A Queen Among Snakes: Chapter Thirty - Mei

My body is shaking, I’m hot and sweaty, my vision is tunnelled, and my heart is beating so fast it hurts. His words brought back that horrible memory so vividly. I try to push the memory away and focus on my breathing. I begin going over my list in my head.

Amelia Dolivo, Marcus Hayda, Vitali Hughes…

“Hey, what’s going on?” The man asks as he shakes me by my shoulders. I think there’s a hint of concern in his voice but I’m not sure.

Eric Hughes, Tyson Grey, Evalyn Grey, Chris Melgren…

Chris.

I can’t stop the tears that fall down my cheek the moment I start to think about him. Being without him hurts worse than the panic attack or the fear I feel being at this man’s mercy. What if I never see him again? No, I can’t think like that. Chris loves me, so does Axel, they won’t stop looking for me, I am more sure of that than anything else in this world.

“Sh, sh. I’m sorry I raised my voice, my beautiful,” he coos as he wipes the tears from my cheeks. He places a soft kiss on my cheek, and it makes my stomach churn. “Would you like something to eat or drink?” He asks, suddenly turning polite.

With the Albus Mons Alpha and Luna, they were always nasty to me, they never pretended to be nice. I always knew what to expect. But this man keeps bouncing between soft and harsh and it’s so much worse. He’s unpredictable.

I try to shake my head in answer to his offer, but I can still barely move my limbs; the serpentine around my wrists has me almost immobilised, so I have no choice but to speak.

“No, thank you,” I whisper.

“Are you sure? You can have anything you like,” he offers as he plays with my hair.

I want to go home to my family, that’s what I’d like.

“I’m not hungry,” I say cautiously.

I’m far too nervous to eat, but I’ve gone days – even weeks – without food in the past, so I can handle being hungry. In some sick way, I’m wondering if all my years of torment were preparing me for this moment. Like some kind of unconventional training from the Gods. I’m not so sure I like the Gods, to be honest.

“Very well, my love. You let me know when you’re hungry,” he says, placing a kiss on my forehead. I don’t like him touching me.

“Why are you taking me h-h-home?” I struggle to ask. I need answers, but I don’t like calling some strange place home. Invictus is my home.

“Because it is your home. Why wouldn’t I take you back to where you were born?” He deadpans.

I blink in shock. He’s taking me back to the Tian Pack? Another wave of panic rolls through me. No. Not there. I don’t want to go back there. They killed my mother! They’re why I lost my father!

“P-Please… d-don’t s-send me back to the Tian Pack,” I meekly beg.

It’s been months since I stuttered or stammered and now I’m right back where I started. Feeling so weak and pathetic all over again after all my hard work has rage I’ve never felt before burning inside me.

He scoffs, “Those mongrels? You think that’s your home? You are an Empress, the Empress of the nagata. You were born in Longsang,” he states firmly, his teeth clenched in anger.

“How do you know that?” I quietly ask, not sure if I believe him.

“Because I knew your mother. You look so much like her,” he says reverently as his thumb brushes against my cheek.

My lip quivers as tears fill my eyes, “My mother? Y-You knew my mother?”

He gets up and sits on the lounge opposite mine and undoes the button on his suit jack as he sits back. “It was a lifetime ago. She had everything she could have ever wanted, and her people adored her and then one day she up and left, taking you with her. We were all devastated of course. Our Empress was gone without a trace and our future Empress with her. Until a couple months ago when I sensed your snake awakening. The kingdom is thrilled to have an Empress again, they can’t wait for your return,” he says casually.

My mother lived in Longsang? She ruled over her people? Why would she leave then? Maybe she left because she met her animai and wanted to be with him. This man here seems to hate all mutolupus’ maybe the nagata are against interspecies pairings and that’s why she left.

“Were you friends?” I decide to ask, trying to distract myself from my ever-rising panic. Something about his tone and demeanour tells me not to trust him, but if he knew my mother, maybe I can learn something.

He stiffens and gets up and walks over to a long black bar against a gold wall and pours himself a drink. The colour theme in here seems to represent the Onyx and Gold nagatas.

“We were… acquaintances. I thought she trusted me and cared for her people, but instead, she abandoned us. Completely turned her back on us and in turn, it got her killed,” he says, pouring himself a drink of dark-blown liquid and sculling it.

“I was told my mother was a kind and compassionate woman,” I say defensively. I may not have many memories of her, but what I do have were filled with love and warmth.

He snorts, “Once upon a time. But that’s in the past, what matters now is bringing you back home. Our people need their Empress, I need my Empress,” he says looking over at me, his eyes and voice filled with something I can’t describe, but it terrifies me.

“Why follow and abduct me? Why not just come and talk to me?”

“You would have said no, and I couldn’t let that happen, and I knew that runt of yours wouldn’t let you go either. I would have happily killed him, but you foolishly let him mark you, and since I need you, he gets to live,” he says venomously.

I gulp at the thought of him hurting Chris. I can’t let him do anything to Chris. Not because of me.

“What do you want from me?”

“You’ll find out once we arrive at the palace. Continue to be a good girl and all will be fine,” he says as his eyes trail over me. I look away and try to keep down the bile rising in my throat.

“Why couldn’t I pick up your scent?” If I keep him talking, it might keep him from touching me again.

“Ah, that. A little help from someone I know. She charges a fee, but it was well worth it. Getting into that little pack was so easy it was almost insulting,” he laughs sinisterly. “I’d have thought Setia would have put some measures against me, but I see the Delegation are still a useless bunch of airheaded women,” he snorts, sipping his drink.

I feel a sense of betrayal run through me. Setia knew him yet she never mentioned him, not once. She said she was waiting for more information before she filled me in on things and I let it be, thinking that was best. I feel so foolish. I should have pressed for answers. Some empress I am.

I try to sit up, but it’s utterly useless. Even trying to lift my head is impossible. Being rendered human is one thing, but to the point I can’t even move? I’ll never be able to fight back as long as these bands are on my wrists. I feel weak, pathetic, useless, and alone. All the things I never wanted to feel ever again.

I should have known my happiness was too good to be true. After all, all good things must come to an end. That is what they say, isn’t it?

“You’re much more quiet than your mother was. I like it,” he comments, sitting back down.

“How long will you keep me bound?”

“Until I can trust you to behave. You’ll do something stupid like try to fight me or run away and that will only make me angry and then I’d have to hurt you even more, but we’d just end up right back where we started. This will save us time,” he says nonchalantly.

“What if I promised not to run?” I ask quietly.

He throws his head back laughing, “You’ll run; they always run. Things may be difficult at the moment, but you will be mine soon, Mei, one way or another. I won’t risk you slipping away from me again. Obviously, I need you alive so killing you isn’t an option, so let’s make a deal. You do everything you’re told, and I won’t slaughter that pack you love so much,” he says coldly, locking his eyes with mine.

Tears fill my eyes as my lips quiver and suddenly it’s hard to breathe. I can handle a beating – I’m used to them – but if he hurt the Invictus Pack… I couldn’t handle that. The only true home I’ve ever had. The place where I found happiness and love. The place where I found my family.

No. He can do what he wants to me, but I won’t let him hurt my family.

“I’ll behave,” I promise, my tone sounding defeated to my own ears.

A slow smirk forms on his face, “I knew you’d see it my way. You should rest, we’ll be landing in a few hours.”

Silence descends between us. I close my eyes as tears fall down my cheeks. I call out for Chris over and over through our link, but there’s nothing there. It’s cold and lonely and all I can think is that I may never see him or Axel ever again.