Bonds of Blood by Shauna Hart

tightened on her waist as he slammed into her.  Her head bounced with the force of his thrusts.
    He pushed into her violently wanting to make her hurt because she wasn’t the one who had created this ache.  Visions of Kat arina naked and straining beneath him filled his mind.  Within seconds, he felt the exquisite rush of release.
    He threw his head back as one word escaped him. 
    “Katarina.”
    ****
    Kat stretched out on the bed, her eyes slowly fluttering open.  The soft spread beneath her caressed her skin as she sat up against the wooden headboard.  Her eyebrows drew together creating a crease on her forehead.
    Panic shot through her at the unfamiliar scene as she sat up to look around.
    Where the hell was she?
    She didn’t remember much.  The last thing she remembered was Mina coming to her apartment for some wine.
    After that it was a blur of stilted images that didn’t make any sense.  The memories led to one inevitable horrifying conclusion.  Mina had to have spiked her wine.  It was the only thing that made sense.
    But why?
    They were supposed to be on the same side, weren’t they?
    Still, Mina’s betrayal in all this wasn’t what worried her most.  It was the images of a man with piercing blue eyes.  A shiver of fear raced up her spine.  There was something about him, something about the way he looked at her that unnerved her.  It was like he wasn’t really seeing her—like she was just an object to him, a conquest. 
    It bothered her.
    But not as much as the memories of her letting him do things to her body.
    It was like he had the power to rob her of her will, like she had no volition.
    In all her life, she had never felt so powerless, so violated.  It had been one of the most terrifying moments of her life.
    Drawing the comforter around her, she pulled her legs up to press her knees against her chest. 
    When the door opened, she jumped.
    A man moved into the room.
    Fear struck her hard. 
    Before she could move , the room was illuminated with the glow of a match and her eyes adjust to reveal Alec lighting an old fashioned hurricane lamp. 
    Her eyes narrowed as confusion set in.  “Alec?”
    He turned to look at her, his expression grim.  “Are you okay?” he asked, his tone low.
    She pulled her lower lip beneath her teeth as his unnerving stare set in.  “I don’t know,” she managed.  “What happened?”
    He looked away making the fear that was burning in her stomach explode into full fire.
    Her eyebrows drew together.  “Where are my clothes?”
    Alec moved closer to the edge of the bed, making her scoot back further against the headboard.  His eyes darkened when he saw the fear in her gaze.  “I won’t hurt you, Kat,” he explained softly.
    Her lips formed a grim line.  “Answer me.  Where are my clothes?”
    “What do you remember?”
    She drew in a steadying breath.  “Mina said that someone had information about the missing girls.  So, I went with her to the club to meet him.”
    “And?”
    She shook her head.  “And…I don’t know,” she confessed in a hushed tone.  “That’s when everything gets foggy.  I think Mina must have spiked my drink, but why?  We’re friends…or at least I thought we were.”
    Taking a step closer to the bed, he nodded.  “Your instincts are correct.  I think your friend has been working with you for her own reasons.”
    She let out a heavy sigh.  “I just don’t understand why she would do something like that.”
    “I don’t think she did it by choice.”
    A crease formed on her forehead.  “What do you mean?”
    He hesitated for a moment, his hands twisting together.  The concern in his eyes made her heart beat faster.
    “What do you know about your father?” he ventured.
    Kat’s gaze shifted back and forth.  “My father? What does he have to do with anything?”
    He lifted his chin slightly.  “What did your mother tell you about him?”
    She shook her head.  “What difference does any of this