Page 39 of Forced Bonds

“This is all so confusing,” Benji groaned. “When I took this job, I thought a few days max and then I would be back home in my small apartment, sleeping for a few days and then on to the next task. I did not sign up for this shit show.”

“None of us did,” Sal reminded him. “But we gained so much from it and I will never regret getting you two.”

My tail was wagging with happiness at those words. A man like Sal who seemed so cold and detached to the outside world, said such honest and sweet things about me. I couldn’t help but feel flattered and loved as we made our way to the rogues.

“Of course they’re in the basement,” Benji grumbled as I began to descend the stairs leading down to a dark open room. The door had been closed to keep them in, but we knew by night they would’ve found their way out on their own, rushing toward the library like the other nights.

“The smell of mud is much sharper down here,” I told them, getting a faint hint of fresh air as well. There might’ve been a window or something they could escape from.

Once we’d descended the stairs, we were greeted by thirty to fifty rogues sitting on the damp ground, swaying in place. It was almost like they were in a trance as they waited for the sun to go down.

“Kill them all?” I asked, getting ready to attack.

“Yes, even if the lack of fight takes the fun out of it,” Sal sighed.

“Fun?! You think it’s fun killing rogues?!” Benji asked, tone outraged.

“Well, yeah?” Sal replied, looking at Benji like he was stupid for thinking something else. “I’m a vampire, Benji.”

“And that makes you enjoy killing?” Benji asked, his tone irritated.

“Yes,” Sal replied easily and that honest tone had Benji blinking up at him. I doubted he’d expected that response.

“Wait, really? Being turned makes you enjoy killing? It isn’t just you that enjoys it?”

He was too cute, our human.

“The most fun is to kill humans,” Sal continued, not even noticing how Benji’s eyes widened in horror. “I joined all the wars I could just to have fun with the soldiers, as did other vampires. We’re made to kill humans, and at one time, it was the only way we fed. Being a vampire today is much different and I rarely get to kill humans anymore. Not unless they’re really bad and we have a reason for it.”

“I wish I’d never asked,” Benji whispered, but he sounded less afraid and more intrigued now.

“Let’s get started and then get out of here,” I said, rushing toward the rogues, my fangs and claws out.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Benjamin

The rogues were annihilated within seconds and I was drenched in blood, not really, but it was a damn close thing. It was obvious that both of my men loved killing from the smiles on their faces. They weren’t there this time. Not when the rogues were like sitting ducks as they killed them off. Not one fought back.

I turned around to scan the rest of the basement and found a black door that had seemed like a part of the wall. It wasn’t until now that I noticed the handle. “I think we need to clear out the whole basement before we leave,” I said, pointing to the door. “Do you smell anything coming from there?”

“Mud,” Chris answered, sniffing around the room before stopping right in front of the closed door. “It’s either leading outside the hotel, or to some sort of tunnel.”

Zar stepped around us and opened the door, not allowing me to be the first one to face whatever was behind it. Normally, I would’ve listened to the door and eased it open slowly, but now I had two men that wanted to keep me safe and it was sort of nice feeling looked after like that. I mattered to them even now when they didn’t need me to survive, or at least I didn’t think they did. Zar would die without me to feed from, but now he could feed from Chris, and Chris would die of broken mate bond, but perhaps he wouldn’t with one mate bond still intact. I had to force those thoughts away. I would learn what happened the day one of us died and I didn’t want that day to ever come. Better keep some mysteries as just that, mysteries.

“It is a tunnel,” Zar whispered, and from his whispered tone alone, I knew he feared we could be heard. I followed Zar with our alpha behind me and saw a carved-out tunnel. There were walls held up by wooden posts but the sides and ground were all mud. The door closed behind us and there was no more light guiding my way. I grabbed my phone, using the flashlight to see, needing the help while my men walked without issue.

We walked in silence through the damp air and I despised each step we took. Not knowing what we would find at the end had me fearing it. Adding in the lack of light didn’t help much either.

“I smell witches,” Chris snarled just as an opening to the left came up. We weren’t at the end yet, but there was definitely either a room or another exit here.

Zar rushed ahead, entering the room with Chris and I right behind him. The room had no door, just an opening and inside were tables and chairs. It was makeshift and likely the place they met up with Gabriella. It was empty now, but I could tell Chris smelled them as he moved around the room.

There was still no electricity, but they had several candles scattered around the room, making it look like a place for sacrifices. It most likely was, to be honest.

“How long?” Zar asked.

“A day at most,” Chris replied instantly. “I smell humans too.”