AN: Yay! Another chapter! Enjoy! Happy Reading! :D

Chapter 24

EPOV

I sit, rendered completely paralyzed, as Hallow navigates the run down, sputtering van towards our destination and have long since stopped even trying to struggle against this invisible hold upon me, realizing just how futile such an endeavor truly is. I'm receiving, lustful, longing gazes from beneath darkened hoods and return each with a menacing scowl, hating this completely helpless fucking situation I've willingly walked into.

Never, in all my thousand years of life, have I ever willingly succumb to any enemy, but knowing just how easily I could have lost not one, but both of my loves' with just a snap of a witch's fingers, I had no choice but to go along with her request of my acquisition, no matter how much I may fucking despise it.

Soon enough, the van is slowing as we approach what looks to be a completely abandoned, downtown neighborhood and the van is soon filled with the soft, combined whispers of the coven as they work to raise their own wards set upon the place. Stinging pricks are trailing over my skin as the van pulls forward and an electric jolt shoots through me as we cross the invisible barrier. Fucking hell, they're not fucking around with these wards of theirs.

Hallow parks the van at the rear entrance of a dilapidated, looming warehouse and it takes four of her coven members to drag my magically paralyzed body from the van before I'm dropped unceremoniously to the cold, hard cement floor.

"Be careful with him, you dolts," Hallow spits out as her followers proceed to lift me to my feet once more. "I've waited much too long for this moment to see such precious cargo become injured in any way," she explains as I send a scowl to the coven's haughty leader.

"Just fucking kill me, it would be so much better than whatever else you have planned, bitch," I spit out at her, earning a chilling cackle from the horde of cloaked women as that same, eerie, prickling wave crawls over my skin.

"Oh now, don't be like that, vampire," she purrs, stepping before me as her darkened, lust filled gaze racks over me. "We've such pleasurable times ahead of us," she coos, reaching up to trail a lengthened fingernail over my cheek, bringing a hateful grimace from me before she's scraping said nail harshly over my flesh to bring my blood welling to the surface.

I watch her eyes dilate with a fervent need as the crimson droplet trails sluggishly down my face and am left fighting harshly against my magical restraints as she rises up to lick my healing bloods from me with a gratified sigh. The rest of the coven begins creeping closer then, their combined yearning filling the air around us as thick enough to practically choke on.

"Back off," Hallow spits out then, snapping her fingers to set her followers backwards, spilling them to their asses over the cement floor. "You'll each get your turn, just as soon as the Northman and I are finished," she informs them as my body recoils in disgust, not wanting her to lay one, fucking finger upon me, yet knowing I have no choice in the matter.

"Just a taste, Master," one of the members pleads, crawling towards us as her body is literally trembling with desire. "He smells so good," she adds, sniffing the air with a shuddering sigh.

"Patience, young one," Hallow purrs, smoothing her hand over her minion's cloaked head. "Come now, I have a special treat in store for you all," she adds then, looking over her fallen comrades before turning back to me with a smirk.

"I'm good here, thanks anyways," I throw out, rolling my eyes at her before my body is shambling forward clumsily, as if being drawn ahead by an invisible string. I'm soon stumbling inside a bedroom, noting the many flickering candles set all around before turning my attention towards the far end of the room. A shudder of dread runs through me, seeing the metal restraints welded to each corner of the large, four poster bed. Fuck, I'm so fucking fucked.

"On the bed, vampire," Hallow coos from behind me as I inwardly struggle against her commands. "Come now, we both know I can just as easily force you," she reminds me smugly as I shoot her a hate filled glare, not wanting to make any of this any fucking easier for her than it already is.

"Fuck you," I retort lowly as she lets out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head at me.

"Fine, be stubborn, see what good it does you," she sighs out before my body is abruptly hovering horizontally over the bed. The sound of fingers snapping sounds before my clothing is mystically ripped from my body and I suddenly find myself fully nude and magically cuffed by silver lined shackles by wrists and ankles upon the bed before I even have time to process what the fuck is happening. Holy hell, these bitches are fucking powerful. Fuck!

