Hey everyone. I'm sorry for the delay but please enjoy the small surprise!
✨🌘✨
- Reagan
"Wake up!"
My eyes snap open, my heart jumping at the sound of... Morgan's voice?
I blink up at Hunter's eldest daughter, her blue eyes flashing with relief when she sees my eyes open. Her red hair blows in the wind as she turns her head to the right, talking to someone who's out of my line of sight, "He's awake!"
"Reagan!" I hear my mother's voice, Morgan standing to her feet and moving away so my Mother can kneel down beside me. "How do you feel?" She questions me as I struggle not to groan in pain.
"My head kills but I'll live." I reply, slowly sitting up.
Fuck, Asmara!
"Where's Asmara?! Did you find her?!" I demand, my head killing at my sudden rush as I quickly rise to my feet.
My mother warns, "Careful, that bump on your head looks bad."
It feels worse but that's nothing compared to the panic racing through my veins. The last thing I remember is Asmara disappearing into the fog with that bastard carrying her. After that one of the rogues took it upon themselves to knock me out. It was most likely for his own pleasure.
"Where is she?!" I panic, seeing my Father and Adrenous walking towards us, followed by many warriors.
Shit, what do I tell him?
My mother frowns, looking around, "Asmara isn't here Reagan, tell me what happened." She stares back at me, my father coming to stand beside her.
Adrenous looks concerned and just as panicked as me, "Alivia said you and Asmara never went back home, where the fuck is she?"
My heart races, knowing I'll have hell to pay when I tell him the truth. I swallow my fear and expel, "Asmara wouldn't let me take her home and with my wolf weak I couldn't stop her. She was determined to come here. I only followed her to make sure she didn't get into trouble."
"So where the fuck is she then?" His wolf comes forward and I'm forced to bow my head, my wolf's tail tucked between his legs.
My chest is heaving up and down and I finally find the courage to say, "The rogues took her, specifically their Alpha."
I cringe when Adrenous growls, "YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO PROTECT HER!"
"I know." I murmur, unable to forgive myself for what I let happen. I should have never let her come up here knowing I wouldn't be able to protect her without my wolf. And now she's gone.
"Clearly you don't!" Adrenous is about to snap forward but my Father blocks his path to me, Adrenous' eyes snapping to him. My mother's eyes are wide, looking between them as Adrenous regards my Father with harsh eyes.
My Father is wary, understanding Adrenous is a very dangerous man right now. He tries to reason with him the best he knows how, "Reagan made a mistake, I'll take full responsibility for what he allowed to happen."
What?
"Dad-"
"Shut up, Reagan." My Dad warns, not wanting me to get myself in any more trouble with Adrenous. Depending on how this goes, either one of us could lose our life for allowing Asmara to be taken. My life is nothing to Adrenous when it comes to his daughter. His love for her is unmatched by any except his love for his mate. Alivia must be going crazy right now.
Adrenous doesn't calm down, his body vibrating angrily until he finally demands, "Reagan will be put In charge of one of the search parties with Morgan." My Dad almost looks relieved but me, not so much. I know what's coming when Adrenous turns those dangerous, red eyes on me. The weight of his gaze is almost too much for me to bare as he adds, "If you don't find her soon, I'll personally kill you myself."
I swallow the lump in my throat.
Adrenous storms off, his bones snapping as he shifts into his black wolf and runs back towards the castle, Alivia waiting for him. I wish I could relax with him gone but I can't. I now have a major responsibility weighing on my shoulders.
I need to get Asmara back.
And I need to cherish her the way she deserves to be cherished. I know she broke it off with me because I may one day find my mate but I can't let her go. I love her and if it wasn't clear to me before it certainly is now. As soon as I have her back in my arms, I'll fight for her to stay there forever.
I pray to the moon goddess that I get her back soon, unharmed.
"Let's get going, Reagan!" Morgan calls over and I turn to follow her.
✨🌗✨
- Asmara
My arms burn, my mouth is dry and lips cracked and sore. I've been in the same position, the same cell for a day and a half now and already I'm praying that Torben will end this torture soon.
