Midnight Pleasure [THE PLEASURE SERIES BOOK 1]

Chapter Thirty-One - Melora

Tears began to flow freely once more when she heard his voice. Drystan continued to call out to her, but she didn't dare answer him. She didn't dare disobey Alathic, not with his guard holding a sharp dagger in her back. She knew that if one word fell out of her mouth in response to Drystan, she would be hurt. She wanted to see her mate, but the blindfold over her eyes made her see only darkness. She opened her mouth when she felt a sharp pain in her back.

"If you fucking hurt her," she heard Drystan growl. She knew that he could feel her pain, just as she was able to feel his when he was stuck with the brander.

Alathic laughed beside her. "You can't do anything to me. You won't ever touch my wife again."

Anger boiled inside of her. "I'm not your fucking wife," she spat. She felt the man behind her move and a sharp blade against her throat, causing an intense burning sensation to flare on her skin. She hissed from the pain and jerked back, only causing the knife to slice against her skin.

"Alathic," Drystan growled. She could hear the sound of chains being pulled. "I fucking swear."

Melora heard movement beside her that sounded like shuffling. She knew her father was standing beside her, and she loathed him. She hated that he had not listened to her pleas before. She hated that he had wanted money more than his daughter's happiness. Melora reunited with Ba Coford when she returned to Alathic's castle. She screamed at him and cursed until Alathic placed a blindfold over her eyes and forced her into the bedroom to change.

Melora was grateful that Alathic hadn't put a hand on her so far. She didn't know how long that was going to last, but she hoped that she would be able to figure out how to get out of this situation. If Drystan wasn't able to save her this time, she was going to save them both.

"Take off her blindfold," Alathic ordered. "I want her to see what her mate looks like." Melora closed her eyes as the guard behind her took off her blindfold. "Open your eyes, you filthy bitch."

"Alathic," Drystan growled dangerously. Melora slowly opened her eyes, and a cry fell out of her mouth as she took in Drystan. Burns covered his chest and core. Some were healing, but whatever that brander was made out of caused them to heal slower. Drystan's wrists and ankles were shackled, his skin rubbed raw from trying to escape and get to her. "Melora," Drystan called out to her. His eyes searched her face and body again before landing on the dagger pressed against her throat. His eyes turned red as they glared at Alathic.

Alathic gripped her chin roughly as well as her arm. The knife left her throat as he pulled her toward Drystan. He stopped her just out of reach of him, taunting Drystan with her presence. She tried to reach his mind through hers, but somehow their communication was blocked. "Isn't she beautiful," Alathic purred. "I paid a pretty penny for this beauty. Remember how this man looks, Melora. This is a man defeated. This is what a man looks like before he's killed for stealing my bride. For stealing my future queen."

Melora turned her glare up to Alathic's face. "I'm not your bride. I'm not your queen. I will never be yours." She spat in his face.

Alathic growled and raised his hand, slapping her across the face so hard that she was knocked to the floor. "You will learn to respect your King. You will learn that whatever I say goes." He knelt beside her and gripped her chin roughly, forcing her to look at him. "You've got fight in you, I can admire that, but I will force it out of you and bring out submission." He looked up at Drystan and smirked. "I may even do it in front of your mate, my son." He stood back up and dusted off his pants, checking his hand for any cuts or markings. "I'm bored." He snapped his fingers, signaling for the guard to come and grab Melora. "Take her back to her room. Don't let her out of your sight."

The guard gave him a tight nod before grabbing her and pulling her out of the room. She tried to look at Drystan one more time before moving around the corner, but she needed to be faster. Melora followed slightly behind the guard back to the room she had woken up in. She started to open her mouth when the guard barked, "Don't speak." Melora quickly shut her mouth and let them walk in silence.

Melora held back the tears threatening to fall out of her eyes again. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be back at the compound with Drystan. She shook her head. Melora knew that something horrible would happen when he walked through their front door.

They arrived in front of her door. The guard shoved the door open before throwing her inside. "Do not leave this room until the Master calls upon you," he ordered her. "Do you understand?" Melora nodded as she wrapped her arms around her body. The guard gave her a sharp nod before turning and slamming the door shut. Melora sank onto the bed as she heard the sound of a lock being locked.

Melora couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She let the tears flow freely down her cheeks as she fell back onto the bed. She closed her eyes and remembered the horrible events that brought her here. She had stayed in the house, just as Drystan told her. Dante and Draco were standing outside the door, as Drystan asked them to do. At some point, she had fallen asleep, trying to move the time until Drystan was back by her side. The sound of intense fighting had startled her awake. Melora remembers how she screamed for Drystan as three men charged through the house, breaking the front door and holding her down to inject some serum. Shortly after, she blacked out and woke up in this room.

Melora once more tried to reach out to Drystan through their bond but was unsuccessful. She hated this feeling of loneliness. Ever since being bonded with Drystan, she had forgotten the horribleness of this feeling. She hated this. She hated knowing that he was in the same house as she was and she couldn't reach him. Melora was afraid that this would be the last time she would see Drystan. She closed her eyes and tried to relax.

She'll get them out of here. She'll be the one to save them both.