Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 194: Beaten and Baked

Mr. and Mrs. Belmont had taken to walking through the village of Brackenwell, their steps slowing when they stopped in front of the small gates of the house they had once called home. But now, it was bare and covered in snow.

"To think we lived here not so long ago," Mrs. Belmont murmured. When her husband pulled his arm from her grasp, she frowned. "Where are you going?"

"To take a walk. I will be back," he answered, already stepping away from her.

Ezekiel was growing irritated. The way Megan clung to him reminded him too much of Caroline. His steps quickened as he took the street that curved back towards the cemetery, towards Ruelle.

But before he could get far, two men approached from the opposite side. One of them stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.

"What?" Ezekiel questioned.

"Harold Belmont," the man spat. "Where do you think you’re going when you owe me money?"

Pushing the hand off from his shoulder, he said with a sigh, "Go to the courthouse. They will pay you double what I owe. Now scram."

The words only made the men angrier and one of them swung at him. Ezekiel moved easily, dodging before driving his knee into the man’s stomach hard enough to knock the breath from him.

The man folded with a cough. "Get him!" he wheezed.

"You took the money when you needed it, and now you are trying to scam us again? Wearing clothes like that and I saw the carriage you came in," said the second man, and when the man caught sight of his fellow men, he shouted, "Look here! Harold Belmont has returned to pay the money."

A third person came and barked, "You bastard! My brother-in-law died trying to collect from you!" Two others grabbed thick logs stacked beside a half-cut tree and joined in.

Even in Harold’s body, Ezekiel still carried the strength of a half-blood. More than enough to break them and when the first two rushed him, he struck fast. One fell and then another. But they got back up.

"What the hell? I thought you said he had broken hands, how is he this strong for an old man?" demanded one of them who took the hit. "Where’s our damn money?"

A lot more crowd were beginning to gather and they had begun to murmur amongst themselves. And from the corner of his eye, he saw Mrs. Belmont running towards them, her face pale with shock.

Ezekiel gritted his teeth because if he kept fighting like this, someone would notice. Harold Belmont was a weak, cowardly man. So he let it land and be over with it.

TWAK! Another blow landed across his back, then another. Blood ran down the side of his face, dark against the snow.

"AHH!" Mrs. Belmont screamed, rushing forward. "What are you doing?! Let go of my husband!"

The same man who had taken Ezekiel’s knee to his stomach raised the log again and brought it down against Ezekiel’s back.

Ezekiel’s eyes stayed open which had turned red, and beneath the pain, fury churned. He cursed Harold Belmont for the miserable life he had built. He grit his teeth.

"Stop right there! Back away!" The two guards who were with Ruelle shoved through the crowd at last, forcing the men back. "You are under arrest for assaulting an innocent man."

"Innocent?" the man barked a laugh. "Like hell he is! Three men from this village disappeared after they went to collect what he owed! No one knows where they went. And this bastard walks back here dressed like a lord?"

Ruelle’s mouth went dry at the sight of her father crumpled in the snow, blood darkening his clothes. For some time now, she had imagined him brought low for everything he had done. Yet the sight of him bleeding in the snow did not bring satisfaction. Only a strange hollowness. His hand trembled in the snow and he extended his hands in her direction. Even now, bleeding and broken, he still reached for her as if she belonged at his side. As if his pain erased the memory.

One of the men kicked Mr. Belmont’s side and a groan left Ezekiel’s mouth.

"Carlos," Mason stepped forward, hands raised as if to cool the fire. "This isn’t the way."

But it didn’t sit well with the debt collectors, and one of them demanded, "If you are going to side with him, pay his debt."

Mason laughed at once and he asked, "And why would I do that?"

Mrs. Belmont pushed past first, dropping to her knees beside him. She cradled her husband’s face and cried,

"Look what you’ve done! Guards! Arrest them! Throw them into the dungeon!" Her fingers brushed his bruised cheek and he winced. "We need to get you treated, Harold."

Ruelle barely had time to blink before one of the debt collectors struck the guard, and the men crashed into each other in a mess of fists. Whispers broke around the crowd as the fight began again, which was barely contained.