I can barely lift my head, my back and feet aching as I use the chains to take some weight of my feet but it only puts more strain on my wrists and arms. Fuck, I can't take anymore of this. I'm only relieved that Torben isn't here to see me like this. I'm afraid if he was, I'd be standing here right now begging him to get me out of here. And I don't want to give him that satisfaction.
Sweat slowly drips from my forehead as I close my eyes and try to keep my breathing calm. This cell is too hot and it only makes the stench of blood and decay that much more prominent. It causes me to heave but I don't throw up, my stomach too empty for that. Dry heaving is much worse.
My sweating increases. I wish I could sleep, at least then I would be given a temporary reprieve where the pain and hunger can't reach me.
Hours later, my eyelids begin to droop and finally my reprieve feels like only a second away. Well, at least it was until I jumped at the sound of my cell door opening. I lift my sore neck and squint up at... Ezlyn? What's she doing here?
Did Torben send his bitch to torture his prisoner for him?
God, he was worse than I thought.
Ezlyn appears suspicious and out of place in my cell, like she, herself, knows she's not suppose to be here. With one hand, she closes the cell door behind her and then begins to saunter towards me, her eyes glistening with excitement. She studies me curiously, looking for something in particular. I don't know what that is until she muses to herself, "You don't look like much to me so why hasn't Torben been able to break you already?"
Oh, I see.
She's silently judging me on appearance alone and has come to her own conclusion... I'm physically weak and therefore, I'm easy to break.
You clueless bitch.
"Oh, so is that why he sent you, his bitch, to do his dirty work?" I remark, my voice weak, my throat sore but it was worth the flash of anger that sparked In her irises.
She raises her hand and back slaps me across the face, my head snapping to the side as my legs buckle and a moan leaves my lips. It takes me a second to shake the pain away before shaking my hair from my face and then glaring back at her, "I'll take that as a yes."
"You think you're smart, don't you?" She retaliates, beginning to circle me as I keep still. Once she does a full turn and stops In front of me, she finally tells me, "Torben doesn't know I'm here and I'm sure he won't care as long as he realises that I was able to break you."
Torben doesn't know!
Is this bitch seriously trying to get on the wrong side of her Alpha? She can't be so delusional to actually believe that her Alpha would be happy with her doing this? Or maybe she thinks that her position and relationship with him is enough to protect her.
The ache in my arms was long forgotten as I watched her and scowled, "Give it your best shot!"
"Happily."
My eyes locked onto her hand when she raised it up before her claws came out, ready to do some damage. I kept my features blank, assuring myself that I could take the pain. I'll be fine. "Are you ready?" She asks, my eyes focused on her claws.
My eyes drift to hers and I answer, "Always."
Another flash of anger sparks in her eyes, frustrated that I refuse to show her an ounce of fear. I just about manage to stop the corners of my mouth from curling upwards.
Her first strike is swift, slashing me across my cheek, her sharp claws cutting into my skin. I feel the burning pain of the slash, my heart beating rapidly as I stop myself from wincing. Blood flows from the cut, down my face before dripping onto my white tank top, staining it in the process.
Ezlyn isn't pleased with my lack of reaction, her eyes darkening with the presence of her wolf. Her next strike isn't as swift. She digs her claws into my stomach, deep enough to cause permanent damage and to have me screaming in pain. Enjoying my screams, she drags her claws across my stomach, blood seeping from the slash and soaking my top. I try to bite my lip to keep the screams from escaping but it doesn't work, the searing pain too much for me to bare in my weakened state.
Enjoying this, she digs her claws in even deeper, my screams like music to her ears. From the pain and damage she's causing my body, I know when the wounds finally heal a scar will be left in their place.
When she finally stops, my whole body drips with sweat as I hang my head low. My breathing is rapid, desperate to breath away the pain.
"Have you had enough?" Ezlyn slowly circles me once again, her boots scraping against the damp concrete floor.
I carefully lift my head, my eyes determined and planted ahead. My voice is low but the words are clear, "Not even close."
Ezlyn makes a sound of anger from the back of her throat, lifting her hand to strike me again as she stops in front of me. Before she can cut me again, a voice surrounds us both, "Ezlyn, get the fuck away from her!"
