Captured Read Free

“That will give me a chance to figure out an escape plan.”
       Arianna shook her head swiftly. “No Max, they won’t keep me. I have nothing to offer them.” It was true; she was skinny, dirty, disheveled, smelly, and unwomanly in every possible way. They would not want her, or at least that was the hope that she clung to. They did not appear to be choosing blood slaves solely on looks though, but some strange method that she did not understand, or even want to. She didn’t want to have any kind of understanding of the monsters that held their fates. “I’d rather be dead anyway,” she assured him.
       His eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched slightly. “They will want you Aria, and when they take you, you must cling to the knowledge that I will come for you. I will save you. Keep hold of that certainty, it will get you through the awful times ahead of us.”
       She swallowed heavily, stunned by the earnestness and emotion that radiated from him. “Max…”
       “I will come for you Aria. I promise you that.”
       She gasped, stunned as he was ripped suddenly away from her. It was only then that she realized that there were just a handful of people left within the fenced area. She almost ran after him, almost chased him and the creature pulling him along, but she only made it one step before she halted abruptly. She could not show so much emotion here, they would only use it against her, or against Max. No, she had to remain in control, had to be as emotionless as she could in here.
       Max was paraded onto the stage and swiftly claimed by a dark haired woman that oozed cruelty and sadism. Aria swallowed heavily, her mind spun as she realized the fate that Max had just been handed. He believed that he would be able to escape, and she knew that he was smart, wily, fast, and strong, but no one had ever escaped from the vampires before. No one had ever returned to the woods, and freedom, after capture. Once a person was taken, they remained a prisoner until they died.
       Max was now at the mercy of this woman, and as long as she possessed him she could do whatever she wanted to him, whenever she wanted, and for as long as she wanted. When she grew bored of him, she would simply kill him, or sell him, and then come back here for another toy. Aria was shaking; her legs trembled with the will it took to keep her upright.
       She did not fight the rough hands that seized hold of her; she was in too much shock, too fearful, and too stunned to even begin to fight right now. Max was going to be used and tortured, and it was all her fault. Why hadn’t she listened to her father when he had told her to use her head, to think before acting? Her foolish recklessness had not only destroyed her life, but the life of one of her dearest and most beloved friends.
       Self hatred curdled rapidly through her. She didn’t even care what happened to her anymore, what they did to her. She was led swiftly through the crowd and brusquely pushed onto the stage. She was paraded before the crowd gathered on the stage, before being led past the vampires packing the streets. It appeared that the vamps on stage had first choice, and the ones on the street received second pick to grab the goods if they so choose. She was drug back past the people on stage as she was pulled roughly around, but no one laid claim to her. She didn’t know if she should feel relieved, or not. She found herself wanting to stay alive for as long as Max was alive. If he was in here because of her, then it was only fair that she should suffer the same tormented fate that he did; it was only fair that she was not granted the merciful death she had been longing for.
       She met Max’s gaze briefly, hating the terror and helplessness in his eyes as she was pulled back toward the street side. This would be the last chance for someone to claim her, and if they didn’t, she was fairly certain that Max would go ballistic in his attempt to get at her. To