A Shifter's Curse by Raven Steele (books to read fiction .txt) 📕
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- Author: Raven Steele
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As I stepped into the narrow stairwell, terror washed over me. I gripped the sides of the rail, holding my breath as darkness swallowed me. The walls seemed to be closing in and sweat dripped down my sides. I rushed, hurrying down the stairs before nausea could take over.
"Good girl,” he said. The sound of his cane hitting the stairs as he walked behind me echoed in the concrete encased hole.
Cold blackness greeted me at the bottom of the stairs and it took a few seconds for my night vision to adjust. My heart was pounding and I clutched the wall, feeling dizzy. Silas finally reached the bottom, and I sprung up, not wanting him to know that I’d been freaking out. The tunnel walls were all made of concrete and smelled surprisingly clean, not at all like we were underground. The concrete floors looked recently swept too.
"There's a door at the end. Go through it."
I turned toward it, my heart thumping against my rib cage. I traced my hand down the wall as sickness threatened to overcome me. My instincts were screaming all kinds of warnings. I reminded myself that I would never let him have power over me again. If he tried playing some sick game, he was dead.
After walking maybe thirty feet, I reached a steel door. I fumbled with the handle, anxious to get into a space bigger than the tunnel.
“Step aside.” Silas removed a key from his pocket.
I sucked up against the concrete as he passed by me. His body held no scent. Odd for a shifter. Odd for anyone, actually.
Sliding the key into the lock, he turned it, opening a heavy latch. The door groaned, an eerie sound in this darkness, as he pushed it open. He flipped on a light, illuminating a space much bigger than the tunnel.
Blinking, I quickly stepped inside and filled my lungs with air, but it caught in my chest when I saw where we were. The entire room was encased by concrete like the tunnel. There wasn’t a speck of dirt to be found. I couldn’t even smell dust, only the faint aroma of some kind of floral chemical. There was a table pressed against the back wall, with two chairs neatly arranged under it. A small black suitcase lay on the table, lined up perfectly with the wall behind it.
A single metal chair sat in the center of the room. It had been bolted to the floor. Chains lay looped in a perfect circle next to it. I couldn’t see any other doors, nor were there any other tunnels branching off. There were also no cameras that I could see.
"Where's Ryder?"
"Back at the mansion where he belongs." Silas closed the door, sealing us in this tomb together. “Have a seat.”
“I’ll stand.” I watched him carefully, waiting for whatever surprise he had in store for me. My wolf hummed just under the surface, ready to take over when I needed her.
His eyes burned into me, and I could feel the buzz of his excitement running through the room. He placed his cane on top of the table. “I gave you an order."
“I’m done taking your orders.”
He appeared in front of me. I blinked and stepped back, surprised. He grabbed my arm and yanked me close. “You’ve made that clear, but I assure you, following orders can bring the ultimate gratification, if you have the right master.”
“And you think you can be that man? Maybe bend me over your knee, give me a bare ass spanking with that whip of yours? I bet you’d like that.”
“There are other things that can be just as effective. Smaller things.”
“No thanks.”
He wrinkled his nose in disgust. “I was hoping you would be more…curious and maybe willing to have a little fun down here. I thought if you could, I would convince Dominic that you weren’t against the pack.” His eyes lit up. “But, believe me Briar, I’m not opposed to forcing your compliance.”
He gripped my arm tight and tried to shove me into the chair, but I didn’t budge. "I said, have a seat!”
"Go to hell."
He took two steps back, and eyed me up and down, assessing me with a frown. “I must admit, I’m disappointed.”
His breathing grew heavy, and his eyebrows drew close together. He reached behind his back and, pulling out a gun, pointed it directly at my chest. “This gun holds several silver bullets. If you disobey me again or even breathe wrong, I’ll drill you with them. Now take a fucking seat!”
Very little could’ve stopped me from attacking Silas, but silver bullets were not something I screwed with. I had been shot with one several years back and bled so much, I nearly died. The only thing that had saved me was me digging out the bullet so my body could finally heal. It was the worst pain I’d ever felt. I thought about going for the knives in my bra, but they would do nothing against his gun.
"How are you going to explain this to the pack?" I asked.
"Sit. Down." He motioned toward the chair with the gun.
I remained standing. "When they find out what you’re doing to me—”
“Luke isn’t coming for you!” He pulled the trigger, screaming. The loud pop hurt my ears, but a heartbeat later all I could think about was the exploding pain in my shin. A silver bullet had pierced the bone, and my whole lower leg throbbed. I dropped to the floor, moaning and gripping at the wound.
He bent over and grabbed my shirt, pulling me close to growl in my ear. “You think Luke is going to save you?” He grinned, as if expecting me to be surprised. “The errand I sent him on will keep him busy all night long. If he ever returns.”
I groaned, still reeling in pain. “What did you do to him?”
“I only did what I have the right to do.”
“Which is what?”
“I know you’ve grown close to him, that he’s helping you.” Reaching down, he grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. They were furious. “I’m higher up in the pack than Luke. I get first rights on any new pack members, and that arrogant son of a bitch wanted you for himself. But you are mine. I’m supposed to get first rights!”
I blinked, wiping his spit off my face. “And Samira?”
I had to know her role in all this.
“She was in on it with Luke, I’m sure. Only an old and powerful vampire like her could’ve compelled those Greybacks.”
So she had been helping me. I could trust her after all.
He shoved my head back. “Now, get in the chair, or I’ll put another…” He abruptly stopped talking and eyed me up and down with a slimy gaze. “Actually, take off your clothes first. I want to see your naked skin covered in red.”
I sucked in a hitched breath at the request, stunned.
“Now.”
Every part of me rebelled against the request, but I couldn’t risk getting shot again. I needed the last of my strength if I was ever going to gain the upper hand. Reluctantly and carefully, I removed my clothing, scowling as Silas watched on, licking his lips and adjusting his crotch.
When I was finished, he motioned the gun toward the seat. “Get in.”
Small movements racked my limbs as I climbed my way onto the hard chair. My jaw clenched hard when I had to slide my leg over and accidentally hit it on the chair’s metal leg. I sucked in a breath, trying hard to relax. My wolf was growling and furious, but the silver prevented her from revealing herself.
“Wrap those chains around your leg and lock them.”
I was deliberately slow as I did as he asked. Any chance of attacking him from this far away was out of the picture. Somehow, I had to draw him in closer, but he was smart. Smarter than I gave him credit for.
With my teeth clenched, I growled, "Why are you doing this? I've only ever done what was asked of me."
His eye twitched and nostrils flared. "Did you like what you saw?"
“What?”
“In the hidden room. Did you like the... knickknacks?" His gaze flickered to the chains. “Lock them.”
He backed up further and began to unscrew the top of his cane with just one hand, his fingers moving expertly as if it was something he had practiced. When I didn’t lock the chains, he raised the gun again.
I
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