The Chosen (25 page)

“You wish to take what’s mine? Never!” Stefan reached behind his back and brought his own sword down. Aleksei moved to the side, just barely missing the blade as it struck right by his thigh. Aleksei jumped up as Stefan circled him. All were engaged in the fight, and Aleksei felt the adrenaline race through his blood. Stefan laughed and lunged forward again. Their swords clanged together, and Aleksei smiled at how uncoordinated Stefan was. Stefan’s moves were predictable, sloppy in their appearance, and gave everything away.

They continued to circle each other, Stefan swinging his blade around and taking slices in the air. In Stefan’s sloppy attempt to slice at a body part, he finally succeeded in sinking the blade into Aleksei’s thigh. Stefan’s distorted laugh echoed around him, and Aleksei moved as Stefan’s blade came in for the head shot. Aleksei ducked and pushed his blade into Stefan’s stomach. The rogue’s eyes went big as he fell back, the blade never leaving as he hit the dirt ground. Aleksei twisted the blade for good measure and watched as bright red blood seeped from the wound. He brought his sword up and intended to bring it across his neck when Stefan’s words stopped him.

“You will never find her without me!”

His blade was mere inches from Stefan’s throat when his words brought him to a dead stop. “She is my
Chosen
! There is no place in here that I won’t be able to find her.”

“Oh, no? You wouldn’t have been able to find this place without the traitor’s help.” Stefan coughed up blood, the wound most assuredly painful but not fatal. “The female is hidden within these
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walls, and the black arts surround us. So I mean it when I say you won’t be able to find her without me.” He spit a mouthful of blood out and stared at Aleksei.

He weighed his options. He could either attempt to use his instincts and find Lana without the vampire’s help, or he could use him while he could and then cut his head off later. Looking around, he scanned the fallen
Bloodless
that littered the ground. The only ones left standing were the Breed males and Osip.

“Get up.” Aleksei’s voice held no emotion as he watched Stefan pull his body off the ground. “What do you want in return?” Aleksei knew the male
wouldn’t do this for nothing, and in his head, he already knew what he would want.

“I want freedom, and I want Kasia.”

He knew he would want to be released, but he hadn’t actually thought Stefan would want to keep the human. Youri came to stand next to him, the female in his arms and passed out. Youri temporarily immobilized her, and until Aleksei gave the order to undo it, she would stay that way. Stefan growled deep and low, the sound reflecting the possessiveness he felt toward the female. If Aleksei didn’t know better, he would think the male found his
Chosen
.

“Is she your
Chosen
?”

At the question, Stefan bared his fangs and hissed. “What she is doesn’t concern you. All you need to worry about is finding your sweet little Lana.”

“You do not speak her name, or I will tear your throat out with my teeth right here.”

“No, you won’t. If you do, then you’ll never see your little
Chosen
.”

He rushed toward Stefan and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off his feet. “If you say her name one more time, I swear I will snap your back in half and haul you with me until you show me were she is. You can either keep your mouth shut and show me where she is, or you can keep talking and be dragged behind us with a broken
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back.” He leaned in so they were nose-to-nose. “So, what will it be?”

He sensed the anger radiating off the male, but he kept his mouth shut and nodded. “Good. Now get up and show me where she is!”

* * * *

Just as his mouth started to descend on her lips loud voices sounded outside the room. Metal clanged together, and in that instant Lana felt that invisible hold on her vanish as his attention was drawn to the door. He let out a string of vile curses and got up so fast the chair flew backward and broke against the wall. He reached out and grabbed her, placing her body in front of his like a shield. Her back pressed tightly against his chest as his hand snaked up and gripped the side of her neck. He tilted her head to the side, the angle awkward and uncomfortable.

The door burst open suddenly, shards of wood splintering forward and cutting her bare arms. An animalistic roar echoed throughout the room, causing everything to go eerily silent. She slowly opened her eyes, expecting to see a hundred more of those vile creatures, but what she saw shocked her and had her heart singing.

