Consumed: A Dark Paranormal Romance Read online

  That was me.

  But it hadn’t lasted. Eventually, one of them had succeeded in hurting me once again and then the world had begun to change, to grow and expand both economically and intellectually. At that point, I was no longer in power and the world had prospered.

  I’d hated that.

  The last encounter I’d had with a woman from her bloodline had been devastating. Even though it was hundreds of years ago, I still remembered it with vivid detail, as if it happened only yesterday.

  Her name had been Althea.

  It was the height of the Renaissance and I’d been on the run for a while, hiding in the undergrounds of Europe in order to avoid her. I’d finally come back home to my castle in Mykonos, under the assumption that I’d outrun her and she’d lost my trail.

  Kassandra stared at me and I saw Althea’s features in hers. Strong, steady, and unafraid.

  The night Althea had found me, I’d been deep in the cellar, working on filling the last barrels of what I was sure was going to be one of my best batches of wine. Althea had trained hard, embraced her destiny, and was more tenacious than any of the others. I had been unprepared. I didn’t even have a weapon. We’d fought for a long time. She was strong and eventually, her spear had flown forward, sinking deep into my flesh and piercing deep into my heart. I’d fallen before her and Althea had risen in victory.

  She left me to die, but I was hard to kill. After the battle, I’d crawled deep into the depths of my castle and hid. For several hundred years, I’d gone into a deep state of slumber, an inactive state that allowed me to rest and recover until I was ready to venture into the world once again.

  In that time, the Warrior of Light bloodline had gone dormant. It always did when I was inactive. When I finally woke again, it appeared that the story of the Warrior of Light had faded into legend and myth and from what I could gather, the family had crossed the sea to start a new life in America and had all been forgotten. I had prepared for this day though, hopeful it would never come, but maybe... maybe this wasn’t a bad thing.

  Perhaps Kassandra knew nothing at all.

  I slammed my palms down on my desk, a heavy dark mahogany that spoke to my power, and she visibly flinched at the sound.

  “I don’t think you’re telling the truth,” I said. A breathy sigh of fear escaped her throat and my cock hardened at the delectable sound. Moving around my desk, I stood directly in front of her and leaned back against it, further testing her. I needed to know if now that she’d found me, if she’d become aware of her purpose.

  Would she suddenly feel the need to confront me?

  She remained silent. Stoic even.

  I moved closer to her and she didn’t move. Reaching for her, I dragged my fingers across her cheek. Maybe if I touched her, she’d realize what she was.

  “Do you know me, warrior?” I asked her cautiously, ready to move in case she reacted suddenly, without warning.

  “Sure. You’re Markos Varela. This is your villa and I’m a guest at your party.” She paused and licked her lips. “Antonio will be missing me though. I should return to him. He’ll want to know why I was delayed,” she replied, her tone dripping with warning.

  Cute. Mentioning the name of a feared mafia kingpin in order to try to intimidate me. Little did she know, Antonio was afraid of me. As powerful as he was, he’d never cross me because as much power as he had, I had more. He’d be dead in the blink of an eye if he angered me and he knew it.

  Silly, naïve woman.

  Her heart was pounding, and the sound of her blood was louder than before. I took a deep breath. I wanted to taste her, to savor the sweet flavor that was the Warrior of Light at her peak. Over my lifetime, I’d enjoyed the blood of her ancestry several times. I wondered if I’d get the chance to again, with her.

  She really had no idea who I was. Here I stood, the original evil, and even though it was her destiny to vanquish me, it was quickly becoming obvious that she had no clue.

  That fact gave me options.

  I could take her life and embrace the power that her blood bestowed on me, for a time anyway, but eventually I’d run into another of her kind when the next in line came of age. It was always kill or be killed. That was our fate. Forever intertwined.

  But, maybe, this time could be different. Maybe I could win, once and for all.

