31. Soren

31

SOREN

I thought I had experienced fear before, but nothing was worse than thinking Laima was so close to capturing Oria. Her pleas along with her tears almost had me jumping on Max with her, but Ryder and Gray held me back. I also couldn't risk Laima getting to her and if I could give her even one more minute to get away, then I would die for it.

Death would have been the easier solution, but Laima wasn't stupid. She knew we were the key to Oria, and we were the only people between her and her supply of Oria. It didn't take long for her minions to overpower the pack and take us. The guys and I would never admit it, but I had my doubts on how far her depravity could go to get what she wanted.

"Where is she?" our jailer yelled as I tensed. I was waiting for the blow to hit me, arms were strung up over my head in the center of the room that held the guys and me.

I stayed quiet, staring at his ugly mug with no intention of speaking. We stared at each other, my attention unwavering because even if I was at a disadvantage there was no way in hell was I going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten to me.

"Fine," he snarled, lifting a knife and pushing it into my shoulder.

I tried to keep a straight face, but the agony of it slowly going into my shoulder was enough to make me crack. I grunted in pain, throwing my mind to a place where I could tolerate this. Oria's beautiful face came to mind. Her laughs, smiles and goddess, her moans.

He pulled the knife out, making me grunt again before punching me in the gut a few times. I wasn't ready for the stab on my thigh; the sharp metal sliding through my skin and muscles made me cry out.

"Just tell me what I want to know, and it ends here," he growled, pulling the knife out.

Blood trailed down my shoulder and thigh. My vision was getting blurry, the blood loss intensified my hunger. If he continued to bleed me out. I'd be lost to blood lust.

"You better tell me or you're going to regret it when she comes in here," he snapped, walking around me.

A few grunts broke the silence and when he asked again, none of us responded.

"Your fucking funeral," he snarled, pushing my body on the chain system they had. I was pushing against the wall in between Ryder and Gray, who were also chained the same way I was.

"She's going to get the information no matter what," he clipped, walking out of the room.

My body slowly stitched itself together, but the thirst was still there. It was making me sweat, distracting me, and I was worried if I didn't eat soon, I would forget her because my thirst would be the only thing I would be thinking of. I couldn't forget her.

"You think they are safe?" Gray whispered.

"It's easier to think they are, but at least we know they don't have her yet," Ryder replied.

Our bond felt fractured, but I could still feel her. It wasn't as strong as it normally was, but she hummed in my chest, and I had to hold onto hope that Max had hidden her. There was also a part of me that knew she wasn't going to just sit back and hide. Oria was sick of hiding, she was tired of being weak. That made me proud, but also scared me because she could possibly do something stupid.

"I have a sinking feeling she's going to do something stupid," Gray whispered. "She's not one to just sit around."

"She's going to be pissed," I said, still hearing her last pleas with me to not let her go.

"Livid," Ryder said. "She might stay away just because of that and goddess I hope she does."

"She might just rescue us just to punish us," Gray said with amusement.

"I'll be ok with that, but I also want her safe," I groaned, adjusting my arms.

"I want her to live," Ryder whispered.

My heart wrenched in pain that I never fulfilled my promise to her. I had failed her and that hurt more than any stab wound.

The slamming of a door jerked me awake. My eyes were heavy, my thirst was commanding my attention more than ever. The sound of heels was coming closer to us until a woman stood before us.

Laima.

I did not expect her to be so beautiful. In my head she was this ugly old woman. Her outside matching her inside, but I was definitely wrong. She was exactly the kind of woman I would have taken home with me and then creeped me out. I could have taken her home and not known what this woman was doing.

"It seems you are stubborn about my daughter's location," she said, walking to Ryder, then to me and then Gray. "I know you think you are protecting her, but there is?—

"Cut the bullshit," Ryder growled. "We all know she isn't your daughter."

She looked over at Ryder, unbothered, but magic crackled in the air.

"I knew I should have killed Max. Taylin begged for his life. I should have gone with my first instinct," she said, walking up to Ryder. "Though I am disappointed that you found her. I was really hoping that the gorge would eat you alive, but it seems you are harder to kill than I thought. Those trolls should have done it, but no you had to jump in the gorge."

She laid a hand on Ryder's chest, running her hand down his abs.

"I should have killed you myself, but I never would have thought you would have had the necklace that I made for Caston," she huffed in annoyance. "That was my fault for trusting a boy to do a woman's job. My sister let him go too far and I'm glad he's been taken care of, much like your Serena."

Ryder growled. His eyes flashed yellow and then he screamed.

"Get the fuck away from him," I snarled.

"Stop it!" Gray yelled.

"Tell me her location," she said, looking at my brother and I.

Gray and I stayed silent as Ryder thrashed against her palm.

"Tell me!" Her eyes turned black before they quickly changed back.

His screams made me want to tell her a lie, just to get her to stop.

"Fine, if he won't entice you to speak, maybe this will," she said, walking away from Ryder who hung limp.

The man who led the attack on the pack walked into the room, going to Gray immediately.

"Tell me what I need to know or else he gets infected with Kark," she said, taking the syringe from the man. "I will flood his system with Kark and you can watch him die in the next couple of days."

They pulled him to the center of the room.

"Get the fuck away from him," I snarled.

"Tell me what I want to know," she snapped, resting the syringe against his neck.

Gray and I locked eyes. He nodded at me like this was ok, but it wasn't.

"Tell me!" she yelled.

I clenched my jaw knowing how this would end, wishing for it to stop.

"I don't know," I said. "Max took her, and I don't know where."

"Lies, you know where she is," she snarled. "Tell me the truth!"

"I don't fucking know!" I yelled, as she pushed the needle into his neck.

"Last chance," she threatened.

"I don't know!" I screamed as she pushed the virus into my brother. "No!"

"Useless fools." She threw the syringe away. "I'll give you an hour to find out where she is and then you're next."

They pushed Gray back to the wall as they left. Tears fell down my face.

"Gray," I cried out.

"It's ok, Soren," he said softly. "I knew what I was getting into when she left. I'm prepared to die for her… but I'm sorry you had to see that."

I continued to cry, coming to terms with my fate. This is why we sent her away and Gray was right. We knew what we were getting into. We knew we would have to die for her and if her freedom is the price of my life. I would gladly pay it.