Shoving him off her, she shuffled back from him and sat on the muddy ground, her head in her hands and her mind reeling with the news that he had manipulated her into making a choice she had thought she had made on her own. How far back did the manipulation go? She didn't know that, but she hated him and all of them for it.
"You used me..." she whispered, her mind beginning to clear as anger covered her grief. "You're like Daemon, just doing whatever it takes to make sure I move to your dance,"
His face was devastated and when he reached for her, she shuffled back from him, not wanting him to touch her again.
"You just wanted me to save your stupid world, that's it. Did you ever even want me?"
"I always wanted you, I will always want you," he breathed , but she shook her head, glaring at him.
"You're all the same. Epharis, Alaric, Daemon and now you! I'm just a piece in the game, just your pawn you move into place and wait to see if it's taken out or does the taking out."
Her mind was reeling and his head was shaking, reaching for her and pleading for her to listen to him. But she couldn't listen anymore, she couldn't hear what he was saying.
The whole thing had been his making sure she was in position.
She scrambled back and shoved herself to her feet, backing away from him and the voices they could hear calling for them from the camp.
"I should have left you all here..." she breathed, knowing it was cruel and harsh but she had thought he had broken her heart before, that was nothing compared to what she felt then.
"Etani please, it's not like that at all," he pleaded, pushing himself to his feet and following after her. "I have always loved you, I have always wanted to make you mine," he sounded panicked and she shook her head, stepping back into the stream but not caring.
"Stay away from me, all of you," she whispered and he saw her body shifting before she could take more than a step. He knew she was going to run.
He crashed into her and they landed hard in the stream, water rushing over them as he wrapped his body around her in a bear hug, refusing to let go of her.
She screamed her rage, thrashing against him and then forcing them both down into the water, holding her breath as he wrapped his legs around her thighs and she was unable to run. Hands grabbed them and dragged them from the water, cursing as they tried to understand what was going on.
Jaia was dragged from her and he swore at top volume as she took her chance, scrambling up and sprinting into the trees.
"Etani!" Jaia screamed and she heard someone coming after her.
He was a lot faster than her but still she tried to push herself as hard as she could, resenting that she was no longer a Fae because of the men in her life.
Arms encased her and she was dragged to a stop, the grip on her like a vice.
"Stop, Etani stop," Kai gasped in her ear, the sound of more chasers coming towards them.
"Let me go!" she screamed, struggling against him but the others were on them and she was tired. She hadn't fed in days and she was regretting it then.
Struggling violently, he kept her held tight and then they were all there, looking nervous and afraid.
Jaia skidded to a stop before her and she snarled, planting her foot on his chest and using him to launch herself up over Kai, his body forced backwards and she was able to break free, but Daemon had seen her using the technique before and when he hit her, it was like a boulder.
She landed hard on the ground, his arms around her and she struggled to get her breath back.
Rolling into a sitting position with her clamped between his legs, her arms pinned to her side, she was trapped.
"Let me go," she whimpered, struggling against him but she knew it was pointless to try and fight him. They had her and they weren't going to let her go.
"What happened?" Daemon snarled, his grip leaving bruises on her skin even as a vampire.
"She thinks we are manipulating her," Jaia said, his hair plastered to his head and clothes soaked just as hers were.
"Why would she think that?"
"I…" Jaia broke off and all eyes went to him, his face showing his distress.
"Idiot, stupid little vampire scum," Daemon raged, his golden eyes beginning to glow. "All you had to do was keep your mouth shut and feelings to yourself for a few months. That's it!"
"Why tell her now?" Kai asked and Versalis shifted, looking nervous.
"Because they were together," Jaia snarled, pointing at Versalis. "They were almost on the ground instead of collecting wood."
Her cheeks flamed but she wasn't able to deny it, her eyes dropping to the scuffed ground beneath their feet.
Kai swore gently under his breath.
Uzo looked like he was going to throttle the vampire king.
"You took advantage of your sired?" Uzo demanded, looking disgusted with the vampire.
"I didn't take advantage of her!" Versalis snapped and her eyes went to him, feeling his distress and wanting to be at his side.
"You know there is no consent possible in that situation. She would do anything for you."
Their eyes turned to her, but she was squirming in Daemon's arms even as he refused to budge even an inch.
"Let go Daemon!" she pleaded
"Etani stop, you need to stop."
She refused to listen to him, instead wanting to be free of him and get to Versalis, her fear at his anguish burning.
"Etani listen to me, this feeling you have for Versalis, it will fade with time," Uzo said gently as he came to her side, his fingers gentle on her cheek and then he jerked away when she snapped at him.
"Stop that right now young lady," he snarled and she went still, looking up at him with wide eyes at his demanding tone. No one had ever spoken to her like that.
"He might love you with all his heart and soul, but you two can never be together like that. It's not healthy."
She looked from him to Versalis and back again, shaking her head.
"I want to be with him," she whispered and Uzo smiled gently, both of them ignoring the strangled sound Jaia made.
"I know love, but it would destroy you both. A vampire and his sired can only share so much blood before it begins to destroy them. Their blood eventually becomes toxic and they die."
He spoke gently and she had been about to say that they wouldn't feed off each other, but then she recalled his bite and she went still, her eyes locked on Versalis who was staring back at her.
"Etani, you two will be together forever, but you cannot be lovers if you want forever with him. You know what it was like before you were made human."
She shook her head, not wanting to believe it, but Versalis had dropped his eyes and she whimpered.
Why did the world constantly want to break her?
"Etani I'm sorry," Jaia murmured and she turned on him, jerking Daemon as she tried to kick Jaia in the shin. He danced back and bared his teeth at her.
"You are a liar! Stay away from me!"
"Etani he's not a liar," Kai said but she wasn't listening, resentment flowing through her at all of them.
"Etani listen!" Kai cried and she looked up at him, hatred burning inside her as she glared up at him. He remained silent, face pale under the force of her fury.