Page 21 of The Lycans: Vol Four

They’d hurt her. Repeatedly. All these years.

I was a growling, feral mess, never taking my gaze off her, my chest feeling like someone had ripped it open and torn out my heart.

“I’m here. I’m here, lass, and I’ll take ye away. I’ll protect ye this time.”

The deep laughter in the room had me slowly looking at each man, memorizing their faces, knowing I’d kill every one of them.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Tore announced, “enjoy the show.”

9

Larkin

Days later

Iknew it was late, although I didn’t know what time it was, hadn’t seen the sun, the moon, or the open skies in so long.

But my body had become accustomed to the long stretches when they left me alone. That was when I slept. But tonight, I was awake, the same blanket pulled up to my chin while I stared at the cement above me as I thought about Odhran, remembered his roars and screams while they tortured me right in front of him.

I knew from listening to my parents that although I’d been the one physically harmed, Odhran felt it too, maybe even worse. He wanted to get to me so badly that I smelled his blood coat the air as he strained against his bonds, making his wrists raw.

And they all laughed and cheered and shouted for more.

I passed out at some point during it, a small miracle, but another part wanted to stay awake so I could see him, look into his eyes that I’d only been able to dream about for far too long. Gods, how I knew he was suffering right now, worried about me and blaming himself. I’d seen that truth written on his face, a misery that would forever be etched into my brain.

I closed my eyes, squeezed them so tightly I gave myself a headache. After rubbing the pain away, I exhaled and knew with a sickening feeling in my gut that they’d do this over and over again, torture me in front of my mate, knowing it would destroy him.

My thoughts were disrupted by the sound of a lock disengaging.

The footsteps that came down the hallway were softer than normal, as if someone was trying to be quiet, and I looked past the bars, seeing a large shadow coming closer. I tightened my hold on the blanket, knowing that whoever it was wouldn’t be here for anything good.

And then he came into view.

D.

I held my breath as he stopped in front of my cell. I knew the shadows within my prison were dark enough he couldn’t see me clearly, not with his weak human vision. But I could see him clear as day, saw the way his gaze narrowed on me, heard the way his breathing picked up, how his pulse quickened. And in turn, mine did the same, as this sick horror settled inside me.

“I know you’re awake,” he said in a soft voice, as if he didn’t want anyone to hear. “Don’t worry; the cameras have been diverted and rerouted for the time being.”

I didn’t answer, didn’t even know what he meant by that.

He curled his hands around the bars and leaned in, his nostrils flaring, his jaw tight. “I’m not supposed to be here, but…” He didn’t finish that sentence, but I saw the way his fingers tightened around the metal, his knuckles white. “I don’t know.” His brows pulled down low. “There’s something about you…”

It was very clear in his tone and by his expression that whatever it was that he saw in me, he didn’t much care for it.

He looked to his right, where the door that led out of the cell block was. He turned back to me just as he reached for his key card. I kept the blanket wrapped around me as he unlocked the cell. I could see the hazy magic in front of it, almost as if it was a mirage, an apparition, before it dissipated.

In that moment I wished humans were affected by it, that they felt pain by touching those bars like the Otherworld did.

And then it faded as the door was opened. For a second, he just stood there, staring at me. It felt like my heart was beating in the center of my throat.

He stepped farther inside, and I gripped the blanket as if it would protect me.

I knew this moment was very fragile, that he, like all the rest of these heathens who hurt the Otherworlders, was unhinged. I didn’t want to give him any reason to attack, not when it was very clear he came here for one reason.

Me.

“I’m disgusted with myself for wanting anything to do with you.” His voice was still so low as he took another step closer, and I rose to my feet to instinctively move to the side and farther away from him. We did this dance of footsteps back and forth until the door was to my right and he was directly in front of me.

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