Hitched to the Vampire King: A Fated Mates Vampire and Vampire Slayer Romance (Dating Monsters Book 9)

I would kill them all.

Adrian. The guards. The Academy council members.

All of them.

I would rip out their throats and tear them limb from limb. And when I was done, I would bury all their little pieces in my backyard and stand over their graves with a smile on my face. They would know that I was the one who’d won in the end. That I was the one who’d brought them all down.

I couldn’t wait for the moment when they realized they’d underestimated me, that they’d fucked with the wrong werewolf.

This fantasy of mine, as dark as it was, was the only thing keeping me sane right now, the only lifeline I had left. It kept the fire burning inside, along with the hope that we would escape this.

Because we would. We had to.

He had to.

My mate.

I stared across the dim room to where Gabriel, caged just like me, lay not ten feet away. Such a small distance, and yet he was completely unreachable, thanks to the reinforced metal bars separating us.

It’d been three days since Adrian Roche, or the King of Pricks as I’d so fondly dubbed him, had locked us up in here. Three days of watching that bastard’s people inject Gabriel with holy water over and over again. At first, he’d writhed in agony after every injection, and I’d stood by helplessly and watched as his skin grew paler and his veins darker. On the second day, he’d gone completely catatonic. Since then, he hadn’t so much as twitched, no matter how hard I begged him to come back to me.   

Adrian didn’t just want to kill us—he wanted us to suffer first.

The bastard had a lot to answer for. First, he put a hit on his son’s head, and when that failed, he hired witches to summon a demon to kill us, and when that failed…well, here we were. I was sick of Adrian’s twisted little games. He owed me, and I had no trouble taking his life as payment.

But first, I needed to figure out how to escape, a feat that was proving far more challenging than I’d anticipated. This cage was damn near unbreakable. No matter how hard I hit the bars—and I hit them hard—they held. I’d even tried while in wolf form, thinking I’d only needed a little more weight. Alas, Adrian had prepared for that exact scenario. Clearly, he’d built the cages to withstand both werewolf and vampire strength. Just another reason for me to hate him, not that I needed more reasons.

Of course, escaping my cage wasn’t the only problem. I also had to figure out where we were and find Chris—I hadn’t seen him since waking up here. None of these tasks would be easy. The room they were keeping us in had some serious horror movie vibes. Concrete floors and walls, zero windows, and a single door in and out, which Adrian kept guarded at all times. As far as I could tell, there were eight guards total, split evenly between humans and vampires. All this preparation made me think Adrian had been planning our capture for a while.

During the day, the human guards kept as much distance from us as possible. They only entered the room right before sunset, when it was time to administer Gabriel’s next dose of holy water. Our first night here, I’d overheard them discussing Adrian’s orders. According to that asshole, the guards had to time it just right. They had to inject Gabriel minutes before sunset. If they waited too long, they risked Gabriel waking fully healed, thanks to every vampire’s inherent magic. But they couldn’t dose him too early either, for fear of giving his body too much time to heal during the day. Either way, they must have nailed the timing, considering his current condition.

Why they hadn’t yet killed us, I had no idea. The bits and pieces I’d overheard always focused on Adrian’s orders—to keep Gabriel weak and unconscious until some other asshole arrived. The guards had mentioned this mystery man a few times, but never dropped his name. They simply called him “him,” and always in a tone that suggested he was someone important, which piqued my interest—and suspicion. Luckily, I didn’t need to know his name to kill him.

With an angry scoff, I paced the length of my cage, my gaze locked on Gabriel’s still form. A single lightbulb hung from the ceiling, but the guards always kept it off. Not that it mattered. I could see perfectly fine in the dark. Just like I could hear the human guards outside the room arguing about who would give “the vamp” the shot this time. The joy of supernatural senses.

If the guards were fighting over who would give Gabriel his next dose, then that meant we were only moments from sunset. Despair sank its claws into me and with a resigned sigh, I stopped pacing.

I’d made it a habit to shift every time a guard entered the room for my own protection. It seemed my hulking form, monstrous fangs, and lethal claws dissuaded them from entering my cage, which kept them from injecting me with more liquid silver. It was a small victory, but a victory, nonetheless.