  My mouth salivated at the possibility. I picked up my wineglass as a distraction, taking a sip of my favorite vintage, sweetened and aged in barrels that had been soaked in the blood of sweet, delectable human virgins long ago. The wine it produced was easily my bestselling vintage, and the most delicious.

  “Antonio would be happy to share you with me. He has before, many times, with all the women he brings around,” I replied, smirking as her heartbeat quickened once more.

  Her look of surprise would have made me laugh had she been anyone else. No, she wasn’t special to Antonio. To me though, that was a different story.

  She didn’t know it yet, but she was mine. I grinned coldly.

  “Should I call him in? Perhaps you can entertain us together,” I proposed thoughtfully, enjoying teasing her. Her nipples hardened into tight little peaks. She liked the thought of being shared by two men then. I chuckled softly.

  Too bad. I wouldn’t share. I was far more man than she could ever handle.

  “No, that’s not necessary,” she answered in a quiet panic. The vein in her neck pulsed and I wanted to taste her yet again.

  I paused, trying to figure out which direction to take this next. Should I kill her? Bleed her dry and just have to worry about her bloodline finding me at some point in the future? Or, maybe not. Maybe I had another option.

  I decided to be bold.

  “What do you know about the Warrior of Light?” I asked.

  “What?” she responded. Her brow furrowed in confusion and the corners of her eyes crinkled as she tried to figure out what I was talking about. Her emotions played out across her features. Was I crazy? Was she? She was easy to read.

  “You heard me. What do you know?” I pressed.

  “I mean, it was on your papers on the table, but it’s the first I’ve ever heard of such a thing. Is it sort of a weird, end of the world type story? Are you an apocalypse chaser of some kind?” she finally answered, clearly genuinely confused.

  I chuckled. Little did she know, she was not too far from the truth.

  Option number two might actually be possible then.

  Maybe it was finally time for me to fulfill the prophecy, an ancient text that I’d never truly considered trying to fulfill before, until now.

  They were the very first words to be carved into ancient stone in fact, and it had been destroyed only a few years later by Kassandra’s ancestors out of desperation and fear. They ground it into dust to keep the knowledge from me, but it had already been too late. I’d already known. I’d forced the prophecy from the seer’s lips and made her carve the words into a tablet, right before I tore into her throat and drank deep of her power. She tasted glorious.

  As I’d drunk from her, I’d seen what would happen when evil reigned victorious over good, when I ruled the world with one of their kind by my side, as my equal. I’d seen the entirety of humanity kneeling at our feet. I had seen the darkness win.

  But I’d never seen her face. I’d never found out who was meant to sit next to me as ruler of all the world.

  I’d given up hope long ago. The women of Kassandra’s legacy knew of the prophecy and had done everything in their power to make sure it never came to fruition. After enough time had passed, I figured it was just a warning bestowed on mankind from the gods of old, and I’d given up all hope of it coming to pass.

  Staring at the woman before me, I began to realize that maybe it wasn’t just a warning. Maybe it was our destiny. We stood there in silence, my men still waiting behind her for an order to either take her back upstairs or escort her off the property. If asked, they’d even make her disappear, if that was what I wanted.

  That wouldn’t be necessary tonight. I rounded my desk once more and sat back down.

  With a wave of my hand, I dismissed my men from the room. Nick would dispose of the gun, but not before researching its origins. As they exited the room, the door closed behind them and the nervous look on her face grew more pervasive. Once we were completely alone, I pressed the hidden button underneath the edge of my desk, locking the door instantly. She wasn’t going anywhere now.

  We were deep underground, in the depths of what had once been my castle. I’d restored each and every wall, stone by stone and fortified them all. I’d created a safe house for myself, but a prison for her.

  She wasn’t going to escape. I had her right where I wanted her, and now I was going to claim what was mine by rights to take.

  I gazed hungrily upon her body and in that moment, I made a decision. I was going to fulfill the demands of the prophecy.

