MIA
I stared at Lorenzo wide wide eyes, guilt rushing through me at the sight of him. He looked extremely flustered, and I knew that I was an idiot for leaving. I wanted to do something nice for him though, and I honestly thought that I would have made it back to the house in time.
I should have known Lorenzo would have found me within minutes though.
"Jesus Christ, Mia," Lorenzo muttered, running his hands through his tousled hair and groaning. "Sarai la mia morte."
I obviously had no idea what Lorenzo had said, but I had a feeling that the sentence wasn't meant for me, and he was just trying to let off some steam. Speaking Italian always seemed to calm him down a little bit, and I wasn't sure if it was because he could practically say anything he wanted and nobody would be able to respond or he just enjoyed confusing people.
"I'm sorry," I spoke, gulping.
Lorenzo raised his brow at me, making his way over and dropping to his knees before me, causing me to cock my head at him.
"Mia, I cannot and will not lose you again," he said, his voice shaky. "Please, and I beg you, please don't disappear like that. I almost had a heart attack. I thought you had been taken again."
I felt awful, realising I had acted impulsively, trying to prove to myself and others that I could still be independent. But, the fact of the matter was that neither Lorenzo nor I were ready for that right now, and that was okay.
"I just wanted to get you something to eat," I told him, leaning out of my chair and taking his hand, my fingers tracing his calloused palms, pressing down on the hardened skin.
"I know, baby," Lorenzo told me, sighing, and I could tell that he was mustering up all of his strength in order to not freak out on me, although I deserved it.
"Your food is ready, Luna!" called the elderly lady from her stall, and I turned to her with a red face, feeling foolish for ordering. I should have waited until Lorenzo was out of the shower and we could have gone together.
Lorenzo got up from his knees, bracing his hands on my wheelchair as he did, and I could tell that it took real effort for him to move in such a way. He trudged over to the stall and took the food, thanking the lady, offering her some money from his back pocket.
"Let's get home," my mate told me, pushing my wheelchair forwards with one hand, but, my eyes were still trained on the small crusty looking building dotted at the tree-line. The guard was studying us, his face morose looking as he met eyes with his Alpha, and Lorenzo took a deep breath, peeling his gaze away.
"What is that?" I questioned, causing Lorenzo to stop pushing my chair.
I could tell that he was uncomfortable, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot, grinding his teeth together.
"Lorenzo?" I asked, my voice timid. He looked frustrated, but, I was intrigued. The building looked intimidating despite its small size, and I wanted to know why there was a guard standing in front of it.
What was in there that was so precious? What did they want to keep people away from?
"The cells." He released a loud huff, biting at his bottom lip.
I arched a brow. I wasn't aware the pack had cells, but, the subject of intruders was not something that was spoken about among pack members often, and I wondered if other people were in the dark about it as much as I was.
"You have cells? Who's in there?" I asked, craning my neck to take another look at the building, the un-kept grass tufty around it, some strands almost reaching up to the lowered roof, tickling it in the breeze.
I didn't receive an answer for a few seconds, and my heart began to beat erratically.
Had they captured Ophelia? Was she in there being tortured? Or, was it just her body in there? Was she dead?
"It's Caspian."
I widened my eyes at Lorenzo's admittance, my hands beginning to shake as I scowled at him. I didn't know why I was suddenly angry, but, my emotions were all over the place right now. I didn't want Caspian here.
"Caspian? What? Why? Why is he here?" My voice came out a little harsher than expected, and I noticed how Lorenzo recoiled slightly. He looked guilty, and I wondered how long Caspian had been inside the building. Had he been there the entire time I was unconscious?
"He practically gave himself up, Mia," Lorenzo told me, beginning to wheel me away from the stall and back in the direction of our house.
The lady behind the stall was probably eavesdropping, and if people didn't know about Caspian being in there, they certainly were going to now. That was surely a secret nobody could keep. Our old third in command was rotting away in the cells having given himself up after betraying us. It was juicy gossip.
I wanted to see Lorenzo's face as we spoke, so, I remained quiet for the rest of the journey back to the house, my anxiety creating crazy scenarios in my head. Were they going to accept Caspian back into the pack and reward him with his old position? Had everybody forgiven him? Was I the last to know?
"Steady your breathing, Mia," Lorenzo told me from above. "You're going to give yourself a panic attack."
I did as he said, taking in deep breaths and holding them for a few seconds before blowing them out slowly. My lungs were taut and felt as if they were being squeezed, but I untensed my muscles purposely, allowing my body to sag. I hadn't realised how clenched I was, a dull ache coursing through my tendons and ligaments.
We eventually returned back to the house, and Lorenzo shut the door quickly behind us, plopping the wrapped up sandwiches down on the counter. However, I was no longer in the mood to eat, and the smell of them was enough to make me gag. I felt sick.
"I know you're probably freaking out about him being here," Lorenzo said, taking a deep breath and sitting down in front of me. I noticed the way he eyed up the squished tomato sat on the counter before he began talking, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
He didn't say anything though. I was sure he would have been able to guess that I had failed trying to cook for him.
"Caspian came to the border while you were still under. He wanted to talk, but I'm sure he knew what was going to happen. He brought something with him too as a sign of 'peace'."
I nodded once, encouraging Lorenzo to continue. I didn't want to speak and ruin his flow.
"He brought Greg's head with him."
I inhaled sharply, the words taking a few seconds to process. Had Lorenzo really just told me that Greg was dead?
"Greg was fleeing after helping us, but Caspian caught him before he could get too far."
