11. Caja

Chapter 11

Caja

A Few Minutes Earlier

He's not coming back.

Stop that, I think, trying to push that negative voice out of my head. But it won't stop whispering cruel things.

Enrique's dead.

He left you here.

You're going to die alone.

I bury my face in my knees, my eyes burning with unshed tears. I hate that voice. Hate it. Because it reminds me of back home. Back with my Alpha, when he would forget about me for days. Leave me in the basement. Withhold food and water.

Enrique isn't Bautista .

I know this.

I'm certain of it.

But I… I don't know if Enrique is alive.

"I'll be back for you," he promised.

He wouldn't say that if he didn't mean it. However, that doesn't mean he can come back.

Oh, Gods…

I run my fingers through my hair, yanking on the strands.

The water around me has started to feel warmer, my body seeming to exude heat. Or maybe it's the streaming sunlight warming the lagoon.

Please keep me cool, I beg. Please don't let me burn.

My prayers go unanswered as a wave of hot lava sears me from head to toe, my body trembling violently in response. I bite back a cry, my insides churning with foreign energy.

Gods…

It burns.

I… I can't…

I sink my teeth into my palm, determined not to make a sound, but it's too much, it's… it's all-consuming.

And I'm alone.

Enrique isn't here.

He isn't coming back, that evil voice whispers.

"Shut up!" I yell at it. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" The final word leaves me on an agonized scream, one that echoes off the cavern walls.

I grab my hair again, scarcely aware of my blood-slicked palm. I really bit myself. Hard . But I can barely feel it.

The inferno bursting inside me is so much more powerful.

So profound .

My limbs shake, my stomach churning once more.

I. Need.

But I don't understand what I need. It just hurts .

I squeeze my thighs together, a whimper escaping my lips.

Gods, it's hot between my legs. So tingly. So… so… wet . And it has nothing to do with the water in the lagoon.

I shiver, my hand creeping downward to palm myself where the heat is most intense. I moan at the contact, my little bundle of nerves practically pulsating beneath my touch.

I never do this.

I was always told not to, that I wasn't allowed to stroke myself.

But I can't help it right now. I need this.

I need Enrique.

My Alpha.

My… my mate .

Except he's not my mate. He hasn't bitten me.

But oh, I don't care! I want him right now. My wolf is practically demanding his presence. She forces my jaws to open, and a guttural howl escapes my throat.

It's so loud. So terrifying. So needy .

Please , I beg Enrique with my thoughts. Please come back.

Another howl leaves me, this one filled with agony as I tumble to my side in the water. Only to splash around as I try to resurface again.

Gods, I'm a mess.

I… I can't… I can't stay here.

I swim-crawl back to the rock, my slick palms making it almost impossible to pull myself out. But somehow I manage, my body instantly burning up without the water.

I curl into a ball, every inch of me engulfed in flames.

Enrique… Enrique… Alpha… Please…

Cries litter the air, the sounds mingling with moans.

And followed by growls .

I freeze.

Those growls don't belong to Enrique. They… they belong to… to other Alphas.

Oh, Gods…

I can hear them coming for me. Howling. Prowling nearby.

I can smell their intrigue, their masculine traits, their dominance .

My thighs clench. No, no… I want… I want Enrique…

But I can barely picture his face now, all my instincts demanding satisfaction. A knot. An Alpha .

No, I whisper. No!

More howls.

Intense growls.

Silent whimpers .

Some part of me knows I need to be quiet, to hide. But it hurts so much to move .

Back to the water, I think dizzily. Drown my scent.

It hurts to move, to roll, but I… I… Gods…

Coolness splashes over me, causing me to still once more. Can they hear me? I wonder as I submerge myself in the water. It's a temporary reprieve, granting me momentary sanity as I push back up to the surface.

It won't last long.

I can feel the Alphas coming for me.

Hear their claiming howls.

They're going to rip me apart , I realize, curling my legs up to my chest like I did before. Gods, Enrique… If you're alive… Please… Please come back for me…

I close my eyes, determined to see him in my mind. To picture his perfect face.

We only had a few minutes together, but they were enough.

They have to be enough .

I tuck my head and breathe, focusing on him and his scent, all while listening to the males outside.

They're searching. Hunting. But they haven't reached me yet.

It's only a matter of time.

I cover my mouth with my palm, refusing to cry out, refusing to give in to the urge to howl. I have to be strong. I have to wait.

He's coming for me, I tell myself. He's… he's alive… and he's coming for me. Just be strong… hold on… and don't make a sound.