The Mark of Fate: Book 3 of The Marked series by Ford, Rinna (romantic love story reading .TXT) 📕

I covered my mouth with a shaky hand as I stared at the tired, worn out, and hopeless faces on the screen. That was until I realized that I knew one of them.

Sorrow turned to complete and total outrage as my vampire took over and I grabbed one of the guards, shaking him until he woke up. His eyes went wide in fear and he tried to scurry away but I slammed his face against the monitor, cutting his forehead open and cracking the screen.

“Where is that?!” I screamed at him as I pulled him back so he could see what I was talking about.

“What are you doing?” Matias was right by my side in an instant but he didn’t try to stop me.

“Where is that room?!” I yelled even louder. I was seconds away from ripping the guard’s throat out but then I knew I wouldn’t get any answers.

“Wing, wing B,” he stuttered.

Having memorized the layout earlier that morning, I bashed his head against the monitors again and took off out the room toward Wing B. Using my key card, I buzzed my way inside and into the medical ward.

“Who are you?” a scientist asked me and walked across the floor to the wall toward a communication device rather than waiting on an answer.

Before she could reach it, I snapped her neck and ran through another set of doors seeing rows of hospital beds lined up on each side of the room. I walked quickly down each side, looking at the faces of the people laying on them until I found Ainsley’s kind eyes staring back at me.

“Sugarbear,” he rasped out through dry, cracked lips. He tried to reach for me but his arms were shackled down. I ran to him and undid his bindings, holding one of his hands in mine. “I knew you’d find me,” he whispered. “Is Devlin with you?”

I felt my vampire slip away and I became completely devastated by what I saw as I looked him over. He looked as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks, if not longer than that. His skin was nearly translucent and his hair was dry and brittle. He wasn’t attached to any tubes or devices, but I could see cuts and needle marks on his arms that told me they had been used on him, frequently. Then I looked down the length of his body and I noticed that his body shape looked off. I pulled the sheet that covered him down and saw that his legs were missing, cut off just above the knees.

I covered my mouth as a cry burst from my body.

“Anisley, what did they do to you?” I whimpered and looked away from where his legs used to be.

“I, I tried to get away…” He took a deep rattling breath and I knew he was exhausted. “I didn’t need my legs for what they wanted to do with me…”

Matias, Xan, and Marco found me at that exact moment with matching looks of horror and concern.

I kissed Ainsley’s hand and touched his face before rising and looking at my mates and Marco. I made no attempt to wipe away the tears that freely fell down my cheeks. But instead of sadness, I looked at them with determination and fury.

“Marco, take Ainsley back to the California mansion and find Devlin Stratton. When Dev has him, come back here.”

Marco nodded his head and walked to Ainsley. I could tell he didn’t want to touch my uncle, either afraid of hurting him or because he looked almost grotesque, but the caster took Ainsley’s hand and the two were teleported away. When I was satisfied they were gone, I let my vampire come back out. Soliel was right on the edge, waiting for her chance as well and I urged her to stay hidden, but close.

Closing my eyes and smelling the air, I located the scientists who hurt Ainsley and the other supes. My eyes popped open and I took off toward them, not even waiting for my mates to follow. I knew they would, but these kills would be mine.

The first scientist I found was sitting at a desk, facing the doorway. He looked up at the very moment I snatched him by his shirt and drug him over top of it, crashing him to the floor. I broke his neck in that single move then went to the next scientist. He had a caster’s sword in his hand and he was rushing toward me, but my hands had transformed into dragon claws. I caught his sword in my hand and ripped it away from him, letting it fall to the ground. He took a step back and began chanting a spell, but I latched onto him before he could get the first word out and sunk my fangs deep into his throat.

Another scientist ran at me while I was draining his friend dry, and I caught him by the throat, lifting him up into the air. He beat at my hands to let him go but my claws were digging into his jugular and the fight quickly left him as my dragon poison began working its way through his body.

I let go of the two scientists when they were no more than lifeless husks and dropped them to the ground. Another scientist that I didn’t see, ran around the corner and straight at me with her blade, but before I could counter her attack, Matias caught her and bashed her head against the wall, knocking her out.

I hissed angrily at Matias and attempted to extract her from his clutches, but I was immediately wrapped in a pair of strong arms, pinning my arms to my sides. I screamed out, trying to get away and ended up taking us both to the ground. Matias jumped on top of us as Xan’s grip started to loosen and he screamed for someone to help.

“Let me go!” I yelled, bearing my fangs and throwing my body around