DAEMON
I feel the mate bond go dark. Not like when Ash is sleeping. I can still sense his emotions in dreams. But not now. It's completely dark.
I break out in a cold sweat, reassuring myself that if—moon goddess forbid—he was dead, it would hurt much more than this. The only solution is that he's unconscious or far away. Far enough that he can't reach me through the mind link. Not that this makes me feel any better.
It halts any plans I had for interrogating the scout. On the way back to the house, we find Wren first. He's sobbing, cradled in Tristan's arms. My friend found him naked and bleeding, blubbering about how him and the redhead were coming after us, got separated, and an alpha found him and demanded to know where Ash was.
"Goddamn it, stop fucking crying and tell us what happened!" I snarl, causing the omega to flinch, curling into his mates arms. I don't have it in me to feel guilty. Not when it's about Ash.
"Don't talk to him like that," Tristan growls lowly, but I don't care if I'm offending him. I don't know where my mate is or what has happened to him and it's killing me.
"He—he took him," Wren whimpers and I can barely hear him.
"What?"
"He said Ash was whoring himself to the enemy. He knocked him out and left. He stole him away!" Wren cries into his hands.
In that moment, I think my heart nearly stops. Ash was taken.
My mate was taken from me. Like I always feared.
I can't breath. I don't want to breath. Because I know exactly who'd do this. That goddamn stepfather of his. The bastard that tried to kill him before he ran away and I found him. The bastard that will inflict something horrible on my shortcake in the time that it takes for me to reach them. And there is nothing I can do to stop it.
"Daemon? Daemon!" Tristan's voice brings me back to reality and I look up from my shaking hands. "Get ahold of yourself,"
Fucker. As if he'd be fine if Wren was the one in Ash's place. He's already panicky over the omega's minor scrapes and bruises inflicted by Ash's stepfather. While my mate was fucking abducted by the abusive bastard.
Wren sniffles, adjusting Tristan's jacket around himself. "I'm so s-sorry,"
My eyes widen at the scent that comes off him, just a hint of it that comes with his movement. I know that scent.
That scent has haunted me in dreams for the past 13 years. The scent of the alpha that brutally murdered my mother right in front of me.
Now, also the scent of the man that I've sworn to kill for what he did to my mate.
Damned Ferix.
ASH
When I come to, I almost wish I was dead rather than waking up in the place of my nightmares.
I blink up at the ceiling that was home to my suffering for years of my childhood. The place that I'd be confined in up until over a year ago, when I escaped. I thought I would never face this again. I thought this was over.
Maybe running away, having a real life, and finding my mate was all a dream. Maybe this is just my reality. I lie there, my heart breaking into a million pieces. I think I want to give up. I can't fight anymore. Not here. Not in this horrible place.
Daemon. Just the thought of him makes me my heart ache. I just want Daemon. I want to be in his arms, safe and warm. Why did Ferix have to take me away from him? Why!? I crawl to the door, clawing at it desperately.
"PLEASE!" I scream, voice breaking. "PLEASE, NO!"
"Can you keep it down?" I hear a soft, breathy male voice and I startle. I whip around to the noise, spotting an omegan figure sitting in the corner of the room. Ferix... Ferix has another victim. My stomach turns as my eyes go to his stomach, realizing he's pregnant—and heavily so.
No. No, this is horrific.
"I'm not a ghost. You don't have to look at me like one," his golden eyes glint, pale face framed by choppy dark hair. He's so thin, like how I used to be when I was locked up in here.
"Did Ferix—did he..?" I choke out, panic clawing at my throat.
"Did he abduct and rape me? Yes. Am I now pregnant with that monster's pup? Also yes. Anything else you'd like to know?"
I shake my head, holding back tears. "I'm—I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry,"
He ignores my blubbering. "You're Ash, aren't you?"
I sniffle, confused. "I am. How did you—?"
"He calls me your name when he fucks me," he says casually, as if he's bored of the topic.
I want to vomit.
"W-We have to get out of here. You can't let him have the pup. He'll abuse it. He'll kill you both!"
