Page 2 of Place of Torment

“Men.” The barely audible sound of Alice’s voice doused all of my anger with the strength of a bucket of iced cold water being spilled over me, yanking me back to the present with a slingshot, like nothing ever would’ve been able too. Both, Samir and I, turned sharply to stare wide-eyed at the human eyeing us dazedly from the mountain of pillows. “A sure way to meet your maker before it’s your time to go is to tell a pissed off woman to calm down. It goes as well as trying to pet a cat after keeping her tied in a bag for a couple of days. No offense to Dominic.” My friend attempted to make a joke with a forced smile for my benefit, and my heart clenched painfully in my chest at the gammy grimace that twisted her features. “No one told the poor dude that, huh?”

My mouth opened and closed a few times, but my throat was dry, and no sound came out. All of us, including the wolf who raised his head when Alice spoke, stood frozen in disbelief. Her face swam as my eyes filled with tears and traveled unchecked when they trickled down my face. All that I managed was an embarrassing croak before I rushed the bed and collapsed on it with heart wrenching sobs that were ripped from the very center of my being.

“You,” with shaking fingers I latched onto her cold hand. It felt like it was the only thing keeping me from exploding into a million pieces. “Are…awake.”

“Oh, Brooklyn.” She murmured and tried to squeeze my hand. I only knew this because her fingers twitched and that’s all the strength she had. I tightened my hold on her instead, mindful not to break her bones.

“I am, so, so, sorry, Alice!” sobs kept wracking my hunched shoulders. “This is all my fault. All of it. But I will make it right. I promise you I’ll make it right.”

“The Syndicate did this, not you.” Her voice broke and she started coughing weakly. Samir was there in an instant shoving me out of his way and holding her up so he could press a glass of water with a straw to her lips. “None of us…did anything…wrong.”

“Shhhh don’t talk.” He cooed at Alice like he was hushing a newborn. “Talking can wait for when you are stronger.”

He glanced at me quickly to make sure I was paying attention. “She has times where she wakes up for a minute or two, but it costs her dearly.” Brushing a strand of hair from her sweaty forehead, he pressed the glass more insistently to her dry cracked lips. “Sip now, Esme.”

I froze, as did he.

Well, well. What do you know.

The ancient Atua recovered quickly and continued his whispering encouragements for Alice to sip the water while I stared stunned at the back of his head. He used the ancient Persian word for beloved to address my friend. My first reaction was to snap his neck, immediately. The second reaction that rose within me had a more permanent consequence that was way too tempting, but I had to shake the urges away. I must’ve missed a lot of things while bloodlust was behind the wheel driving me all over Chicago.

There is a time and place for everything I have learned. So, when Samir glanced at me over his shoulder, his ancient eyes guarded, I gave him a sharp nod to tell him I planned on keeping my mouth shut and staying out of whatever was going on between him and my friend.

For now.

I could always kill him later.

That sounded like a delightful plan if I’ve ever heard one.

The future was looking brighter by the minute if you ask me.

2

Ileft Samir to tend to Alice while I walked out into the hallway. I closed the door with a soft click before leaning my forehead against it and closing my eyes. The cold wood of the door was a much-needed reprieve to my heated skin. A total opposite of other times when my body was a frozen popsicle waiting for spring thaw and I resembled a corpse. My internal temperature was really out of wack since I snapped out of my bloodlust. So, I took a deep breath allowing my shoulders to drop, not worried that anyone would see my weakness. The house was as silent as a tomb; so much so, that the rhythm of my heart was echoing too loud in my ears.

I was tired.

Carrying a chip on my shoulder has become second nature, and I didn’t notice the weight of it anymore. The guilt and responsibility of those around me, however, was a newly formed burden, which pressed so hard on my shoulders, that it made it difficult to walk most days without doubling over. In the last few days or so I had a lot of time to think and reexamine my actions.

I was pretty sure anyone would agree when I said I acted rashly. A million excuses come to mind that could ease my culpability and justify everything. Be that as it may, I refused to use my rage and thirst for revenge as a crutch for placing everyone I care about in danger. A slip up here and there in the name of a righteous indignation is one thing. But everyone suffering, or God forbid dying, because I couldn’t seem to get a grip on myself was a totally different story.

Enough was enough.

I stood there for hours it seemed, pressing my hands to my cheeks to cool them off and rolling my head all over the door while my mind raced not wanting to miss the chance to taunt me with everything, I’d done wrong. Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice when the energy around me shifted, thickening the air, and making it pregnant with tension. It spoke volumes about my current state and how much I needed to lay down so I could fully recover.

Not that I’d do it.

But it was telling.

“You are not feeling well?” Dominic asked but didn’t approach me. It cost him dearly to keep his distance now that we opened Pandora’s box by acknowledging the mate bond we so expertly avoided all this time.

“I’ll be alright.” My lips grazed the now warmed up wood of the door when I answered, keeping my eyes closed still so I don’t tempt myself to turn around and rush into his arms.

My whole being was tense, coiled like a rusted spring waiting to snap at the slightest brush of a breeze. There was no way in all hells that he didn’t notice the slight tremor of my fisted hands or the coppery scent of my blood pooling in the small crescent cuts my nails left in my palms. Still, I stayed glued to the spot as if that would keep me away from the tsunami of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

“Brooklyn, we can’t keep doing this to each other.” His voice came from much closer, although I didn’t hear him move. Damn cats and their stealth. The hurt from my rejection was evident in the slight rasp of his tone and it took all the energy I had left not to visibly shiver. “You can be angry with me, hate me if that is what you want, but I don’t and will not regret my actions. Ever.”

My fist was lodged in my throat, closing it effectively up; and I swallowed thickly in hopes it’ll go down and I tell Dominic to leave me alone. Instead, my body began to quiver, and much to my embarrassment, my knees gave out.

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