You Broke Me First Phoenix Mountain Series Book 3

I search frantically for any way to get us out of this.

Sterling is staring Sam down.

My wolf is itching to get out. At this point, what choice to I have.

Sterling turns around and takes a couple steps away.

“Now, Samantha. You will come back home where you belong or I will be forced to punish you.” He warns.

The look on Sam’s face tells me she’s fighting herself. I need to get us out of here.

I clear my throat. “Why her?”

He turns his head to me. “Excuse me?”

“Why her?” I repeat. “You’re an Alpha. Not that bad looking when it comes to evil dickheads. You must have lots of chick’s to choose from.”

He steps close to me. “If you only knew.” He grins and lays a sucker punch to my gut.

“Samantha. You’re compliance. Now.” He snarls as he turns to her.

I’m still bent over with my hair hiding my face from Sterling when her eyes meet mine.

I allow my wolf to surface for a split second and my eyes flick blue.

She shakes her head slightly no.

I look at her with confusion.

I slowly rise. She looks back at Sterling.

“Ok, Sterling. You win.” She says. “I’ll comply.”

“Sam?” I look at her.

Sterling grins. “I knew you would.”

I look between them both. “Samantha.”

“Let him go. He’s no threat to you.” She says in a monotone voice.

“Yes…Yes, I am a threat. I giant threat…Sam?” I stare at her.

She whips her head to me. “Shut up.” She barks.

My jaw falls.

She turns back to Sterling. “Let him go. You’ll have no fight from me.”

He walks up to Sam with his chin out. “I want to hear you say it.”

She side eyes me and looks into Sterling’s eyes.

“I give my life to you.” She says.

“No! Sam! What are you doing?” I yell as I fight the guys that have me.

He threads his fingers into her hair and kisses her.

“No!” I yell.

He pulls back and midnight blue smoke escapes her lips.

My eyes widen.

“You’re free. The Circle no longer has you.” He smiles.

Her eyes glow midnight blue and she looks at me.

The men that have her let her go.

“Sam! Please!” I fight.

She turns to me. A smirk crosses her lips. “Go, Darcy.”

My brow stitches together. “No, I’m not fucking leaving! What are you doing?!” I demand.

She walks up to me and crosses her arms. “Ending my game.”

I stop struggling. “Excuse me?”

She laughs. “Did you really think I cared about a pathetic loser like you?”

My face falls. “You don’t mean that.” I whisper.

“I do, Darcy. You’re so easy. A little sweet talk. A few tears. I huge guilt trip. You had no idea what hit you.” She smiles.

“Sam. No. You can't…” My eyes study her face. My body heats. I can’t believe these words are coming out of her mouth.

She grabs my chin with anger. Her face was twisted as she glared at me. “You fucked me over, Darcy Bourne, so I fucked you right back. How does it feel to live in my path of destruction?”

She pushed my chin back and backed away.

Sterling held an evil smile as he watched Sam destroy me.

My heart shattered. A tear rolled down my cheek. I grit my teeth and hitch a breath. “I won’t ever believe you mean that.”

She points in my face. “Believe it, Darcy.” She looked at me with pure hatred. “Every touch. Every moan. Made my skin crawl in disgust, but seeing your face right now, makes every disgusting minute with you so worth it.” Her face was stone cold.

I shook my head at her as another tear fell. “You’re lying.” I clench.

“No…I’m not.” She spits.

“You are! I felt you! You’re lying for him!” I growl.

She walks to Sterling and grabs his arm. “You just had to find out. You couldn’t leave it alone. I’m a Raven, Darcy. Promised to the Alpha. Now that I’m free from Craig’s suppression spell, I can fulfill the promise made. I can rise to my destined position as Luna.” She held her head high and her eyes were as dark and evil as Sterling’s.

I fight the guys even harder. “Sam! NO, SAM! You’re lying! Don’t!” I feel my wolf rage and I explode out of my clothes. The men that had me disappear in clouds of black smoke.

My wolf looks at Sterling with blind fury. He lunges at him with an open mouth and he, along with Sam, disappear.

My wolf spins circles in the empty hallway.

He stops once he realizes it’s empty.

He throws his head up and howls.

****

I burst into Zanders office wearing sweats from my car. “Help! I need help!”

“Darcy?” Zander comes around his desk as I try to catch my breath.

I grab his arms, panting.

I look at him with heartbroken pain. “I need help.” I shake my head at him.

“Ok. Calm down. What happened?” He places a hand on my shoulder.

I tried to compose myself and told him everything. All the stuff I found out about Sam. Sterling. Even what she said to me.

“I don’t believe it, Zan. I can’t…” I fight my pain as my voice cracks.

“Alright. I need to make some calls. Just try and keep it together.” He sits me down and pulls out his phone.

