Dragon Alpha's Special Mate

30. It's You?

Sophia

“Home?” I ask him as the large stone door turns, the ceiling and ground around us rumbling as I lose my footing somewhat, rocks tumbling all around. I hate that M is helping me stand straight until the door is moved to the side. I’d rather her let me go and let me fall. I don’t want any help from this monster.

My wish comes true when he shoves me through the entrance, and my hands and knees hit the ground as I fall into the room. I ignore the shooting pain of the gravel burning and ripping my skin as I scramble up to my feet.

“Ah, my sweet Sophia. It’s so good to see you.”

I slowly lift my head, my heart rate settling as I look up into my father’s bright green eyes.

“Daddy!” I say to him as I scramble to get up and run over, throwing my arms around his waist. Thank the Goddesses he’s here. His arm wraps around me, but instead of hugging me back, he pulls me off, holding me by the back of my shirt as he pushes me forward.

“Dad? What’s going on?”

He doesn’t answer me, so I follow his gaze to the side, where another door opens, and a tall man enters the room. He’s wearing a tailored black suit that showcases his enormous frame. I stare up at him, his reddish skin giving me pause. I finally look at his face, noting his black eyes that make me step back into my father.

“s**t. That’s Logan.” Auriel says to me, and I’m relieved I have my connection with her back. I can try to reach Ax now that I -

“She’s beautiful, albeit a little weak,” Logan asks as he shoots closer to me, pushing his short black hair back, not like any piece was out of place as it was. Woah, is he a vampire? That was quick.

“That’s who I made the deal with. To come to you.”

My heartbeat starts back up again as I look up at this man, who I guess isn’t really a man. He has to be something else. Something that has so much power he can give me a dragon. I feel the bile rise in my throat, burning like acid, and I’m really regretting how much I drank earlier. I turn to the side, throwing up so violently that my father drops me, and I place my hands on my knees, working to hold myself upright as I empty the contents of my stomach. When I stand back up, my vision blurs slightly as he looks at me, a sick smile on his face. He snaps his fingers, and I feel a caress of water across my lips and mouth, cleaning it out at the same time as the vomit on the ground disappears.

"Is she pure?" Logan asks my father, and he confidently nods.

"Yes, she’s a virgin. I've kept her away from that mate of hers. No lasting connection to him." I laugh at him as I stand back up and turn toward Logan as he tilts his head toward me.

"I had s*x with him like an hour ago."

“You shouldn’t have said that to him.” Auriel tells me, but it’s already too late. It’s out there. “Don’t antagonize them in any way. You need to be on your best behavior.”

I swallow hard, the feeling of razor blades in my dry throat as Logan approaches me again.

I can feel his power over me as he lifts his hand and slaps me across the face. The sting hurts so badly, vibrating through my core as I fall to the side, hitting the ground again as he towers over me, grabbing me by my shirt and forcing me to look up at him.

"Are you marked?"

I shake my head as my lip trembles, and I can feel my body shake.

"Then we'll bring him here and have them reject one another. You'll see to that, won't you, Ryder?"

I try to look back at my father, but Logan holds me, forcing me to stare at him.

"Of course." He answers, like an obedient dog. I can’t believe he’s part of this. However, the more I watch his relaxed demeanor, the more I start to wonder if he’s the reason I’m here.

Could it be because he doesn’t like Ax? He never has. Is he doing this so I reject my mate? Can I even reject my mate? We’re not normal mates. But under no circumstances would I willingly reject Ax. I’d rather die. He’s my everything.

"Can she still contact him?"

"No," My father tells him confidently, "I've learned dragons have to be somewhat close to each other to link."

I don’t correct him; no one knows the distance Ax, and I can link between. We’ve kept it a secret, and I’m so glad we have.

"Good. Because she's already weak, I don't want to block her connection to Auriel while here. I need her strong. Get her cleaned up, and sober her up. She's going into the pit this week to see what she can do."

"The pit??"

I ask instinctively, what does that even mean?

“Very well.”

Logan lets me go, and I fall back, unable to catch myself as I hit the ground. Though, I don’t stay there long as my father lifts me up and starts taking me out of the room.

“Why are you doing this?” I ask as he continues to fist the back of my shirt, dragging me along with him. “Does mom know? That you’re a monster?”

I continue to struggle as his grip tightens, and my shirt starts to choke me around my neck.

“Either cooperate, or I’ll force you to cooperate.”

His harsh words reach me, and I think back to what Auriel said earlier, but there’s no way I’m taking this without fighting back.

“I’ll cooperate.” I choke out, and he loosens his grip on my shirt. I start walking with him in the rocky hallways, and as we turn the tight corner, he lets go, so I make a break for it. I run as fast as I can, having no clue as to where I’m going. But I don’t care; I’ll figure it out as soon as I’m away from him.

At least, I thought I could until I feel a sharp pain in my neck. I reach up, feeling my father’s hand on my neck, holding a needle that’s already expressed something in my veins. I grip his wrist harder as I look up at him, my vision blacking out.

“Dad…” I manage to say before blackness overtakes my vision.