Read Online Salvation (The Captive Series Book 4) by Erica Stevens - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Erica Stevens
Ads: Link
He’d vowed to keep her safe and he’d failed miserably. Even if he did get her back, he didn’t know if he would ever be able to make up for the torture he was certain she was enduring. He shuddered as his hands fisted. “Focus,” he told himself firmly.
The only problem was that there was little to focus on besides her. It was why he’d come here. He couldn’t see the boards scattered about him, but he knew they were there. William, Daniel, David, Max and Jack had helped him to carry the wood here. Even Ashby, Gideon and Xavier had wandered to the clearing to see what it was that Braith had in mind for all the lumber.
“You can have mine,” Ashby had offered when Braith stated he planned to build a tree house.
Braith didn’t want the memories that came with Ashby’s though. He wanted something untainted by his father, something that was entirely for Aria, and he was going to build it for her. It was the only thing he could think of to do, the only thing that even remotely helped to ease some of the pent-up rage burning inside of him, besides killing. It would be hers alone when he finally had her back.
He felt another presence before he heard or smelled anything. His head dropped, he searched the shadows the best that he could. Then something stepped out from behind the tree and he caught the scent of it.
“Keegan,” he murmured . He couldn’t clearly see the wolf, but he heard the faint padding of his paws as he made his way toward Braith. Braith had assumed the wolf had found his own pack within the woods, and that he’d never see him again. He dropped to his knees, finding some solace as his fingers slid into Keegan’s thick coat. Pulling Keegan close, he buried his face in Keegan’s fur and embraced his lost friend. Keegan’s tongue was rough as it lapped at Braith’s face. From behind the tree another wolf appeared, followed by four small blurs that rolled over top of one another.
“Seems you’ve been busy also.”
Braith turned at the breaking of a stick; Keegan lowered himself as a low growl rose in his throat. Xavier emerged from the shadows, his dark head bent as he moved closer. Braith recognized David’s scent and nimble gate as he picked his way around the boards behind Xavier. “We must speak,” Xavier murmured.
Braith had been waiting to speak to Xavier, but he wasn’t certain he could take much more right now. If he didn’t like what Xavier had to say, he was fearful he would lose it. “Aria?” He was barely able to get her name out.
“ Yes.”
“What about her?”
Xavier’s hands fell to his sides, he moved closer to Braith, almost touching him as he lowered his voice. “I believe she is not what she appears to be. There is more going on here than what you, or I, know.” He turned toward David. “Her father has some interesting information that perhaps you knew, but I did not. If I had known, all of this would have made a lot more sense to me awhile ago, and perhaps it would have made things easier.”
CHAPTER 6
She felt drained, literally , drained of energy, of blood, of life. She could barely move, it was almost impossible to pry herself up from the swirling gray marble floor. The king stood over her with her blood still staining his mouth. “Delicious,” he muttered as he absently wiped it away. He made a small slit in his wrist. Fresh energy flooded her as she saw the blood quivering on the edge of his arm. She tried to shove herself up, tried to push herself away from him, tried to find the strength to escape his intentions, but he grabbed hold of her hair and yanked her back as he shoved his wrist into her mouth.
Much to her utter disgrace, and shame, tears slid free of her eyes and began to roll steadily down her cheeks. She hated herself for the show of weakness, hated him even more for pushing her to such a level. She simply couldn’t take it anymore, simply couldn’t
The only problem was that there was little to focus on besides her. It was why he’d come here. He couldn’t see the boards scattered about him, but he knew they were there. William, Daniel, David, Max and Jack had helped him to carry the wood here. Even Ashby, Gideon and Xavier had wandered to the clearing to see what it was that Braith had in mind for all the lumber.
“You can have mine,” Ashby had offered when Braith stated he planned to build a tree house.
Braith didn’t want the memories that came with Ashby’s though. He wanted something untainted by his father, something that was entirely for Aria, and he was going to build it for her. It was the only thing he could think of to do, the only thing that even remotely helped to ease some of the pent-up rage burning inside of him, besides killing. It would be hers alone when he finally had her back.
He felt another presence before he heard or smelled anything. His head dropped, he searched the shadows the best that he could. Then something stepped out from behind the tree and he caught the scent of it.
“Keegan,” he murmured . He couldn’t clearly see the wolf, but he heard the faint padding of his paws as he made his way toward Braith. Braith had assumed the wolf had found his own pack within the woods, and that he’d never see him again. He dropped to his knees, finding some solace as his fingers slid into Keegan’s thick coat. Pulling Keegan close, he buried his face in Keegan’s fur and embraced his lost friend. Keegan’s tongue was rough as it lapped at Braith’s face. From behind the tree another wolf appeared, followed by four small blurs that rolled over top of one another.
“Seems you’ve been busy also.”
Braith turned at the breaking of a stick; Keegan lowered himself as a low growl rose in his throat. Xavier emerged from the shadows, his dark head bent as he moved closer. Braith recognized David’s scent and nimble gate as he picked his way around the boards behind Xavier. “We must speak,” Xavier murmured.
Braith had been waiting to speak to Xavier, but he wasn’t certain he could take much more right now. If he didn’t like what Xavier had to say, he was fearful he would lose it. “Aria?” He was barely able to get her name out.
“ Yes.”
“What about her?”
Xavier’s hands fell to his sides, he moved closer to Braith, almost touching him as he lowered his voice. “I believe she is not what she appears to be. There is more going on here than what you, or I, know.” He turned toward David. “Her father has some interesting information that perhaps you knew, but I did not. If I had known, all of this would have made a lot more sense to me awhile ago, and perhaps it would have made things easier.”
CHAPTER 6
She felt drained, literally , drained of energy, of blood, of life. She could barely move, it was almost impossible to pry herself up from the swirling gray marble floor. The king stood over her with her blood still staining his mouth. “Delicious,” he muttered as he absently wiped it away. He made a small slit in his wrist. Fresh energy flooded her as she saw the blood quivering on the edge of his arm. She tried to shove herself up, tried to push herself away from him, tried to find the strength to escape his intentions, but he grabbed hold of her hair and yanked her back as he shoved his wrist into her mouth.
Much to her utter disgrace, and shame, tears slid free of her eyes and began to roll steadily down her cheeks. She hated herself for the show of weakness, hated him even more for pushing her to such a level. She simply couldn’t take it anymore, simply couldn’t
Similar Books
