Chapter 232

Almara’s Pov

Our touching moment is brought to a sudden halt when the sound of the doors opening startles everyone. Delfino and Edward move at their top vampire speed to fasten the chains around our wrists and keep us all huddled near one another.

I recognize instantly the familiar that comes strutting in, it’s the same cat-like one that walked us here. It prowls in, eyeing each of us with a look full of venom and contempt. Next to it is another familiar, something like a rabbit yet with a darkness to it.

“I heard our guests of honor were being brought here,” the vat familiar says though more of a question and brings its attention to Delfino. I can’t help but notice the crushing weight of the stare, it’s almost hard to breathe and the familiar isn’t even looking at me.

If Delfino is uncomfortable, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he stands taller and if anything seems to be bothered to be questioned in his own territory. “Yes, Zayne.”

“Why?” Zayne interjects and all of us hold out breath, but Delfino doesn’t miss a beat.

“I wanted our little dogs here to see how each member of their pack had failed. How each of them ended up no better than the other and there’s nothing any of them could do to help one another,” Delfino speaks as though pleasantly delighted, it’s hard to tell if he’s serious or not.

Then again, he probably is enjoying this to some degree. The heat of all our bodies pressed into one another slowly increases the longer we have to stand here and pretend that we can’t break free and rip their heads off.

“It’s not over yet,” Robert growls and there’s no mistaking that he means what he’s saying, contract or no contract.

Zayne laughs and his sidekick joins in. Their cackles are like nails on a chalkboard, goosebumps rise over my skin. “Feisty, this one is.”

“Unchain me if you want to see just how feisty I can get,” Robert eggs on. Zayne flicks his hand towards Robert as though to shoo him away. Robert takes a step forward, but Arthur uses his loose hand to hold him back, luckily the Familiar has already adverted his attention back to Delfino.

“I’ve come to take the couple, I think they have an announcement to make.”

Arthur and I look at one another, and I can feel the burning looks of concern radiating from my parents. Zayne comes near us to unlock the chains, but Delfino steps in his way

“What do you say we get them camera-ready first?” A sickening smile spreads across Delfino’s bony-structured face. Zayne eyes Delfino up and down and makes it clear he doesn’t appreciate being blocked.

“I’ll take care of it,” he mutters. “You’ve done enough bringing them here to see one another one final time,” Zayne smiles at Arthur and me. “I want you to think of your friends and family here while you admit your defeat to the wolves back home.”

“What makes you think we’ll say anything you want us to?” Arthur retorts.

“I’ll kill your wife here if not. You think I care that she’s pregnant?” Zayne throws his head back and laughs. “Maybe I’ll spare the child and raise it as my own as I’m doing with your daughter,”

Something in me snaps and I lunge forward, the chains easily gliding with me until I feel a sudden pullback.

“Get back in line, woman!” Delfino shouts, his eyes ablaze with fury. “Keep yourself together,” He hisses and I heed his warning. I fall back in line and that’s when I notice Cathy pick her foot up from the chain, but unfortunately, I think Zayne notices the slight movement as well.

“Enough of this,” He says and snaps his fingers. His side-kick hurries over to us, yet once again Delfino steps forward and quickly removes the key from his pocket and unlatches Arthur and me from Cathy and Robert. He then fastens our restraints until our skin is pinched red.

“If you know what’s good for you, then you’ll listen,” Delfino hisses and bores his beady eyes into ours. I know we’re supposed to be on the same side, but bile still rises up in my stomach.

“We’ll see,” Arthur grunts.

The cat-like familiar pulls on our chains and we stumble forward. Just as were about to leave, I turn back and get one last look at my parents, Cathy, and Robert.

My mom blows me a kiss, Cathy gives a weak smile, and Robert gives a firm nod. Not that I believe Zayne, but he said this will be the last time I see them and I can’t help feeling that part of that is true to an extent.

The door is shut behind us, closing on the faces of our loved ones. Arthur keeps close to me, I can feel his hot breath against my ear and I take comfort in being near him.

As we navigate the winding halls of this intricate building, vampires and familiars alike are quick to make room as we pass. Many even bow their head as Zayne nears them. I suppose he’s the leader.

I take note of this and wonder how loyal would the familiars be if Zayne died? Would they fight in his honor, or simply flee to whatever realm they came from? At the very least, I doubt the vampires would decide to fight us. Not if Delfino told them not to, though that’s assuming he still has power.

A hard kick in my belly causes an odd sound to escape from me. “Are you okay?” Arthur hovers over me and Zayne yanks on our chains.

“Let’s move,” He shouts and Arthur yanks on the chains back, causing Zayne to stumble. If only for a split second, is a sense of power delivered in our hands. Perhaps it was the quick flash of surprise on Zayne’s face as he unexpectedly was thrust by the might of Arthur’s pull, but one thing just became certain. Arthur isn’t afraid of Zayne.

The downside is, Zayne knows this and something tells me he isn’t used to others now bowing down or cowering away from him.

“You stupid animal,” Zayne says recovering from his shock as he nears Arthur. He lifts his paw and just as he goes to strike it down, Arthur raises his chair, and Zayne’s claw slices right through the metal, separating our locks.

Zayne realizes his mistake and gets into attack mode, his sidekick looks around panicked.

“We’ll follow you to the camera, but not as chained dogs,” Arthur says baring his teeth.

“Smart choice,” Zayne says, easing up in his stance.

“It’s not for you,” Arthur spits and stands in front of me like a shield.

Arthur’s patience is wearing thing, as is mine. These familiars are so smug and the worst part is they actually think they have the advantage over us. Do they not know that we sought to come here for our daughter?

Do they not realize having almost the entire hurricane pack here is a threat to them and not a signal of defeat? How weak do they think we are? I shake my head and realize it might be a good thing that they don’t know the degree of who their messing with.

They’ll never know what hit them.