Unraveling Mathias by Marisa Maichel (reading women TXT) 📕

I laid on my bed and tried to read, but found myself drifting. In fact, I was falling.

I didn't know how far I'd fallen so far, only that the fall seemed neverending. I was drowning in the air. Water filled my lungs and I couldn't breathe again. What was wrong with me? I didn't need to breathe. I was a vampire, for Thor's sake!

My father caught me just before I hit the floor.

"You were talking in your sleep," he said.

"How long was I asleep?"

"About an hour. That's a new record for you."

I stuck my tongue out at him and slipped my boots off. He pretended to nip my tongue.

"I'm fine," I told him.

"I don't believe you. I think you need me. Yes, son needs me. He's been dealt a cruel blow of truth."

"Father, how is Grandfather?"

"What? Oh, he'll be fine. Soren and I have decided to allow him to go back to Denmark. He'll be leaving within the week. Also...he's considering giving up the crown, so to speak."

"What? Really? Who will he give it to?"

"Either your uncle or Alexander. Most likely Alexander."

"We'll really be in trouble then."

"I will, but you won't be. Alexander adores you." He grimaced. "I'm your only father. I hope you remember that."

"You're my only biological father, but Alexander is going to be my stepfather soon."

Father growled. "I don't want him near you."

"Wait, if Alexander becomes king, what does that mean for me?"

"You'll still keep your title, but you'll be the only one who does."

I thought about that. Was I willing to keep my title when the rest of my family wouldn't? I wasn't Alexander's biological son.

As I considered this, I noticed movement beneath my window.

"Father, there's someone outside."

He looked out, and started to growl. "Stay here. Toby, come guard Reese."

Toby came fairly quickly, and Father posted him inside my room.

"Cool stereo," Toby commented.

"Thanks," I said, frowning. He was trying to distract me.

"When did you get it?"

"I got it a couple years ago for my birthday. I'd been wanting one for a while, and Father finally relented. How are things with Spencer?"

"Better," he said. "I've finally accepted that he's my mate. We're going to start sharing a room."

"That's good," I said.

We couldn't think of anything else to say, and soon we heard fighting. We walked to the window, and Toby looked horrified. Spencer was missing his arm. He was still trying to fight Mathias with his other one, grimacing in pain.

"I...I have to go," Toby said. He rushed outside and ran to help Spencer. Mathias tore off Spencer's other arm, and Toby tried to tear off Mathias' head. Mathias threw him off, sending him flying into the yard. I heard a sickening crunch, and my friend lay motionless. Spencer looked positively livid. He kicked out at Mathias, and my uncle simply tore off Spencer's head next.

Then he looked up, looked directly at me, and grinned. He started toward the house. Father rushed into my room, growling and hissing.

"He's too powerful," he said. "Father was right; Mathias does have a gift. He can turn himself invisible. My father was right all along. I'm so stupid. This is all my fault. I should have listened! That's the last time I trust Toby with Reese's safety!"

"Father, it wasn't his fault-"

"Yes, it was. But no arguments now. I need to protect you!"

I heard more fighting downstairs. I heard things getting broken and bones cracking.

"WHERE THE FUCK DID HE GO?!" Uncle Soren yelled.

"I'm in control," said Mathias' sinister voice. "I control all of you. Especially you, Mordecai and Soren."

He was getting closer. Father continued to growl and snap at the air. Mathias shimmered into view.

"Good thing you figured out my talent. I was getting bored with hiding it," he grinned. Father tried to grab him, but he disappeared again. I felt a pair of arms grab me around the waist and pull me up. I furiously nipped his neck.

"Ouch! Stupid boy!" He appeared again. Father rumbled.

"Let him go!" Father cried.

"No, I think I'll take him."

Father looked apprehensive. He wanted to kill Mathias, but he was worried about hurting me.

"Please, let him go!"

Mathias looked around. Dimitri was guarding the window below, and Father, and now Uncle Soren, were blocking his path out the door.

Mathias bent his knees and leaped out the window, twisting his body, and mine, like a cat. He disappeared somewhere in the air, and I felt us land, but I couldn't see him or myself. I was terrified to see Spencer's body crawling toward his head and arm. Toby still wasn't moving.

Dimitri and Stephan tried to grab Mathias, but failed. They started spreading their scents out, hoping to locate him by scent. And then Mathias took off, and the guards were fifty yards away.

Mathias started hitting my head against rocks and trees. I was dazed. I saw stars, and then I blacked out completely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I opened my eyes. The light seemed blinding, especially with my headache. I opened my eyes completely, still half-asleep. I looked over and saw Ambrose.

"You're awake," he said.

"Wha...where am I?"

"I'm not telling you."

I took in a deep breath, and then plugged my nose. "Smells like a sewer."

"Not quite."

"We're in the old factory," Mathias said. "The factory that your family owned for many years before they sold it."

"Why is this factory so important?" I asked.

"Soren buried something here, something precious. I want you to find it."

Ambrose glared at him. "Not now, Mathias! He needs to recover from your abuse!"

"He's a tough boy, he can handle anything."

"What exactly am I looking for?" I asked.

"A book. You like books," Mathias said.

"He's very smart," Ambrose noted.

"What kind of book?"

"Again, we're not telling you. Now, find it!"

"How am I supposed to find something I know nothing about?!"

"I told you, it's a book. A very old one. Now start looking." He tossed me a shovel. The sharp end hit me in the stomach, and I doubled over.