"The only way out is if he magically becomes sane and lets us out," he counters, crossing his arms. "If you've got some fairy spells you wanna try to make that happen, be my guest,"
I sigh, picking at the skin around my nails. "My mate, he should be coming soon. I'm sure of it. He'll get us out,"
"So you escaped and got to go fall in love with your dear mate. Meanwhile, I was stuck here, carrying a child that you were supposed to have,"
I want to argue that he's my stepfather, my uncle by blood. That no one was supposed to be subjected to this cruelty. But I cant say anything. This person has been suffering, constantly violated by that disgusting man.
I apologize again, but he brushes it off. Daemon is going to come for me. He'll be here soon.
Right?
*
An hour goes by, and the house is silent. The omega doses against the wall, heavy dark circles under his eyes. I still don't know his name. He keeps his frail arms crossed over his belly protectively. The sight of how full he is makes me queasy. How will he be able to run if we try to escape? What if he falls on his stomach, hurting the pup? So many horrible thoughts are racing through my mind when a loud boom rings out.
The omega and I startle, both looking toward the door. Another bang, and then we see that the metal door is denting. Another, and another. I shriek as it breaks, sending the door flying into the room. It misses the both of us, but I still hide behind my hands.
"Oh, Ash, my little boy," my fathers voice rings out and I dare to look at the intruder. My heart fills with affection and I leap up, running into his arms.
"Daddy.!" I sob, burying my face in his chest. "Y-you're here.!"
"Yes, I'm here," he strokes a hand over my hair, pressing a kiss to my head.
I pull back to look up at him. "How did you get in here? Where's Ferix?"
His face is grim when I ask that, and my stomach turns nauseatingly.
"Daemon has come to end this. Once and for all,"
"They're fighting?" My grip on his arms tightens, chest filling with panic. What if Daemon gets hurt? What if—what if Ferix takes away the one thing that really matters? I couldn't live with that—
"Ash, I need to get you to safety. We must move quickly,"
I dig my teeth into my lip so hard I draw blood. He's right. We need to get out of here—and fast. Ferix's henchmen could arrive at any moment to stop my fathers rescue attempt. And there's the matter of the pregnant omega. I need to be strong. I can't panic. I have to help. I have to be the mate that Daemon deserves.
The Luna he deserves.
*
My father and I learn that the omega's name is Rory. He can barely walk with two sprained ankles, and I don't miss the look of profound pity my father has as he takes in the omega's state. He knows what Ferix did to him.
He must know that my mother was treated the same way. Forced to bed a man who had cast her mate out and kept her to be abused. It's the cruelest fate I can think of, and my heart twinges in pain. My father doesn't deserve that grief, yet he will always bear it.
"Where are they fighting?" I ask as we make our way up the stairs from the basement. My father carries Rory in his arms, the omega looking nauseous.
"Ash, you don't need to know. Daemon ordered me to keep you away until everything is over,"
"What?! While he risks his life?"
"I agree with him," my father shakes his head, "you've gone through enough as it is,"
I'm about to argue back when we reach the top of the stairs. I'm surprised to see Jay and Yvonne there, smack dab in this house of horrors. Just looking around makes my stomach turn.
"Ash!" Jay exclaims, "Are you—"
He goes silent when his eyes fall to the omega in my father's arms. I glance at Rory, who's eyes have widened.
"You're my—?" he questions in a small, quivering voice.
No way. Jay looks extremely confused, clutching his chest where I imagine his heart is pounding a mile a minute.
"Mate," Jay gasps, and I share a look with my father.
Jay rushes forward to take the weak omega from my father's arms, who gives him over willingly. Rory doesn't say anything, simply closing his eyes and curling into Jay's chest with a whimper. Jay holds him close, arms protectively enveloping the boy and my heart aches with tenderness.
They finally found each other.
Y'all probably hate me for going so long without updating—I'm so sorry, life has been rough these past months :( butttttt, Next chapter is the FINALE! After that, there will be a bonus chapter, giving a glimpse into my character's futures! Thank you all for supporting my story to no end, I appreciate you so much.