A/N: I'm so happy for all of the support I'm getting! I could not be happier! All of you readers make me so proud, and I just wanted to thank you all for the millionth time! I love you all, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!😭💕❤️💘
"Ngh.." I clutched my stomach and curled into a ball. The metallic taste of blood still swarming inside my mouth. My neck burned where my pink collar used to be. Now it was replaced with silver chain to burn my flesh. I felt numb to the pain though. It's like having that blister on your foot and you complain about it for awhile, but eventually you adapt to the pain. This was the state I was in.
How long has it been since I last saw my mate..? How long has it been since I last talked to my wolf..? "..Alec..." I coughed out, hoping to reach my wolf. This was my daily routine, trying to get in touch with my wolf in hopes to get out of here... They administer wolf's bane into my system with a large needle to keep my wolf down. But I know deep down he is still alive... After all I can feel him constantly jabbing at the back of my mind in attempts to escape the poison and save us. Without him I can't contact my mate. Without him I'm useless. Without him and my mate, I am only a quarter of the person I once was.
"..d..r..k..." I desperately tried to call out Drake's name but in vain. I hovered my hand over my neck. The silver chain was hurting my neck to the point it burned out my vocal cords. "Wakey wakey, little friend." I look up at the man with a glare as he opened the cell door with a screech. "You know, I feel like you're starting to grow on me. Man, that fiery look in your eyes never goes away.. I like you... I wonder how long my toy will last." He kneeled to my level, pulled out a knife, and smiled at me sadistically. He trailed the knife along my cheek leaving a long gash right into it. I did not flinch.
"What no more comments? How boring." I pointed to my neck and flipped him off. He just threw his head back and laughed. "Right! RiGhT!" After his fit of laughter, he grabbed a mallet. "Let's have some fun~" He took the mallet, swung it, and broke my good leg. I groaned in pain and clenched my teeth. That frigging hurt! But I would not let him let him get off on my screams. In fact I spat right onto his shoes and trailed my bloody hand accross his clothes. I'm not as weak as I was, when I was first kidnapped. "HOw DiSReSpECtFUl AYdEn! You know I do not appreciate LOW LIVES like you touching me! You people are DISGUSTING!"
He grabbed the fire poker that warmed under the hot flames and stabbed it right into my side. I whined and clenched my teeth again spitting up blood. He looked at me angrily and twisted and turned the fire poker into my side. The blood gushed and the healed wounds around it opened up again. The floors stained with my blood got a new fresh coat of it, while the warm substance flowed down my side. I fought against the poker and clutched onto the end of it with my hand. You could hear my blood sizzling and see my skin melting from the heat.
After he had his fill for what seems like years, he put his face right in mine and frowned. "I don't like it that none of the stuff I do makes you feel agonizing pain anymore.. Kills my fun. After all you are my favorite toy." He sniffed my hair, pulled back, and smiled at me. He carressed my face in adoration, but I just gave him a blank look in return. "Well you're a no good toy unless I really see you struggle and fight.." He tapped his chin in thought. "Hmm.. How bad do you want to leave?"
I looked at him in curiosity. "..." I tried to ask him where he was going with this but my voice was gone and I frowned. Well at least I can still breathe. "I honestly don't care about this war between rogues and packs. I'm just here for the fun of it, you know? The look of grief and pain on their faces, when they see their loved ones die! The way they fight and beg! You can't get a better circumstance for satisfaction!!" He had a sparkle in his eyes as he talked about war and when he finally settled down, he looked towards my direction.
"I want to see my favorite toy do the same.." He licked his chapped lips stained with my blood and smiled wickedly. He kicked the key to this cell just out of my reach. "I'm letting you escape... That's if you can." He grinned widely and sat down. "Go on now! No one is stopping you!" I stared at the key in disbelief and then at him and then at the key.
This is really happening... I don't know what's messed up in that head of his but this is my chance to see everyone again! With this realization, I jumped for the key but only to be jolted back by chain. I hissed as it dug further into my skin. Stupid thing! I clenched onto the silver chain and tugged as my already charred hands became more disoriented. I felt it sinking into my skin but I didn't care. I let out a silent scream and pulled the chain above my head in desperation.
I grabbed the key and got up only to fall onto the cell wall. I look at my broken leg and then at the other incredibely injured. I gritted my teeth. This wasn't going to be easy. The sick man stood up and clapped. "I'm impressed!" He said with glee. "Those fiery eyes.. I like you." He pushed me to the bars of the cell and I clutched onto them to keep myself up and off the ground. "Now hurry up! We don't got all day!" He spat on me. "The fun part is only just getting started." He smirked as he twirled the knife in his hand.
I took his words seriously. I can't have him change his mind... and that means I'm going to have to put on quite a show to keep him entertained. I slipped my hand through the bars and stuck the key into it's hole, twisted it, and opened the door. I launched myself towards the wall and leaned all my weight onto it. I dragged myself accross it, leaving a trail of blood.
Once we were out of the dungeon, I was greeted to the woods and a lot of rogues training. I immediately hid behind a tree in order to not be seen. Of course, the idiot who tortured me followed me without care as I stealthily shimmied my way accross the border of where the rogues were holding out.
"This is boring..." He muttered with a blank face as my hands grasped onto the next tree. "I have an idea~" He kicked me in the back of my knees, and I launched forward with a whine. My body tumbled into the dirt, and I clutched the broken leg I fell on. "Oh no! Look! One of those filthy pack members got out of the cell!" He screamed out. Some gasped as they looked down at my beaten up frame sprawled accross the ground for everyone to see. Others got into a fighting stance and said, "DON'T MOVE!"
