Bailey Runner
The lights were too bright, I kept my eyes shut, unable to handle it.
I gripped something under my hands, and my back felt sore like I was being held against something.
I wanted to speak but I couldn't, there was something in my mouth.
I tried once more to open my eyes, I kept them open even though the light was blinding.
I could feel fabric on my body and out of the corner of my eye, I saw that I was wearing a very ratty white t-shirt and my Doc Martin's.
"She's awake," I could hear a man's voice to my right.
I searched until I spotted him, he looked big in the smaller space.
His eyes were the first thing I could see, they were dark brown, like his hair.
Another figure stood close to him but I couldn't make out his or her features.
He stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in. I felt tears come to my eyes, my past had caught up with me.
But this wasn't him, it was just a man, but it didn't matter, he could just be one of his goons.
The man stared at me strangely. "This will all go smoother if you choose to cooperate," he replied.
"My name is Kane, I'm going to take the gag out of your mouth," he replied softly, as if he was trying to soothe me.
I tried to back away but my hands and legs were tied to the chair I was sitting in.
I whimpered as he got closer. "Shhhh... I'm not going to hurt you... not if I don't have to." he replied but I was too afraid.
He eventually got close enough and took out the gag. I let out a sob and gripped the chair until my knuckles were white.
Kane watched me and if I hadn't been so out of it I would've thought he looked upset.
He waited until I had calmed down before moving his chair to sit right in front of me.
I tried to back away as much as I could but he was still very much in my personal space.
"Whe-Where is Jason?" I whispered hoarsely.
Kane stayed silent, his facial expression not changing as he stared at me.
"Is-is he alive?" I asked, my heart starting to beat fast in my chest, the idea of him being dead seemed to be too much.
Kane only stared at me for a few moments before speaking. "What is your name?" He asked.
I stared at him, my fear turning into anger. What did he mean "what's your name?' Didn't he already know?
"Look at me," he told me softly and my eyes snapped up to his.
"What is your name?" He asked softly but more firmly than before.
I frowned at him and said nothing. His brow creased and he shook his head.
"I'm going to ask one more time," he stood up and pulled over a table with things on it.
"What is your name?" He ground out and in his hand he held a sharp knife.
I tried to stay calm as he waited for my answer.
"I—" I breathed and somewhere I found my strength.
"I don't know who you are but I'm not telling you anything." I snapped at him.
Kane grimaced. "I'm sorry," he said and then he used the knife to cut open my pant leg.
I braced myself as the knife sliced into me. I screamed, and blood began running down my leg.
Kane looked away as if this was causing him more pain than it was me.
"What were you doing in the woods?" He questioned as he cleaned the knife with a rag.
I was breathing heavily and my leg was throbbing.
"What are even talking about?" I yelled.
"I was trying to help Jason and then those things came!" I whined.
Kane sat back as he stared at me. "The rogues?"
I shut my eyes, willing my tears back. "Those things... the wolves." I snarled at him.
Kane seemed frustrated at my reply. "I really don't want to hurt you, but I need to know who you are and what you were doing on our territory."
I opened my eyes once more and stared at him.
"Just. Let. Me. Go." I groaned.
" I can't." He sighed and stood up.
"Where are we?" I asked, finally examining our surroundings more closely.
The room was cold and I shivered, the floor was made of concrete and the walls were made of dark brick.
It was damp, like we were in a jail cell or a basement.
Kane continued to stare at me and not answer my question.
"Please," Kane looked into my eyes and I almost felt bad.
I almost felt bad for the guy torturing me. I was definitely losing it.
"Who are you and why did you trespass?" He asked once again.
I stared at him and then I looked at the knife in his hands. My heart turned to stone as I saw my blood drip from its tip.
"No." I snapped.
Kane shook his head and in an almost inhuman amount of speed, he was slicing my leg again.
"Ahhh..." I screamed and Kane sliced me again.
"Stop!" I screamed and began to shake in the chair.
