You guys know the drill. Vote, comment, follow. Ily✨
"Cleo!"
"Cleo!"
Hands are on my shoulder. "Fuck, Cleo. Wake up!"
I blink to try and open my eyes but they're smeared with darkness, I raise a hand to my face and rub my eyes slowly, lazily. Then I look at my fingers, blood. I look at the ground, more blood.
Blood everywhere.
"Cleo," Nella says desperately. She takes my face between her hands, tears covering her eyes. "Fuck. I was so worried about you. You started fitting, I-I," her voice gets caught in her throat. "I thought you weren't going to come back around."
I lick my dry lips, attempting to push myself up from the cold floor. Every part of me felt exhausted, like my bones were about to turn to dust and there would be absolutely nothing left of me. My mind felt foggy, I had to concentrate to remember what I saw.
Kassian. I saw Kassian.
He's hurt, he's in danger. He's going to get killed if I don't do anything.
Nella cracks a bottle of water and holds it to my lips, I take a small sip and try and regain my vision and concentration. My body feels like it's submerged underwater, everything completely disorientated. But I had to get my shit together, for Kassian. I had to do this for Kassian.
The water slides down my throat, dampening my mouth and my lips. Nella attempts to wipe my eyes from the blood that had fallen from my tear ducts, I can even feel it dry to the insides of my ears and down my neck.
This was definitely worse when Diamond did it to me. I feel like I have no body, no mind, no soul.
"What happened?" Nella dips her head into my view and I look at her, taking a huge breath. One that can try and bring back my strength.
She pulls me up and we sit facing each other, my mouth opens to talk and pain shoots down my spine. "Did you see anything?" Nella cuts in.
I manage to nod, my heart aches inside me. Almost making me double over in pain.
"H-He," I close my eyes and swallow harshly. "They're torturing him."
Nella's lips press into a thin line and her eyes water. "He's still alive."
"Barely," I whisper. "I feel so weak. But I-I have to do something."
She nods and nods. "We will. Tell me everything. What did you see? Did you see who took him? Did you recognise them? Did you recognise where he is?" Her questions jog my memory and I needed an interrogation.
I think back, deeply. He's in a basement of some kind. Cold and alone.
"Cleo!" Nella's voice is sharp and it makes me jump. "I know you're in shock but if you can tell me anything now, I can give it back to the pack and they can work on it. We can get something done whilst you recover, rest."
She's right, I need to do something. I need to snap out of the magic. Kassian. He needs me.
My eyes flick to hers and she's waiting, a look of desperation. "There is a clocktower," I mumble. "Outside of where he's being held. There is a clocktower with a cross on the top. It's light, sand coloured."
Nella nods. "I'll get the pack to look at it instantly. I doubt there are many clock towers with some kind of warehouse or building beside it. Is it distinctive?"
"Yes," I hiss. My ribs and chest aching from the pressure of the visions.
"Then we've got him."
She helps me to my feet and carries me back to the packhouse. I stay silent, not being able to get the visions of Kassian being whipped, out of my mind. His body shivering from the intense coldness, his skin frosting over and cracking.
My stomach clenches tightly and I push from Nella's hold and fall onto my hands and knees. Puking up my guts until there is nothing left and I'm retching on air. Nella rubs my back and I choke out a sob.
"They're hurting him," my throat strains painfully. "They're really hurting him. He's in so much pain. He's bleeding, he's cold. They're going to rip him to pieces."
She continues to rub my back soothingly. "I just mindlinked Mace and Alfie with the new information, they're already working on looking on GoogleMaps. It might take a couple hours but we've got him, Cleo. All thanks to you."
I wipe my mouth with my hand, glancing once at the bile that fell from my mouth. Not that there is anything there, I can't remember the last time I ate.
"You need rest, Cleo. Leave the searching for this building to us and you go to bed," her voice is serious. "Get something to eat, hydrated. Once they've found the building then we'll let you know, get the pack ready and we head over there as soon as possible."
My stomach growls and I almost attempt to retch again but I stop myself. Everything felt so heavy and I wanted to collapse down in front of me. Nella pulls me up before I get the chance.
Nella brings me back to the house, people are whizzing in and out of the kitchen. Alfie and Mace are most likely in Kassian's office trying to figure out where exactly this clock tower is. I know that I need to rest, as soon as they find what we're looking for then I'm going.
I won't be much help if I can barely hold myself up. Kassian needs me. He needs me to be there. And I sure as hell will rip out the throat of his kidnapper. I will not hesitate to make him suffer, for making Kassian suffer and making me and the pack suffer.
He's going to wish he never crossed me.
Nella takes me up to my bedroom and she lingers by the door. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything. Try to sleep, have a shower. Just rest, close your eyes."
If I close my eyes, I'll see him. Crying out in pain, feeling all alone and lost. But he's not alone because he's always in my heart, I'm in his. Even if he doesn't know it, if he can't feel it. I know we're together all the time. Through everything.
