I wanted to fight, but all I could see was Inessa waving at me as she entered the arch of the Blood Pit. Finding my voice, I rasped, “Yes.”

Mistress’s eyes lit with excitement, and reaching behind my collar she said, “I’m glad you understand, but I would have made you obey me regardless.”

Mistress pressed something on the back of my collar. The collar suddenly tightened around my neck. The needles pushed farther into my skin. I screamed and screamed until no sound came from my lips.

I tried to breathe through the pain, but then I felt hot liquid injecting into my neck through the needles. At first the liquid felt strange, but as it began coursing through my blood it built up heat. As the seconds passed, the liquid turned into a roaring fire, flowing through my body, scorching me from the inside. As the fire burned, a thick fog began to fill my mind. Images and thoughts began to fall away. Suddenly 362’s face was in my head, and remembering what he had said, I closed my eyes as the fire roared higher, and thought, My name is Valentin Belrov. I have a sister called Inessa Belrova. She is being held captive. I have to set her free.…

17

ZOYA

Valentin’s large body jerked in spasms on the floor. I wanted nothing more than to be able to wrap my arms around him and keep him safe. I pulled at the straps tied around my wrists and ankles, but I couldn’t get free.

I closed my eyes, and dark thoughts filled my mind. I pictured Valentin tied to a bed like this, being forced to wear the collar. I thought of the girl on the screen, Inessa, being forced to take the drugs that had her rocking in the corner, all for some man to fuck her and take away her pain. And I pictured Anri and Zaal. My big strong brothers, being tested on. Being the guineas pigs for these drugs. The successes, the failures—all the pain.

A gasp from the side pulled me from my thoughts, and I saw Valentin jerk into a sitting position. His head hung and I could see he was weak. His large arms hung at his sides as though he couldn’t move. His beautiful eyes rolled as he fought for consciousness.

I wanted to cry for him, seeing this big man so weak and disorientated. But then the woman Valentin called Mistress ordered the Wraiths to move him. She had spoken to them in Georgian.

Two strong men dressed all in black picked Valentin up in their arms. Valentin’s body sagged and his feet dragged across the floor as they moved him to what looked like a metal pole.

“Tie him up!” the woman ordered. The men attached him to the pole and wrapped heavy chains around his body. My chest constricted when they moved back and I knew he couldn’t move.

As if sensing my despair, Valentin’s eyes blinked, and blinked again, until I could see him returning to me. His blue eyes searched the room, until they found me. As soon as he saw me, his body fought to move and I could see the fury etched on his face.

His teeth clenched together as he fought the hold of the chains, but even his incredible strength couldn’t move the heavy metal keeping him shackled.

“Zoya!” he shouted. My throat clogged at the pain and desperation in his voice.

“It’s okay,” I said back just as the woman moved from the counter along the wall.

Valentin’s blazing eyes landed on her, and he hissed, “I’ll fucking kill you.”

Unaffected, the woman passed where he stood. She was heading in my direction. My blood cooled on seeing the severe expression on her face. Landing at my side, she pushed my hair from my forehead. She had blocked Valentin from my view, but I could hear the clashing of metal. I knew he was trying to get free.

I remained still, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing my fear. As if knowing that was what I was doing, she smiled at me, before assuming a stern expression.

The woman looked at Valentin and began tracing the length of my body with her finger, over the sweatshirt that Valentin had made me wear.

I clasped my legs together, my muscles aching as I pulled at the ankle cuffs. The woman stopped. Retracing her path, she paused when her finger reached the top of the zip.

“No!” I heard Valentin snarl.

But the woman pulled the zipper, the large sweatshirt opening up, revealing my bare breasts and my bare body below. She pulled it down until the zip parted. The woman pushed the material aside, my skin goose-bumping as the cool air in the room hit my skin.

I turned my head from her when her finger touched my stomach and ran up until it reached my breast. Her long fingernails scraped over my nipples. I cried out in protest, my wrists becoming red as I tried to free my arms to push her away.

“Get the fuck off her!” I heard Valentin thunder out. The woman pulled back and looked to Valentin. “I can see why she caught your attention, 194. She is beautiful.”

“Get off her,” Valentin demanded, but this time the deep guttural threat evoked fear in me.

The woman didn’t even flinch. The thrashing sounds of Valentin trying to get free increased, and my legs shook as I fought to keep my thighs together.

Then Valentin stopped moving altogether when the woman stood back and stared at my thighs. “Well, 194, it seems that you’ve already fucked her today.”

“I’ll kill you,” Valentin promised again; because it was a promise, his words were thick with darkness and danger.

The woman shook her head and smiled. “You will not, 194. Because you will do anything you can to protect your little 152, and now your little Kostava whore.”

The woman’s finger stroked along the outside of my leg, and she said, “She’ll make the perfect mona.” I closed my eyes at her words. Her words saying I would be a good slave. A sexual slave. Just like Inessa.

The woman moved away, and when she did I saw Valentin. His eyes were on me. When I captured his gaze, I mouthed, I am okay. I am strong.

But Valentin wasn’t. His body was flushed and bleeding from where he had fought the chains. But what had my heart breaking were the tears cascading down his pale, scarred face, a striking visual contrast—emotion on his violent visage. His blue eyes were brimming with pain as he stared at me.

The woman stood right before him, and she lifted her hand to his chest, gathering the tears that were running down his skin. “194, I believe you may even love the Kostava whore. It has been many years since I have seen you cry.”

Valentin never looked away from the woman, and I could see the reply to her comment in his eyes. My heart flooded with warmth when I saw the response loud and clear.

He loved me.

Opening my mouth, I made sure he was watching, and I mouthed back, Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu.

I love you, too.

I mouthed it in Russian so there would be no miscommunication.

Valentin’s eyes closed at my words and I saw his body sag in defeat.

Suddenly a Wraith moved toward Valentin and the woman. He held something in his hand, and I shouted, “No!” when I saw it was a metal collar. A metal collar just like the one Valentin had ripped painfully from his neck.

The woman stayed silent as she lifted the collar to Valentin’s neck. Valentin stayed silent as she lined up the needles with his healing wounds and pushed the sharp needles into his red, scarred skin. But Valentin’s eyes stayed on mine. And my eyes stayed on his. There was strength when we endured this together.

The woman fastened the collar, and she moved her mouth to Valentin’s ear, whispering loudly enough for me to hear, “You obey me, and only me, 194. You do anything I say. I own you.”

Then I watched in horror as she pressed a button on the back of his collar. Valentin’s eyes squeezed shut and his face turned bright red. The collar tightened against his neck, the veins and corded muscles protruding as the serum injected into his veins.

His teeth gritted together as his lips paled. Just as I thought he might collapse from the obvious pain, he thundered, “My name is Valentin Belrov. I have a sister called Inessa Belrova. I have a love called Zoya Kostava. They are being held captive. I have to set them free!”

My heart split in two as he choked out his new mantra, then his head fell forward. I waited with bated breath for him to move. Minutes and minutes passed by, until I saw a flicker of movement. His finger moved from underneath his chains. His body gradually began to wake, the blood running down his chest from the collar beginning to slow down.

My heart beat furiously in my chest when, as he lifted his head, I focused on his closed eyes. I heard my heavy anxious breathing echo in my ears; then it paused completely when Valentin’s eyes snapped open.