"Touch me and I'll fucking kill you slow, bitch," I threaten lowly, growling through descended fangs as the witch draws a dagger from beneath her billowing robes, proceeding to hold the weapon up to make the metal blade shimmer in the candlelight. She raises a brow at me and I school my features, showing nothing but callous indifference as she leans down to run the sharpened metal along my side.

"My coven," she calls merrily in a singsong voice before cloaked figures are filing inside the room to line along the surrounding walls. "Let us share in this momentous occasion together," she claims, procuring a large goblet from the bedside table before holding said chalice against me to begin filling it with my streaming blood.

"Thank you, Mistress," sounds out in unison from the surrounding women before Hallow is handing the filled goblet to her robed clan. I watch as each member greedily swallows down my blood in turn, silently vowing to myself to see each and every one of them pay for this grave insult as my blood practically boils with hate fueled ire.

"I hope you all fucking enjoyed that," I grit out to the elated horde as they begin twirling merrily through the room, succumbing to the hallucinogenic qualities of my ancient bloods. "'Cuz I'll see each and every one of you fucking bleeding and begging pitifully at my feet just before I snuff out your sad, pathetic fucking lives in turn," I threaten, earning nothing but drunken giggling in return.

"Such harsh threats from such a powerless victim," Hallow purrs, turning towards me as she throws back the remainder of the chalice before licking her chops greedily. "Now, on to the main event," she purrs, drawing closer to the bed as her hand reaches up to trail over my pale, exposed flesh. "So beautiful," she whispers as I steel myself against her touch, reminding myself why I'm allowing such tortures as the faces of my two loves float to the forefront of my mind.

"Just fucking get on with it already," I spit out, telling myself once more that my selfless sacrifice is worth it, that I'm saving both my Maker and my Sookie from the witch's wrath. Hallow shakes her head once more, a small frown pulling at her lips as she looks to my flaccid member and I silently cheer, knowing there's no way in hell I'll grow hard, never for the likes of her, never for anyone but my two loves. "Sorry 'bout that, guess you'll just have to settle for a cuddle," I taunt before she's taking my length in hand, looking to me with a triumphant grin as I'm suddenly rock hard against her palm.

"Like I'd really let such a small thing stand in my way," she replies, rolling her eyes at me before looking to my now hardened arousal with a small chuckle. "Though, there's certainly nothing small about you, Northman," she chuckles out, her dark eyes shining with glee. "It would seem the rumors about you are true, at least so far," she purrs, trailing her fingers along my length as I let out a viscous hiss, pulling roughly at my restraints as I long to be literally anywhere, with literally anyone other than this crazy, blood fueled coven.

"I'll delight in ripping you limb from fucking limb," I threaten as she climbs upon the bed beside me. "Your pain filled screams will be fucking music to my ears," I inform her as she shakes her head at me before snapping her fingers once more. My jaw snaps shut and I hit the witch with a death glare, now finding myself completely unable to manipulate my mouth in any way as she leans down to press her chapped lips against my own.

"That's better," she whispers, pulling away with a triumphant smile as she raises her leg to straddle my waist. I steel my will then, determined not to let this break me as I once more concentrate wholly on blissful memories of Godric and Sookie, letting my mind take me far from this place as I silently vow to be reunited with them just as soon as I possibly can.

"My, my, what have we here?" sounds a vaguely familiar voice as Hallow whips her head around to take in the newcomer. I glance around the witch's crouching form and inwardly groan, seeing that fucking nuisance, maenad trailing into the room, clad in full ceremonial garb. Great, just what I fucking needed.

"Who the hell are you? And just how the hell did you get past my wards?" Hallow demands, crawling from the bed and thankfully further from me as she foolishly comes to stand toe to toe with the god-like nymph. Stupid bitch.

"I am Callisto, loyal follower of the god, Dionysus," the maenad proudly proclaims before looking over the V-fueled crowd with an appreciative grin. "And your silly little wards were no match for me," she adds offhandedly, waiving her lengthening hand through the hand dismissively as razor sharp talons begin to sprout from her fingertips.

Hallow glowers at the newcomer then, proceeding to snap her fingers and Callisto only raises a brow at her, a wide, malicious grin stretching over the nymphs face as the witch blanches, desperately snapping her fingers over and over to bring amused laughter from the maenad.

