Ezekiel, no doubt that was him.

A glance and one could see where Raphael got his brawny stature. Ezekiel was quite tall and huge framed, his bodily features more common in werewolves than in vampires.

"Welcome home, son," He said just as Marc walked out of the cell but Asher was not to be deceived.

"The both of you planned it all, didn't you?" He went straight to the point.

Ezekiel wrapped his muscly arms across his chest with a relaxed stance, "You grew up to look exactly like him aside from the eyes"

His suspicion was correct, Raphael planned this with his father. As sly as his stepbrother was, he couldn't have come up with such a brilliant plan alone - he sure received a helping hand.

"Is that why you did it? Because you hated that face, my face!"

"What do you think?" He threw at him with no clarification.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubbles but your son is currently in my body and he's using that face you loathe, what a big hypocrite you are!"

Asher was still speaking when he felt a force, twist his arm to the side till a cracking sound of a bone being snapped was heard.

Ezekiel's ability was telekinesis and he sure knew how to use it and who knew other variations it might have evolved over the years.

Asher screamed as the torment lasted until Ezekiel gave him a breathing space yet he didn't give up with his questions.

"I heard them saying I stole a mate, what does that mean?" Asher demanded an explanation

Ezekiel picked an iron chair laying at the edge of the prison, turned it upright, and sat on it.

"To bring you here without creating suspicion" He began, "My son had to be accused of almost converting your mate as revenge against what your father did to me. It's quite unfortunate that you're the one stuck in his body and about to receive the punishment"

They really deserve applause for a well thought out plan. Asher knew if they hadn't heaped these blames on Raphael's head, their plans would be ruined.

It would seem suspicious to everyone and the members of his clan if Raphael aka him, had returned to the clan bind with silver cuffs when no crime was committed.

They knew how much the Alpha loved his son to the core, so what could bring on this new hatred? Vampires would begin to talk and the smart ones would begin to solve the mystery and before one knows it, they might be able to figure it out.

But the good news was they could transport Asher without the binds, unfortunately, the vampire was smart and would be in his prime form and stand a huge chance of escaping which poses a huge risk to their plans.

"So I'm going to be prosecuted by the council and possibly get killed while your son forever remains in my body, is that it?"Asher surmised their schemes.

Ezekiel snorted, "Who said anything about getting you killed? Asher has forgiven you the crime of almost stealing his mate since I did the same for his father and that's why you're being sent to me - to be punished by your father"

What the ….

The vampire began to laugh, his laughter so hysterical that Ezekiel thought he must have lost it.

Father and son were crazy, Asher thought. They denied him his chance of exerting his revenge once he returned.

Raphael now in his body purposely forgave the so accused crime of him stealing his mate so he wouldn't be able to bring up the case to the council in the future if he does escape.

Stealing a mate was punishable by death unless forgiven and that was what they did, the father and son duo were swinging him back and forth like a yoyo.

But this all confused him more, it would be hard for Ezekiel to kill Raphael because of his wife and clan but they could have used the council to end him.

Why keep him alive especially now he was the one occupying the body? Clearly, Ezekiel hates him, so why didn't they kill him on the way coming and blame it on some unfortunate incident? This mystery muddled Asher more than ever.

Asher lifted his head, his orbs filled with anger and hatred, if only he could get a chance of escaping, he would rain his wrath on this clan.

"You said you forgave him, you claimed to have buried all hatches! " Asher reminded him of his agreement with Antonio, his father.

Ezekiel's lips pulled upward," The sins of the father shall be visited upon the son, Antonio was foolish to have believed a Raven " he mocked.

"I have suffered for those sins for years, because of what he did I had never set eyes on my mother!"

"Oh don't worry, since you're here, I'm sure she would come to pay her dear son a visit - you can take that as compensation for not seeing her over the years," he told him nonchalantly.

"You!" The chains rattled as Asher rose and charged at Ezekiel but he only reached a certain distance before he was held back.

Ezekiel wasn't dazed, instead, he laughed at his unfruitful effort, "You have so much energy, breaking you would be so much fun, trust me."

Asher shook with rage, he was boiling with anger and wanted to rip that man apart but his frail body couldn't assist him.

"Just hope to the heavens, I never leave here else I'll make sure to annihilate every Raven blood till none remains! " He swore.

"That's if you're able to. Because I promise you, we'll spend eternity together - you and I "

Chills ran down his arms, Asher wasn't worried about himself but for his mate. Sure, Daniel could protect her from danger but he was no match for his smart and sly older brother.

Asher prayed Raphael never discovers the use of his second ability, else who knows what disaster he would wreck with it.

Though they switched bodies, they couldn't access each other's memories, their soul had everything. They could only use either's ability once they grasped how it worked.

Asher didn't believe in any heavenly entity but right now, he made a little prayer in his heart: asking God to keep his mate safe from the enemies until he got out of this hellhole.

They could beat, break, or kill him, he didn't care but let his mate be okay; that was all he asked for.

"Since we're done playing questions and answers, why don't we get to the main business of the day? "

The moment those words left his mouth, Asher's hand automatically bent at a weird angle followed by the other one and his legs as Ezekiel controlled his movements like a puppet.

He lay in an askew position while agonizing screams left his mouth which slowed down when the torture stopped.

Someone interrupted them.

"You animal!" A slap met Ezekiel's face

"This is our son you're treating like that! "

Asher's ear peaked up, our son? That could only mean one thing...mother? If he could breathe, it would have caught in his chest at this moment.

Asher wanted to look, he had been anticipating this scene for centuries and at last, here it was but he couldn't move enough to peak at her - his neck was broken.

"He did a horrible thing, Helen, he needs to be punished so the others would learn from this " Ezekiel told her.

"I don't care what he did but touch my son one more time and I would reject you with no hesitation" She threatened.

Asher laughed inwardly, he wished he could see the horrid look on Ezekiel's face. Every supernatural feared being rejected by their mate.

Rejecting a mate was akin to divorce in human terms but theirs was much serious with consequences. The loneliness, pains, depression - no one would want to through it.

No wonder some unmated vampires preferred to reject each other at the earliest stage than when the connection between them deepened.

Asher could feel the helplessness oozing from Ezekiel and the retreating steps afterward told him the aged shameless bully had left.

"Raphael son" he heard her say, followed by the tearing of flesh before her wrist was shoved into his mouth - she wanted him to feed on her.

"I know this wouldn't do much but you need it, at least to heal from the injuries"

Asher shook his head, he refused to feed on his mother but the woman was stubborn and forced the liquid down his throat.

She was bent over him and pressed her wrist forcefully against the mouth of Asher whose face was facing sideways on the ground.

A few minutes later, his body began to heal slowly and it took him about ten minutes to resume all bodily function- an action that caused less than a minute in his best days.

"Mom" He finally got the chance to lift his head and took in her appearance.

Ezekiel was right, he took her eyes.