Page 64 of Marked By the Alphas

Naya slipped into the house, disappearing into the darkness, and we waited, our breath held, time stretching into an eternity.

It felt like a long time afterward when the expected signal failed to arrive, and a cold dread slithered through me.

Something was wrong.

“Naya’s signal is overdue. We need to move.” I whispered to Kai and Rowan.

“We can’t take that risk, Rhys. You’re as anxious as we both are, but we need to be careful. If we go barging into the house and it’s the wrong time, he could kill her even before we have the chance to get to her. A little more patience, Rhys,” Rowan tried to convince me.

But, at that moment, I felt a huge surge of dark energy pulsing through the entire premises. It took the words out of my mouth and without pausing for another moment to think, I moved.

Chapter 33

Elara

A thick, suffocating darkness enveloped me as I opened my eyes. It felt so suffocating and impenetrable that it made my senses slow to awaken, almost like I was fighting to break out of its hold. When my consciousness finally breached the surface, a wave of panic washed over me. I was disoriented, my mind racing to comprehend my surroundings. I knew that my eyes were open, but they didn’t adjust to accommodate the darkness. It was almost as if I had lost my sense of sight.

The air was thick with the scent of decay, and it made me nauseous. The silence around me was so profound that it seemed to press against my ears.

My body ached all over as if I had been run over by a bus, and panic seized me as the events that had happened before I lost consciousness flooded my mind. The darkness in the room, the struggle with the figure, the overpowering force that had knocked me unconscious. Terror clawed at my insides as I realized that whoever it was had succeeded in capturing me.

My limbs were restrained, icy metal biting into my flesh and I thrashed against the chains, desperation fueling my efforts. They held firm against my frantic struggles.

A cold sweat broke out as I tried to discern the shape of the room, I tried to find anything that would serve as a point of reference or that could dispel the consuming dread that I felt.

A low, guttural chuckle echoed through the darkness, and it sent a chill down my spine. It sounded very familiar.

Silas?

“Ah, the precious Elara. Awake at last, are we? How does it feel to be back where you belong?” The voice sounded almost like Silas, but it was distorted, as if it was being filtered through something.

Did Silas just sound different? Or was it someone else attempting to imitate him?

“Did you really think that you were so far away that I couldn’t get to you?” he asked. His voice was closer now, meaning he had moved, and my heart sank to my stomach when I realized how helpless I was against him.

I couldn’t hear the sound of his footsteps as he moved around the room. I couldn’t see him or determine what part of the room he was in. Even when I tried to hone my Siren senses, it was still useless, and worst of all was the fact that he had no scent, so I couldn’t even tell who it really was.

“You have no idea what your escape caused me. I’ve lost everything! And for what? A little taste of your damned freedom? A life of mediocrity? You were destined for greatness, Elara. You belonged amongst the most powerful army the world has ever known, but you threw it all away, and you brought me down along with you,” he said, and my head started hurting from the confusion that I felt.

I wanted to scream at this man, to lash out at him, but my voice felt like it was trapped in my throat. I was not only a prisoner of my restraints but also of the terror that seized my frame.

“It was my mission to find you and bring you back. Finding you wasn’t the problem. That was pretty easy. I still can’t understand how you managed to get the protection of an all-Alpha pack. Regardless, I failed in my mission. And you know what happens when you fail Silas’ missions?” he asked. This time I could tell that he had moved to stand in front of me, and so I sneered in his direction, defiance bubbling in my stomach regardless of the helplessness of my situation.

“Such a defiant little thing. It’s no wonder Silas nearly lost his mind when you escaped. Your potential is not lost to us, but your stupidity has cost more than you can ever imagine. But fear not, I shall rectify this mistake. You will be ours once more, and this time, you will never escape,” he said, backing up away from me.

And a cold dread seized me. I knew what he meant. He was going to ignite the bond again.

A small flicker of light finally filled the space and it pierced through the suffocating darkness, casting grotesque shadows on the wall. I could finally see clearly.

There was a man standing at the edge of the room, his face hidden by the heavy cloak that he wore but it wasn’t even him that caught my attention. It was the figure standing beside him that froze my blood.

Naya.

“Well, well, well, look who I have with me. Your dearest friend and your faithful companion. All my efforts to find you proved to be futile. Until, of course, I found the best help,” he mocked.

“Naya?” My voice sounded small when I finally spoke. I could hear my heart breaking into a million pieces inside my chest. This couldn’t be happening.

“How could you do this to me?” My voice was shaky, and I felt the angry tears sting at my eyes.

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