“I hate you.”
Amanda spat it out as Stephan tenderly stroked her cheek. The grotesque mockery of affection pulled her out of the stupor she’d been blessedly drifting in and out of over the last hellish days.
“Ah, you’re back.” His voice was like a low rumble of distant thunder, ominous and evil.
She hated his voice, with its aristocratic English accent and low, hushed tones. She hated his face, perfectly handsome. She hated the feel of his smooth hands on her body, like that of a lover’s right before the pain came.
She hated everything about him except his honesty.
No matter how cruel he was to her, how much he hurt her, he never gave her false hope. No, from the night she found herself in this Hell, he made sure she knew she’d never make it out alive.
The hope she held to was of her own doing, a torture all its own as the days and nights blended together in one long stretch of misery.
Amanda stared at the ceiling blankly, the stench of her blood and filth thick in the small sweltering room. She’d give anything for a burst of fresh night air to relieve the stink and remind her of the life beyond her prison.
To ensure no sunlight invaded his lair, Stephan had the windows boarded shut, black sheets nailed over the wood. She wished she could see the sunlight once more before she died, but she knew she’d never get the chance.
This was where she was going to die, in the dark, surrounded by monsters.
And God help her, she wanted that death if it meant the pain would stop. Yearned for it with everything she was. Prayed for it over and over, until her plea became a never-ending chant inside her mind.
“Just kill me already. Please.”
Amanda never thought she’d beg for death. In her innocent mind she always believed death was the worst thing that could happen to a person.
Over the last long days she realized how wrong she’d been.
Her captor’s hands on her made her skin crawl. Beyond fear at this point, she didn’t think twice about slapping his hand away. He tsked at her, giving her an insulted pout.
“Do I have to restrain you again?”
Stephan allowed her ropes to be removed only because she’d lost her fight. She shook her head frantically, afraid he’d tie her back up. He smiled, obviously loving her fear. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his fangs. A shiver of disgust passed through her.
Amanda turned her head and stared down at him, resting his head on her shoulder, an arm draped over her stomach. The other was tucked between them. This was the sort of embrace two lovers would share.
She wanted to vomit from the intimacy of it.
Blinking her tired eyes into focus, she shivered when he lifted his head and faced her. He looked wrong, not like the monster she knew him to be. To her delirious way of thinking he had no right to be so boyishly handsome. He should look like a demon. He should be ugly, twisted and grotesque. He shouldn’t have such nice brown hair or incredibly full lips.
His voice shouldn’t be so rich and smooth. He shouldn’t look like a knight who stepped right out of the pages of history.
Amanda choked back the bile rising in her mouth at his touch. She stared deep into his glacial silver eyes and saw no mercy in their depths.
Over the past days he tortured her ruthlessly, doing it all with a charming smile on his handsome face. She didn’t know if her body could take much more. God knew her mind couldn’t.
“I want to die.”
He laughed, sliding a fingertip over her swollen and cracked lips. “Do you, sweet Amanda? I don’t think you do,” he purred softly. “You know
what I think? When you trap yourself inside your mind, all you dream about is going home. You think I don’t know you dream of your family, but I do. Oh yes, love, you still hold on to the hope I’ll let you go.”
His hand trailed down to her bare breasts. He grazed her raw nipple and she cried out in pain, her body so battered that even his gentle touch hurt.
His hand went lower to her belly. He drew small circles over her skin.
She did the one thing she ceased doing days ago.
She wept.
“But we both know the reality is, I’ll never let you leave here alive.”
“Why me?” Her question was a broken whisper of despair.
He smiled sweetly, his fangs gleaming. “We went over this too many times already, pet. You know I had to see if what I need is hiding somewhere inside of you.”
“But I don’t have it.”
“I know.” His fingers traveled even lower. Amanda stiffened with dread. “But it was such fun to have you as my guest. I’ve enjoyed you very much.”
The finality in the way he said that gave Amanda hope her release was coming.
His hand cupped her intimately. He touch was repulsive, and so icy a chill passed over her.
No one ever touched her in such an intimate way other than this monster. He stole her virginity in one brutal thrust of his icy body the first night she was here. Since then, he used her again and again, until her body was beaten and raw. Until her soul was broken.
He rolled on top of her. Through her tears she saw the familiar look of hunger come over him. Yet this time, she saw more in his frosty gaze than merely bloodlust.
Finally. She saw it. He was going to end this.
He came into her then, pushing his body brutally into hers. She held back her scream of agony as the pain splintered all through her. He grunted and bared his fangs. Grabbing her wrists roughly, he pinned them over her head. The abuse lasted only moments, yet to Amanda it
seemed to go on forever. She wanted to cry but her tears were gone.
Wanting to scream again, her voice would not come.
All she could do was lie there helplessly and be used.
When he spoke his voice was the harsh growl of a demon. “Are you ready?”
She looked at him gratefully and nodded. “Thank you,” she said that softly only a breath before his teeth pierced her throat.
Amanda’s last thought was of her mother’s smiling face.
She carried that vision with her as the monster took her from her suffering and finally gave her peace.