WARNING: this chapter is very deep. Talks about torture and rape. Not in detail, but it is a main concept.
Blaze's POV
*a few hours before the phone call with Lyle*
I never understood the idea that church made people feel calm. But standing in front of this house, a building of torture, weirdly caused a wave of calmness to rush over me. Sometimes I wondered if it was Artemis comforting me in this time of need.
Jesus, well Joseph, stood next to me with a small scowl on his face. I could tell through our little bond that he was overwhelmed with emotions, but he didn't show it. He was always strong like that. Even now when he was perfectly allowed to cry, he didn't because I was there.
We stood there for at least five minutes before I took the motion to step forward. The loyal incubus was only a few steps behind me as we stepped into the abandoned building. From the outside it looked like an old house. The inside was far different. The rooms were either offices or what looked to be operating rooms where we were brought up to be tortured.
We ventured around, just looking at all the rooms briefly. Neither of us wanted to step into any room. Joseph stopped at one door in particular. It was Vance's second in command, Phillip's, personal torture room. The wooden door had several scratch marks on it. I wasn't sure who they were from, but I had no doubt we both contributed to them. There was a couch in there that had a few blood stains, probably from both of us. Phillip sadly took an interest in Joseph when we were here. He often retrieved Joseph during the night to have some "fun." Then he would return the 12 year old boy with blood running down his thighs.
I was lucky to had only been raped a hand full of times. Each one Apollo took over, which was a blessing and a curse. The reason they'd rape me would be to talk to Apollo. It's taken me this long to understand that they knew about Apollo long before I did, hence their brutality. Power and greed can make any being turn into a monster.
Joseph lingered in that room while I pushed open Vance's office. I had only gone in here a few times before, none were all too pleasant.
There were some papers scattered throughout the room, but what caught my eye was a safe with a lock on it that was hidden under the desk. Using my heightened hearing, I was able to get the combination right to open it. Inside were some more folders and some pictures. I looked at the papers first. They were all embedded by a crest in the corner. The crest of the werewolf council.
I picked up the top one and began reading.
"The council has voted that only one child can live. Alpha Chance has one month to choose which child can live before Beta Vance will take action."
I couldn't steady my heartbeat as I stared blankly at the words. I shuffled through the papers to find another letter from them.
"Vance,
although we do not approve of your rogue lifestyle, if you provide proof of the death of the child, we will dismiss your crimes. Please send a picture or vital organ as proof."
That's when I noticed the pictures. The bundle of pictures I had thought at first were just dark images. But when I began shuffling through them, the more vivid the picture got. They were of me splayed out being tortured. Vance was mocking the council by sending them pictures of me being alive; that was clear. When I got to the last picture, my heart stopped.
Blood. That was the first thing I noticed in the picture. There was blood covering the dirt around my small, naked form. My throat was wide open, looking almost detached from my body. My eyes were wide and lifeless. There was no tension in my body. It just sank into the ground, accepting the dirt as its resting place.
Joseph walked in the room, eyes a little red. I quickly pushed the photo back into the file and stuffed the file in my bag. Joseph didn't even seem surprised by my actions, just seemed a bit in his own thoughts.
"Did you want to see the basement?" I asked softly, knowing the answer already. He nodded slowly but without hesitation. I walked past him to the cellar entrance, one that we were extremely familiar with. I took a deep breath before pulling open the old wooden door.
Even with my enhanced vision, I couldn't see very far in front of me. Joseph patted the walls until he found the light switch. I wish he hadn't found it. The cellar in the light was so much worse than the darkness that had swallowed it.
I walked down the creeping steps one by one, trying to ignore the smell. Our scents were still distinct in the room, and judging by all the blood stains on the concrete, I wasn't surprised.
At the base of the stairs, all I did was stare at the small jail cells that we used to call home. I stared blankly, not sure on how I should feel. Sad? Angry? Pitiful? I didn't feel any of those. Strangely, I just felt calm. It's like I knew I'd get my revenge. I knew I had nothing to worry about. I had to save all my anger and sadness for when it was my turn to torture them instead. And the council once I fully understand their involvement.
Joseph's hand grazed my back in an attempt to comfort me, but I just flinched away. Ten years ago I would've found it soothing. Now it just felt like an irritating reminder of how weak I am.
We didn't stay for long. After only a few minutes, the scent began to overwhelm us. Joseph gazed his hand upon the blood stain where we each wrote our names on the cement before following me up the stairs.
Joseph released a long breath when we opened the door to the outside. I glanced at him, unsure of how to comfort him, or even if I should. I was about to say something, anything, when Joseph's staring caught my attention.
There was a tree with claw marks and blood splattered in it. My blood from when Vance slit my throat. Joseph studied the tree for a moment before turning back to me.
"I never asked you how you survived," he commented, and for the first time all day, he made steady eye contact with me.
I don't keep his stare for very long as I open the door to the car we came in. It was a question I had been afraid to be asked. Though for years I chose to ignore the answer, it stared me dead in the eyes today. Those pictures were clear and confirmed my suspicion. I gave him one blank look before responding honestly. "I didn't. I died."
...
Lyle called me minutes after dropping Joseph off at his own home. I could feel Joseph's exhaustion through our link. He had absorbed a lot of sexual energy from Ace yesterday, then continued to drain himself mentally by coming here with me. He gave me pity looks on the way to his house, but I mostly ignored them.
Now driving to the hotel where Lyle is staying, I didn't know what to do. I felt terrible that he was going through heat being unmated. I've heard it's very hard and painful. It would be my first time seeing him since he left me in the dust. I wasn't even sure how to feel about it. As if this whole day hasn't already been bad.
At a red light, I just rested my head on the steering wheel and breathed, trying to calm myself. What do I do when I get there? How do I act around him? I felt uncomfortable touching him, but I kinda had to.
Let's get him food. He's bound to be hungry. Heat makes you hungry and it's around dinner time now. Let's get from that pasta place Fallon likes. Apollo pitched in unexpectedly. I was surprised that he even spoke, he rarely does, but I could tell already that he is attached to Fallon.
I sighed, glancing at the clock. It was almost six, and the sun was going down. I was hungry, I couldn't argue with that, so I took a detour to the Italian restaurant in no man's land that we have ordered from before. I got Lyle's favorite, which I was pleasantly surprised I remembered such a trivial thing.
As I drove towards the hotel, now with food, I felt numb. Even in the parking lot outside of the building, I just felt like ice had been rubbed on my brain for way too long. I took a moment to collect myself before leaving the car.
Forget everything that happened today. Focus on your mate who needs you. We can deal with the other bastards later. I promise you, if you want someone dead, I won't hesitate to kill them. Apollo's words were oddly comforting and loving. I always knew that he'd do anything for me. And he's proven that several times. But hearing him say it hit differently.
I don't need you to kill them. I want to do it myself. I responded, but it was something he already knew. He growled in my head, sounding proud of my answer.
One last deep breath and a small nudge from Apollo, and I was off to see my mate.