My head was spinning. I leaned on my knees and put my head in my hands.

There’s no way. No way I mistook what I felt from her. It has to be real. It has to be.

I saw it. I tasted it. I heard it in her words.

My knee bounces as I try to determine what’s real.

The look in her eye wasn’t Sam. Sterling did something to her. I know it.

“Zander.” I lift my head and Azriel rushes in. “Sam’s not attached to the circle.”

I jump up. “She’s gone! He fucking took her!” I yell.

“Who?!” Azriel says.

“A guy. Sterling Black.” I say as I wipe my nose.

“He’s found her.” He places his hands on his hips and lowers his head.

“What the fuck is going on, Azriel? I don’t know what the hell is going on!” I yell in frustration, throwing my hands to my sides.

He puts up a hand. “Darcy. I’ll explain everything. Just right now, we need to get to Atlas.”

“Why?!” I throw my hands up.

“Because they’ve been fighting the Ravens and know the most about them.” He pushes past me to Zander. “The Alpha is Titus. Titus Marin. He’s a bit private, but I’m sure once you explain our situation, he’ll let us in.”

Zander nods. “I’ll call Bastian too. I know he’s been in negotiations with the east for some time.”

I scrub a hand down my face. “Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?”

Azriel turns to me. “Sam is a promised Luna. Not just a regular Luna. She has power. An evil power inside her. If Sterling releases it, the Ravens will be unstoppable. I thought suppression was the answer, but it’s clear I’ll need to remove the black spot on her heart completely.”

“What? What do you mean? How is that possible?” I look at him. “Sam’s not evil. I’ve seen her most intimates sides, Az. There’s no way.”

“My boy. There’s some things in this world that are created and some that are born. Witches are one of those things.” He tilts his head to me.

I turn my head to the side and my eyes glare at his. “Sam’s not a witch.” I grit.

“I’m afraid so. She’s a chosen witch. Natural born. She’s still a shifter, but she has this part of her that gives her the abilities to work magic naturally without being taught.” He informs.

He walks around Zanders office. “We had been watching her for some time. Had spies, as it were. When it was found that Sterling had taken interest, we tried to pull her and her family out. It failed. Sam was hurt. We tried again. We were successful. We hid her. I left her with two protectors and they were killed.”

He sat on the couch and rubbed his head. “Craig suppressed her and we hid her in Mason Rock. It was a good plan. The only thing we didn’t plan for was you.” He looked at me.

I paced around trying to process all this when I hit with the stench on death.

I turn and Gia with a couple of Hench men walk in.

“Fuck.” I turn and slam myself into the couch.

“Zander?” Gia slowly looks around the room.

Zander looked at her with his phone to his ear. “Gia, I have no time.” He raised a finger to her.

Azriel turns to her and crosses his arms.

“We had a meeting, High King. We need to discuss my peoples lack of involvement in your missions. From my understanding, you’re looking for the second piece.” She folds her arms and arches a brow.

“We don’t know where it is, Gia. When we do, we'll call you.” Zander grits.

She nods. “The young Alpha still doesn’t remember?”

She looks to me.

I roll my head to her and give her an annoyed look. “No. I don’t fucking remember. I’m kind of having a fucking crisis right now.” I growl.

“Darcy. Watch your tone. High council.” Zander warns.

I look at him. “I don’t give a fuck, Zander. My girls out there with some weird dick that can fucking teleport in black smoke!”

Azriel holds out a hand to me. “Wait. Black smoke."

I look at him. “Yeah. Just poof.” I explode my fingers out in front of me.

He rubs his chin. “That’s new.”

Zander turns to him. “What’s new.”

“The Ravens never had that skill. Seems they’ve learned a few things.” He eyes Zander.

Zander hangs up. “Titus isn’t answering. Bastian will keep trying. He’ll call with an answer when he gets one.” He says as he puts his phone back in his pocket.

I roll my head back.

“In the meantime…” Gia steps forward. “Would you like your memories, young Alpha?”

“Gia, no.” Zander looks at her.

She turns to him. “It’s clear his memories are locked. Azriel is failing. The blood never lies, Zander.”

I look between them. “What’s she talking about?”

Zander sighs and rubs his forehead. “She can unlock your memories from your blood.”

I sit up. “Ok. Let’s do that. It can't be any worse than Azriel picking at my grey matter forever.”

Zander shakes his head. His eyes flick to Gia and back to me. “There’s a problem.”

“What?” I ask.

“She has to put you in a lust lock to do it. It lowers your defenses when she bites you.” He informs.

My head slowly turns to Gia who’s kicked a leg out and smirking.

I swallow. “I think I can handle that.”

“I won’t use full lock.” Gia informs. “You’ll be incapacitated for only a few hours.” She approaches. “I’ll get your memories and retreat as soon as I get them.”

