Chapter 34

Eren

There was so much noise in my head that I wasn't even able to fall into that pit of darkness that now lives inside of me. 

Pain is my one and only companion and since I haven't been able to dream of Dylan any longer, I have been relying on the fact that my mom would come and visit me in these moments of nothingness.

Dane was finally coming back around since it has been at least a few hours since my uncle's beast injected me with the latest dose of that disgusting poison.

While he wasn't saying anything, I was already used to the sensations of what happened when he was locked away and when he was released into the prison of my mind or body or both.

Little prickling sensations played at the back of my head as if I had been hit back there and I was now slowly healing from a blow I couldn't recall.

Funny, since my head was probably the one place that Zane hadn't bothered to butcher as he experimented on all the different parts of my body as he ripped me apart.

Hell, maybe he was worried that if he killed me, he wouldn't have anything to use to try to lure Dylan back here. Or it could just be that he wasn't bored with dissecting me yet since it seemed he was still tweaking that sh*t he continuously keeps injecting me with.

I knew that it had been some time since he had last come because the skin had already started to regrow along my abdomen where he had slowly sliced and peeled it away with tiny little blades.

There was little pain there, but the itching that was starting from the newly grown skin was beginning to bother me to the point that it was pulling me out of whatever sleep I had been trying to fall into.

Dreamless sleep was the only thing that I had to look forward to since so much of the time that I did find myself asleep I would be awoken by nightmares that lived in my head. Or worse were the real ones that appeared right in front of my face.

Even if Zane and my uncle had plans to keep me alive and do whatever the gods only knew, there was pain in my body like nothing I had ever felt before.

It wasn't a physical pain, but more of an emotional one. Maybe even one that went deeper than that and went all the way down into my soul.

Whatever this band on my wrist was, it had the ability to keep others from being able to find me from what Zane had said, but somehow it let me feel everything that Dylan was enduring.

No amount of the physical or psychological pain that Zane was inflicting on me compared to what I felt coming from Dylan every so often.

It was as if my body was a broken shell that allowed things inside, but nothing could escape or reach out to anyone for help.

A few hours ago, or maybe minutes ago, I don't even know anymore, but I had felt her pain yet again. This time, it had been different, I had felt a bit of the spark that used to linger on my skin at her touch.

In that moment, I knew that I was truly losing what was left of my mind. To hallucinate such a painful feeling, thought, or desire was worse than knowing that I would never feel that again.

That was when I had decided that I would do everything in my power to make sure that I could never be used against her.

At first, I thought of how I could end my life on my own terms or how I could get Dane to help me do it, but I couldn't figure out a way to make it happen alone.

It wasn't until that faint tingle, the burning that started on my skin, and then buried itself inside my heart that my decision became clear. 

The room was completely dark again except for the small lamp on the opposite side of the tiny cell. I had my eyes closed as I tried to figure out if I was going to stay awake or try to fall into what little reprieve sleep might bring.

I longed to see my mother's face and ask her for help with this, but I had no idea if she would be willing to assist her son in killing himself.

Probably not since she had been the voice that encouraged me through the nights and days and was the only beacon, I had in this all-consuming darkness. If I only had a little time left in this world, I wished to see her face again.

Warmth had rolled across my skin in such a way that it had both shocked me and filled me with an almost unimaginable rage. 

I didn't trust that Zane or Marq hadn't figured out some kind of way to cause effects like this within my body and if this was yet another way for them to torture me, I knew I would eventually break.

Taking my own life had never been part of the plans that I had considered because I had been almost sure that my uncle or his beast would do it for me.

Now that I knew my uncle wished for me to stay alive, I knew that I would have to do this on my own, but I just hadn't had enough time to figure out how just yet.

Little did I know just how cold my body was until I had felt that warmth radiates through me. If I would have had enough fluids in my body I probably would be crying right now, but I just couldn't do it.

My whole being ached to see her once more, to even be able to dream of her wouldn't be enough, but I knew that I would have to talk to Dane about this as soon as possible.

If this meant saving her life, then I knew that he would help me find a way, but I had a feeling that the reason that he was almost back now was because he had felt the same thing I had.

Unsure how long it would be until my uncle or Zane came back to work me over, I decided to try to get a little bit or rest until Dane had the energy to talk to me so we could plan.

My arms were so numb at this point that I was almost sure that they were going to end up eventually falling off, but right now I just settled my body in the position that hurt the least and tried to find that blessed darkness and peace.

It wasn't often that I heard any other noises outside the cell, but for some reason there had been a bang that went off loud enough and near enough to the door that I was able to hear it in my cell.

At first, I hadn't realized that I was awake and thought that I had been dreaming or maybe even imagining the noise, but when Dane suddenly howled in my head, I realized that whatever was going on was real.

My senses were dampened thanks to whatever crap they had been injecting me with, but somehow Dane had picked up on something.

Too bad when it registered in my head what he had been thinking I couldn't let the thought stay in my mind. It was too painful, and I honestly didn't think that either of us could handle that thought.

