Page 10 of Hitched to the Vampire King
“The second guard doesn’t always enter your cage,” I said.
Gabriel considered that. “We’ll just have to risk it. Hopefully, we can get to the other before he can alert anyone to our escape.”
I bit my lip and considered Gabriel’s plan. I had tried to escape my cage and failed. And the guards always kept their distance from me. Waiting for them to enter Gabriel’s cage was truly our only option.
A thought came to me, one that made my blood run cold. “What if the guards aren’t the ones who come back? Adrian said it was time to put an end to all this.”
Rage flashed in Gabriel’s eyes. “Then he’ll have a nasty little surprise waiting for him.”
Oh, I liked the sound of that. I’d been dreaming of killing him for three nights now. My wolf couldn’t wait to rip his head clean off his shoulders. But just because I wanted him dead didn’t mean Gabriel did. Adrian had raised him, after all.
“Are you ready for that?” I asked.
Gabriel turned to face me, determination burning in his eyes. “I’m counting on it.”
Well, alright then.
“We’ve got this, luv,” Gabriel said.
A slow smile curled my lips. Hell yes, we did.
ChapterFour
Waiting for the guards—orAdrian—to make their next round was a new form of torture. Every night until now, I’d dreaded their little visits. Now, I anticipated it. So much so that I was silently urging them to open that damn door and get their asses in here. Quite the change for me.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, butfinally, I caught the sound of footsteps. I snapped my head toward Gabriel, and he gave a single nod, silently acknowledging that he’d heard them too. We shared one last glance, then I quickly shucked my clothes and shifted, while Gabriel laid down inside his cage and played dead. I shivered at the sight of his too-still body and prayed that I never saw him so vulnerable again.
The footsteps paused in front of the door, and two voices carried into the room. Much to my disappointment, neither belonged to Adrian. I really,reallywanted to sink my fangs into him. But I was also smart enough to know we had better chances fighting the guards. I wasn’t physically ready for the big showdown. Not yet.
Much like every other night, I paced the cage. I needed to pretend nothing had changed. Which meant I needed to be anxious and angry. Thankfully, those emotions weren’t exactly difficult to call upon. I was as anxious as a wolf in a cage, and yes, I silently snickered at the simile.
The guards opened the door and entered, the second guard closing the door behind him. My hackles rose, and a deep growl rumbled in my throat, my lip curling up to display my monstrous fangs. I had to be threatening and aggressive to keep their attention primarily on me. They had to think I was the threat here, not Gabriel. A fairly easy task, given everything.
“Wolf form again, eh, sweetheart?” one of the vamp guards commented. He paused in front of my cage and chuckled. “Don’t think I’ve even seen what you look like under all that fur.”
The taunt was designed to rile me up, and under different circumstances, it likely would have worked. But this time, my focus was razor-sharp, every fiber of my being strung tight with anticipation. I let out another growl, this one deeper and far more menacing. I locked eyes with him, silently promising him a world of pain.
The vamp laughed, clearly unfazed by my threat. They believed they were safe out there, what with us locked up. He wasn’t wrong, he just didn’t realize that everything was about to change.
“Don’t worry, hun,” the guard continued. “It won’t be much longer now. Boss is just going over some things with his kid”—he shot Gabriel’s still body a glance and laughed—“well, hisotherkid, and then they’ll be right down to finish up with you two. Look at the upside, you won’t have to spend any more time in that disgusting cage of yours.”
I lunged at the bars, and not just to put on a show.
“Oh, I don’t think she liked that,” the other guard chuckled. “Come on, let’s give ourliegehis last dose, then get out of here. I’ll be glad never to step foot in here again.”
The vamp closest to Gabriel’s cage fished in his pocket and withdrew the keys. He approached the door and quickly unlocked it before stepping inside. The other guard, however, only ventured a couple of steps closer, and sadly, not close enough for me to reach.
Shit. Shit.Shit.
Gabriel could handle the one guard, but the second would make it up those stairs before we even stood a chance. I uttered a long snarl, one that drew the second guard’s attention, but he paid me little more than a cursory glance. His focus was all for Gabriel.
There was nothing I could do, not while I was trapped in here.
I had to trust that Gabriel could handle this.
The first guard approached Gabriel, then paused a foot away, frowning. “Is it me, or does he look?—”
Before he could finish the sentence, Gabriel shot to his feet, grabbed the vamp by the throat, and snapped it.
