Chapter 796

I just stare at my mate, my mouth hanging open and my eyes going wide as I suddenly realize why his features were so familiar.

because...

Suddenly, his familiar face makes sense. My mind flashes to the meeting at Midwinter, when the Atalaxians declared war - to Ben's mate, and the flare of connection between us -

Because - I mean, this isn't him- but his face...

They're nearly identical. Which means...this man...a Prince of Atalaxia...

"Yes," he murmurs, smirking as he sees my recognition before turning away from me now and keeping a

hand tight on the back of my neck like a wayward pup. "You'll be quite the prize, Princess."

He shoves, then, hard and I go stumbling forward towards -

Towards a little electric cart or something that's right in front of me. I blink at it, wondering how of all absurd things... that got here. And what-

But then I gasp, realizing that he's taking me away. That I'm being taken somewhere else. And that if I want to go home

I groan, closing my eyes, again calling on that dark power, demanding to return to the battlefield, to my true mate and my brother and my uncle

But nothing happens. Of course it doesn't. The cuffs on my wrist hum with power.

The man laughs, grabbing my arm and hauling me towards the vehicle.

"Don't be an idiot, Ariel," he murmurs, shoving me hard towards the seat. I stumble forward, my hands hitting the side of the cart hard, my knees barking as they hit the lower edge. "Stop trying that. It doesn't work."

My mate moves behind me, grabbing me below the arms and lifting me, shoving hard to get me into the cart.

"No!" I shout, spinning, glaring up at him. "I'm not going anywhere with you! I'm -"

But suddenly, fast, a vial is in his hands. He pops it open, leaning towards me, aiming for my mouth, a frustrated sneer on his lips.

I scream and shove him away -

"Drink, Luna," he snarls, leaning close, using his body to pin me to the bottom of the vehicle and tilting the vial against my lips. "God damn it, drink, or I'll beat you, and make you drink!"

To illustrate his point he cuffs me, hard, across the head. I gasp in pain, which flares across my skull, and as I do he takes advantage, tilting the potion into my mouth.

I cough against it, trying to spit it out.

But it's heady, strong stuff.

My vision immediately begins to fade as I look up into my mate's beautiful face.

Because as much as I hate him, and still wish to make him burst into flames and reduce him to ash... God, heavens, but he's beautiful.

"That's my girl," my mate murmurs, patting me hard against the cheek as my body goes limp.

As my consciousness fades, the last thing I remember is being lifted into the vehicle and slumped over the seat.

And then I'm gone, completely lost to this world too. This new world, wherever that may be.

"Midnight!" Jesse calls out to the girl trotting eagerly before him. Jesse, in turn, is exhausted, trudging up yet another tall hill.

She doesn't respond.

He groans, loud and frustrated, before he stops and putting his hands on his hips. "Mids!"

Midnight turns, frowning at him. "What?"noveldrama

"You said that your house was 'just

over the that hill' like, eight hours ago," he says, shaking his head at her, exhausted and thirsty and hungry "Do you like....have a different conception of what 'just' means? Or 'that? Or 'hill'?"

Midnight grins at him. "Oh Jesse, you're so funny," she sighs, turning back around and continuing to hike. "Seriously, it's just over this hill."

"Oh my god," Jesse mumbles, scraping his hand down his face. "Does that mean...eight more hours? Over a mountain? Beneath a mountain?"

"No!" Midnight laughs, turning to beam at him, ridiculously energetic after such a long trek. "Seriously, Jesse, just one more hill I promise."

"You promised that four hours ago,"

he mutters, sighing and beginning to walk after her again, shaking his head and knowing that he has no other choice. Again, what else would he do? Just...sit down here and rot?

He considers it for a quiet second, wondering if a peaceful death staring into the darkness of this world might be better...

But no. Midnight would never leave him alone. She'd probably...drag him or something. Bother him back to life.

Jesse sighs, indulging in some good

old fashioned self pity, his mind wandering to Daphne, the beautiful girl he left all alone and bleeding. Will her face scar, after Midnight swiped her claws across it? But no - Rafe won't let that happen. Surely, he'll get her to Ella, who will patch her up and to his mom, who will make her comfortable...

Jesse's wolf howls to think again over what she must have done in the moments after he was taken from

her room. How scared she must have been, must still be. Do they even know where he is? How could they -

His head snaps to the left, hearing the soft sputter of an engine of some kind.

Jesse pauses in his steps, frowning, peering. And then he turns, quickening his pace, heading after it.