Blood Debt

The Great Escape

I dashed through the forest that surrounded the mansion. I kept the gravel driveway just barely in my view through the trees. It seemed to extend significantly farther than normal driveways.

It idea to ditch the path all together crossed my mind as I moved, but I wasn’t sure how far the wilderness stretched out, or if I’d find a road before I starved. So I kept moving forward and prayed for some luck.

I knew I would need it.

I couldn’t move fast enough. I felt that even with every step I took away, the shadow of Zade still brushed the back of my neck. All of my senses were honed in around my surroundings as I ran.

My feet crunched against the dried leaves and twigs of the forest floor. It didn’t sound like anyone was following yet. My breathing sounded erratic in my ear, so I took steadying breaths.

I knew I would be able to run longer if I could hold out my breathing. I was suddenly grateful for my endurance training I had done while mom was alive. We would train for 5k and 10k races during the spring.

While I hadn’t run in a while, my muscle memory mixed with adrenaline had me pounding distance between me and the house. At this point any advantage helped.

Because I knew that at any moment, Zade would go and investigate where I went. It had been at least ten minutes since I left him. He would head up to my room and discover I’m not there. I would probably get two extra minutes when he spent time looking around the house it make sure I wasn’t lost.

Then he would be outside, searching the woods around his house. I was taking a gamble with Pierce’s confirmation that the twins didn’t have enough of my blood to keep their weird GPS signal on me.

I didn’t know if Zade knew that Pierce had my location, but I hoped whatever Pierce was doing, he was too busy answer his brother if he called.

The house was literally in the middle of a clearing surrounded by woods, so I could have technically gone in any direction after leaving.

Without my blood in his system, I hoped Zade could only guess the direction I went and allow me the time I needed to escape. Once I saw the main road, I would veer deeper into the woods for a while before venturing on the road.

After about ten minutes, the trees in the distance thinned out and in the low light dusk provided, I was able to make out the hard concrete of road. My heart leaped in my chest, and I turned left, jogging further into the woods.

I planned to stay parallel with the main road now and hoped to see some cars pass. I slowed my run to a jog, needing to keep creating distance, but starting to feel the fatigue.

It was getting darker and the cold autumn wind picked up around me. My body temperature was hot from running, and the cold air felt good on my face. Another twenty minutes later and my stomach growled. I decided I was far enough away to risk a break.

I looked around and found a massive oak that would block any on-comer from seeing me. I took the moment to catch my breath. I needed to keep going, maybe run another hour before crossing up onto the road. It was getting hard to see the ground, but I didn’t really have a choice.

After several moments and one last deep breath, I stepped around the oak, ready to get a little closer to the road since it was dark. What I wasn’t ready for was to come face to face with Zade’s relaxed body leaning against the opposite side of the tree.

An involuntary scream ripped through my lips, and I dropped my pack. I shocked to see Zade standing there. To his credit, he managed to look bored and unimpressed. My mind took a second to process him.

How had he gotten there. I didn’t hear him approach at all. Impossible. There were leaves and branches everywhere. I should have heard his steps.

My brain snapped back and I took off running in the other direction. He just tsk’d me, taking his time to pursue. When I couldn’t hear him, I thought I was making some distance. But then I ran right into his solid frame.

I was so stunned that he was in front of me that I didn’t fight him when he walked me back up against a tree. He used it as support so he could use his body to trap me. He pressed his body into mine so that I could feel the hard muscles under his sweater.

He took my face in his free hands to keep me in place before looking into my eyes. While it was dark, I could just make out his eyes dilating until his pupil took over his iris.

“Stay still.” The gentle command hit me in waves of warmth that made me want to obey him. Like my very cells needed to do right by him.

I felt myself nod at him and my arms and legs relax against his hold. Wait. Why would I want that. What the heck? I mentally snapped back from his pull.

He didn’t realize I wasn’t under whatever spell he tried to use, so when I threw my forehead into his nose, his reaction was genuine. His head flung back, and I thought I heard his nose break.

No such luck and he even maintained his grip on my face. When he brought his face back to mine, he looked at me with confusion, anger, and maybe even a little worry.

I didn’t give him time to get get his bearings. I fought for my life, screaming, hitting, kicking out, anything to get him off of me so I could get away.

My weak attempts only pissed him off more.

His eyes dilated again, “Stop fighting me. Relax!” He commanded. Instantly, everything in my body felt too heavy to move. I tried to fight the feeling again, but instead of fighting the pleasant waves that lulled me into submission before, I was met with stabbing pain in any muscle I tried to flex.

Zade looked more confident when my head rolled to the side much to my dismay. My neck was too relaxed to hold it up.

Gathering my face back into his hands, he brought my drooping eyes to his. “Now why did you have to go do something stupid like that?”