I bit my lip in frustration. Dammit... What now?! A-Ayden...? My wolf called out to me. Alec! Shift. You..can.. shift now. He let out as many words as he could before he started to rest in my mind. Thank you, Alec. I know you're exhausted.
All of the rogues started to approach, but I growled. No way in hell am I letting them catch me now. I have my wolf and mate to fight for. I immediately shifted into my brown wolf and shoved myself into one of the rogues sides, before sprinting my way out.
All I can do is run. Run. Keep running! I yelled at my werewolf legs, knowing that the physical toll on my body was affecting my performance. I sloppily trudged my legs through the thick forest as I heard multiple werewolf paws hitting the forest floor.
They were catching up to me fast. This caused me to jolt my head from side to side to find a way out. There! My eyes caught side of a pond. The pond should mask my strong scent. Too much blood was gushing out of me. I was leaving a trail that needed to disappear. I immediately jumped into the pond, shifting into my human form, and made my way around a big rock, clutching at my side.
"Here! Over here! His scent stops at the river!" I heard multiple feet come to a stop. "Search the perimeter of the river! Don't let him escape!" I tried to calm my breathing as I struggled to keep myself up on the rock. My eyes caught sight of the man who tortured me in my cell and I froze. I looked at him desperate for him not to make a peep of my location.
"Hey, Jamison! I think I might've found something." Suddenly the sound of a rogue came to my ears and this caused me to duck my head under the water. "Yeah, what?" I heard a muffled voice say. God, please don't say anything. Please! "..Hmm... must've been my immagination~" The sick man said and in return I heard a voice scoff. "Don't lead me on like that stupid!" I heard two pairs of feet leave.
I desperately tried to surface as my lungs took in a gulp of water desperate for air. My legs weren't strong enough, and I couldn't shift anymore. I scratched onto the rock, wishing I could get ahold of the slimy substance, my fingernails bleeding as I made my way up it. Once I surfaced, I clutched onto the rock and coughed out a mixture of the pond and blood.
I laid down on it gladly taking my moment of rest and looking up at the sky. I let out a smile that I hadn't let out in awhile. The breeze on my skin, the feeling of water, the sun beaming its rays down onto the land, the birds chirping... You begin to grow insane, when you're left without the familiarity of warmth and the small things you see and feel in life.
I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders but a big weight was still upon me. I need to make it back to my mate. With that though in mind, I worked up whatever energy I had left and made my way towards the shore. I tried to get up but in vain. My legs gave out. I guess I'm crawling the rest of the way..
Days passed and my wounds began to get infected from crawling through the dirt. My werewolf couldn't talk to me and my legs still wouldn't work. I was beginning to just want to give up. I was tired of living off my wolf instincts to hunt. Some days I couldn't even catch food. My body was giving up on me, before I was giving up mentally.
I don't know how long I can carry on like this... As if on cue, my body gave out and my eyes closed much to my dismay. I'm going to die here.. I'm sorry.. for failing you all.. I'm sorry.. Drake, I hope you can be happy without me. My finger twitched but that's all I could move. I'm dying...
"LUNA!" I heard a familiar voice scream and take me into his arms. Ahh I know that voice... Xavier. "Stay with me, Ayden!" He smack my face. "OPEN YOUR EYES! please...You wouldn't not want to see Hot Stuff's face again. Am I right..?" I let out a silent laugh and desperately tried to open my eyes. I smiled as I got to see him once again.
"There you go! Now just hang in there! I'm going to take you to the pack doctor." He shifts into his wolf and orders one of the pack member's on border patrol to but me on his back. The pack member on border patrol told me to clutch onto his fur as best as I could. I did as was told, and Xavier immediately picked up speed.
He rushed us into the pack hospital and gave me to the doctors. I was put on a stretcher and into a room. "His heart rate is decreasing. Get the cardiac defibrillator just in case." I heard loud footsteps running through the halls and a melodic voice screaming my name. I tried to call his name. I tried to tell him where I was. I was scared. I needed him. The voice got closer as if answering to my calls.
"AYDEN!" He screamed as he saw me in the hospital bed as the pack doctors desperately worked to keep me alive. He fell to his knees and grabbed my hand. "Don't worry. It's going to be okay." Drake said as he clutched onto my hand. The look of desperation strewed right accross his face. I was never going to get enough of that look, desperation. "Alpha, I'm sorry but you need to get out of the room. We need to properly work to keep your mate alive." Drake growled with tears in his eyes. "YOU DO NOT ORDER ME. YOU HEAR ME?!" The pack doctor cowarded into himself. "Y-Yes, Sir." The doctor said.
I began to close my eyes feeling tired, but my mate gripped my hand tightly. "No, Ayden. Stay with me. You're stronger than this. You're supposed to stay with me and smile and laugh when Damion makes dirty jokes and blush when I give you compliments. You're supposed to stay with me forever and be happy by my side, remember?"
They put their hand on my cheek with heterochromia iridium eyes, one of them pitch black and the other ocean blue. You could hear the mixture of the two different people melding together into one voice. They were full on crying. I smiled and put all my strength into my hand, lifting it to place it on top of their own. I love you, Drake. I love you, Damion. I mind linked with them and felt my vision blurr. I lost consciousness as Drake and Damion desperately clutched my side, begging me to stay awake, to stay with him. He grasped my hand as it felt limp. His sobs filling my ears.
I'm sorry... I love you.