A L M I R A
[ Warning, sexual content is forced in this chapter. If that triggers you, please don't really until the bold okay note.]

Chapter 4
Almira Davenport

I sat up and took in my surroundings. I was sitting on a bed in a cell. Food was left on a little table inside the cell. I got up off the bed and went to take a step before realizing I was bound to the bed. I had a chain around my ankle than was connected to the wall.

"Alastor!" I screamed, trying to get his attention.

He appeared in front of the cell bars in a matter of seconds. Damn vampires. "So you're awake. How's the food?" He smirked.

"Lovely torcher method, really. Cudos to you, Alastor," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "So did you bring me here to kill me?"

"Obviously."

"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not," I grumbled, glaring at him. "My bed back in the castle was a lot softer than this bed. I miss it."

"If you ever find a way to get to the food, you'll miss the castle's cooking too. You'll also miss your mate, and Ambrielle, and Alexander, and Ashli, and Adam, and Rkyer, and Jaxon, and whoever else you managed to befriend while you were there. Do I care? Not in the slightest."

I crossed my arms and continued to glare at him.

"You have no power over me," I argued, walking as close to him as I could get, which wasn't far in my case.

"You sure about that?" Alastor smirked. "I could make you wish you were never born."

"Good luck with that." I was going to be as defiant as possible. Dad always said to conceal your fear.

In a flash, the cell was unlocked and he was pinning me against the wall, his hand tightly gripping my throat. I couldn't breathe. "This is my favorite part: inflicting pain and making people fear me. You want to play the 'see how long it takes to break me game'? Fine, I'll play. I've won every game I've ever played. The blood that stains my soul proves that. From here on out, I will deny you death until you beg me for it. Maybe, just maybe then, I'll consider," Alastor seethed, his grip tightening on my throat.

I was struggling to breathe, black dogs clouding my vision. I clawed at his hand to let go of me. Just as I was about to embrace darkness, Alastor threw me into the other wall, my body coliding with the wall. The impact was enough to make me yelp in pain.

"That all you got?" I laughed, still doubled over in pain.

"You like it rough, huh?" Alastor smirked, stalking towards me.

"Give me all you got," I responded, standing up. I swayed and had a pounding headache. Was that going to stop me? No.

Alastor quickly sped in front of me and kicked me back into the wall again. He got up to my face and punched my nose. My eyes began to water and my face was throbbing.

"We're not done yet, Almira," Alastor whispered in my ear. He grabbed me by my hair and pulled me up, right in front of his face. "I don't know whether I should kill you or kiss you. Which would hurt Calix more, hm?"

"Can I vote?" I hissed.

"No," He replied. Alastor threw me against the bed and I widened my eyes. He wasn't, was he?

Alastor began to abuse my lips by kissing them, even though I was struggling and fighting him. I squirmed and hit him every chance I got, but nothing seemed to phase him. It's like he was under some spell or hexing.

Alastor trailed harsh kisses down to my neck and began to kiss and suck on my neck. I scream and cried and hit him over and over, nothing. He tore off my corset and threw it aside somewhere.

Why couldn't I hurt him?

He continued on his mission to make me regret the day I was born, which was now working. He trailed hot, disgusting kisses down my stomach and to my skirt band. I repeatedly thrashed around and yelled for anybody to help me. I begged for Alastor to stop, giving into him making me regret the day I was born.

He unlaced my skirt and tossed it carelessly onto the floor. I felt him smirk against my skin and the feeling made me sick. Alastor slid my underwear off and I was officially scared. If I wasn't before, I was now. I screamed and Alastor hissed, kissing my inner thigh before coming back up to my face.

—Trigger Warning Lifted—

"Let this be a lesson to you. Test me or defy me again and I'll make you wish for more than just death. This is a fraction of what I can do to you. I'll have a maid come down here with appropriate clothes. You and I are going to send Calix a little thank you note as a gratitude of letting me have his beautiful mate."

With that being said, Alastor got off of me and walked out of the cell and locked it back. I sat there, the blankets pulled up to my chest. I was shivering and shaking, traumatized by what had just went down.

I heard footsteps and my mind thought of the worst possible thing. Was Alastor coming back for seconds already? I panicked until I seen a feminine figure. Oh, right. The maid.

The maid had came with a long, elegant dress and a bag of what I presumed was makeup and hair supplies. I looked at her with a silent plead to help me escape and she sighed before moving her neck and revealing a mark on her neck.

She was hexed. She couldn't leave here or betray Alastor without suffering a big consequence. Alastor had to have a witch here to help do his dirty bidding. He's a pure blooded vampire, he couldn't perform magic.

I sighed and gave her a sympathetic smile before she pulled out a key and unlocked the chain around my ankle. I immediately pulled my ankle up to my thighs and rubbed it soothingly. The chain was extremely uncomfortable, especially after the experience I had just gone through.