  I was going to consume her.

  I was going to master her body, then her mind, and finally, her soul.

  And then, she would be mine. Forever.

  Chapter Three

  Kassandra

  His men filed out the door behind me and then I heard the distinct click of a heavy lock sliding into place. If I had thought I was screwed before, now I was really fucked.

  I watched as his ravenous eyes searched my body, and I was mortified to realize that my nipples were hard. In my dress, I felt exposed. I had chosen it as a way to keep Antonio’s attentions, but now as I stood before Markos, I felt like I was wearing nothing more than lingerie. I felt almost naked and for some strange fucking reason, I was aroused.

  I crossed my arms over my chest, hiding my breasts, and glared at him. He smirked in my direction, obviously enjoying my discomfort.

  He was relishing this. Cocky bastard.

  He could have anything he wanted. Any woman he wanted. The kind of money he had brought its own kind of power. And its own evil.

  I’d researched every single piece of information Interpol had collected. The men and women who had disappeared. Every single legitimate business he had filed taxes for. Those that it was only rumored that he had a connection to. It had all amounted to very little, but I had to know more. I knew, deep in my heart, that he was connected to very bad things.

  No man became as rich as he did without getting his hands dirty.

  I was going to find out what. Somehow. There had to be something.

  “Kassandra,” he began, his tone one of confident assertiveness, breaking me out of my panicked thoughts and back to reality.

  “Yes?”

  “Strip. Take off your clothes and bare yourself to me,” he answered.

  What the hell? He couldn’t be serious.

  “No. You’re fucking crazy if you think I’m going to get naked for you,” I retorted, as I took a step back defensively.

  “It wasn’t a request, Kassandra,” he replied. His tone was condescending and far too demanding. It was clear he was used to being obeyed, but he hadn’t met me yet. He didn’t know me, and he was never going to. I wasn’t going to get naked and beg for mercy, not from the likes of him. Just because he was a rich and powerful man didn’t mean that he was going to see me nude, that he was going to fuck me just because of who he was. Just because of the size of his bank account.

  If he thought that, he had another think coming.

  He stood up from his desk once more, illuminated by a soft overhead light. The shadows played on his face, and immediately, he reminded me of the devil.

  For a moment, I was taken aback. I should have been terrified, but instead, I was strangely fascinated beneath my anger.

  It was as though he was carved perfection. His hair, lit from above, was the color of dark chocolate. It was thick and quite long, and for the briefest of seconds, I yearned to drag my fingers through it. His eyes were dark, irises bordering on obsidian, but in the light, I realized that they were flecked with red. Thick eyebrows gave him an even more formidable glare. His jawline was powerful and strong, his cheekbones angled. Thick brown stubble covered his chin, giving him an ominous glow. His skin was bronzed, as though he’d spent a lifetime working in the rays of the sun. Had I not known any better, I would have equated him to the likes of a god, or at least an ancient carving of old.

  In a different setting, I may have pursued him. He was my type. Tall, dark, and handsome. Undeniably Greek. The type of man that every single woman in the world would desire. The type of man I should have wanted to be on my arm.

  “Kassandra, take off your clothes. Don’t make me repeat myself again,” he demanded for a second time, the forcefulness of his voice making my heart race.

  “I won’t do it. Let me go this instant. Open the fucking door,” I snarled, trying to sound brave.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he answered. His expression was dark and expectant. He walked from around the back of his desk and I took a step back.

  “Don’t touch me,” I warned.

  He didn’t answer but continued to move toward me. It was obvious that he wasn’t backing down and soon, I’d be on the defensive.

  I had no choice. If I was going to escape, I’d have to fight my way out. There wasn’t any doubt in my mind that he had locked me in the room with him, that I wasn’t getting out unless I figured out how to get that door open. It was clear that he wasn’t willing to let me go, at least until he got what he wanted. He wasn’t going to get that, not if I could help it.