His deep voice filled me with instant terror. He sounded too excited to be asking me. He told me he would punish me if I tried to run. My body stayed lax against his body even though his tone made me want to flinch away.

“Why sweet Ana. Did you really think you had a chance because of my brothers’ absents? That I couldn’t handle you on my own?”

I managed a weak whimper out of my throat as a response. He seemed pleased by my response to him.

“What did I say would happen if you disobeyed?” I tried to mumble a response but my tongue couldn’t form the words.

What would a sadistic vampire do to punish me from running? At my silence, his face broke into a sinister smile. If I could contract my stomach muscles, I would throw up. I was going to be tortured in the dungeon.

With my mind still racing, he pulled away and tossed me over his shoulder. He started walking back to the house. As he walked, my head bummed into his lower back, and my arms brushed his firm butt as he walked.

My body had cooled down since I stopped running and the cold was starting the creep though my coat. I was unable to shiver because my muscles weren’t working so when the wind hit me, I gasped and felt it to the bone.

Zade must have heard me because unprompted, he ran the rest of the way home. Well I guess if you considered super speed running. It took him 30 seconds to run the 30 minute distance I ran.

He slowed again when we passed the trees into the clearing the the mansion. “You know if I wasn’t so annoyed I was the one that had to get you, I would be immensely entertained”

I wanted to respond, to tell him I didn’t care if I entertained him. Of course my mouth wouldn’t cooperate.

“Don’t try talking. I had to use a stronger charm on you to calm you down. Another thing I have to discuss with my brothers. You seem to be full of surprises.”

I couldn’t see the house in front of me, but I watched as the trees got farther away. Soon enough, he climbed the steps of the porch, and open the front door. He went straight up the stairs and opened the door second door on the right.

He flicked on the lights, and I thought we had to be in his room. From my position, beige walls met hardwood floors. He closed the door with his boot and moved further into the room.

The hardwood floor met a plush navy rug and then he unceremoniously flipped my body from his shoulder to the bed. The action caused me to bounce like a rag doll.

His bed was soft and warm to touch and I wish I could wrap them over my freezing body. I was also hit with a wave of exhaustion. With all my muscles so relaxed without the cold wind shocking me, I could feel myself start to drift.

Zade regarded my form on the bed and said “Such a pretty doll. Pierce and Noah will find your rebellion troublesome, but honestly I think it’s kind of hot.” He thought for a moment before adding, “when you’re like this at least.”

With that, he started the task of removing my boots and winter coat. He moved my body easily, angling me where he wanted me to go. I was almost positive he was doing it to show his dominance over me in the moment.

If I could have rolled my eyes I would. I knew should have been more worried about whatever punishment was coming, but Zade’s mood, now being back in the house, had become significantly less menacing.

It could have also had something to do with being surrounded by his smell, laying on flannel sheets.

I took in the rest of his room while he finished hanging my coat up. Since I couldn’t move my head, I could only take in the right side of the room. I watched Zade enter what I assumed to be his closet with my coat on a hanger.

Against the back all was a large business desk next to the door. Over the bed hung a metal light fixture that looks like a candelabra. The lights were left on low in the room.

My eyes started drifting closed again. I was finally warming up after being outside and it was the final thing I needed to melt into the bed.

Noise coming from the closet forced me to open my eyes to see Zade leaning against the frame of the closet door watching me.

He had changed into a fresh pair of sweats and a gray t-shirt while he was in there

He saw me and gave me a small smile. “You look peaceful. I almost just want to keep you like this until tomorrow morning, but I did promise a punishment, didn’t I.”

I couldn’t make sense to what he was saying, losing the battle with sleep. My eyes fell closed, but I listened to his movements.

I heard him open the drawer of his bedside table and pull something out.

I felt the bed dip where he sat next to me and pulled me onto his lap. His hard body wasn’t warm like I was expecting, and I wanted to protest to be placed back on the bed. I didn’t put up any fight though and he grabbed my wrist.

Without opening my eyes, I felt a metal cuff wrap around my wrist which he tightened until it was snug. He moved me off his lap and laid me down before raising my arm above my head.

I opened my eyes just enough to see him link the second handcuff to the bed frame. He looked down and me looking.

“Alright my sweet Ana, keep those pretty blues on my eyes now.” I met his dark eyes and watched the pupil swallow his chocolate irises

“You’re back to normal” his command sprung my body back to life.

I was instantly alert and shot up to sit. From where he chained me, I couldn’t bring my arm about waist level which made it uncomfortable to try and stand up.

“Zade what the f**k is this? Takes these things off me”

He didn’t even have the decency to turn away so I couldn’t see his amusement mixed with a carnal heat. “I like knowing you are cuffed to my bed.” I tried to fight the blush under his gaze and lost.

“Wait here, I’ll be back. I have to make a call.” He turned and left the room, leaving me screaming for him to come back, handcuffed to his bedpost.