I crouched in the middle of my cage and let my wolf take over. Once upon a time, shifting had been painful. But with time and practice, the pain faded, and instead, it now felt like a wonderful stretch. For a moment, I reveled in that blissful feeling, but it didn’t last. Not when the reality of our situation once again reared its ugly head.

The argument between the two human guards paused, and the door cracked open, light flooding the concrete floor. I stood on four legs and resumed pacing, my tail twitching in agitation. I wasn’t sure how much more of this Gabriel—or I—could take. I’d never heard of a vampire dying from holy water poisoning, but neither had I heard of one enduring so many injections in such a short time span. Who knew the long-lasting effects this would have on him?

I couldn’t help the snarl that came to my lips. To see my mate like this fueled a deep, seething anger within me. It was one thing to face your enemies head-on, but this…this helplessness was a whole new kind of torment. One I intended to pay back onto Adrian with interest.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. But the second I closed them, memories of Gabriel’s and my last moments alone together resurfaced, cruelly taunting me. We’d just destroyed the Hallowed Moon Coven and returned home. Gabriel had led me into our bedroom and taken me into his arms. Then he’d told me I was the only thing he wanted, and that he had every intention of giving up his crown to be with me.

Because he loved me.

Me.

No one had ever said those words to me before. Not like that.

Before I’d joined the Vampire Academy, before I’d met Lucy, Jaden, Chris, and Josh, I’d been an orphan who’d never been anything but a burden on others. I’d lived in so many different foster homes, I couldn’t remember half of them. And the ones I did remember, it wasn’t because they inspired happy memories.

Then a few years ago, everything changed. I found family and friends. I found a place in this world. For the first time, I was happy. But none of that compared to Gabriel. My mate. He made me feel whole. Complete. Needed.

When I looked at him now, I felt broken. The stark reality of our situation—caged, weakened, and left to the mercy of our enemies—brought back all those old shadows of doubt and loneliness. I felt like that little girl again, the one who was never quite enough, and always stuck on the outside looking in.

No.

I couldn’t think like that.

I wasn’t that same girl anymore. That helpless child had grown into something far stronger. She was fierce, powerful, and capable. I was no longer alone. I had to remember that. I had friends and a family, all of whom were likely searching for us. And I had Gabriel, who needed me now more than ever.

I could do this. I could save us. I had to.

The dreaded sound of approaching footsteps cut through my thoughts. It didn’t take long—a mere instant—before the stench of fear filled the room. I terrified the human guards, but sadly, that didn’t stop them from doing their job.

I ground my teeth and faced Gabriel’s cage, silently begging him to wake up, as I had every night since this all began. But he hadn’t so much as twitched since he’d gone completely catatonic. I was trying not to focus on that. Trying not to give voice to my fears that he was dead.

“Bitch is in wolf form again,” one guard muttered as they came to a stop before our cages.

I caught his gaze and growled, my hackles raised and teeth fully displayed. With a choked breath, he fell back a step, his eyes wide with terror. I couldn’t grin in this form, but my lips did twitch just the slightest bit. I’d never taken joy in someone else’s fear before, but for these two, I’d definitely make an exception.

The other guard clutched a syringe in his hand, and the sight of it pulled another deep, guttural growl from my chest. I’d long since promised myself that I would make these two suffer. The things I’d fantasized doing to them…. Even now, the imagined crunch of their bones echoed in my head. Hell, I could almost taste their blood in my mouth.

“Does Adrian know she keeps doing this?” a guard asked.

“He knows,” the other replied. “He doesn’t seem too concerned. She’s contained, and she ain’t getting out of that cage any time soon. Werewolf or not, she’ll die alongside her bloodsucking mate.”

A savage snarl exploded past my lips. Both jumped back, their heartbeats kicking into overdrive. Maybe I’d die here. But I would make sure they did too.

“Stupid mutt,” the first guard muttered, before spitting on the floor.

Together, they turned their backs on me and headed for Gabriel’s cage. Maybe it was my rampant exhaustion and unhinged emotions, but the sight of them approaching Gabriel ignited a fresh surge of raw, untamed fury within me. I lunged forward, another furious snarl ripping free of my throat. My massive body slammed into the bars with a force that made the whole thing shudder. The sound echoed through the room, the metal screeching under impact.

One of the guards cried out and jumped back, his hands flailing almost comically in the air. Maybe later, when Gabriel and I were safe, I would look back on this moment and laugh. But right now, I couldn’t focus on anything except breaking down these damn bars.