Kane grabbed the back of my seat and held me steady with a crazy amount of force.
"I'm going to ask you again," Kane said forcefully. "who are you," he began cleaning the knife with his shirt and leaned back over me, and positioned it on my leg.
I whimpered and looked away from his face, "and why were you trespassing?"
He looked into my eyes and for a second I wanted to give in.
Then I felt the edge of the blade press into me. "Go to hell!" I snarled.
The knife plunged into my thigh and I screamed.
"It's going to be a long night."
• • •
It had been hours since Kane had stabbed me the first time, and now he wasn't the only one.
I also came to know the blade of a man named Marcus, who turned out to be 10 times more horrifying than Kane.
Marcus had three different blades, and the one he'd been using the last few times was making me want to tear my eyes out.
It also made me pray that Kane would return, at least he took care of the wounds and gave me water.
"Get it out of your system!" Marcus screamed in my face, his dark almost black eyes bore into mine like two bullets.
"You're not leaving until you tell me why you were in the woods." He yelled once more. I felt tears continue slipping out of my eyes.
I still wasn't sure what was happening, I just knew these men were total murderous psychopaths.
Now my arms were bound behind me and the chair was far more restrained.
I'd tried to bite Marcus when he got too close so his response was to tie me down some more.
Both Marcus and Kane kept asking me why I was with 'rogues' and why I was with Jason.
I didn't really even know what to say, all I know was that I didn't want to give into these assholes.
"This can all end," he whispered. "All you have to do is tell me your name." He growled.
I'd run so far and escaped so much, there was no way I would give in now.
I felt silent tears run down my cheeks but I shook my head and spit in his face.
Marcus wasn't even fazed, he simply wiped the spit from his cheek and plunged his serrated dagger into my thigh.
"AHHHHH!" I screamed. The pain was excruciating and it only got worse when he twisted the blade.
I let out an even louder scream and began to sob, the tears flowing freely down my cheeks.
Seconds later the door crashed open and fell to the ground in shambles.
Marcus and his knife were ripped away and out of me, I screamed at the pain but was nonetheless grateful that the knife was no longer embedded in my flesh.
After a few seconds I focused on the scene in front of me.
Kane stood in the doorway with a look of complete and utter shock marring his features.
Marcus was on the ground and on top of him was the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen.
He was throwing punch after punch, there was so much rage it was as if you could see it radiating off of him in waves.
Marcus' face was bleeding everywhere and with every one of his hits you could hear bones cracking.
The man landed one more punch before standing up and taking deep breaths.
I could see him better now as he stood in front of me. His body was ripped, from what I could see under his hoodie, there was muscle everywhere, but in a way that made him look like a God.
His light brown hair was tousled like he had been running his hands through it repeatedly but it also looked damp, like he'd just taken a shower.
His face was serious and angry, and his eyes were glowing black.
After a few seconds of complete silence, he looked up at me and my heart stopped as his eyes met mine.
They were no longer black but a beautiful deep brown that made all of the pain inside me numb.
"Mate!" The word sounded like it came from deep inside his own soul and within seconds he was at my side.
I didn't have time to process anything he'd said because he was already grabbing the ropes that kept me tethered to the chair and ripping them apart as if they were cardboard.
Then he had lifted me from the chair and into his arms. He buried his face in my neck and I stayed still, almost in a stunned shock as he held me.
There were tingles all over my body, his arms around me were causing such a euphoric feeling that all the uncomfortableness from my leg wounds dissipated.
He looked up from my neck at Kane as well as Marcus, who was struggling to stand up.
"MINE!" He seemed to growl, like an animal almost, and before I knew it, his mouth was on my neck and his teeth were biting into my flesh.
"Ahhh!" I screamed, for a split second in pain and then I felt dazed and warm all over.
I went limp in his arms, leaning against him for support.
He was so tall, he dwarfed my 5'8 as he lifted me by my waist, holding me closely in his arms.
