Burning Vengeance
8.

Fay runs down the hall, looking left and right in search of Alarik. Several dragons crack their doors open and step into the hall, searching for the source of all the noise. Before anyone gets a closer look at her, she sprints off down another corridor.

She pads carefully down the dark, silent hallways, trying not to make any noise. She passes a room where a dragon dines on a cow's heart. She passes another masturbating on a pile of gold. Before he climaxes, she takes off down a flight of stairs and slams into someone at full speed. Jumping back, she holds up her fists. "Touch me and I'll kill you with my bare hands."

"Please, don't!" The voice that answers is soft and weak, trembling with terror.

As her eyes adjust to the light, she discovers a girl, no older than her, shaking and shuffling away. The girl's too-thin body is riddled with bruises and bitemarks. She doubles over with the pain of the venom coursing through her. "It hurts... so much."

"Listen, you need to sit down and rest."

"I can't sit. They're after me!"

Sharp laughter cuts through the corridor. Her heart leaps to her throat. "Where'd our little mouse go, running off in such a hurry?"

"Our feelings are hurt. You'll have to make it up to us."

Before the dragons even round the corner, Fay knows who they are. She tries to drag the wounded girl into a hiding spot, behind a suit of armor.

"Leave me. Save yourself."

"Not a chance." She pulls with all her might, knocking a spear from the suit of armor. The clatter is deafening. The dragons round the corner, their eyes widening at the sight of her.

"Well, well, well. Look who our little mouse brought for us to play with."

She jumps in front of the girl, glaring at the dragons before her.

"We haven't had a chance to pay you back for embarrassing us in front of the king."

"You morons did that all on your own when you tried to kidnap me."

"Looks like we'll get to have our fun with you at last." The biggest dragon reaches for her and she grabs his arm, biting down hard on it. "Agh, bitch!" He flings her off and she tumbles down the stairs.

"Please! Leave her alone!"

The most vicious dragon grabs the young girl by the wrists, hoisting her up into the air. "You want to take her place?" A wave of nausea washes over her as he digs a finger into one of the girl's bite wounds. She screams. "God, I love that sound. Give me more! More!"

The fallen spear is at Fay's feet, its sharp blade glinting in the moonlight. Squeezing her eyes shut, she whispers a silent apology to the girl and runs. She races past a wall of portraits and something catches her eye. She pauses.

It's a painting of Alarik as a young boy. But standing next to him in the portrait is another identical boy.

Suddenly, a piercing scream rings out in the corridor. A scream she recognizes. She races in the direction of the scream, her heart pounding.

Fay rounds the corner and freezes when she sees Leah's crumpled form on the floor in the middle of the deserted corridor. She sprints over to her, lifting the girl in her arms. "Leah, I'm here. Are you alright? What happened?"

She slowly opens her eyes, blinking up at her best friend. "Fay? No..... no, you have to run."

"What?"

"RUN!"

But it's too late. A strong arm snakes around her neck and cold lips touch her ear. "Celeste was right. There was a sweet uncollared snack out here, just for me."

"Xander, let go before you lose this arm."

"Big words from someone without a weapon. You fell for my trap so easily, thanks to the bait I chose." He rakes his hand through Leah's hair and she grimaces.

"I'm so sorry, Fay. I shouldn't have screamed."

"It's okay, Leah. It's not your fault."

Xander locks his arms behind her back and hauls her to her feet. "Open the door, slave." On his command, Leah struggles to her feet. She limps to a vase and turns it clockwise. The painting on the wall shifts and turns, creating a door. Xander pulls her through it. "Your precious king will never find you in here."

She looks around the dungeon-like room, at the chains and bloodstains on the wall. Her stomach turns. "Xander, listen. I'm sorry for letting you torch me earlier. My bad."

"Do I detect sarcasm in your tone, girl?"

"Why? Can your fragile ego not take it?"

"I should've cut your tongue out when your father suggested it. But no matter. We'll accomplish more than that tonight." He slams her into the ground with the force of a cannon. The wind is knocked out of her. He rips at her pajamas, tearing the fabric clean in half to expose her bare back. "Where the fuck is it?"

"What are you looking for? Your morality?" She cocks a brow. "You'll be looking for quite a long time since it doesn't exist, you disgusting-"

"I'm looking for your Dragon's Mark." Her heart seizes in her chest at his words. He keeps tearing at her clothes, growing more and more frustrated. "It's clear Alarik hasn't slept with you yet. Otherwise, the mark would run down your back, completing the bond."

"I.... I don't know what you're talking about."

"The hell you don't. If I have to flay you from head to toe, I'll find that damn mark." His eyes land on her bandaged arm. The arm that is Dragon Marked. "Is that what you've been hiding under there this whole time?"

Breathing hard, she looks wildly around the room. Then she sees Leah. A thick chain is wrapped around her hands as she sneaks up behind Xander. Wrath swims in Leah's eyes and Fay knows what she craves: vengeance for all Xander has done to her.

She spits in Xander's face and he reels back. "You want a mark? Here you go. Have that one."

"Putrid little bitch!" He lunges for her, but he's too late. With all her might, Leah swings the chain over Xander's neck and squeezes. "Aaagh!" He thrashes, trying to get his hands on Leah, but it's no use. She swings from his back, holding the chains firm.

"Die! Die! Die!" Leah's voice is venomous, chanting her wish like a mantra. As he loses air, Xander hits his knees. When he's down, Leah squeezes the chains tighter. "This is for Fay and me!"

"I'll. Kill. You!" With a surge of his inhuman strength, Xander throws Leah off and lunges for Fay. She jumps back, but not before he grabs her bandage and unravels it to reveal her Dragon's Mark.

