Dark Signs

16

I t was pitch black once Kill had closed the door and locked us in. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face, let alone anything else. I clung tightly to his side, my fingers entwined with his.

He led us down a hallway, pulling me to a stop before we ascended up a flight of stairs. Each step creaked under our added weight.

How he was seeing through this void of darkness, I had no idea. Maybe he just knew his way around really well.

Once we were at the top step, Kill picked me up by the waist and lifted me up and onto the landing with such ease, placing me before him. We were nose to nose, chest to chest. He inhaled deeply once more before letting me go and stepping to the side where there was one final door.

My heartbeat was erratic within my chest, and my arms and legs felt like jelly. My stomach was doing backflips, like the start of a panic attack.

A lingering sense of fear clung to me like a second skin.

The door we had stopped before was emanating a soft yellow glow from beneath, like the room beyond was lit with dull ambered lights.

“Ready.” He whispered. It was not a question.

Once again, that lingering sense of dread, of fear, was thick upon the air and made it hard to breathe. Like it was suffocating me.

The air here was sickly and hot, sweat started to bead at my temple and roll down the centre of my spine.

I was going to push through this, I was ready as I thought I was ever going to be, so I nodded and squeezed Killian’s hand in answer.

As long as I had at least one of them with me, whether it be Killian, Cairn or Navien, I would be okay.

His hand reached for the door handle, slow and steady. He turned the knob and the door swung open.

It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the light of the room and I blinked away the brightness, Killian took my hand and pulled me deeper.

The air in here was stifling hot and stale and stunk strongly of urine and vomit.

I had to put my hand over my nose and mouth to smother the stench.

We turned a corner to find a man hanging limply by his wrists from two chains that were suspended from hooks in the walls opposite.

His head hung forward, his chin lay resting awkwardly upon his chest. Not a scrap of clothing covered his body.

His chest and thighs had been carved with dozens and dozens of slashes. Each one ranging from only a centimetre in length to at least the size of my palm.

I didn't know where to look.

“Oh my god,” I gasped and spun on my heel to run, but as I turned I smacked into the solid chest of Navien.

He pulled me to a stop with a hard grip to my shoulders.

“No, darling. There is no turning back from this.”

“Nav, I can't. Let me go.” I struggled in his grip.

“No darling.” He said again. This time with authority in his tone.

I looked up at him. His eyes were hard and set.

“Please.” I begged in a whisper, trying to pull free from his iron grip.

“Don't struggle.” Navien said softer this time.

“I can't.”

I couldn't be here. What the fuck had they brought me in to?

I was desperate now. I stomped on Navien’s toes with my boot, hard, which caused his grip on my arms to falter just enough for me to rip my arms free of his hold and started to sprint away, but didn't get far as Cairn was right fucking there, a hulking dark figure standing still like a statue, arms crossed across his chest, blocking the doorway and my only escape.

His blue eyes were soft but there was a warning in them, which pierced through me with such intensity.

I swivelled on the ball of my foot, searching everywhere for something. A window, a ledge, a hidden passage. I turned each way, but there was nothing. Only a dilapidated staircase that led to a small mezzanine floor. But there were windows up there, and that meant a possible escape.

I sprinted across the floor and ducked under Navien’s outstretched arms and headed for the stairs.

It wasn't until I was in my mad scramble halfway across the room that I saw him.

He stopped me dead in my tracks, my limbs wouldn't cooperate. I was pinned to the spot.

Fuck. He was dangerous.

This was very, so very, very dangerous.

My skin prickled with awareness, every fibre of my being screamed for me to flee, to run, but I couldn't. Not only that, I don't think I did want to run from him.

I wanted to run to him.

I wanted to get on my knees and worship before him, I wanted him to make me worship.

And that was the most dangerous thought of all.

The tall dark figure was seated in a large leather armchair in front of a crackling fireplace which was the sole cause of this cloying, choking heat.

There was a side table to his right with a glass of amber liquid sitting atop it.

He was sitting lazily, his back leaned against the tall backrest, his knees spread wide. He seemed so at ease despite the circumstances.

His legs were long and clad in black slacks that had been ironed to crisp perfection, not a single crease to be found or thread out of place.

