Bound By Chains (MxM)

Chapter Fifty-One

Thunder crackled across the darkening sky, and soon, the land was assaulted by a heavy sheet of ice-cold rain. Within seconds, we were completely soaked through.

It had been about five-or-so hours since we managed to escape the castle, and thus far, lady luck seemed to be on our side, since we had yet to run into any guards, or bounty hunters in search for us. Which I was entirely thankful for, because I wasn't going to allow Alton to take Davian away from me again. Not while there was still breath in my lungs. I'd rather die, than allow the man I loved to be taken from me.

Thankfully, Drakell mentioned a friend of his that he had met when he first came here--a friend that apparently excelled at smuggling things out of country. Specifically slaves that managed to escape their so-called owners, and wanted to start their life anew, in a place that wouldn't judge them for their half-blooded heritage. And that gave me hope for a future with the man I loved.

Thunder cracked across the sky once again, lighting the forest up like a lantern. The dirt beneath my feet resembled mud and each step had me sinking further, and further into the earth. It was definitely slowing me down, and with Davian as an added weight on my back—no matter how light he was—it was making it quite a strenuous trek.

On top of all that, my body was in immense pain. My injured arm and leg were burning in agony, and after five hours of nonstop travel with an extra weight on my back...I felt as if I were going to fall unconscious at any moment. Though, I said nothing. I didn't want to burden anyone with my problems, and I wanted to have as much distance between Alton and Davian as possible. If that meant suffering through the pain...it would be worth it, for Davian. For him to finally have a happy life.

However, even through the thick, heavy rainfall, Drakell seemed to have noticed my predicament, and kept sending me worried glances as we traveled on. After a moment, he grabbed my bicep and halted me, crimson gaze searching mine as a frown pulled at those full lips. "Are you alright? Do you need to rest at all?"

Even with the pain pulsating though me, I shook my head. "I'm fine." I responded curtly, before adjusting Davian.

Drakell's frown deepened and he looked as if he didn't believe a word I said. "You look on the verge of passing out, Cayden. If rest is what you need...we're five hours out from the castle, I'm sure we can spare half an hour of rest."

"I don't want to risk Alton finding us," I muttered, glancing at the other man, "I would feel much better once we get to your friend."

"My friend is a day and a half out, from here. I doubt you can make it much longer before you pass out, and Cayden? I may be strong, but I doubt I can carry two people at once. Well, without it being incredibly uncomfortable for the both of you, that is." He sighed and patted my arm, his gaze briefly flickering to Davian. "Look, let me find a semi-dry place to rest, and once we're settled, I'll find something to eat. Are you hungry, Davian?"

Feeling Davian slightly shift on my back, I looked back to see his tired pale face regard his brother. "I-I could do with something to eat. I-I don't know i-if I will keep it down, or not."

Drakell's face softened and he nodded, before glancing around our surroundings. "Alright, give me a couple of minutes to find something suitable, and I'll get right on that."

With that, he began searching for a place to rest, and once his back was obscured by the brush, I looked back at Davian, who was now staring at me with tired ruby eyes. "How are you feeling?" I asked softly, my heart heavy.

Davian tore his gaze away from me and looked to the side, his grip tightening on me before he gently began climbing off of my back. I let him do so, and once he was off, I made sure to hold his small hand. "I-I'm better now that I'm out of Alton's hands." He shivered—whether it be from the rain or the memory of what Alton did to him, I didn't know—and hugged me as tightly as he could, burying his face in my chest as his whole body shivered. "I'm so glad you came for me. I-I was so scared that I would be stuck there for the rest of my life."