Bound in Death (Bound #5)(3)

The manacles broke from the walls. He lunged toward Lorcan.

But vampires could move fast, so very fast. Before Alerac could reach him, Lorcan’s bloody knife was at Keira’s delicate throat.

“If she loses her head, she will die easily enough.” Lorcan’s Irish brogue whispered through the words. A brogue that he picked up, and dropped, seemingly at will. Lorcan was centuries old. Some tales said that he’d been born a Viking and had journeyed to Ireland long ago, bringing hell with him. “Do you want her death on you?” Lorcan asked as he studied Alerac. “Seems so pointless, especially when we worked out a deal.”

There was no fear in Keira’s eyes. “Imprisonment won’t kill me. It will hurt. I will suffer.” She swallowed and pulled in a deep breath. “But I won’t die.”

And you won’t be imprisoned. My men will have you free by dawn.

“All of this…because I killed a few of your dogs?” Lorcan’s knife nicked Keira’s throat. Her blood trickled down in a dark red line. “They should have known better than to tangle with me.”

Vampires reached for Alerac. He threw out his chains, catching them across their faces. Snapping bones. Fighting. He couldn’t attack Lorcan, not while he held that knife at Keira’s throat, but he could go after the others. “They were my family!” The rage came then, building, swelling within him. The vampires had taken away what he valued, now it was his turn to destroy them. To wipe out their stronghold. To end their blood reign.

Because of Keira, his men now knew how to get inside the vampire’s keep. With the light of dawn, they’d attack. The timing had been deliberate. Vampires were weakest during the day. The vampires would be weak, but the wolves would be at full strength. How long is it until dawn?

“They were family,” Lorcan dismissed, a sneer twisting his face, “and now they’re rotting in the ground.”

Keira tensed. Then she spun around, moving fast—far faster than Lorcan had obviously anticipated. Vampire speed. Now that Keira was turning, she was coming into her vampire powers.

In a flash, she grabbed the knife from Lorcan, and she shoved it into his chest.

But silver wouldn’t kill a vampire.

It would just make him hurt.

The other vampires swarmed around Alerac.

“Two hundred years!” Lorcan cried out. “You just attacked…your leader…”

“If I had my way,” Keira said, as she stood before Lorcan, not backing down a bit, “you’d be dead.”

Lorcan yanked out the knife. Tossed it to the floor.

Eight vampires held down Alerac.

“Keira?” The voice, stunned, male, came from the open doorway.

Keira’s head turned at the call.

No, not now!

But, with his incredibly poor timing, Keira’s twin brother had just appeared. Ryan stood in the doorway, his hands fisted at his sides. His hair was as golden as his sister’s. His eyes as blue.

“Keira, what have you done?” Betrayal was on Ryan’s face. Rage.

The vampires had all turned on Keira. While she—

She chose me.

His nails lengthened into claws as the beast pushed for freedom. The wolf within him was desperate to protect his mate.

My mate?

No, no, that couldn’t be right. A werewolf would never mate with a vampire.

Fuck her, yes.

Use her, yes.

Mate?

Keira turned back toward Alerac. “I hope you…live a good life.”

She’d traded two hundred years for his survival.

The beast howled inside of him.

“Ryan…” Lorcan ignored the blood that poured from his chest. “Your sister confessed to conspiring with the wolves. She has even agreed to be punished in the wolf leader’s place.”

Ryan rushed toward her. “Keira, you can’t—”

“Imprisonment. Starvation.” Lorcan licked his lips. “Two hundred years.”

Ryan blanched. “Sh-she won’t survive! You know she won’t!”

“Then maybe she shouldn’t have spread her legs for the wolf, and then shoved a f*ckin’ knife in my heart!” Jealousy and fury tore through Lorcan’s words.

Alerac knew Lorcan had planned to wed Keira. He’d locked her away because he’d wanted her. Wanted the power that she represented.

Ryan grabbed for Keira. Pulled her against him. “Kill the werewolf!” Ryan ordered, voice thundering. “Just do it—now!”

But Lorcan shook his head. “I gave a blood vow. It’s done. He lives, and so does she.”

Ryan twisted Keira around in his arms.

Alerac’s blood dropped onto the floor. The vamps would feed on him. He knew they wouldn’t be able to resist the scent of all that blood much longer.

He wanted them to feed on him. His blood was laced with a special tonic—a poison just for them. He’d known that he would be captured that night. He just hadn’t counted on Lorcan finding him just as Alerac drove into Keira’s delectable body.

That whole capture bit should have come after Keira had been told to flee from that place. But Alerac’s lust for her had been his downfall. He’d given in to his need once more.

And his perfect plan had gone to hell.

If Alerac had kept his hands off Keira hours before, then she would have escaped to safety.