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Avery's POV
A searing pain drove through my chest.
'I thought he was here to save me. He's one of 'them'.
"Please, Avery I'm so sorry," Leo's voice seemed far. My head was clouded and hurting. I felt anger towards Leo and betrayal from Layla.
"Oh," I whined ,"why all these emotions."
I wanted to punch him in the face, but at the same time fall before his feet and beg him to not leave me here.
The only guy I had ever truly wanted: A vampire and a mate to my best friend.
I had heard and seen too many unnatural things the past days, my mind gave in, it wanted a rest.
My knees were the first to hit the stone floor, after that everything just faded away.
Leo's POV
In shock I watched as Avery lost it. I reacted just in time to keep her head from hitting the floor. Slowly I laid her head down and stared at her pale face with mixed feelings.
It surprised me at how much she seemed to have cared for me when I didn't even notice her attraction.
"Why does it affect her so much?", I asked Sir Castor.
He stared at her before he answered "I guess her vampire side is kicking in."
"What?", I yelled "she's turning?"
"Well what do you expect, she was bitten." His voice declared that he was not happy about it.
"But she still smells completely human," I couldn't understand.
"Yeah, that's the thing her body isn't changing as it should be, by now I would expect her to be craving for blood.", he explained with a scowl on his face.
I was taken aback and speechless, I stared at him open mouthed. The shock was the same as if they would have told me that a vampire had died due to cancer or some illness. Avery a vampire was.....
'A disaster'
In that instant I knew something would change in the vampire kingdom.
"Does the king know?", I wondered.
"Yes, he does", I was surprised at Sir Castors behavior. I had expected him to be unfriendly and kill me instantly.
I shot another glance at Avery's motionless body on the stone floor, and regretted the blunt way I had told her about me and also about Layla, it was no wonder her human brain would shut itself away after these dramatic discoveries and changes.
My own mind was beyond troubled and I had to get out of here. Without another word I left the dark dungeon, when suddenly Castors voice made me freeze.
"Where do you think you're going, little rogue", his voice was cold.
Slowly I turned to find him right behind me. "You think you can snow in here and melt right out?", his choice of words made me doubt that he was the bloody mad man, the vampire world thought him to be.
I opened my mouth but my voice failed me.
Suddenly his hands where in the back of my neck his nails digging into my skin. His strength was indescribable, it was a death grip and I knew, one wrong move would end my existence.
With a hard shove he pushed me down the stairs I had begin to ascend; never loosening his grip, soon I found myself in front of a second room similar to Averys.
He sent me flying into it, my chest was the first to collide with the stone wall breaking a piece of rock, I hit the ground with my back clutching my chest. I was sure I had broken bones.
With the energy I had left, I squeezed my rib cage back in place with a snap, a grunt leaving my lips; it left me gasping on the floor.
I looked around the room, it was similar to Avery's just this one had no window.
I got up and slowly crawled to the iron bars, my shirt was torn and dirty, covered in patches of blood.
Slowly I went to the bars and went to look through but hissed at the sharp pain that flooded through my hand.
A burning smell filled the air and I narrowed my eyes at the sight of my burnt hand. I froze as I saw that my onyx ring was missing and a high window on the wall outside the cell room I was in, covered the iron bars in sunlight.
My hand healed fast, but that didn't stop the burning anger that rose in my chest towards Sir Castor. Taking my ring meant I was completely at his mercy of which he had none. I grunted in frustration.
"Hello?", a soft voice rang through the air.
"Avery!", I huffed in surprise, she must have woken.
"What's wrong?", she spoke softly.
"I'm in the cell beside you", my tone was harsh.
"What happened?", she carried on with a whisper.
"Don't worry", I said not wanting to give her more to ponder on.
"Tell me", her sweet voice was persuasive.
I chuckled "You can't stop caring for others even if you're in knee deep shit can you?"
She chuckled humorlessly "I think I'm further in than just my knees," her voice lost the smile at the end of the sentence.
"What will happen?", she murmured.
"I don't know", I didn't want to give her false hopes. There wasn't any. If they wouldn't find her attacker soon she would eventually be killed. I cringed inwardly at the thought of her getting hurt or even killed.
"Who put you in here?", she sure was persistent.
"Sir Castor", my answer was bitter.
"He seems rude", she sounded angry. "Why do you respect him much?"
"Do I?", I wondered what made her ask that.
"Yes, the way you talked to him in front of me."
"Well he demands respect, he's the king's brother."
I heard her gasp "The king."
My eyes narrowed "You know about him?"
"Yes", she breathed. "He was here right before you came, they brought me up to him and he looked so", she stopped and took a breath "mesmerizing, he looked different then the rest of you. But he was so mad, he called me disgusting and cut my cheek."
My jaw clenched, imagining the king in his pureblood form raking his nails over her face.
"And all I had done was thinking he looked beautiful", she whispered.
"Beautiful?", for me the king looked well like a pureblood not beautiful at all.
"Yes", her voice was low "just like you."
My breath hitched "You're beautiful too." Her confession gave me funny feelings.
"Thank you", she sounded embarrassed "but don't say that, it hurts", I was taken aback at her bluntness. I was glad I couldn't see the pain on her face which was evident in her statement.
"I'm so sorry", I whispered.
