Page 55 of Shadow Bonds

“Your mates have not only killed those involved. They’re hunting everyone that was even aware of it.”

Shit…

“I heard Cyrus dragged them into a nightmare in their sleep and Knox slit their throats.”

I wince at the visual that just flashed across my mind.

“Have they been gone long?” Maybe I can catch up to them and stop this madness.

But instead of answering me, he stares at me quietly for a moment. “Thank you… for the other day,” he says, quickly distracting me and reminding me of Arabella.

“Why didn’t you just push her off?” I ask remembering he just sat there and let her do whatever she wanted.

He shrugs. “She’s a companion and has ties to some of the higher-ranking males. When she says she can get away with anything, she means it and has.”

I clench my jaw. “I should’ve punched her harder.”

He chuckles. “I doubt she’ll be going near you now.”

I glance at him with a questioning look.

“Your four mates have made it very clear that you are their mate and off limits.”

I sigh to myself, wondering what trouble that will bring me. It definitely won’t stop Arabella in any way. She seems to like the power she thinks she has and hates anyone getting in her way.

Seth watches me for a minute before continuing. “I heard you lost your memory.” He doesn’t wait for my reply but instead searches my face something. “Those four may be the most powerful Shadows we’ve ever known, but they weren’t always like that. They’ve had to fight every step of the way to get to where they are now.”

Another male steps into the tent, his face pale and gaunt, his body almost sickly thin. His dark eyes gloss over me to find Seth.

Seth immediate gets up and goes over to him, giving him a tight hug before murmuring something to him so low I can’t make it out.

The thin male nods his head and slowly makes his way out of the tent.

“What happened to him?” I ask once he’s gone. It’s the first time I’ve seen any male Shadow that looks sick.

“Ever heard of the Void?” Seth asks and something in his eyes has a chill running down my spine.

“I heard it’s horrible place,” I tell him as my stomach drops at the look he gives me.

“It much worse than you’re imagining. Think Hell on steroids. There are beasts, creatures, and… beings that sense and hunt anyone that enters. The weather is worse than the red zone here, and the only food is the kind you can catch and kill. And that’s if they don’t kill you first.”

My stomach drops and twists. “What aren’t you telling me?” I see it in his eyes; there’s something he looks hesitant to reveal.

He slowly moves closer to me, sitting a bed away from me. “They shouldn’t have survived it the first time. They were only kids.”

They… I give him a questioning look, wondering who he’s talking about, and he nods confirming my fears.

Nausea churns my stomach, making me feel like I’m about to throw up.

Seth watches me with nothing but sadness in his eyes. “Your mates were sent there for months at a time. Time moves differently in the Void. It’s longer. More dragged out and unbearable.” He sighs and shakes his head. “They shouldn’t have been able to survive the number of times they’ve been sent there. Most that have been sent that many times have died.”

He swallows hard and stands up and starts pacing. As if he needs to move to release the energy running through him.

“They were so broken after the first time. But it didn’t stop them from sending them back, over and over again.”

“Why?” I croak and clear my throat. “Why were they sent there? What did they do?”

He searches my face again and sighs. “Nothing. They didnothingto deserve it.”

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