Chapter 6: The Hybrid's Bite
SERAPHINA
I ran toward my father, hands reaching out to push him away.
But before I could reach him, Gravestone hit me. Hard and fast. My body slammed into the stone so hard I felt my bones crack.
My father's screams filled the air as I watched his dragon burn him alive. His hands reached out, flailing through the flames. I watched him turn to ash. The smell of burning flesh made me want to throw up.
Tears filled my eyes as I stared at what was left of him.
My father looked like something out of a nightmare.
"Nooo... no... no... NOOOO!"
I screamed louder than I'd ever screamed in my life.
I crawled toward his ashes, watching them fall apart into nothing.
I stared, face blank, body on the ground, hands reaching for him.
My face went dry. Cold. Empty.
The shock was so bad I felt like this wasn't real. Like I was in another world and this was just a dream.
But when I opened my eyes, his ashes were still there.
He was dead.
This wasn't a dream.
I looked up at the tall figure staring down at me.
My hands clenched. I was too choked up to speak.
"How could you?" I finally said. "How were you able to control the dragons?"
The question came out before I could stop it.
He smiled. It was evil. Dark. Disgusting. Like he'd been waiting for this moment his whole life.
"Oh, there's so much you need to learn. So much I'm going to put you through. How does it feel?" He stopped, squatting down until his face was almost touching mine. His red eyes looked even more demonic up close. "How does it feel being hopeless? Being helpless? Watching your dear papa burn to ash?"
He whispered in my ear. His voice was cold and thick. It made my toes curl with fear.
"This is just the start of your torture. The beginning of your kingdom's end."
His hand shot to my face, grabbing my chin roughly. His fingers dug into my skin.
"I'll make your pack suffer. They'll become slaves. They'll work until they break. And you? You'll be worse than a slave. I'll make sure you're so broken that you'll beg for death, and it won't come. You'll look for hell, and hell will turn you away."
If I'd felt fear before, I'd never felt anything like this. This was worse than fear. This was pure terror.
"Please... don't hurt my people. They didn't do anything—"
I tried to speak, but he laughed. His eyes turned completely black.
I dropped my head, unable to look at the darkness in them.
But that made him growl. He grabbed my face and forced me to look up.
"You don't get to look away when I'm talking to you. And your people? They watched your father punish all these slaves."
He turned my face toward the slaves who'd been at my wedding. Most of their masters were dead now. Some were hiding in corners, shaking.
I had nothing to say. No mercy to beg for.
I'd heard stories about Draven Gravestone. How he destroyed kingdoms. How he killed everyone. How he turned even nobles into slaves.
And my father had been the one who tortured him the most.
We were going to suffer worse than anyone.
"Kill me then. There's nothing left for you to do."
I whispered.
But someone laughed. Loud and horrible.
"Kill you? Our alpha has so many plans for you."
The woman from before stepped forward.
For the first time, I could see her clearly.
Dark, shiny hair. Body shaped like a goddess. She wore a black leather top that showed off her chest and matching leather pants with diamonds on them. High boots that matched. A scar ran from her collarbone down her chest.
She was everything I could never be.
She stopped in front of Draven. The second he stood up, her hands roamed his chest. He grabbed her and pulled her close. Then he kissed her hard, his hands on her ass. The whole time, his eyes stayed on me. Cold. Empty. Like this was all for show.
Then he stopped, smacking her ass. She moaned.
He pushed her away and turned to face me.
"Why don't you show her what makes you a hybrid alpha king?" she said, laughing as she stared down at me.
My eyes went wide. I pushed myself back as he stepped toward me.
Something had changed in him. I knew he was dark. Dark enough to control our dragons. Make them turn on us.
But there was something more.
How was he a hybrid? What made him a hybrid?
His hands shot out and wrapped around my throat. He lifted me off the ground. My black wedding dress dragged across the stone. Blood stuck to my skin.
I tried to breathe, but I couldn't.
He smiled.
"Now let me show you why your father hated me. Why my family was killed."
His fangs came out. Sharp and long.
My eyes went wide. I tried to push him away.
"Please... don't..."
I didn't know what he was going to do, but I already knew what kind of hybrid he was.
He smiled at my begging. Like it made him enjoy this more.
My legs hung in the air as he brought me closer. His fangs got longer. Sharper.
That's when I saw his eyes change. The skin around them cracked. Black veins formed underneath.
"Please..."
His fangs crashed into my neck. Piercing deep. Drinking from me rough and hungry.
I shook in the air, my hands hitting his arms weakly.
Slowly, I stopped fighting.
But he kept drinking.
Until I felt nothing.
Until darkness took over completely.