Chapter 45
Jade
The pain in my limbs was overwhelming. Shifting to and from my wolf the first few times wasn’t this bad. The scent of copper was heavy in the air. I knew it was because he had been carving me up while I had been unconscious. I could feel the blood caked over my skin.
I didn’t understand the man. Didn’t someone torture someone because they wanted them to react? All this time, I hadn’t been able to. Was he waiting to see how I would take what he had done to me? Curiosity got the best of me as I promised myself I wouldn’t react to what he had done. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I knew he was watching me from the shadows, waiting to see how I would scream or cry. But truth be told, all I wanted to do was throw up on him again. The pain in my head had been worth that.
Right in the middle of my stomach was a massiveDcarved into the creamy skin. Except now, it wasn’t creamy or even white. It was bright red with my blood. It looked like the wound was still bleeding and I wondered if I would die here. If I would bleed out. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I didn’t bother with looking at the rest of the damage he had done. He had marked me and that was the worst he could do.
Right on cue, he stepped from the darkness. “No stitches on hand, but I have something just as effective.”
He held up a longer thicker blade than the others. After a few seconds, it started to glow. Whether it was from all the trauma to my head or all the blood loss, it had taken me entirely too long to grasp that he was heating the metal with his magic. He leaned forward with a grin before he pressed the hot metal to my flesh. My back shot off the table as I bucked through the pain. A scream tore through my lips as the fiery heat only got worse on my middle. My chest heaved as saliva spilled from my lips and tears tumbled down my cheeks.
What felt like hours later, he pulled the smoking blade from my stomach and smiled. “That wasn’t too bad, was it?”
My mouth had pooled with saliva, as well as rolling down my neck. I leaned to the side as much as I could with my stomach screaming in protest as I spat what was left in my mouth at the man. His nostrils flared as he took a step back. My throat ached as I laid my head back down on the table and waited for him to hit me again. I hoped this time it killed me. Except the blow never came. He didn’t bother with wiping the spit from his face either. He merely disappeared while I came to terms with my new branding.
* * *
Rafe
My chest heaved as I shot up in bed and ripped my shirt from my back. I was sleeping in Jade’s cottage. It was the only place that was complete enough for me. I felt odd sleeping in her bed that she hadn’t even seen yet but I had nowhere else to go.
I rubbed the sensitive skin on my belly before I leaned over to turn the bedside table on. Right there in the middle of my stomach was a fadingD. It looked like someone had scratched into my skin, but it was fading too quickly.
Thankfully I kept the stupid cellphone close by. I took a picture of it just before it disappeared completely.
Come to Jade’s cottage immediately.
There was only one thing that could do this to me and I hoped I wasn’t right about it. The inside of my stomach still ached, even as the mark was gone. I didn’t bother with trying to pull a shirt back on, the pain was still too bad.
Mav was the first one at the door. I held onto the frame to keep myself steady. Mav took one look at me before his hands transformed into claws and he crouched low in a defensive stance. I shook my head.
“No, the threat isn’t here.”
Knox, Archer, and Gabriel were next. They took one look at me before they did the same as Mav. Mav still hadn’t relaxed.
I showed them the picture as I held my aching stomach. Knox’s eyes grew dark as his wolf rose to the surface. “What does this mean? Is magic involved?”
“Yes and no,” Granny said from the doorway. “There is magic but it is ancient mate magic. You are feeling what Jade is going through. There aren’t many bonds strong enough that allow the other person to feel like this. You haven’t claimed her and you’re feeling this.” Granny shook her head. She was wearing a robe with rubber boots. She took a step inside then got comfortable on Jade’s couch. “Because you two haven’t claimed each other yet, this leaves me to believe that a powerful witch is involved.”
“How did you know to be here?” Knox leaned forward as he narrowed his eyes.
She swatted at him. “I could feel the magic going over the wards. The witch is using your mate bond to let you know that your mate is being tortured.”
Rage like no other filled my mind. I stood up and my wolf rose to the surface. “I will tear the witch limb from limb.”
Knox smacked my face. It only managed to get me out of the rage haze for a second. “We will get her, but you can’t go in there like this. You can’t go in there at all. Let us bring her home.”
The rage faded to something else and before I knew it, I was choking back a sob. He had carved aDinto her stomach. My guardians grouped around me as they each put their hands on my shoulders. They were offering me their strength, their loyalty, and their compassion. The anger and revenge that had been so prevalent before, slowed down to a simmer. My shoulders collapsed under the weight of my own emotions at war.
Knox was the first to pull me into a hug. He patted my back affectionately before Archer came in for one. Before I knew it, I was in the biggest hug pile of my life.
“We will fight this war beside you. We will bring your mate home. Trust us to bring justice to you and Jade.” I didn’t know who said it but I swore I felt a few tears escape my eyes before we all pulled away.
Granny stood up from the couch. She tucked her hand inside of mine. “I will do my best to track the magic that is at work here, but I have no promises. I will do my best.”
She kissed my cheek before she departed. My men were on her heels. Mav turned around at the last second. “Do you need me to stay?”
My entire life emotions hadn’t been something I let many people see. My guardians had seen it all. They had seen my grief, rage, uncertainty, and lust. I couldn’t say that they had seen me love because I didn’t know what that felt like. But I knew they would see it eventually. I nodded my head. He grinned before he launched himself at the couch.
The poor piece of furniture groaned before a loud crack split the room and the couch collapsed on the floor. I didn’t think it was possible but his bronze skin drained of all color.
“Don’t tell Tracey,” he whispered.
A laugh escaped my lips and it sounded so weird in the moment. My mate was going through unimaginable pain and I was able to laugh. It felt wrong. Guilt slammed into me as my face fell.
Mav winced. “I’ll buy a new one.”
Tracey would hold him to it too. I nodded my head and walked down the hall. The worst part of all of this wasn’t the pain I had felt. It was the pain knowing there was absolutely nothing I could do to protect my mate. The pain in knowing there was no way I could soothe her.