The buttons of his black suit shirt were undone and hung open to just above his navel with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbow.

Thick black ink covered the entire expanse of flesh that I could see. Trailing over his knuckles and the backs of his hands. Up his forearms and over his chest and neck.

A cigarette hung lazily between his index and middle finger, the ash falling soundlessly to the ground as the embers burnt swiftly through the tobacco.

His face was completely obscured by a white mask which was slashed across with deep red lines that looked a lot like blood. There were small black slits for his eyes which must have been covered in a mesh, as I could not see the colour of them beyond.

Even though his face and eyes were completely hidden from me, I knew he was staring directly at me. He never moved, not one muscle. He didn’t even breathe.

I was a fly stuck in his spider's web, a trap so delicately spun.

“Val, reign it in a little, yeah?” Killian spoke to the man behind me, but looked directly at me.

This was Val?

“Fucking hell, I'll be on my knees crawling to you soon if you don't fucking cut it out.” Killian all but growled.

Val just flicked his head slightly to the side and suddenly, the air didn't seem so thick, the need to worship and crawl abated.

What the fuck was that?

“Dove.” Killian said, his tone was softer with me now and it brought my attention back to him and where he was now standing next to the chained man.

My breath was still erratic, and it sawed in and out of my lungs.

Navien and Cairn pulled up on either side of me, one hand each on my lower back, they guided me forward, now that I had autonomy over my limbs, and moved me toward Killian and the chained man .

I tried to bring them to a halt, to stop their forward progress, but my boots just skidded across the splintered flooring.

“Dove,” Killian said again, much softer this time, almost like a caress.

“Please.” I begged. “Let me go.”

“Remember, little one. We will not hurt you.” Killian was too gentle for the circumstances.

“Darling, just look, okay.” Navien whispered against the shell of my ear.

I heard a sharp slap against flesh followed by a groggy groan.

“Dove, just look. Okay?” Killian was all business.

I didn't look. I kept my eyes screwed shut.

“Poppet?” Cairn was the gentle one now.

I shook my head, not opening my eyes.

There was another gravelly groan, followed by a “It's you, you fucking bitch. You did this.”

I snapped my eyes open.

That voice did sound familiar. The sound had me seizing up, terror flowed through me.

“Let me go you fucking cunts.” The man cursed and pulled on his wrists. The chains clanked and groaned with the pressure.

The man spat out a glob of blood which thumped thickly to the floor at Killian's feet. His bloody saliva dribbled down his chin.

He groaned again as Killian circled him, going under the chains that were holding him up, tracing his knife over the flesh of his chest and ribs, from one side to the other. Slicing into him.

“That's thirty-seven.” Killian said dismissively.

“Fuck!” The man spat before his head went slack on his neck, dropping forward. Unconscious once more. The stench of fresh piss filled the room, gods.

“Who is that?” I said softly. I knew exactly who it was, but I was having a hard time believing it. My knees went a little wobbly, so I let Navien and Cairn hold me up and steady.

After a few moments, I took a voluntary step forward .

They followed, one hand each on my lower back, crossed over one another's.

“Who do you think it is, Dove?” Killian said.

“It can't be.” It couldn't.

“It is,” Navien said from beside me.

“How? Why?” I stuttered.

“He touched what is ours, poppet.” Cairn replied, his thumb drawing tight circles.

“What…?” I couldn't form a sentence. My mind was in shambles.

“Seventy-Six, remember, dove?”

I took another step forward with a little more confidence.

“Do you remember what I said would happen seventy-six times, dove?”

“He will suffer.” I whispered out. “But Kill, this doesn't have to happen.”

I'm okay, I'm here, the words died on my tongue.

“It does, mon amour .” A voice spoke from the corner.

It was Val.

His voice was ancient, so wise and knowing, rich and seductive. It sounded just like I remembered from those three little words. It was everywhere all at once, all consuming as it emanated around the room.

My head whipped toward him.

“You still wear the cuts and bruises from this la vermine , do you not, mon petit diable ?” Val asked.

I swallowed thickly.

“Answer, little one.” Navien whispered against the shell of my ear.

“Yeah… Yes.”