The maid handed me the dress and I stepped into it, letting her button me up in the back. It was a simple white dress with lace at the wrists, collar, and hem of the dress. The dress came to my knees and stopped there.

After I had the dress on, she pulled out a corset. I looked at her confused and she just looked at me and smiled. A warm face around here was what I needed, but what I needed more was my mate. I needed to see him. I needed to hear his voice. I needed to know that nothing had happened.

I felt pathetic. He doesn't care for me and he made that obvious, so why I was worried about him? Shouldn't he be worried about his kingdom and losing everything he's worked for to an incompetent girl?

I let a couple tears slide down my cheeks and sniffled before wiping them away. The maid brought the corset around me and tied it in the back. It was so tight I couldn't breathe. After the corset, the maid sat me down on the bed and worked on my hair. She pulled it back neatly into a floral-like bun.

She looked at me and smiled, wiping away a stray tear before doing my makeup.

"Can you at least tell me what he means by a thank you note?" I asked, looking up at her.

The maid stopped for a moment and then looked at me. "You're going to be painted standing with him and he's going to send it to King Calix with a note on the back. It's his way of getting to King Calix."

"I don't know why he bothers, Calix doesn't care about me. He made that plain and clear before the festival," I replied, reliving the memories of the talk in my bedroom. I was feeling myself and everything and he just shut me down. Prick.

The maid simply shrugged. "My job is done. All that's left to do is walk you up to the room where the picture will be painted. After that I have to bring you down here and lock you back up."

My face contorted into a frown and I shook my head, more so to myself than at the maid. "Alright."

"I'm sorry to lock you down here, if it were my way, I wouldn't. However, due to the emblem on my neck, I cannot disobey my master and his witches. I hope you can forgive me."

Witches.

Alastor has a group of witches. A group that can perform extreme spells with little to no sacrifice.

I nodded at her and smiled. "It isn't your fault I got stuck being mates with Calix. He's the whole reason I'm really in this mess," I assured.

She nodded and led me out of the cell and up the stairs. We walked a couple hallways and entered through a couple doors before we made it to Alastor and the painter. Just looking at him and being near him gives me a sickening feeling that I just can't seem to shake.

He put his hand out, offering it to me. I knew I didn't have a choice so I placed my hand in his. He pulled me forward and turned me to face the artist.

"Smile!" He sarcastically said, wrapping his arm around my waist. The man began his work, finishing after a while, Alastor's smile falling before shoving me away. "I'll see you tonight, love."

I silently prayed I would be saved by then and that somebody, whether it be Calix, Ryland, Jaxon, Ambrielle, or Alexander come and save me. Just to get me away from him.

The maid led me back to the cell and handed me a night gown to change into. She assisted me with the corset and unbutton the dress from the back. I nodded at her before slipping from the white laced dress to a satin night gown. It was long sleeved and clung to my body until about mid though.

The maid grabbed the chain and locked it back around my ankle. I sighed and went to sit on the bed. The maid smiled at me before walking out of the cell and locking it.

I sat there for a good amount of time contemplating life and options. Would it really be best to just have Alastor kill me? I know he won't, but the thought of him doing it? I'm not so sure how I'd feel. Part of me prays he lets me live to see another moon, and part of me prays he takes me out with silver or wolfsbane.

I shook my head and slammed my hand on the bed. I felt pathetic.

~-~

It's been a couple days since I've been here. Alastor hasn't paid much attention to me except sending maids down here to make sure I'm not dead, just close enough.

The sounds of footsteps echoed down the halls and I assumed it was the maids coming down to check on me. However, it was Alastor.

I glared at him and he chuckled. "Why are you glaring at me?"

"I'm hoping you'll spontaneously combust and I'll be free," I hissed, my cold flare still boring into his eyes.

"Well that won't be happening today, unfortunately," He replied.

I didn't notice it until I seen him pull it up closer to his face and flick a glowing green substance inside yet another bottle. "Uh, what is that?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"It's a liquid to hopefully turn you against Calix. A couple rounds of this and you'll be a perfect weapon to use against Calix," He responded, a sinister smile appearing on his face.

"Your plan is to turn me against him and torment me forever to bend Calix to your will? How many times will I have to tell you he doesn't care, and this dumb plan of yours will never work? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a grudge against me," I rambled, looking up at him with hate in my eyes.

"If only you seen how angry he was when I paid him a visit and handed him the little painting we took together. Enough about that pathetic waste of space," He unlocked cage and stepped inside to free me from the chain around my wrists and ankle. "How does an upgrade sound?"

~-~•~-~

hi, hello! so i just posted these 4 chapters and prologue in one sitting. i'm currently almost done with this book but have been working on it for 2ish years. anywho, updates will be twice a week or however much i feel until i get it done :) - author