10. Chapter 10

10

Chapter 10

Soren

I walk into the control room, my eyes immediately drawn to the array of monitors before me. For days, I've been watching Mia Blackwood through these screens, telling myself it's just surveillance, just part of the job. But I can't shake the growing unease in my gut.

"I don't know how long I can stomach this," I mutter under my breath.

The screens flicker with different angles of the facility, but I keep finding myself coming back to her cell. She's not there right now. My fists clench because I know what that means. She's probably in the medical bay.

Get over it, Daire. They draw blood. Humans do it all the time.

Fuck, there are entire blood donation drives that take place, and people volunteer for them. Not to mention the number of blood groupies who willingly expose their veins for vampires to feed from. A jab of a needle and an hour on a bed, that's all they're doing to her.

"Humans give blood all the time," I tell myself. But the words ring hollow.

She doesn't want to.

I saw how she fought that day. As if her life depended on it. The fire in her eyes, the defiance… It hasn't left her. She's a live wire. A force of nature, even without her magic. It's not surprising that I would find that admirable. I'm a vampire. We respect power. Thrive on it.

"Lord Daire." Grayson is at my side. I turn my attention away from the empty cell and focus on him.

"Give me an update," I say, not expecting to hear anything of consequence. In the time that I have been here, everything has run like clockwork. I've made sure of that.

Grayson begins his report, and I force myself to focus on the details of our security protocols. But my mind keeps drifting back to that empty cell, to what the woman must be enduring right now.

A needle. That's all it is.

"We've increased patrols along the eastern perimeter," Grayson says, his voice steady and professional. "Elena's upgraded our surveillance systems to detect any magical signatures within a five-mile radius."

Elena, our tech expert, chimes in. "I've also implemented a new algorithm to filter out false positives. We shouldn't have any more alerts triggered by passing wildlife."

I acknowledge her contribution with a nod, but my eyes are drawn once again to the monitor showing Mia's vacant cell. The sight of it makes my stomach churn.

Viktor, that mountain of muscle, steps forward. "We've reinforced the magical dampening fields around the facility. Even if anyone somehow managed to break out of their cell, they wouldn't be able to use their powers to escape."

The pride in his voice grates on my nerves. I clench my jaw, reminding myself that they're just doing their jobs. They don't know the full story, don't understand the weight of what we're really doing here.

"And Dmitri?" I ask, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it confirmed.

Grayson's expression tightens slightly. "He's…occupied at the moment, sir. Conducting a…scheduled session."

The euphemism hangs in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. I feel a surge of anger and disgust, both at Dmitri and at myself for allowing this to continue.

"I see," I say, keeping my voice neutral despite the turmoil inside me. I turn back to the screens. Part of me feels that I shouldn't be scanning the hallways in the hopes of spotting her, but somehow, I can't help myself.

It's only natural. She's my main responsibility, after all. This facility was in existence before I arrived, and containing powerful beings is something this team understands. Mia Blackwood, however, is the reason I am here. It's my duty to take a personal interest in her.

And yet, for some reason, I haven't been able to bring myself to face her, telling myself that overseeing security protocols is more important. That's not the real reason.

I'm a fucking coward, that's why.

Now, it's bothering me that I can't see her. I frown as I continue to scan the monitors. The medical suite is empty, so she's not there yet. That shouldn't please me, but it does.

It's only as I run a glance to the hall where the ablution facilities are located that I spot a flurry of movement. The burly figure of Mia's female guard has just come barrelling through the doors of the washroom. She's waving her arms as she speaks to the other guards.

What the fuck?

There's some sort of conversation, and the males outside look uncertain – as if they don't know what to do next. The female waves her arms some more, looking panicked.

Something's wrong.

Very wrong.

I'm moving before I can even process what I've seen. My body reacts on pure instinct, vampire speed kicking in as I race through the facility. The world around me blurs into streaks of color and shadow, my heightened senses struggling to keep up with the rapid movement.

Corridors fly past in a dizzying rush. I dodge personnel and equipment with preternatural reflexes, my mind focused solely on reaching the witch. Urgency drives me forward.

I skid around a corner, my shoes squealing against the polished floor. The washroom doors loom ahead, and I can hear the frantic voices of the male guards more clearly now. Their words are a jumble of panic and confusion.

"What do you mean she's not breathing?"

"I don't know! Patty said just collapsed!"

"We need to get her out of there!"

"Boss is gonna kill us."

"Gonna kill Patty, more like. It happened on her watch."

They stop short as they see me arrive, faces blanching as they back away.

Motherfuckers!

I'll rip their hearts out if something happens to her.

But there's no time now.

I burst through the washroom doors, nearly tearing them off their hinges in my haste. The scene before me is chaos. The witch lies naked and motionless on the cold tile floor, her skin pale and lips tinged blue. The female guard kneels beside her, attempting clumsy chest compressions.

But more alarmingly, crimson hair trails wetly into the water that's swirling away over the tiles. Water that's running red.

I shove the guard aside and drop to my knees beside the unconscious woman, checking for a pulse. It's faint. Thready. But there.

Thank fuck.

"How long has she been like this?" I demand.

