man sinking my nails into his throat the other hand diving into the centre of his chest reaching for his trachea and snapping it broken. My eyes burnt in fire activating the flames in my hands burning him internally. He gasped whirled under my torture, screamed and yelled... it was like music in my ears. As life escaped from him, pupils dilated and body went limp before falling off to the snow I stepped over him lifted my face into the sky and howled out like a lioness over her prey. The earth shook as I watched the remaining few with a smirk on my lips, I twisted my neck dangerously smelling their fear. Their thoughts were too loud for my dislike, can't they cork them?
"You can't run even if you want to run, this is your doom. No one messes with my heart claims to take him down and walks away alive!" I scanned all of them they turned around to run as soon as the flames in my hands intensified. I smirked going down on one knee, balling my hand into a tight fist still with the flames on it and punching down on the snow with a howl. The ground trembled the birds on trees flew off in fear. A wave like ripples spread in circular motions from the spot I had punched threads of cracks following enlarging into deep gorges as they moved and spread across the area. The ripples swept the men off their feet with the gorges wide and ready to swallow them off. I straightened looking around in satisfaction then my heart clenched all strength, power, dominance, confidence and rage shedding off then being replaced with fear, loss and grief.
The lady who had been standing beside Strong Wood all the time had jumped and swung her weight on Grey who had managed to get on his feet and they were going together down the gorge behind them. Everything slowed down, moving in a very slow pace, watching my man, m vampire, my Grey, my heart get swallowed together with that crazy lady working for David.
"GREEEEY!!!"
I raced towards them leaping after them my hand stretched out to grab on Grey's arm but I missed miserably and he sunk into the pitch black opening with me right after him mindlessly. If we are going down together, then that was fine and he had said it himself
... You only die...where I die
Too bad it was so soon, I wanted to see more of him, more of Adrian Grey and not Dermot Grey. But I guess, I was only meant to see him dark, bitter, hopeless and lonely! I wish I had met him earlier, in a better way and told him a lot of things I wanted to say to him. A lot I would love to see in him, a lot I wanted to share with him. But now he was leading the way down to the abyss and I was following mindlessly. Tears pricked my eyes again and I squeezed them shut locking the world away and discarding the key...
But then someone grabbed the keys, a growl splitting at the pit of my stomach.
Grey!
I opened my eyes quickly, meeting with Grey's that were furious, then the corner of my eye caught sight of the lady disappearing down into darkness wide eyed. We were in the middle of two walls, Grey hugging my waist while my hands rested on his solid chest covered in blood. I looked up at Grey again his eyes burning bright red...again, but he was mad... so mad at me! He shot up to the surface and helped me get on my feet, still holding me staring furiously at me. I loved that threatening look he always had when I pissed him off. I almost giggled then remembered... I almost lost this beautiful vampire.
Tears clouded my eyes for the umpteenth time, I reached out to cup his face with my bloody hand, his gaze darkened but he didn't pull away. I stroked his cheek staring up at him trying to show him how much I cared and loved him without words. I feared if it slipped from my mouth, it would be rejected or he will be gone before I held him properly. I linked my mind with his, he gave me access but he remained silent.
'Grey, I almost lost you'
He didn't answer, he just remained quiet, bending over me since he was so tall my head reaching his chest when he was standing straight. God, I feared I would never see him again. I tip toed pulling myself up to be in line with his face just a breath away noses almost touching stared into his eyes my heart pounding. Then I tilted my head capturing his mouth my eyes squeezed shut spilling the tears that hang on my lashes. I quivered pulling him in my hand sliding to the back of his neck my nails clawing into his hair dragging him closer. He didn't respond, he didn't move. He just let me do as I please and fell him here, not lost, not dead not gone from my sight. I quivered a sob breaking into his mouth then his hand found my face and he took dominance. Kissing me with his all, nit heated just displaying fear, anxiety, compassion and...loneliness. And I showed it all to him as well, how I feared he do die, if I lost him, I feared just feared that I couldn't breathe I gasped and broke off. Then I collapsed into his arms trembling and crying out all my fear, my anxiety. He just held me, squeezed me into his arms, kept me close, said nothing, and did nothing and well... that is exactly what I needed.
Dom and Abi had managed to cover up the ground again burying all the dead and the ones who fell in it away. Clark had almost fell into the gorge but Ethan and Xavier had dragged him back and had done it successfully. But he had been injured on his right thigh. He was sitting near a rock boulder waiting to heal. The entrance of the cave had collapsed covering up the cave entirely, with luck Dom had managed to get Elia out as Strong Wood and I confronted each other and had her in his arms the whole time. There were some other vampires with us that I didn't recognise and a few wolves in the circle too.

Somehow Grey had healed his wound leaving only a long pinkish bruise on his back. All that mattered is that he- we were all alive and Elia was safe!

"Where is the golden binding rope?" I suddenly asked

"I had it on my waist..." Dom paused looking at us wide eyed "it is not there"

"You might have dropped it while we were fighting" Abi suggested

"No I had all along" he answered in confusion

"Then where is it?" Xavier rumbled, I shot him a warning look and he zipped his mouth.

"Let me" I reached out for his waist sinking into a quick memory before getting off again "That bastard" I growled.

"What did you see" Dom asked, I straightened dropping my hands on my waist.

"We have been played like fools. The idiot was taunting me to distract us, he was aware I would accept a challenge from him. He was simply trying to distract us all at the cost of all his men. Then when no one had eyes on him the tattoo on his shoulder glowed, it is like a magnet and the golden binding rope appeared in his hands. He insulted us for our stupidity and teleported away just before I shattered the earth" I explained in anger.

"You got to hold your anger though, I prefer you like this rather than that blood thirst creature you became" Ethan teased magically melting the anger building in me I smiled at him.

"Busted!" Clark buttered.

"So what now?" I asked "Elia left the coven a vampire, now we are taking her back as a human"

"And worse a human with only fangs... a disgrace to a vampire" Abi added and Dom snarled.

We all sighed in unison.

"She has to be turned or we are losing her after 27 hours" Grey warned

"What?!" we all barked at him startling him a little.

"I read it somewhere, a vampire without her powers is similar to a human in a desert. She will be fine for some time then as the heat sips in she slowly weakens and finally death takes her off. So she will look fine but you never know when you will be holding a dead Elia!" Grey explained

I could feel the fear and grief from Dom, he held her close closing his eyes painfully. I walked up to where he was sitting to rub his back.

"From the time this guys came back, she is behaving like a mother hen to most of them. Am I the only one seeing that" Xavier asked Ethan.

"She is their master, just how Grey is" Abi answered to my surprise.

"How the hell did you know that?" I stood up to face her

"You disappeared when I was talking to some of my friends and I wanted to tell you a lot about the journey to find Dom. Then I couldn't see you anywhere so I followed your scent, you know your scent is... different not a typical human scent" the others nodded in agreement my jaw slacked "I heard you tell Grey everything, I was very surprised and ran off. You scared me and now that I see what you can be... you scare me more"

Everyone else nodded, then my heart sunk.

"You guys really fear me?" I asked in a small voice.

"We won't lie that we don't. But I know that rage only goes for your enemy. The problem comes in when we actually don't know how to behave around you so you don't get offended and vent your anger on us"

"Oh, Ethan" my heart squeezed seeing my friend, a massive man admitting something like that. I wanted to cry.

"And worse, we don't know what you are, honestly when you shift your features are strange. A whole new thing to a century and older vampire" Xavier said slowly.

Did I seriously scare them that much?