“Then it must be done.” He spoke with finality.

“Why must I…?”

“Must it be you, mon amour ?” Val finished for me.

I nodded and swallowed thickly.

“Because, tu es à moi, mon petit diable. Tu es à nous.” He gestured to Killian and Cairn and Navien. My French was very rusty, so I cocked my head and tried to piece together what he was saying.

“You are mine, my little devil. You are ours.” He said again, this time so I could understand him. His voice resonated throughout the room.

These boys were very good at reading my mind, it would seem.

“He touched what is ours, and I want to see him meet his end, by your hand mon petit diable .” He finished, flicking his cigarette to the floor and stubbing it out with the toe of his dress shoe. “I want your revenge.”

He reached for his glass, brought it to his lips with one hand and lifted the hem of his mask with the other to just above his top lip and downed the amber liquid in one swallow.

He held onto his glass as he watched me, his full lips curled up in a predatory grin, stark white teeth on display. I saw the glint of gold catch my eye from one side of his mouth.

“But I don't… I can't.” I didn't want anyone to meet their end by my hand.

I looked at him, Val's lips were full, his chin clean shaven, the tattoos ended at his jawline, all except one, which made its way up and under the hem of his mask.

“I don't want his death to be on my hands. That's not me.” I said, stronger than I thought capable.

“It won't be on your hands, darling. This is justice.” Navien replied from behind me.

“The fucker deserves it.” Cairn tacked on.

“No one deserves this, Cairn.” I retorted, swinging around to look at him and Navien.

“Darling.” Navien was all business serious. “He wasn't going to let you go alive.”

“You can't possibly know that.” I shot back, this was beyond ridiculous. I stared into his eyes, searching for anything that might help.

“But we do, darling. We do know.” Navien was softer now, his eyes pleading with me to understand.

“How?”

“Val, help.” Navien's eyes shot over my shoulder to where Val was seated, I turned to watch him.

With nothing more than a flick of his wrist and a twist of his index finger, I was on my hands and knees. That same sense of worship and please washed over me with heady abundance. It was sickly sweet in the back of my throat. I swallowed thickly.

I licked my lips in anticipation and awaited further instruction.

So compliant and willing to do anything Val said, to be his servant, his pet.

Suddenly, the euphoric sensation was gone and was replaced with racing thoughts running through my mind.

They were not my own.

The voice was masculine and distorted and muffled. As if I were hearing through cotton. The blurred sounds became more and more audible as the seconds ticked by.

I looked at Val in confusion, my head cocked to the side as the first few words became clear.

The vile that spilled through my mind took on the voice of my attacker. The man who was chained not even three feet from where I knelt.

They were all thoughts of me.

Of last night.

Of what he wanted to do to me.

Bile rose in my throat at the onslaught of thoughts, those thoughts turning to cloudy visions behind my eyes.

The back of my head. Me, looking over my shoulder, looking panicked. Me running…

The thoughts that accompanied his actions when he finally caught me…

“Enough!” I cried out as I heaved forward, gasping for air that wouldn't come.

The images and thoughts dissipated quickly, leaving my head aching.

“How?” I stuttered out, bringing my eyes back to Val.

“We are monsters, dove.” Killian spoke softly in response.

“You keep saying that, but I don’t know what that means!” I was exhausted. Done with these half truths.

“Monsters are real.” Cairn said reverently. “Some monsters are worse than others.”

“What do you mean monsters?” I exclaimed.

“Some monsters, like us, have lived for a very long time, darling. Some, like Val, a lot longer.” Navien replied from behind me.

“Still not following.” I asked as I got to my feet and I crossed my arms in front of me.

“There are things, beings in this world that hide in plain sight, poppet. Like us.” Cairn said.

“Like you?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

Killian had reached me, his gaze searing mine. He took my hands in his and held them tightly.

“Vampires.” Killian's eyes were ablaze as he stared into my own.

I sucked in an all too shallow breath. My words stuck in my throat.

“Vampire's don't exist.” I choked out.

“We do, dove. Among others.” His thumbs traced idle patterns across the backs of my hands as he held on.

“Others?”