The female guard stammers, "I-I don't know, sir. A few minutes? She was fine, and then she just…collapsed."

"Just collapsed?" I narrow my eyes, and she shrinks back. I'm pretty sure there's more to this story than she's letting on. I curse under my breath, my mind racing. We can't lose her. I can't lose her. The thought hits me with surprising force, but I push it aside. There's no time for introspection now.

"Mia," I say, not thinking about how easily her name rolls off my tongue. "Mia, can you hear me?"

She doesn't respond.

By Blood, I'll have heads for this!

I take her hand, hating how cold and limp it is in mine. I'm not used to being a source of warmth when touching humans, but right now, she's cooler than I am.

"Mia, if you can hear me, try to squeeze my hand."

For a moment, there's nothing. And then I feel it. The tiniest hint of pressure from her fingers.

Thank God!

"Good, that's good." Relief floods me. "You're going to be alright," I tell her, trying to smooth the damp curls from her face. She's so pale it's frightening. Carefully, I slide a hand over her skull, feeling for any injuries. It doesn't take me long to find it. A deep gash at the back of her head that must be several inches long.

"Fuck." The first thought that comes to mind is concussion. I slide an arm beneath her shoulders, raising her carefully. "Mia. Look at me." If she drifts off right now, it's going to be a problem. "You need to stay awake."

She makes a sound that's half groan and half whimper. It goes straight to my chest. Her lashes flutter and I can sense the exertion she's feeling at opening her eyes. But she does. And when they meet mine, it's like looking into a forest. My breath catches. Even half-conscious, the spark within them is unmistakable.

"Sir, I—" the guard behind me starts.

"Shut the fuck up," I snarl without looking back at her. "You will answer for this when I am ready."

She makes a choking sound. Boots scuffle on tiles as she backs away. I don't bother watching her leave. My attention is on Mia.

"You're going to be okay," I tell her. "I want you to focus on me. Can you do that?"

Her lips move, but no sound comes out. She gives a tiny nod, then her expression tightens as pain flickers in her eyes.

I gently lift Mia into my arms, cradling her against my chest. She's light, too light, and I can feel her shivering. Without a second thought, I use my vampire speed to rush her to my quarters, my surroundings blurring as I move.

Pushing the door open with my shoulder, I stride to the large leather couch in the living area and carefully lay her down. As I step back, the full extent of her condition hits me.

"What the fuck have they done to you?" I mutter, taking in the sight of her.

Her skin is ashen, almost translucent, and her breathing is shallow and labored. The gash on her head is still bleeding, but it's clear that's not the only source of her blood loss. She's been systematically drained, day after day, and the toll on her body is horrifyingly apparent. She's fading away.

For the first time, I register that she's naked, vulnerable in a way that makes my chest tighten with an unfamiliar emotion. Guilt? Anger? I'm not sure, but it spurs me into action. I shrug off my jacket and gently drape it over her, covering her body.

"Mia," I say softly, kneeling beside the couch. "Can you hear me?"

Her eyelids flutter, but she doesn't respond. I can hear her heartbeat, weak but steady. It's a small comfort, but not enough. She needs help and fast.

"You're safe now," I tell her, surprising myself as I say the words. There's no reason for me to be trying to set her at ease right now. But something within me wants her to not be afraid.

Fat chance of that in this place.

Scowling, I rise and then pace the room, my eyes never leaving Mia's pale form on the couch. My mind races, trying to process the situation and formulate a plan. I need to act fast.

"Grayson," I bark into my communicator. "Get me a doctor. Now. And make sure it's not anyone involved in the blood drawing procedures."

"On it, sir." There's a brief pause, a few seconds of silence before Grayson's voice crackles back. "It's done, sir. Doctor Amelia Chen is on her way."

I nod, even though Grayson can't see me. It's a small relief knowing that competent help is coming. But it's not enough. My jaw clenches as I think about how this happened, about who's responsible.

The door opens, and Dr. Chen rushes in, medical bag in hand. She takes one look at Mia, and her eyes widen.

"What happened?" she asks, already moving to examine the witch on my sofa.

"Head injury," I say tersely. "And severe blood loss. Most likely anemia. Take care of her."

As Dr. Chen begins her work, I step away, pulling out my phone. My fingers leave smears of blood on the screen as I dial.

"Get me Lucien," I growl when the call connects. "Now. I don't care what he's doing. Tell him it's an emergency."

I end the call abruptly, my anger threatening to boil over. I need answers, and I'm going to get them.

"I'll be back," I tell Dr. Chen. "Take care of her."

I stride out of my office, my mind focused on the confrontation to come. It's only as I reach to open the door that I notice the blood on my hands. Mia's blood.

Without thinking, I bring my fingers to my mouth, my tongue darting out to taste the crimson smears. The flavor explodes across my palate, rich and intoxicating. It's like nothing I've ever tasted before.

I freeze, shocked by my own action and the intensity of my reaction.

What am I doing?

I shake off the unsettling sensation and shut the door firmly behind me before setting off. I need to put distance between myself and the unnerving witch. Because I get the inexplicable feeling that something significant just changed.