Unlike before, Claude stood quietly beside Ruelle. After the last time he had gotten into a fight and lost her, he had learned his lesson.

shouting had started to blur into one another. Men cursing, Mrs. Belmont crying and the guards barking orders. Ruelle stood still in the

you. It isn’t safe for you to stay here. You and your family should leave. Where is your

the debt collectors, while

head there,"

the guard. When Ruelle looked at the ground, the blood looked too dark

the carriage, Mr. Belmont was barely standing. Mrs. Belmont climbed in first, helping him onto the seat opposite.

"There’s not enough

Belmont’s weak voice carried from inside

were wet from the snow. She could still smell iron in the air and it felt like it

wants you with him. I can bring your

about to suggest sitting next to Claude, when Hailey nudged ger lightly, "Go. I will be

But Mrs. Belmont snapped at once, "What

stick to where the coachman could see her. Hesitantly, she stepped

move, Mrs. Belmont’s eyes were wet and she said, "You should have let Lucian pay them when he offered. But no—your pride mattered more. Look

uneven ground. The sound of Mr. Belmont breathing harshly filled the space. Mrs. Belmont covered her face with her hand, shaking her head. "To think they

her father’s eyes shift to

bloody gaze lingering

still. For a moment, her chest tightened. Had Lucian moved too fast? Or had she been too willing to let it happen? The thought

should have stayed with us at the cemetery," she said quietly, trying to smooth over the thought before it deepened. But it was obvious that her father was

something like this was going to happen. Which was why

Mr. Belmont’s eyes closed. Mrs. Belmont leaned over him at once,

it if she hadn’t turned to look outside. She instead saw the glass slightly fog from her breath while she watched the trees outside

sat across from Mason Webb, silence stretched between them for a while. She sat with her arms

Belmont. Those men shouldn’t have gone that far. There are other ways to

and then added, "Poor Ruelle must be shaken. Back

make her agree to return to me? After all, she’s once

Hailey asked in a serious tone

and he asked, "Why? Didn’t you

eyes. She had seen men in Sexton tear each other apart in the underground dungeons. Compared to that, Mason swinging his fists at nothing was

your moment. Frankly, it would do you good

sky had already darkened. The mansion doors were opened at once, and Mr. Belmont was half-carried out of the carriage, looking crumpled in

breathlessly as the young man helped support her

head tilt upward at the mansion, as if only now realising how far her life had moved from Brackenwell. And then his eyes moved to

and broad shoulders instead of worn properly. Dark red

stall wall, and yet seeing him now made the heat

her father’s bloodied face twisted when he noticed Lucian. He spoke through gritted teeth, "I

contempt plain across his bruised

snapped, his voice hoarse with pain and fury. "I want to see the ministers right away! I’ll tell them exactly how unfit you are to have Ruelle. And

you talking about, Harold?" Mrs. Belmont

beat me!" Ezekiel barked, trying to push himself up but grimacing when

Lucian, suspicion flickering in them. Could it be possible? The last time,

way her stepmother looked at them in doubt. Her eyes then moved to where Lucian stood unbothered by the words. His gaze rested on her father the same way one might look at a barking

is quite the accusation. Especially when all I have been doing is bringing

over her stepmother’s face and her hand flew to her chest.

the formalities are done," Lucian replied and Mrs. Belmont nodded, having forgotten what

Belmont then said, "Don’t take my husband’s words to heart, son-in-law. The debt collectors must have hit his head

slight nod, and then turned in the direction of his coachman. "Claude, bring the physician... and inform Carnifex that his presence has been requested by Mr.

on Harold Belmont’s corpse, it was not hard to believe

room with the help of the guards.

forward, resting his chin on her shoulder. "The weather hasn’t softened enough for you to

didn’t find

her skin once again and she replied, "I misplaced them. I couldn’t find them

hummed while his hand slid over hers, turning her bare fingers in his palm as though checking how cold they were. He remarked, "I’ll have Noah

eyes fell on Mason. The same time, the warmth in Lucian’s eyes disappeared at the sight of the male in

to leave?"

introduced himself as his eyes lingered on the pureblooded vampire’s hand around Ruelle. "I am

hand tightened around Ruelle.