the eclipse [sequel] ☾ l.s.

nineteen - hold on to my heart

Her smile was cold, her long, slender fingers still tangled in Harry's hair.

Louis wanted blood.

/

Harry's body hit the floor with an echoing thud, and he whimpered in pain, curling in on himself protectively. The guards lingered inside the room for a moment, until he heard a low, threatening growl emerge from the darkness from behind him.

He froze, quivering with fear, until he realized.

Louis.

The broken sob that escaped his throat would have been extremely embarrassing given any other circumstances. Thankfully, the door slammed shut, and the harsh, metallic sound echoed through the small, dark cell to signal that the guards had left.

"Louis," he whimpered, too weak to stand from cold concrete. His entire body ached, crippled with pain and exhaustion -- but he was frozen, uncertainty paralyzing his cold muscles. "Lou . . . alpha --"

Two strong arms encircled him, lifting him easily from the ground. He melted into his alpha's warmth, tears streaming down his face as relief crashed over him. His body shook with silent sobs, and he buried his nose in Louis's neck, inhaling the comfort of his mate's familiar scent for the first time in so long.

The cell around them was cold; dark. Louis's touch was warm like sunshine -- warm like coming home.

"Shh, shh, you're alright. It's alright, angel, I've got you. I've got you now," the alpha spoke into his hair. He sank down onto the concrete floor with Harry's weak body cradled in his lap, tucked safely between his arms. "I'm so sorry, H. I'm so fucking sorry."

"Louis," he sobbed, clinging to his mate with the small amount of strength he had left. He could barely breathe with how overwhelmed he felt, but he was greedy to inhale Louis's scent, gasping helplessly against the older boy's warm skin.

The older boy shushed him again, holding Harry's face to his neck with a firm grip on the back of the omega's head. His free hand roamed Harry's body, touching and squeezing and smoothing his wrinkled clothes, just a physical reminder to Harry that he was really there. Every touch felt too good to be true, like a hazy dream that should be just out of reach.

"Lou. Oh my god, Louis," Harry gasped again, unable to believe that his mate was really holding him. "How . . . why . . . how did you . . ?"

"I'm right here," Louis said, his heart aching as his fingertips drummed over Harry's ribs. The bones pressed against his pale skin, pleading for escape, and he breathed out sadly, "God, baby, what have they done to you?"

Harry's thoughts blurred together, incoherent, and he stammered out, "To me -- to you, they . . . they hurt you! They -- what did they do? Are you hurt? Did they . . ?" He ran his hands over Louis's stomach, lifting the hem of his dirty t-shirt to check for injuries. "Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Baby, I promise, I'm fine."

"I-I didn't . . . I didn't want to do it!" he insisted, tears welling up in his tired eyes. "I didn't want to help her, Lou, I swear, but she didn't . . . sh-she wouldn't let me eat until I listened to her. She wouldn't let me sleep, and they --"

"Shh, shh. Angel," Louis cut him off. "It's alright. I'm not angry, Haz, I promise. It's alright."

"I didn't want to," Harry repeated, a bit softer this time. He finally seemed to be calming down, his lungs filling with his alpha's soothing scent. "I . . . they've been so awful. They wouldn't do something good for no reason, so . . . so why are they keeping us together?"