Deadly Desire

Chapter Twelve- We Meet Again

Dante pov:

What's taking so long? I should have heard from Alec again. I'm too agitated to sit down and do any work. I never anticipated this small wolf pack outsmarting my knights. I'd like to know how Alec didn't recognize he was being monitored; he's my best knight.

He will face severe consequences upon his return. I remove my tie and release a few buttons on my dress shirt, showing pale white skin beneath. I roll up my sleeves as I pace up and down in my study. If the werewolves kill this carrier, I will personally go and kill all of them. The last I heard from my knights, they discovered the girl in an abandoned warehouse outside of town, where a wolf pack was holding her captive.

I may appear calm on the surface, but I am filled with rage, and the atmosphere around me is homicidal. My phone rings; it's Alec. "Speak," I order. "We are on our way back, your Highness; we got the girl and a prisoner." I smile vindictively, as if a prisoner about to be tortured is the only thing that will lift my spirits. "Who did you catch?" I ask him. "We caught the Alpha."

Says Alec, then hangs up. I pour myself a tumbler of whisky. Tonight was a close call; had my knight been just a minute late, she might have met a tragic fate. Moving out onto the balcony, I take a big breath of the nighttime air. You can smell the spring blossoms, and the nighttime wind feels cool and crisp on my skin. We need all of the wolf's knowledge, and it will be my delight to torment the Alpha for it.

The little rabbit is unaware that she is now mine, and I am keeping her hostage in my palace. I don't care what she wants, but I'm not going to let any werewolf touch her again.

Rachel pov:

I wake up bewildered, lying in bed. Relief sweeps over me; thankfully, I only had a bad nightmare. When my eyes focus, I realize I'm not in my bedroom at home. I'm resting in a large four-poster bed with white and gold curtains hanging around it. The white sheets are soft velvet, and the white cover is plush and fluffy. Everything looks and feels very premium.

I started to feel a little scared because this was real—I wasn't dreaming. Throwing the covers off, I hurried out of bed and discovered that my shoes had been placed next to the drawers. Pulling on my shoes, I stroll over to the door. I need to leave here and get home. I'm not sure who has me, werewolves or vampires; it feels surreal to say that, but I was totally awake when I watched them all morph.

I need to make as little noise as possible; the last thing I remember was being tied up in the warehouse, and when the battle broke out, I must have collapsed from fright. Given that whoever left me here did not tie me up, I'm assuming they're decent and will let me leave. I slowly turn the doorknob and open it, only to find a man in front of me.

I scream and stumble backward, landing on my ass. He's that man from the warehouse who turned into a vampire. "Please don't hurt me!" I shouted out. I can't believe I was already caught; I didn't even make it out the front door. He raises his hands in a surrendering gesture to demonstrate that he means no harm. "My name is Alec, and I am not going to hurt you." The man says he is tall with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. I swallow firmly and nod.

"Where am I?" I ask him. His look softens. "Please don't be afraid; you are safe at our prince's mansion, and no one here will harm you." Did he just say "Prince"? "Who is this prince, and what does he want with me?" I asked the guy. "His Highness will explain everything; I am to bring you to him; he is waiting for us; follow me, please." My best chance is to accompany this gentleman and examine the layout of the estate so that I can devise an escape strategy.

We exit the bedroom I was in and walk out into the hallway. This floor must be a sleeping space. We walk towards the end of the corridor, and each door we pass is merely another bedroom; the design of each room shows that this is a classy home. We then turn right, heading downward. The stairs are built of gray marble, split in two to form a slope down, and a large chandelier hangs in the center of the area. This seems like a ballroom, with lovely artwork on the walls. The walls are painted a gentle yellow, the windows are large, the moon is high in the sky, and the floor is made of marble.

There are three distinct corridors, and directly across from me are large wooden double doors, which I believe lead outside. I follow the guy as he walks, and he turns left into the first corridor on the left. This place is a maze, and I need to keep my calm to escape later. He comes to a quick halt in front of a door, and I almost collide with him because I am lost in thought. He knocks on the door, waiting for a response. "Enter." Says the person on the other end; wait, that voice seems familiar.

Alec answers the door, and we step in. Sitting behind his desk in his study is none other than Mr. Voss, dressed completely in black, highlighting the gold in his eyes and white hair. At the club, he tried to tell me about vampires and werewolves, but I didn't believe him because they don't make themselves known to the world. "Here is the girl as requested, Your Highness," Alex says with a bow before turning around to depart.

"Wait, don't go," I tell Alec. A loud chuckle echoes throughout the room. "Are you afraid of me?" "Little rabbit." Alec apologizes to me before exiting the room, leaving me alone with him. I blush slightly in embarrassment; I did not mean to sound terrified. This is a completely new area for me. "No, I am not scared of you!" I clapped in response.

I level him with a glare; these otherworldly beings will not get the best of me. "You should be a little human," he adds with a sneer as he stands up from his chair and slowly comes toward me, like a tiger preparing to hunt prey. I swallow hard, my heart racing. I maintain eye contact with him and step backward until my back strikes the door and there is no way out.

He corners me against the door, his height towering over mine. I had to tense my neck to gaze up at him. This close-up shows his muscles straining against the shirt he's wearing, as well as his six-pack abs. His scent of musk and amber gris wafts towards me, filling the air. He leans down on his left arm, which is against the door, and lays his other hand next to my head, controlling all of my movements.

He leans down, capturing my gaze by lifting my chin and tilting my head up. He stares down at me, his eyes burrowing into my soul. "Don't challenge me; you will lose." He grinned wickedly. A shiver travels down my spine, signaling that I might be in too deep. "That was not a challenge but a statement." Steeling my will, I refuse to appear weak; I am not his toy. "Well, aren't you a feisty little thing?" He starts laughing and lets go of me, moving towards the couch, where he sits and asks me to follow suit.

Unknown POV:

Fuck, these vampires are destroying my intentions to kidnap the girl, and all of my hard work has gone to waste. Nash is going to be enraged, and when he is, he takes it out on my lover, Amelia. I've been compelled to serve him, scouting for any potential opportunities that arise. I didn't want to give Rachel up at first because she had no idea who she was, and I became friends with her brother, who made me feel like a member of the family, but now I have to pick between Rachel and Amelia.