"No!"

"I fucking knew it." Grinning maliciously, Xander grabs her by the throat, so hard she's sure he'll crush her. "Alarik mate bonded with a human slave. You'll both pay dearly for this."

"Not unless you survive."

"What are you going to do? I could kill you here and now without breaking a sweat." Xander lifts her in the air and shakes her with all the strength he possesses. Dizzy and weak, she drops her head. "That's it, Fay, get used to this. The pain. The submission. It's the only thing you'll know from now on." He licks her ear and hisses into it with pure malice. "I want you on your knees, between my legs, when Alarik is executed. I want his last memory to be of his precious little mate fucking me."

Suddenly, something cuts through his threats. Her mark burns, the feeling growing stronger and stronger. She shuts her eyes, finding the last of her strength. She calls out to him from the depths of her soul.

A loud BANG interrupts Xander. The door is blown off as though it's been detonated by a bomb. Through the dust and rubble, the hulking outline of Alarik slowly appears.

"Let go of her. Now."

"Not a chance in hell."

Fury radiates from Alarik's every pore. He shoves Leah safely out of the room and stalks toward Xander, but he stops in his tracks when he sees Fay's mark exposed.

"Alarik, I'm sorry."

"Fay...."

Xander's harsh laughter cuts him off. He thrashes her in his grasp. "I always knew you didn't have the balls to be king, Alarik. But to be so weak that you bonded with a human? I have to say, it's surprising, even for you."

"If you value your life, you'll release her. Right fucking now."

"Why?" He tilts his head. "Planning to marry her? Planning to breed her?"

Alarik's eyes flare blue. His body darkens and shifts as he grows into his lethal dragon form. His ear-splitting roar cracks the thick stone walls around them and Xander doesn't even flinch. "Two can play at that game." He throws her across the room. She slams into the brick as he shifts into his great, dragon form.

The two dragons circle one another, stalking low with rumbling, thunderous snarls. Then they lunge.

Fay scrambles out of the way, her heart pounding in her chest as Xander collides with Alarik mid-air. They slam to the ground, a flurry of teeth and talons. Xander bites Alarik's leg and Alarik slams him with his tail.

Fay grabs the chains Leah was holding and lashes Xander with them as hard as she can. He roars with fury as they smack against his back. He turns sharply and spots her, opening his fatal jaws. Alarik uses the opportunity to swipe at his side, but Xander is ready for him. She gasps as Xander claws Alarik's blue eyes. He roars and rears back.

"Alarik!"

Finally, Xander turns to her, stalking closer with his razor-sharp teeth bared. She moves back, stumbling over herself, unable to look away from his brutal, draconian eyes. One step, then another, he's almost upon her. He bends down with a snarl, ready to make his final attack. But a streak of jet black strikes Xander out of nowhere. Alarik's size and power dominate and he pins Xander fast. He clamps down on Xander's throat, holding him in place as he thrashes violently. Blue sparks fly from Alarik's mouth, ready to burn his supposed-best-friend alive, but he doesn't do it. At the sight of the flame in Alarik's jaws, her Dragon's Mark awakens. She feels her incredible, mysterious power flow through her once more, the flames calling to her. But changing her mind at the last second, she dives into the corner and covers her head. Alarik still refuses to use his fire. Instead, he bites down hard on Xander's neck. Xander's roar grows weak as Alarik's powerful jaws break his flesh, crushing him. In his final moment, he digs his claws into Alarik's shoulder and pain blooms in Fay's own shoulder. "Ahh!" She writhes in pain, but through her blurred vision, she watches Xander take his last breath. Alarik shifts back down into his human form, gripping his shoulder. She staggers to her feet. "Alarik, you did it. Th-thank-" before she can finish, he is on her, his massive hands grabbing her shoulders.

"You're hurt."

"I'm tougher than I look."

"That may be, but this is my fault." He slowly re-wraps her Dragon's Mark. His fingers brush the cuts and scrapes up her shoulder, her neck.

"I.... I'm okay, really...."

He cups the back of her neck and leans into her, his eyes tracing the bruise at her throat. The one he wasn't able to prevent. "I'm sorry." His growl is like a whisper, backing her up against the wall. "I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was. I shouldn't have left you alone." Alarik looks up, his eyes burning with regret and something hotter. Something that makes her heart pound. He caresses her cheek, his touch sending a tremor through her body, relieving her of pain. "No one's going to hurt you again. You have my word."

"Thank you, but I can look out for myself."

"I know you can, but that's not going to stop me."

"You have enough to worry about with your curse and your kingdom. Please, I don't matter."

His grip on her tightens. "You do matter. You matter to me."

"But, why? I'm just a human. Just a-"

With lightning speed, Alarik takes her face in his hands and kisses her. The fear, the pain, the confusion, it all disappears beneath his lips. "Fay." He whispers her name into her mouth like a promise. Like an answer to so many questions. He holds her fast, his kiss passionate and all-consuming. A kiss like she's never experienced before. She pushes against his chest, creating space. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"No, I'm sorry. I just can't do this."

"I see."

"I mean, I want to. It's just I am in shock."

"I understand, it's a lot to take in. But," he gently raises her chin so she meets his eyes. "I can't deny this any longer."

She stares at him, unblinking. She can tell he's telling the truth. She leans in again, her eyes flicking to his lips.

"What's going on in here?"

Alarik's eyes widen and Fay's body goes cold. They both turn toward the door. Celeste stands in the entryway, staring at her in Alarik's arms and Xander's remains on the stone floor.

"Celeste, this is-"

"Don't. I saw everything."

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