I wanted so desperately to fight him, he'd just bit me for god's sake! But it was like I'd lost all of my energy, all I could do was let him hold me.
I looked up at him and for the first time he really looked at me. "You're mine." He whispered.
I looked at him, mesmerized by the feelings he was giving me but I felt myself growing weaker.
My eyes drooped closed and I slumped against him completely.
"GET EUNICE! NOW!" I heard him roar, I could feel the vibrations in his chest and they were enough to slightly jerk me into consciousness.
He was looking at me worriedly as he bent down and scooped me up bridal style in his arms.
I kept looking at his face, feeling a sense of security at being in his arms.
That was the last thing I saw before slipping into complete unconsciousness.
-
I breathed evenly, calmly. I felt safe, where ever I was.
As I slowly began to wake up, I could feel that I was laying in a very comfortable bed.
I stayed still, savoring the comfort I was feeling, I hadn't ever slept in a bed this nice.
After a few minutes of enjoying the feeling, I opened my eyes slowly, the room wasn't too bright, sort of dim but I could see well enough.
It was a modern room, the bed I was laying in was the center so it was obviously a bedroom.
It smelled like cologne and fresh soap. It was a comforting scent.
"You're awake," my eyes snapped towards the voice.
He was sitting in a chair next to the huge bed and his appearance made my heart skip a beat.
I stared at him, not daring to say a word as he looked at me. His face was unnaturally beautiful and I couldn't help but admire its artistry.
He was wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and a tight gray long-sleeved t-shirt that was pushed up to his elbows.
He didn't move, he only stared closely at me, as if he were studying me.
My mind was fuzzy but he was very familiar. I fought through my foggy mind, trying to remember where I was and how I got here.
Then it all came back, Marcus, Kane, the knives.
My breathing picked up and I backed against the headboard, trying to get away from the man who'd beaten Marcus to a pulp and bit me.
The man looked alarmed and he tried to come closer to me, I could feel the fear rushing through me.
"It's okay... no one is ever going to hurt you again. " he said, his voice firm and it sounded almost like he was angry.
He reached forward and placed his palm on my cheek.
I wanted to move away, my brain was screaming that none of this was right but as soon as his skin touched mine, I had no control.
I sat there as he came closer to me, sitting on the edge of the bed, his thumb rubbing slow circles into my skin.
He was so tall that even sitting down, he towered over me.
His brown eyes found mine and they seemed to call to me. I could feel myself leaning into his touch.
A ghost of a smile graced his lips but it was gone before I could even register it had been there.
"There are a lot of things I need to explain..." he began as his hand dropped to his lap.
His movements were graceful and just watching him made strange feelings bubble in my chest.
"It will take time for you to adjust," he continued as his hand took mine. I pulled away a little but let my hand stay in his.
"Brayden I-" a girl opened the door. She had blonde hair and crystal blue eyes that stared at me as if I were an alien.
"Oh I..." she trailed off.
"Leave." The man, Brayden barked at her.
She only stood there for a second before leaving the room.
He turned back to me and I watched as he relaxed.
"I know your name is Bailey," he said softly.
My heart rate rose and I was fearful again. Brayden could see the rising panic in my eyes.
"Some of my enforcers found your wallet in the forest." He explained. His words didn't help much and I wondered who he meant by 'enforcers' but I remained silent.
"Kane and Marcus have been severely punished for their actions and no one will ever touch you like that again." He snarled, looking so angry he was almost shaking.
"Where... am I?" I finally asked, my voice sounding raspy, most likely from screaming.
Brayden looked surprised at my question.
"You're safe, you're in my home." He told me vaguely.
"Why did you bite me?" I asked, suddenly very angry at him for giving me such mixed feeling.
My hand went up to touch the bite mark. It was still rather tender but it didn't hurt when my finger tips grazed it.
Brayden sighed and moved away from me. I felt my heart sink a little when he moved away and the feeling only confused me more.
