Half-Blooded | The Dark Child Prophecy Series [✔️]

Chapter 63: Run for Our Lives

"Sir, are you all right?" came Thomas's voice from off to my right after a moment of silence filled the dungeon.

There was a grunt after the sound of a bone snapping back into place came from one of the others; it made me cringe visibly.

Jason glanced away from me for a second, quickly searching out Thomas among the four guards in the cell that sat perpendicular to ours. "Yeah, I think so," he answered the redhead before looking back at me. He put both hands on either side of my neck, tipping my chin to see the red welt from Page's slap across my cheek. "You okay?" he asked me.

I winced when he ran his hands down my arms, bumping my tender forearms and wrists.

He turned my hands gently so he could look at the blistered skin that was covered in hives and sores. He growled deeply in his chest even though I nodded to show I wasn't severely hurt. "Goddammit," he hissed, inspecting my arms.

"Jason," I said, staring at his hands. When he didn't answer me, I cleared my throat again as I tried to get a hold of myself. "Jason, what about Maria? He shot her."

"I know," he replied, his voice quiet.

"He wants hybrids. He's not going to stop until he gets them," I went on. "He told me his plan. He's using me to get your throne and my D-N-A to make his army. Then he's going to use the Moon Worshippers to kill my entire family. And when they get what they want, he's going to unleash the hybrids on any remaining vampires. He's going to use the hybrids as slave soldiers."

"I know," Jason repeated, still not looking me in the eye.

"What's the plan?" Daniel asked from behind me. "Is there a way to get a message to anyone? The other alphas?"

I sighed and shifted to glance at them over my shoulder. I looked at each of the men as they sat in their cell. Thomas was sitting the closest to us in a kneeling position, watching closely for any commands. Peter was finishing putting Canaan's arm in a makeshift sling from a torn-off shirtsleeve.

"If they shot Maria, they deserve everything we can give them in retaliation. There has to be a way," the ponytailed wolf added, ignoring Canaan and Peter who were both giving him a look.

I turned back to look at Jason, realizing he was no longer holding my hands. He had his head bent down, his fists pressed into his temples. He sat there for several seconds before he got to his feet, putting his back to us. "The only pack alpha I could reach would be the dowager," he said slowly, meaning his father. "And I can't trust what side of the lines he's on. If I try to influence anyone else, they could be walking into a slaughter, especially if Page has Moon Worshipper vampires at his beck and call."

"What about Her Majesty?" Canaan asked.

"If we pull the Mezdors into this fray, it could very well mean the death of Serenity's family," Jason answered quietly. "We're going to have to find another way."

There were several more seconds of silence and I found myself staring at Jason's back as he tried to contain his emotions and put on a brave face for his men. I could barely feel his thoughts at the edge of my reach. I didn't know what to say or what to do. My body throbbed, reminding me of how weak I was. It was only a matter of time before I fell apart.

"Mistress," Thomas said finally, breaking the quiet. When I looked at him again and raised my eyebrows, he smiled hesitantly. "The sun will be rising soon."

I sighed and nodded, glancing around the room at the window placements. There was only one within the men's cell, but I wasn't sure which compass point it faced. If we were on either the south or north ends of the property, I wouldn't have to worry about direct light coming in. If we faced east or west, there would be a chance some light would find its way into our cells.

Jason turned around finally, glancing at me before looking at the window. "We face West," he said, as if he could hear my thoughts, despite the silver nitrate in my bloodstream. "Tom, give me your jacket. Pete, Daniel, yours, too."

Thomas got to his feet hurriedly, grunting as he tried to remove his suit coat. I realized he'd been hit when they were moved down to the basement by one of Page's men. He pulled the jacket off and moved towards the bars that separated us from them. He pushed it through the slats as Jason came to retrieve it. Daniel copied Tom and also offered his and Peter's jackets through the bars.

Jason glanced from the window to me again. "You're going to have to stay against the wall all day as much as you can. I'll keep you covered up with these."

I nodded, fear gripping my throat. Page's men had put us in this cell for that very reason. There were other cells in the basement they could have chosen; but this was the only one that would be cut in half by the setting sun, limiting my options of getting away from the light. I got to my feet, my body already stiff from the lack of blood I had ingested in the past week. I moved to stand flush against the wall and slowly lowered myself back down to a seated position. As I settled there, my eyes closed with the need to grimace. I looked up again in time for him to hand me one coat and I folded it up into a makeshift pillow. 

Jason sighed as he watched and then moved over to me. "Go to sleep, sweetheart," he murmured as I laid down, my cheek resting on the borrowed suit coat. He moved one jacket over my legs and then the other over my torso and up to my chin. "Nothing more you can do tonight."

I nodded again. Exhaustion settled in me, making my muscles feel like lead and my bones fragile with the weight. I wanted to cry, but I didn't think I had any energy left to expend. I looked up at him one more time, memorizing his face and his indigo eyes that matched mine. When he smiled remorsefully, I closed my eyes and finally let dormancy take over.

~*~

Jason sighed again as he watched her fall into her vampire slumber. He crouched down to stroke her hair gently, tucking a loose lock behind her ear. He adjusted the jacket to pull it up to her nose, blocking as much of her with it as he could. They would have plenty of time before the sun began to set and the light came in the window; but he hoped that if she felt safe from it, she would sleep better.

"What's your plan, boss?" Canaan asked finally. "If Page is adamant on using her for his own army, we don't stand a chance in fighting back."

"I know," the king alpha said softly. "We're going to have to find a way. We can't compete against hybrids by ourselves. We need to figure out how to stop him from finishing the Butcher's work."

"What if she was able to fight her way out?" Daniel added quietly, meaning Serenity. "She's one of the strongest wolves we've seen with her vampire abilities. Why didn't she?"

"Because she's exhausted and she's weak," Thomas answered his pack mate.

Jason exhaled hard through his mouth. Thomas was right. Serenity was depleted and frail. He could sense her pain through their bond. She was hurting. He inhaled another breath as he looked down at Serenity's dormant body. "Sleep in shifts," he commanded. "Someone should be up at all times so they don't try to pull a fast one on us."

"Yes, boss," Daniel and Canaan echoed.