Zander crosses his arms. “Really think about this, Darcy. You’ll spend hours trying to kill yourself to get to her. Is that what you really want?”

I look at Azriel. “Is your plan working at all?”

Azriel rubs his head. “Sadly, no.” He sighs.

I turn to Zander. “You better lock me up then.”

****

In the prison unit, I’m strapped to an upright board by my hands, feet and chest.

I nervously chuckle. “This…um…this isn’t gonna hurt is it?”

“Not at first.” Gia says. Then she turns and grabs my chin. She displays her numerous fangs as she smells me. “After, though. It’s going to hurt like hell.”

I smile with second thoughts. “Uh…maybe…we can find another way…”

Her green eyes meet mine. “Come on, Alpha.” Her eyes go dreamy. “You’re so strong. A little pain shouldn’t bother you.”

She blows slowly into my face and my entire body goes numb.

My face softens and a heat starts to build. “You’re so beautiful.” I whisper. “Please let me touch you.”

Gia chuckles. “I will. I just need a little snack first.”

I tilt my head and expose my neck to her. “I’m yours.” I breathe.

Zander cringes and scrubs his face. Azriel stands by in case Gia tries anything.

“Do not hide anything from us Gia.” Zander warns.

“High King. I can’t. Once I get them, he’ll remember too. Don’t worry.” She says.

She stands on the platform with her body pressed on mine.

I breathe a shaky breath as my pants become severely uncomfortable. I look at her and give her a drug induced smile.

She shakes her head and grabs mine. Stretching out my neck.

She throws her head back, baring her fangs and sinks them into my jugular.

My eyes shoot open and I growl. My eyes glow blue as I huff out breaths. My body’s squirming.

“Ahh…God…” I pant as my fists clench.

“FUCK!” My eyes slam shut.

Gia hisses into my neck as she holds on to my bucking body.

“ARGH!” I grit.

My eyes shoot open, but I don’t see the room.

I see roaring ocean waves, gulls flying over a vast sea.

I see clouds and blue skies. The birds glide down to land. They glide up again and ride the salty air over a sparkling white city.

The tallest building in the middle shines the brightest.

A man with a huge chest stands in a balcony over looking the city with a silver trident in his hands. I hear women laughing as the gulls circle the city.

As we fly, the gulls in front of me start to panic and turn.

I look ahead and the sky turns jet black. Sounds of cawing fills the air.

I look deeper and the black cloud moves like smoke then starts to separate into thousands of ravens.

I scream and my eyes go wide as I’m pummeled by the cloud of birds.

The swarm is followed by an evil laugh. I know that laugh.

“SAMANTHA!!” I yell.

Gia let’s go and my head falls.

I’m sweating and I’m breathing heavy.

I lift my head in a panic. “Wha…why did you stop? Don’t stop? I want to feed you? Don’t you want me?”

She smiles and taps my chest while she wipes her lips. “You need rest, young Alpha. You’re in for a long night.”

She turns and walks out.

“Gia? Where you going? Come back! Please! Don’t leave me here! Gia!!”

I watch them all leave the room and my body is racked with fear of rejection. The lust is infecting my mind.

“LET ME FUCKING GO!! GIA!!! COME BACK! PLEASE!!!”

I fight the straps to the point my wrists are bleeding. “GIA!!”

I can barely breath as it feels like my hearts about to explode.

“LET ME GO!!!” I’m growling so loud.

****

I don’t know how long I screamed for, but my throat was ripped to shreds.

My hands were dripping blood onto the floor.

My body was soaked in sweat. My head hung off my shoulders. I felt like I’d been drinking for a solid month.

Locks of my wet hair dripped. My eyes were closed.

Sam’s evil laugh filled my ears.

“Darcy.”

I jolt my head. My mouth is open and drool strings from my lips.

I feel my head being lifted. “Sam.” I say weakly.

“No, man. It’s me.”

“Zane?” I mumble.

“Yeah. You ok?” I feel him check my face out.

My face turns to pain. “No.”

My chest is in a vice. I can’t take this pain.

I shake my head in Zane’s hands. “I’m not Ok.” I say as the pain moves to my throat.

“Ok. Darc. We’re going to get you cleaned up. Zander has a plan, alright. We’ll get her back.” He says.

“She didn’t want me. She never wanted me.” I choke.

“Hey…dude…” Zane holds my head so my eyes meet his. “Don’t believe that, ok. I know that’s not true. I’ve seen it. It’s not true, Darc.”

I bite my top lip and nod. My eyes are slits.

“Ok. Let’s get you off this thing.” He undoes the straps and wraps my arm around his shoulders.

He leads me out of the cell to get me cleaned up and prepare to get Sam back.