Aleksei stared at her, his breathing ragged and blood covering him—he truly was a frightening sight. He didn’t look at anything else in the room, just stared at her face with an almost pained expression.

Other vampires stood behind him, all of them scary in their own right, but lacking the determination that poured out of Aleksei. Her heart skipped a beat at the realization that she was going to be saved. All of those happy thoughts were torn from her as her captor ran his finger back and forth over her neck. A deep growl shot out of Aleksei and had her eyes growing wide.

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Aleksei stood in the doorway and stared at Lana, relief filling him that she was alive. Nothing else mattered at that moment, nothing even registered as he stared into her big blue eyes. His anger diffused as he stared into her face but soon came back full force when he saw the large hand stroking her neck—stroking the mark he gave her. A growl escaped his throat at the thought of a male daring to touch what was his, to be so blatant in touching his mark. His eyes snapped to the male holding her and his world truly tumbled into hell. He stumbled back as the Breed holding Lana smiled, showing elongated fangs.

“It can’t be.”

Curses and gasps sounded behind him, and he knew his warriors were just as shocked at who stood in front of them.

“Brother, it has been too long.”

Aleksei bared his fangs and growled as Dorian’s nail pressed into Lana’s neck. His nail sliced through her skin, her blood sliding down her neck and disappearing beneath the bodice of her gown. She gasped and closed her eyes, and Aleksei took a step forward, ready to tear Dorian’s throat out, brother or not.

“I wouldn’t do that, brother of mine.” He clicked his tongue and smiled. “Let’s all be calm. We wouldn’t want me to accidentally snap your
Chosen’s
pretty neck now would we?”

He gritted his teeth and sensed his men move forward. He held up his hand, knowing Dorian spoke the truth.

“I suggest you stay where you are. It would only take a flick of my wrist and her delicate neck would break in two.”

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Aleksei held his hands in front of him, showing his brother he wasn’t a threat. His eyes darted between Lana and Dorian, fear making his words tight and clipped.

“You’re supposed to be dead. How can you be alive?”

Dorian’s smile faltered somewhat, as if he, too, felt the pain at seeing his family in the flesh. All these years he thought his brother died, but here he stood, flesh and blood, and threatening to end his love’s life. The male who stood in front of him was no longer his brother. Even though he looked liked Dorian, even smelled like Dorian, he now worked with the
Bloodless.

He dipped his head and ran his tongue over Lana’s flesh, Dorian’s eyes never wavering from his. Aleksei bared his teeth and hissed, taking another step forward with his fists clenched.

“I would stay put, brother.” Dorian opened his mouth, his fangs elongating and pressing against Lana’s pale skin. Tears ran down her cheeks, and Aleksei wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and make her pain go away.

“What do you want?” Aleksei stared at his brother with rage boiling inside of him.

“Can’t read my mind, Alek?”

It pained Aleksei to hear Dorian call him by the nickname his family used. His family lived hundreds of years thinking their brother was dead. Dorian was still a Breed, and that alone gave Aleksei a small twinge of hope that Dorian could be reasoned with. He was vaguely aware that Milo and Luca stood closely behind him and were stone silent.

“You know I can’t.” Dorian had always had a strong mental block that was impossible to breach. “I will ask you once more. What do you want?”

“Come on, Aleksei, you should know what I want.” He ran his tongue along her flesh and smiled. “She tastes so good.”

“Don’t do that again.” Aleksei kept his voice calm and low even though a whirlwind of emotion barreled within him. When he got his
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hands on Dorian—and he would—he was going to slowly tear each and every one of his body parts off.

“What I want I have. If you were wise, you would leave us.”

“You will never have my
Chosen
. Let her go so we can finish this like real Breed warriors.”

Dorian laughed and stroked Lana’s hair with his other hand. “You killed many of my minions, brother. Very disappointing since that means I will have to go searching for others.” Dorian’s eyes traveled to Osip, his lips curling in disgust. “I see you have switched teams,
traitor
.”

“You betrayed me when you didn’t have the dagger you promised me. You brought this upon yourself.”

“Couldn’t fight me alone,
Seeker
?”