Thank you...
It's Felice, his giant body standing behind the bars of my cell, his brown eyes dark. Beside him is a young woman, most likely in her early twenties. She has dark brown eyes, her hair a dark brown as it falls in curls around her face, thick and long. She has a caramel complexion and she's dressed in black training gear with a pair of grey boots.
Ezlyn spins in her spot to face them, disgruntled by the fact that they've come and disturbed her fun. I look at Felice and the young woman weakly, Ezlyn threatening, "You better have a good reason for disturbing me."
"I don't need to give you a fucking reason, you answer to me, remember?" Felice growls, his dominance flaring as the young woman looks between him and Ezlyn, Ezlyn's eyes narrowing.
"A higher rank doesn't mean I have to answer to you, Felice. Even my respect is slowly slipping. You should know I only answer to Torben and right now I'm just exercising my right to torture a female prisoner." Ezlyn states, her tone stern.
"That right excludes Asmara and Torben made that perfectly clear." Felice is clearly pissed at the fact Ezlyn has not only argued with him but also gone against their Alpha's orders.
I'm surprised too. I know Torben never sent the she-wolf here to make my suffering worse but I never would have thought he'd go as far as to ban it. I don't know what to think. Wouldn't he love to have me suffer, for my screams to be heard across his territory? I'm sure it would bring joy to his pack, the way they look at me, I'm surprised I'm not already dead.
Exlyn's jaw ticks as she moves closer to Felice, "You and I both know Torben isn't thinking clearly right now. Trust me, Felice, I've been closer to him then you ever have. I know what he really wants."
"You know nothing about what he wants." His eyes blacken and fury rolls out of him, causing Ezlyn to narrow her eyes and her body to go rigid as she stares up at him. Felice opens the cell door and takes a step inside my cell, "Now, I want you leave and I don't want to find you near Asmara ever again." His voice his dark, low and dangerous, a threat present in his eyes.
Angry, Ezlyn takes a foolish and threatening step toward Felice. The woman next to him intercepts her path, a growl forming at the back of her throat as her wolf instinctively moves to protect Felice.
She must be Felice's mate. That's the only reason her wolf would be so quick to protect him like that.
Ezlyn freezes, her dark, honey eyes snapping to the woman. A dark laugh leaves her lips as her eyes flash, almost insulted by the young female's audacity. She warns her fellow she-wolf, "Is that how you treat you're general, Aicha?"
"Only when it comes to my mate." Aicha replies, her head held high. I can see she still has respect for Ezlyn from the way her eyes regard her but when it comes to Felice, that respect no longer holds value. Felice comes to stand next to Aicha, their eyes meeting as Aicha tilts her head to glance up at him. Felice communicates for her to relax, Aicha nodding as her eyes soften.
Felice plants his attention back on Ezlyn, "Just leave, we'll discuss this later."
Ezlyn scoffs and barges past them, stating, "There's nothing to discuss."
Felice grinds his teeth, him and Aicha exchanging knowing looks, silently communicating through their bond. I remain silent, my breathing still heavy as Felice and Aicha turn to look at me, wondering how Torben's going to take the news.
Looking at me, Felice tells Aicha, "Treat her wounds, I have to speak to Torben about this."
"Make sure to tell him carefully, you know how he gets," Aicha warns, Felice nodding and kissing her on the forehead before leaving my cell. I watch his back until he disappears, my eyes soon shifting to Aicha as she slowly walks towards me.
My chains rattle as I move away from her, my eyes untrusting, "Don't touch me."
Aicha almost looks bored, rolling her eyes as she explains the severity of my wounds, "Those cuts are fairly deep and this isn't exactly a sterile environment. If you don't let me treat them, they'll get infected and you could die."
I exhale sharply, the slash on my stomach hurting at the action as I wince and argue, "Why do you care? You're kind want me dead anyway."
