Chapter 11

Tilly

Helen knew I no longer trusted her and she didn’t even make an effort anymore. Was all that backstory for nothing? Just a way for me to let my guard down enough for them to biopsy me? And seriously, what did they expect to gain from that?

I was still upset about it.

“You can’t trust them,” Maxine reminded us.

Today, Egan came for me.

“Let’s go beautiful. I blocked the rest of the day off just for you.”

“Don’t you dare touch her,” Aaron said.

The two men were at a standstill in the center of the room.

“Or what?” Egan asked.

“Or I will kill you.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No, that’s a promise.”

I didn’t even see the knife appear, just watched as Aaron gasped then slowly sank to the floor.

“No!” Maxine yelled as she began throwing fists while trying to get to her mate. “You’re a monster!”

I stood there, just watching it all unfold before me and unable to process what I was seeing.

I shook my head.

This couldn’t be happening.

Aaron was fine. This was just another bad dream.

Wake up. Please just wake up, I begged myself.

Maxine sobs were too much for me to handle as I cracked under the pressure of everything that happened.

“Help him!” she wailed.

Tears burned my eyes as they free flowed down my cheeks.

I somehow made it to the floor beside her.

“We have to stop the bleeding,” she pleaded.

I grabbed the first thing I could find, a towel on the floor, and pressed it to the wound in his chest. There was so much blood.

“It’s okay,” he whispered to his mate, though I could hear the gurgling of blood in his lungs as he spoke. “Let go, Maxi. We’ll fly together.”

Through her tears, she nodded and clutched his hand in both of hers.

“Together, always and forever.”

“No. Please don’t leave me,” I cried.

I continued to apply pressure even as his body began convulsing making it hard to hold him still.

“Let him go,” she told me. “It’s okay. Promise me you’ll take care of my children.”

“I promise.”

There was a smile on her face as she leaned down and kissed his lips.

“Lead the way, my love.”

As the life faded from Aaron, Maxine collapsed onto his chest.

“Wow. What just happened? That was dramatic,” Egan said. He nudged Maxine with the toe of his boot. “I didn’t even touch her.”

“Get away from them,” I screamed.

“That really was like killing two birds with one stone. How did this happen?”

“Get out and leave them alone. Leave me alone.”

“I will. I promise. Just explain it to me.”

“They were fully mated, you idiot. When one dies the other follows into the afterlife. You killed them both.”

“That was awesome!”

I thought I was going to throw up and a part of me wanted to just rip his throat out, but the pain of losing them hit me hard. I was happy they could continue their journey together, but what about me?

Aaron died trying to protect me. And for what?

I began to sob.

“Well, I’m just going to leave you to it then. I’ll send someone in to clean up this mess.”

I was so beyond disgusted by his attitude, but I was also cold, scared, and all alone.

I’m so sorry Lachlan. I couldn’t save them.

I said a silent prayer over their bodies and then I curled up into a fetal position on the bed and cried for what felt like hours or possibly days even. I cried until the last tear had dropped and there were no more tears to cry.

*****

At some point I must have fallen asleep because when I awoke, I was all alone in the room. Their bodies had been removed. The utter silence was enough to make a sane person crazy.

The only thing I knew for certain was that I had to get the hell out of here. There was no reason to stay now. I was on my own. It was up to me to write my own happily ever after.

I went to the door and jiggled the knob. It was locked as I knew it would be.

Looking around the room, I didn’t find much, but if I got creative there were a few things starting with covering the damn camera. I tore off a piece of fabric from what had been Aaron’s pillowcase and tied it around the camera.

Feeling satisfied with that, I searched the room for other things I could use. Under one of the beds, I found an old keycard. I knew it was a long shot, but I wedged it into the crack of the door and down by the lock. There was no deadbolt on, just a normal lock. I jiggled the card and the handle until at last, it gave and popped open.

“That really worked?” I said aloud.

I couldn’t believe it.

Checking the hallway I didn’t see anyone so I crept out and down the hall. There was one room Helen had refused to take me to. I suspected that was the way out. But first there was something I needed to do.

I tiptoed down the hall, but the sound of the wheels on the food cart had me running back to my room. I shut the door and then jumped in bed and pulled the sheet over me just in time for the door to open once more.

“Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty,” Helen said as if nothing at all had happened and this was a perfectly normal day here.

I didn’t budge.

“I know you’re not asleep,” she tried.

I still didn’t move.

“Fine. I’ll leave you be for today, but death is a part of life and something you’re just going to have to get over.”

She left the tray and stomped out, locking the door behind her.

I jumped up and ate the food from the tray, praying it wasn’t drugged. One could never be too cautious around here.

Starving, I scarfed it all. Maybe a sedative wouldn’t be that bad. Of course, I later realized that for once they hadn’t tampered with my food.

Just my luck.

The one time I wanted to just close my eyes and drift off into oblivion.

Instead, with a full belly, I laid on my bed staring at the ceiling as I plotted out ways to get the hell out of here.

I drifted off staring at the ceiling once more, emotionally drained and exhausted. Since my arrival I’d barely slept a wink here, but I was physically done so I didn’t even fight it.

“Tilly ,” I heard Lachlan’s voice.

“I’m here.”

“I can’t find you.”

“I’m right here.”

“I’m coming for you.”

“You don’t have to because I’m getting the hell out of here.”

“Not yet. Just sit tight. I’m coming.”

My dream shifted from innocent and encouraging to Lachlan naked hovering above me.

“I’m coming, Tilly. I’m coming.”

There was a sheen of sweat glistening across his body.

Mmm, I moaned in appreciation.

“Are you ready?”

“No. Wait for me.”

I’d never allowed one of my dreams to play out, at least not while here in this room with his parents.

Tears pricked my eyes once more.

“I’ve let you down,” I told my dream Lachlan. “They’re gone.”

“I know,” he whispered. “That wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it was.”

“It wasn’t. None of this was your fault.”

“I don’t know if I can forgive myself.”

“Shh. Just feel now. I’ve got you.”

His body moved against mine and I would have sworn it was real even though I knew it wasn’t.

I reached my hand down between my legs and touched myself, wanting this to be real so badly.

“Your hot and ready. Just let go Tilly. I’ll catch you.”

“Lachlan,” I moaned as a very real orgasm racked my body.

“Now who the hell is Lachlan?” Egan asked over the monitor.

I jumped up and pulled my knees up to my chest. The camera was still covered, but obviously he was listening in.

There was no way I was going to respond or admit that’s what he heard. It was best to just pretend this never happened and concentrate on getting out of this nightmare.

I needed my mate more than ever and not just for sex, though that would be nice too if Egan didn’t scar me for life first. No, I needed his larger than life presence. I needed his arms around me as he whispered words of encouragement in my ear.

You’re strong enough to get through this. You can accomplish anything you set your mind too. You are amazing, I pep talked myself while purposefully ignoring Egan as if he’d never uttered a word.