"Mathias!" Ambrose got off his perch and came over to me and rubbed my back. "Tell him exactly what you need!"

"A necromancer's diary," Mathias said.

"A necro...no way in hell am I going to find that!"

"Yes, you will!"

"I mean, it's almost impossible! All those spells and enchantments, and who knows what kind of evil lurks in the pages!"

"It'll be all right, love," Ambrose said. "I'm here for you."

As far as I could tell, the only way I'd get out of this was if I found the stupid book. And played along with Ambrose, pretending to be his mate.

"All right. Where do I start looking?"

"You figure it out!"

"What?! Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Mathias! We had an agreement!" Ambrose cried.

"Yes. I would let you take him, if, and only if, he found the diary."

"Well, he won't be looking alone." Ambrose grabbed another shovel and hit the floor hard with his foot. The cement cracked. He hit it again and again until he made a small hole.

"Work fast," Mathias said, then he went up to the office. Ambrose sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Reese," he said. Then he started digging.

I knew there was no way I was getting out of this one. Not without a miracle.

I started digging.

I don't know how long we dug before Ambrose hit something. He threw the shovel aside and started digging with his hands. He came across a paper cover. He carefully picked it up and blew the dirt off of it. Mathias snatched it out of his hands.

"Finally!" he said.

"Now let us go," Ambrose said.

"Hold on." Mathias leafed through the book. "This is the one. But I'm afraid I can't let Reese go."

Ambrose's eyes widened. "Deceiver! Traitor! You promised you would let him go!"

Mathias pulled out a long knife. "I will, but not in the way you think, Ambrose."

"NO!" Ambrose stepped in front of me, and received a knife in the gut. He growled and pulled it out.

Mathias grabbed me around the neck and started squeezing. I kicked, desperately trying to reach Father but getting no response. Something was wrong. I kneed Mathias in the groin, and he clutched it.

"Little bitch!" he cried.

I started running. Again, I was caught around the waist by Ambrose, but instead of stopping me, he threw me over his shoulder and started running himself. He stopped suddenly when several of his coven members appeared.

"Kill Mathias," he commanded. They did nothing. "What the fuck are you all doing? Kill him!"

"They follow me now," Doyle said.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're not in charge anymore, Ambrose. Destroy all of them."

Jenette and Nick grabbed me, while Thomas and Cassandra grabbed Ambrose by the arms.

"Traitors! Liars!" he called out.

Father, I need you now!

Reese! I've been trying to reach you for hours! Where are you?

At the factory! Uncle Soren will know which one! Mathias made me dig up a necromancer's diary, now Ambrose's coven is going to kill me and him!

Keep your mind on, I'll find you!

The coven took myself and Ambrose to a clearing in the woods.

"Doyle, you fiend! I'll have your head for this!"

"Even though you never chose me?"

"What?"

"You should have chosen me as your mate! I've been with you the longest and I've been the most loyal!"

"We were never together! I do not love you! Now let me and Reese go!"

Doyle turned and kicked me in the gut. I doubled over, and he grabbed my hair and pulled me up. He turned me to face Ambrose and grabbed my chin.

"Look at him," he ordered. Ambrose and I looked at each other. "Now, tell him how you really feel."

I kept quiet. Ambrose looked hurt. Doyle pushed me onto the ground. Ambrose fell next to me.

"I'm sorry, Reese," he repeated.

I heard a distant, gutteral roar.

"What was that?" Doyle demanded.

The roar sounded again. Doyle's eyes widened.

"Werewolf! Run!" The coven started to scatter, but were stopped when they were surrounded by my family members. Uncle Soren, Father, Faolan, halfway through his change, Alexander, Grandfather, Louis, and even Peter and Dean.

Doyle looked truly terrified of Faolan. He stared at him, frozen in place. Faolan's ears were back, his teeth bared, his eyes more yellow than green.

"Reese, are you hurt?" Father asked me.

I stood up and walked over to him. Father growled at Ambrose.

"Father, he saved me."

"Huh?"

"He saved my life."

"I wish I didn't believe that."

"Father!"

Doyle started running. Faolan took off after him. He caught him within seconds, and tore his head off. Then it was utter chaos. I flattened myself on the ground and crawled to the edge where I could safely watch the fight.

Peter and Dean tore apart the rest of Doyle. Uncle Soren was tearing off Jenette's head.

"Reese, I'm so sorry," Toby said as he ran past me to fight Nick. I blinked as Louis crushed a vampire's arm and she let out a howl. Adam was being torn apart by Grandfather, and Janna had her head torn off by Faolan.

Father and Ambrose cut off their argument when Dean had his leg torn off and he yelled in shock and pain. Peter ran to his mate's side, tearing off Cassandra's head in the process. Her husband Thomas let out a roar, and he grabbed Peter around the waist and threw him down. Thomas gathered up Cassandra's pieces and took off. They were not seen again for a long time.

Ambrose was fighting another vampire from his ex-coven. Uncle Soren tore off this vampire's head, and then all was silent. Pieces of the coven lay scattered, including those of Doyle.

"That was fast," Louis said, rubbing his hands on his wifebeater. "They didn't even put up a fight."

"Hardly a battle," Uncle Soren agreed.

I started to speak, then felt a blow on the back of my head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I woke up again, my family was over me, frantically yelling my name.

"I'm..." I winced as my head felt like a clamp was crushing it.

"He's awake," Ambrose said. "Baby, what happened?"

"I don't know. Something hit the back of