“All the things you've read about? Most of them are true.” He finished with a nod before pulling my hand up to his mouth and kissing my knuckles through his mask.

“So you're all…?”

“Vampires, yes.” Cairn finished my sentence for me.

I pulled my hands free of Killian's grip and started to back away.

“And for all this time, mon petit diable , we have waited.” Val said in his decadent, all powerful voice, it stopped me in my tracks.

“Waited for what?” I whispered.

“You, little dove. We have waited for you. You are the missing piece to our puzzle.” Killian said, even softer now. I noticed him moving closer to me, testing to see my reaction and whether I would run.

He reached me and placed his hands in mine softly. I allowed it, only because I needed something to ground me. For at least the third time today it felt like my world was shifting on its axis and I was powerless to stop it.

The logical side of my brain decided it was time to show up then and I blurted out a breathless laugh. “You're all hilarious. You know that. Let me go. I'd like to go home now.” I pulled my hands hard out of Killian's grip catching him off guard.

I used his temporary distraction to bolt for the door.

“Fuck.” Killian cursed. “Val?” I heard him ask, exasperated.

“Show her.” Val's voice was dark and full of menace as it echoed through the room.

I reached the door unapprehended. Neither Cairn nor Navien made an attempt to catch me.

They didn't need to.

Killian was silent in his pursuit, and as I reached for the door handle, he was on me. His breath sawing in and out of his chest wildly as he slammed me into the door. I could imagine his nostrils flared as he inhaled me deeply into his lungs.

He was hard against me, his chest flush to my back. I could feel the bulge of his cock against my thigh as he pushed into me harder and harder. Not an inch of space separated us. The heady scent of him, all musk and cedar with an undertone of tobacco, surrounded me.

“Go to hell.” I said, breathlessly.

“Oh, dove.” Killian tsked. “I am hell.” His voice was laced with what sounded like a smug grin.

One of his hands gripped my hip tightly, while the other trailed slowly up to hold my throat in place. He nuzzled his face into the junction between my ear and shoulder and traced his tongue around and around causing an unwanted, but delicious wave of tiny pinpricks to dance down my spine.

Killian placed a soft kiss, just a light press of his lips, against the skin of my neck.

“Safeword?” He asked, the word held an air of finality.

I couldn’t get the word passed my lips, I don’t think I wanted it to escape.

When I didn’t respond, Killian struck.

A pain so sharp lanced through me as his fangs pierced my flesh. A sensation that was both simultaneously terrifying and mesmerising.

The shock quickly subsided and was immediately overtaken by a luscious warmth that spread throughout my entire body. Pleasure rose. A liquid heat formed low in my belly with Killian’s wicked kiss.

I was aware of every sensation around me as it happened. I could feel every heartbeat, every breath, every one of Killian’s breaths as he drew me in. Each and every pull from my vein as he sucked and swallowed, the ridges and valleys of his tongue as he laved at my skin in a gentle caress.

I was completely at his mercy.

I had never felt more powerful yet powerless than I was at this moment.

Stars burst behind my eyes as I rocked back into him. Allowing him better access to my vein.

My eyelids grew heavy, I let them fall closed of their own volition.

A kaleidoscope of colours so bright and vivid and gilded flooded my vision, dancing and warping, shattering and then taking such lifelike shapes.

All of my beginnings and all of my endings collided before my eyes. Drawing me out a new path, a new future. Everything I was and everything I was yet to become was being remade, reformed, moulded into something fierce, something wanted, something valued and something treasured.

The power shifted, morphing into something more claiming, owning, soul infusing.

Our thoughts joined into one. Killians memories became my own, and mine became his.

My nightmares and dreams.

His fears and desires.

We were each a piece of a dark puzzle, fitting together so beautifully. Like I had always belonged to him and him to me.

I could see my future now, and it was with these men.

Killian, Navien, Cairn and Vaylen.

Just hearing their names in the depths of my mind, sounded right.

They were each a light in the darkness.

Guiding me home.

I could feel the heady pull of a bond between Killian and Navien. Cairn and Vaylen.

All of them, a family. Made from love, respect and honour. A bond so powerful it transcended the normal fluidity of time.

And now, I was a part of it, and they want to make it official.

