For All Eternity (Crescent Moon series, book 2)

Chapter 22

Sex scene isn't detailed so I left it in here.  Put *** before and after.

King Ethan Joseph Zandler

            The more I read her journal, the more I found myself pulling her closer to me. The down side for a vampire’s quick healing is all the telltales of your life become hidden.

            I knew they were going to whip and beat her, that’s what I did to Bruce. I figured they may have raped her.  It’s common for a female prisoner to be raped, by a male vampire, not humans. Obviously, burning in the sun was pretty evident and over the top.

            I never thought they’d stake her then rape her with the stakes in. I never thought they would deprive her of sleep in such a weakened state by freezing her and the repeatedly raping her. It angers me that anyone could beat someone so weak when they weren’t even around at the time they’re revenging for. She has gone through so much. It’s going to be hard to make her face those who did all this to her, but I have to. I will not leave her side once. If I have to I will hold her and let someone else pay my revenge for me. I will not make her watch, but she will be in the room.

            Maybe I’ll luck out, and she’ll want to get revenge herself. I know that is wishful thinking. She’s too timid to begin with. She’s not going to want to be anywhere near them. Maybe I should give her the choice whether she wants to see Bruce and his men from the cave tortured.

            I will make her see Alex and Andrea‘s. I know she loves Alex. How she can I don’t know. Hopefully his confessions will make her see the light.

            I held onto McKayla protectively throughout the whole day, even in my sleep. There’s no more present threat to her, but I felt the need to protect her. I woke an hour earlier than her like always. I never broke my hold on her as I laid there thinking of what to say to her when she wakes up.

            She has no reason to feel guilty or to fear me, but she does. I do want her to fear me, but not this much. I don’t want her to fear me, because she thinks I’m going to kill her. I do want her to fear me out of respect of what I could do to her if she doesn’t listen. This isn’t like the human world. Death is all around us, lurking around every corner. She needs to listen. There are too many slayers and fallen kings for her not too.

            I have too many enemies that came with my line of work. She needs to realize as long as she listens, I won’t hurt her and she’ll be safe. She needs to understand she can’t leave the castle walls when there’s a threat. She needs to learn she belongs to me, and only me, and I’ll protect with my life.

            McKayla started tossing in her sleep. She rolled out of the bed and walked over to my desk, crying. I watched her intently, ready jump at her if need be.

            “Please stop it, just leave me alone.”  She cried. Her legs were shaking from weakness.

            “Baby, I’m not doing anything. What are you talking about?”

            She grabbed my keys to the torture chambers out of my desk drawer. “I can’t, Ethan won’t let me.”  She continued to cry as she made her way to our bedroom door.

            “No, I won’t. Stop fighting whoever it is. I won’t let you get hurt,” I said, following her. I wanted to catch whoever was doing this to her in action.

            “It’s Bruce. I don’t want to face him again.”  She cried walking out of room.         Normally I wouldn’t let her leave in only my shirt, but I knew it would draw attention. Everyone would be put on alert, knowing this.