  I wouldn’t allow him to take me against my will. Not now, not ever.

  He continued to walk toward me and I took one step backwards after another, until the vulnerable bare skin of my back pressed against the metal door.

  “Don’t come any closer,” I warned, and my voice shook with my terror.

  Damnit. I wish they hadn’t found my gun. I could have shot my way out of here. I could have killed him and been done with it.

  His hands slapped against the rock wall behind me and I gasped at the sound. His gaze was heated, expectant and I snarled in his direction. He chuckled, moving quickly to grasp my chin. His grip was hard, and it hurt, but I didn’t cry out. He stood over me, taller than me by a solid foot and I did the first thing I could think of.

  I brought up my knee hard, right in between his legs. Sure, some might call it a cheap shot, but I didn’t care. I wanted to get out of here, and I wanted to do it with my integrity intact. His face crumpled, but only a little bit and that’s when I realized that there was something bigger at play here. Something was very wrong.

  That one shot should have brought a normal man to his knees. I was strong, trained in self-defense. I’d taken many courses and exceled through them at a pace that impressed even the most highly accomplished trainers. A blow like that would have taken them down in a heartbeat.

  His expression darkened, and he grabbed my shoulders, his fingers digging into my flesh. I spun out of his grip and took a swipe at the side of his head with my elbow. He bowed backwards, just barely avoiding the blow, but still, I moved. I used my smaller size to my advantage, whirling just out of his reach, but he was ready for me. Like he’d anticipated my next move.

  He bent down, narrowly missing the kick I’d intended to strike right at his kidneys. He grabbed my foot and wrenched my leg backwards. I cried out in shock, pain lancing up my leg as he twisted it hard, forcing me to fall to the floor on my hands and knees. My shoulders jolted hard as I landed, and I knew without a doubt that I would be sore the next day.

  He pushed me down, pressing hard in the center of my back. I tried to use my arms to push myself back up, but it was no use, he was so much stronger than I had anticipated and soon, I felt the coolness of the stone floor through the satin dress covering my belly. I shrieked for help, panicking as I felt the heat of his body behind me, coming closer to the nakedness of my flesh. I could feel his weight pressing down on me. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get away.

  He fucking laughed at me. It was a cold sound and I knew then that I could scream all I wanted. No one was going to come. No one was going to rescue me.

  That’s the kind of thing money like his could buy.

  I screamed when I felt the hardness of his cock press up against my ass.

  “No one is going to hear you, Kassandra,” he said coldly. “No one is going to save you from this, from me. You’re going to be mine, forever.”

  My blood ran cold as I felt his knee work its way between my legs. My breasts pressed against the icy floor as he forced my thighs open, my nipples hardening painfully against the chill. With one hand, he gripped the back of my neck, holding me down as the other began to explore my body.

  “Get the fuck off of me,” I yelled.

  He laughed openly, the sound chilling me to the bone.

  At first, the movement of his other hand was gentle, the complete opposite of how he’d been when he’d forced me to the floor. The feel of his flesh on mine was like liquid heat, as though he was branding me with fire. His finger edged across my bare shoulders, traveling down the length of my spine, vertebra by vertebra, just stopping once he reached the curves of my buttocks. Moving his fingertips side to side, he claimed one inch of my body after another. Like he was marking me as his.

  I squirmed against the floor and his grip on the back of my neck tightened, threatening pain if I fought against him. He was bigger than me, stronger and more powerful, but still, I couldn’t give in. He was going to take me, just because he could, and I couldn’t allow him the privilege. Screeching, I tried to twist underneath the weight of his body and his hand moved lower, cupping my ass roughly before he smacked it.

  The sound echoed, compounding my shame.

  I stilled.

  He’d fucking spanked me. Like a god damn naughty child.

  The ensuing silence was heavy with what that meant. He’d taken a hold of the power between the two of us and made it known that he was completely and utterly in charge.

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