Killian’s grip upon me shifted, as did the pull at my throat.

His bite turned into something more intimate and carnal. I could taste his desire on the air, feel it thrumming through me like a second heartbeat.

Killian was no longer holding me to keep me from escaping, but he was holding me like he was afraid to lose me.

The grip he had around my throat turned sensual, the steady rise and fall of his chest along my spine also echoed through his cock, which was now rock hard against me. He thrust in gentle waves, rocking me back and forth.

His desire quickly took over. This was not a simple need but a hunger. A savage instinct to ravage and take. To tear into, to mark me as his.

He withdrew his teeth from my flesh, his lips kissed over the wounds gently as he flipped me over to face him.

His eyes were glacial as he took in sight of me with his bite mark upon my neck. Like he was immensely proud to have me wear it.

His mask was off, his lips were tinged in the red of my blood and they clashed into my own the instant I was facing him.

His kiss was all consuming. He lifted a leg and wrapped it around his waist, followed by the other. He held me steady as feasted so ferociously upon my lips like he was a man starved. His hips began rocking, his cock, straining the seam of his pants, was hard at my centre.

His hands were everywhere. On my ass, thighs, at the hem of my shirt, lifting it slowly.

“ Mon coeur , that is enough.” Vaylen chided, his words sliced through the fog and lust that had encompassed my brain like a blade. Swift and sharp.

It was obvious that Killian had felt it too, he immediately pulled away, my shirt forgotten half way over my breasts. Although he held me steady, his hands no longer wandered.

I immediately missed the taste of him upon my tongue, the feel of him under my lips.

I breathed in a stuttered sigh and quickly remembered where we were.

These men were vampires.

Vampires I had fucked and worshipped.

Vampires who had fucked me so delectably. Who had cared for me and worshipped me in return. Who had saved me from the man still hanging chained in the centre of the room, the man who wanted nothing more than to tear me to shreds and leave nothing left.

A thought came to me then, was my attacker more monster than man?

“He is, dove.” Killian replied to my unasked question, gliding his fingers up and down my arms in a soothing motion.

He slowly started to unwind my legs from around his waist. Placing one down followed by the other, keeping me steady until I got my footing.

Killian placed a lingering kiss to the fullness of my lips, our tastes entwining so deliciously upon my tongue. His dark, smoky flavour mixed with a more sweet cinnamon and caramel taste.

My head swam when he pulled away, leaving me feeling vulnerable and unguarded. It wasn’t for long, though, as he reached between us and pulled my hand into his own, squeezing tightly. What felt like millions of tiny sparks passed between us as our hands connected, which helped ground me.

I breathed out a deeper, steadier breath and stood tall, using Killian as an anchor as I stepped forward toward my attacker.

“What is he?” I asked the room.

The man in question stirred from his unconscious state, his head swinging back and forth across his chest, finding it hard to gather the strength to lift it.

“A rogue, darling.” Navien spoke from where he was circling the monster.

“A what?” I questioned.

“A rogue is a werewolf that has been rejected from his pack, dove.” Killian responded.

“Oh.” I was all I was able to say.

“Monsters are real, remember?” Killian said softly with a reassuring squeeze to my hand.

“Plus, you found him on a full moon.” Cairn added, nonchalantly. Once again cleaning under his nails with a blade as if I hadn't just learned that monsters exist and are living among us. Eating at the same restaurants, drinking at the same bars.

“Working at the same places…” Cairn added again with a wink.

“Right.” I said, taken aback. “Wait. Who?” I gasped out.

Cairn just blew me a kiss from across the room and continued playing with his knife, twirling it between his fingers.

The man moaned again, pulling tightly on his restraints. His head whipped up as I moved closer, he stared me down, his lips curled up in a snarl, his teeth were yellowed and rotten.

“I still don't…” I began, still not wanting to be involved in this, whether this man wanted me dead or not.

“Come, darling.” Navien motioned for me, holding out his hand for me to take.

“Go with Nav, dove.” Killian reassured, placing my hand into Navien's outstretched one. “You got her?” Killian asked seriously.

“Always,” Navien nodded and gripped my hand tightly and protectively.