Again and again, I rammed into the unyielding cage. Pain reverberated through my entire body. I hurt all over, even in places I hadn’t known existed. But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I had to break free, no matter how futile my attempts seemed. And when I did, I would rip their heads off and laugh as they died.

I wasn’t sure what these bars were made of, but they were certainly strong enough to withstand a werewolf’s strength. Adrian had seen to that. Yet another reason I wanted him dead. I refused to let any of this stop me though. Eventually, the bars would give, right?

Sadly, the cage seemed to enjoy proving me wrong, because yet again, no matter how hard I struck, it held.

“Oi!” a guard yelled, his British accent thickening. “Shut up, will ya? Or did ya forget that I can double his dose? You want that?”

I immediately staggered to a stop, my body aching. Pain blossomed through my shoulder and down my side. I’d broken something. Great. It’d heal, but not as quickly, thanks to my depleted energy.

Heaving for breath, I locked eyes with the guard, memorizing every little detail about him.

He pulled a second, capped syringe out of one of his pockets and shook it at me.

I snarled, unable to restrain myself.

“Be a good little wolf, and I won’t have to do it,” he taunted.

My growl quieted, but I stared him down as he entered Gabriel’s cage. It took every ounce of strength I possessed not to attack the bars again. But I couldn’t risk them doubling his dose. One was bad enough.

One guard crouched next to Gabriel’s still form while the other stood nearby. My fur stood on end as I watched them stick that needle into Gabriel’s neck and administer the holy water. I subconsciously stole a step closer, hoping even for the slightest reaction to tell me he was still fighting.

Nothing, and my heart sank.

The guard rose from Gabriel’s side, and backed out of the cage. I tracked their every step, my gaze burning a hole through them. I couldn’t speak in this form, but I didn’t need to. They knew they were already dead. I just needed the opportunity. And that moment would come. As would Adrian’s. I might even return the favor and pump him full of holy water first. It gave me a perverse satisfaction to imagine that.

The two guards retreated from the room, one walking backward to keep his focus on me. Guess they were worried I’d escape—and they should be. When I got out of here, I’d rain hell down on this place.

Only when they closed the door and the echo of their footsteps faded away did I glance at Gabriel. I knew from my time spent here that the vampires would pay us a visit in a few hours to give him his next dose. As they would three more times before sunrise hit. Understandably, I didn’t rest much at night. And the constant shifting back and forth was wearing on me, especially without the proper sustenance to replenish my energy. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could do this. I needed to get us out now. I just didn’t know how.

Desperate to check on Gabriel, I pushed my wolf back into the darkest recesses of my mind and shifted back into human form. It took longer than normal, and my broken rib screamed in protest, but I didn’t so much as whimper. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

I quickly threw my filthy clothes back on, then hurried toward the side of my cage butted up against Gabriel’s. I lay down and reached through the bars, hoping to touch him, stretching as far as I could. My fingertips barely grazed his hand. His skin was so cold—too cold, even for a vampire.

“Gabriel,” I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath. I didn’t want the guards overhearing anything I had to say. These words were for my mate’s ears only. “I’m here. I’m right here beside you.”

He didn’t move, but I had to believe he could hear me. I brushed the top of his hand once more and imagined pouring all my love and strength into him. Anything to help him beat this.

“I’m going to get us out of here,” I continued. “I don’t know how yet, but I promise I will. I won’t let Adrian hurt you anymore.”

I paused, swallowing the lump building in my throat. “Remember our last night together? Before all this? You told me you loved me. That you’d give up everything to be with me. Hold on to that, Gabriel. Hold on to us. Don’t let them destroy what we have.”

I stayed there, touching his hand, talking to him, whispering encouragements, until my body couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted to be a light for him, to guide him out of whatever darkness held him trapped. His complete lack of response hurt, even though I tried not to let it get to me. More than anything, I needed him too—I needed to hear his voice, feel his touch.

Sniffling, I pulled my arm back into my cage. Then I gave myself back to my wolf. I couldn’t be in human form when the vampires arrived.

 Afterward, I curled up next to the bars closest to Gabriel, eyes closed but mind alert. I needed to stay focused and ready for the moment Adrian’s guards returned.