44. Owen

Chapter forty-four

Owen

I couldn't move. How the hell was I standing in the middle of my mom's kitchen and completely unable to move? Magic, fucking magic. That's how!

It was like quicksand. The harder I struggled, the tighter the invisible strands held me. Luckily, I'd left Chloe upstairs and realized instinct must've been driving me.

The front door opened. Mom's open floor plan let me see exactly who my captor was. Eric Strange strode into the house, smiling like he'd just won the lottery. Maybe, if my suspicions were correct, he had.

"Well, well, how you've changed," Eric said as he strode toward me. I wanted to cuss the son of a bitch out, but one of the strands had forced my mouth shut, so all I could do was yell at him with my mouth closed. He chuckled as he walked around me, looking me up and down like I was some prized stallion or something .

"I can't believe I missed it. You weren't showing, though. You hid your real identity well, that's for sure." I stared at him. What the hell was he talking about? "You almost slipped out of my hands too. Now that really would've been a shame. As it is, you'll fetch a nice price and put me higher in the organization," he said. The idiot had finally lost his mind. Not that he had much of one to begin with.

Okay, maybe that's not entirely true. Eric was a lot of things, but dumb wasn't one of them.

"Mm mm mo," I said, and hoped he understood me saying let me go.

He just laughed. "Not likely, not as valuable as you are, but I can make you a little more comfortable as long as you don't try to run away."

I stared at him with as mean a look as I could. God, help me, as soon as I was free, I was going to knock this asshole into next week. Not that I could hit very well, or at least I've never tried, but there's a time for everything.

Eric wove his hand around my head, and the bonds began to ease, confirming the jerk did have powers. How was it that I've dated only two men, and both were magical? At least Damian was decent, unlike this asshole.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked as soon as I could speak.

"I'm going to give you to Balthazar, of course,"

"Who? Eric, stop this nonsense and let me go. "

Eric held onto the island and laughed out loud. "You are funny. Now, tell me, how did you hide all this?" he asked as he waved his hands up and down, indicating me.

"Hide what? You're so full of crap,"

"Yet, you aren't surprised by my powers, are you?" he asked, and I realized he had me there.

"No, I ran into real witches in Seattle. I know all about this weird magical world you're in." I intentionally left out that I'd dated a prominent wizard. I hoped this was some weird ruse, not a ploy to get at Damian.

"Witches, you say, and I assume they were of the light, were they not?"

"Of course, they were. Why would I hang out with the dark?"

"Aah, so you do know?"

"Know what, you nincompoop? That I have no magical powers whatsoever and that my ex-boyfriend is a total jackass? I already knew that!"

Eric stared at me, then walked over to the far wall where Mom had an ugly gold mirror, which I'd always hated, and brought it over to me. "Look!" he demanded.

When I did, I saw my image transform. I became a horse, then…a fucking unicorn? "For Pete's sake, stop the ridiculousness. You're trying to tell me I'm a unicorn? Eric, let me go!" I demanded .

He considered me for a while before hanging the mirror back up. "You truly don't realize what you are, even after I've shown you."

"Listen, this whole magic thing is new to me. I don't get it. I don't want to get it. I do know you can make that mirror show what you want. So, before you ask, I won't get back together with you. You're an asshole who screwed me, then forced me to flee my own home."

Eric's eyebrow rose like I amused him, but he didn't try to stop my tirade. Good, if I could convince him to leave me alone, I could get the fuck out.

"I don't have powers. I know I don't have powers. I'm not a fucking unicorn because they don't exist. I think I'd know if I were, don't you?" I asked. "Now, let me go!" Eric surprised me by waving his hand and releasing the bonds. "Thank you. Now get the fuck out."

Eric's expression changed, and he began stalking me. His face sent shivers up my spine. I knew I was in danger, and I quickly backed away. I was just about to turn and rush up the stairs when Eric sped across the kitchen, catching me and biting my neck.

"Ouch, what the fuck!" I yelled.

Eric pulled back, and for fuck's sake, he had the fangs of a damned vampire. A fucking vampire. Well, that explained a lot, considering he'd just bitten my neck .

I pushed him back and put my hand to my neck. "I'd better not turn into a damned vampire, Eric. God help me, if I do, I'm going to kill you!"

I waited for him to make a snarky comment, but instead, his eyes turned milky, and he began to convulse. "Fuck!" I said as I spied my phone on the counter. I rushed forward, grabbed it, and ran out the front door. The second I got outside, I saw the carnage.

The two elderly witches who'd been assigned to keep vigil over me were dead, their bodies mangled. "Fuck, fuck!" I kept saying as I rushed for my mom's car.

I managed to get inside and found the key she kept hidden under the seat. Mom was paranoid, so she kept a key in the car. I had just cranked the engine when the vehicle lifted off the ground.

"Oh no, my tasty morsel," Eric said, and even though the doors and windows were closed, I could still hear him like he was inside the car with me. "You aren't going anywhere, and I'll have more of your blood before Balthazar comes to collect you. You are one tasty, tasty Re'em!"

I remembered my phone and, not sure what would happen next, I texted Damian.

Me: I'm in trouble. My ex is a vampire and has captured me. Help me if you can !

I didn't have time to wait for his reply before the car landed with a jarring thud, and the driver's door was ripped from its hinges.

"Now, come to me, and let me taste you again!"