One Insatiable(65)

“Koa?” It’s Mercy’s voice — muffled, but coming from above.

I’m distracted, but with all my strength I throw Hayden hard against the wall. His head hits the stone with a sickening CRACK! and I’m sure he’s down for the count.

“Mercy?” Looking up, I start for the staircase. I don’t know where in this castle she might be, but I plan to find her and carry her out of this hell.

I’m running for her voice when WHAM! I’m hit with a flash of energy so hard it knocks me to my knees at the foot of the stairs.

“Mercy…” I gasp. Reaching forward, I hold the railing, trying to catch my breath and find my footing. WHAM! I’m hit again, and I fall all the way to my chest. It feels like a bolt of lightning struck me, but without the burn. I’m paralyzed.

“Koa?” I hear her voice calling louder now, and I struggle to answer.

Strong hands jerk me under each arm. Guards I never saw coming drag me from the staircase and down the large room. I try to fight, try to kick, but my arms and legs are useless.

The last thing I see is Hayden smirking in front of the fireplace. He looks up quickly, and just before the door slams shut, I see her.

In the blink of an eye, my beautiful Mercy appears at his side in a flowing, champagne gown with her dark hair rippling around her shoulders. She’s so gorgeous, and instantly she disappears behind the closed door.

She never even saw me.



* * *





Mercy


I’m not going crazy. I’m sure Koa was here. Running down the stairs, I’m back with Hayden where we left each other earlier. Looking all around, I see nothing but him standing there, rubbing one shoulder. The rug is disturbed, and I see signs of a struggle. Anger burns in his eyes, and it quickly turns to lust as he watches me standing in the same stupid gown. I might as well be naked.

“It’s time, Mercy,” he strides toward me, and I fall back, clamoring for the stairs.

“NO!” I shout, but his hands are on me, pulling at the thin fabric of the dress. I struggle and kick against him, but his grip is like iron. I’m off the ground and in his arms in a sweep.

“Let me go!” I scream, trying to fight, but I can’t escape.

We’re not going to my bedroom. He turns the opposite direction and storms through another door leading to a different chamber with blue panels on the walls and great glass windows. They’re wide open, and from this direction, I see a mountain in the distance. Black birds — either bats or crows circle it in a menacing cloud.

“Lie down.” He throws me on my back on the bed, and one strap of the thin dress rips.

I do my best to catch the front, but the result pushes my breasts up, spilling them over my arm. His eyes burn hot, and he unties the belt on his long coat. As it falls to the floor, his clothing transforms before my eyes. It’s now a long black robe, loose and open in the front. He’s naked underneath, and I see his erection through the split in the fabric.

“Don’t do this, Hayden.”

“You’re mine. It’s time you acted like it.”

Crawling back on the bed, I try to put as much space between us as I can, but he grabs my ankle in a black-clawed hand. I scream as he drags me roughly to the edge of the bed. My gown is gone in a rip of tissue-fabric.

“Yes, my Mercy.” His eyes rove my naked body as he jerks my thighs apart. “So beautiful.”

“If you do this, you’ll ruin everything.” My voice shakes with tears. “I will hate you. You will never earn my love.”

“Never is a very long time.” A finger traces the slit between my thighs, and I scream. Hunger burns in his eyes. His lips part over white teeth as he slips the finger in his mouth. “Delicious.”

His erection touches me, and I scream again, kicking and twisting away from him. “I love KOA!” I scream. “I will ONLY ever love Koa!”

My voice is hoarse, and I’m shaking, fighting. None of it matters. He’s over me, pinning me with his weight, both my hands clasped above my head in his iron grip.

Ducking his head, he bites my breast. His erection touches me right at my core, lining up to plunge inside.

Squeezing my eyes tightly shut, I scream as I flex every muscle, bracing against his onslaught. Suddenly, a sharp voice cuts through the darkness.

“STOP THIS! LET HER GO!” It’s a voice I don’t recognize, but it’s filled with authority.

Hayden pauses long enough to look over his shoulder, and his grip on my wrists loosens. I take the opportunity to jerk my hands free and push my body away from him.

“Who the FUCK are you?” Hayden stands, his interest in me momentarily distracted.

“By the High Court’s decree, you have no right to this shifter.” The man is slender and not quite as tall as Hayden, still he seems to wield some power. “I’m Slayde Bennett, and I have this writ from the council. You’ve been issued a restraining order while they examine new evidence on the supposed murder of your immortal mate.”

He strides across the room as I’m pulling the scraps of my dress over my nakedness. I want to shift and cover myself, but I need to hear this.

“What is this bullshit?” Hayden pulls the fabric closed over his waist, tying it with a belt. “No one tells me what to do here.”

“That might be so,” Slayde continues, stepping to where I’m trying to cover myself on the bed. “However, the council has reason to believe the pact you made with the Quinlan family is invalid.”