The Capture by Alexx Andria Page B

to chaos and bloodshed.”
    “What do you mean?” Cassandra asked,
intrigued in spite of herself. “I don’t know any of this. I was
adopted. I have no idea who my biological parents were.”
    “Your father came from Clan Barrichius; your
mother, Clan Janus. As such you are a direct descendent of the
Lycan line. Your blood is powerful. Your womb is dangerous.”
    Her hand drifted to her belly. “How?”
    “There is a legend…one that has kept the two
clans warring since the beginning of time. A child would be born of
the two clans union that would bear fruit to rule the world. You,
Cassandra, are that child. And anyone in either clan would do
anything to claim you and all that goes with it.”
    She gasped and shook her head. “You’ve got to
be joking. This is ludicrous.”
    “Really? Were you not just fucked by two
werewolves? Were you not compelled to fuck when your phasing
began?”
    Her cheeks burned at the memory. “Yes,” she
admitted with shame. “I couldn’t help myself.”
    “It’s in your nature. Which is why you cannot
bear fruit in that womb of yours.”
    “But they will come for me,” she said, not
sure what to think anymore. “They will find me.”
    “The minerals in the spring water act as a
natural neutralizer. Their seed has been washed away for the time
being. But your final phasing will create a scent that they can
follow. We will leave before that happens.”
    His gaze drifted down her naked body, barely
covered by the sheath in her hands, and she hurriedly pulled it
over her head. She shivered as the fabric whispered over her curves
and danced around her knees. He looked away as if scalded. “I
brought you food. I suggest you eat. Your body’s metabolism is
moving at a much faster rate and you will find yourself nearing
starvation within hours if you don’t eat every two hours.”
    Cassandra hesitated to ask him what he’d
brought her to eat seeing as she’d gobbled raw meat a few hours
earlier but she found his choice acceptable and started eating.
    “How do you know so much about werewolves if
you’re not one?” she asked around the bite of raw steak. “And you
still haven’t told me your name,” she reminded him.
    “I’m surprised your senses have not figured
it out yet,” he said.
    Sudden clarity came to her and she swallowed
with difficulty. “You’re a vampire?”
    “Yes,” he said. “And my name is Cristophe. It
is my duty to keep watch for the Breeding females of the clans.
Thus far, I’ve been successful in preventing the prophesy.”
    “Oh.” The meat stuck in her throat and she
swallowed again. “So…why do you care so much about the politics of
werewolves?”
    “Wolves are like squabbling children, always
crying over who has what toy. Vampires have been keeping the
werewolves under control for eons. Possibly since the
beginning.”
    She scowled, not liking his condescension.
“Maybe they don’t need to be babysat. Did you ever think of
that?”
    “Without control, they become rabid,
quarreling beasts who tear apart everything in their path.”
    She thought of Jandin and Koris and how
tender they’d been with her and she immediately rushed to their
defense. “I don’t think that’s true. You have a bias against
werewolves apparently.”
    His stare narrowed. “Yes. A werewolf ripped
apart my human family after I’d turned.”
    “Oh. I’m sorry,” Cassandra offered, not quite
sure how to offer condolences on something so awful. “But Jandin
and Koris aren’t like that.”
    “Don’t mislead yourself. They were consumed
with lust for you because of the power you possess. Why else would
they go out of their way to put their mark on you before they could
get you to safety?”
    “I was phasing. There wasn’t time,” she
said.
    “Be that as it may, they’d been watching you
for some time. As have I. They lost control because of who you are
and who they are.”
    A part of her wondered if this was true. She
nibbled her steak, completely