I close the door behind Nella and push my forehead to the wood. Kassian's scent swarming me all over again. My eyes close and I breathe in deeply. This will never not hurt. Especially when he's not here beside me.
My feet slowly drag my body to the shower. I barely wash, just enough to get the blood off my body. I couldn't be bothered, with anything. Completely drained to the core, nothing to motivate me to try and take care of myself. Why should I when Kassian is being tortured?
Once I step out I dry myself and get into clean clothes and then stare directly at our bed. It takes me a few moments before I pick up the courage to get into the sheets, his scent comforts me but then makes me devastated.
As soon as I touch the bed and rest my head down onto the pillow, tears escape my eyes. The first time since he;s been taken that I've allowed myself to cry, I didn't realise how much I needed it until now. So I let it out, loudly.
Sobbing into my pillow, completely drenching the material as I grip onto it with my hands. Wanting to scream to the top of my lungs, exhale these pent up emotions I've been feeling.
I cry and I cry. The tears never stop. As hard as I've tried to keep strong, I can't keep those walls up anymore. I just want him back, I need him. Gasping for breath, frightened that I'll never see him again.
We might be able to locate the clock tower, but what if it's too late? I should be out there now. I should be looking for him regardless of my health, of my body, of everything.
The door cracks open and then it closes after a few moments. I stay still and watch as Hope stands at the other side of the bed, watching me sob to myself. She climbs into the bed and holds me into her body tightly, wrapping her arms around me and rocking us.
"It's okay, Cleo," she mumbles to me gently. "It's okay."
I grip onto the back of her hoodie and cry into her shoulder, not realising that my body has started to shake aggressively. "I'm-I'm so scared, Hope."
She holds me tighter and kisses the side of her head. "I know you are," she whispers. "But it's okay. Mace and Alfie are on it, with the rest of the pack. They're going to find that building, we're going to find him and we're going to bring him home. For good."
I blink to clear my eyes of tears and settle on Hope's. "We had an argument before he got taken," my voice cracks. "We argued and that's the last thing we remember of each other. I literally told him 'whatever' and walked away."
Hope's face drops into a look of sympathy but she shakes her head and rubs my back. "And now I might never see him again, Hope. Fuck! What if he still thinks I'm annoyed at him? That I won't come for him? He's being tortured, starved and frozen to death and he thinks back at our last conversation and–" I grit my teeth to try and stop the pain inside my heart. "--Fuck!"
"Hey," Hope's voice is loud but I can't look at her. "Kassian knows how much you love him. Don't let your last conversation distract you from that. Use this as your fight to find him and bring him back, that will not be the last thing you say to him."
My lips tremble but tears continue to coat my cheeks. "I love him so much, I can't be without him, Hope. I can't. Fuck. I can't lose him. I will break, I will die. Every part of me will die and there will be nothing left. Nothing else to live for. I don't know what to do."
"Shhhh," Hope tries to calm me, wiping away my tears with her fingers. "What you do is fight. You are Cleo Stone, our strong, powerful Luna who can do anything. You will get Kassian back."
I bury my head into her shoulder and she soothes my back with her hand. "When you get him back, you're going to tell him how much you love him. That you're going to live a long, happy life together and nothing is going to stop you."
My mind circulates her words because I need to hear them before I break down for good. Those will not be the last words I say to him because I have so much more I need to say, I can't let him slip through my fingers.
"I want to be strong but I've lost hope of everything."
Hope shakes her head when I finally look at her. "No," she pushes my hair away from my face gently. "You are strong. You might not feel it right now, but you will always be the brave, strong and sassy Cleo that we know. Being strong doesn't just go away overnight."
I clench my eyes, fresh tears rolling again.
"Get some sleep and we can see if they have any new leads when you wake up."
"Will you stay with me?"
"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here." Her voice calms me and I know I'll be in good hands. Even for a couple of hours and we can go out looking again.
I snuggle closer into Hope's chest and try to drift off to sleep, ignoring the images printing in my brain of Kassian. Sleep will make me stronger. I have to be stronger for him.
. . .
Read the rest of the story and epilogues over on my Patreon early!
www.patreon.com/dreammcatcher
Link is also in bio!
Hey huns, sorry I've been away for a little while. I was on holiday and then I was ill but now I'm back.
What did you guys think of this chapter???
Seeing Cleo break down her walls of strength is so important, even though she's brave and courageous and strong. It just proves that you can't be emotionally strong all the time and that's okay, it's okay to let it out. Emotions are so strong and she's done so well to keep it together!
Who is ready to get our Kassian back?
I hope you guys enjoyed, don't forget to vote!
See you all on the next one, love Sav x
Insta: SavRose.x
Patreon: dreammcatcher
Tik Tok: savanna.rose.x