“Don’t think for one moment that I couldn’t have taken you out with my bare hands. I thought this would be a better show, more dramatic.”

“You and your fucking cloaking. I should have killed you when I had the chance.”

“Enough of this. Give me Lana, and I’ll kill you quickly.” Aleksei had no intentions of doing that, but until he had Lana safely in his arms he would say anything.

“No reminiscing? I’m slightly hurt.”

Is this how it would go? Cat and mouse games to placate Dorian?

“What happened to you?” He asked the question without emotion, his eyes on Lana’s too pale face.

“They attempted to kill me, brother, just about succeeded.

Drained me almost dry and left me for dead. Of course, I got the better of them. I killed their horde leader and claimed the horde for myself. You see, I could have gone back to the family, but what would I have been? Nothing. You were the eldest and therefore would be king. I would have just been one of your loyal subjects, and that I couldn’t have.”

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Aleksei shot his gaze to Dorian, his story unbelievable. “You were always selfish, Dorian. Ever since you were a fledgling, you thought of only yourself.”

“Well, Aleksei, you can’t count on anything or anyone in this fucking world but yourself. So, as you can see, I am now a king in my own right.” He bent down and kissed the side of Lana’s neck. “I have a queen, too. It’s just too perfect. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to take care of your child that she carries.”

It took Aleksei a minute to process what he just heard. His child?

He looked at Lana, her eyes wide and confusion and shock pouring out of her at what she also just heard. “It’s all lies that come out of your mouth. I would have known if my
Chosen
carried my young.”

“Would you have? She has been with me this whole time, and I assure you my senses are not tainted by wanting to claim her.” Dorian laughed, his hand moving to her stomach and rubbing slow circles. “I have to admit, though, I have thought about what she would feel like beneath me.”

“I will give you anything for her back in my arms safely.”

Dorian seemed to think about it for a minute, but Aleksei wasn’t fooled. “You see, dear brother, what she carries is what will give me the power over all others. I know you must remember the prophecy.”

“You think our young will have the power to rule over all others?”

Dorian lifted Lana’s dress, Aleksei growling deeply in warning. She whimpered in protest but didn’t move. Her long, creamy thigh was reveled and then her stomach. She didn’t look as though she was with young, but he knew that didn’t mean anything.

Right by her belly button was a crescent moon within a circle—

the marking of the
Prophesied Female
. The prophecy played through his mind, and he couldn’t understand how he missed something so significant. He memorized her body, every curve and dip—every inch of her creamy flesh. How could he have been so blind with the need to claim her that he could have missed the significance of her birthmark—a mark he kissed and licked countless times?

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“I am sure when a male finds his
Chosen
all other rational thoughts are gone.” Dorian spoke the words as if he had read Aleksei’s mind. “Believe me when I say if there was any other way I would have taken it.”

Memories flashed through Aleksei’s mind of when Dorian was but a fledgling. Those were memories Aleksei had gotten strength from, his memories that helped the guilt he hadn’t been able to save his brother.

“Join me, brother. We will treat you well, and you will only have to answer to me.”

“I will always be
your
king, Dorian.”

Anger distorted Dorian’s face. “Well, you leave me no other option, then.” He opened his mouth and descended on Lana’s neck.

Aleksei watched in slow motion as horror rushed through his blood stream. Lana pleaded with him silently and closed her eyes as Dorian’s fangs sank into her neck. Aleksei was vaguely aware of Dorian humming his approval and the other Breed males standing behind him shouting. His eyes rang, and his blood rushed to his ears.

Aleksei snapped out of whatever haze he had been in and ran across the room. Dorian ripped his mouth free from Lana’s neck and she sagged limply in his arms. Dorian scooped her up and ran to a door off to the side.

He was fast, much faster than a Breed should be. There was something tainted about his brother, something dark and deadly that coiled around him and seeped with power. He reached out, about to grab Dorian’s jacket, when his brother’s arm came out and slammed black magic into his chest. He flew backward, hitting the wall on the other side, the rock crumbling behind him from the impact.