"Silly witch," Callisto purrs, petting her python absently as she shakes her head at the befuddled witch. "Your powers are useless against a loyal follower of Dionysus such as myself," she informs her, stalking closer to the witches' leader as the rest of the coven huddles in the corner of the room together, cowering together in fear as they quickly realize they're wholly powerless against this enemy.

"What do you want?" Hallow questions, her voice trembling with fear as Callisto leans closer to sniff the air above the witch as a low, desired groan sounds from her throat.

"Such lust," the maenad moans, her claws visibly twitching in yearning. "And the lot of you are just oozing with the intoxicating effects of vampire blood," she adds, looking over the room as she eyes her fearful prey. "I rather think you shall make for a perfect gift to my beloved deity."

Members of the cowering coven are whimpering softly then, their wide, terror filled eyes drawn to the maenad's deadly claws before I see them sprinting towards the door. Callisto acts quickly, moving too fast for even my own eyes to perceive as she's suddenly blocking the doorway, her dark eyes shining in triumph as she grins at the pitiful horde of witches.

Pain filled screams are soon filling the small room as the maenad proceeds to lay waste to the collection of magically inclined shifters, ripping each member limb from bloody fucking limb as I'm left staring on in complete awe, watching sprays of crimson wash over the walls as the coven is soon rendered to nothing more than piles of cherry red ruin. During the ongoing skirmish, I can only lay motionless, sending up prayer, after thankful prayer to Odin, eternally grateful to see my enemies falling one by one before my very eyes.

The raving one takes obvious, intense pleasure in her task and is soon swallowing down mouthfuls of bloody flesh as she works to devour the bloody remnants of the coven that are now strewn out over the blood soaked floor and I can't help the spike of terror that runs through me as she raises her bloody face up to meet what I know are my own terror filled eyes.

The maenad rises to her feet then, her clawed hands gripped tightly around what looks to be one of the witch's calves as she slowly begins stalking closer to the bed. I try my best to school my features, not wanting the mad nymph to know just how fucking terrified I am as I fear my century filled life has finally come to an abrupt and grim ending.

"Northman," she greets, tossing the bloody stump aside carelessly to elicit a wet, thunk sound.

"Callisto," I return with a nod of respect, trying my best to keep my voice just as even and casual as possible as she proceeds to eye me curiously.

"I sense not even a hint of lust from you," she informs me, scenting the air above me as her head tilts in puzzlement. "Nor do I sense that notorious, Viking pride you're so well known for," she adds as I nod, wholly humbled by her god-like presence as she lets out a small sigh of defeat.

"What are you doing?" I question disbelievingly as the blood coated nymph reaches up to snap my silver lined shackles, the metal breaking easily under her unparalleled strength as she begins to free me from my stinging bindings.

"Letting you go," she replies matter of factly as my jaw drops in shock. "Hey, I'm just as surprised as you," she informs me with a smirk as she continues to work on my shackles. "I had honestly hoped your lovers would be wrong about you, but it would seem you're just as worthy and honorable as they claim," she sighs out, finally freeing me of the last silver binding as I give her a small nod, rubbing my raw writs gingerly.

"Thank you, Callisto," I tell her earnestly, cautiously sitting upright upon the bed as she gives me a firm nod.

"Go on then, off with you," she says, shooing me towards the room's exit. "Reunite with your loves before I go and change my mind," she adds lowly as I speed towards the door, not caring one fucking bit about having to streak my naked ass across the surrounding towns as I'm just grateful to be alive. "Oh, and vampire," Callisto calls from behind me, halting my movements as I turn back to face her. "A bull, really?" she asks, shaking her head at me with a smirk. I shrug to her, not knowing how the fuck to answer the crazy nymph and let out a sigh of relief once she disappears from sight once more, likely intent on finishing her meal of coven stew.

I speed through the warehouse exit then, proceeding to launch my nude self into the star studded sky and can't help the magnanimous smile that stretches over my face as I fly ever closer back to my two, dearest loves, who have apparently managed to spring me from my captors rather cleverly this night. Godric, Sookie, hold on, I'm on my way home.

AN: We're not quite finished with this little tale, so be sure to stay tuned for more! :)