Aicha doesn't look happy by my assumption, her eyes hardening, "You're so quick to put all rogues in one category that you won't even allow yourself to see our true nature. No, instead you look at us like we're a different kind, a different species when we're not. Like your Father and his pack, we too are Wolven's and not all of us share the same idealisation as Torben though we follow him because he looks out for us and protects us where Adrenous would rather kill us on sight. We are completely loyal to our Alpha but we aren't all like him."
I furrow my brows, processing her words. All my life I've been taught the dangerous nature of a rogue and how they threaten our very existence. I stare back at her, my crimson eyes soft but my words are hard, "Rogues threaten the existence of peace amongst packs, you're criminals and have a violent nature. You are rogues because you committed terrible crimes."
Aicha's eyes flash harshly, "Tell that to my mother. She was sentenced as a rogue because she became pregnant with a generals bastard who had not long after found his mate. Rather than own up to his mistake, he lied and said my mother was aspiring against their Alpha. She was shunned from the pack and then later had me. We only survived because of Torben's father."
I don't know how to respond. Her eyes tell me she's telling the truth but her words are hard to believe. She continues on, forcing me to listen to her story and her point of view, "Some rogues are criminals but most were once just normal pack members who upset the wrong person or were shunned for someone else's gain. Don't you dare define us by what you believe to be a rogue ever again. Rogues are what we are, not who we are."
Her words cut deep and I find myself fighting against everything I was taught as a child. My mind is in turmoil, not wanting to believe her. She has me doubting my own hatred and negative regard for rogues, my own beliefs but I don't want to. Rogues are not to be reasoned with and this is just one big mind-fuck.
I've been silent for a few seconds, my lips in a hard line. Aicha's patience is slipping when she questions me, "Are you going to let me treat your wounds or are you going to remain stubborn?" Her brow raises, silently challenging me to refuse.
I'm in too much pain to choose not to accept her offer.
"Please, treat them." I whisper, my pride disappearing as I give into her willingly. For my health I can't afford to argue with her.
Aicha's demeanour softens, her touch gentle as she grazes her fingers along my wounds. "It's going to hurt." She warns, glancing up at me. I nod my understanding and she goes straight into action, exiting my cell and then coming back a moment later with a sharp knife and some wood.
I watch curiously as she chucks the wood to the ground, kneels down and begins to rub two pieces of wood together, sparks flying until the wood catches light. Fire crackles and brightens up my cell. She then takes the knife, placing the metal side into the hottest point of the fire.
"What are you doing?" I wonder, curiously. I've never seen anyone do anything like this and I'm afraid.
Aicha keeps her eyes on the now roaring fire as the metal blade glows red. She begins to explain, "You are human, you don't have the natural regeneration that Wolven's posses and therefore, your body can't fight infections." With the knife now burning hot, she stands up and moves towards me with the blade in her hand as my eyes snap to it, "I can't risk you getting an infection and so I have to sterilise and seal it. The heat from the blade will help close your wounds."
My eyes widen and I begin to struggle against the restraints, shaking my head, "No, please don't..."
Aicha shushes me gently, her eyes stern, "Asmara, it will hurt but you will survive."
"I can't..." I cry, my heart racing in my chest as the words get drowned by my tears.
"You can." She assures me, "Now here, bite down on this." In her other hand she holds out a piece of cloth to me, gesturing for me to open my mouth. I'm scared but I reluctantly open my mouth, Aicha placing the cloth inside before I bite down on it, hard, as my fear takes over.
"Try to stay still." She warns and I narrow my eyes, my protest muffled by the cloth in my mouth. She smiles in amusement before her eyes become serious and she suddenly presses the blade against my stomach.
The knife hisses against my stomach and I cry out in agony. My screams are muffled by the cloth but I can feel everything, my jaw clenched as sweat coats my entire body. Fire erupts across my stomach, sizzling and spreading quickly, bringing a harsh pain along with it. It was pain like I'd never felt before.
My chest heaves up and down, my lungs begging me for more air as my throat burns from the screams. My vision slowly becomes contorted and blurry...
I'm soon given a reprieve when I pass out...
✨🌕✨
Do you think Reagan will find Asmara?
Do you think Ezlyn will be punished for hurting Asmara?
How do you think Torben will react?
Please don't forget to vote, comment and follow me for future announcements.