"Will you tell Layla?"
I knew what she meant if I would tell her that I was a vampire "Yes, I will."
"Good, she deserves to know".
Footstep sounds prevented us from talking further and suddenly Sir Castors face appeared in front of the metal door.
His eyes bore into mine and mine into his until he broke the silence "I called your former coven leader, he advises me to kill you."
I heard Avery gasp.
"Since when do you listen to advisers?", he hadn't played nice with me, I didn't want to either.
"You got a point.", Sir Castors voice was rough. "That's exactly why I've decided to keep you alive.
Relief flooded me.
"Thank you so much Sir."
"But you will live under my name and follow my rules."
"Of course Sir," he had offered me more than I could ever have asked for.
A ghost of a smirk appeared on his face "You will drop out of school, live in this house, serve me unconditionally and your mate must be compelled to not uncover our species."
I glared at him, I didn't want to give up my human lifestyle.
His eyes narrowed, and his eyebrow rose, challenging me.
"Fine", I huffed in annoyance.
Sir Castor unlocked the cell door and came to stand in front of me. He grabbed my hand and stared into my eyes.
"I Sir Castor brother of the king accept you Leo Baxter into the Royal Blade coven." He shook my hand firmly and handed my onyx ring back.
I couldn't believe I now belonged to the Royal Blade coven. It was the strongest and the most powerful one. It protected the king and all the royals. After all it was a royal coven.
"Thank you Sir," I expressed my gratitude, though I was still pissed at his stupid rules.
"You will start training tomorrow, I am making you one of my personal guards."
I gaped at him.
"Don't make me regret my decision, if there is even the smallest hint of disobedience or betrayal, I will not think twice before killing you."
"I vow to serve you, Sir." I went down on my knee and bowed before him.
"I expect to see you tomorrow at six in the morning, ready to move into my house.", With those words he left and I stood there speechless for a while.
I slid my ring back on and went through the door. It almost felt as if I would burn again, but the ring did its magic.
Stopping in front of Avery's cell door I found her looking at me.
"Take me with you.", she pleaded her eyes begging sincerely.
"Avery", her face twisted painfully at the sound of her name coming from me.
"Please, just let me out," she took a step closer. Her blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. Her fingers wrapped around the metal bars keeping her weak and small frame up.
"Please Leo, please", her voice broke with emotion.
I gulped and stepped backwards as her small hand reached out to touch me. Her eyes widened with hurt as she saw my reaction.
I wanted to release her, but I had just regained a position back in a coven. Letting her go would officially be the end of me. And they would find her anyhow.
"I'm so sorry Avery, I can't do that.", a single tear escaped down her torn cheek.
She turned her back to me and stood motionless. For a moment I stared at her back but quickly left in silence.
I slipped out of the house soundlessly; Sir Castor would be surprised at my skills for I had been the Silver Blade covens best tracker and detective. I couldn't fight the smile that crept upon my lips.
When I reached the small house I had called my home until now it was already dark.
As I reached out to unlock the front door, something pierced my back which made me go down on my knees with a groan. I turned to look behind me and saw a silhouette walking towards me.
Hoisting myself up, with the pain spreading in my back and chest, I felt the person's presence, he grabbed my arms and twisted them backwards cuffing my hands together.
I groaned as the stake was driven further into my chest. By now my eyes had changed color and my fangs where out, I was hissing furiously at my attacker.
"Bloody bloodsucker, I should have known it was you," the voice seemed vaguely familiar.
Fighting for breath I craned my neck and met a pair of furious green eyes which belonged to no one else than Officer Gabe.
"Gabe, it wasn't me.", I hissed in pain. He knew how to hurt a vampire.
"Hell I don't care if it wasn't you, you don't belong here. Castor has never talked about you", he yelled in my face.
"I belong here now, Sir Castor just accepted me in his coven." It was getting difficult to speak.
"I dont believe a word you say," he twisted the stake in my chest making me groan loudly.
Suddenly the front door opened and out came my mate, she turned around and her eyes grew in horror.
Her eyes traveled from my bloody chest to my red eyes and stayed glued to my fanged mouth.
"What in the....", she couldnt finish her sentence as a scream ripped through her vocal cords.
"Layla run, go to my house and don't leave till I come and explain everything." Officer Gabe had switched to protective police mode.
"Leo what are you?", she yelled fear clouding her beautiful hazel eyes.
"Layla, love......" my eyes grew heavy and I heaved coughing blood "let me explain." I murmured.
"Go NOW, Lay," Gabe ordered.
Layla staggered backwards and turned to sprint away from me.
Seeing my mate running away from me broke my heart.
"No", I roared, my voice making Gabe shrink back and Layla froze "my mate, my mate come back, you're my beloved you belong with me, you are destined to be with me, love, please come back."
Gabe's hands had left me, his face was pale and he was staring at me open mouthed.
For a long moment none of us spoke, I tried to free myself from the cuffs but to no avail, they where vampire safe.
Layla's terrified whisper broke the silence, " What are you?"
Slowly she turned towards me and fear was evident in her troubled expression. Everything was quiet, it seemed as if the noises from the forest in front of my house knew that they where to keep silent.
The time froze and it was crimson against hazel.
"Your vampire mate, my love."
TO BE CONTINUED...........if you wish of course