I swallowed, feeling instantly sorry for his family. He had told us that he had a wife and kids, and I only hoped that they didn't have to witness his death. That was, if he was telling the truth about having a family. It could have been one big fib, something I wouldn't put past Greg to do.
"He's here because I don't want him out while Ophelia is still on the run. I don't trust them together."
I understood Lorenzo's logic. Caspian knew the secrets of the pack and how we worked, so having them possibly working together again wasn't ideal, but neither was having Caspian here. I couldn't help but wonder if there was a possibility he would escape and harm people. His wolf was stronger than an average one, and if he wanted to, he could kill.
"I want to speak to him," I said, and Lorenzo shook his head, looking uneasy.
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Mia."
I shrugged, my face expressionless. I deserved to speak to Caspian after everything he had done. I didn't particularly want to see him, but he used to be a good friend of mine. I wanted to understand why he did what he did.
"Do you want me to tell you why he betrayed us?" Lorenzo asked me, and I gulped, biting down on my tongue.
"No, I want to hear it from him." I shook my head, pursing my lips, waiting for my mate to respond, him taking a few seconds to think.
"Okay fine, if you're sure, but only when you get your strength up," Lorenzo said, getting up and grabbing our food, handing me one of the sandwiches. I was in no mood for eating, but, I knew that Lorenzo wouldn't want me speaking to Caspian without having eaten something.
I forced the food down, taking slow delicate bites, helping myself to a few of the fries. Lorenzo finished his off quickly, and I could tell that he had been absolutely ravenous. I had made a good choice with the pulled pork.
We ate in silence, and I felt saddened that it appeared slightly stiff between us. We were both feeling guilty, and continued to smile at each other sadly, Lorenzo eventually flicking on the TV to fill the room with some sound.
Placing the rest of my food down on the table, I shook my head at it, gesturing for my mate to finish it off. He did quickly, and I began to fiddle with my fingers, attempting to come up with some questions to ask Caspian. I had so much I wanted to know, but, I wasn't sure how to word them.
I was feeling a whole lot better after eating, although I didn't want to admit it. My blood sugar had returned to normal, and my legs no longer felt like jelly.
Lorenzo and I spent around an hour watching the TV, neither of us wanting to bring up going to see Caspian. Lorenzo most likely thought I would break down in front of him, and even if that did happen, it would only make Caspian feel worse about what he had done.
He seemed to have been battling with himself when he was handing me over, and I was hoping I could play on that and get him to talk.
There was a chance I could get him to help us find the location of Ophelia, but I didn't doubt that Lorenzo had already tried that.
Eventually, I needed the bathroom, and I forced myself up out of my chair to make my way over to it, Lorenzo looking at me with worry. I could tell that he was concerned I wasn't using the wheelchair, but, I already felt better, and I was tired of having to push myself around in it. It hurt my arms.
When I came out of the bathroom, I noticed how Lorenzo had turned off the TV and was standing by the front door. I was relieved that I hadn't had to ask him to take me to see Caspian, and I joined him as we exited the house.
"If you change your mind at any point, let me know," he told me, taking my hand in his, eyeing me up, ensuring I was okay with walking. My legs were a little wobbly, but Lorenzo slowed his pace down for me.
I nodded, gazing over the hill as we walked, my eyes focusing on the path that led towards the direction of the school. I missed working on it with Lily and the kids. I wanted to see them again, and I made a mental note to go and visit them in class when I felt up for it. Seeing them would surely help me feel better.
Although, kids didn't have a filter, and I would have to prepare myself for all sorts of questions about what had happened to me.
"Will you come in with me?" I asked Lorenzo, and he nodded immediately, causing me to exhale with relief. I didn't feel like going down into the cells alone with Caspian. I didn't trust him, and I was already worried that he was going to try and harm us again. "Make sure the guard is there too. Just in case."
"He will be," Lorenzo assured me, and I started chewing on the inside of my cheek in angst as we climbed the small hill, reaching the top and staring out at the eery building. I noticed how the elderly lady behind the stall was beginning to shut up shop, and she smiled at us briefly before turning back to her job in hand.
The guard raised a brow at us as we approached him, and Lorenzo nodded at him, muttering a few words I couldn't hear. I was too busy analysing the heavy wooden door, a few dents in it, the material looking stained and rotten.
This place needed a renovation.
Lily and I could work on it one day. The idea of a new task was tempting. I liked to keep busy.
The guard stepped in before us, the creaking of the door causing a shiver to run down my spine, and I could tell that the bolts holding it to the wall were close to disintegrating.
It was dark as we stepped in, and the guard flicked on the wall lamp, telling us to watch our step as we made our way down them. Lorenzo was behind me with his hands on my waist, steadying me and holding me tightly in case I was to fall.
I took each step slowly though, some of them feeling a little slimy and slippery under my shoes, and I hoped it was water coating them.
The smell of iron hit me, and I cringed, unsure whether it was blood or just the scent of rusting metal. The guard stepped aside as we reached the bottom of the stairs, and I peered through the blackness, Lorenzo clearing his throat and switching on the main light.
I gasped as I took in the state of the man I had one called my friend. He was hunched over in the corner of the cell, his eyes hollow and cheekbones sunken in, looking to have not eaten in days.
Were they just going to let him starve to death in here?
"Caspian?" I called, my voice wavering slightly, and I saw him lift his head, his eyebrows raising once he spotted me, his face full of sorrow.
"Mia?"
•••
Translation:
Sarai la mia morte- You will be the death of me
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