"I need to explain a few things but for now, you should get some rest." He stood up from the bed and I panicked.
I reached forward and grabbed his hand without thinking.
He looked down at me and he smiled softly. My heart fluttered at his expression.
"I'm not leaving," he said as he let go of my hand and went to the door.
"I'll be right back, I'm just going to get you some water." He told me and I watched as he left the room.
I sat there in silence. I looked around, wondering if I should try to escape now.
I could see through the windows behind the bed that it was still dark and a small alarm clock on the bedside table read 3:12 am.
It was no wonder I was still very tired. I lifted the covers and moved to the edge of the bed. My thighs were wrapped tightly with thick gauze and when I moved, pain shot up my legs.
I hissed and sat on the edge for a few seconds, trying to regain my composure.
I was wearing a large white t-shirt that didn't belong to me, it had the same fresh cologne smell as the room.
I tugged it down, feeling strangely exposed.
After a few seconds, I steadied my feet on the cold modern wood floor and pushed up off the bed.
I stood for literally a second before falling forward.
I hadn't noticed Brayden had entered the room and before I could hit the floor he caught me.
His arms wrapped around me and I leaned against his chest. Shocks ran through me at the contact and it felt good to be in his embrace.
"You shouldn't be trying to move, the wounds are pretty deep." He said, his voice growing dark and angry at the end of his sentence.
He lifted me back onto the bed and again sat down on the edge.
He reached over to the bed side table and grabbed a glass of water that I had assumed he'd set down before catching me.
"Here," he handed it to me. I took it and sipped it, it felt good going down my throat and I took a few more gulps.
I didn't trust him at all–yet there was something inside me that wanted to. Just that thought scared me.
He stared at me some more, as if I were the moon or something.
"I..." I was trying to think of what to say. "I need to leave."
A deep animalistic sound rumbled in Brayden's chest. It almost sounded like a growl.
"You aren't going anywhere," he glared with eyes that looked almost black.
I shied away from him and backed away. This situation was confusing. I still had no idea who these people were or why I was here.
I also couldn't help but wonder what happened to Jason. He was the only familiar thing I was holding onto.
Brayden's expression softened and I watched as his eyes began to lighten and returned to brown. It was a strange sight and it definitely wasn't normal.
"I'm sorry..." he cleared his throat and looked away from me.
"It's hard to control myself," he said seeming rather uncomfortable.
I only nodded, not really understanding at all what was happening but deciding that it was too much at this point to think about it.
"I don't want to overwhelm you," Brayden replied slowly.
Too late for that.
"When my men found you, you were with my brother, Jason..." I perked up at the mention of Jason being his brother.
"my men informed me and I gave the order to interrogate you..." his expression looked full of guilt and pain.
"I gave both Marcus and Kane permission to use any means necessary to find information, including..." he looked down at my legs and he looked away as if it caused him deep pain to see them.
"I don't take chances with Jason, he has always had a target on his back and with his blindness this target only got bigger." Brayden continued.
"My men suspected that you were an enemy and I trusted them," he shook his head in anger.
I watched him, trying to understand where he was going with all of this.
His gaze met mine. "It was wrong," he said through gritted teeth. "But you should know, no one here will ever touch you again..."
He had already said that but this time it seemed like he was stating a fact rather than trying to reassure me.
I only nodded, not wanting to upset him. I wanted to leave but a small part of me didn't. I wasn't sure of his intentions exactly and I didn't want to cause him to do anything to me.
"I'll explain more later, for now you should rest." He said and promptly pulled the covers back over me.
I was honestly too exhausted to argue with him at this point so I did as he said and relaxed into the mattress.
"It will all be clearer in the morning." He said softly before turning out the lights.
• • •
Hey everyone! EEEK! They finally met, I can't wait to read your comments on this chapter, but anyway... I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Vote, COMMENT, add to a reading list, and follow if you haven't already. *Unedited*
Forever yours, ~Vamps