The Wolf

Ch. 48: Lost

~Alex~

My teeth grind together and my muscles shake from the effort. I fall to the floor, collapsing from exertion. Another day that I'm too weak to open that damn door. I glare at the paneled wood with a deep-rooted hatred. I look around the richly decorated room. My prison. How long have I been stuck here? I have no clue. I push off of the ground to pace.

Ever since I said yes to Nyx, I've been trapped within my own mind with no way out. She tauntingly put the only escape in the shape of a door. It's so tempting and simple, yet I can't open it. No matter how hard I try, it won't budge in the slightest.

"Oh, Alex," Nyx says, appearing suddenly, causing me to jump, "you don't need to try so hard to escape. Remember what I promised? I would give your body back when I'm done. There's no need to worry."

"Are you serious? Nico is probably out there looking for me. I don't want him to get hurt anymore, so I have to be there to protect him." I snarl at Nyx.

She just waves her hand dismissively. She takes a seat in a plush chair at the table with a silk tablecloth. A teapot appears before her and she pours herself a cup. "Enough about Nico," She says finally, "he's so boring and tragic. How about we talk about you?" She stirs some sugar into her cup daintily.

"How can you say that about Nico? You used him up and made him the way he is now!" I shout, sick of her calm demeanor.

Nyx scoffs and rolls her eyes. "As if I made him this way, I only played on what was already there. You seriously know nothing about that mutt, do you?"

"What do you mean?" I ask tentatively. This might just be a trap to have me let my guard down.

"I spent one week in his mind, remember? I know all of his dark, dirty, little secrets. How he felt about you. What he would do behind his friend's backs. Anything you want to know, I'm here to tell you." She sips her tea nonchalantly, keeping her eyes trained on me.

"Why should I believe anything you say? You're a manipulative bitch."

Nyx glares at me and I flinch back. The hatred in her eyes is tangible in the air. "If you don't want to hear so bad, then I guess I have no choice but to make you listen." She snaps her fingers and suddenly I'm sitting across from her in a chair similar to hers. Chains wrap around me, preventing me from moving.

"Where should we start first?" Nyx wonders airily. "Hm, how about how he felt when he was being tortured by Jocelin?"

I glare daggers at her. She shouldn't have so much power over me in my own mind. I need to focus. There are no chains here. There are no chains. I chant the words in my head to no avail. The cold metal and tight bindings are impossible to ignore, though. How could they not be real?

"No, no," Nyx says, "that would be too boring. How about something you weren't aware of? Like his cousin."

"Kyle?" I squirm against my chains. "What about him? I know who he is."

"Oh, ho. But did you know what he did? Or probably still does?" Nyx leans toward me with keen interest. Her sadistic personality sends chills down my spine. What could a nice guy like Kyle have done?

Nyx taps her chin thoughtfully. "Hm, there's no point in just telling you. I might as well show you as well." She snaps her fingers and we're suddenly in a large theater with only two reclining chairs. A huge screen takes up the front. 

Just like an old film, it counts down to one slowly. I look at the screen, undeniably curious. I've always wanted to know more about Nico, but never in this way. I wanted to wait for him to tell me himself. It pisses me off that Nyx is taking that simple liberty from Nico, just like everything else.

Nyx leans over to me. "Now remember, these are all personal memories from Nico. I hope you enjoy the show."

The screen depicts an image of Kyle on a bed. It looks like he's crawling over to Nico with a strange look in his eyes.

"K-Kyle? What are you doing?" Nico's voice is loud and clear throughout the theater. He sounds younger, almost pre-puberty.

"It's only training, Nico. Remember? Don't act as if you don't want it." Kyle jumps on Nico, holding down his wrists.

I feel bile rising in my throat. No. This can't be happening. Anger starts to boil to the surface and I struggle against my chains as I watch the memory unfold on the screen. I try to close my eyes, but I can't. I look over at Nyx who is smiling sadistically.

"Don't look at me. Make sure you take in every detail. We'll be playing Nico's story all week long, so I hope you enjoy it." With that, she disappears from view, returning to the real world.

I stare helplessly at the screen as I watch the terrible scene unfold. I can't believe that Kyle could do that. I'm going to beat his ass when I get control. No, I'll kill him. I struggle against my bonds. The cold metal of the chains digs into my flesh, drawing beads of blood. I don't want to watch this. I can't stand it.

For what feels like hours, I'm forced to watch Nico's life in that blue house. His slimy cousin and abusive uncle. I'm not just watching his memories, I can also feel every emotion he felt. I can feel his pain, his fear, his hatred, and his losing hope. He always hoped that one day his parents would return to rescue him from that place, but after every beating, every time he was forced to have sex, he lost that hope and realized they were never coming back.

I feel the same bitter hatred as Nico now, but also an extreme measure of guilt. How could I have let this happen? I know we were cursed by our moms, but I should've been more worried about him. I should've gone looking for him. Where did his parents go? Why would they leave him with a man like that? My heart breaks over and over again with each scene.

"It looks like you're enjoying yourself," Nyx whispers beside me.

My chest heaves with rage. If only I wasn't bound, I would kill Nyx too. "Make it stop." 

Nyx laughs loudly. "Why would I do that? Nico couldn't make it stop, and you can't either. It's only fair that you watch his suffering until the end. You're his mate, after all. After that, we can watch your most tragic memories." Nyx leans in close, "I've been doing some digging in this noggin of yours and it seems you've got a couple of memories worth watching as well."

My blood runs cold at her words. "Why are you doing this?"

Nyx smiles and runs a hand down my chest. "Because I need you to behave yourself, so I might as well break your spirit a little first."

"I only did this for Nico and my Pack. Once I'm out of here, I. Will. Kill. You. That's a promise," I seethe, spittle flying into her face.

Nyx's thin fingers grab a chunk of my hair. "Listen, boy, you're not the only one who wants to kill me, so get in line. Also, if you dare talk to me like that again, there will be consequences." She throws my head forward, letting go of my hair. 

The memories on the screen continue as the theatre grows darker once more. Damn it! I'm so weak, so powerless against her. I'm supposed to be an Alpha, but what good is that when you're up against a goddess? I swear, I will get out of these chains. I'll find Sol. And together, we'll take back what's ours. We'll have to do it before we lose our minds.