"Do you smell that? Feel it?" 

His words came out rough even in my mind, but I quickly tried to brush them aside. It's bad enough that I was now able to realize just how cold and pitiful I felt being in here, letting my mind imagine her close enough to pick up her scent was too much.

But when the sudden flutter filled my chest and almost ripped my breath out of my lungs, I felt my entire body convulse.

This sensation was coming from Dylan, and it felt much more intense than the others. While the others have been painful to the point where I thought I might pass out, this one felt clearer somehow.

"She is near, I can feel her."

Dane's words were too loud, and I did not want to let them penetrate deep enough to cause me to hope that there might be any truth to them.

Hope is a b*tch and she doesn't play fair. If I gave her even an ounce of myself, she would take me and swallow me whole.

But the sounds coming from beyond the door were starting to get louder and more frequent so I at once realized that not only was I not dreaming, but I was not alone.

A part of me knew that it was not my uncle or his monster because they had never made such a commotion before, but I refused to let my mind think that it may be someone here to find me.

Wishing and praying were things I hadn't ever found useful, and I knew if I succumbed to such acts, I would only hurt myself further, so even though Dane was trying to rouse himself to figure out what was going on, I refused to give in to it.

"We should just sleep, it probably has nothing to do with us," I thought the words but felt the twinge of interest begin to spark and knew that this was probably not going to end well.

Forcing my eyes closed, I almost begged for sleep to find me, but nothing worked for me anymore, not my body, not my wolf, not fate or the gods, nothing.

I was squeezing them shut with as much strength as I could, but when a bang went off again, I couldn't ignore it. Not because it didn't just sound closer than the last one, but because it was actually the door of my cell being hit from the opposite side.

Eyes wide open, I knew that while this could be a terrible idea, I tried to use the voice I hadn't in so long and call out to whoever might be on the other side of that door.

"Here. I'm here."

There was no response, but another sudden bang hit the door so hard that I heard the metal warp and bend inward as if something or someone was hitting or punching it, but I couldn't imagine who could possibly be doing it.

Dane was still so weak from whatever medication they give me to put him into a sleep like state, but I could feel both his excitement and his curiosity growing in anticipation of that f*cking door finally opening.

It wasn't until the door buckled inwards again that I became aware of my physical appearance, and I couldn't help but glance over to the little cot where that girl had breathed her last breaths.

A part of me would always ache for the girl who looked so much like my mate, but not because I would miss her, but because of the message her death had been used to send me.

Even though the door was extremely damaged, it still wasn't open so I couldn't hear any voices coming from the other side, but I tried to call out again.

"Please. I'm in here. Please."

This time I couldn't keep the fear and desperation from dripping into my voice as I called out to the stranger or strangers out there. The ones who could finally help me earn my freedom from this hell.

I was unprepared for the onslaught of emotions that filled me the moment the last word had escaped from my dry and cracked lips.

The force of sensations felt like it would drown me and collapse my chest at the same time. Dylan was experiencing something so intensely that I couldn't stop the tears from falling as I imagined what could be happening to her.

Dane was panting just as I was and as I clenched my eyes closed and tried to catch my breath, I imagined sending her comfort through the bond I knew we had but that she couldn't feel.

It was then that the boom resounded in the room, and I knew that the door had been completely caved in. Metal was on the ground and dust was floating in the air, but it was still pretty dark and with my blurred vision, I could only make out figures in the doorway.

One of the figures moved so suddenly, that I flinched away as they approached, but when I felt the warm electric current run over my cheek, my eyes flew open wide.

Bright auburn hair, pale ivory skin, and the most incredible gold eyes were not only inches from my own, but they were looking right at me.

I had to blink a few times to make the images in front of me make sense in my mind and I saw her soft pink lips moving, but no words seemed to be coming out.

As the rest of the dust cleared, I saw the fae male that I knew was related to Marq, the red haired wolf who had come to the pack lands for Dylan, and a body dangling between the two of them.

With the head of the person angled in such a way, I could not make out their face, but I knew that it was a man since he was very clearly naked.

But I didn't let my eyes linger on the three by the door because nothing was more amazing than the beautiful girl who was now ripping steel brackets from the stone walls as if they were nothing.

When my arms fell down to my sides I had not been prepared for their sudden dead weight and I felt myself falling towards the ground.

Closing my eyes, I tried to brace for the impact I knew would probably hurt like a b*tch, but nothing came except the sudden shocks of pleasure across my chest and shoulders.

Dylan, who was nowhere near my size, had caught me before I could hit the floor and was holding my mangled body up while the dark haired fae made his way towards us.

I don't know if it was shock or pure joy, but I felt my heart racing so hard that I thought it was going to end up beating out of my chest.

But everything fell away when I felt her cheek brush against my own. Her hot breath near my ear, and then her words flow inside my head.

"I'm here. I'm here for you. And we are getting you out, I promise!"